I grew up comfortable, but not everyone did. 

I know I likely will be able to go to college, but not everyone will.

But everybody should.    

Whether or not community college should be free is a controversial topic. However, it really shouldn’t be. Although some argue that free community college would hurt the economy, it’s actually the opposite. It would help it.

In 1947, the GI bill stated that anyone who served in the military would get to go to college for free. These people, unaffected by the stress of student debt, did good in the world. They donated to charities and volunteered when they could. Now, these people have done great things for society, such as being scientists, doctors, dentists or other jobs essential to society. Ultimately, giving people free college formed the backbone of the economy.

Statistics show that those who didn’t attend college have lower employment rates than those who did. These people are rigged against financial stability from the start. They are unable to afford college, so their chances to live even a comfortable life is less than average.

A common argument is that if a person wants to go to college then they should get a scholarship, but that argument forgets two important pieces of information: scholarships are limited and the wealthy, just as intelligent as the poor, don’t deserve school any more. If a person born into money with supportive parents is as smart, or even less so, they get a free ride from their parents, So, why are the poor told they should just get a scholarship, when that is such an unachievable objective for many average students who would flourish as a rich kid?

In the United States, student debt is nearly $1.75 trillion, while 45 million people begin their working lives in debt. Saddled by what could be a lifetime of stress, people are less likely to contribute to the community in a charitable way, and have less money to spend in the economy. 

Imagine if community college were free. Just the students who attended community college would not be in debt and they would be financially free to contribute to the economy in many ways, whether that’s through donating to charities, starting a business or simply spending more. 

The expenses of higher education is a flaw in the United States, and offering free community college would be one way to help offset this problem. 

My father couldn’t afford to go to college, but he got lucky and was able to land a job that led to him giving my family a comfortable life. 

But not everyone got so lucky.

And it shouldn’t come down to luck.

Joe Dennis enjoys journalism, sarcasm and insulting his students … but it’s all part of his teaching style.

“All of these things are jokes or examples,” he said, noting that he likes to teach using humor.  … and Kesha. 

Joe self-describes himself as Kesha’s biggest fan and will allegedly kick students out of his class if they don’t like her. “If you don’t like Kesha, get out,” he told his class of high school journalism students.

He also looks out for his students, trying to save them money when possible.

“Always look at the AP style book,” he said. “Or just Google it because that’s free.”

Joe teaches mass communication at Piedmont University, but he lives in Athens, Georgia. He used to be verified on Twitter for his White Sox news, but then “Elon Musk came along and ruined everything,” he said. 

Joe’s fedoras are an important part of his identity. He always wears one, and whether or not it’s because he has thin hair is unknown. He said he first donned a fedora after encountering a hat vendor in New York.

“She told me I looked good in a fedora and I thought “You know what? She’s right,”Joe said.

I’m Gracin Harlow Stein, named after famous actresses Grace Kelly and Jean Harlow. I was born April 12th, 2010 and am entering eighth grade at The Premo School. I live in Marietta, Georgia, which is right outside of Atlanta. However, I was born in California, then I moved to Georgia, then Maryland, then California, then I moved back to Georgia. I have two brothers: Campbell, who goes by Cam, and Ryland. Cam is 8 years old and lives at home. Ryland is 15 years old and attends a boarding school in Utah.

I’m attending this journalism camp for two main reasons: I want to be a journalist and I like to write. My dream is to be a global travel journalist. Although I’ve never had any experience in journalism, I enjoy creative writing, specifically stories about crime. My favorite types of journalism are news and opinion pieces. I love writing opinion pieces because I can express my opinions without people telling me I’m too opinionated, which is something a teacher has said to me.

I wouldn’t say I’m any more interesting than the next person, but I still have unique aspects of my personality and life. I never read the news, but I read romance and fantasy books. Currently, I’m reading the fourth book in the ‘Lockwood & Co.’ series by Jonathon Stroud. I enjoy analyzing books and shows, looking at questions of why a character did something or why they didn’t.