On Monday November 2nd, 2015 Grand State Texas posted an article titled "The Land of Opportunity". Min Kim discusses the difficulties an international student encounters when coming to the United States to receive a higher education.
Min starts off the article by mentioning that proper education is not offered in many countries around the world; and due to this many international students pick the US as their destination for a college education. The author states that their was approximately 800,000 international students in the US and that number is increasing each year. As the article mentions, even though their is a large amount of foreign students, many of them are forced to return to their home countries due to the fact that they can no longer afford it. Min makes a good point by stating that college tuition for an international student is a lot more expensive when compared to how much an in-state resident pays. Another important factor that is mentioned is the fact that foreigners can not work unless they have a work permit. So these international students can not have jobs that could potentially help them pay for some expenses. The author points out that it is possible to acquire a work permit but it is a long and tedious process. So it makes it even more difficult to pay for college or at least other expenses such as rent, transportation and food.
This article is very well elaborated and provides many statements and facts that support the main idea. The structure is very well planned and all of the ideas transition very effectively. All of the facts and statements that are mentioned in the article come from credible sources. I completely agree with Min Kim, I believe the United States should make it easier for international students when seeking a higher education. I strongly believe that more work permits should be provided to these international students. The United States should not see these students as a burden but as an investment for the future of this country. This article caught my attention not because I am directly influenced by it, but because I have many friends that have to deal with this issue.
Mr. Arreguin mainly talks about the terrible traffic conditions in Austin due to the rapid growth and increase in population. He mentions that Austin is the fastest growing city in America and that it is the one of the most condensed cities. Mr. Arreguin then talks about how other cities in Texas are facing similar issues but the problems are not as great compared to Austin's problems because the other big cities such as Dallas and Houston have more territory to expand and allow the population to be distributed. On the other hand, Austin's population is mainly concentrated towards the downtown area, which is where the University of Texas is also located, which also adds a huge number of population in Austin.
ReplyDeleteThe blogger then goes on to talk about the great benefits of the railroad system in Austin and that investing in the Metro Rail System would reduce the traffic because more people would turn to it instead of driving on their own, especially for those who drive in and out of downtown daily, faced with horrendous traffic in I-35 and Mopac day and night.
Although Mr. Arreguin makes a good argument about Austin's increasing population and the traffic problems, I personally believe that investing in widening the highways could be a greater investment. Although the Metro Rail System is a convenient method of traveling, it's clear that the most preferred method of transportation in America is without a doubt automobiles. Cars provide the freedom to take whatever road we choose to drive on, while railroads only provide a set amount of destinations to choose from. Relying on the railroad is a great idea that could greatly help Austin's road with decreased traffic and it also comes with the bonus of reduced carbon monoxide pollution in the environment, but investing in the railroad system will not benefit the Austinites if the people choose the freedom of driving instead of the convenience of taking trains.