BITCH
BITCH
¢
ENTS-LESS
As student debt grows, so does the question of a degree’s worth.
By Rachel Mohler
•
JERK
Glee's tribute to Cory Monteith is more than just a courtesy.
Illustration by Dylan Cownie
Have you ever considered bankruptcy? Probably not. The thought of declaring yourself unable to repay outstanding debts has likely never crossed your mind, even though annually parents (or the Office of Financial Aid) foot an almost $50,000 bill for you to attend this lovely private university. That’s the down payment on a nice house. It’s buying a brand new 2013 Audi Q7, with a few addons. And that bill doesn’t just happen once—it’s every year for four years. The average student graduates college with almost $27,000 in debt and within each state, the proportion of individuals in debt is nearly always at least 50 percent, meaning half the country carries around some student loan debt with terms, conditions, and interest rates that are just plain confusing. The nitty gritty of loans gives students their options, many of which are difficult for all but financial experts to understand. Variable rates versus fixed rates. The differences between unsubsidized and subsidized loans. What “consolidation rate” and “accumulated interest” really mean. When it comes to their financial future, many students are in the dark. And from that darkness comes confusion. From not knowing what their interest rates
20 10.13
He lo Goodbye
are to not knowing the current balance of their loans, students on SU’s campus and campuses across the country won’t necessarily feel relieved at graduation. The fact remains that student loan debt never goes away. Even if you declare bankruptcy, your student loans are almost never forgiven, save for exceptional cases. Since loans only continue to accumulate interest throughout the process, bankruptcy isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card. According to Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, college graduates supposedly earn 68 percent more than workers with just a high school diploma. But unless you’re majoring in Petroleum Engineering (and bringing in $120k a year post-grad), you’ll be stuck searching for the typical social work, education, or counseling job that’ll barely keep you off food stamps, normally $30k a year. It comes down to going to a school you can afford. In most cases, a degree is a degree and coming out debt-free with relevant credentials is preferable to racking up loans. Additionally, check out your options. Since we’re all here already and someone’s paying for it, seek the advice of an unbiased expert to ease some of your financial woes—or at least have a grasp of what’s going on with your money. The real world is going to be stressful enough. JM
By Ariana Romero
Illustration by Lise Sukhu
On July 14 at 1:26 a.m., I opened an email expecting the usual “Buy Something Right Now!” update. Instead, The Hollywood Reporter dropped this heartbreaking bomb on the world: “Glee Star Corey Monteith Dies at 31.” After a few minutes of disbelief and frenzied Google searches, the big question on my mind was, “What the hell is Glee going to do?” Fox’s answer was to give Monteith’s character, all-star athlete turned glee club front man Finn Hudson, the funeral episode he deserves, and then take a necessary extended hiatus. But it’s not going to be easy for Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy to hit the right notes without seeming warmedup-in-the-microwave cheesy, tactless, or worse—both. Actress Jane Lynch, who plays Coach Sue Sylvester, tweeted that the script for the memorial episode “is the most beautiful thing.” And it better be. Television shows and their fans have dealt with characters’ deaths for years, but the death of one of the show’s original stars and fan-favorite characters is a massive and dark first for Gleeks. Sadly, this loss is even heavier than the school shooting panic of season four, or Kurt dealing with coming out to his father. Teens think they’re invincible. But finding out someone they’ve spent an hour with every Thursday night for four years died
of a heroin and alcohol overdose shatters that youthful perception. Monteith played a recent high school grad, and now his fans are going to have to watch his funeral. Talk about a harsh dose of reality. If Glee turns to the TV textbook to see how other shows have dealt with actors’ unexpected deaths, the first lesson they should learn is honesty. The writers can’t gloss over Finn’s TV death once they finish the memorial episode. After the Goodbye episode for John Ritter of 8 Simple Rules, storylines dealt with the fallout of a father’s death; the characters’ lives didn’t suddenly go back to normal. Fans should see the same emotional permanence at McKinley High. These characters—and actors—have just lost a boyfriend, friend, and teammate. That pain realistically lasts for longer than 44 minutes and a few commercial breaks. At its heart, Glee is a show about growing up and dealing with firsts. Whether it was the first time a character hit the sheets, or got a slushie in the face, they did with sincerity. And the same consideration should be seen with this first, however tragic. Hopefully, the Glee team will take a cue from Lea Michele’s Teen Choice Award acceptance speech. Monteith’s TV and real life girlfriend struck a balance of genuine teary grief, respect, and hope for the future. And if they can keep that authenticity up, we’ll all be singing their praises. JM
JERK
•
10.13 21