Edison’s CIF run comes to an end. Est. 2006
Wednesday December 16, 2009
The Voice of the Student
The B
Volume IV Issue III
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Edison High School 21400 Magnolia Street Huntimgton Beach, CA
Edison Shocked: Servite Wins the Championship CIF Finals: Chargers Defeated Only in Score, Not in Spirit BY: CASSANDRA OWEN, STAFF WRITER was a difficult and tragic loss for the I tChargers on Saturday against the Servite Friars, and the constant rain didn’t help lighten the blow. The entire game was difficult to watch, as Servite had the lead the whole time. All the slipping and sliding through the pond of a field at Angel Stadium made it seem more like water polo than football, a game at which we were marginally yet critically disadvantaged. Even the cheers from Servite muted those of Edison. The Chargers seemed out of their
The Origins of Holiday Traditions BY: BRANDON WHALEN, STAFF WRITER traditions are common throughHoliday out the United States, but do people really know why we practice many of these unique traditions? Even though Mock Trial -2-
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element, with many fumbles and incompletions. Things began to look slightly more promising after our first touchdown in the fourth quarter, making the score 10-6, but all hope was lost when Servite made a 54-yard touchdown run with 1:55 to go, cementing their victory of 16-6. It was a not a great many customs link back to Christianity’s celebration of Christmas, religion makes little difference in the modern celebration of the holidays. Holiday traditions are still very much embraced in American culture, as families and friends gather to partake in the season of giving. However, if you really think about it, some traditions may seem a bit odd, and it’s easy to wonder why people do things like kiss under the mistletoe and adorn dead or fake trees with ornaments. Throughout history the Ancient Greeks have contributed to many facets of our society. For example, kissing under mistletoe originates from the Greek festival of Saturnalia. This practice was CONTINUED ON PAGE -3-
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time for anyone, players, coaches, and fans included, but nevertheless we must credit our players and Coach Dave White for a fantastic season. The seniors have ended their high school football careers with acclaim and excellence, and have proven that Chargers cannot go down without class.
Under the Big Tent: Cirque D’ Sadies 2009 BY: MARIE CHENG, STAFF WRITER to mind when you think Whatof acomes circus? Tigers, lions, perhaps a tent? This year, these circus elements CONTINUED ON PAGE -3Clothes Drive -5-
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Mock Trial Club Brings Sass and Streets Smarts to the Courthouse BY: MATT NGUYEN, STAFF WRITER *Bang* The judge pounds his B ang* gavel at the commencement of the trial. Sitting at one of the three attorney chairs, I look back on all the preparation and planning, yet also really unique and memorable things that all of us had done. We learned the basics of how a trial runs and a lot about the American Justice system from our attorney coach, Mr. Hopewell. We even got the chance to go to his firm, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, which specialized in copyright and intellectual property laws, and have a meeting in a large conference room, 14 floors up. But back in the courtroom the trial was beginning… A criminal trial on 1st degree murder. A Pre-Trial motion on the 4th amendment, the protection of an individual from unreasonable search and seizure, that would almost completely define who would emerge victorious. We competed a total of four times, each on a different day. Twice, we had to prove Mr. Bratton (played by a student) guilty of the intended murder of Mr. Palmer by strangulation. For the other two, we had to work towards the exact opposite. But regardless of whether we were prosecuting or defending, we each had to take the time to prepare questions as well as opening and closing speeches, if we played the roles of attorneys. Others, who represented wit-
nesses, had to learn their multi-paged witness statements front and back in preparation for the intense interrogation that the opposing school’s attorneys would do. Regardless of what position we played, each of us gained the skills to think instantaneously on our feet, using ingenuity to deflect and reverse the cross-examining spear launched at us by our opponents. The Santa Ana Courthouse. Over a thousand students all congregated together from over forty different schools. We had no idea what to expect, yet we figuratively charged into the open fray. Justin McBride, was put to the test first as he interjected different Supreme and State Court rulings as our pre-trial attorney. The use of provocative speeches greatly helped to undermine our competition. In addition, vehemently voiced objections halted the opposing attorneys’ scheming and incipient ideas, and brought agitation to their members. Both of these were done exceptionally well by all of our trial attorneys, who included: Elizabeth Batman, Anthony Gomez, Allyson Bach, Alina Carnahan, Faris Barudi andMatt Nguyen. Constantly on the lookout for something we could use to penetrate the fortifications made by the other group to prove their point, we would immediately seize the opportunity and use it to our advantage. Until Allyson Bach was sent to the stand to cross-examine, we never knew that interrogation could have so much attitude and overall viciousness (which almost left the other school’s witnesses in tears, I might add). Elizabeth Batman focused on a cool and collected demeanor that unsettled those that she questioned. Anthony Gomez and Alina Carnahan ferociously pounced upon their prey as they ripped apart the opposing witnesses’ shoddily constructed story, causing them to at times remain silent from nervousness. Faris Barudi caused those that he interrogated to actually question their own story, causing them to lose credibility. The witnesses were even more amazing, bringing a realistic persona onto the stand from
