Was this a joke?

Christopher Lobas

Dear Editor:

I read Wednesday’s editorial “We’re all broke…” with great dismay. In this article, the author tells a tale of fright and woe, as he (or she) has been thrown into a pit of dire poverty from which no student could escape. Somehow I wasn’t sure whether the reports the author made were meant

to garner pity or were some exaggeration. Ultimately, I wanted to ask, “Why was this written?” It has got to be the weakest thing I have ever seen written in a college newspaper. Was this a blunt admission of personal weakness? Or a joke? Well, it failed.

I wanted to offer some perspective. First of all, you aren’t broke. Not by a long shot. There are some people with severe personal deficiencies, and these should have compassion and help. But if you have fit mind and body, you would have to go a long way in this country to find your stomach completely empty, no clothes on your back and no roof over your head. People help each other, and there are services. But that’s not the primary point here.

I traveled to a third world country over the summer and saw that people at a very low level of sustenance and comfort live for the day, and for one day only. They are clever, stealthy, and sharp. They find a way to work through adversity, dash through obstacles and fight for their bread daily. You should have it so easy!

You are not at an orphanage or homeless shelter. You are at college in the richest nation in the world. Exercise your minds to their fullest potential; solve the problems before you with commitment and persistence, and courageously savor the discourse, debate, banter and arguments between your colleagues and your professors. Scope out what skills might be in demand by your graduation day … and avail yourselves of them. Looks like something green might be in order. Find the way your best talents can serve a purpose and fill your wallet simultaneously. That is America, my friend.

This is not a place for whining and groveling, yo.

– Christopher Lobas, auxiliary architecture professor