Tuition Increase Causes Struggle for Future UVa Students [Revised]

Tuition Increase Causes Struggle for Future UVa Students

As reported by the Daily Progress, The University of Virginia recently decided to raise their tuition for both in-state and out of state students. In-states student tuition has raised by $486 or 4.7 percent, while out of state tuition has been raise by $2268 or 6.2 percent (UVa board approves tuition increase). This puts a strain on current and future UVa students that are also struggling monetarily. Even to the middle class, the amount needed to pay for tuition puts them at a disadvantage. With the amount needed to sustain a household of four, sending even one of their kids to college causes financial struggles for years to come. The options are very limited to what they can do; taking out a loan and joining the military seem to be the only two solid options. Applying for scholarships are also an option, but those are unsure and others are constantly applying for them, minimizing the availability of money.

Not only is this a problem at UVa, but a problem at all colleges. Average people who want to achieve higher education have a harder time getting into any school because of their finances. Around the United States, the economy has made it harder for normal people to earn the money needed to send their children to higher education, which continues the cycle of the poor staying poor. To fix this problem, the cost of living wage should be raised, especially in the city of Charlottesville.

The reason why minimum wage should be raised is mainly because not only is getting into college a financial struggle, but sustaining a stable household is difficult as well. An article by the Huffington Post states that if Minimum wage was to keep up with worker productivity, it would be at least $21 in 2012(Minimum Wage Would Be $21.72 If It Kept Pace With Increases In Productivity: Study). Some states refuse to increase the minimum wage because they believe that it will hurt business. I believe it will be quite the opposite, with the increase of minimum wage, people will be encouraged to buy more and shop to support businesses. That could also help the economy in the long run, essentially giving the government a hand in ending the deficit.

Earlier in the year, Obama proposed that the cost of minimum wage should be raised to ten or more dollars, but so far the issue has been left up to states. Currently, the minimum wage in Virginia is $7.25 per hour; barely enough to sustain a household of two. I believe to help with the issue, Virginia should raise the minimum wage to at least $11.11 per hour. Not only to assist with college cost for the next generation, but to help with daily problems that families go through. With the rise of minimum wage, families who have always wished to send their children to college may now have that chance.

Interview Questions

I am interviewing Paige Rice, the Clerk of Council.

1. First of all, what is a Clerk of Council and how is their job given to them?
2. What does a Clerk of Council do on a daily basis?
3. How did you get to this position?
4. What did you do in High school? College?
5. Do you have any other jobs pertaining to the Government? 
6. What do you think is the most important issue in Charlottesville right now? 
7. What do you think about the UVa tuition increase? (Or is that even in your jurisdiction?) 
8. Do you have and other fun facts? 

H13

(a) Explain how TWO measures taken by states prior to the 1960s affected voter turnout among African American citizens.

• Literacy tests were used to test African Americans before they voted to prevent them from actually voting. African Americans were unable to learn at a level of their white counterparts because it was illegal in the south to teach African Americans, especially during the Slavery area
• The Grandfather clause was used to prevent African Americans from voting as well. The Grandfather clause is when you do not have to take a literacy test if your grandfather had already voted prior to you. this was unfair to African Americans because their grandfathers were either uneducated, or slaves.

(b) Facing discrimination at the voting booth, many African Americans turned to alternative forms of political participation. Describe TWO alternative forms of participation that helped bring about changes in civil rights policies.

• African Americans turned to civil disobedience to send the message that discrimination was not okay. They used organized sit-ins, protests, and race riots to show that they were not going to be quiet about this issue.  
• The NAACP was created in response to the discrimination at the polls.  

(c) Choose ONE of the forms of participation you described above and explain why it was effective in changing civil rights policies. 

• The NAACP was created in 1909 for the advancement of African Americans. The NAACP was a voice for many African Americans to speak out against oppression at the polls. Their guidance for the African American community lasts even through today by speaking against people or corporations who are racist or oppressive against African Americans. 

Tuition Increase Causes Struggle for Future UVa Students

Tuition Increase Causes Struggle for Future UVa Students

The University of Virginia recently decided to raise their tuition for both in-state and out of state students. In-states student tuition has raised by $486 or 4.7 percent, while out of state tuition has been raise by $2268 or 6.2 percent. This puts a strain on current and future UVa students that are also struggling monetarily. Even to the middle class, the amount needed to pay for tuition puts them at a disadvantage. With the amount needed to sustain a household of four, sending even one of their kids to college causes financial struggles for years to come. The options are very limited to what they can do; taking out a loan and joining the military seem to be the only two solid options. Applying for scholarships are also an option, but those are unsure and others are constantly applying for them, minimizing the availability of money.

