2 Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, March 18, 2015
COMPILED BY Ambar Quintanilla
PHOTOS BY Curtis Sabir and Tomas Rodriguez
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PRESIDENT BARACK
OBAMA’S PROPOSAL TO OFFER TWO YEARS OF
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE?
EDITORIAL
Students Map Academic Success
STUDENTS MAP ACADEMIC SUCCESS
An Educated Society Succeeds
BY JASON PISKOPUS
“Only the educated are free,” are
the famous words spoken by the an-
cient Greek philosopher Epictetus.
Even back then, people knew of the
value of education.
Sure, we hear stories of people
becoming
successful,
rich entre-
preneurs
without
any formal
schooling.
But, these
instances
are rare.
The ma-
jority of successful people acquire
some form of education. Self-educa-
tion also counts.
Education helps with more than
just a career. Studies show that edu-
cated people are less likely to commit
heinous crimes, domestic violence,
and even contract sexually transmit-
ted diseases.
Though it does not guarantee bet-
ter income, health, or well-being, it
does improve the likelihood. The
greater the individual, the more pos-
itive influence they have on society.
We can even look to the people set
to protect us- the police, and witness
the educational impact on society.
Research has found that an officer
who is educated is less likely to be
involved in instances of police bru-
tality.
With this being a common prob-
lem, one would think that all police
forces should require their officers to
obtain a degree. Better relationships
between police and citizens would
result in less tension between the two
groups. It would increase the likeli-
hood of people reporting crimes.
In contrast, education influences
those committing the crimes as well.
The statistical relationship between
prison inmates and education is ap-
CASSIE DURAVA
Psychology Major
“Unfortunately, I do not support
the idea fully, because I think in
the end [it] is going to decrease the
enrollment in community colleges
because a lot of the students that at-
tend LACC need the extra cash that
financial aid provides. Allowing it to
be free will eliminate that support.”
palling.
It is important to acknowledge the
annual taxpayer expense of $20,000
to $40,000 thousand per inmate for
housing, food, and care. Considering
the estimated 2 million prisoners in
our country, the annual bill comes
out to be around $60 billion.
Increased education would de-
crease prison population and relieve
some of the burden on taxpayers’
wallets.
Schooling and knowledge may not
be the cure to our nation’s problems,
but their positive effects cannot be
ignored. Education has a beneficial
influence over the crime rate, soci-
etal relations between the protectors
and the protected, and the well-be-
ing of the individuals within our
country.
This needs to be acknowledged
and embraced.
Educated people are better people.
So, let us keep learning for the bet-
terment of society and ourselves.
OPINION & EDITORIAL
JULIO GUERRERO-ALVARADO
Aeronautical Engineering Major
“I think it’s good that Obama is pro-
posing community colleges to be free
for the first two years because it allows
us to save up our money. We don’t
have to be working for college tuition,
fees and books. I’m trying to save up to
go to a four-year college. I can now in-
vest that money towards my transfer.”
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSE TOBAR/COLLEGIAN
VALUE OF EDUCATION MEASURED
BY VASNIA I. OCANA
I feel conflicted over the idea or be-
lief of value in education. I think for-
mal education is overvalued.
In today’s world it is easy to catego-
rize people through professional labels
and make assumptions of their intel-
lectual level. The most desired labels
such as doctors, lawyers and engineers
are profitable.
Parents persistently urge their chil-
dren to pursue these degrees. Thus,
these young adults enter the fields and
subfields of these careers without gen-
uine passion or interest. They are mo-
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CONTACT: losangeles.collegian@gmail.com
JUAN FAURA
Cinematography Major
“The idea is sound, but the prob-
lem is the insane amount of money
that it would cost. Not to mention
the fact that there are a “crack-ton”
of kids that are in community col-
leges that don’t know anything about
who or what they want to be ... It
would be wasted money.”
O
n the road to suc-
cess, you peer out
the window. You
have your eyes set
on the destination.
You study the road map of life and
plot your best route. You begin your
adventure toward community col-
lege.
Los Angeles Community College
District is the largest community
district in the United States and is
one of the largest in the world. The
LACCD serves thousands of stu-
dents in a diversified manner, but
all are quenching for one common
goal—Success.
Community college is the last re-
sort for many individuals who may
be veterans, single-moms, dropouts,
or from low-income families.
The population who is lost in a
state of desolation yearns for a com-
munal education where they are
desired and suited for a particular
purpose.
They seek to comprehend and
engage in discussions about Socra-
tes, Descartes, Tolstoy, Millikan and
Darwin. They are willing to devote
time and energy to devour knowl-
edge—the most important meal of
the day.
The primary desire of community
colleges should be finding the stu-
dents’ will to succeed, rather than
engraving reasons and rationalities.
As the famous English proverb goes,
“Where there is a will, there is a way.”
There needs to be an active partici-
pation of the consciousness in order
to reach the pinnacle of success.
Quality, accessibility, and afford-
ability in the higher education sys-
tem embody student success.
tivated simply by money.
In the current job market, branded
by their educational background, peo-
ple seem more likely to become com-
modities for big corporations or firms.
Education is important for the sake
of knowledge. I was taught that it was
the ultimate path to success.
However, people like Steve Jobs,
Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have
challenged this notion. I understand
that most people are not likely to come
up with revolutionary inventions. But
as consumers, educated or not they are
vital to the world’s economy.
Though it is rather paradoxical, ed-
Letters may be edited for brevity.
SHAKIBUR RAHMAN
Economics Major
“I feel that it should be for more
than two years. If [Obama] is center-
ing around community colleges, [he]
should note that a lot of people are
here for more than two years. The pro-
posal should make community college
free for the number of years it general-
ly takes to finish up your stay. It is hard
to get classes within two years.
The faculty and staff of Los Ange-
les City College are integral to this
endeavor.
Providing educators with profes-
sional development opportunities
will account for their commitment
to students at LACC.
Educators fertilize the growth of
students’ confidence, ambition, and
sense of self, while simultaneously
satisfying students’ innate curiosity.
They expand the elastic, springing
mind. They craft a well-prepared in-
dividual who is determined to suc-
ceed in a competitive four-year insti-
tute or profession.
After their first years of higher
education, students have greater as-
pirations, and idiosyncratic passions
and urges. They apprehend their so-
cial and personal responsibility.
Above all, they evolve into a virtu-
ous character who understands what
it is to be virtuous, and not simply
abide by the terms.
Community college is an invest-
ment that is still in progress.
Students utilize critical service
programs, such as, EOPS, CARE,
TRIO, CalWORKS, Counseling,
GSP, VSOC and OSS. These pro-
grams are essential to student equity
and success, and most importantly,
to an attainable future.
Governor Brown’s recent budget
proposal offers additional revenue,
but it does not account for these stu-
dent necessities. Shedding light on
this reformation is crucial.
Although efforts to ensure success
are incomplete, like the proverbi-
al optimist, one should not see the
glass as half empty, but as half full
ready to quench your thirst down
the road to success.
ucation and economic stability tend to
be associated with one another. High-
er education for those without a trust
fund requires an individual to apply
for scholarships and reluctantly accept
loans.
They work as many jobs as they can
manage, make sacrifices to avoid debt
and pay off existing bills until they be-
come profitable.
If people measured success with ed-
ucation, education would be a value.
Unfortunately, it seems to me that suc-
cess is measured through status and
profit; education is just the means to
achieve such things.