the usual suspects

NYU student sleeps for months in library basement

"Sophomore Steve Stanzak, 20, said he began spending six hours a night in the sub-basement of Bobst Library at the beginning of the academic year after he was unable to pay a $1,000 housing deposit. He slept on library chairs and carried vital belongings -- a laptop computer, books, clothes -- in his backpack.

University officials eventually discovered an online journal Stanzak kept about his experiences and relocated him to a free dorm room last Tuesday.

[...] Although he works four jobs and has several student loans, Stanzak said he received no financial assistance from his family and had only enough money to cover tuition, about $31,000 a year for full-time undergraduates."

I have a mix of reactions to this story. Bravo to a student determined to BE a student, whatever it takes, and who tackles the challenge with ingenuity. But how unforgivable, that it took him that amount of effort to be able to afford his education. As a society, we continue to overlook the fact that, if we want to be highly placed in scientific and cultural endeavors, we must provide some means of replenishing the brain trust of our own citizens, rather than simply importing from abroad.