NIC presents first common read of the semester

NIC students gathered together at the Sub Driftwood Bay room for the first common read of the semester based on the book Nickel and dimed by Barbara Ehreinrech, Tuesday at noon.

Philosophy Instructor Patrick Lippert led the discussion based on the three issues he considered the most important: inequality of wealth, insecurity of work and ideology of the market.

“One of the great moments (of the book) was when she talks about how we should feel about ourselves benefiting from people who works for wages that do not allow them to live,” Lippert said. “I watch for this kind moments of emotion inside the book.”

Most of the students were new to the book, some of them assisted out of pleasure and interest in the book while other were there for getting an extra credit in a class, but the majority were very participative.

“I’m more enlightened to the struggles of others that I may see every day and I feel more aware of those now,” student Danielle Combs, 26, said. “I don’t have a job and I know this is very real.”

Lippert said, before having a job was a way out of the situation, it was assumed that it was a ticket out of poverty and that people didn’t foresee the play of the situation that there were going to be jobs where you can stay poor at the same time.

The audience was very optimistic and continually asked questions. Students agreed that making higher education more easily accessible could help the situation.

“Even if they don’t have a degree they can listen to a class like this and be like ‘oh that’s messed up,’” Combs said.

Professor Patrick Lippert discusses with students about poverty. Lizeth Meinguer/ Sentinel

Students listen carefully to professor Lippert. Lizeth Meinguer/ Sentinel