English Blog Numero Uno: College Radicalism Redux

The article is from the LA Times website (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-week27-2009sep27,0,5103616.story), written by Cathleen Decker, September 27, 2009. Pretty much, it talks about how the protesting of hundreds of students in different California campuses is reminiscent of the 1960s. This time though, the students' concerns are not for civil rights, nor for war, but it is for the rising costs of education. According to the article, in November, the UC regents are expected to approve an increase in fees by $2500. And to add to the extent of which educational costs are rising, the California Post-Secondary Education Commission concludes that fees have quadrupled from 1965 to 2008 (in constant dollars) with inflation being taken into account. And while the costs continually rise, the per capita and median income for Californians and their families didn't even double throughout the 43 years. To add to all the dilemma and worry, post-graduation jobs that are supposed to pay off debt are now appear to be merely a "mirage".

The story seems unbiased, considering the quantitative figures that the reporter had included in her article. The article is regarding education itself, and I most certainly have strong opinions towards it. The story is important because it gives readers an idea of how difficult it is to get a decent post-secondary education for the middle class nowadays. Since I myself am in college, this story affects me greatly. I adore school, and I believe that everyone should have a right to a decent education. I moved to this country at age 11 from the Philippines, and with naive and innocent eyes, I saw that country's educational system. And while I was privileged enough to have parents who are fiscally stable, and who were able to send me to a decent school, some people broke their backs working so hard in order to send their children to a public school. A public school that isn't free?! In this country, that may be unthinkable, but in the Philippines, there are no other ways to get an education... you either have to cough up the money and pay for school, or you just settle for something less such as ignorance. Stupid corrupt politicians...

Anyway, a higher education is demanding so much from families financially. The ever so expensive investment that's supposed to lead to future success seems to become slowly unattainable. It's kind of why my mother's proposition about just studying in a different country makes sense to me. It's going to be fully paid for as I go. But what about the other people in that country who barely made it past elementary school? My mother told me not to worry about it, that it isn't my problem. But if I never allow it to become my problem, how would this situation change?

It's so horrible because the education part isn't the only thing we should be worrying about. And just as the article had said, the "jobs that are supposed to pay off debt are now appear to be merely a 'mirage' ". I only like mirages when they're of shirtless guys or of food. HAHA. But seriously. Students pay thousands of dollars to pretty much plaster "SUCCESS" all over their future, only to find that the jobs they studied so damn hard for isn't gonna get them jack shit.

So much for the twenty-thousand-dollar investment that's supposed to inherently lead to your Ferrari.

Education

Balitang Amerika was on earlier today. It's a Filipino news show whose main focus are Filipinos and afflictions that affect them here in America. I saw a little bit of this one segment where students are rallying at UC Berkeley, due to budget cuts and furlows and all other dilemmas that are affecting schools nationwide. My mother decides to comment saying, "See, it's really bad here now." I told her that the Philippines isn't any better. Schools aren't free over there, let alone budgeted by the government. There are plenty of children who cannot get into schools because they cannot afford it. My very wise mother then said, "It's not your problem". I walked away to walk upstairs and told her to stop thinking so selfishly.

I'm not sure what it is... maybe the generation gaps, our cultural differences (considering that I pretty much spent my adolescent years in America), or I was just born to refute everything my mother tells me, but I really dislike her way of thinking. "It's not your problem". Seriously? It's extremely unfair that children are yanked away from an opportunity such as education. Sure, it's not personally my problem, but it's still a problem when a lot of kids are unable to go to school because they're not as fortunate as me...

I'm going back to the Philippines to finish college, and yeah, I'm grateful -- happy, even -- that my family can afford to send me to school... but I'm not gonna hear it when my mother tells me that it's not my problem, because I feel like I have an unfair advantage over all of them...

Adulthood

Perhaps today would be considered the day that I officially enter adulthood. Not my 18th birthday, nor my 19th. It's got to be the first day I attend college. I suppose that makes sense, considering that my parents wouldn't be there to hold my hand along the way. Then again, I've pretty much done things on my own from the very beginning. I hardly ever asked for their assistance, unless it involves fiscal assistance, because I'm still dependent on them financially -- and will be until I finish school. Does that mean I've been adult since I was 10?

I should e-mail my professor now, but I have the urge to write... write something. The diary's in the drawer, 2 feet from where I sit, but I'm lazy right now, and typing is the faster way.

Today was exciting. Tiring. Wonderful. Fun. :) I enjoyed my first day back to school after 3 -- or was it 4? -- loooong months of idleness and laziness.

K, I'm out. Haha.

-TS