Tyler Quillin’s Blog

University of Arizona’s President Robert Shelton proposed an indefinite tuition surcharge of $1,100. This proposal is in addition to the already set tuition increase of $545. That makes it a round total of $1645 of proposed tuition increases. I am unbelievably astonished and shocked to see the dismantling of not only the University of Arizona, but the State of Arizona, and furthermore, the country at large. Education is the solution, not the problem.

How the Arizona State Legislature refuses to fund education is beyond me. Producing well-educated professionals that will go out into the world create businesses, jobs, and revenue for the state is what will ensure our rise from this economic crisis, as well as the prosperous future of the state. Not only does raising tuition and fees make the state institutions unaffordable for in-state students, it deters out-of-state students from coming to the state as well. Furthermore, those out-of-state students would bring capital with them to invest and stimulate the Arizona economy.

The average for a state to allocate to financial aid to their state universities is about 60-70 million. Before this budget crisis Arizona only gave 13 million. Where is Arizona’s dedication to forward progress? 13 million is JOKE! That means the financial aid rests on the backs of students. Students which, everyone knows, have no money to begin with.

We will mobilize and attempt to fight this the best we can as we have in the past. Let’s show these regents just how much we care.

Recently, I put on an event series on the University of Arizona campus to benefit Darfur. After planning  and having the conceptual design of the event take various shapes, it finally took a more conservative form in the end. The event series took place last week and ended this past Sunday evening in the Grand Ballroom of the Student Union Memorial Center. The event series was an epic and utter failure. No event garnered more than 20 attendees. After pumping over $750 into marketing for the event, contacting every media source in the city, county, and state. Needless to say, I am disheartened and feel quite beaten by this apathy my fellow classmates and general public feel about this and many other issues those around the world are facing. Upon reflection, I come to ask the question: What is it, what does it take, rather, to have a man show compassion for his brother, for his fellow man?

My conclusion was gain, personal gain to be more precise. This world, this country in particular has an overwhelming level of selfish constituents that care about nothing but their own personal gain. Where has all the altruism gone? Where has decency gone?

I won’t turn this into a formal critique of society, but my point is something needs to be done. Who is the one to do it? That phrase it starts with one person is true, but only to an extent. What happens when that person becomes so beaten and hardened by a life of battling that they give up. What is one to do?

However, I digress and conclude by saying that I will not give up, I will NOT give in. I will stand my position and refuse to wary. Helping others is the right thing to do. Helping those that can’t help themselves is the right thing to do. Showing respect to everyone and everything is the right thing to do. Holding your head up high at the end of the day and being proud of yourself and your actions is important. That being said I will remain steadfast in my seemingly never ending battle for justice.

-TQ

The more I sit in classes reading classic texts and engaging in academic discourse I seem to teeter back and forth between two ideas, that being the fact that I am but one of thousands, upon millions, upon possibly billions, to have read and thought critically on these issues, and the other idea is more of a sentiment, I can’t imagine ever contributing anything to this world anywhere near the magnitude of Plato, Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, Nietzsche, etc. I guess that is one of the things that keeps me up at night. I, myself, have nearly every opportunity to make the biggest impact on my community and world as I am able to. There lies my qualm… Do I have the ability to enact and implement the change and impact I wish to see?

Though, these thoughts seem negative and somewhat dreary, they are in fact that thoughts that I feel necessary and integral to forward progess and to the motivation to push further and harder. These are the critical thoughts that one must need to ponder in order to fulfill and see their full potential come to fuition.

These are the things I think on. So, that being said, make your own future!

-TQ

Hello Everyone!

This is my first delve into blogging. I shall be narrating my life through this avenue, along with Facebook, and Twitter. As for now I guess a little information about me would suffice as an adequate introduction. I am a sophomore at the University of Arizona and currently double majoring in Philosophy and English. In addition, I am a proud member of the Honors College. I hold the position of Special Events Chair for the University Activities Board within the student government on campus called the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. I program events for the entire student-body themed in political activism and social justice. I just recently ran for ASUA Senator and won, so I am now a student-body Senator-Elect. There are about 38,000 students here at the U of A so needless to say, it was an intense process and was one of the many highlights of my life.  On top of all that, I am the musician for the improv comedy troupe called the Charles Darwin Experience. Not to mention that I am going to be a Resident Assistant next academic school-year. I am a very busy and dedicated individual and I carry that into every facet of my life. I look forward to sharing the fun, funny, and fantabulous trials and tribulations I shall call my life. Until next time, much love and peace.

-TQ