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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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 Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:33 Post subject: Forced swimming tests?
What's your opinion?
| Quote: | (AP) -- On a recent Friday morning, a line of bathing-suit clad students stood beside a campus swimming pool, waiting to jump in. They had come to persuade the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill they were worthy of a college degree -- which they were not, in UNC's eyes, until they could swim 50 yards and tread water for five minutes.
For many, it was an annoying inconvenience, for others a moment of pride in conquering their fear of water. But the scene also was a small slice of collegiate history. This was the last swim test day at one of the last remaining colleges to require it. Following a wide-ranging curriculum review, this year's seniors are the last at UNC who must pass the test to graduate.
The change is a sad one for Meg Pomerantz, who lobbied unsuccessfully to keep the requirement and who teaches swim classes for students who need them to pass the test.
"In my 16 years here, I've never had a student take the course and say anything other than, 'I'm really glad I learned how to do this,"' she said.
A half-century ago, passing a swim test was a common requirement on college campuses. In an era before health clubs, yoga and aerobics, swimming was both a popular exercise option and a skill colleges believed men and women should master -- both for their own safety and for social reasons. |
Rest of the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/08/colleges.swimtest.ap/index.html
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:40 Post subject:
It really has nothing to do with general scholastic education, but it's not a bad idea.
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TriBob
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:45 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | It really has nothing to do with general scholastic education, but it's not a bad idea. |
I think that minimum is a life skill you should have and doesn't college prepare us for life?
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:51 Post subject:
| TriBob wrote: | | Pug wrote: | | It really has nothing to do with general scholastic education, but it's not a bad idea. |
I think that minimum is a life skill you should have and shouldn't college prepare us for life? |
Indeed.
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kristin31
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:56 Post subject:
I don't think anything should be forced, but swimming competently is a valuable skill to have and could possibly save your life some day. Look at all of the things you can't do if you can't swim! (Like snorkel, dive, jump off cliffs into the ocean in Jamaica....come on!)
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:57 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | TriBob wrote: | | Pug wrote: | | It really has nothing to do with general scholastic education, but it's not a bad idea. |
I think that minimum is a life skill you should have and shouldn't college prepare us for life? |
Indeed. |
I agree. I think it's a great idea. My mil is terrified of the water yet she loves going out in the boat. 
I think the guy at the end of the article is a little whack: | Quote: | In the middle of the ocean, how much good would a back float do?
"I highly doubt 'Jaws' would wait five minutes before gobbling me up." |
In the water sharks are often not your biggest danger. I think people drowning in lakes is far more common than people being attacked by sharks in the middle of the ocean.
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j1miller
Puppy Love!
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 12:59 Post subject:
If you don't want to take the test, don't go to school there.
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purple hayes
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:26 Post subject:
| j1miller wrote: | | If you don't want to take the test, don't go to school there. |
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airehead
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:28 Post subject:
| purple hayes wrote: | | j1miller wrote: | | If you don't want to take the test, don't go to school there. |
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I think it's very telling that the schools who do this are mostly upper tier schools.
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j1miller
Puppy Love!
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:28 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | | purple hayes wrote: | | j1miller wrote: | | If you don't want to take the test, don't go to school there. |
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I think it's very telling that the schools who do this are mostly upper tier schools. |
tradition speaks volumes.
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:31 Post subject:
| j1miller wrote: | | airehead wrote: | | purple hayes wrote: | | j1miller wrote: | | If you don't want to take the test, don't go to school there. |
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I think it's very telling that the schools who do this are mostly upper tier schools. |
tradition speaks volumes. |
So does an upper tier school's name...at least in some circles.
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shelflifers
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:32 Post subject:
I often wonder why CPR courses aren't mandatory in high school/college?
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j1miller
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:32 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | | j1miller wrote: | | airehead wrote: | | purple hayes wrote: | | j1miller wrote: | | If you don't want to take the test, don't go to school there. |
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I think it's very telling that the schools who do this are mostly upper tier schools. |
tradition speaks volumes. |
So does an upper tier school's name...at least in some circles. |
exactly what I mean!
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purple hayes
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:33 Post subject:
| shelflifers wrote: | | I often wonder why CPR courses aren't mandatory in high school/college? |
We had CPR in high school health class.
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j1miller
Puppy Love!
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Posted: 05/09/06 - 13:34 Post subject:
| purple hayes wrote: | | shelflifers wrote: | | I often wonder why CPR courses aren't mandatory in high school/college? |
We had CPR in high school health class. |
and college....
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