Editorial: Textbook costs are holding Del Mar back

Textbooks Editorial Board Del Mar College and other community colleges have a well-earned reputation for offering affordable higher education and training. To many, they are a saving grace and a life-changing opportunity. They make credible education accessible during a time when four-year universities have become an ever-distant dream for economically disadvantaged communities, and those who do make it are faced with the threat of lifelong debt. Yet despite this promise of accessibility and affordability, community colleges have yet to reach the full potential of that promise. While it can be difficult to make changes to tuition costs due to having…

We’ve got some advice for the advisers

Beginning or returning to college can be a nerve-wracking experience. The idea is that college advisers are available to assist throughout the whole process and provide advice on which courses a student should and should not take. This idea can be misleading, especially when you get further into your degree plan and find yourself having to take different classes because the classes previously taken don’t fit into your major. When it comes to registering for courses, incorrect information is a significant challenge that discourages students about college. At the start of our academic careers, the advising meetings we attend may…

Student loan forgiveness is the wrong call

President Biden recently unveiled his administration’s plan for millions of dollars in student loan cancellation, forgiving $10,000 per borrower and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.  Forgiveness will be applicable to single people earning less than $125,000 per year and married people earning less than a combined 250,000. While some praised the move as many Americans face mounting debt and inflation, this is a case of the wrong solution at the wrong time.  Although student loan forgiveness gives a sense of relief to many borrowers, the truth of its uncertainty comes to the minds of many others. Many Americans have suggested…

Stop the mask mandate madness

Let’s start by saying our Editorial Board is a collective of many views and ideals. We are a blend of many viewpoints from different walks of life. We are conservatives and liberals and independents. We are straight out of high school or 25 years removed. We are parents of teens and we are also looking at life with fresh young eyes. We are different and unique like so many of you. As different as we are, we are still Americans who are all witnessing the potential decline of our once great nation, all because of a mask.  Since this COVID-19…

There is more work to be done

“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”  – Gwendolyn Brooks   As we celebrate Black History Month, let us remember why the celebration is important. It’s more than honoring the many accomplishments and sacrifices made by African-American men and women, it is also about the goals and dreams that were the motivation for the fight for equality, not only for African-Americans but for all people of color.   Those dreams laid the foundation for many movements toward the advancement of equal rights and fair treatment for all and from all … at…