I ALMOST got excited about the super bowl coming to Indy... sorry sports fans... until I read this.
=( Sorry John, but I'd rather see people put millions and millions of dollars into the actual ACADEMIC PROGRAMS at Tech and other area high schools, not just into the sports programs.
Granted, sports keep kids out of a lot of trouble. In some cases, though, they get them INTO more trouble. Yes, kids are expected to maintain a certain GPA to stay in sports programs. BUT, if the sports programs at the school aren't doing too well and the team is about to lose a star player, high school coaches ARE NOT above pressuring teachers to change grades. What does this teach kids? That you can bully other people to get ahead. There's society for you.
So we put out millions of dollars to watch big burly guys throw a ball around and beat the shit out of each other, but what are we actually LEARNING about the world? Indiana has one of the worst school systems in the US, and the US ain't doin' too hot by international standards in regards to education.
So our solution to this is to spend taxpayer money to build a big ass stadium so we can host the superbowl, so we can spend MORE taxpayer money to build a big ass stadium that we'll eventually give to the only IPS high school that even BOTHERS with an academic standard?
Sorry, but I'm not impressed.
*sigh* Ask me again why I don't like sports.
Love,
Crystal
=( Sorry John, but I'd rather see people put millions and millions of dollars into the actual ACADEMIC PROGRAMS at Tech and other area high schools, not just into the sports programs.
Granted, sports keep kids out of a lot of trouble. In some cases, though, they get them INTO more trouble. Yes, kids are expected to maintain a certain GPA to stay in sports programs. BUT, if the sports programs at the school aren't doing too well and the team is about to lose a star player, high school coaches ARE NOT above pressuring teachers to change grades. What does this teach kids? That you can bully other people to get ahead. There's society for you.
So we put out millions of dollars to watch big burly guys throw a ball around and beat the shit out of each other, but what are we actually LEARNING about the world? Indiana has one of the worst school systems in the US, and the US ain't doin' too hot by international standards in regards to education.
So our solution to this is to spend taxpayer money to build a big ass stadium so we can host the superbowl, so we can spend MORE taxpayer money to build a big ass stadium that we'll eventually give to the only IPS high school that even BOTHERS with an academic standard?
Sorry, but I'm not impressed.
*sigh* Ask me again why I don't like sports.
Love,
Crystal
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 08:02 pm (UTC)Sorry, I had to say it. hehe.
I've got high hopes for what it might do for tourism in the city, including the bits and bobs they're planning on building (I heard something about a "downtown village" on the radio? That sounds interesting.) Let's face it, the downtown cityscape is BORING. I look out my office window and it's completely colorless, the mall downtown SUCKS...
so you never know. It might do us a bit of good. I still think our priorities are WAAAAAAAAAAY the fuck off as a city though.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 08:20 pm (UTC)Downtown needs more places to eat. (Resurrect the Capitol Food Court, dammit!) And we could really use a department store, like an old school "dime store". The two CVS' downtown are nice, but limited. A Radio Shack would also be nice.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 08:23 pm (UTC)