Straddling lower, middle class

ASHLEY COOK NEWS EDITOR AAC722@CABRINI EDU

Cabrini College’s President’s Convocation honored Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Alfred Lubrano. Lubrano is author of the book “Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams.”

Lubrano is also a contributing editor to GQ Magazine, has won six national journalism awards and is a commentator for National Public Radio since 1992.

Lubrano made a speech about an overlooked social issue, the social transition from blue collar to white: the differences of working and middle class families based on values, education and culture. “Related by blood, separated by class,” Lubrano said.

“Limbo” individuals are those who are in between the two classes. He also refers to them as Straddlers. To the blue-collar family, love, family and money are key, but to the white collar, knowledge is most important.

“Middle class people say that writing itself is a learning experience, when you write something you know more about it when your done with it, it makes you more well balanced, a little smarter, less ignorant and a little more open to people and differences.” Lubrano said.

Lubrano used stories from his book throughout his speech to give examples of families who have suffered from this social issue. He spoke about how families can fall

Editorial

Extraordinary accomplishments throughout 50 years

Take a minute and try to imagine this. Imagine a college where a dress code was normal. Where the curfew was enforced every night, regardless of whether you were a freshman or a senior. An environment in which there were 43 total students and 11 faculty members in the entire college. Everyday, women woke up, fixed their hair to perfection, pulled their skirts down past their knees, hiked up their socks and were ready for class. This routine, although hard for our generation to imagine, was not so foreign to those who attended Cabrini College in 1957.

Going to school, with no men and no sports wouldn’t seem enjoyable to some in our generation as an everyday lifestyle. It wasn’t until 1967, 10 years after Cabrini opened its doors, that the first basketball and field hockey teams were formed. Three years after that, in 1970, the first male students arrived at Cabrini.

The campus of Cabrini College is unarguably a beautiful place. In 1953, when the MSCs purchased land from the second family to own the estate, the Dorrances, to build their mansion, they spent $295,000 on 138 acres of land. Today, that much land would sell for many, many millions of dollars.

Today, attending Cabrini without any scholarship or financial aid and including tuition, room and board, can amount up to an estimated $38,000. In 1957, when the first all-women class moved into the 51-room mansion to live and attend classes, the total amount for tuition, room and board, was $1,250. Talk about an increase over 50 years.

One thing that has not changed over the years is Cabrini’s mission -- to prepare students for a future of dignity and purpose and give an education of the heart. Cabrini was the first and only institution of higher learning founded by Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Cabrini was also the first in the state of Pennsylvania to integrate community service as a core requirement in 1989. The administration, staff and students are a major contribution to the success of the college. The faculty is eager to help students flourish in their majors. In 2005, Dr. Jerry Zurek was awarded Pennsylvania Professor of the Year. Furthermore, Cabrini graduates are experiencing extraordinary accomplishments. Vince DeFruscio, graduate of 2004, won an Emmy this year.

Cabrini College has been a successful college since it opened its doors in 1957. Expanding from just 43 female students to over 2,300 men and women is quite an accomplishment. Whether you agree with the campus changes or not, there is no denying that Cabrini is a successful college and is obviously doing something right.