Since we are, supposedly, out of the recession woods, I didn’t expect to be hearing anything referred to as a stimulus or bailout, but a new $23 billion proposal is being called just that. The bill is sponsored by Iowan senator Tom Harkin and is hoped to help avoid thousands of layoffs.

Duncan Calling This an Education Catastrophe

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told reporters that if Congress doesn’t act now, layoffs at public schools could be anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 nationwide. “It is brutal out there, really scary,” Duncan said. “This is a real emergency. What we’re trying to avert is an education catastrophe.” To this, Sen. Harkin added, “We must act soon. This is not something we can fix in August. We have to fix it now.” At this point, Duncan hasn’t officially endorsed the bill, which has 13 other Democratic co-sponsors, but he has made it clear that something must be done and soon.

Concerns about where the money will come from are being raised; though, at this point they hardly seem damning. On the Republican side of things, Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said, “I wonder from whose schoolchildren we are going to borrow this money, because we have a looming debt crisis in this country and we’ll need to debate this. We all want to help our children and our schools, but that is a deep concern.” With all of the other inflammatory language being thrown around thanks to recent health care and student loan reform, a response like that is downright unsettlingly measured and calm. Sen. Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, also a Republican, even went so far as to say, “We cannot get ahead by under funding education.”

Take 2? First Attempt Stalled in the Senate

This isn’t the first bill of this kind. That means two things: this problem isn’t a new one (which means that the clock is really ticking now), and it didn’t work the first time. The stimulus law that was enacted in Feb. 2009 directed almost $100 billion to education for just this reason, but the funding is going to run out soon. Unlike the other sectors that received bailout money, public education can’t really get back on its feet and start making money again–it’s not a business; it’s our nation’s future.

I went to a great lecture the other night, and as much as I’d love to get into how cool it really was, I’m instead going to start by ripping on the full-grown male student who was sitting in front of me–the one who had to turn off his Nintendo DS when the lecture started.

My friend and I had gotten to the lecture a few mintues early, figuring that the place would be packed. While the middle section was, indeed, quite full, we found some great seats a little ways to the right and settled in. Unbeknownst to us, we had mistakenly seated ourselves in the undergraduate section. Who knows why all of the sponsored undergrads chose to congregate around where we’d seated ourselves–that’s not important. What is important is that each one of these fresh-faced, idealistic students had some sort of electronic device monopolizing at least one of their five senses.

My friend and I had chosen to pass the very few minutes before the lecture started not by plugging in, turning on, and tuning out–but by chatting. I felt anachronistic–like writing checks to pay for groceries, sending letters snail-mail, and using a land line to make phone calls. Thankfully, it passed.

Unplug or Else

The Internet is positively amazing. It may be a bit off course as far as the goals of its progenitors are concerned, but, really, it’s a great thing. It and the myriad devices that have brought it to our fingertips have changed the way we consume and interact with information. I won’t ramble on about how cool it is that hypertext has helped revolutionize how we think about and organize knowledge. No, I won’t pontificate in the slightest. What I will do is talk briefly about how ridiculously bombarded with information we are and how we’ve become completely numb to it.

With all of our awesome little gizmos, we’re so plugged in so much of the time that everyday reality is no longer all that interesting on its own. This sort of desensitizing is turning us into a bunch of ADHD techno-addicts. What will become of us if we can’t appreciate the sunset without an iPod blaring away? Well, we can only turn up the volume for so long before blowing out our ear drums. Take a break from your electronic devices for a while, and resensitize yourself.

The recession, which is supposedly over, has caused quite a number of bad things to happen. Now, homelessness, hunger, and unemployment aside, one of the worst things that it’s done is to poop on the proverbial parade of idealists across the country. Back when there were plenty of jobs, being a starving liberal arts degree holder had a certain je ne sais quoi, an allure, almost a humor with a side of asceticism–it was obviously a choice, a phase that the adorable little tattooed barista would surely grow out of, bursting from her cocoon of youthful angst and idealism to enter the workaday world well adjusted and slightly cynical like the rest of us.

Personally, I started off at my dream school, majoring in electrical engineering. It took about a year for me to realize that I was not, in fact, an electrical engineer of any kind. I took my first philosophy class, and I was hooked. It drove me positively wild. I’d leave class scribbling notes until I got back to the dorms, where friends were awaiting my arrival to get back to the electrostatics and magnetism homework that destroyed our social lives. I moved from philosophy to creative writing and never looked back. If I had it all to do again, would I opt to stay in electrical engineering? No, not a chance. Did my liberal arts degree affect my hirability? Absolutely–I didn’t qualify for any of those jobs that I didn’t want.

And that’s just it, I wanted desperately to write, and I am. I’ve spent some time teaching English, some time freelance writing, and even more time waiting tables until I got into those positions. When I earned my bachelor’s degree, family came out from all over. Apparently, my grandparents had forgotten that I’d switched majors and even schools part of the way through. This led to a little confusion and a look from my grandmother that said loud and clear: “Well, at least you tried, honey.” I was understandably a little upset about this because I hadn’t tried; I’d succeeded. When I was still waiting tables, I had a woman ask me what I was studying because I seemed so well spoken. When I told her, she said, “Oh, really? I thought you’d be in something difficult.” This all brings me to a bumper sticker I saw today:

Those who have abandoned their dreams will try to destroy yours.

And ain’t it the truth.

Wait, They’re Cutting Liberal Arts?

