HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 82 Issue 12
The Hofstra
Chronicle
Tuesday February 14, 2017
Keeping the hofstra Community informed since 1935
Hofstra educators weigh in on Betsy DeVos By Gabriella Ciuffetelli EDITOR I A L E D I TO R
The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos as education secretary on Feb. 27, in what was one of the most contentious confirmation processes in modern political history. DeVos, one of Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks, was confirmed with an unprecedented 51-50 vote; Vice President Mike Pence intervened to break the Senate tie. Educators expressed their concern over DeVos before, during and after her confirmation hearing, citing, among other things, her lack of experience in the field as a red flag. “Betsy DeVos is singularly unqualified for the position, having never attended public school, taught in one, served as an administrator in one, or sent
a child to one. In essence, everything she knows about public education could be learned by driving by a school, or flying over one,” said Bruce Torff, a professor and doctoral program director at Hofstra. “Her performance at the Senate confirmation hearing was an embarrassment that revealed her total lack of knowledge and skill relevant to the position. She’s no more qualified to be Secretary of Education than she is to be an astronaut.” While DeVos has never personally served as a school administrator or educator, she has had significant political involvement in education reform. She previously served as chairwoman for the board of Alliance for School Choice, was a board member of Advocates for School Choice, the American
Education Reform Council and the Education Freedom Fund, and served as a chair for both Choices for Children and the Great Lakes Education Project. In each of these roles, DeVos championed the importance of school choice. She served as an advocate for school vouchers, defined by the National Conference of State Legislators as “state-funded scholarships that pay for students to attend private school,” promoted charter schools and endorsed scholarship tax credit programs that permit businesses to allocate portions of their tax dollars to providing scholarships to students attending private schools. DeVos’s involvement, however, is seen by some as affront to public school systems. “Her past experience and
commentary indicate that she is committed to weakening – nay, tearing down – public education,” said Professor Andrea S. Libresco, the director of the minor in civic engagement program.
“She has funneled millions of dollars into ‘choice’ and charter policies in Michigan that have resulted in a decline in test scores. She tried to shut
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Photo courtesy of The White House DeVos was confirmed as education secretary on Feb. 7 by a slim margin.
Ringling Bros. set final show in Nassau Coliseum By Ava Mandel STAFF W R I T E R
The 146-year-old run of the Ringling Bros. Circus will come to an end on May 12. Although the show is formally dubbed “Out of This World,”
no spaceship will be needed to see it, as the final performance will be held in Hempstead’s own Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. According to a company press release, the decision to end the circus tours was made as a result
Photo courtesy of Ringling Bros. The Ringling Bros. will host their final show on May 12 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
of high costs coupled with a decline in ticket sales, making the circus an unsustainable business for the company. Following the transition of the elephants out of the circus, the company saw a decline in ticket sales greater than anticipated. “Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey was the original property on which we built Feld Entertainment into a global producer of live entertainment over the past 50 years,” said Kenneth Feld, the chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. “We are grateful to the hundreds of millions of fans who have experienced Ringling Bros. over the years. Between now and May, we will give them one last chance to experience the joy and wonder of Ringling Bros.” The famous show that earned the title of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” will end their century-long career with a bang:
an intergalactic adventure. The purpose of the show – an odyssey through space – is to portray the battle of good versus evil while the performers voyage from planet to planet on their spaceship. Once a beloved pastime, the circus has become an afterthought in American culture. When asked about their interest in the circus, their feelings about the ending of the Ringling Bros. and the forthcoming “Out of This World Show,” many students were strongly against the institution. Matt Siano, a senior psychology major, said he felt “indifferent” about the Ringling Bros. He has no interest in seeing the “Out of This World” Show. Victoria Griffin, a junior finance major, said, “They were really popular, but they were cruel to animals, so I don’t really care [that they’re closing].”
Jordan Stanford, a freshman drama and finance major, had a different perspective towards the curtain call. She said, “It’s kind of upsetting because people grew up with it.” As for the “Out of This World” show, Stanford said, “It reminds me of Cirque du Soleil because they do a lot of out-of-the-box stuff, so I think it’s nice that the Ringling Bros. are stepping up their game.” Juliette Feld, Feld Entertainment’s COO said in a press release,“This was a difficult business decision to make, but by ending the circus tours, we will be able to concentrate on the other lines of business within the Feld Entertainment portfolio. Now that we have made this decision, as a company, and as a family, we will strive to support our circus performers and crew in making the transition to new opportunities.”