NEWS

On Aug. 24, 2022, President Joseph Biden announced a three-part plan offering support to those with student debt. The plan will provide targeted debt relief as a collective effort to address the burden of college costs, along with re-working the student loan system so it’s manageable for low income families.

Over the past 50 years, the cost of a four-year university has nearly tripled, even when accounting for inflation. Previously, student loan relief was provided through Pell Grants, government subsidies that give grants to students with financial needs to help pay for college. However, these grants are limited and, over the past few years, have only covered one-third of the cost of four-year universities, compared to the 80 percent they once covered.

With the new relief proposal, the Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to recipients with loans held by the Department of Education, and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to recipients who did not receive a Pell Grant. Those eligible for this relief must either be an individual with an income less than $125,000 per year, or a married couple with an overall income of less than $250,000, making the plan targeted toward the middle class.

Some economists wonder whether the plan will lead to an increase in inflation. In California, the minimum wage is about $15 due to a high cost of living. Advanced Placement economics teacher Ann Tepovich explains the possible problems this upcoming relief program may cause.

“One school of thought [is that] if I owe $10,000 in loans and I don’t have to pay that back, then that gives me $10,000 to go spend in the economy,” said Tepovich. “Right now, with prices rising, if a lot of people have a lot of money to go out and spend, then that’s going to pull up prices even more.”

However, the Biden Foundation believes debt relief is more necessary than ever. The current cumulative federal student loan debt is around $1.6 trillion U.S. dollars. These debts have placed a significant burden on America’s middle class. The Biden administration claims in their announcement of the loan relief that, “high monthly payments and ballooning balances make it harder for [middle class individuals] to build wealth, like buying homes, putting away money for retirement and starting small businesses.”

According to an analysis done by the Department of Education, nearly one-third of student borrowers have thousands in debt, with no degree to show. This may be a result of the costs of classes being too high, and many students having to discontinue their studies due to the financial burden. Additionally, student debt disproportionately affects certain communities, falling substantially more on Black borrowers.

“Twenty years after first enrolling in school, the typical Black borrower who started college in the 1995-96 school year still owed 95 percent of their original student debt,” said the Biden administration in their White House Website. 

Many economists indicate that this program is temporary and lacks permanent measures to ensure the debt crisis doesn’t surge again. In response, the Biden administration has ensured their program includes preventative and cautionary measures, by making a promise to keep the student loan system as a more manageable system for current and future borrowers.

Long time borrower and economics teacher Stephen Hart graduated from the University of Michigan first in 2012, and then in 2013 for his masters, both times taking out student loans. The Biden relief program may be applicable to Hart, but, due to the immense debt he still carries, the benefits don’t cover all of his debts. However, Hart believes this plan can be inherently beneficial to borrowers and the United State’s economy as a whole.

“I think this [the relief program] is fantastic and is a great decision in many facets,” Hart said. “Debt is really restricting in so many ways. If we want to grow our economy and have access to the American dream, it requires lessening something that has become a real burden [to many citizens].”

This lessening of an immense burden is one notable aspect of Biden’s plan, but Hart believes the publicity surrounding the new relief plan will spark conversation regarding other options. Hart also stressed the importance of finding the best and most suitable plans for oneself.

As an educator, Hart heard of a loan relief program for teachers entitled the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). PSLF is available to those working for a government agency. While in the plan, each year one makes 10 years of income-based payments and the rest of your loans will be forgiven after the tenth year. Hart has used PSLF for the past ten years, and this will be his final year before he will gain full relief from his loans.

“A lot of people aren’t even aware of other programs. They were shocked to find out that they’ve been paying [off loans] for this long and they probably could have had the rest of their [loans] forgiven a while back,” Hart said.

Overall, the plan has sparked a bit of a discussion, which Hart believes can help with the debt crisis.

“This new [program] has been widely publicized, and created a ripple in the news and in discussions,” Hart said. “[Now], more people will be aware that they get to qualify for [a variety of plans] and their loans will be forgiven, which is great.”

Due to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 250,000 Jewish residents have found themselves seeking refuge in the last month. Kharkov and Kyiv, two major cities in Ukraine, have stood under attack from Russian forces, with reports of hundreds of casualties. Ukraine is currently the largest sanctuary for Jewish refugees in eastern Europe, due to Jewish expulsion during World War II. As chaos continues to erupt in Ukraine, the Jewish population has found itself in need of a new sanctuary.

The current siege on Ukraine by the Russian Federation is forefronted by President Vladimir Putin, who began invading the country on Feb. 24, 2022. Previously known as the Soviet Union, Russia was once home to a large population of Jews, but they were banished during World War II. Jewish expulsion from Russia was not unique to World War II, as Empress Catherine II of Russia banished Jews in 1790 by establishing the Pale of Settlement, a 472,000-square-mile territory where Jews were forced to live. Modern-day Ukraine is a major part of that territory.

The current Jewish community in Ukraine has created deep roots in the country and has become embedded in its culture. This led to the Ukrainian Jewish community assisting Ukrainians in need during these hard times. Synagogues across Kharkov serve as shelters for Jewish citizens, delivering food to the hungry and helping rescue citizens in unsafe situations. Many believe the desire to stay and help the cause at home is inspired by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has stood on the front lines since the start of the conflict and is of Jewish ethnicity. This is a belief held by Rabbi Paul Steinberg at Kol Shofar Synagogue, a conservative synagogue in Tiburon.

“Part of the reason people have embraced Zelensky is [simple] — He doesn’t want a ride out. He’s asking for weapons. He has stayed [in Ukraine] and encouraged people to take up arms and fight. He has ensured a sense of national pride. This takes tremendous courage,” Rabbi Steinberg said.

