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Show The Forum February 7, 1995 Student Financial Aid under attack by Marianne Day Forum News Editor Federal programs which subsidize student tuition through loan subsidies and grants may become misty memories by the 1995-9- 6 school year. A little over 30 days ago the politicians landed in their legislative mecca, unpacked their bags and, with contract in hand, entrenched themselves in the business of satisfying an increasingly malcontented constituency. Entitlements (the big word for the 90s) are on the cutting table and it isnt only welfare and Medicaid that face the knife. According to the National Asso- ciation of Student Financial Aid administrators, the Republican party will be submitting proposals to congress to cut almost $13 bil- lion in Student Financial Aid. One of the 10 points in the Contract for is the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Under the auspices of this act, Republicans plan to to enact a bal- constitutional anced budget amendment. The pending proposal would call for about $750 billion in cuts of current federal expenditures over five years. During the election, specific cuts for the Fiscal Responsibility Act were not mentioned. Now that the abstract concepts of the Contract for America are being written in the marble walls of Washington, students may wish they had taken a more active role in Novembers elections. Programs under assault are Pell Grants, Supplemental Educa- - Cancellation of the National Endowment for the Arts threatens Westminster publication by Carol L Nudell Forum Staff Writer Perhaps the death of Big Bird and Barney wont be the end of childhood as we know it, but the latest republican proposal to stop funding the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will have profound impacts on many cultural events we have until recently taken for granted. Statewide, the end of the NEA cant help but reduce the number and quality of cultural events. Many small communities depend almost entirely upon the NEA for local events. This change will challenge event organizers, usually volunteers, to compete harder for ever dwindling private donations. This maybe the end for many of them. How can a small county arts festival compete for funding with Ballet West? One of my greatest memories is of a spring day with the Utah Symphony performing Peter and the Wolf in the Tooele City sun-dappl- ed Forum Staff Writer What is it with the way that people drive in Utah? Is there some other drivers manual that everyone else has been reading that I didnt get? Its not that I dont like living in Utah. Ive lived other places, and I like Utah the best, but come on, even the guy that thought up the lovely Utah: a really, dumb slogan has to admit that people in Utah drive like Dan Quale speaks: I really wish I had studied Latin in school so I could speak to these lovely (Latin American) people. Heres a few examples that I noticed while driving around one day last week. The Right Turn Only sign I really dont know if. theres a College Work Study, Perkins Loans and State Student Incentive Grants (SSIG). The GOP is not only antic- ipating cutting spending but also eliminating some of these pro- grams, specifically the SSIG, entire- ly. According to the Public Policy Update, A United Methodist High- er Education Public Policy Net- work, the interest subsidy on stu- dent loans is also under consideration for elimination. It is listed in interest. Student tuition in Utah has risen dramatically in recent years accompanied by an equivalent increase in students reliance on student loans to pay the cost of their education. Recent figures show that students now use student loans to cover of their educaabout tional expense compared to one-thir- d a decade ago. Ruth Henneman, financial aid director at Westminster, is concerned that passage of this legislation, "could have a negative effect on Westminster students. We dont want students having higher debt burden and being concerned about taking fewer classes. According to Henneman, the two-thir- ds Continued on page 7 Student Poll - by David Neisler Forum Editor photos by Amy Friberg If you could elect anyone from anywhere and anytime President of the United States, who would it be? Solon Julie Hinkey, history freshman Bob Marley or Frank Zappa John Welsh, biology junior Winnie the Pooh, because of his catchy theme song Alex Smith, computer science Harry Connick Jr. Helen Langan, social science freshman senior Continued on page 4 Driving in Utah : the adventure continues by Michael R. Thompson tional Opportunity Grants (SEOG), the republican Contract for America and a briefing paper outlining options proposed by the Office of Management and Budget. Politi- dans want to eliminate the subsidy on Federally guaranteed student loans. Currently, the Federal gov- ernment pays interest on guaran- teed loans while the student bor- rower is in school. The elimina- tion of this provision would require students to pay an approx-Americ- a imate increase of 20 percent in 3 conspiracy or just a decrease in common sense, but it seems that nearly every time I try to exit the circular drive in front of Converse Hall theres some gimp trying to make a left turn. Is there some part of Right Turn Only that is hard to grasp? Are they thinking that the word right on this sign is referring to the antonym of wrong? I often wonder if theyre sitting in their car, thinking This is not an improper turn. This turn is right. Turning Into the Wrong Lane lane 1 lane 2 This concept is apparently Continued on page 7 William Shake- speare. Nobody would understand him, but hed do everything right. Shawn Kuennen, education senior God Gina Furano, psychology senior |