Who can tell me when the November elections are? Did you know they were in November?
As returning students can tell you, and as the young freshman no doubt already knows by the dreaded locks blowing in the breeze, Evergreen is a very liberal campus. But recently a disturbing trend has pervaded the mildew-infested halls of staunch liberalism. The trend of passive citizenship, the “yeah, Romney is bad but Obama is part of the problem too…”
Now, I’m not telling you who to vote for, because I think that is a pretty sure indication of a hack, but we all know that one of these men is an incredibly better choice for the student.
A quick look at their party positions will show you that while one party supports for-profit schools and a rollback of the student loan reform to channel our loan money back to the private banks, the other party made this student loan reform a reality, increasing funding to Pell Grants and creating a new income based repayment option for newly independent students or students with families.
This shows light-years of difference between the two candidates. The income based repayment option allows for a loan that yields to the student’s employment choices. Instead of a set amount identical to all borrowers the IBRO personalizes the loan, creating a far greater sense of security than an inflexible private bank loan.
Similarly, increasing funding to federal direct loans and Pell Grants creates more freedom for the student and school by cutting out the private banking middleman. Without these private banking institutions acting as transfer funds the student is now able to borrow more at less cost directly from the government. How revolutionary.
Our right-banking candidate on the other hand, would like to cut all federal student loans, a mere 85% of existing loans, and has petitioned students to “shop around,” while looking for colleges, or to simply “borrow money from your parents.”
Now, it’s obvious to me that while one of these men is definitely a bane to the student, the other man shows a genuine care for education with provisions like the Affordable Care Act under his belt.
And while it may be true neither of these candidates mesh completely with your high-minded idealism, at least exercise your right as a human with liberty and vote for a candidate who values the benefits behind the receipt and not just the collection agency.
So don’t be a Lackadaisical Louie, register to vote before the election this November 6th!
A great website that I personally used is voterparticipation.org. It’s quick and easy for the modern student!
By Carson Ball
