:: Political Paradigm 'Blog ::

:: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 ::

City College psychology professor Bill Crain was arrested yesterday while trying to enter the "vertical campus" of Baruch College. He and a group of other CUNY affiliates (mostly professors) were testing whether Baruch truly adhered to the spirit of an "open" campus that is supposed to be the policy CUNY-wide. Apparently it didn't work out as planned.

You can follow the developments on the Senate-Forum discussion list. (free registration required)

On a side note, I have had similar experiences both at Baruch and Hunter where CUNY cops were a bit overzealous in enforcing ID policy - I was barred from entry to the Baruch "vertical campus" once and told to leave Hunter once, both times while showing valid Hunter ID. So much for one big happy CUNY family...

:: WL 6/23/2004 09:59:00 AM [+]

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You're a high school valedictorian in a suburban Long Island district. That should mean an easy ride into the Ivy Leagues right? Not if you're an illegal immigrant.

:: WL 6/21/2004 11:07:00 AM [+]

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Arianna Huffington has a verbal bitch-slap of a commencement address for the class of 2004.

:: WL 6/20/2004 06:35:00 PM [+]

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The Rev. Calvin Butts recently spoke at Hunter's spring commencement.

Here's a roundup of other keynote commencement speeches from colleges around the country.

:: WL 6/15/2004 01:38:00 PM [+]

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The New York Times has 2 more op-ed articles today calling for direct lending of student loans by the federal government:

-What School Loan Scandal?
-Putting Students First

:: WL 6/14/2004 10:29:00 AM [+]

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They're watching you. College fundraising researchers, that is. They know who you are, where you live, and how much you make.

How's Hunter's institutional advancement office doing?

:: WL 6/10/2004 09:13:00 AM [+]

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While more students are relying on loans for college, a measure before Congress may end fixed-rate loan consolidation for federal student loans after 2006.

Meanwhile, a study has found that at many schools, black and latino students aren't graduating within 4 - 6 years in numbers that are higher than the national trend.

:: WL 6/08/2004 05:55:00 PM [+]

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The NY Times has a piece on how colleges spend big bucks to get big name commencement speakers.

On the same note, Hunter's Spring 2004 Commencement speaker will be Evelyn Lauder, Class of 1958, the current senior VP of the Estee Lauder cosmetics company.

:: WL 5/18/2004 04:26:00 PM [+]

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Like so much other House GOP legislation, the Higher Education Act reauthorization is loaded with favors for big banks.

:: WL 5/06/2004 05:30:00 PM [+]

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How the government (and students, and taxpayers) can save money on college by opting for direct loans vs. FFFL loans.

Students at the University of Colorado vote to increase fees by $100 in order to help the school pay for building improvements.

Just how much money will students save (or lose) under Governor Pataki's new student loan scheme?

:: WL 5/02/2004 06:05:00 PM [+]

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As Wealthy Fill Top Colleges, New Efforts to Level the Field, NY Times, 4/22/04

Kerry Unveils College-Tuition Assistance Plan, NY Times, 4/14/04

:: WL 4/28/2004 02:55:00 AM [+]

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I once speculated that someone could get by in college rent-free if they just slept in the library and showered in the gym. Someone's actually done that.

:: WL 4/27/2004 12:53:00 PM [+]

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Student Government elections are coming!!!

2004 Hunter College Student Elections

It is time for the 2004 Hunter College Undergraduate Student Elections!

Your vote counts... use it!!!

This email contains a link to your personal ballot for the Hunter 2004 Elections. Your registration code is embedded within the link. Please do not share this email with others. The voting begins on Monday, April 26, 2004 at 12:01 am and ends on Thursday, April 29th at 11:59 pm.

You may only access your ballot during this time frame, so if you receive this email prior to the beginning of the election, please save it until the voting begins and you have completed your vote.

Prior to and during the election, you may also choose to view Candidates Campaign Statements at the following link. Please note that if there is no statement, the candidate chose not to submit one:

http://www.campus-vote.com/elections/univ/hunter-bios/

When the voting period begins, load the following link in your web browser. Depending on your local set-up, you may be able to simply double-click the link and it will open in your browser. You can also copy and paste the complete link into your browser address field if necessary:

https://secure.vote-now.com/elections/univ/Hunter/

If you have difficulties, please restart your computer, then go to the following address in your browser and then enter your registration code manually:

https://secure.vote-now.com/elections/univ/Hunter/
registration code: (YOU SHOULD HAVE DISTINCT PERSONAL CODE HERE)

When the polls close, you may view the final results at this URL:

https://secure.vote-now.com/elections/univ/Hunter/results.html

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Also note that several current and former UNSA members are running for student government office on the Hunter United slate.

:: WL 4/22/2004 05:39:00 PM [+]

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The infamous US News & World Report college rankings came out last week, and the debate continues.

Also in the NY Times:
-Overachieving 12th graders are now being told by colleges to stop and smell the roses during freshman year.
-Diversity and racial affirmative action are red herrings to the real problem of college admissions - that of rich vs. poor.

:: WL 4/13/2004 03:02:00 PM [+]

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Princeton tries to curb grade inflation by placing a quota on A grades.

Also, Congress is debating whether to change the way students can structure their college debts. This is one to watch.

And, you already know this, but college textbook costs are still going up.

:: WL 4/09/2004 12:39:00 PM [+]

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A Brooklyn College student has penned another book on the Simpsons and philosophy.

:: WL 4/05/2004 05:25:00 PM [+]

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Brooklyn College is sitting pretty. First it gets named by Princeton Review as "most beautiful campus". Now it's been named #3 for "best value".

:: WL 3/31/2004 10:25:00 AM [+]

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You have a drug conviction, you're outta jail, and you wanna go to college. You just need some federal student aid to pay for it. The government sez to you: drop dead.

:: WL 3/17/2004 10:08:00 AM [+]

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Readings from the Christian Science Monitor:

-Average debt for college graduates has risen 66% between 1997 and 2002, leaving many too poor for social service jobs.

-The hook-up now has a near-stranglehold over the dating scene on most college campuses.

:: WL 3/10/2004 01:25:00 PM [+]

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The right hates affirmative action, the left hates legacy admissions. What's a college recruiter to do?

A short history on the controversey of the design of the Hunter North Building.

:: WL 3/01/2004 10:23:00 AM [+]

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Timothy Noah of Slate is still chronicling the eventual sellout of the Kurds by the US, again.

:: WL 3/01/2004 01:00:00 AM [+]

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Yet more mortgaging of the future by de-funding public colleges. Grr.

:: WL 2/19/2004 02:46:00 AM [+]

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Bye bye Miss American Pie

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, in a plane crash in Texas. Otherwise known as "the day the music died," and immortalized in Don McLean's classic ode to old school rock.

:: WL 2/03/2004 10:42:00 PM [+]

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Yet another article on the precarious situation facing low-income students who want a college education. The problem isn't necessarily tuition hikes, it's the federal and state system of financial aid and savings plans.

:: WL 1/17/2004 01:49:00 AM [+]

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CUNY's fortunes in Albany are often tied to SUNY, for better or for worse. So increasing state lawmakers' attention to either institution is a boost for public higher education overall. More on improving SUNY from the Village Voice.

:: WL 1/13/2004 11:32:00 PM [+]

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Kids! Here's another cartoon from the Center for American Progress!

:: WL 1/10/2004 05:25:00 PM [+]

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