- The connections that Reed is making between the 1978-1992 “retrenchment period” at CUNY and the Covid-19 pandemic is the similarity of death. In the 1978-1992 “retrenchment period,” there was a death of free education throughout CUNY. This was devastating because of how many people it impacted. It completely changed a lot of students’ lives. Reed then connects this to the Covid-19 pandemic by emphasizing how there was actual death occurring at CUNY. It wasn’t just a figure of speech at this point, and he uses this again to emphasize how the pandemic impacts so many students. Both points were made to show the negative effects. During both times, many CUNY workers lost their jobs and many CUNY students lost their education.
- Reed uses the term “death cult” in the context of emphasizing the way CUNY changed. He uses this term to show how CUNY, something that was once known for being free and accessible, became part of neoliberal America. The people who turn public spaces into privately owned businesses are part of the death cult that Reed is referring to. I think this means we lost another thing to money and power. The cult has privatized many things, including education.
- For both anti-racist and anti-austerity groups at CUNY, Reed suggests that they come together to share ideas instead of focusing on themselves. He says all the programs at CUNY colleges should discuss their feelings and beliefs with each other in order to have more of an affect on the CUNY environment. By bringing all the colleges together, the message could be louder and bigger.
The CUNY of my dreams —
https://jamboard.google.com/d/1P_YmingRR5lel2ugy_pGa8fwHhJYn2AeNZW9ntp7KCc/edit?usp=sharing
I totally agree with what Reed suggests that bring all the powers together because power from a group is more efficient than the power from individual. The minorities’ group should share their ideas and thoughts with each other and start fighting for themselves. To let society see what they have been ignored.