The Clarion Monday, February 21, 1995 Page 2
Government plan to reduce financial aid is unfair
Jennifer Barbee
Clarion Editor
The American Government never
ceases to amaze me.
I am sure everyone has heard
about the proposed governmental plan to
cut financial aid as well as the student
interest exemption on federal student
loans.
What will they think of next?
As long as I can remember, the
importance of education has been drilled
into my generation. "You will never get
anywhere unless you get a college
degree" or "To make it in the world
today, you have got to have a college
education," are just some of the typical
comments that exemplify the attitude in
America towards the importance of
higher learning.
The rapid advancements in tech
nology and the decreasing number of
jobs that do not require a college
degree, are concrete examples of how
much more than just a high school
diploma means.
The projected number of students
enrolled in all colleges, public and
private, for the 1995 school-year is
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CLARION
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Jennifer Barbee
Editor
Ben Voegele
Sports Editor
Sejan Yun
Photo Editor
Lara S. Sweet Jon Ostendorff
Assistant Editor Assistant Editor
Kelly Wright Chris Theokas
Campus Editor Production Assistant
Jennifer De Saegher
Staff Assistant
Rhuemma C. Miller
Advisor
14,591,000 students. A lot of those
students would not be there if it were
not for financial assistance from sources
other than their parents; whether it be
scholarships or federal aid.
The United States government, I
feel, has a responsibility to all its
citizens—including college students.
The money the government loans
or gives to its college students is done
so with the faith that the student will
better himself or herself and become a
successful, productive member of
society. Because of the opportunities
provided through a college experience.
a student leaves with an abundance of
’wealth’ to give back to his or her local
communities as well as to humanity as
a whole.
By cutting financial aid and the
interest exemption on student loans,
many students may find it difficult or
impossible to attend college.
Can we, as the greatest nation in
the world, afford that?
I don’t think so.
No person should be denied the
opportunity to learn. With the ever
increasing problems America is facing,
education is the key.
Disrespect comes from
students and administrators
Jon Ostendorff
Clarion Asst. Editor
It was time for the drug raid on
Green Hall. The drug use in Green Hall
has been growing during the past three
semesters. This is my fourth semester
as a resident there and my second as an
RHA.
I’ve watched the problem grow to
a near out of control situation. I thank
Campus Life for their strong action
against this problem. However, the
misrepresentation and puffery of the
article "Local Law Enforcement Brings
Petting Zoo To Visit Green Hall" in
"Tornado Trackings" February 1995 is
simply unprofessional. According to the
article, during the raid "there were two
distinctly separate reactions" from the
students. "1. Cheers from the students
who knew they had nothing to worry
about, and 2. sweat from those students
who knew they had something to worry
about." I agree with the interpretation
of the second reaction.
However, I disagree with the first
reaction. It seems that laughing and
excitement has been confused with
cheers of encouragement. This kind of
excitement typically occurs within large
groups of people when they are present
ed with a new and strange situation,
similar to the excitement the recent
snow storm generated. But just as the
snow melts, the students’ excitement
melted away after the first hour of
waiting outside the dorm. After approxi
mately three hours of waiting the only
cheers heard were from students being
let back into the Green Hall.
In the same article the student
body was informed that "three students
were arrested for possession." Techni
cally, this is true. However, this use of
equivocational language (equivocation
refers to an argument or proposition
that confuses the varying meanings of a
word or phrase) has made the situation
seem worse than it really is. Generally,
the word arrest implies a felony arrest
which involves handcuffs, fingerprints,
rights being read, and jail cells. These
three students were only arrested on
misdemeanor charges (similar to a
traffic ticket).
Jason Fernandez was one of the
students involved. According to Jason,
the sheriff specifically told him, "you
are not being arrested." The students
were then instructed to go to the sher
iff s department, where they were tick
eted and told they could leave.
Since drug raids are not typical on
the Brevard College campus, it seems
that some of the residents of Green Hail
have brought this upon themselves by
giving Campus Life a probable cause to
search their dorm.
If you are a student and have
particular habits which may be illegal,
please, do not try to impose your habits
on others for a source of revenue or for
any other reason. Steve Woodson’s goal
is a drug free campus. This is an honor
able and noble endeavor. It is also one
which will take much time and hard
work. However, his job could be made
much easier (and lessen the inconve
nience to responsible students) if stu
dents would respect the rights and wish
es of others. If we carmot have a drug-
free community right now, then at least
we can have a community that generates
mutual respect among its members.
The Clarion Staff welcomes letters to the Editor. Please submit
signed letters to Jennifer Barbee Box 5208E or Ms Miller MG
110.