The flood of evacuating citizens has led traffic on Ukraine’s western border to reach an all-time high over the past two weeks. This high-density traffic has made evacuation impractical for many. Romania, Ukraine’s southwestern bordering country, originally expressed their disinterest in taking in Jewish refugees, but the Jewish Federation of Romania successfully convinced the Romanian government to allow them passage across the border to reach the Bucharest Airport, where they can then seek refuge in Israel. However, over 10 percent of Jewish citizens lack documentation, making it a difficult process to evacuate.

According to the New York Times, the Israeli government is expecting 20,000 Ukrainian Jews to seek sanction in Israel. In a New York Times interview, Omer Hod, an Israeli Social worker with ancestors from the Moldova-Ukraine region, expressed the irony regarding the current situation and the differences in her generation’s willingness to express their Judaism as opposed to past generations.

“Back then, it was almost a shame to be Jewish,” Hod said. “Now, people want to show they are Jewish so that they can be evacuated.”

While there is a large number of Ukrainian Jews longing to seek refuge in Israel, and more than 2,000 Ukrainian Jews who have already been flown to safety, others are staying to help support those unable to leave, most notably President Zelensky. 

President Zelensky is one of the two Jewish heads of state in the world. Given the history of antisemitism in Ukraine, many see the presence of a Jewish president to be monumental. History teacher Nickolai Butkevich understands how much it means. 

“[Eastern European] countries have a lot of history with violence against Jews. I think what this shows is that in the last 30 years, Ukraine has changed for the better,” Butkevich said. 

Russian President Putin has justified his invasion of Ukraine as an attempt to “denazify” eastern Europe. Given the history of Jews in the area, and taking into account Zelensky’s ethnicity as a Jew, Butkevich discusses a prominent claim opposing Putin’s ideas.

“[Zelensky’s ethnicity] shows how ridiculous [Putin’s claims] are of trying to ‘denazify’ Ukraine. The president is Jewish. He is not a Nazi,” Butkevich said.

As the conflict progresses, it is predicted that Russian forces will continue to become increasingly violent, which may change the narrative on the homefront of Ukraine. It is unclear whether Jewish citizens will continue to stay and support the country or if they will inevitably all be forced to flee. To support the Ukrainian Jews, you can donate to the Ukraine Jewish relief fund, which has been established to provide services and assistance to Ukrainian Jews impacted by the war.

Jan. 6, 2022, marked the first anniversary of the United States Capitol insurrection where thousands of vexed protesters rioted in an attempt to interrupt President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s entrance into the presidency. The day was initially devoted to members of the House of Representatives and the Vice President to certify votes from the 2020 election and officially deem Biden the 46th president. However, what originally started as a Trump rally held outside the Capitol turned violent. The mob consisted of former President Donald Trump supporters who were hoping to keep him in office. With over 700 arrests made in the past year and ongoing investigations that are still pending, many insurrectionists have been charged with assault charges, destruction of property and impeding officers. Five citizens died amidst the chaos and violence, including a Police officer. Over a year later, citizens remain divided over the 2020 election, leaving behind significant implications in our community which some citizens are seeking to repair through political unification.

In response to the first anniversary of the insurrection, President Biden spoke out in an address from the U.S Capitol on Jan. 6. Recognizing the significant divide the event imposed on America, Biden placed underlying blame on former President Trump. 

“For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election; he had tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol. But he failed,” President Biden said. “On this day of remembrance, we must make sure that such an attack never, never happens again.”

The storming of the Capitol left a powerful impact on the country, which President Biden described in his address. He emphasized the need for peace and unification to sew the wounds of the nation. 

“This is not a land of kings or dictators or autocrats. We’re a nation of laws, of order, not chaos; of peace, not violence,” said President Biden.

Across the country, teachers addressed the riots in classrooms, noting their significance and effect on students and teachers alike. Government teacher William Crabtree associates the insurrection with a desire for political power and believes the only way to fix the current political distress is to communicate with one another.

“[The insurrection] is going to be talked about forever, just like 9/11. These events mold and shape future events, either good or bad,” Crabtree said. “[We need to] listen and quit complaining. Real power and influence is earned through actions that don’t benefit yourself.”

Junior Jack Haubold is the president of the Junior States of America (JSA) Chapter at Redwood, a club that discusses and debates political topics in the community and at a national level. For Haubold, the event holds great significance and demonstrates the threat America’s democracy has faced over the past few years.

“[The insurrection] wasn’t the start nor the end of our democracy’s peril. One big issue is that we can’t recognize or agree upon what even happened. Some didn’t think it was bad, some [even thought] that the insurrectionists were doing a good act [by storming the Capitol]. That is truly a big issue for America’s democracy — we can’t even agree upon simple facts,” Haubold said.

Following the event, Haubold noticed an increased sense of awareness across Redwood’s campus regarding the insurrection and political life in general. To him, most people seemed to be aware of the political division that had existed for some time, but for those who hadn’t, the event was a true surprise.

“[The Capitol insurrection] was a major shock to anyone who didn’t recognize the threat America’s democracy faced. [This threat] didn’t just start after the 2020 election, it had been previously perpetuated and the [insurrection] really opened peoples’ eyes,” Haubold said.

According to Athena Raskin, president of the Redwood Democrats Club, the only way to aid in re-establishing a unified America is to recognize and respect our differences.

“Finding peace with each other is always more effective. This is a big country, but we all need to learn to live with one another. You can have a difference of opinion, but we need to tolerate and respect that people have [differing opinions],” said Raskin.

Raskin notes the importance of remembering and appreciating the events that occurred on Jan. 6, and hopes that we can restore nationwide peace as the years go on. 

“Everyone is a human and wants what’s best for the country. If we can learn to tolerate others, we can find peace,” Raskin said.