The student perspective
Kari Chisholm
Gotta love this video produced by a group of students at Willamette University.
It's true: Gordon Smith has been absolutely AWFUL when it comes to supporting Oregon's college students. Seven times Smith has voted against boosting Pell Grants for low-income students. Smith voted to wipe out a tuition tax deduction used by 53,000 Oregon families. (Source: StopGordonSmith.com)
By contrast, Jeff Merkley's committed to boosting Pell Grants, boosting tuition tax breaks, and creating a new G.I. Bill for returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.
[Full disclosure: My firm built Jeff Merkley's website and StopGordonSmith.com, but I speak only for myself.]
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3:23 p.m.
May 7, '08
Does the vid not come up for anyone else? I've been having trouble with YouTube much of the day.
It's just so coincidental that "the student perspective" happens to come from the same college Bradley Dunn does all his hardest Merkley stumping at! Who could have guessed
3:31 p.m.
May 7, '08
Just to be clear, Novick's committed to helping out higher ed as well, and seems to parallel Merkley on this issue.
May 7, '08
torridjoe: The video seems to work fine for me.
May 7, '08
The class also did one for Novick. Where's that at?
3:52 p.m.
May 7, '08
"The class also did one for Novick. Where's that at?"
Ha! Nice. Move along, nothing to see here!
May 7, '08
The class also did one for Novick. Where's that at?
At the bottom of the B.O. to do list. (Along with the Novick life story that ran in the O. Hey Kari - Did Nick's finals get extended another week?:p)
4:26 p.m.
May 7, '08
A bit cheesy but overall I think it's highly effective.
5:21 p.m.
May 7, '08
speaking of ads, is it officially OK to call Merkley an ironic hypocrite for making an ad that criticizes a Democrat on non-policy, for criticizing other Dems on policy?
Seen on KATU this afternoon. I guess Bono didn't test as well?
I also wonder if the Climton part might not help Steve...
Nice try at piety a couple days ago, Kari.
May 7, '08
Gordon Smith has been absolutely AWFUL when it comes to supporting Oregon's college students. Seven times Smith has voted against boosting Pell Grants for low-income students. Smith voted to wipe out a tuition tax deduction used by 53,000 Oregon families.
Why should he vote for Pell Grants? He doesn't need the money. As for those 53,000 Oregon families who do, they should have been as smart as Gordo and got themselves born into wealthy families. However, it's a good bet that Goody-Two-Shoes feels their pain every day until the ballots are counted.
6:01 p.m.
May 7, '08
I know the group that did the ad very well as they are all active members of College Dems and the Willamette Students for Jeff Merkley. They did a fantastic job on the ad.
"Thats a lot of ramen!"
6:15 p.m.
May 7, '08
The class also did one for Novick. Where's that at?
First I've heard of it. Would someone post a link?
May 7, '08
Where's the evidence-based connection between rising college prices and Gordon Smith "making bank from interest groups"?
12:22 a.m.
May 8, '08
Anyone who bothered to check would have found out that the Novick group didn't make a video nor did they distribute their work.
May 8, '08
Dosen't anyone think it's ironic for students a private University ($35,000/yr +/-) to put together an add decrying the cost of tution at Oregon public universities( $18,000 +/-)?
Seems to me if they were really worried about educational costs they'd transfer to a public university and turn that that $17,000 per year differnence into $100k by graduation day.
Which is more likely to happen and is more sustainable in your life? (1) Making sound or wise investment decisions using basic laws of economics or (2) putting your faith and efforts in a polticians to lower your educational costs?
Since when did a politician of any political stripe "lower costs" of anything?
Reminds me of that saying - "Want" in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets filled faster. Are we really losing the same persepective on life that The Greatest Generation had?
May 8, '08
I was in the group that produced this video and none of us are associated with Jeff Merkley's campaign. Sorry TJ, but Bradley isn't in this class and had nothing to do with the production of the video. The Steve Novick group didn't make a video and they didn't put their work out for public consumption.
8:47 a.m.
May 8, '08
None are associated with the campaign? "the Willamette Students for Jeff Merkley"
?
May 8, '08
None are associated with the campaign? "the Willamette Students for Jeff Merkley"
Wouldn't that be a group of students who like Merkley? How would that make them "associated" with the campaign?
That's like saying your blog is "associated" with the Novick campaign because you like Novick.
May 8, '08
As someone who was also involved in making the video, I can also attest to the fact that none of us have any official ties to the Merkley campaign. This was not produced by the WU Students for Merkley, nor was Bradley, an employee of the Merkley campaign, involved in its production (not that it would be a problem if he had been).
As for the issue of private school students talking about tuition and fees at public universities, that was part of the assignment.
It is a sad day when a group of 18 to 22 year old students are attacked on an open forum for speaking their minds on an issue that affects their generation more than any others.
12:16 p.m.
May 8, '08
"That's like saying your blog is "associated" with the Novick campaign because you like Novick."
I wasn't aware there was a formal organizational group called "Blogs named Loaded Orygun for Novick."
I'm interested to hear that Bradley is an employee of the Merkley campaign, however. If true, it kind of makes him a big fat liar all those times he told me he had no official connection beyond his co-founder.
May 8, '08
Cicero:
It is a sad day when a group of 18 to 22 year old students are attacked on an open forum for speaking their minds on an issue that affects their generation more than any others.
*** Welcome to the wonders of free speech and the world of critical thinking, although nothing I read above-stream approaches "attack".
*** I thought the ad was clever and creative (although it would have been better if you had explained the relevance of "making bank").
Randy2 (a Novick supporter)
1:33 p.m.
May 8, '08
Jeez, lay off. There's nothing wrong with this except Kari's inability or unwillingness to distinguish between the definite pronoun and the indefinite pronoun, as in
"a" student viewpoint
which is what this legitimately is. And my pointing out the pronouns shows how much of this stuff is quibbles.
And good for them if students for Merkley are focusing on Smith, and good if they are focusing not only on their own financial needs but those of other Oregonians and the damage that overprice public higher ed. causes to full development of human capacities in this country.
Kari's always had trouble with overstated headlines. It's just one of those lovable quirks we have to learn to live with.
The non-existent Novick video proves the actual existence of exaggerated conspiracism about Kari.
Go Steve! A bas meta!
May 8, '08
Seems to me if they were really worried about educational costs they'd transfer to a public university and turn that that $17,000 per year differnence into $100k by graduation day.
Actually (comparing financial aid packages) it was less expensive for me to go to a private university in Oregon than it was to go to a public university. I left with less debt than I would have if I had gone to a public university and my largest class was 35 and most classes had 12-15 students...plus I got a great education. Now what does THAT say about the cost of public higher ed. No, I don't think it's ironic...I think it's SAD that public funding for higher ed is abysmal and that their facilities are crumbling.
May 10, '08
Someonee suggested Students should attend state schools instead of private ones if they wanted to save money.
BAD advice. My Son attended an expensive private one and do to hard work and good grades it was cheaper then attending Oregon public ones. 2/3's as much this year