Ms. Aucoin has chosen this article for this week's blog:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14schools.html?hpw
She would like you to pick out a quote or two and comment on it.
For my class I'm eager to get back to the discussion of Haiti that we started last week. I didn't get to read all the blogs before class last week because there was a power outage from 6 p.m until 6 a.m. Then I went to school and there was no flushing of toilets or water because due to the drought we are experiencing in Martinique the water was cut for 12 hours. The article suggests that Cuba is better than Haiti because Cubans have water, electricity, and all the important aspects of a working infrastructure. Some Martinican people have explained to me that if everything is so expensive in Martinique (5 dollars for a dozen eggs for example) it is in fact a good thing because it goes to financing a lot of the equality (i.e. workers are not exploited) and infrastructure that we have here. So this article in The Guardian left me with a lot of questions:
1. The article says the Western governments and by extention the people who live under those governments are responsible for the exploitative policy that have caused the current situation on Haiti. Am I really responsbile for the admittedly atrocious and very exploitative policies that led to deforestation and the end of sustainable agriculture that happened when the U.S. government occupied Haiti in the early 20th century? Are you, Martinicans, responsible for the colonisation of Haiti by the French government? If so how do we assume that responsbility and how far does it go?
2. What is the best way to help Haiti? Who is best qualified to do so (i.e. Non-Governmental Organizations, the UN, a coalition of many different governments)?*
3. What model might Haitians look to for a way to rebuild and reconstruct their society?
* A brief antecdote as a footnote. A French man in the military flew to Haiti from Fort de France immediately following the earthquake to head the French relief efforts. He told me that the Americans had taken complete control of the airport and would only allow airplanes from other nations in when they weren't using the airport which was the vast majority of the time. After a few days he told me there were clearly directives from above which created a different environment and that the Americans went out of their way (especially in front of the press corps) to show that they were happy to work with others. I mention this story as an indication that even when everyone is full of good will and trying to help it doesn't always work. I, as an American, was outraged when I heard the story to think of some planes having to fly back to Fort de France. At the same time it seems to me that the U.S. is often criticized for not helping more and then when they take over that doesn't work either.
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“They tell people, ‘If you don’t have a college degree, you won’t be able to get a job,’ ”
ReplyDelete-said Amanda Wallace
That’s how advertisements for for-profit schools like Devry and ITT, etc convince kids to apply and join. Of course nowadays it’s more logical to have a college degree to pursue a career. But it’s this kind of pressure that looms over a graduating high school senior and rushes him/her into attending a school where they graduate from in two years to become a nurse’s aid or a culinary chef at McDonalds (no offense-I like MickyD’s), and then have to pay back massive student loans that such jobs render nearly impossible. (Yea these schools aren’t that cheap-$40,000/yr, that’s about the starting annual salary of a nurse or chef). I agree with Wallace, it’s deceiving when you go to these schools thinking you can get a well paying job when you graduate and then realizing that the job you did get with their rinky-dink degree doesn’t provide a high enough income to pay off the student loans, and the debt these colleges put you in the first place. It’s all pressure. They take advantage of the necessity of a job or a career and how having one can change your life, make you believe you can get that job by going to their school, but then walloping you with a huge bill when you exit their doors. It’s the ultimate betrayal.
“I’ve got $30,000 in student loans, and I really don’t have much to show for it,” he said. “It’s really frustrating when you’re trying to better yourself and you wind up back at Square One.”
ReplyDelete- Jeffrey West
West was interested in the advertisement he saw that showed training programs. He was persuaded by the representative when he learned that a NINE month program would cost $30,000 and bring him benefits during the recession. The representative convinced him that he would be payed $50,000-70,000 once he graduated, but the end result showed there wasn't much of a difference as when he first started and the training program left him with a huge hole in his pocket. For-profit schools are deceiving the students who have hopes for a good job, but they end up with jobs that cant even pay off the loans. The recession has given for-profit schools an advantage because more people are relying on education for success and for-profit schools take advantage of that. They say that the schools and the programs and the costs are all worth it, but in the end, the schools sugar-coated everything and you ended up wasting time and money. You go in expecting to leave with a successful, money-making job, but find out you won't have the opportunity because the degrees are useless.
“Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty.”
ReplyDeleteIt’s true that some colleges overvalue useless degrees so students pursue them. Many majors can get you no where unless you are talented. For example you can’t get anywhere with an art history major. As a result students go to an expensive school for a useless degree with a low wage job. The best route might pick a major with high in demand job fields like science degrees.
“They say these schools have exploited the recession as a lucrative recruiting device while tapping a larger pool of federal student aid.”
Colleges need money to survive today so they can’t help take the higher paying student. This is wrong but college is like business and they need the money in exchange of college degrees.
-Kazi pd 8
1) I don't think that we can put the blame on us for Haiti's pligt . However i would say that Peter Hallward is partially right when he says that the colonial exploitation system is reponsible for the country 's current situation . Indeed , we musn't forget that after the slavery abolition, the country had to pay a debt to France what put it in bankruptcy . Howewer , i don't think it 's the only reason why the country is in a such situation , the previous governments and especially the dictators that the country knew in the 70's and in the 80's have also their part of responsability in the current chaos but also in the devellopment of violence. Something that chocked me in this article is the fact that the journalist seems to consider the former president Jean Bertrand Aristide as a kind of Saint with a goodwill !! We musn't forget that he is the one that reestablished the "Tontons macoutes " this kind of extremely violent vigilant group under the name of "chimères" and responsible for security in the country.
ReplyDelete2) About the best ways to help the country , i know that some haitian say that the Haitian people must rule himself but i don't think is ready for a great task as this one. My solution would be to create a kind of coalition with the greatest economic powers to help the country to stand up the Haitian government really needs help and thinking that it's ready to do something would be to have what we call in french " de l'orgueil mal placé"
3) About the political model that Haiti should look to to rebuild , to be honest i don't have any idea but something i think is really important is to have a country in which the government works for the people and allows real , efficient and concrete changes which is not the case until now , for example before the earthquake, half of haitian children didn't go to school and people kept on dying from minor diseases. Also , something important to eliminate is the stark lack of seriousness of some leaders that rubbed off on the population and prevent the people from building strong administrations
About Cuba , it's sure that it's not the best political solution, but however, contrary to the haitian governement, as P. Hallward says it "retains a capacity to defend its people from disaster" moreover it provided its people efficient administrations in the field of Health and Education word-recognized
“They tell people, ‘If you don’t have a college degree, you won’t be able to get a job,’ ” said Amanda Wallace, who worked in the financial aid and admissions offices at the Knoxville, Tenn., branch of ITT Technical Institute.
ReplyDeleteI find the actions of these for-profit colleges and universities despicable. In today’s society a no-one can get a decent job with anything less than a master’s degree. It has come to a point where a bachelor’s degree from any secondary education establishment is worth as much as a GED. It is sad that these places that are designed for higher education are targeting and taking advantage of college hopefuls need to support themselves in the future. How do they think it will be possible for teenagers with no credit and rarely financial support to pay back loans upon loans before they have established themselves? They are starting out in the hole, a never ending hole of financial debt that was promised to be more like a tiny indent.
“If you said anything that went against what the recruiter said, they would threaten to fire you,” Ms. Wallace said. “The representatives would have already conned them into doing it, and you had to just keep your mouth shut.”
I don’t know how it is possible that teachers and faculty that see the injustice of these institutions are not allowed to speak out against it. There has to be something unlawful, and unconstitutional about the whole thing. They are purposely limiting our efforts in our pursuit of happiness. I think there should be a brave enough to speak out and risk the possibility of termination. Who would actually want to work for an establishment that targets and exploits teenagers and young adults?
period 1
ReplyDelete“If these programs keep growing, you’re going to wind up with more and more students who are graduating and can’t find meaningful employment, They can’t generate income needed to pay back their loans, and they’re going to end up in financial distress.”
