The morning after this past election night, Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer Thomas Friedman penned a column in which Michael Sandel, Harvard University political philosopher, noted that a new politics "must also be about a new patriotism -- about what it means to be a citizen." Students should blog in their own words their beliefs of what this means. In other words, what does it mean to be a citizen, looking ahead? What should this new patriotism look like? What should we be able to expect from all citizens?

In my opinion, being a citizen in the future is not complicated. It will not change from what it really takes right now- loyalty to the country and its ideals. The ideals that were so eloquently written in the Constitution should be espoused by every person in the United States- we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These ideals should define us. We should strive to work together for the benefit of not only our country, but the global community. Some argue that President-elect Obama's socialistic tendencies will be the downfall of our capitalistic market; however, I believe that it is entirely unpatriotic to leave people in the gutter. As I have experienced first hand, the destitute people are in need of help, and if those who are more fortunate are not willing to give it, they will never rise up. It should be expected that, on a smaller scale, we emulate the actions of philanthropists such as the Gates family or Warren Buffett. Therefore, we should follow the wise words (in paraphrased form) spoken by Senator McCain in his concession speech- we should now work together with our new President to bring America back to its former glory. Bipartisanship is the key to our recovery.

Economic Blog

What ironies present themselves in reading these two articles from the Wall St Journal, and what might that say about our country, its values, and what lies ahead?

The major irony that I derived from the two articles was that while some people, like Steve Wynn, are still pumping money into these fabulous resorts while American families are trying to scrape together enough money for an education. To me, this does not really reflect poorly on America though. I think that, especially since we are a capitalistic market, it is certainly within Steve Wynn's right to continue to fund his hotels. If he loses money, it is his problem. I also think that in some sense, it reflects poorly on the college admissions process. Many people are unable to access most information about their colleges; Web sites are a myriad of information, and deciphering it is somewhat difficult. At Brophy, we are fortunate to have more intimate conversations with admissions counselors, and hear about how they plan to support us attending their school. However, someone less fortunate might not have access to this. I think that schools need to make their fiscal aid more widely recognized; schools such as the Ivy League schools have increased their funding dramatically, and many schools also practice need blind admission (financial need is not a factor in admission). As for what lies ahead, I would say that I hope that Mr. Wynn does not lose out with his hotel, and that those who are considering other options realize that financial aid is becoming more readily available.