OPINION 4. FREE-FOR-ALL » WE HEAR FROM YOU Text your #FFA submissions to 785-289-UDK1 (8351) Yeah bro, I be doing yoga all the time I find the "L" gesture way more offensive than the finger. Say no to man buns and ombes. It's old news. I finally understand why everyone in this town blares music with the windows down: running the AC is just too damn expensive WE WERE ON A BREAK! "I can't eat another doughnut!" As I grab another doughnut It's ten in the morning and this girl is blasting Lil Jon's Shots. I'm too sober for this You know you're a hypochondriac when you look up all the symptoms of hypochondria on Web MD and have THEM ALL! #true #realtalk One of my goals is to not look like uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel Air #freshprince #lifegoals #reachforthestars 4A Robinson has a cockroach problem? This whole damn campus has a cockroach problem! This weather got me feeling like Britney circa 2007. What species of fish has no stomach and has to continuously eat to survive? Goldfish! #Tanked I wish Wescoe Beach was a real beach Nooo, just five more weeks of break pleeeease My head is a dark place rn... thanks summer Sometimes I have jelly bellys in my belly button I haven't washed this bra for a month #sorryboutit Having no wifi in my apartment = death Soooo professor reading requirements a joke, right? SHE'S SO CUTE she reads books and runs marathons and is a vegetarian omg Read more at kansan.com @KANSANNEWS /THEKANSAN @UNIVERSITY DAILYKANSAN Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015 Weighing candidates' plans to help debt KANSAN.COM Victoria Calderon @WriterVictoriaC The 2016 presidential is approaching quickly, with less than a year before the primary elections. Everyone has their eyes and ears on candidates who will be moving through the party caucuses and primaries of each state, paying close attention to the candidates' vastly different platforms. ine Democratic Party's approach to college affordability requires more action and government resources than that of the Republican contenders. The two major Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, both have said that they have comprehensive plans to start eradicating college debt and lowering tuition. One major issue that all college students should be concerned about is the affordability of college education. Clinton's plan to decrease college costs requires about $350 billion worth of government resources, both state and federal, over the course of 10 years, according to The New York Times. A huge chunk of the money — about $175 billion - would be allocated to making tuition at public colleges and universities free for the students attending them. The rest of it would go toward easing debt by lowering interest rates on private student loans and allowing g, aduates to refinance them. However, Clinton's plan is meant to ensure that families of students will still be making contributions, albeit more reasonable contributions. Sanders's plan, which he proposed to Congress in May, requires significantly less money from students and their families — in fact, his plan is to eliminate tuition from draining the pockets of students completely. His plan would be primarily funded by taxes paid to the federal government, with about 33 percent coming from state governments, according to USA Today College. The states must meet certain requirements in order to receive federal grants for their higher education spending; they must ensure that the institutions under their jurisdiction are " [maintaining] or [increasing] expenditures on students each year, maintaining or increasing operation expenditures each year and guaranteeing that after five years on this program, at least 75 percent of instruction is taught by tenured or tenure-track professors," as reported by USA Today College. Conservative candidates have also proposed solutions, but unlike the plans of their opponents, they lean toward restructuring the traditional four-year degree. In response to Clinton's plan, Marco Rubio has proposed to allow a student to get a degree based off the amount of knowledge they gather during their education rather than how many hours they spend in the classroom. Rubio "argued that more competition and greater flexibility is needed for working-class people to get the kinds of degrees they need," according to an article in The New York Times. The Republican candidate Jeb Bush has criticized Clinton's plan for lowering college costs, calling it "fiscally irresponsible." According to his campaign website, Bush has said he believes that there should be policy changes that would give institutions incentives to create more choice and "individualization" for students pursuing a degree. Although his plan to achieve this is pretty vague, he states that those policies would "drive down overall costs, and improve the value of a college degree." The downsides of these plans would be things such as an increase in taxes for everyone. However, as college becomes less affordable for a greater number of people, continuing to increase tuition and loan interest rates and hoping that affordability will improve in the future just doesn't cut it. While both Sanders's and Clinton's plans will undoubtedly have repercussions, the candidates appear to be the best of the presidential hopefuls in terms of coming up with a quicker solution to an increasingly difficult problem. And between the two plans, the best one would depend on how much Americans are willing to have the government involved with funding higher education in order to make it a universal right instead of a privilege for those who can afford it. Victoria Calderon is a junior from Liberal studying English and political science. New year is a chance for a fresh start Jessica Gomez @jessicataylurr Most people see New Year's Day as their new beginning because we're supposed to follow through with the resolution we picked for the year to better ourselves. Sometimes it's about being healthier, or kinder — anything positive. But for me, the fall is just like In addition to being the best season for weather, food and fashion, fall is the start of the academic year, and it sets that standard of how you're going to work and succeed. Whether you're a freshman, senior or transfer, it's a new beginning. There are more people to meet than the year my New Year's Day because it's the time to motivate myself and get involved. before, a new schedule and a new group or club to join. Maybe last semester — or even the whole year — you didn't do well in classes or lost the friends you once had. This fall is a time to focus on yourself and do better. Hear about tutoring services for a class you had to retake? Use them. Find a group of people who like the same music as you and just happen to be your same major? Take advantage of that new experience. There are so many things to look forward to this semester: Hawk Week and making new friends in class, "waving the wheat" at football games, Late Night in the Phog, throwing newspaper shreds in Allen Fieldhouse, FFAs in The Kansas, seeing what the FreeFoodATKU Twitter account has to offer or even what's happening on Wescoe Beach. This is my senior year, and it's important to make this the best one yet. Hopefully, others will see it the same way and use fall as a fresh start.As the saying goes, "Out with the old and in with the new." Jessica Gomez is a senior studying journalism and global studies. Taking chances leads to personal growth Vanessa Asmussen @vanessaaasmussen Whether you're beginning your college adventure as an incoming freshman, transfer student or this is your last "first day" of college, start the semester with an important thing in mind: Take chances while you are here. The school supplies are ready, the car is loaded and the end of summer is here. The University of Kansas is the next and final stop. Consider 'joining a club, Greek organization, or get involved with an intramural sports team or internship during your college career. You can take a class unrelated to your major — like astronomy, religion, ballet or even bowling — simply because it interests you. Explore new things and take chances, and if you change your major because your interest have changed, you will always be in good company. is one of the best times for students to try things that are totally new to them. No matter what you may be interested in, college is the place to find out what you like and broaden your horizons. Taking chances during your time in college is not only beneficial to your academic career, but it also helps you grow as a person. College is about learning, but it's also about discovering who you are and opening your mind. Each chance that you take helps to build confidence that Along with the freedom and excitement of being on your own comes numerous opportunities offered at college. This On my first day at the University, I was nervous and overwhelmed just like everyone else because of the new environment, people and expectations. But I soon realized the value of taking chances and making the most of my college experience. Coming to college is taking a chance in itself, but usually it is one of the best ones you will take. is critical for the future. No matter where you end up after college, employers look for that person who isn't afraid to take chances and have the confidence to continue to grow. By taking advantage of new opportunities now, you'll learn how much you're capable of and find out what you're passionate about. Vanessa Asmussen is a junior studying journalism and sociology. First week of school... +11 Second week of school... Third week of school... 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