~ ~Rafael I. Pardo, a professor at Seattle University School of Law
I agree with Mr. Pardo, these false hopes and the appearing benefits of such school are only going to bring in more problems for everyone as individual and as a nation. Although it seems to students that it is the best path for them, by the time they realize its worth it will be too late and they will be in lots of financial burden. If certain degree does not have much value and does not have a promising job, then the student should be well aware of it. They should not be forced to live in fantasy and have false dreams and hopes. Of course, the profiting companies want to attract students, but I think they are going a bit too far when they even have their guidance counselors’ lie to them and hide the truth. This will increase the unemployment rate, the students graduating from such school would hope for a good job and their dreams will be shattered. They will have to start anew and this would just be a waste of their time and money. I am sure nobody wants that, but doing this in large amount will bring our economy down as well. These students will not be able to pay back their loans; it will be very hard for them to survive. Who knows what will be their wages and if they will even get a satisfying job. With today’s economy, I think it is very unfair to keep someone in the dark about their future. It is almost like using these students, because the companies are benefiting themselves with money, and they are not even providing the students with anything valuable or a sincere promise. Before it is too late, actions should be taken and I agree with the actions being taken.
1)Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty.
ReplyDelete-Today the world is in a recession. Our country is in debt, the government is in debt, and the citizens are in debt too. It's is common sense to try and better yourself by getting more education so that you are more skilled and qualified for the job then the next person. However, since everyone has this same idea about bettering themselves its even harder for someone to find a good job that doesn't make them low wages and helps them pay off their debt. However, this does not give various schools permission to sell useless dreams to young students but I understand why they do it. Colleges are a business and they have to sell themselves to young people so that they make money. Without over exaggerating a little bit they wont ever get anyone to come to their school and make money so they have to use a little trickery and only shed positive light on what they do.
2)"If you said anything that went against what the recruiter said, they would threaten to fire you,” Ms. Wallace said. “The representatives would have already conned them into doing it, and you had to just keep your mouth shut.”
Wow this seems pretty extreme, you lost your job if you say something that goes against what the recruiter says even if you spoke the truth. I guess they want to seem as much as an unified front as they could even if they dont tell the truth. However, this is extremely bad because the prospect college student will never know what is actually good for them and what is terribly wrong. This is an injustice to the students who are being conned and to the college who are keeping students who would actually care about the real college that they would have to offer but got turned away with the dream.
1. They said they had a very high placement rate, somewhere around 90 percent,” he said. “That was one of the key factors that caused me to go there. They said I would be earning $50,000 to $70,000 a year.”
ReplyDeleteSome 14 months after he completed the program, Mr. West, 21, has failed to find an automotive job. He is working for $12 an hour weatherizing foreclosed houses.
-The culinary school didn’t promise a job. They said 90% percent of graduates were given a job right after they finished. Unfortunately, Mr. West wasn’t able to find a job right after graduation, but what’s unacceptable is how he hasn’t been able to get a job more than a year later. It’s like he wasted so many years of his life just so that he could work in another field. He could’ve made more money and avoided debt. Instead of getting paid around twenty dollars the hour, he’s getting paid much less. The school gave him a great rate to which commit to the program and finish his degree, but in the end he isn’t working in the field he studied for. Although it may be the students fault, the school should have tried to help the student out.
2. "Ms. Wallace left her job at ITT in 2008 after five years because she was uncomfortable with what she considered deceptive recruiting, which she said masked the likelihood that graduates would earn too little to repay their loans."
This shows that schools’ statistics may not always be true. Statistics are just a number and after all the school may be hiding facts. For example, the 90% that the school from the other quote mentioned may have only been 90% of the best students. Like the quote says, the people that work are being forced to lie to the community so they take out more money. When the students graduate, their income won’t be high enough to pay off their debts. Eventually, they’ll pay more than three times the original loan.
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty. And the schools are harvesting growing federal student aid dollars, including Pell grants awarded to low-income students."
ReplyDeleteMost parents and students think that you can't survive out there without a proper college degree. But truth is, there are so many people graduating college that a college degree doesn't set anyone a part from others. A lot of college graduates end up with debts and low paying jobs. Trade school can be a safe option because most trade jobs are always in demand.