only a few pages of information. They withstood the blunt, belligerent assault initiated by the enemy, and with cool and collected dispositions, slashed down their cross-examination questions using biting wit, common sense, and answers that turned their leading questions against them. Our witnesses consisted of: Will Lindsey,Elizabeth Batman, Allyson Bach, Isabella Vuong, Anthony Gomez, To Anh Le, Allison Jones,Mike Stengel, Faris Barudi and Joohi Kasliwal, who all played parts that ranged from comedians to doctors, from detectives to joggers, from managers to waiters, and even the defendant himself. We were pitted against teams that had ten years of experience, combined with their training and preparation that began in the summer, whereas ours started mid-October. El Modena, Santa Margarita, Anaheim, and Rosary High Schools were our adversaries. We were unnerved during the primary introductions when most other schools had four to five attorneys stand up to declare that they were the coaches of the other teams, whereas we only had one. Despite this, we pulled through and completely destroyed Anaheim and came within an inch of victory against Santa Margarita’s Gold Team. The collaborative effort proved to be far better than anyone, including ourselves, thought that we could achieve in our first year. We started out as a motley club, with a few dedicated members from every spectrum of people at the school. What we ended up as was a unified closeknit group of friends that experienced something completely amazing and unforgettable.
ORIGINS OF HOLIDAY TRADITIONS (FROM FRONT PAGE) also part of primitive marriage rites due to beliefs that it would enhance fertility and give life. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare an armistice or warring spouses could kiss and make-up. Today, kisses can be exchanged under the mistletoe at any time during the holiday season. The tradition of setting up a Christmas tree can be attributed to
Healthy Kids vs. Healthy Budget BY: ABBY KERFOOT, STAFF WRITER Thanksgiving break, freshmen After and juniors at Edison were administered the California Healthy Kids Survey. As is the case every year, this survey was met with complaints from students and teachers alike as a waste of time and money. However, this year the issue of money is particularly acute. California is effectively bankrupt, and funding for the educational system has seen record cuts. Edison was unable to hold either remedial or advanced summer school classes in 2009 because we simply lacked the money. And yet the money is available to print, distribute, and score thousands of surveys?
16th century Northern Germany. Often these trees were decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels, and paper flowers. During the 18th century, Germans started to place wax candles on the tree, bringing about our modern tradition of Christmas tree lights. And the use of ornaments can be traced back to the 19th century British royal family’s use of sugar ornaments. Christmas trees made their way to America when Germany’s Hessian soldiers brought them during the Revolutionary War. As a nation built on the cultures and customs of others, it is only appropriate that our holiday practices are entirely derived from ancient and foreign traditions. The American holiday spirit can be seen in the colorful lights and decorations covering the streets of cities throughout the nation, making it clear that Americans have creatively adopted the traditions of others into our own unique, national celebration of the holidays. Happy Holidays, Chargers! The problem stems from the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. Title IV of this act provides federal money to “prevent violence in and around schools; to prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs; and to foster a safe and drug-free learning environment.” To get this money, states must conduct an assessment of the current state of these issues—which California does by means of the Healthy Kids Survey. In light of the recession and the massive debt the federal government has incurred through the bailout and the stimulus, it seems that this money could surely be spent in better ways. Is it really necessary to conduct this yearly survey when my books are outdated, falling apart, or both? When we cannot pay for an AP French 4 class? When thousands of teachers across the state are being laid off, and class sizes are being increased to unmanageable levels? The California Healthy Kids Survey is another example of egregiously misspent money in the educational system. This time, however, we can blame the federal government for our woes.
