Hard boiled over tuition

Furlough day anyone … anyone?

No thanks.

I’m pretty sure I’ve paid for a desk and a lesson plan.

My tuition costs are climbing and I’m expected to be giddy about two class days a month where absolutely nothing is happening.

I better be getting a refund check somewhere in that illogical mess.

And while we’re on the topic of making cents, as in being nickel and dimed, I logged into the MySJSU Web site and did a once over of all the fees being assessed — what the hell is an IRA fee?

Changing the state of mind

In 1968, Walter Cronkite addressed the nation concerning his experience in Vietnam.

“It is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could,” Cronkite said.

That night Cronkite tapped the most powerful aspect of journalism, stimulation.

He engaged the public and, while certainly stating an opinion, he also cultivated much needed dialog. It is through dialog and conversation that minds are change and minds are opened. Conversations at the bar or at the water cooler about Cronkite and his opinions led to discussions and an eventual swing of public opinion.