"These loans are risky: Career Education and Corinthian recently told investors they had set aside roughly half the money allocated this year for private lending to cover anticipated bad debts."
ReplyDeleteThis one quote sums up exactly what these for profit schools are all about. They don't believe in their "product" to such a degree that they will set aside half their money because they are expecting their students to not be able to pay back their loans. These students are unable to repay their loans because once they go out into the business world they find out they don't have anything really outstanding to offer businesses. What also adds insult to injury is that knowing all of that they charge outrageous prices for tuition and ridiculous amounts of interest, that even through bankruptcy may be difficult to get rid of.
Amie - Ms.AuCoin (pd.8)
ReplyDeleteQUOUTE #1:
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty."
The number of students that applied to colleges this school year is the greatest by far and that number will continue to climb. As a student myself, I never considered anything else besides going to undergraduate school after graduating high school. I never even thought about going to trade school or taking a year or two off; it was just natural for me to go to college. I, as many other students also do, have the mentality that without a college degree it is very hard and unlikely to get a good job. What a lot of students tend to forget is the pile of loans waiting to be payed off as soon as you graduate from college. This quote describes the situation of most prospective college students as well as my own. I am not saying that college degrees are for naught - a college education should be appreciated. But in the end, the college is a business; they are out to make a profit.
QUOTE #2:
"Concerned about aggressive marketing practices, the Obama administration is toughening rules that restrict institutions that receive federal student aid from paying their admissions recruiters on the basis of enrollment numbers."
I think that the Obama administration is taking a good step forward to address the problem. However, this is a baby step and a more aggressive approach should be taken. Admissions recruiters should never be payed based on enrollment numbers. This type of motivation does not benefit the student whatsoever and only makes a college education a crunching of numbers.
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty."
ReplyDeleteThis simply means that people are going to college for the wrong reason. We should be going to college to learn, not to come out after a couple of years expecting to earn significantly more money than we would have before. Having experience in the field firsthand with a job and getting gradual raises over the course of 4 years for someone who already has a job would probably be much easier than going to a trade school and paying tens of thousands of dollars. College is overrated, especially to those who already have jobs. To some people, degrees are just certificates of adornment, providing proof of having learned something that they probably would have learned in the course of their career anyway, without having to go to college.
Period 8
ReplyDelete"Ms. Wallace left her job at ITT in 2008 after five years because she was uncomfortable with what she considered deceptive recruiting, which she said masked the likelihood that graduates would earn too little to repay their loans."
This is typical of most businesses or just about anything that's for profit. They will place so much emphasis or hype on a certain product or service to lure you into spending on it. Then when you do purchase it you'll realize its not everything its made out to be and have buyer's regret. The best thing to do is to research all the colleges and these programs first. This way, if the college is deceitful about their offers and the benefits of a program or course, you can know beforehand and avoid it. Reviews of such courses if they are available can also help. It's just like going to a store or an online catalog and choosing what company you should buy a certain product from. If you don't wanna be fooled by their advertising or their sometimes deceitful practices, do your research and look at how things turned out for other people. Bottom line, know what you're spending on before you spend on it.
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty."
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the "duhploma" poster on one of the bulletin boards in the school. It's the one that says something along the lines of "60% of employers say that the majority of college graduates are not prepared for a decent job today." As in "students are being lured in by all these accomplishments shown off by colleges, only to not learn enough to get a good job with a good (or at least decent) pay." Now, on one hand, the colleges are merely trying to disguise their intentions of simply making money with the false "promises" of being able to have the career of your dreams and stretching the truth with what they have to offer while backstabbing graduates by not giving them the skills they need to press forward. I'm pretty sure that if it keeps up, people will eventually complain, which would only lead to more problems. But on the other hand, people should be a little more careful than that when it comes to choosing their colleges. If it were solely (or even mostly) based on their promises and accomplishments, then nearly every school should be a Yale or Harvard, but that's obviously not the case. Students need to research things thoroughly before they can decide whether it's a good idea to listen to the "Choose this college and you'll get the career of your dreams" poster on the subway.
