“My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.” — Errol Flynn

The Federal Education Act of 1965 paved the way for the system of college financial assistance that we have in place today. First implemented in 1972, the grants you now know as Pell were designed to help those with the most financial need afford to go to college.

The premise then and now is that educated people tend to make more money which allows them to pay more taxes and spend more within their communities. This give-and-take cycle allows those with needs today to “pay it forward” for those coming up behind them.

Millions of individuals, this writer included, have benefited from federal financial aid over the years and received college degrees because of it. However, millions have also received aid, especially loans, and have not kept their part of the agreement, which is to complete a degree.

October and November have been busy months in the Office of Academic Advising. Fall classes are quickly coming to an end, and for those who have not yet enrolled for spring semester, it is important to get enrolled as soon as possible.

Enrolling early allows you to ask important questions and get informed responses. Students often want to know: What classes do I have left to take? Can I take an intersession course? What is online coursework like and is there online help if I have trouble? Can I enroll online? Do I need to test for course placement? When do I apply for graduation? These are all questions the Office of Academic Advising can help you get the answers to.

This has been a busy enrollment period for the Office of Academic Advising. During the last three weeks of heavy enrollment our office has received 4,900 plus visits.

As always, students can avoid long lines during the heavy enrollment period which is the first few weeks before classes start by choosing classes at the beginning of the enrollment period.

The Fall Semester signals the beginning of a new academic year. To those returning students — welcome back. To our new students — let me be one of the first to welcome you to OCCC.

Your choice to further your education and earn a college degree is one of the most powerful and life-changing decisions you will ever make.

A college degree has never been as important for your financial security as it is today. The average income of a college graduate is now projected to be 84 percent higher than those without a college degree. Good jobs that require only a high school diploma are dwindling, while job opportunities that require an associate degree or higher continue to increase.

Apparently, some people have gotten it in their heads that Ronald McDonald, the spokesperson for the fast-food company, is making their children fat.

Some of these people even have medical degrees.

This author believes they have no idea what they are talking about.

It’s not a clown that’s feeding these children garbage, advertising or not.

It’s the parents who are to blame for a large part of their children getting fat, not counting the obesity gene, anyhow.

The way these people are making it out, a bright red and yellow clown is breaking into their houses and force-feeding their children hamburgers and really salty fries.

To the Editor:

Effective Aug. 22, Carson’s Catering and Food Concepts will implement price increases in the café and coffee shop.

As most of you know, food costs have been steadily going up for the past several years.

With the exception of bacon, we have not raised our prices to offset these increases in food costs.

However, the increases have now reached the point where we can no longer absorb them, and continue to offer the same quality and variety of foods that our customers are used to enjoying.

The western world has a wonderfully imbecilic track record for perpetrating the double standard.

Amidst the turmoil and violence surrounding the recent “Arab Spring” occurring in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, the west (predominantly the U.S. and England) cautiously praises protestors and demonstrators who have wreaked violence in the name of what British Prime Minister David Cameron referred to as a “precious moment” for social and political reform in the Middle East.

On Friday, Aug. 5, we learned the United States received a downgrade by one of the credit rating agencies — not so much because they doubt our ability to pay our debt if we make good decisions, but because after witnessing a month of wrangling over raising the debt ceiling, they doubted our political system’s ability to act.

The markets, on the other hand, continue to believe our credit status is AAA.

In fact, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett, who knows a thing or two about good investments, said, “If there were a quadruple-A rating, I’d give the United States that.”

I, and most of the world’s investors, agree.

That doesn’t mean we don’t have a problem. The fact is, we didn’t need a rating agency to tell us that we need a balanced, long-term approach to deficit reduction.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” —Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Welcome to all new and returning students. We hope the fall will be a great semester for each of you. Here are some tips that can help insure that this, and every other, semester is a productive one for you:

1. Attend class. Sometimes students think that because they aren’t in high school anymore, attendance is optional. OCCC expects that you show up and participate. An active learner is a more successful learner. Also, the first day of class exposes you to what the class will entail and all that is expected. If it doesn’t feel like a good fit, make adjustments before it might impact financial aid or your GPA.

June and July have been busy months in the Office of Academic Advising.

Summer classes are quickly coming to an end, and for those who have not yet enrolled for fall semester, it is important to get enrolled as soon as possible.