The current economic state of the nation caused Hunter students interviewed for this article to express concerns for their families and communities. Their fears included worries about inflation, job security, and a rise in crime.
Annie Zhen, a 21-year-old senior and resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, said that she worried about a rise in crime stemming from the worsening economy, which could make many people desperate. Crime has always been an ongoing issue for the residents of her community because of robberies and crimes occurring frequently outside of apartment buildings, but Zhen said that fear has increased for residents in her building as more and more incidents have been occurring more frequently.
“I feel that the lack of jobs available are going to make a lot of people in my neighborhood look towards other means of getting things that they need,” said Zhen, who is a theater major set to graduate in May.
Job security was another fear. With less jobs being available and hours being cut, students feared getting pink slipped. This fear was even greater for a city employee interviewed for this article.
Joshua Lopez, a senior, said that city employees with whom he works used to believe that they had some of the most secure jobs available, but that train of thought was derailed by Mayor Bloomberg, who said earlier this year that 23,000 city jobs would be cut as part of his new budget. Thus far, this mass lay off has not happened, but Lopez said that the thought has never left his mind or those of his co-workers.
Lopez, a graduating senior with a major in sociology, said, “I used to think that my position as a police intern was a pretty secure place to be in, but since the Mayor had said that city positions would be cut, I’m not so sure anymore. I’m going into the police academy once I graduate this summer, but I still find myself to be a little wary of the situation with the economy.”
Husam Machlovi, a peer advisor at the Sylvia E. Fishman Student Center, is a recent graduate. A native of Jackson Heights, Machlovi said, in an interview conducted at the student center that the worsening economy has affected the job search for his friends and himself.
Aked what he intends to do in the meantime, Machlovi said, “I guess I’ll have to work as is for now. I might study for the LSAT and try to go to law school, but for now I’ll just continue to work here and also continue with my side jobs teaching guitar and writing for websites.”
Sierra Moona, a nursing program senior looking forward to graduation, said she has to look for a job now when she had originally intended to start her search a few months down the road. “There are a lot of hospitals closing around the city, so it will be hard to find a job,” said Moona, who was wearing her purple Hunter scrubs during the interview. She also said that she was concerned she may have to compete with the next year’s nursing program graduates.
Zhen said that she believed in president Obama’s promises of change and reform as glimmers of hope for her community and for her family.
Lopez said, “After the stock market dropped as much as it did and with all the fear people have in them, I believe that the only way we can go is up and things can only get better from here.”