Edward G. Rice
9511 W. Waneta Lake Rd.
Hammondsport, NY 14840
(607) 292-6639 Home
06/16/08
Landmark Baptist College
Directed Studies Program
Attn Dr. Lewis
810 E.
Hinson Ave.
Haines City, Fl 33844
Dear Dr. Lewis,
I am writing to contend my grade on the midterm exam for your PT 100 course. It is evident that the grader did not read either of the last two essays with any of the “signs of intelligent life and higher level cognitive skills” that you requested in my writing. Further you stated on the exam that “Grammar, organization and thought will be graded” and they were not evaluated by this grader. If you, personally, graded this test, I apologize for using your own words against you, but my contentions are unmitigated. Please secure a second opinion or a re-evaluation of these two fine essays and re-issue an appropriate grade for this level of work that did “show signs of intelligent life and higher level cognitive skills, grammar, organization and thought.”
On essay number 26 of this test the grader dismissed my whole argument because it did not align with his preconceived notion of what MY most powerful witnessing tool should be, or because it did not regurgitate your lecture thought of what MY most powerful witnessing tool should be. My using 'intelligent life' and 'thought' on this exam errantly cost me 25% of the test grade! Indeed my personal testimony IS NOT my most powerful witnessing tool. My “most powerful witnessing tool (other than the Bible) and why this is true”, is amply stated in my unread, ungraded essay! I have won hundreds of souls to Christ using Dr. Porters track as my witnessing tool; I have won none (to my knowledge) using my personal testimony. I was saved at the age of eight in a revival service at Gang Mills Faith Baptist Church in 1960; in my 15 years as a teen pastor that testimony has not been effective at securing salvation decisions of wayward teens; in my work in Auburn State Prison, dealing with lifers, where well over 20 were saved, the 'saved as an eight year old testimony' was a 'golden spoon' draw back, and my most effective tool was Dr. Porter's tract; as a Pastor of Good Samaritan Baptist Church, who, praise the Lord, personally lead 7 to the Lord last week, I did not use my personal testimony a single time, and I did use Dr. Porter's tract each of those 7 times. How about if you let me use 'intelligent life and higher lever cognitive skills, grammar, organization and thought' to tell you what MY most powerful soul winning tool is and not trash 25% of my test grade because I did not regurgitate what was opinionated in a lecture.
On essay number 27 the grader took almost half off this essay because two of my explanations did not match his verbatim wording. All explanations were present and viable and were, again, demonstrative of the instructions at the top of the page. Please re-evaluate this essay for its completeness of content and accuracy as well.
As a high school math and science teacher, I know that grading paper after paper is laborious work, and I am grateful for this excellent course material and the effort that is put into this exceptional Bible college. However, I would ask that these two midterm exam essays be re-evaluated. My work is not merely 65% of the intelligent life and higher level cognitive skills required for this fine, required, refresher course, indeed it is 110%. Thank you for this consideration.
Pastor Ed Rice
Student.