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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2015)
Q u e e n K a h e d j a ! S e e Spo r t s , pag e 8 S e e Lo ca l N ew s , pag e 3 J e f f e r son H figh S choo l jun fio r s e l e c t ed Ro s e F e s t fi va l Qu e en T ou rnam en t op en s F r fida y fo r top ba s k e tba l l p r o sp e c t s QR c o d e f o r P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r O n l fi n e ‘C fi ty o f Ro s e s ’ R o s e C fi t y S h ow c a s e V o lum e XL IV Numb e r 25 www . p o r t l a n d o b s e r v e r . c om W e d n e s d a y • J u n e 10 , 20 1 5 E s t a b l fi s h e d fi n 1 9 70 C omm fi t t e d t o C u l t u r a l D fi v e r s fi t y PHOTO BY O L IV IA O L IV IA / T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER Po r t land S ta t e Un fi ve r s fi t y s tuden t A l y s sa Pagan g fi ve s a vo fi ce t o a gene ra t fion o f s tuden t s who a re a c cumu la t fing hea v y deb t bu rden s t o go s choo l . She e xpe c t s mu ch o f he r fu tu re fin come and sa v fing s w fi l l go ba c k t o repa y fing he r loan s a f t e r g radua t fion , pu t t fing the “Ame r fi can D ream ” ou t o f he r rea ch . G fiv fing vo fi c e to th e p fi t f a l l s o f h figh tu fi t fion BY O L IV IA O L IV IA T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER A g roup o f Po r t l and s tud en t s a r e g fiv fing a vo fi c e to a g en e r a t fion o f s tud en t s who a r e a c cumu l a t fing h e avy d eb t bu rd en s to go to s choo l . S tud en t d eb t fin th e Un fi t ed S t a t e s r e c en t ly p a s s ed th e $1 .2 t r fi l l fion m a rk , $1 t r fi l l fion o f wh fi ch fi s t fi ed up fin f ed- e r a l s tud en t lo an s . Th fi s figu r e do e s no t t e l l th e fu l l s to ry , how ev e r , a s th e fu tu r e ob l fig a t fion s w fi l l d fiv e r t mon ey f rom r e t fi r em en t s av fing s , p ay fing b a ck lo an s f rom p a r en t s , o th e r sou r c e s , o r c r ed fi t c a rd d eb t . Th e Po r t l and S t r fik e D eb t c amp a fign s t a r t ed abou t two y e a r s ago and r e c en t ly h e ld an a s s emb ly and d emon s t r a - t fion a t Po r t l and S t a t e Un fiv e r s fi ty . Th e g roup h a s fo cu s ed on Su ck ed fi n to D eb t o th e r fo rm s o f d eb t fin th e p a s t , su ch a s m ed fi c a l d eb t , mo r t- g ag e s , and con sum e r d eb t , bu t th fi s p a r t fi cu l a r r a l ly b rough t tog e th e r co l l eg e s t a f f , f a cu l ty , and s tud en t s to un fi t e to d e - m and r e l fi e f f rom ex c e s s fiv e s tud en t lo an s . Advo c a t e s fo r th e fi s su e took to th e m fi c rophon e to sh a r e th e fi r s to r fi e s o f b e fing su ck ed fin to ex t r em e d eb t . R e ed Co l l eg e s tud en t D an fi e l Hong spok e ou t abou t how som e p eop l e exp e r fi en c e h av fing mo r e fin an c fi a l a fid o f f e r ed du r fing th e fi r s t y e a r o f s choo l and th en l e s s suppo r t fin fu - tu r e y e a r s . “ I t ’ s a b a fi t and sw fi t ch , ” s a fid Hong , who fi s s tudy fing po l fi t fi c a l s c fi en c e . “A t fi r s t th ey o f f e r you mo r e th an you ex - p e c t , and th en fin Jun e o f you r n ex t y e a r , r figh t b e fo r e you ’ r e g e t t fing r e ady to go b a ck to s choo l , th ey fin a l ly show you you r n ex t fin an c fi a l a fid p a ck ag e , and fi t o f t en sh r fink s . ” Hong h a s b e en vo lun t e e r fing w fi th S t r fik e D eb t Po r t l and th roughou t h fi s R e ed c a r e e r and th fink s th a t fi t ’ s fimpo r t an t to b r fing s tud en t s tog e th e r a c ro s s d fi f f e r en t exp e r fi en c e s . H e b e l fi ev e s th a t wh en th e n a t fion a l fo r -p rofi t Co r fin th fi- an Co l l e g e s ch a fin w en t b ank rup t e a r l fi e r th fi s y e a r am fid s t a c r fim fin a l finv e s t fig a t fion th a t fi t w a s m fi s r ep r e s en t fing job p l a c em en t s fo r g r adu a t e s and w a s o rd e r ed to fo r g fiv e som e lo an s , fi t a l low ed s tud en t s to co l l e c t fiv e ly con t e s t th e fi r co l - l eg e d eb t fo r s e em fing ly th e fi r s t t fim e fin Am e r fi c an h fi s to ry . I t w a s an fimpo r t an t s t ep to g e t t fi ng s tud en t s a t commu - n fi ty co l l eg e s , p r fiv a t e s choo l s , and pub l fi c un fiv e r s fi t fi e s to un fi t e on wh a t th e fi r r figh t s shou ld b e , h e s a fid . “R figh t now tu fi t fion r fi s e s ev e ry s fing l e y e a r , ” add ed Hong , “ and s tud en t s h av e l fi t e r a l ly no s ay fin th e m a t t e r , w e ju s t h av e to a c c ep t fi t o r l e av e . I am s fi ck and t fi r ed o f w a t ch fing s tud en t s h av e to l e av e th fi s b e au t fi fu l edu c a t fion a l commun fi ty I ’m a p a r t o f fo r no th fing mo r e th an fin an c fi a l C ONTINUED ON P AGE 5