Obama Speaks To Michigan Students; Study Shows College Freshmen Have Liberal Social Views

Obama Goes Back to School. While speaking at the University of Michigan Friday morning, President Obama discussed his efforts over three years to take private middlemen out of the student loan business as well as cap student loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly income for many. He said Congress “has to do more. They need to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling this July—that would not be good for you.” He also suggested that lawmakers should double the number of available work-study jobs in the next five years and called for pressure on colleges to keep tuition costs down or face reductions in their federal assistance. [USA Today]

The Freshman Progressive. New research shows that college freshmen hold increasingly liberal views on key social issues like same-sex marriage and rights for undocumented immigrants. The study explored whether these progressive views have translated into greater levels of activism or heightened enthusiasm for national politics over the last four decades. The study presented a graphic with statistics revealing that political views are relatively the same while the percent of students who say there is a “very good chance” they will participate in student protests or demonstrations is currently higher than in the 1960s. [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Iowa Eyes Voter ID Bill. Iowa’s Secretary of State Matt Schultz is once again pushing for a law that would require voters to show identification before voting. Critics of the bill say such a measure isn’t necessary and would lead to disenfranchisement. Schultz acknowledged that he didn’t know how common voter fraud was in Iowa but said it was important to close potential loopholes.Sen. Jeff Danielson, a critic of the bill, said there’s no evidence that voter fraud is a problem in Iowa or has ever affected the outcome of an election. Studies show that students, minorities, and low-income people are less likely to have proper ID under such laws. [Iowa City Press Citizen]

Vermont College Becomes Sustainable. Middlebury College of Vermont is working to be a model for sustainable college campuses. The school has set a goal to develop renewable energy resources and technologies in an effort to become carbon-neutral by 2016. The college has signed an agreement to install 34 solar trackers on about 1.5 acres of college property. The facility will produce enough energy to power one of the college’s residence halls. The system is expected to save the college about $5,000-$10,000 a year. [EarthTechling]

Leor Reef is a journalism intern with Campus Progress.

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