SADIES 2009 (FROM FRONT PAGE) were revamped and incorporated into the Sadie Hawkins Dance, which took place on December 4th in Edison’s cafeteria. For weeks prior to the event, ASB Sophomore RepresentativesAndrea de Jesus and Sarah Dunn worked tirelessly to arrange a DJ, provide refreshments, compile decorations, and work out all the details that go into creating a successful dance. With the help of Sophomore Club and other volunteers, the girls transformed the cafeteria to a true circus. From the red and yellow streamers, to the colorful posters, to the balloons that hovered at the ceiling, every decoration gave students the impression that they were truly under the big tent. As the last preparations were made, students began to rush in and the dance began. Attendees dressed in an assortment of circus costumes enjoyed dancing to songs such as Don Rimini’s “Let Me Back Up” and a dance remix of “Kids” by MGMT. While the music blasted in the background, other students enjoyed taking pictures in front of the posters or buying a refreshing Jarritos soft drink. The night went by quickly, with the sound of music beating and the students having a great night at the circus. As the clock struck ten, the students began to trickle out and the doors of the circus closed. Looking back on the event, Griffin Antonelli says, “Sophomore club had to plan Sadies in a really short amount of time. Sarah and Andrea really put in a lot of work along with the rest of sophomore club, and I think the dance went really well. Lots of hours planning and making posters paid off!” Indeed, all the hard work put into Cirque D’ paid off and it was certainly a circus unlike any other.
New Moon Mania BY: SHANNON NYE, STAFF WRITER undreds of girls counted down the days until the long awaited sequel New Moon came out to theaters. Considering the fact that the previous installment had a worldwide gross of approximately $384 million, there was no question that the sequel would have a huge opening weekend. On the opening night, countless Twilight fans, young and old, stood in line to see their favorite book come to life on the big screen. Everyone was dressed in their “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” shirts as they sat on their blankets in front of the theater waiting in incredibly long lines. Some people waited as long as six hours in order to ensure that they would get good seats into the show. One group of girls brought their portable DVD players to watch Twilight one more time before they saw the sequel. Others brought their books to read in line, wondering which parts they thought would be left out of the movie. Once an employee came outside and told everyone to go into the theater, the atmosphere was crazy as everyone rushed into the theater to get good seats. In the theater, many people rushed to save seats, while others argued over
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who saw the seat first. Once the movie started, many young girls let out screams of excitement as they saw their favorite character come onto the screen. The wild screams continued throughout the entire movie every time Edward or Jacob would appear on the screen. After the movie was over, I heard many different responses to the movie. As some loved the movie and “couldn’t wait to see it again”, others were disappointed that the movie did not live up to the book. Despite the contrasting opinions regarding the movie, it was definitely a memorable and exciting thing to be a part of the Twilight saga excitement.
Better Safe than Sorry BY: KRISTINE THOMASON,STAFF WRITER walking home after going Youout areto dinner with your friends. It is getting late and there are few people on the street. Suddenly, you hear footsteps close behind and you instinctively feel
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fear in your gut. Before you know it, this mysterious person grabs you! Situations like this occur frequently across the country. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Justice Department, 1.9 million women are physically assaulted in the United States annually, and 15 to 25 percent of all American women will report a sexual attack or rape at some point in their lives. However, these statistics are not merely situations that happen somewhere else, they happen in our own backyard. Just last month, Huntington Beach police reported a man following women in the downtown Huntington Beach area. The man was said to casually engage his victims in conversation and then proceed to inappropriately touch them. There was even a case in which the man waited for a woman to go home, broke into her house, and sexually assaulted her. These terrible scenarios are why teenagers, especially girls, need to be prepared to defend themselves and escape devastating consequences. Experts assert that many cases of sexual assaults could have been avoided with the right preparation. The most significant concept to keep in mind is the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings. For example, when getting your car in a parking lot or structure, look around you as well as in your car to see if anyone is lurking inside. If you are parked near a van, enter your car from the passenger side. This may seem inconvenient, but most serial killers pull women into their vans as the victims are entering their cars. It is also important to stay off your cell phone and stop texting if you are walking by yourself at night. If you are distracted, you can be an easy target for an attacker. Another important way to show that you are not an easy target is through your body language. If you are walking with your head down and shoulders hunched, you appear weak and defenseless. However, if you stand up straight, keep your CONTINUED ON PAGE -6Hey Photographers! The Bolt is now featuring a photo of the day page on our website, to find out more about that visit the pictures page on theboltonline.com
