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[videogamer]

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) — Two community colleges have ended their study-abroad program in Spain, citing the country's troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Trustees of the South Orange County Community College District, comprising Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, voted 5-2 last week to cancel the 14-year-old summer program.

"Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support," said trustee Tom Fuentes, a former head of the Republican Party in Orange County. "I see no reason to send students of our colleges to Spain at this moment in history."

I knew some people at the college, and they told me that the cafeteria actually bothered to chang the name of "French Fries" to "Freedom Fries".

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-03-06-troop-spain_x.htm?csp=34

 

[DarienA]

...this is dumb.

 

[lilraylewis]

Wow--that's kind of a double whammy on my notions of liberalism in academia and California.

Sucks for the kids that want to go to Spain, but I guess they can seek outside programs still.

 

[ge-man]

Why do they feel the need to punish the students for what Spain has every right to do?

Some of us in the USA need to be knocked down a few notches. We don't control the universe.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Way to go Community College, make a statement, because they are really going to give a shit...

 

[megateto]

Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support," said trustee Tom Fuentes, a former head of the Republican Party in Orange County. "I see no reason to send students of our colleges to Spain at this moment in history.

I wonder what would have happened if Isabel la Católica would have said the same some 500 years ago.

Another sad thing.

 

[Iceman]

Umm, how many of you had even heard of either of these two colleges?

I've only ever heard of Saddleback (and only just in passing) and I'm a southern Californian. But let's just say that these aren't exactly shoulder to shoulder with Cal Tech, Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, UCSD, etc...

Take heart, your bastions of liberal scholastics remain ever stalwart and ever vigilant.

 

[MrPing1000]

...this is dumb.

very

 

[videogamer]

Wow--that's kind of a double whammy on my notions of liberalism in academia and California.

Sucks for the kids that want to go to Spain, but I guess they can seek outside programs still.

Orange County has long been a conservative place. The Traditional Values Coalition is based there; Bob Dornan once represented a district in Orange County. However, schools should not be busy trying to hurt countries (and their students) because Spain rightfully withdrew. These schools are in a relatively high growth area with many international students. Don't bash community colleges. They provide education at a low cost and are important for people who are going back to school. Several people I know returned to school (community college) so that they could finish the pre-requisites for medical or pharmacy schools.

 

[Doth Togo]

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) — Two community colleges have ended their study-abroad program in Spain, citing the country's troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Trustees of the South Orange County Community College District, comprising Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, voted 5-2 last week to cancel the 14-year-old summer program.

"Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support," said trustee Tom Fuentes, a former head of the Republican Party in Orange County. "I see no reason to send students of our colleges to Spain at this moment in history."

...and this is the reason why they're a community college.

 

[Nerevar]

I didn't know kids at community college actually went abroad.

 

[FightyF]

Take heart, your bastions of liberal scholastics remain ever stalwart and ever vigilant.

It has nothing to do with liberalism vs. conservatism.

It has to do with behaving illogically and acting stupid.

 

[NLB2]

I didn't know kids at community college actually went abroad.

Seriously, kids at community college are either too dumb to go to a real college or too poor in the vast majority of cases. Why would a stupid kid study abroad and how could a poor kid afford to?

 

[Jeffahn]

I reckon they should ship the kids off to Iraq instead.

...

 

[videogamer]

Seriously, kids at community college are either too dumb to go to a real college or too poor in the vast majority of cases. Why would a stupid kid study abroad and how could a poor kid afford to?

Local colleges have art or history programs that send people to Europe. Apparently, there is enough demand that they continue to mention it in their schedules year after year.

 

[Alcibiades]

Why do they feel the need to punish the students for what Spain has every right to do?

Some of us in the USA need to be knocked down a few notches. We don't control the universe.

Why do students feel the need to complain about something the university has every right to do?

I'm sure there were consequences for America from some segments of Europe because of the war, and I think they have every right to react with protest or whatever they want, but I also think segments of the US that want to take action that would support an stronger ally of the US than another have every right to do so.

The US doesn't conrol the world, but college in the US have every right to control where their exchange programs take place in.

Is it dumb? That's like asking for an opinion on Wind Waker, no use in coming to consensus.

 

[videogamer]

Why do students feel the need to complain about something the university has every right to do?

The students do have a stake in the university. In the case of the South Orange County Community College District, there has long been friction between the adminstration and the faculty. I don't remember the details; it was in the newspaper a couple of years ago.

but I also think segments of the US that want to take action that would support an stronger ally of the US than another have every right to do so.

They aren't supporting a "stronger ally" as much as sending a negative signal to Spain and cutting down on options for their students.

The US doesn't conrol the world, but college in the US have every right to control where their exchange programs take place in.

Is it dumb? That's like asking for an opinion on Wind Waker, no use in coming to consensus.

Of course the college can choose where to send its students. However, this is also a good reason to change the administration. The board has been consistently at odds with the certain members of the community. As they continue to make these kinds of decisions, there is more and more reason to remove them.