"If you don’t have a college degree, you won’t be able to get a job.” As high school seniors on the verge of entering the next stage of our lives, I am sure we have encountered these words in one form or another. No matter the presentation, the idea of college being the best choice to make for a brighter future was undoubtedly placed in our heads. In this article, however, the truth behind that quote, and this underlying idea,came out. It is nothing more than a marketing scheme for colleges who depend on our accepting their acceptances to elevate themselves, both monetarily and in the "college world," as I like to call it. The truth is, going to college, especially during the current economic and employment struggles that plague our country, may not be the smartest idea. The lies we heard throughout our lives caused us to push out the thoughts of reason that question whether college is the right stage for our lives now. They made us plan for college without ever once considering another option, except maybe the army, another way to get a college education. I think that it is sad, just sad. Don't get me wrong, I understand that a college education could very well give us the boost we need to make something of ourselves and live comfortably. I also understand that it has a blind spot where debt and college loans hide and we don't think about that part easily because we are so focused on going. I wish I had the option to wait until I could afford to go to college, but I don't. Parents were fed the lies too. The whole of society was fed the lies, and all i can say is, it's sad.
ReplyDelete“If these programs keep growing, you’re going to wind up with more and more students who are graduating and can’t find meaningful employment,” said Rafael I. Pardo, a professor at Seattle University School of Law and an expert on educational finance.
ReplyDelete- Recently, in Ms. Aucoin's class, we have been discussing how big banks are receiving a lot of bail out money from the government but the big execs still get a lot of bonuses and payments while denying patrons lending money. It kind of frustrates me how instead of coming together to help each other in times of recessions, people are using their brain power to connive and take away from people who already lack. I think trade schools can be beneficial to students who know what they want to do with life and don't feel it necessary to go through the normal college classes to acquire the skills necessary for the job. However, after reading this, a non vocational college degree sounds all around much safer and versatile in the job market.
‘In today’s market, chefs will always have a job, because people will always have to eat.’- Mr. Newburg
- Although this is true, I feel like it is a deceitful thing to say to applicants of trade school because they may be imagining themselves in a high class restaurant or with a reputation of a skilled and well trained chef. This quote from Mr. Newburg does not gurantee a well paying cooking career after graduating. And really, to work in any average restaurant, having a degree in the culinary arts may not even be a necessity.
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty."
ReplyDeleteAs more and more people attend higher education, the value of a degree goes down. I remember last year we watched a lecture by Sir Ken Robinson on how school kills creativity. In the talk, he touched upon how there is "education inflation." Today, there are more college graduates than ever before. Everyone is looking for an edge to their competition. They do this by going to school. But by doing so, these degree mill colleges are profiting and by handing out more and more certifications, the value of a higher education decreases.
The loans taken out by the students in order to pay for such an education is also like credit card debt. If you build up a large amount of debt early, the interest will continue to build up and that debt will be hard if not impossible to pay off. Even with a better job.
Quote 1:
ReplyDelete“When the economy is rough and people are threatened with unemployment, they look to education as the way out,” - Harris N. Miller
This quote is a prime example of what has been hammered in our brains since day one. I don’t remember a day that goes by that someone didn’t urge me to go on to pursue a college degree. Not going to college was never an option, because as far as I was concerned high school isn’t enough. When there is a crisis in which unemployment is on the rise, naturally people seek to further their education so as to have an advantage over someone else who may not have a degree. Question is, as more and more people obtain degrees will education continue to be a feasible way out?
Quote 2:
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty."
As a senior, having to think about all the debt I will be in after four years of college is extremely overwhelming. In fact whether or not I will be able to pay back loans in the future has not crossed my mind until recently. It’s daunting to think that one can spend so much money on their education with a possibility of not obtaining that job that promises to pay it back. Colleges are businesses, and naturally they strive off the fact that we are naïve and not financially savvy. It is certainly something to think about because four years from now, when we have graduated, we are still indebted to them.
