A GRAIN OF SALT

(Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/ Illustration by Serina Mercado)
(Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/ Illustration by Serina Mercado)
(Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/ Illustration by Serina Mercado)
(Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/Illustration by Serina Mercado)

Column

By Patrick Tamayo/Opinion Editor

Now that the tryptophan has worn off and the fist fights over vegetable steamers have come and gone, the realization that all our problems we’d temporarily forgotten about are still here.

As the semester comes to an end, the school’s future is still unknown. At what point do people stop caring? The horse has been dead for quite some time. Everyone is sick and tired of hearing about the accrediting commission. What difference does it make? Our leaders are still wanting to cut classes, still not wanting to pay our instructors and now they’re talking about selling buildings too.

The countless people who continue to fight for the school deserve all the credit. I for one would have thrown in the towel long ago. It seems pointless to cut classes because of low enrollment.

Maybe enrollment is low because people are fed up with the school’s leadership, tired of the continuous wrong decisions made by every interim, new or temporary fill-in that is brought in like a golden God to save the school.

There seems to be never-ending funds to pay for these saviors and their job perks, but there is never money for the instructors or to throw some fresh paint in classrooms. Yet people are shocked that enrollment is low.

The school will likely survive but the problem of not having someone that can lead us into the future is not going to go away.

A lot of us are lucky that we’re here for a limited time, but for instructors this is their life. This is what they do. Sure, they can take their bags and lessons plans to some other school but why should they have to? Why can’t the largest community college in California compensate their instructors and staff fairly?

It’s a tiring subject and the majority of us are over it. No one can be blamed for not being able to process anymore of this tired story. But while we may be inconvenienced with fewer class options and fuller classes, instructors may eventually be inconvenienced with having to find new jobs where they can be compensated fairly.

***

Just as our president announced that gun control would be a main priority in his last year in office, another shooting has occurred. This time at an another reproductive healthcare office and resulted in the death of a police officer.

It’s peculiar that after shooting at civilians and police officers, they still managed to capture the shooter and bring him in nice and neat.

One can argue that everyone should be armed or that no one should be armed and this can happen until we’re all blue, or the color of your choosing, in the face.

There is no logical answer. Nothing any other country has done will stop people in the United States from losing their lives.

We can blame mental illness, poverty, religion, politics or any other reason you can come up with, but no one can come up with a solution.

We need to see the reality of the country and world we live in. We’ve long-surpassed the point of no return. There are too many issues to deal with. People have too many problems of their own to concern themselves with issues that don’t personally affect them.

There are so many things to be worried about in the world, but as long as people are concerned about paying the rent, feeding themselves and figuring out how they’re going to keep the lights on no one is going to care about all the issues that are occurring around us.

***

This is the last issue and column of the semester. The future is uncertain. Nothing is promised to any of us. There are issues and concerns that are well beyond any of our controls, but we have to attempt to find time to stay informed. Check your sources. Question things that don’t seem right. Don’t believe things just because they’re on the Internet, or in a newspaper or on television. But most importantly, until you check your sources and inform yourself about all sides of an issue, take everything with a grain of salt.


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Patrick Tamayo | ptamayo@theguardsman.com

Calindra Revier | crevier@theguardsman.com