Photos By: Allyson Bach, The Bolt News
A Trip to the Zoo BY: JOOHI KASLIWAL, STAFF WRITER as a normal AP Biology Whatfieldbegan trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park turned into an unforgettable experience that will remain with us throughout our high school experience. It all began when it took us 3 1/2 hours to reach the Wild Animal Park because the bus drivers lost their way while trying to take a shortcut. Considering that this is their job, it is ridiculous that they added another 2 hours to our trip. However, we made the best of the time while trying to entertain ourselves by gossiping, making jokes and taking tons of pictures to capture the essence of the moment. Much to our dismay, when we finally arrived at the Park there was a down pour of rain and the weather was extremely cold. As we tried to navigate ourselves in the rain, we finally found our destination: Journey into Africa. Luckily, during this 20 minute tram ride the animals were active, taking a liking to the rain and we enjoyed looking at giraffes as well as
a variety of species. One included a quarantined animal that had humongous horns, shocking everyone around us. After leaving the tram we sought shelter at the nearest café to rejuvenate ourselves before having to battle with the weather outside once again. Unfortunately, we were not able to see many animals and explore the entire park but that didn’t stop students from congregating in the gift shop and making the most of our field trip. Many students without umbrellas were soaked from head to toe but still laughing, shopping and talking to one another. However, the adventure didn’t end when we entered the bus at the end of the trip. While driving home, winds and rain began to pick up, swaying the bus from all directions and making it impossible to see the freeway. The bus driver had to pull over many times before we safely arrived home. Although we didn’t do quite as much as we would have liked, by the end of the day everyone had an exciting and humorous story to tell their friends and family, as well as a plethora pictures to prove it.
Orphaned Teen and Children’s Clothes Drive BY: DENISE BELLO, STAFF WRITER out your closets and drawers Clean this holiday season to benefit children and teens (ages 6 months to 18 years) at City of Angels orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico! I am currently a senior and have been part of the CIBACS program all 4 years at Edison. People who are part of CIBACS know that they must complete a yearlong project annually. This year my senior project consists of a clothing drive in the Huntington Beach community. I am planning on collecting as much clothes as I can and then delivering it to an orphanage called City of Angels in Tijuana, Mexico. I want to make my project as successful as it can be, in order to put a smile on every child’s face that is living at City of Angels. Although the holiday season is here, City of Angels does not have the economic resources to purchase new clothing for every child they are currently housing. The donations received will be contributed to the children’s Dia de los Reyes presents this year. In Mexico they do not celebrate Christmas, but instead they celebrate Dia de los Reyes, or Day of the Wise Men. Dia de los Reyes is on January 6 each year and children will generally write to their favorite wise men instead of Santa Claus. CONTINUED ON PAGE -6-
HB SAFETY (FROM PAGE -4-) head up, and swing your arms, you appear a less viable target. Using that same confident posture, always make eye contact when you see a potential enemy. Mary Ellen Burns, a spokesperson for the Boston Police Department says that “Eye contact may scare off attackers because they fear you will be able to identify them.” One of the best pieces of advice is to simply avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This means don’t walk near alleys and avoid bad neighborhoods at night. Also, avoid stairwells! Stairwells are the perfect place for a crime and therefore a terrible place to be alone. Instead, take the elevator, and stand close to the elevator door to establish an easy escape if necessary. While cases of harassment cannot always be avoided, it is vital to take all measures possible to be prepared when these situations emerge. While many of these precautions may seem overzealous, it is better to be safe than sorry!
