There is one political issue that sticks to my mind and it even relates to this valley and it’s the cutting back of classes, so the budget would be the issue. I think it is unfair that we students have to suffer because of the government’s inability to handle money. We are in this deep hole, so what has to get punished for it, we do. It will now take us longer to graduate because there will be less classes, which means they will be even harder to get in. The government covers the problem up by using certain language and their political wordplay.
There is a secret language for everyone, and when it involves politics it is a different one. To make it seem like there is nothing wrong, they know what to say to make it seem “okay”. There are even a lot of commercials on different schools for your education. The common line is “I can do it, anybody can do it”. This line really bribes in people to want to go to school. What they do not tell you is how pricey the school can be. When you finished you can be $35,000 in debt. They advertise those schools to be so good and can change your life, but never mention how intense the course can be. There are always positive commercials about the education but they once mention how many classes there are or what the price is. Not only are they cutting classes, but they are also raising the prices of classes.
There is also political wordplay in which they are pretending to communicate to us, but they really aren’t. They are telling us things to makes us think they are telling us something important when in reality it’s probably false information. They can be misleading us with information. They could also be using jargon so we really do not know what they are talking about. Only they really know what is going on, but they are going to use words they know so we do not have a full understanding of what is going on. They could also be using words to make it seem like it’s not a big deal. They will find other words to make it seem like this budget cut isn’t so bad and only so many classes will be cut. They will try to make the situation not seem like a major panic. They want us to think nothing is wrong and keep moving forward with our daily lives. They could also overwhelm us with words to the point we are just lost. After hearing a huge explanation of why they are doing something, we will more than likely just go with it. If they can give us this big reason then it must be good right? They are cutting classes at AVC , not only is this going to affect us as students, but teachers will be laid off. Fewer classes to teach, means less money for them. This is a big mess, no matter what they try to tell us.
This is the portion of your blog which sticks out to me the most: “The common line is “I can do it, anybody can do it”. This line really bribes in people to want to go to school. What they do not tell you is how pricey the school can be. When you finished you can be $35,000 in debt. They advertise those schools to be so good and can change your life, but never mention how intense the course can be.”
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that it’s not overly fair to not disclose all information, I don’t think it’s wrong. An advertisement is designed to lure you in. If they posted the prices, it would be ineffective to advertise. It’s also the not the responsibility of the school to make sure you find out how much each school costs – it’s yours. There is a Latin phrase Caveat Emptor which means “let the buyer beware.” I think this applies to colleges as well; it is our responsibility as students to choose how we want to handle our education.
Although, I do agree that the budget is being handled very poorly. The problem is that we don’t spend wisely. For instance, we’re turning Lancaster into a ‘Solar City.’ This is great in theory, but why not a wind-powered city? Mojave and Tehachapi focus their efforts on wind power. This makes sense because it is windy more than half of the time out here (including after the sun goes down and on cloudy days). The solar power is limited to bright and sunny daytime.
Yeah the budget cuts are ridiculous. I have personally experienced some downtime when going for the classes I wanted. I see Anatomy and the other science classes harder and harder to get into. Less classes, more frustration for the students. I agree with Rebbecca that advertisements like the one you described are very common, and it’s the consumers responsibility to be aware of the consequences. Advertisements are usually misleading, and the good ones that actually motivates people are the ones that usually uses the best propaganda techniques.
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend has been trying to get an Anatomy class for almost a year now, and she has been crashing every class for every semester, and still no luck. This is because of the budget cuts I'm assuming. I need to look into the technicalities of the situation, I’m wondering where on the list is education. How is it prioritized, I believe student’s education should be pretty high listed. War should not be prioritized over education. Honestly though I do not know enough about this subject to really get into a debate over this, i need to look up and find out more information. This is a good blog, it got me interested to further search for information.
First let me start off by saying I think your topic of interest was perfect! Due to it being such a popular topic to discuss it makes it very easy for me to relate and it instantly drew me in. I think like you, this topic sticks out to all minds right now. I think it is very unfair that classes are being cut and the budget is increasing. Education should be encouraged not cut back. I have been raised to really appreciate education because neither of my parents went to college but both wish they could have. I like how you pointed out the “secret language”. I never really saw it like that before reading your blog. It is so true though, the secret language is definitely used to smooth things over. Everything always seems to be under control when talking or listening to those making the cuts. They really do a good job of persuading their audience that the decisions being made and the actions being implemented are for the best. I don’t however think that cutting back on our education is what is best for our future. We have to find ways to not feel belittled or uneducated when discussing these topics. We have to find ways around the jargon in order to fight for what is right.
ReplyDeleteTransferring is becoming harder and harder, because of the lack of classes. I'm supposed to be transferring after the fall semester, but now I'm not so sure if that will be possible because of the fact that they are going to cut so many classes for the upcoming semester. Everyone and everything tells us to finish school to pursue a career in whatever we want, how is that possible when we have more and more budget cuts. Less teachers, less courses to take. It almost seems impossible to do so, how are we the future of this country when our hands and feet are being cut off (metaphorically speaking).
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely frustrating to think that it's going to take me perhaps another two semesters to transfer when I could be transferring in one semester, but forget about me, what about the new comers to the school. Seriously if economy keeps on down falling like it's doing as of now, I seriously don't even know if the Antelope Valley will have a community college, I want to be as optimistic as possible and think that eventually the economy will rise up and things will get better and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, but as of now all they seem to be doing is taking funds out of what's most important in the US of A, which is education.
Damn budget cuts causing classes being cut. Because of this issue it has been becoming harder and harder for those whom attend Antelope Valley College to transfer, graduate, or even just get into classes before they are cut from the college itself. I also agree with the political wordplay being misleading and giving the people a false sense of security, but that just makes me twist around so much that I will just find my own way to get through college, without having all of my money bled out of me. To be honest, I do not think that any education will ever be on the road to recovery due to the condition of the economy.
ReplyDeleteAs for advertisements, hardly any of them are ever true or accurate, they will more than likely be missing what they advertised or stab you with hidden fees (or unstated tax) in order to get your money. They do not care how, but if they do get your money, then that is considered success to them. To end this rant comment I will end with a little piece of advice, find your own way to live in the world, not what others tell you how you should live your life and you will eventually find your own path to success.
There is a secret language for everyone, and when it involves politics it is a different one. To make it seem like there is nothing wrong, they know what to say to make it seem “okay”. There are even a lot of commercials on different schools for your education.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great blog on the current issue. Its extremely saddening not only for us as college students but as well for all students. There were close to hundred teachers, aids and faculty given notice in the Antelope Valley just a few weeks ago, though sometime last week a few of those pink slips were voided. Hooray!
You brought a good point on political word play that is used within politics. Its one thing to turn on the television and hear Obama or some other suit delivering a report on the rise of employment, when we hear about teachers and classes being cut. Or they say crap like, “We have been seeing a rise in employment of 6% and how freaking magnificent that is!” First off what is that, when the population in Ca is close to 40,000,000? A whole lot of nada! I do not know if I want reassurance that things are looking better or not. I understand the notion of trying not create a pandemonium but this is silly. Explanation may be best to help us all understand though not likely. Especially in the wake of suits sitting on committees and getting paid to do a whole lot of nothing! Anyways great blog this week.