Student Union
- By Doug Bernard
US Shutdown: An International Perspective
Today's post comes to us from Jialing Huang, a second-year graducate in communications studies at the University of China. This is her second year studying in the United States, traveling here from her home in China. For those unfamiliar, the U.S. government is presently partially shutdown due to major policy disagreements between Republicans and Democrats.
But this time I did some research on it. I began to really understand why they had to shut the government down-it is because the congress cannot make an agreement on the billing plans. Even though taking so long for the congress to make an agreement is frustrating, I admired the fact that they allowed different voices to rise, and will not make any decision until they reach an agreement, which can avoid unwise fiscal decisions that waste people’s money. I also tried to compare the way they make decisions with that of Chinese government. As we all know, the communist party is dominating the government, and that allows it to always make decision quickly. However, we did not have the chance to know or question how people’s money has spent just until recently. In fact, according to Xinhua News agency, not until 2009 did the Chinese government started to make the fiscal plan public. But still, how the local government spent the money remain unknown.
However, one of my friends, Kai Zang, who is studying legal education in United States, was disagree with me. He believed that the different voice of the congress was still the voice of each party and thus was for the interest of their own. He also thought that low efficiency was becoming a large problem of the U.S government. As he said, “When they are trying to spend money wisely, they are paying a lot for its low efficiency. “
But as an international student, Kai admitted that the shutting down would not have much influence on him. In fact, many of my friends show an indifferent attitude towards the news. As my friend Yiwei said, “The only consequence that may influence me, an international student, is that I cannot go to the Everglades in the near future (A national park in Florida). I think I am fine with that.”
See all News Updates of the Day
Ohio Public Colleges Told to End Race-based Scholarships
Ohio’s attorney general has ordered public colleges and universities to end merit scholarships that incorporate race-based criteria, saying they are unconstitutional.
The attorney general advised education officials that compliance with a 2023 Supreme Court decision on race-based admissions extends to scholarships, according to the Columbus Dispatch. (March 2024)
Greek Parliament Approves Branches of Foreign Universities
The Greek parliament voted to allow foreign universities to establish and operate branch campuses in the country.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the move was made to encourage Greek students to stay in the country for advanced studies, instead of going abroad for an education. (March 2024)
Virginia Bans Legacy Admissions
The state of Virginia has banned legacy admissions to public colleges and universities.
The New York Times reports the state has outlawed the practice of giving preferential admissions status to students based on connections to alumni and donors. (March 2024)
New Texas Law Prohibits Public Colleges, Universities From Having DEI Offices
A new Texas law prohibits public universities from having special programs supporting minority and LGBTQ students. Critics say these diversity, equity and inclusion programs are discriminatory and divisive. But many students say they are needed. Deana Mitchell has the story from the Texas capital.
Here’s What It Feels Like to Find Home Between Two Cultures
Cynthia Jia, a student at the University of Virginia, writes about how Chinese literature helped reconcile her to being part of two cultures. Read her story in The Cavalier Daily. (February 2024)