Not only is this a problem at UVa, but a problem at all colleges. Average people who want to achieve higher education have a harder time getting into any school because of their finances. Around the United States, the economy has made it harder for normal people to earn the money needed to send their children to higher education, which continues the cycle of the poor staying poor. To fix this problem, the cost of living wage should be raised, especially in the city of Charlottesville.

Earlier in the year, Obama proposed that the cost of minimum wage should be raised to ten or more dollars, but so far the issue has been left up to states. Currently, the minimum wage in Virginia is $7.25 per hour; barely enough to sustain a household of two. I believe to help with the issue, Virginia should raise the minimum wage to at least $11.11 per hour. Not only to assist with college cost for the next generation, but to help with daily problems that families go through. With the rise of minimum wage, families who have always wished to send their children to college may now have that chance.

H11

1. Gender has been a topic of discrimination, especially with the issue of the 20th Amendment. Race is a civil rights issue as well. Also people who suffer with disabilities get discriminated against when buying homes, etc. 
2. The 13th Amendment abolished Slavery and Servitude unless you have committed a crime. 
3. The Black Codes prevented African American citizens equal opportunities that their white counterparts had. For example, states could hire out black people for help without paying them. 
4. The 14th Amendment allowed all people who are born in the US to be claimed as US citizens. 
5. The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote. 
6. To separate white and black people in public facilities. 
7. The poll tax, literacy test, and grandfather clause were all used to prevent blacks from voting. Blacks could not pay a poll tax every time they wanted to vote, and most of them were not educated, especially coming from slavery. The Grandfather Clause was used to scare black people into not voting. The Ku Klux Klan would stand outside of the polls and scare them from voting. 
8. Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that segregation was legal as long as public facilities were "separate but equal" 
9. Brown v. Board of Education ruled that segregation is unconstitutional, and overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. 
10. De jure segregation is separation forced by law, while de facto segregation is when an individual enforces separation.

H6: Free Response

(a) Define judicial review.

• Judicial Review- a review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act.

(b) Explain how judicial review empowers the Supreme Court within the system of checks and balances.

• A Judicial review can give power to the supreme court by allowing them to declare some legislature unconstitutional. They can basically control the lawmaking of congress and even the president. 

(c) Describe the process through which the Court grants a writ of certiorari.

• A writ of certiorari is when the court decides to review a case that they would usually not review. Usually it comes from parties who have lost in a lower court, and is unhappy with the decision. That Party then has to petition the Supreme court to ask if they can hear their case. The Justices will then have to have a majority agree to see the case. 

(d) Explain how each of the following influences decisions made by individual justices when deciding cases

• Heard by the Court - The court agrees or disagrees on a case, and then use the constitution to decide their ruling.
• Stare decisis - This is usually when a case has already been decided on by the Supreme court, they stand by their decision. This can make it difficult to change negative rulings, but it is also a possibility to reverse the previous decisions.  
• Judicial activism - This is when judges have rulings based on their personal political beliefs or general bias instead of constitutional law. Bias can get  in the way of making a fair decision in court, especially on cases that deal with religion or morals. 

H2: Free Response - Justices

(a) Identify three important characteristics of Supreme Court nominees that many presidents consider.

• Political leanings- What sides do the Justices believe in. Are they Democratic or Republican? If a President wants to appoint a justice, they will usually choose a Justice that is in the same party as they are. 
• Their Experience- The Judges should be experienced in law and cases in lower courts. 
• Their age- If a Justice is too old, they won't be able to stay in the Supreme Court for that long. Presidents choose a younger person so the ideas of their party are expressed throughout the years they will be in the court. 

(b) Explain how each characteristic has been politically relevant during the appointment process. USE real facts from the confirmation of Elena Kagan (or the justice you chose to research) to illustrate at least ONE of these characteristics.

• When a President wants some kind of reform to pass, he will choose a Justice that is a strong supporter of his reform, otherwise the bill he made won't pass. For example, the Republicans chose Thomas because of his strong republican leanings. Since their are more Republicans than Democrats on the court, things like Obamacare had a hard time getting through.
• Presidents cannot hire someone without experience. It would look bad to have someone running the supreme court without knowing what to do.
• Hiring someone who is younger would be an ideal move. It would show to young voters that the ideas of the Supreme Court Justices can change with time, and that the government won't be stuck in their old ideals. 

(c) Identify two methods that have been used by interest groups to influence the appointment process, either for or against a nominee for the Supreme Court.

• Donations can be used in favor of the nominee, or to influence who the Judiciary committee votes for. 
• Arlene Specter of Pennsylvania asked Kagan about a report written on the Supreme Court Justices. This was an example of influencing the Judiciary committee
• Influencing Senators on the Judiciary Committee. This was used during Clarence Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court when he allegedly sexually assaulted a women prior to his nomination.