Thumbs up: Thousands rally for Oregon’s schools (The Oregonian, Feb. 17)
Considering that public schooling receives an average of forty percent of the state budget, a national recession of this magnitude spells nothing but trouble for Oregon schools. Still, it is reassuring to see so many people demonstrating in support for continued fund allocation for the threatened districts. Given that getting a job without a college education was difficult enough without the massive unemployment the United States faces, denying today’s youth a decent primary education and preparation for college is sabotaging their chance at a prosperous future before it’s had a chance to begin. We can only hope the state administration will find a way to balance the books for future generations in a way that secures the opportunities we have all enjoyed.
Thumbs down: ASUO grievances already begun
Every year, just as we’re approaching the ASUO elections, the student government reveals what is its arguably most corrupt practice: the grievance process. This year, the election season may have been kicked off a little early with the grievances filed this week against Sens. Carina Miller and Emma Kallaway. They’re charged with many of the usual trivial considerations in one case by Caroline Beranek, whom you might remember filed a similar grievance against Emily McLain last year. We can expect a nonfulfillment of duties grievance to come forth against the ASUO Executive later, when the election really gets heated up – it happens every year. Nonetheless we hope this year ASUO senators, officials and candidates can behave with a level of maturity that respects themselves, their offices and all of their constituents, by refraining from their usual abuse of the grievance process for political gain.
Thumbs down: Anti-Semitic attacks on the rise in England
Regardless of your opinion on events in the Middle East, it isn’t doing anybody any good to bring civilians living thousands of miles away from the area into the issue by attacking them based solely on their culture. The political actions of a country should not merit individual retaliation against members of its prominent ethnicity, especially ones living as far away from the conflict as England and the United States. We should learn to express our frustration with overseas violence in a less combative way; otherwise, we’re merely playing into the same spirit of hatred that started these conflicts in the first place.
Thumbs up: NYU students protest for budget transparency
In attempt to increase transparency of the school’s finances, some 70 students barricaded themselves inside New York University’s student union cafeteria on Wednesday, as part of a group called Take Back NYU!. The group, whose demands primarily include full budget and endowment disclosure, affordable education and increased student participation in university operations, has been denounced by NYU spokesman John Beckman, who said “We value reasoned debate and forceful argument … We do not honor, however, forms of expression that disrupt the university’s academic mission, its operations, or its students’ pursuit of their education.”
Though some other of the group’s complaints are predictable (tuition is too high, the school should provide vegan food, Palestinians should be repressed in Gaza), we support the effort to make one’s school, or any organization for that matter, more accountable to the people who give it money. And considering the dire financial straits many universities are currently facing, perhaps more extreme actions are necessary to finally make people take notice.
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