ateneo de manila calls off its final exams: noble or naive?
for those needing background, here's the optimistic, fuzzy-hearted letter from ateneo's philosophy department chair that's been making the facebook rounds lately, to unanimous and even fuzzier-hearted acclaim from ateneo alumni everywhere. and here's the original memo from VP cuyegkeng cancelling final exams this semester and encouraging the student body to do volunteer work instead. now let me clearly state my contention: instead of calling off the exams altogether, why not offer volunteer work in place of them? hi kids, your "biology finals" will be held at the covered courts, where you will be packing relief goods for a minimum of three hours, or longer if you so choose. it won't be graded but your professor will be there, checking attendance. you won't have to study and you get to embrace your "infinite responsibility for the other." isn't that nice? compared to this (or any other practicable solution), simply calling off exams an...