When eBook readers first came out, I was quick to judge them as a useless waste of money. Maybe it’s my inner Jean-Luc Picard, but something about a bound, physical book has always appealed to me. This is, until recently. One of the rituals I have committed myself to this year is to spend some time reading before I go to bed each night. Easy enough, you say, but not for a college student who goes to bed past midnight every night and wakes up at 7:30 or 8 AM. Needless to say, brain exhaustion is a strong force on a college campuses and I nod off reading on most nights.
What this has allowed me to do, however, is to assess a few of the perceived shortcomings of the paper-bound book. They’re awkward to hold and difficult to properly illuminate with the overhead fluorescent dorm lights. This is not to say that books are terrible, but reading for pleasure in college is not necessarily comfortable. On top of this, add the price of books, and one need not even wonder why students spend all their time playing video games and watching TV.
The eBook readers may be able to change this. Now, I have never used an eBook reader so have nothing to say about the actual usability or operating system of any currently on the market, but what intrigues me is their size and shape. Unlike books, when you read a Kindle, it is flat. You do not need to worry about different parts of the device casting shadows. While you don’t get the smell of the paper of the book (marketable add-on maybe?), the prospect of powering through a book with limited interruptions seems like it would be worth a try.
Maybe this is just college corrupting me though. Reading hundreds of pages of books in a week has led me to analyze how i can make the experience more enjoyable. I have already purchased a book stand so I don’t have to hunch over all the time. Could an eBook reader be the next step?
Matthew Yglesias points to a post from the blog of the Office of Management and Budget concerning the future of recent graduates during a recession. Not only do they get screwed when there aren’t enough jobs for them (20-24 year olds have an almost 15% unemployment rate), but there are long term effects because they start off with lower salaries.
Michael Pollan’s talk at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo caused quite a stir when the chairman of Harris Ranch (a large ranching company in California) threatened to withdraw a large sum of money if Pollan was allowed to speak without opposition. The university caved and Pollan’s lecture was turned into a panel. No word on how the panel went yet.
A hearty debate is always good and should be encouraged particularly on university campuses, but the circumstances from which this arose are not the most ethical. The university mentioned that it had already been considering a panel discussion, but the promise of lost donations should not have set it over the edge. Pollan wondered whether the he would’ve been asked to join a panel if a large agri-business was invited to speak on campus. A Cal Poly dean replied, “The answer, essentially, is yes.”
Last week, I posted about a plan being discussed by the University of California to charge engineering and business majors more than their arts and sciences counterparts. Unsurprisingly, this idea met with much opposition so the idea was shelved
Living in the dorms, I very rarely have an opportunity to cook real food. The only things we can “cook” in the residence hall are popcorn, ramen, and hot pockets. This has led me to a habit of saving recipes that I want to try until the next time I am at home. The most recent recipe I’ve found is one for healthier ramen noodles. I believe the idea of it is the perfect mix of college brand junk food with classy home-cooked meals. I can’t wait to try it over thanksgiving break.
It’s interesting that the Los Angeles Times published an article about the UC system debating whether to charge differently depending on majors today. Just this morning, I was discussing with my roommate about how many perks that business students get at my school including discounted newspaper subscriptions, free magazine subscriptions, and the only sanctioned greek organizations on campus. With all of these random subsidies as well as an (almost) guaranteed salary after graduation, wouldn’t it make sense for more prestigious programs on campus to charge a premium?
Personally, I am torn about the prospects of a two-tiered tuition for undergraduate students. I would enjoy some sort of equivalent benefits during my schooling, but realize that colleges tuitions are already too high for many people to afford.
New York Times has a story about MIT’s student blogs:
Posting untouched student writing — and comments reacting to that writing — does carry some risks. Boring, sloppily written posts do nothing to burnish an institutional image, college admissions officials say, and there is always the possibility of an inflammatory or wildly negative posting.
Gavin Newsom toots his own horn on budget issues by way of the UC walkout today.
From a New York Supreme Court Justice in the New York Times:
After a career in public service, I regretfully say, I would not do it again.
Philosophy and point of view led me to doing good instead of doing well, so I never expected to become rich. But now that I’m in my 10th year of a frozen judicial salary — less than summer students are being paid at law firms — I have concluded that whatever I may have accomplished for the public, I have wasted 25 years of my life by serving on the bench.