Point of View
How are Berkeley students
faring in hard times?
Undergrads sound off
on the economic crisis and how it's affecting their
lives
BERKELEY — It
would be wrong to suggest that every Berkeley undergrad
is feeling the pinch of the current economic crisis.
Many are not yet job holders, job seekers, small-business
operators, or home owners; some are insulated from
money worries, for now, by parental largess
or their student financial aid. But others — their
families facing business losses, job layoffs, or
home-mortgage troubles — find
themselves looking
for cheaper housing, worrying about their debt load,
or (especially if they're about to graduate) stressing
about their job prospects.
Asked recently, in an unscientific survey
around Sproul Plaza, whether the
economic crisis is a topic of conversation among
students, several undergrads said the college years,
traditionally, are a time to enjoy life, so you won't
hear much about it in the dorms. "I
don't want to talk about it, so I haven't…" said
one financial-aid student whose mother
is losing her job. Here, in their own words,
11 Berkeley undergrads discuss how
they're faring in rocky economic times.
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On the housing crisis: 'The economy is personally affecting me and my family currently. We've been having trouble with the banks, with our home mortgage. … Hopefully it will all get better in the end, and we won't have to lose our house or anything.' — Emily
Rosales, sophomore, intended major:
political economy. Hometown: Los Angeles
Hear
more from Emily:
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On out-of-state tuition: 'With the tuition and fee changes … that's what really hits me as an out-of-state student. … But I'm … not graduating anytime soon, so I don't have to worry about paying my loans back quite this moment.' — Louis Rogers,
sophomore, English Hear
more from Louis:
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On mom's layoff: 'My mom … is going to be losing her job in June. So I have to think about next year. … I have to pay off all my student loans when I get out of college.' — Jenny Trautman, sophomore, architecture Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA Hear
more from Jenny:
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On being a student parent: 'To cope with these economic cutbacks, I have to go all the way to Marin County to work in a childcare center. I go there to do puppets, story time, teach the kids. That's extra cash. And at the same time my baby is learning from me.' — Consuelo
Bustinza,
senior, international & area studies. Hometown:
Antambamba, Peru
Hear
more from Consuelo:
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On a big cut in work hours: 'I was working as a security manager for one company and a security investigator for another. I got laid off the investigative job, and for my managerial post I got cut almost to half, the hours that I was working. … In one aspect it gives me more time to spread flyers and be active.' — Hakeem
Naim, junior, Middle Eastern Studies
Home country: Afghanistan
Hear
more from Hakeem:
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On the job market: 'My major, film studies, doesn't have too many practical purposes. So I'm kind of relying on having a degree from Berkeley to get a job. And I really don't know how well that's going to go over with employers.' — Nicole Thomas,
senior, film studies Hear
more from Nicole:
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On rethinking career goals: 'I might want to be a lawyer now instead of a businessman, because of the economic downturn. … Business just doesn't look good right now. I'm thinking of being a corporate lawyer, so maybe I could actually help the businesses in some way.' — Julian
Daniels, freshman, mathematics
Hometown: Diamond Bar, CA Hear
more from Julian:
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On paying the rent: 'I'm going to have to find a place to live that's a lot cheaper next semester, even though where I am is incredibly convenient.… I'm splitting the cost of my education with my parents. I had enough savings where I was doing OK. But I'm going to have to take out a loan for my last year.' — Dan
O'Connor, junior, chemical biology
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Hear
more from Dan:
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On the illusion of security: 'My dad has a hamburger shop, and it's not doing so well right now. … I've come to realize that I can't really put my hope in finances or really anything that seems secure. … There's nothing we can really count on and depend on, at least in this world.' — Han
Bit Lee, senior, molecular & cell
biology
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Hear
more from Han:
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On student jobs: 'The economy hasn't affected me too much me personally, because of the scholarships provided by the ROTC. But some of my friends need the extra money. Stuff's getting more expensive, and there's less jobs available. So they have to look even harder.' — Warren
Grunwald, freshman, mechanical engineering.
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Hear
more from Warren:
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