the
Herald By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
VOLUME CXXXI ISSUE 21
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2010
GENEVA, NY
HWS Students Respond to Health Care Bill Means Big Changes to Student Loans By Tim Hollinger ’11 Opinions Editor First year Ben Merber was not excited when the healthcare bill was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday; numerous other students knew little about what was in the bill, but for the most part, Herons and Statesmen were pleased with the new legislation. Like it or not, if you are an American citizen, provisions in the bill, which include changes to student loans, will affect you. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the health care bill, was signed into law after over a year of debate, fear, and compromise. The measure includes new benefits, like allowing young people to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26, tightening regulation of insurance companies, and extending medical coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans. “I think it could have been better, but it’s a good thing,” says John Goldman, a sophomore majoring economics; he added that he is happy about the changes that will be made to student loans as a result of the bill, many of which are in a companion bill that is expected to pass through the senate. Under the measure, private banks will no longer get fees from
the government for acting as gobetween in loans to low- and middleincome students. This will save the government about $70 billion which would have gone to banks. With the savings, the government plans to increase Pell Grants to needy students and make it easier for workers burdened by student loans to pay them back. “I think the Photo courtesy of: prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com bill is a good thing, but I haven’t been President Obama signs the new health care bill on Tuesday, March 23 after it following it too had been passed in the House of Representatives. close,” said, Kazia Berkley-Cramer not. Merber ’13, who dislikes the long as the amount does not exceed ’13. Confusion is wide spread, the bill bill, says he is “not aware of what’s the price tag of a basic health plan. is more than 2,400 pages long, and in the bill, but knows it will raise But by 2016, the penalty increases contains unexpected provisions like taxes.” to $695 for an uninsured adult, and a new requirement for restaurants The tax code will be used up to $2,085 per household, or 2.5 to list calories on menus. to encourage people to get health percent of income, whichever is A Herald poll taken before care coverage. An adult who does greater. spring break found that 26% of not have health insurance by 2014 The Congressional Budget students polled were following will be penalized $95 or 1 percent HEALTH continued on Page 2 debate over the bill, while 36% were of income, whichever is greater, so
Sankofa to Host Charity Ball By Liz Witbeck ’10 A&E Editor
according to CDC. The number one cause for both groups is accidents such as automobile and motorcycle. Alcohol related deaths are included in that. The national average per 20,000 college students is 1.5 persons. It is a tragic problem that this country is facing. CDC reports that as of 1990 the youth suicide rate has, thankfully, been decreasing.
Sankofa’s annual Charity Ball will take place next weekend. This year’s ball will focus on awarding scholarships to local Geneva youth, as well as raising funds to victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Sankofa, the Black Student Union, has a long standing tradition of hosting a Charity Ball at HWS. The ball raises funds for organizations that promote physical or social improvement. Local and international agencies have been supported through the ball. Past organizations that have been fundraised for through the Charity Ball include the Geneva Theatre Guild, Water for Sudan, and Plan USA. At this year’s ball, Sankofa will present two $500 scholarships to local Geneva high school students. One scholarship is based on merit, the other on community engagement. The scholarships are intended for use in postsecondary education. A silent auction will be held during the event to contribute to the Hope for Haiti Relief Fund. Donations in the form of goods or services may
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Photo courtesy of: pirun.ku.ac.th
Cornell University has dealt with great tragedy in the form of six documented suicides of students as of October 2009.
Cornell University Deals with Tragedy By Jennifer Hollander ’10 Herald Contributor Just an hour away from rainy Geneva lays the bustling city of Ithaca. Normally this is a city where HWS students will occasionally visit as there is an eco-village, a great shopping center, and two Colleges where students may have friends. Recently, one of these colleges, Cornell University, has seen great tragedy. As of October 2009, there have been six documented suicides of Cornell University students. Due to privacy issues, the
potential reasons for the suicides cannot be released to the public at this time, but Cornell is working hard to prevent future suicides. Suicide as a whole claims the lives of tens of thousands individuals per year. In 2005, suicide claimed the lives of 32,637 people according to Center for Disease Control. It is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds and the second leading cause for college students specifically
Campus Happenings
A&E
Opinions
HWS Hosts International Debate
G h os t Wri t e r
Short End of the Stick
Dean Discusses Health Care
Alice I n Won de rla n d
Far From Home But Not Lost
Campus Celebrity: Bob Murphy
Book of t he We e k
Not For Facebook
Terrific Trip to Technos
Spencer Rush Performs
Punish Them, Not Me
Sports Hobart Falls to #2 Syracuse Spring Preview: Hobart Tennis Upcoming Games