Posts Tagged ‘sharenotes’

The Death of the Newspaper

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Something I’ve been hearing more and more about lately is the lamentation of the possible demise of the Newspaper… And frankly I don’t get it. I never have. Being perhaps from a younger generation like many of you on sharenotes.com, it’s perplexing to me how the slowing of an industry strongly rooted in the distribution of printed news could in any way be linked to a demise in the dissemination of information. Not with the web around.

Granted, you cannot believe a great deal of what you see on the web, but what are we talking about? Small opinion / rumor based blogs? Not really. There are plenty of legitimate news sources, moving at the speed of life, keeping pace with the world in which we live. So why the sudden concern? The news will be available, with our without newpapers.

They are talking congressional bailouts and the failure of democracy if newpapers die. Who are we kidding here? The speed at which news changes and develops can never be matched by mass paper distribution. There was once a time when that’s all we had but those times are long since gone. When Michael Jackson died, everyone I knew found out via TMZ almost before the coroner had pronounced him deceased. Are we really trying to hang on the idea that there are people out there that found out about this the day after in the morning paper?

Afraid we’ll lose some form of free speach, or perhaps thought provoking discussion? Not likely. On the web as I speak there are probably more discussions happening right now, than were generated by a year of a local newspapers circulation. I don’t have any stats to back that, but what better forum to provoke discussions, than a .. forum? Blogs like sharenotes.com are provoking thoughts every minute of every day. On every site you may leave your comments, thoughts. emotions, ideas, are being expressed probably more so today than ever in the history of the world. We are connected now in ways that the printing press could never do.

I was reading an article on Newsweek.com on this very topic and they pointed out quite deftly that a bailout of Newspapers stands to benefit only the newspaper themselves. The truth of the matter is that newspapers were once a very very profitable and powerful endeavor. Ever been to Hearst Castle? You can see for yourself the kind of opulence newspaper money could buy back in the day. But readership is down, and these once giant corporations are tanking and panicking. Time to call in the favors in Congress like a drowning man clings to his last gulp of air.

It’s not like I am against Newspapers. I don’t read them true, but if they were wildly successful then so be it. But I don’t want to take part in saving them from the inevitable. The Digital age has been here for quite some time, I cannot remember the last time I picked up a news paper? Probably when I was a kid, but as an adult? No way! Where were you during the inauguration? Waiting around for the paper to cover it or were you steaming live coverage on the web?

Have an opinion? Well here’s a great way to start a new discussion… leave your comments below and let your fellow readers hear your voice. Should we bail out the Newpapers? Think they should die a slow death? Lets hear your thoughts.

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the Smoking Ban’s Effect on Heart Attacks

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

You may have read a previous blog post here on sharenotes.com that I posted about a proposed smoking ban in the military. I was slightly torn on the subject simply because I feel the military’s stress levels are super high right now. I am very anti-smoking but maybe a vice, even a terrible one like smoking, was keeping them going. However what I am not conflicted about is a ban on smoking in public places. I am of the personal feeling that if a person wants to smoke that is their prerogative, however I should not be forced to be exposed to it.

According to a recent study the ban on smoking that has occurred over three years may have had a dramatic effect on our health. According to the study, the smoke free environment has led to a 1/3 less heart attacks since the ban in parts of the US, Europe and Canada was first put into place. This strongly supports the stance that 2nd hand smoke can be harmful to those of us who do not smoke. It also strongly supports an expansion of the ban to places that are still havens for smokers.

According to the CDC an estimated 46,000 people die each year from 2nd hand smoke related heart disease. 46,000…that’s over 13 times the deaths from 9/11, every year, and just as needless. While we can’t make up for the senselessness of 9/11, we can do something about the future needless deaths related to smoking. With a world wide ban of smoking could all but erase a great deal of those deaths.

If it sounds like I am on a soapbox today, I’ll admit, I am. But I’m not completely heartless, I do feel for smokers. I know it’s horribly addictive, I’ve seen it first hand, and know how difficult it is to cut the habit. I had to watch my father go through it and it wasn’t until he was threatened with lung cancer before he was able to walk away. Most college kids smoke at some point or another recreationally, house parties, finals etc… But for many of us, that occasional indulgence turns into a habit.

My only advice for my fellow students is walk away sooner than later because it only gets harder. As I said at the beginning of the blog post if someone wants to smoke, they can, but just hopefully not around me. I fully support a public ban on smoking everywhere… even Vegas! Gasp! Time for sharenotes.comto weigh in, this topic always gets you talking. Support a ban? Wanna smoke anywhere, anytime? Here’s your chance to voice your opinion. Leave you comments below.

