2024-12-01 -- CAL

California, a hub for higher education, is home to over 500 universities, more than any other state. Established in 1868, nearly a century before my birth, UC Berkeley is one of the oldest public universities in California(1). While not the first, it is preceded by the University of the Pacific, founded in 1851. The oldest university in the US is Harvard(2) founded in 1636, almost 400 years ago. There were 3,982 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the United States as of 2019-2020 school year. The number fluctuates, the US Department of Education tallies near 4000 colleges and universities, but less than 1500 of them make it to the US and global rankings.(3)

The unfortunate reality in the US is that many activities are primarily driven by the pursuit of profit. I believe that essential services like education and healthcare should not be sources of income. Similarly, public utilities and services should not be profit-driven. These services should either be free, funded through collective taxation, or priced based on cost.

A significant portion of the US population, lacking adequate education or possessing limited literacy skills, may not fully understand the factors that contributed to past golden ages. Many older Americans, particularly those in their 50s and 70s, often reminisce about these periods without fully comprehending the underlying reasons. It wasn't until the Nixon administration, now considered the second most corrupt in modern history, after Trump, that healthcare transitioned into a profit-driven industry. In an effort to repay a political donor, Edgar Kaiser, Nixon signed the Health Maintenance Organization and Resources Development Act of 1973, which established HMOs as a central component of the healthcare system. (4)(5)(6)

Education is no different. The cost of attending a reputable college nowadays often exceeds $100,000 per year for most people. While some states have implemented local systems that use state taxes to fund higher education, the annual cost still surpasses $50,000 per year for local residents. This has led to the rise of specialized institutions that promise a better future through networking and referrals. These schools often lure students with high tuition costs, guaranteeing employment opportunities for undergraduate degrees.

If the primary goal of an institution is to profit from educating people, and if this practice is legally permissible, then it may be difficult to take action, regardless of moral concerns. However, there are instances where institutions are created solely to defraud people under the guise of legality.

One such university is Trump University. Proving the illegality of such institutions through the justice system can take years. This is precisely what scammers rely on. They prolong legal proceedings until the plaintiff is exhausted, financially depleted, or loses hope. If not, they may opt for out-of-court settlements to prevent negative publicity.

Although established in 2004, it took only four years for lawsuits to start accumulating. It wasn't until 2016 that Trump was finally forced to pay a $25 million settlement to resolve class-action lawsuits. This came after the university was shut down in 2011 due to public pressure. The delay tactics employed over a decade eroded the hopes of many students, leaving them worse off than before. (7)(8)(9)

The UC system began as a land grant from the state of California, with campuses in Oakland and Berkeley. Over the years, it has expanded to include ten universities throughout the state.(10)

Berkeley always held a special place in my heart. I associated it with the pinnacle of civil engineering education. Many techniques and innovations in seismic design originated from Berkeley. At the time, I didn't fully understand the distinction between public and private schools, nor was I familiar with the UC system. Consequently, I couldn't associate Berkeley with other equally impressive UC schools like UCLA or UCSD.

It was no surprise that one of the places I had to visit in the Bay Area was Berkeley. I wanted to experience the campus firsthand, perhaps even regretting my birth in Tabriz rather than Oakland or, better yet, Berkeley itself. Over the years, I took my daughter to many universities, including Berkeley. Perhaps I was fulfilling my own dreams rather than hers.

When our daughter independently chose to study at Berkeley, among many other respectable public and private colleges she had been accepted to, some with significant financial aid, I was overjoyed.

In the last two years, I've had many opportunities to wander around the campus and appreciate its beautiful architecture and natural surroundings. This school is by no means a party school. The students are extremely dedicated to their education. Although the school boasts many majestic redwood trees, the wildlife is truly fascinating. The school even provides emotional support animals!

Berkeley has many landmarks, the most famous of which is the clock tower. 

View from the top of the tower:

Around new year, all the bells of the tower are used for festive music:

While each group has its own library, the college boasts an impressive library, notable not only for its extensive collection of books but also for its striking architecture. From the outside, the building may appear conventional, but the newer library beneath it is truly awe-inspiring.

The college has some amazing and awe-inspiring extensions, such as research labs. One of these, the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL), has played a crucial role in over 50 major space programs, including the Apollo program. They are deeply involved in Mars missions and have made significant contributions to the study of the Sun, the interplanetary medium, planets, and Earth. SSL is a major force in the design and invention of instruments for optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma-ray, radio, and infrared astronomy, and they are renowned for their accurate measurements of the cosmic microwave background. While my daughter has only been working with SSL as an undergraduate student on the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) program, visiting their website will reveal the numerous projects involving the nature of the universe and its fundamental scientific rules. 

These places are undoubtedly bastions of critical thinking, not breeding grounds for cults that unfortunately is once again taking over the US and the rest of the world.

(c) I  own the rights to the pictures. Please feel free to use them as you wish.

(1) https://www.oldest.org/culture/oldest-universities-in-california/

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_university_in_the_United_States#:~:text=Harvard%20University%2C%20founded%20in%201636,university%20under%20the%20American%20flag.

(3) https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-many-universities-are-in-the-us-and-why-that-number-is-changing#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20determining,National%20Center%20for%20Education%20Statistics.

(4) https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/richard-nixon-online-exhibits

(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Maintenance_Organization_Act_of_1973

(6) https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/health-maintenance-organization-hmo/#:~:text=A%20type%20of%20health%20insurance,to%20be%20eligible%20for%20coverage.

(7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_University

(8) https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-university-its-worse-than-you-think

(9) https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/federal-court-approves-25-million-trump-university-settlement-n845181

(10) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California