student debt O
ne in five American adults carries student loan debt. Collectively, they owe an incredible $1.3 trillion. This debt is ever-increasing, and it’s bigger than both credit card debt and car loans, which is why we say there’s a student debt crisis in America. The cost of college in America is without a doubt unreasonable, and must be addressed through policy, but it’s not entirely responsible for this mountain of debt. While we advocate for more reasonably-priced college and deep student loan reform, we must address the other causes behind this crisis: America’s lousy and outdated approach to high school and the overprescription of college. Although many degree-holding graduates default on their loans, much of this student debt crisis is actually a college completion crisis. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, just 58 percent of students who started college in the fall of 2012 had earned any degree six years later. Most of the time, these students drop out because they can’t continually balance working to pay for school and the academic responsibilities of the schools that are designed for full time students.
Students in this situation are the most likely to end up in debt because they carry the burden of student loans without the benefit of a degree. But the fault is hardly their own. A study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that, among industrialized nations, Americans rank near the bottom in literacy, numeracy, and “problem-solving in technology-rich environments.” American public schools are much less rigorous and teachers are criminally underpaid; and, too often, sports are more emphasized than academics. This disregard for education in America, in combination with the fact that most colleges are designed for full-time students, are important players in the student debt crisis. If we want to alleviate the problem, Americans must take education more seriously and we must question the narrative that everyone needs to go to a four-year college or university right after high school because that isn’t practical for everyone. Most of all, however, the government must be held responsible to invest in all its people—not just the rich and well-connected. — MAX LIEBERMAN
even in a meat-loving city like Tulsa. The Cherry Street Farmers’ Market, for example, has been where I have bought most of my produce this summer. The market promotes relationships between farmers and their consumers. For people who are and aren’t vegan, this farmer’s market is a great place to start if you’re wanting to reduce waste, support local, eat organic, and for delicious food. For new vegans, it can be hard to find places to eat, but that’s another thing Tulsa has been scoring on. Almost every restaurant I’ve been to this year in town has had at least one vegan option. Places like Chimera Cafe, Local Bison, Elote, The Vault and Laffa are my favorite places to eat because of their delicious vegan (and fish) options. Lots of these restaurants buy from local farms, so you can keep your money in the community while improving your health and the health of the planet. — MARGO STARR
THE TULSA VOICE // August 21 – September 3, 2019
POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT Q&A with Tasneem Ahmad Al-Michael, President of the College Democrats of Oklahoma HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS? I’m one of those people who was activated after Trump was elected. I’m a DACA recipient … when the administration announced they would be rescinding the DACA program, I was asked to speak at a rally on campus [at the University of Oklahoma]. Next thing you know, CAIR and Dream Action Oklahoma hold a joint press conference, and with me being Muslim as well as somebody who’s undocumented, they had somebody to kind of connect through. I started doing my first organizing work with Dream Action Oklahoma in December of 2017. I was tasked with organizing about 55 young people, students, to go to the U.S. Capitol and basically we stayed there for about a week. We protested. We met with James Lankford to talk about his immigration legislation. We were trying to push for the Dream Act. From there, I stayed in D.C. in January and February during both government shutdowns, and when we came Tasneem Ahmad Al-Michael back home and realized we weren’t going to see any form of immigration legislation being passed with a Republican-controlled government, I knew at that point we had to work on campaigns. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR CAMPAIGN WORK? I started interning with gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson and congressional candidate Kendra Horn. It was Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Drew— Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with Kendra. … I would say a good deserving part of Kendra’s victory was due to the number of students we had on that campaign. We had over 40 interns … My field organizing counterpart was 22. Her manager was also 22. A lot of staff on that campaign were young people. I was the youngest at age 18. WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES FACING YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY? Student loan debt, gun violence and climate change. … I will say the fight against climate change is the biggest youth-driven movement that’s happening right now. It’s an existential threat to all of humanity. The thing is, so many of the individuals putting our laws in place aren’t going to be around to see the most devastating effects. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED? Find the issues you care about. For me, it started with immigration. … I know for some people it’s a little challenging to speak out, but it’s a matter of giving yourself a chance. You’ll find that more people are willing to go along with you than you think. … There’s an organization for practically everything, and more than ever a lot of them have younger leadership at the helm. … There’s a way for you to get involved anywhere.
For even more teenage voices, check out the web version of this story at thetulsavoice.com
FEATURED // 21