UNWRAPPED: The Secrets of Starbucks Nutrition BY: OLIVIA HAYWARD, STAFF WRITER most people think about coffee, When the first place that comes to mind is the one that’s on almost every corner of every city in America. Starbucks. There are 13 Starbucks locations in Huntington Beach alone, and with one within walking distance of Edison, it’s not surprising that 3 out of 4 students visit Starbucks at least 3 times a week. Visit Starbucks during any tutorial or lunch, and you’ll find a crowd of Edison students getting a sweet treat
C LOTHES D RIVE (FROM PAGE -5-) I want to have the clothes drive in the month of January so the clothes I receive can be part of their gift. Because Dia de los Reyes is on a Wednesday I will have the clothes drive the Saturday we get back from break and deliver the clothes the following week. If anyone is interested and wants to put a smile on a child’s face please donate any unwanted clothes on Saturday January 9, 2010 or stop by Ms. Richter’s room in 246 to drop off clothes. Donations received will be greatly appreciated by the children of City of Angels and myself. Needed items include: coats, jeans, shirts, baby clothing, dresses, gloves, shorts. Please drop off all items on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at the parking lot from 10 am – 1 pm. For more information please go to www.wix.com/ donatothekids/ofmexico. or a caffeine fix. With so many students frequenting Starbucks, I began to wonder about the nutritional value of the extensive menu options, but I was almost afraid to ask. One of the most popular drinks among students is the Caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream. A Grande Caramel Frappuccino has 380 calories and almost 50 grams of sugar, not to mention 15 grams of fat. If a student who goes to Starbucks 4 times a week orders a drink like that, he or she is consuming more than 1500 empty calories per week just in coffee. Luckily, there are many ways to side-step the calories and sugar without sacrificing the taste or caffeine. A single serving of whipped cream has an average of 70 calories, not to mention the high fat content of the regularly used whole milk. To avoid these unnecessary ingredients, one can substitute a regular Caramel Frappuccino with a Caramel Frappuccino Light, which contains only 160 calories and 21 grams of sugar, less than half the amount in the regular version. This option is available for almost every blended drink, in addition to the “Skinny” drinks, which use sugar-free, calorie-free syrup.
If it’s the caffeine you’re after, there are many options that offer a high dose of energy without the excess sugar and calories. A Grande non-fat latte has just over 150 calories, but will help you wake up for zero period and stay alert for the rest of the day. And if you don’t enjoy the strong espresso taste of a regular latte, sugar-free syrup can provide a sweeter, guilt-free taste. For those especially hard mornings, extra shots of espresso can be added to any drink with a mere addition of 5 calories each. However, be careful with the caffeine overload, as too much can make you jittery and cause a crash later in the day. Of course the dangers don’t just lie in the delicious drinks, but also in the tempting treats. In an effort to improve its products, Starbucks has removed all artificial flavors, trans fats, dyes, and high-fructose corn syrup from its foods. However, many of the baked goods are still high in calories. For instance, the popular seasonal pumpkin bread has over 300 calories and is high in fat. The same goes for those deliciously buttery croissants and scones. As a healthier option, many customers choose snacks such as the Greek yogurt parfait, which are considerably lower in fat and still strong on taste. One thing to be especially wary of are claims such as “reduced fat”, not to be confused with “low fat”. For example, the Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake (“reduced fat”) contains over 7 grams of fat and lots of sugar, compared to the relatively nutritious Blueberry Oat Bar. When I asked local Starbucks barista Christina Hayward what she usually does to make her coffee breaks healthier she said, “Well I usually get the skinny option because it still tastes sugary but is way better for you. Oh, and non-fat milk is a must. It tastes basically the same as whole milk, just not so heavy. As far as foods go, I try to stay away from the chocolaty cakes and stuff and just go for the healthier sandwiches or cheese plate.” With so many Edison students visiting Starbucks every day, it’s important to know just how many calories are in that Frappuccino or hot chocolate. Of course, splurging every once in a while is fine, but informing people of the healthier options available helps to make those frequent Starbucks runs a little more guilt-free.
