EDITORIAL: Unfair illegal fines ought to stop

On the front page of this issue, the Viking ran a story about charging money as an incentive to boost student performance and professional behavior. Performance in what subject area, one may ask? It does not really matter. Furthermore, the Viking is not particularly concerned with who is charging the unnecessary and illegal fines and fees. What the Viking does care about is ensuring that student and teacher boundaries are observed and respected. When a teacher infers that they are welcomed into students' pocketbooks, a boundary is crossed.

First of all, most students already are strapped for cash. That is probably why they are attending a community college in the first place. With everyone going through tough economic times, instructors should do their best to find alternative means to inspire and encourage professionalism.

For instance, if money is going to remain an incentive and can be withdrawn from students' wallets, then funds should be able to be deposited as well. Ten minutes early to class, $10 please!

At the end of the day, charging fees beyond tuition, parking, textbooks and supplies is going to discourage students. It certainly would dampen spirits in the newsroom environment.

If fines were charged for every typo, late arrival or absence, then one of two things would happen. The Viking would be extremely wealthy or there would be no Viking at all. Despite the possibility of having more funds, which every department on this campus could use, the Viking does what it can to inspire without siphoning money out of student reporters' pockets.

Instead, grades are used as incentive. Isn't that what all the other educators do anyway? Grades can be used as a punishment and a reward. If someone is not giving 100 percent, or is being disrespectful, then their grade should reflect the behavior.

Whatever the trade, skill or craft is, nobody is going to be interested in what the individual has to offer in the professional world if they fail their classes.

Additionally, charging money does not teach how to be polite or a hard worker either. It just means students have to figure out how to live with less money.

In fact, charging money for disrespectful or unprofessional behavior is, for the Viking, thoroughly confusing.

With a thirst to learn, educate and become better, students and teachers should make the whole process a lot less stressful by keeping money out of the equation.

Another incentive encouraged at the Viking is pride for what we do. This is most definitely the hardest task. But in the end, the best way to ensure productivity, high performance and professionalism is to instill a sense of pride and worth in what one is doing. If this is accomplished, then the students will naturally develop the desired values.

It borders on insulting to think that an individual will be inspired to develop professionalism and the like through the charging of arbitrary fees and fines.

John Ruskin, 19th century author, artist and poet, said, "...we are nevertheless not to set the meaner thing, in its narrow accomplishment, above the nobler thing in its mighty progress.