College students experience the crunch of the failing economy
By Leah LeMoineReporter, The VOICE
"I'm your stereotypical broke college student," said Jorge Valenzuela, a sophomore at Glendale Community College (GCC).
Valenzuela, a Secondary Education Biology major, has joined the ranks of the millions of Americans who have been laid off as a result of the economic recession. He worked as a server at Pancho's Mexican Buffet for over two years before being let go nearly a month ago.
"My bosses told me they had to cut hours. Not as many people were showing up. I used to make $60-$80 in tips, and then it was like $20," said Valenzuela. "Then they just said 'We can't keep you anymore.'"
He has already made significant changes to his lifestyle – he rarely goes out with friends now and has even had to scale back his classes to save money.
"I pay for college so I had to drop down to a part-time student," said Valenzuela, who is actively searching for employment but having little luck securing it.
Layoffs and lifestyle changes are only part of the picture. Students are consumed with worry about budget cuts, tuition raises and even the possibility of their majors – essentially, the preparation for their careers – ceasing to exist. Cassia Roberts, a sophomore at Arizona State University (ASU) West, located in Central Phoenix and most accusable to GCC students, is currently faced with that looming threat.
"They cut back all of the colleges at ASU West, including the College of Human Services, which was what my major was under," said Roberts. "Everything has been integrated into what is called the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. For now I'm safe (with my major), but it's my understanding that I'm only safe until the end of the 2009 fiscal year, in July. A lot of things are up in the air right now."
Roberts believes that her major may be moved to ASU's downtown or Tempe campuses if the New College is closed before she earns her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. GCC students who had planned on transferring to what is formerly known as ASU West should be aware of these changes and devise a strategy in case all does not go as planned.
"My advice (for GCC students) would be to keep in touch with ASU students to see what's going on and have another plan just in case," said Roberts. "Anticipate the possibility of going to the downtown or main campus and have a Plan B."
In these troubled economic times, having a Plan B (and perhaps even a Plan C, D or E) has become essential.
Please send comments to llemoine@gccvoice.com