Colleges around the globe are being hit hard–and on two sides–by the recession. The first side is pretty obvious: budget cuts. Faced with a lack of money, colleges and universities have to make cuts, and the shortfalls have gone on for so long that there’s no more fat to trim, so many schools are looking to the less popular programs–and cutting them. Here’s the problem: liberal arts degrees aren’t vocationally oriented. That is, there is no clear cut path to a career other than teaching, which, let’s face it, doesn’t pay anywhere near enough to motivate the masses.

Once considered the foundation of a Western education, the liberal arts are being outmoded. It’s up to us, the dreamers, the idealists, the people who question contemporary definitions of success, to make our voices heard and encourage others to keep the faith.

Just Add MBA

Don’t suffer through a bachelor’s degree in something you hate doing just because you think it’ll result in more money later. Many companies don’t care what your undergraduate degree is in; if you can convince them that you’re the right person for the job, they’ll train you. Many, many more companies don’t care what your bachelor’s is in if you get an MBA. Earning a master’s of business administration is like being a cake that just got iced with the hiring manager’s favorite frosting. On top of that liberal arts degree, it says, “I’m super smart, eclectic, and good at making money.”

The point here is that pursuing your dream isn’t going to take you out of the running for a great job for the rest of your life. You can always go back for an MBA. you can even earn one online without quitting the job that’s currently putting food on the table. Never let go of your dreams. Life isn’t about doing something you hate, and you are the only one that makes that call.

It’s been spring for just over two weeks, and let me tell you, spring fever is in the air. Setting aside the fact that it snowed last night–blatantly ignoring it, even–the weather is getting nicer. With the sun out and sky that lovely shade of blue that makes you want to go toss a frisbee around, I don’t know about you, but I’m having difficulty staying on task. For college students, this is a particularly bad time to hit with this particularly contagious disease.

That’s right: it’s time for midterms. Friends of mine in graduate programs are cursing huge papers and daunting tests; friends of mine with professorial positions are cursing the coming stacks of grading; and those friends of mine who are lucky enough to be in both camps are being very, very quiet–presumably because they don’t have time even to scream.

As a chronic sufferer of spring fever, I can say that it’s never mattered how busy I was at the time–it always strikes. Even now that I’ve developed allergies and spring also means a runny nose and red eyes, it still drives me wild. Never fear! These years of going absolutely post-solstice bats have taught me some valuable lessons, lessons that I’m more than happy to pass along.

How to Get Things Done Even Though It’s Spring

1. Change your schedule. Like a werewolf under a full moon, the sun transforms you. For this reason, it becomes extremely important to maximize your productive hours (i.e., the dark ones). If you can control your schedule, even a little, do it. Wake up early; get that studying done before the sun starts beckoning. If you can’t get up before the sun’s out, switch this around and get some play in before you head to class. If you’re enrolled in an online degree program, you’ll find this tactic particularly useful.
2. Don’t Deny It. If you fight spring fever, in a few weeks you’ll be dropping to your knees and crying over how beautiful the flowers are. You need to get it out of your system. Get out and play in the sun. Even if that just means riding your bike to class or walking barefoot across the larger lawns on campus.
3. Make Time. Making a schedule and sticking to it is a great way to fight those urges… for a week or two. After that, you’ll start fitting in play time where it doesn’t belong. To avoid this, schedule your time outside. Make it a reward for good behavior and real productivity. Be honest with yourself. If this one doesn’t work, you’re left with the big guns…
4. Close Up Those Windows. This is a productivity last resort. If you can see the sun, the blue sky, or the blooming flowers, you won’t get anything done–and, no, daydreaming about frolicking through fields of wild flowers doesn’t count as productivity. This is for when the dark hours of the day won’t cut it–when you really have something to get done. It’s simple, and it works, at least until you get up from your desk and remember that it is, in fact, freakin’ spring time outside.

This whole process is about achieving balance between studying, class, work, and play time. Be honest with yourself, and be responsible. I promise you’ll get to play frisbee later, but right now, sit down and start hitting the books.

Much like Christmas, Easter has become more of a cultural holiday in the U.S. This Sunday, when you’re hiding eggs around the house, preparing an Easter basket for a loved one, or keeping an eye out for the rarely seen Passover Bunny, add a little bit of learning into the mix.

The Hunt: Gettin’ the Kids to Think Before the Candy Coma

I grew up with a fantastic tradition that I still force my parents to take part in every once in while. Rather than just giving gifts, we’d hide things around the house and outside with clues attached. Eventually, you’d find the goods, but leading up to it you had to use your head. Here’s what you do:

• Hide the Basket. Make it a good spot, somewhere the hunter won’t stumble across it.
• Make Some Clues. There are two ways to go about this. You can make a collection of clues that all go together to point to where the basket is, or you can make a trail of clues. Both lend themselves well to sneaking in some education. Tailor the clues to education level of the person searching for the basket. If you’ve got a third-grader, throw in some easy math or a word puzzle. If you’re trying to keep your college student young at heart, you’ve got plenty of degree-related options. English major? Use Shakespeare quotes to lead the way. Math major? Time for a little calculus.
• Hide the Eggs. Depending on your approach, either hide all of the eggs in plain sight (get creative with this, too–green egg: plant, yellow egg: lamp) or hide them according to the clue-trail you’ve set up.

It’s not too complex, and you’ll have a great time both making up the clues and watching your egg hunters scratch their heads as they collect the Easter booty. You’re never too old for a good old-fashioned egg hunt, so have some fun–and learn a little–this Easter.