Top Issues in Student Affairs in 2024 – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA). What senior leaders in student affairs across the higher ed landscape view as most important to their institutions in 2024.
Hunter Student Body Characteristics: 72.6 percent of undergraduates are minorities. Thirty-three percent are immigrants; 34.2 percent are transfers. 51.7 percent are alumni who live in the city. The Five Borough Breakdown for Undergraduates: 9.9 percent live in the Bronx; 23.3 percent live in Brooklyn, 10.6 percent live in Manhattan, 23.5 percent live in Queens and 3.5 percent live in Staten Island.
Three students – Walter Weis, 69; Hengyu Cao, 19; Tony Ayala, 23 – were interviewed by this reporter about what they considered the most pressing issues in their lives at the start of the fall semester.
Walter Weis, 69, is majoring in media studies with a focus in journalism. He said he was concerned about healthcare in America. He’s a junior who lives in Queens. The interview took place in an hallway on the fifth floor in the North Building. “Healthcare is awful. We need universal healthcare in this country,” said Weis, wearing a green shirt and blue jeans. “There’s too many sicknesses and chronic diseases.”
Hunter has its share of campus protests. Archive Picture.
Weis also spoke about how the U.S. government could help with this issue. “There’s two ways. They should extend Medicaid to 60 year olds instead of 65 year olds. Secondly, under the Affordable Care Act, you can’t get Medicaid up to 138 percent of income. It must be increased to 200 percent above the poverty line for more people to be eligible for Medicaid.”
“Healthcare has affected me by keeping me healthy,” Weis said. “I can go to the doctor and get things fixed. It’s very fortunate for people between the ages of 40 and 50 to have a doctor.” “The first time I got a checkup I was at 26 years old. The doctor said my cholesterol was 235. I just modified my diet and now my cholesterol is 180 with no medication.”
Said Weis, “People who don’t see a doctor do not have the luxury of information regarding their health.”
Picture by Assistant WORD Editor, Lamont Jackson.
Hengyu Cao, 19, picture right, a major in chemistry and a sophomore who lives in Queens, spoke about the war in Gaza. “I don’t have much of an opinion,” he said, responding to questions about political issues he was concerned about. “Palestine is very bad for the people.” Cao was alluding to the mass murdering of innocent Palestinians by the Israel Defense Forces. “One of the fastest ways is to stop the war that is happening,” said Cao. “You have to do something.”
This interview took place in the North Building, on the fourth floor in the lobby. Cao wore a black hoodie and black sweats.
“Israel should stop bombing,” Cao said. “Innocent people are being endangered.”
“I support the anti-Israeli government protests,” Cao said. “We live in an age where people don’t want World War III. Students are doing something about this.”
Picture by Sandra Cambrelen
Tony Ayala, 23, a senior and media studies major with a focus in journalism, lives in Great Neck, Long Island. His interview took place in Room 470D of the North Building where he wore a green shirt and white shorts. “I’ve never been interested in politics. I’m only interested in sports,” Ayala said. In high school he played soccer in a league in Astoria, Queens.
He was asked if health was an issue in sports. “Yes! I watch baseball and mixed martial arts,” he said. “Watching your favorite athlete get injured impacts the team. There’s also a loss of pay if you’re injured. It’s very significant. Injuries are not being taken care of properly in sports.”
“There should be more emphasis on protecting athletes,” Ayala said. “If a player went out with an injury, he couldn’t be subbed back in. There must be an emphasis on preventing injuries from happening. It’s physically and mentally demanding.”
Assistant WORD Editor LaMont Jackson can be reached at LAMONT.JACKSON20@myhunter.cuny.edu