Congresswoman,
Alexander discuss education finances
By Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
Managing Editor
Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander bridged the gap between the
East and West coast Wednesday when he met with U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez,
D-Lakewood, to discuss pressing issues in higher education and legislative challenges
facing the university.
Sanchez, representative of the 39th Congressional District in California, and
Alexander talked about the recent budget plan and its impact on the cost of higher
education, the need for student leadership roles and providing a positive role
model for women in higher education.
The two expressed a need to work together in order to meet their goals and overcome
challenges facing the California State University system and CSULB.
The biggest challenge, according to Alexander, is meeting the overwhelming expectations
of the California system compared to his prior experience at Murray State University,
a smaller system in Kentucky.
Alexander said the demand for public higher education in California is different
from other states.
“
California believes higher education is a common good and should be paid
for by the public,” Alexander said. “The federal government
needs to pay attention to California and keep tuition low.”
Sanchez is specifically troubled by the budget deficit President George W. Bush
signed into law this February.
According to Sanchez, the bill cuts over $14 billion from governmental student
loans and raises the interest rate almost 3 percent. The cut is of particular
interest to Sanchez who used student loans to finance her way through law school.
“
It is the single largest cut in the student loan program in history,” Sanchez
said. “Coming from someone who utilized student loans, freeing up
the interest rate is going to hurt students.”
Sanchez and every other democrat in the House of Representatives voted against
the bill, which passed by only two votes. The dissenters opposed the president’s
cuts to student loan programs and other democratic programs, while at the same
time giving tax cuts to wealthy citizens, she said.
Alexander said the budget cut is a good move for the banks that issue student
loans but will hurt students who need loans.
“
It seems that they are balancing the needs of the students with the needs
of the banks,” Alexander said. “What I don’t get is when
did the needs of banks become such a priority.”
The cuts will not only cause students to take longer to get their degree, but
leave them in even more debt after they have graduated.
“
We need to make sure students aren’t saddled with burdens down the
road that will affect things like them buying a home,” Alexander
said.
Sanchez also addressed Bush’s education initiative during his State of
the Union address in which he proclaimed more funding should go to education
in math and science.
Sanchez questions the sincerity of the president’s proposals because he
has not followed through with past educational proposals he has made.
“
I wonder if there is going to be support to back it up,” Sanchez
said. “It makes me very skeptical and I’m a generally optimistic
person.”
Alexander and Sanchez also discussed the need to encourage students to participate
in leadership roles and get involved in government.
One way to do promote leadership, Alexander and Sanchez agreed, is giving students
the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C.
Sanchez always welcomes interns and thinks sending students from California is
a great way to “Californian-ize”
Washington while teaching students how government works.
“
There is a big disconnect with D.C. being so far away and people are not
always aware what actually goes on over there,” Sanchez said.
One program called “Pizza, Politics and Power” has already been implemented
at universities in Sanchez’s districts. It consists of having elected officials
meet with students and talk about their job and what civic service is about.
Sanchez hopes to help bridge a connection between students and government by
encouraging them to not only care, but to participate.
“
Students should be informed about what’s going on and what ideas
are being made to impact their future,” she said. “If you are
not doing the minimum of what citizens are required to do by voting you
are letting others decide for you.”
Although CSULB is not directly in Sanchez’s district, almost 5,000 CSULB
students live in her district. Alexander asked Sanchez to return to campus as
a way to encourage local students, specifically women, to take on leadership
roles.
With a high ratio of women dominating higher education Alexander said he wants
to encourage them to embrace the job market.
“
More women are going into higher education, graduating at higher numbers
and getting better grades,” Alexander said.
“
With leadership skills at the job market they will be able to shatter the
glass ceiling.”
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