F2F Class Notes (Samara) [S/W]

University students receiving their diplomas at a college in the USA got the surprise of their lives during their commencement ceremony. Students at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia were listening to a speech from the philanthropist Robert F. Smith, a recipient of an honorary degree from Morehouse. Mr Smith ended his speech by informing the 400 students that he would pay off their student loans and debt. He said: “This is my class, 2019, and my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans.” He added: “On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in your bus.” Mr Smith’s kindness is estimated to be worth about $40 million.

What would you be philanthropic about and why?

The person in the article must be a really kind teacher who wants to devote himself to helping students relieve their pressure and help them to better focus on their schoolwork. Well if you have a loan to pay back, you must think about the money you can get, but if there is not an amount of money, maybe the student can have a choice about what he or she really likes, even if it is a non-profit job.

Vocabulary

Philanthropist: a wealthy person who gives money and time to help make life better for other people
Commencement ceremony: The ending ceremony of a graduating class.
Honorary Degree: A degree from a university that is earned by the honoree based on their life work or accomplishments not their studies. This is considered to be a very prestigious honor.
Asset / house /skills / 
Financial sheets
good / bad
“When you buy a house it is worth maybe 1million dollars. but you borrow 50% from the bank. You promise to pay it back over 30 years. When China’s housing happened the houses became worth more. Now the house is worth more. The bank helps your asset to grow.”

Money 
“With more money my son now wears better clothes than I did before, more fashionable. When I was younger my parents made clothes for me.”
Cover
“When my classmate was sick, I helped them to pay their debt. We all do that to help the classmate.”
Owe
Recently I run into some trouble dealing with a house transaction, my friend helped me to face that condition and I think I kind of owed him a big one.

If I were a boy, when I was younger, no one would yell at me for injuring myself. If maybe I was running or playing outside, and I fall and scratch my knees, or hurt myself, and instead, my mother might have said, don’t cry, it’s ok, go back and play.  If I were a boy, in college, I would not have had to take women’s self defense classes. I would not have been afraid to walk outside at night. If I were a boy, I would touch women without thinking much about it.