If Governor Corbett believes that these cuts will make colleges pay attention to the rising tuition costs, he’s sadly mistaken. The people who run colleges view it as a business and they want to make money. Making more cuts to higher education will only increase tuition and fees that students pay. The main reason people actually go to these state schools is the relatively low cost; rising costs will make it harder for low-income people to afford to go to college. Maybe that is the reason why Governor Corbett and other states are pursuing cuts to education; they want the people who normally do not vote for them to gain an education. Politicians, regardless of party affiliation, want the population to remain stupid; they don’t want people to actually know what they’re doing and to vote for them because there doesn’t seem to be any other option. College age people are already among the least likely to vote and politicians should no longer continue to ignore and step on this group of people.

Colleges will react to these cuts by raising tuition and fees and by cutting programs and majors. The first majors that will be cut are women’s studies, cultural studies, and the arts. Because these majors don’t contribute to the economy, right? Yet West Chester University is in the process of building a huge recreational center. Instead of helping with the computer science program or the math program, which is on academic probation at the moment, they go ahead and build a needless recreational center.

I wonder if politicians and the heads at the universities understand that most students already have some kind of job in order to stay in college. Elliot Griffin, VP of External Affairs for Temple Student Government, said, “It means students will be forgoing internships and working full-time jobs” in order to stay in college.[3] Students are going to pay more for tuition, get more student loans, and spend more time in a job, while spending less time on work for their classes. Don’t you think this will have an impact on how well students do in their classes? I am fortunate that I don’t need a job to pay for college and I spend a significant time working on things for my classes, or groups I am involved with, and now that I am a senior, trying to find a job after I graduate. I don’t know how I’d manage to do all I do around the campus and outside of it if I had to work full-time in a job. So many students end up having mountains of debt following graduation because “many young graduates are left holding a diploma but not a job after pouring time and money into a college education. As a result, more graduates are defaulting on their student loan payments each year.”[4]

Cutting more to higher education is not the reform the system needs, especially in a time where so many are struggling in this economy. Education reform is badly needed because students and their parents have worked very hard in order to get into college. They shouldn’t be facing so many obstacles to gain a degree. This country needs college educated people to move us in the right direction; cuts like the ones Governor Corbett proposed, however, prevents more people from entering universities and gaining that critical degree. It also adds more hardship to already stressed out college students. Many issues and problems confront education; putting forth more cuts will only exasperate the situation.

Lt. Matt Gallagher wrote in his account of his experiences in Iraq, Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War, “I pinpointed the one thing from my time in the army that I treasured the most. The answer was easy: Iraq. Then I pinpointed the one thing from my time in the army that I despised the most. The answer was just as easy: Iraq.”[2] For many veterans, the transition from a life spent at war to a peaceful life at home can seem very hard. As Lt. Gallagher said, they enjoy their time in Iraq because of the deep friendships they create with the people they fight with; however, they also hate fearing for their lives every day. Making the transition to a normal, average life from the chaotic mess in Iraq can prove difficult for many returning soldiers. Soldiers who end up having several deployments keep going over there for a reason. One reason why many feel the need to redeploy is the huge difference in responsibility between over there and at home. They go from caring for men and women in a combat zone and possibly a spouse and children to working 9-5 and doing chores around their homes. Mowing the lawn has a slightly less level of importance than making sure everyone around you makes it home safe. Another reason some have a hard time transitioning to normal life is because war acts like a drug. Soldiers experience many feelings while at war, including bursts of adrenaline that one only finds in combat. War can appear addicting and when away from it, a person can feel lost and craving for more. It is very important to understand the many feelings and psychological issues that come from a life in the military and at war.

Veterans have even more hard times today because of having two current wars and the economic recession. The unemployment numbers of veterans are much higher than non-veterans, especially with the veterans of the current wars. In December of 2011, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan War vets was 13.1%, while the unemployment rate for non-veterans was 8.1%.[3] Even more serious concerns exist today, such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and an alarming rise in the suicide rate among veterans. PTSD, however, is not the only cause for the rise in suicide rates as the Minnesota State Legislature found out. “Since 2007, 24 Minnesota National Guard members have taken their own life.” They “noted the incidents occurred among members who had never deployed” as well as those that did. Staff Sergeant Gregg Roberts spoke emotionally, “When you are gone for nearly two years, you spend so much time thinking of home, and when you get home, it is not what you remembered it to be. It is the second war that nobody talks about.”[4] While many problems still exist, this does not mean we cannot do anything to help.

What can we do? The number of veterans going to college has increased in recent years and it is imperative that colleges welcome them with open arms. At West Chester University of PA, they now have a Student Veterans Center on campus and a project called Soldiers to Scholars to listen to the experiences of veterans from the different conflicts in America’s recent history. Getting an understanding of what these veterans went through can go a long way in determining how to help them. These brave men and women have experienced the realities of war and they have become more isolated from society. While many have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, their numbers pale in comparison to how many struggled through the jungles in Vietnam. It is easy to ignore the plights of people who you do not even know or understand; we must never forget to listen and get active in helping these heroes.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts and news.