Dear Editor,

(in response to Lisa Martin’s March 20 column “College education changes income and lives) So, how does a liberal arts institution in the one of the poorest cities in the country entice students from local high schools? Naturally, we reach out to these students with the message of “thinking critically and acting justly” and pair it with the soul-satisfying benefits of a liberal arts knowledge base.

Or, we dangle the carrot of “bling” — a term popularized by the excessive and superficial lifestyles of hip-hop superstars. This campaign, developed by the School of Mass Communication at Loyola can only reinforce selfish, greedy ideals (“rent(ing) an inexpensive apartment instead” of what?), social stigmas (such as using public transportation instead of a blingy car?) and class distinctions. Is this the responsible educational model we provide for local high school students in our hyper-material culture?  I just hope that none of these students are interested in becoming college teachers — fo shiz, no bling here.

Sincerely,
Robert Ficociello
instructor, English department
[email protected]