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Posted in College Note Sharing, Sharing Notes with People | 5 Comments »

Student Loan Overhaul

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

The House of Representatives has sent a bill to the Senate that, if passed would end government subsidies for private lenders. This would in turn put the government directly in charge of the student lending. One positive net benefit woudl be an increase in Pell Grants which many of us on sharenotes.com are familiar with.

So what does this bill mean to the average student. Honestly, the changes will be visually mild and largely behind the scenes. Probably the 2 biggest factors that may directly effect you is the increase in Pell Grants as mentioned above, and a limit on a 2012 scheduled interest rate increase.

Opponents of the bill have expressed concerns over job losses that may be suffered in the private industry who have thrived on government subsidized lending. On the flip side, opponents of the bill have pointed out that no one is stopping private companies from writing educational loans, they simply will no longer be able to do so with tax payers money.

The program may yield an estimated savings of 47 Billion to 87 Billion in taxpayer dollars, should the bill pass. Yes I said Billion.

So what’s my take? Well I can’t say that I am an expert, however, more Pell Grants and interest limits are a good thing. More importantly, tax savings of that magnitude is also something to take very seriously. Some job loss in the industry is a unfortunate side effect, however it’s hard to feel too terrible for an industry that has reaped huge profits by lending out tax payer dollars.

The outlook for the Bill is not exactly clear as a it enters the Senate. While it has a great deal of support it’s by no means a certainty that it will pass. Many college students sometimes fail to see the benefits of being involved in our democracy, but I challenge all the students on sharenotes.com to be involved. Very often it’s our congressmen and women, our senators and of course our president who shape the programs that impact our life. Programs and bills that pass in these trying times may have a profound effect on the economy that many of us will be graduating into.

What do you think? Love the bill? Hate the bill? Leave your comments below and have your voice heard by your fellow students.

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And the good news keeps rolling in…

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Thanks to Wall Street Journal for informing telling us what everyone on sharenotes.com already knows… College students are borrowing more and more these days. The study is pretty numbers driven, but I’ll bottom line it for you; when we graduate, we’re going to owe a lot. It’s just about that simple.

About 10 years ago students average debt was about 13K, its now about 23K and the economy is a whole lot worse than it was back then. So we have a lot less jobs to look forward to and a more debt to burden us. One of the biggest findings of the study was that because of all this, students are having to re-think how and what they can afford in their lives post graduation. Buying a home, that new car or just plain being able to afford Top Ramen is all very much in question. Especially when you consider that it’s very likely it could take 10 years or more to pay off the debts we rack up while in school.

I know, I know, this isn’t anything that we don’t already know. We’re in the thick of it. I know I’m not the only one on sharenotes.com that’s got literally thousands racked up in debt. At the very least we are able to deffer payments while in school and with any luck, the economy will right itself in time for many of us to get that killer job once we’re done. Let’s hope so.

Have thoughts on the topic? Please leave your comments below and join the discussion with your fellow students!

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Penn State reaches out to raise funds

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Hard times are being felt by all colleges right now. The Belt has been cinched and funds are drying up. Many of the students on sharenotes.com have unmet aid and it’s becoming harder for Colleges and Universities to meet that aid.

In a sense desperate times need desperate measures. In one such instance Penn State has initiated a fund raising campaign in which Students accepted into the prestigious Honors College wouldn’t mind donating back the $3,500 merit scholarship that comes with the acceptance. This plea of course is being asked in circumstances in which the financial aid is not necessarily needed for the student to attend, with the caveat that the aid money would then be used to meet the needs of needy students.

Surprisingly this program has worked to great success. Last year the appeal netted 228,000 dollars in money donated back to the school. Money that will in turn be used to assist unmet financial aid needs, helping students to enroll.

Penn state looks to increase the appeals given the success of the program thus far. Which in a sense is a good thing given that some schools are withdrawing from such merit programs as it directs scholarship money to students who may not necessarily be in financial need of such assistance. Creative alternatives such as the Penn program look to keep the Merit recognitions continuing while funneling much needed money to the most needy students. their program looks to be a pseudo symbiosis between the haves and the have not’s in which both parties can benefit.

If anyone on sharenotes.com attends Penn or any other school affected by such programs and would like to comment we’d love to hear your input.

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