Students Speak Out with Music for Change

By Michael Germanovsky With the Occupy Wall Street movement going strong in several cities across the nation, Senator Russ Feingold, D-Wis, weighed in according to cbs.com, saying, “There is nothing MORE American than peaceful protest." "And if people are being hurt, if they can't get a job, and students go to school for five or six years and take out student loans and come out and see they are getting no job and no opportunity and people on Wall Street continue to get whatever they want or are not properly regulated, that's the time to protest. This is the time to protest. It is most American thing you can do," said Feingold. In Manhattan, some college students are finding other ways to vent their financial frustrations in addition to joining the throngs of protestors gathered downtown. On Sunday, October 16, in New York City, the Student Credit Card Education Initiative is hosting an event called Music for Change at West Village hotspot Sullivan Hall. This concert will feature several different artists including Dada Goldenchild & The Chosen, Ellina Graypel, (I am) isis, Daso and Judah Tribe. Also performing will be VJ Chris Landry, who has been an ongoing presence at the Occupy Wall Street protests, according to his Twitter feed. Scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., Music for Change will not only showcase the vast creative talents of the performers but also their personal money management stories and financial literary tips. All the musicians participating in the event were drawn to the cause as a result of their own debt experiences. Admission to the event is free. "Students have been hard hit by rising tuition costs and the governments' ever-tightening of its belt on contributions towards education; students are increasingly feeling the squeeze. Like their predecessors of the '60s, they're using music as a form of expressing their dissatisfaction." said Niki Rubin, spokesperson for the SCCE. The reality for many students is that, unless they are willing to assume a substantial amount of debt, they cannot afford a college education. Combined with the likelihood of encountering slim employment opportunities upon graduation given the nationwide economic turmoil, a post-secondary education currently costs students more than ever before. Many students are opting to apply for a credit card in order to cover their daily living expenses or even a portion of their tuition costs. If not handled responsibly, a credit card can produce a young adult who is already drowning in debt upon graduation, which is why personal finance education is so sorely needed for America's youth. The SCCE is involved in an initiative that provides universities and colleges with a free online financial literacy course for their students. Certificates of Achievements are awarded to students who complete the course and pass an exam.