"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty."
ReplyDelete-In today's world, we are all struggling with money and we try our best to make ends meet. With those who can't find a job, they instead look for education to help them get a job. We need more skilled workers in todays economy but if everyone has this mindset, then it'll be even harder for them to get a job. With so many pressures on them, they don't need another. These schools don't have the right to elevate these students just to make them fall even harder. Even though they too need business and money, they should do it the honest way becasue look at what karma has done. It has published this article which encourages people to be hesistant upon entering these schools. In today's world, we must help one another, instead of taking advantage of each other.
^^^^^^ -A.G. Pd.2
ReplyDelete“They tell people, ‘If you don’t have a college degree, you won’t be able to get a job,’ ” - Amanda Wallace
ReplyDeleteThis is very true because most people feel as thought to be considered for a job opportunity one must be qualified. Those qualifications are either gained by experience or education. In this age if one does not have a proper education that individual has nothing of value. Its a shame because now its not even the fact that you are not qualified but that there arent that many jobs available. Despite how much you learn with the declining employment rate it wouldnt matter. Now one is left not only with the survival expenses but school loans as well.
“Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty.”
ReplyDeleteSome colleges cost as much as 50,000 dollars per year. How can those schools expect middle class students to pay for that? Even getting student loans wouldn't help, since those loans need to be payed back.
“They say these schools have exploited the recession as a lucrative recruiting device while tapping a larger pool of federal student aid.”
Colleges need to give more aid to students during the recession, since many of us need it. Whoever gives more money, is the one that will be most appealing to us.
"For-profit trade schools have long drawn accusations that they overpromise and underdeliver, but the woeful economy has added to the industry’s opportunities along with the risks to students, according to education experts. They say these schools have exploited the recession as a lucrative recruiting device while tapping a larger pool of federal student aid."
ReplyDeleteAll I have to say is: it's tough. With a struggling economy, it is very easy for kids to be drawn into the idea that a secure job is necessary, even if it means taking out a chunk of cash to pay for college. A lot of the time, it's no longer what we want to do, but rather, what will be stable in a staggering economy. The result- more and more students enrolling in these trade schools believing they will earn enough. Even if they do manage to earn a decent wage, the sheer number of students that will now be graduating at this level will indubitably lead to competition and many people graduating without a job and in debt. I think if we can bail out big banks, we should be able to give students a chance to do what we want and not have to worry about job security.
--Manjinder
1/I don't really think the the Western government can be blamed for Haiti's pain. Even if I agree with Peter Hallward when he says that the colonial system is responsible for the current situation in Haiti. However, I would also argue that both the western and the Haitian government itself are responsible for the economic, politic, and social disaster Haiti is now experiencing. And I'm precisely talking about the dictators the country knew in the 70's 80's, with the Duvalier for example. Which was a period of extreme violence and when the population could only suffer. As a result the following government only tried to take advantage of the money the country was given, after this period of pain. And, even if we all know these attitudes ony helped the country decline, we can't really put the blame on them as we understand that when men no longer live but survive, his selfish nature appears.
ReplyDelete2/Moreover, concerning the best way to help Haiti rebuild, I think the greatest economy all over the world should associat to economically help the haitian government rebirth. I do think, the head of the Haitian government should be someone coming from Haiti itself, but I also think that the Haitian population should start accepting foreign help, and stop focusing on the past, if they want stand up. I'm talking foreign investments in Haiti, but also building schools etc... All this lead by the haitian population, but helped and followed by the the western countries.
3/To conclude, and about the model that Haiti should look on to rebuild, honestly I have no idea of an ideal model in the Caribbean. But I do think that it must be a government which binds economic, cultural and social blooming of the population. And, I'm also talking about a government which is not affraid of changes and which is ready to listen to its populatin's needs. To do that, wouldn't day that Cuba is the best model ever, as we all know that (even if the population no longer die for starvation) the population is really restricted, and deprived from knowledge of what's happening out of Cuba, since the Press is highly controlated, and they have some "tickets de rationnement" which only allow them the basic needs.