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Show 4 Wednesday April 2, 2014 OPINION www.dailyutahchronicle.com OP-ED Tuition hike an obstacle in four-year student plan KAITLYN ROWBOTH AM I Guest Columnist f you think you already pay too much for tuition, think again. The Utah System of Higher Education voted for a four percent increase in tuition statewide. In addition, the U and Utah State are the only two schools in the state that are adding another 1.5percent increase on top of that recommended four percent, putting the increase at 5.8percent for the U. So let's say that you're an average college student and make $8 an hour and work 20 hours a week so you can still go to school. That works out to roughly $8,300 a year. Tuition varies widely from student to student, but for an undergraduate in their second year, it's about $6,400 a year plus books. Then you have to consider the enormous amount of debt college students take on to complete school. I am trying to get through school debt-free, which is becoming more and more impossible in today's economy. Student debt is delaying milestones such as buying a house, getting married, having children, etc. because graduates just can't afford it. The tuition increase that the U has already approved would cost full-time, in-state students each around another $438 a year, according to an article published in The Salt Lake Tribune on March ii. That works out to be almost a month's wages for the student making minimum wage. While Utah boasts some of the lowest tuition rates in the country for the same quality education as other, more expensive universities, tuition at the U has more than doubled over the last io years. This leaves many students struggling to pay their bills, and many will have to delay graduation because they can't afford to take on a full course load. You may be asking yourself right about now what this increase is going to go towards. According to the Tribune article, Cathy Anderson, associate vice president for budget and planning said, "The extra tuition money will pay for faculty and staff salary and benefit increases, more academic advisers and campus maintenance." In another Tribune article published on March 28, commissioner for higher education Dave Buhler said, "Ideally, there would be no increase, but in the world we live in there pretty much always will be some kind of increase. We're a very people-intensive enterprise. Most of our budget, 8o to 85 percent, is compensation." Adjunct professors don't make very much money, and their cost of living is also going up. It's a vicious cycle that ultimately makes the goal of two-thirds of the population of Utah college graduates by 2020 difficult to achieve. The Board of Regents has said this is the lowest increase in more than a decade. However, an increase of even this amount puts already cash-strapped students in a difficult position. We are being encouraged to take more classes and graduate earlier, but tuition increases negatively impact the number of classes we can take because we have to work more hours. If we are to stay on track for the 66 by 2020 goal that has been set by the community, we should not be increasing tuition to make it more difficult for members of the community to get the higher education they need to become productive citizens. You are probably wondering by now how you can take action. There are several routes you can take, including writing to your legislator or the Board of Regents and letting your voice be heard. Kaitlyn Rowbotham is a sophomore in English and communication. RORY PENMAN/The Daily Utah Chronicle Utah should follow Colorado Marijuana legalization could help poorly funded economic sectors GEORGIE ZAMANTAKIS Columnist I n the final days of this legislative session, the Utah legislature voted to legalize hemp oil, and Gov. Gary Herbert, for once, signed a progressive bill that will help people across the state. To be clear, this bill does not mean marijuana is now legal. Rather, the oil which is an extract from the cannabis plant, and the chemical elements of it are specified within the bill. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, "The oil would have to be certified to contain at least i5 percent cannabidiol (CBD), the chemical believed to have antiseizure properties, and less than 0.3 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive chemical that gives marijuana users a high." Without THC, this oil cannot be used to get high, and its purpose is solely medicinal. This oil is used to treat severe cases of epilepsy in which prescribed pharmaceuticals do not help and the person with epilepsy has an extremely shortened lifespan. Hemp oil will help prevent seizures and increase the longevity of the person using it. Many hope this bill may eventually lead to the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes in Utah. The legalization of marijuana in Colorado has led to a large increase in tax revenue. According to The Denver Westword, within the first month of legalized marijuana, "The retail pot sales launch resulted in a gusher of cash, with more than $3.5 million in tax revenues collected statewide." And that amount is expected to increase throughout the coming year. Add on to that a spike in Colorado tourism, as many are traveling to Denver and other Colorado cities to ski, tour pot shops and growing facilities and smoke. An increase in tax revenue would be beneficial in Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune lists Utah as the last state, nationally, for spending in education per pupil. While the Tribune states that the amount of money needed per year to pull Utah out of last place is $365 million, an extra $40 million in marijuana tax revenue would not hurt. Marijuana would serve not only to benefit those seeking its healing properties for anxiety, epilepsy, muscular sclerosis or migraines, but it would also make those who choose to use the drug for recreational purposes happy. It would greatly increase money coming into the state, and the amount of revenue that could be spent on education, sustainability initiatives and health care, among other necessary services that lack funding and resources. With scientific studies being done to show the lack of negative effects upon the body and in society from marijuana, what is stopping Utah from legalizing a drug that is healing, relaxing and profitable? letters@chronicle.utah.edu Festival of Colors more than meets the eye The Color Festival! JORDAN Hare Rama! Hare Krishna! VOGEL Columnist I t may come as a surprise to many that one of the largest Hindu celebrations in the United States — the Holi "festival of colors" — occurs in religiously uniform Utah. It is a great opportunity for different cultures to join as a community, if all members choose to acknowledge it. Every year, tens of thousands of Utahns drive down to the Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork to participate in the festival of Holi to — whether they know it or not — celebrate the end of winter, the triumph of good over evil and the love between the Hindu deity Krishna and his wife, Radha. Spanish Fork is only a hop, skip and a jump away from Provo, meaning many of the attendees are BYU students. As Garrett Gray, a sophomore at BYU, admitted to Katherine Davis of the Religious News Service, many of them are drawn by the fun but remain unaware of the significance of the event. "I really don't know what [the festival] symbolizes for [the Hindu] religion," he said. Young Christians can be seen jumping up and down, chanting "hare Rama, hare Krishna" with the live band. They either aren't concerned or don't know that these simple phrases are a deeply significant prayer in Hinduism. As those who work at the temple will explain, each time a person says Krishna aloud, more good karma GREY LEMAN/The Daily Utah Chronicle will come his or her way. Those who maintain and regularly visit the temple don't appear to mind the grand number of funseeking individuals who attend the festival. Beyond the spiritual meaning, the festival intends to bring the community together, to rejoice spring, to allow society to gather as equals overlooking class distinction and, of course, to lift people's spirits. The Spanish Fork festival accomplishes all this and brings in a considerable amount of funding and recognition to the temple. However, the growth of the event could be overshadowing its roots. While it is good that Holi allows multiple religions to celebrate together, and it is a good way to introduce Hinduism to Western society, it would be nice if attendees took some extra time to try to understand such a different religion, perhaps by touring the temple another time in the year or researching the meaning of the event. Eastern polytheistic culture has a different way of thinking than the West, but neither can be truly appreciated if the other does not try to un- derstand its counterpart. A Christian family might embrace non-Christians who join them in prayer or celebrate religious holidays alongside them, even if they have no intention of converting. However, many would prefer those outside their religion to not say "amen" or perform other religious customs without first trying to understand where they came from. At the very least, non-Hindus should try to hold true to the golden rule, treating others the way they wish to be treated and show more respect at the next Holi festival. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |