You read articles about the cost of higher education every day. You talk about it with your friends and write it down on applications for student loans. Where then, do you stand on the value of a college degree?
Despite the importance we place on higher education, it seems that the desperate all-in, grab-for-votes style of political rhetoric in the 2012 election has entered the campaign discourse of Republican hopeful Rick Santorum.
The former Pennsylvania senator recently made a statement that might have the potential to alienate undecided Republican voters and college students alike.
"President Obama has said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob. There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day, and put their skills to test, who aren't taught by some liberal college professor (who) tries to indoctrinate them. I understand why he wants you to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image. I want to create jobs so people can remake their children into their image, not his."
Umm, what?
Even if you would debate in opposition of a system reform, or would argue that state funds might be more appropriately allocated to back a border militia, your enrollment in classes and status as a student at ASU show that you value education. And you should — you’re spending thousands of dollars to be a Sun Devil, but for what? Most would answer: In today’s globally competitive job market, a college degree is only the baseline of a long list of requirements, experience, awards and achievements that would make me a viable candidate for (insert desired job at good company with competitive salary and benefits package).
You’d be right. College is only a stepping-stone in your ultimate career path. You’ve been told time and time again that college graduates statistically earn more than those who don’t go to school, which is not snobby. It’s true.
Through globalization, progression of industry, advancements in technology and the ebbs and flows of the economy we have indeed created a global market, a worldwide party where a college degree is only the invitation.
For the record, Santorum graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and received a law degree from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State. With this on his resume, he would not be working alongside the blue-collar, regular Joe, Main Street American in Cleveland or Detroit that he is asking to vote for him via that statement--he would own the factory.
This isn’t a liberal vs. conservative argument. It isn’t even about policy. It is a straight up fact: A nation where more people have access to higher education is not a nation of snobs but one that will remain globally competitive in tomorrow’s market.
Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
