With the disruption caused by the longest federal shutdown, enlarged discontent within primary government agencies, the holiday period is likely to add to the chaos the nation, and our classrooms, are experiencing. If the TSA employees are “essential”, then the employees of USDA deserve to be working uninterrupted and not mandating cuts. Teachers and students are already looking at harder days, because under the current conditions, working the SNAP system will be unobtainable and the system will be much harder to work with. Expecting staff and students to work functionally with extreme limitations is unrealistic and is not in human character.
The holiday and current job situation are heavy topics that combine with the extreme pressures of today. You are encouraged to find job. Expect to travel. Expect to tighten family expectations. Freshman Speech Language Pathology & Audiology student Alaina Washington states, “With TSA going on strike, there’s the uncertainty of whether I’ll be home for breaks, and that uncertainty hurts me and my family. I may not get home safely.” With the strike of TSA workers, airports have been stagnant with people missing flights, flights getting cancelled, huge crowds, and more.
Dedrian Hogan, Director of Residential Housing said, “You are charged for the time you arrive until you leave and for some of us that means until you arrive safely at home, and knowing that some of you may not arrive home as simply as you anticipate or will have your basic needs met when you arrive is concerning.”
With Thanksgiving — the time of gathering and gratitude approaching, the combination of strained airports and limited food assistance is troubling. The cut of SNAP benefits are affecting families for the holidays for the families that relied on it to provide a Thanksgiving meal. “SNAP benefits being taken away is personally affecting my thanksgiving, because when I go home, my grandmother depended on SNAPS for most of the food,” says Freshman Criminal Justice major Mariyah Hardaway.
The ongoing government shutdown couldn’t come at a worse time, with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner. As TSA workers strike and SNAP benefits face major cuts, many families are left anxious about travel delays and putting food on the table. It’s a stark reminder of how political gridlock directly affects everyday Americans when unity and compassion are needed most.These are not abstract ideas. These reduced benefits and cuts touch real College conversations, family travels, and family visits.
