THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 1997 TAG: 9701290012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 24 lines
Jonathan Yardley practices superficial journalism in his Jan. 19 Commentary article, ``Belittling the Bard.'' In condemning top colleges and universities for no longer requiring English majors to study Shakespeare, he overlooks the superior education many students are receiving in high schools these days.
Before arriving on college campuses, most students at the colleges he describes have already taken Advanced Placement classes. English majors are well-acquainted with the bard, not just in written form but in production. Shakespeare's plays continue to be produced by college Thespians.
Catchy titles of popular electives do not tell the whole story, and naming them as a basis for criticism has become a cliche. Such classes often snag students into taking highly challenging and surprisingly intellectual courses that offer a different way of looking at things. At most of these schools, students may also choose from an extensive list of traditional courses.
S. H. WILLIAMS
Virginia Beach, Jan. 19, 1997