Veterans Day was established as a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Veterans do not always know how to respond to recognition for their service from those who have. To some, it reminds them that not everyone went through what they did and makes them feel as if they are different, not special. Observing Veterans Day with a day off from classes should not be a reason to be lazy, sleep in and party. That kind of attitude goes against what the whole day represents to begin with. Maybe it is a good thing that Veterans Day is not observed…
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Recognizing Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, a time that we remember the strong women who have overcome prejudice and sexism throughout the years. We praise the contributions women have made and continue to make that have given them the opportunities they have today. In 1981 Congress passed Public Law 97-28, which declared the first week of March as Women’s History Week. Six years later, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress declared the month of March as Women’s History Month. During Women’s History Month we recognize compelling women such as Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross; Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly by herself…
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A victory for now
For the past three months, CUNY was in a state of crisis. Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed in his Executive Budget to cut $485 million and make the city pay for it instead. This is equal to nearly one-third of funding for all senior colleges. Officials at CUNY scrambled to mobilize students and urge state lawmakers to reconsider this cut or, as the Cuomo administration prefers, shift. The Professional Staff Congress, which represents 25,000 professors and staff, organized rallies and even held a die-in in front of Cuomo’s New York City office. Forty-one people were arrested at this protest, but their message was understood—don’t let CUNY die. Cuomo, under pressure, reversed…
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When will tuition hikes end?
Last month, CUNY announced it would increase tuition by $300 at all senior colleges. Disinvestment by New York State forced CUNY to rely on students to fill the budget gap. After expiration of a “rational tuition plan” setting tuition increases for five years, CUNY now holds the option of increasing tuition when needed. But, just like “rational plan,” this is irrational. Students should not continually shoulder the cost of keeping CUNY running without an effort by administrators to demand money. An expected criticism is the low cost of CUNY. In fact, this is the argument CUNY is raising. It did not request tuition hikes at community colleges, but only at…
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Students are right to be concerned
In the past week, college students have been protesting, pressuring and bringing attention to racial injustice on their campuses. Of course, controversy developed because of this over political correctness and free speech for journalists. At University of Missouri, Tim Tai and Mark Schierbecker, two journalists, were blocked by students for infringing on their safe space. In fact, Melissa Click, a media professor, called for “muscle” to block Schierbecker. While the professor since apologized and resigned from her position, this issue is not black-and-white. A fitting us-versus-them narrative developed and buried issues of racism, privatization and neglect in favor of political correctness gone wrong and those darn crazy Millennials feeling so…