Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

Reason and Argument was a watered-down logic class. It was alright. You want totally bizarre CLAS requirements, try HWC. I mean, seriously, whiskey tango foxtrot, right?

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• Posted by pantheon on April 29, 2009 at 10:41 a.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

My recollection of COM 130 is that the class gives instruction of four or five different methods for delivering a speech. The class presented an introduction to speaking in public, which I telling you now, you WILL have to do when you graduate.

Most people dislike the class because they are afraid to speak in front of others, especially their peers. The class provides the chance to begin surmounting that fear in a small group setting, not unlike meetings you will have when you get a job.

The class teaches a basic skill set that every graduate will need in the future. You present a speech and then are given a sheet telling you exactly which areas of your presentation were strong and which were lacking.

Further more, this editorial provides no quote from a professor or TA of COMS 130. A good editorial and a good speech might at least acknowledge and refute some criticism.

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• Posted by Abita on April 29, 2009 at 12:51 p.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

It was a helpful class for me. Glad it was required otherwise I probably would not have elected to take the course. Looking back, I am glad I did.

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• Posted by go_jayhawks on April 29, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

public speaking is a certainly helpful class. they don't teach you how to be a good writer in english courses, they give you the basics, the same goes for a beginning speech course. You want to get better? Take another course. wth do you need help getting over stage fright? take a psychology course ffs.

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• Posted by oswaldorf on April 29, 2009 at 4:02 p.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

If Martin Luther King made his "Dream" speech for a COMS class, he would have been expelled for plagerism.

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• Posted by johnmurr on April 29, 2009 at 4:41 p.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

Perhaps if Ms. Foster had actually taken COMS 130, she would know that three interview sources of students, who may or may not have been stellar (my guess not), she would have known that those are not good sources to use to make a credible argument.

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• Posted by mea on April 30, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

I believe we studied one of MLK's speeches in COMS 130, and it had a nice structure to it.

Speech is an important class for anyone who might one day have to get in front of people and talk. That covers nearly everyone. Western Civ is an important class because it helps you understand why our culture is the way it is.

If you didn't want to study a wide range of subjects, you should have gone to a vocational school. Hairdressers and mechanics don't need to give speeches or write papers, but college graduates do.

Also, are there really 10 undergraduate professional schools? Journalism, business, engineering, education, social welfare and... what am I forgetting?

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• Posted by esskay on April 30, 2009 at 10:19 a.m.
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Editorial: COMS 130 requirement illogical

Mea--I happen to know Ms. Foster, and she has taken COMS 130, although not at KU. And editorials are assigned--she may or may not agree with the position she was told to take. That's the point of an editorial; it is the editorial board's opinion.

Abita--Do you think perhaps she tried to contact COMS professors and they did not contact her back?

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• Posted by sunshine88 on April 30, 2009 at 5:03 p.m.
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