HARLINGEN — As the first day of Texas State Technical College’s fall semester inched closer, new students at the Harlingen campus were welcomed by TSTC’s team on move-in day to settle into their dorm rooms. Classes started on Sept. 3.
Among the new students were Alma Campos, Brian Charlson and Ulysses Melendez. Each student shared why they chose to study at TSTC.
Campos, of Laredo, is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene. She said a positive experience that she had as a teenager with a team of dental professionals motivated her to give back.
“The dentist and the team were very compassionate when I was about to have a teeth cleaning,” she said. “Last year I studied dental assisting at a college in my hometown. I told my former instructor that I wanted to be a dental hygienist. She suggested that I research the Dental Hygiene program at TSTC. I visited with the instructors and saw the program’s facility. I’m excited to start learning.”
Charlson, of Seguin, is pursuing a certificate of completion in Wind Energy Technician. He chose to study a career field that he was unfamiliar with.
“I wanted to try something new,” he said. “Some friends from my former high school are now doing this job. I researched wind energy schools online, and that’s how I found TSTC.”
Melendez, of Edinburg, is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology. He learned that the program offers an incentive.
“The Electrical Lineworker program offers a course to earn a commercial driver’s license,” he said. “Part of the job is to know how to drive a truck. That’s one of many areas in the program that I’m interested in.”
Yvette Garza-Garcia, who is TSTC’s student housing director in Harlingen, said the fall semester is an exciting time for new students as well as for her team.
“The fall semester is the busiest time for us with students that are living on campus,” she said. “We get to create new experiences and events for them. A suggestion for students is to immerse themselves in the college experience. They should try to live in the dorms, eat at the cafeteria in the Student Center, visit the game room and get involved on campus.”
For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
Commentary: We need term limits
On Feb. 27, Americans across the nation celebrated National Term Limits Day. Despite being largely unreported, it is an important milestone commemoration. National Term Limits Day celebrates the ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, setting a limit of two four-year terms for American presidents. The history of this important amendment is informative for today’s conversation around expanding the concept to include members of Congress.
Until Franklin Roosevelt, no president had served more than two elected terms in office. It was a tradition established by George Washington. Two presidents prior to FDR had sought to do so — Ulysses S. Grant and Woodrow Wilson — and had failed in even securing their parties’ nominations. Roosevelt, citing his importance in World War II, ran for an unprecedented third term and then a fourth term even though he was ill (he died 82 days into his fourth term).
After his presidency, there were widespread calls to establish a constitutional amendment to set term limits for the president. Roosevelt’s successor, Harry Truman, who was an advocate of term limits for both the presidency and Congress, supported this initiative. When Congress appeared reluctant to pass an amendment setting terms for the presidency, the states started to act by calling for a constitutional amendment. As the states were nearing the two-thirds majority needed to force Congress to act, Congress decided it was in its best interest to address the issue. This was the genesis of the 22nd Amendment.
Truman believed believed two terms were enough for any occupant in the White House. Because he had served all but 82 days of two full terms, he opted not to run again in 1952. Truman hoped that Congress would further act on term limits for itself after the 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951, but sadly, Congress has failed to do so.
Since then, terms limits has become the most popular, bipartisan issue in our country. A recent Pew Research poll showed 87% of Americans regardless of political affiliation support congressional term limits. Yet despite this overwhelming support, Congress refuses to act on the issue. Last year, Congressman Ralph Norman’s resolution that would have set terms for the House of Representatives at three terms and the Senate at two terms was defeated by a committee vote of 19-17 — despite having more than 100 co-sponsors. In the Senate, Sen. Ted Cruz has proposed a term limits amendment yet action on it is being delayed by Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell.
So, if Congress won’t pass term limits, what can be done? Just like presidential terms, the states can take the initiative — calling for a convention to adopt a congressional term limits amendment. When enough states request such a convention, the amendment can be proposed by the states for ratification.
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin and West Virginia have called for a limited convention to propose a congressional term limits amendment to the Constitution. The Lone Star State could join this roster if the legislature will act.
Term limits would return accountability to the people and take away the power of the special interests in Washington. It’s time — we need term limits for Congress.
Brandon Herrera is the Texas state chair for U.S. Term Limits in Washington, D.C.