News & Views

Last week, I heard stories about the challenges of acquiring student loans, the myths of the glamour of private education, and the crushing realities of an overpriced educational system.

“Mic check!”

“MIC CHECK!” the participants in the rally at Cornell University on Saturday echoed the familiar call of the people’s mic after several similar calls that day.

“Dance!”

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity is looking to address the issue of student debt and loans with Occupy the Mic, a speak-out event and discussion.

On Friday, students from the Cornell Organization for Labor Action worked to raise awareness, through petitioning and educating, about the TCAT workers’ fight for a fair contract.

I propose we bring back the newsies. I’ll start by screaming headlines from this week’s newspaper around campus and see what happens.

“The “journalism major” / j-school = best examples of hyper-commoditization culture in higher education. Bubble’s got to burst soon.” – Michael Tracey

Alright, TOMS shoes are the ultimate hipster cliché. But despite this – and you can call me crazy – but I’d like to assert that TOMS Shoes actually IS doing good in the world.

I might wear that pair of TOMS shoes (did I mention I didn’t pay for them?), but I will tear that little logo off so no one confuses me for someone who thought he was saving the world. I can’t take another day of a peer trying to sell me on the idea that TOMS is a charity.

A man from the Occupy Rochester movement cited his main grievance as the fact that corporations are given the same rights as people, decrying policies that are created for the interests of corporations instead of the people voting.

Hear from the Occupying protesters themselves in this collection of conversations from people throughout the country committed to echoing the plights of the 99 percent.