UC/CSU Budget Cuts: What Does This Mean for the Future? BY: ERICA GLEASON, EDITOR IN CHIEF we rapidly approach Winter Break, Asmany seniors are experiencing the stress of applying to college. On top of the pressure to overcome “senioritis” and maintain a solid GPA, many seniors are burdened with the minute details of obtaining letters of recommendation and transcripts, attempting to exude diversity and unique qualities through obscure essays, and perfecting every last section of up to 10 college apps. The whole process is tiring and often frustrating, but it will soon pay off when the letters of acceptance start arriving. With 20-30% of Edison’s past graduating senior classes attending schools in
the University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) systems, it’s sure that many of this year’s seniors will accept offers from the UC or CSU. However, recent significant cuts in nearly all aspects of the UC and CSU budgets will certainly impact this year’s admission, and for many seniors, the next four years of education. In January, the UC Board of Regents announced that it would cut admission by 6%, amounting to a total of 2,300 less students being admitted across the UC system. At the time of this announcement, the UC was overenrolled by 11,000 students, causing a deficit of $120 million. To reduce the deficit, a total fee increase of 32% will bring the yearly cost of attending a UC school to $10,302. While the UC is attempting to maintain and even strengthen financial aid, its efforts do little to assist the upper-middle class bracket from which many Edison families come. Similarly, the CSU system recently announced that it aims to cut enrollment by 40,000 students by the 2010-2011 school year. Admission to the CSUs is also becoming increasingly competitive; for example, Cal State Long Beach received 69,683 freshman and transfer applications for just 5,000 total spots for fall 2010. Total CSU applications are up 12% from
last fall, with transfer applications up a remarkable 87%. The CSU schools are also in the midst of furloughs and a 30% fee increase, meaning that CSU students are paying more tuition for fewer school days. In fact, CSU tuition has nearly quadrupled in the past 2 decades. What does this mean for the class of 2010 and beyond? It means that admission to California public schools is more competitive than ever, and that the cost of a public education will be higher than it ever has been. This is also bad news for those attending community colleges who plan to transfer to state schools. As enrollment at both the UCs and CSUs is reduced, many students may find themselves unable to transfer, making it difficult to earn a college degree within 4 years. The fact is, the state of California just isn’t doing enough to support public education. With our own cuts here at Edison, we’ve seen that in high school, and we’ll seen it even more in college. State funds per student have dropped from $11,075 to $4,732 in the past decade and are bound to drop even more in the near future. In my opinion, California would do itself a huge favor to invest more in education, as the vast majority of its public graduates go on to work in California. Without the CONTINUED ON PAGE -8-
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Bringing Folk into the 21st Century BY: ZACH DAUS, STAFF WRITER ver since it became a fixture of AmerEican popular music in the 1950s, the folk genre has been consistently reinventing itself, progressing with popular music in a way that few other genres have been able to. Folk music’s most recent rising star, Samuel Beam, performing under the stage name Iron & Wine, continues to
ues to show how folk music is able to conform to the trends of popular music while retaining many of the qualities that still classify the genre as folk. While not as monumental as Dylan’s controversial stunt at the Newport Folk Festival in ‘65, the release of Iron & Wine’s debut album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, gives the genre a quality of simplicity that harkens back to the greats of 1970s folk rock, most notably Simon and Garfunkel. This similarity should not be mistaken as nostalgia, but more as the result
of an increasingly popular and influential indie genre that often stresses simple yet strikingly beautiful vocal lines and harmonies. The Shepherd’s Dog, Iron and Wine’s most recently released album, confirms the artist’s musical ability while still maintaining the lyrical quality of The Creek Drank the Cradle. While not completely shedding the distinctive indie-folk sound that characterized his earlier albums, The Shepherd’s Dog branches out to other musical mediums, creating an extremely varied sound unified by the artist’s poetic abilities. Through this musical experimentation, Iron & Wine’s most recent album does not only prove Samuel Beam’s talent as a poet and vocalist, but more importantly, his talent as a musician.
UC/CSU CUTS CUTS (FROM PAGE -7-) education of its workers, California’s economy is bound to suffer further. My suggestion? Go for the privates. Private universities are not subject to the ever-worsening California budget crisis, and many are in fact doing all they can to assist students through these rough economic times. For example, many schools such as Harvard have replaced loans with scholarships, making it easier to afford a private education. In addition to replacing loans with grants, the University of Pennsylvania has minimized its yearly tuition increase to just 4.1%, the lowest increase in several years. With significant changes to financial aid policies, private universities across the country are making education more affordable, and unlike state schools, are doing all they can to ease the financial burden for incoming students. If a private university is academically within reach, I would go for it. Though the sticker price of a state school may seem cheaper than a private university, it’s my opinion that a private education will prove to be more affordable, as well as less impacted by the cuts in staff, school hours, programs, and ultimately, quality of education that public universities are experiencing as a result of state and national budget crises.