The Valpo Core Reader
 

Authors

Kevin Palmer

Document Type

Description Essay

Publication Date

1991

Excerpt

"Save old schools. Build fewer new ones" (L,B Reader 177). This idea is proposed by Nathan Glazer in his essay "Some Very Modest Proposals," and I would agree with him. He contends that old schools have a lot of character, and I would agree with this as well. In fact, I will take Mr. Glazer's argument one step further--don't even renovate older schools, at least not when school is in session. Many people feel that their high school was a dungeon of sorts, with no trace of beauty or cheerfulness. I used to feel the same way until my high school entered its "renovation era," as I call it, the summer following my sophomore year. The project was scheduled to be completed shortly after my graduation, so I really had nothing to gain from it in the first place. Unfortunately, I soon found out that I had plenty to lose. Because of this experience, I now believe that the learning environment is a very important aspect of the educational process. To prove my point, I will describe the conditions in the school on any given day during the renovation.

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