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Source video
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Title : “15 Minutes Of Fact : From Graduating to Indentured Class — Will America Continue to Eat its Young?”

URL : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1LRmgIr0xI

Organization         : 15 Minutes of Fact podcast :
Web Site                 : https://www.youtube.com/user/15MinutesOfFact
Host                        : Jerry Ashton
Contact                  : jerryashton1@gmail.com

Guest                      : Cryn Johannsen
Web Site                 : http://alleducationmatters.blogspot.com/
Contact                   : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasecrynjohannsen

Transcription Notes : This project is a good example of how transcription can remedy some of the problems which accompany less-than-ideal audio. There are numerous reasons why the final audio of a production may end up less than ideal. It may have been an on-location live interview in which there are many uncontrollable factors involved. It may be that the communication channel (ex. phone, Skype, etc.) had problems. It may be that the producer/host just didn’t have the resources and/or skills to apply the proper recording equipment or techniques or hire a competent person/organization to do it. In the end, what good quality transcription can do is make words which were inaudible clear (for instance, through figuring them out through context and/or research) and represent the production in a more accurate and complete form in writing.

In addition, YouTube actually has its own speech recognition (transcription) software for video. To show it, just click on the icon which looks like a page, immediately right of the “add to” link on the video page. To save you the calories and bewilderment of doing so, let me present for you here the exact text which is generated by the YouTube “transcriber” for this specific video :

YouTube automated transcription
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“0:00
from graduating class to endangered class
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American pieces all showed almost two years as I’ll ask after the time and
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attention over yesterday
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mes creating your handsome evolve its Keisha matters
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back in march it 2011 and still basking in the chilly spring up the Occupy
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movement
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Trenton I was working hard to see that student debt goes much attention is more
0:24
realistic
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this means we’re going for her and I believe”

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As you can see, the YouTube computer-generated transcriber is about as accurate as the subtitling on a bad Chinese Kung Fu movie – without all the funky acrobatics and scenery. As a result of this, a proper transcription by an experienced human transcriptionist does justice to YouTube videos.

Transcribing YouTube videos has several important benefits. It extends the reach of the video outside of the already very powerful YouTube marketing platform. It makes up for the horrible YouTube automated transcriber/subtitle generator. It also gives your videos more marketing punch as it provides many more words than the limited number of tags allowed for each video (around 50 I believe), and this enhances the SEO potency of the production.

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Transcript :

Jerry Ashton : From graduating class to indentured class, America eats its own. It’s been almost two years since I captured the time and attention of our guest today – Ms. Cryn Johannsen of “All Education Matters”. Back in March of 2011 and still basking in the chilly Spring of the Occupy movement, Cryn was working hard to see that student debt got as much attention as mortgage debt. It’s been slow going for her, but I believe however, that she and other education militants have finally achieved that attention. Just how far they’ve come and how far they have to go in freeing generations of students from a lifetime of debt will be our subject for today. So welcome to the show Cryn Johannsen.

Cryn : Thanks, but I do not consider myself a militant. I’m actually, truly a pragmatist. You’re right that I suppose the work has been slow-going – there’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes that I do on the hill. But I can tell you one thing – and I can’t divulge the particular office that I just went to recently – but from a wonderful staffer of a Congressman’s office, who I know quite well – maybe it is slow-going but they are listening. They are definitely listening, in such a way that I can actually say that I am incredibly hopeful about.

Jerry : Well, before we dive in then – and, by the way, I want you to know that you may not be an activist, but you are hardly a milktoast either. I would like you to give the listener a bit of your background in the world of student debt. How did this come about for you personally, and where do you find yourself today in this world of trying to make a change on student debt?

Cryn : Sure, well like many people my age I do carry student loan debt, but it is more than manageable. I have never been deliinquent on my loans. It’s never been a problem. I am very lucky. I consider myself blessed. I am a religious person – so I will say that on the radio. But in terms of diving into it, I myself have been working on my PhD on the intellectual history of Europe and there was a lot of conversations we always had about student loan debt. This was around the time of the housing crisis, in 2008, and I just began to piece together the parallels. The big difference was that you can walk away from your home – as we all know – if you’re underwater. However, with student loan debt you can’t do that. So, there was an intellectual curiosity with how the student loans and the U.S. government, and how these institutions were related to financial markets. It’s incredibly complex because you are talking about the U.S. government – “Uncle Sam” – they’re the biggest lender. Then you are talking about the universities – where the money is being funneled to. Then on top of that you’re also talking about a lending industry that was born out of the federal government. These are all very complex institutions, and all of them are interconnected because of the student loan debt.

Jerry : Okay, I’ve got the fact that there is a macro level at which this is being approached, but let me get to the thing which seems to be catching the attention of people right now. Student debt exceeds one trillion dollars. It is considered to be the next bubble to pop. So let me give you a couple of Time Magazine article facts. In the last five years the average student loan debt has risen 30%. More than half of student loan accounts add up to more than 40% of the total dollars owed, and they’re in deferral status – meaning that students are looking for a reprieve for a few years before they have to repay. But these delinquencies are increasing by 22% over the last five years. So how can any of us have hope of a way out in the face of these statistics.

Cryn : Well I think that’s a really good question, and one of the things I wanted to say though about my interest – just to return to my original personal interests – is that I have a deep love for people. And these people with student loan debt have opened up to me tremendously – because Americans are very ashamed to talk about debt. They are hopeless, and as your probably aware, I wrote an article for the Huffington Post which I received a scholarship from the “Economic Hardship and Reporting Project”. Barbara Ehrenreich, the author, and also Gary Rivlin – who’s also an author – they were the editors for my piece. It was about people who were committing suicice, and I continue to get these notes – it’s incredibly troubling. But I guess one of the things is that – I have a feeling, and I know that sounds odd – but I just have a feeling that 2013 is going to be the year for us – the indentured educated class. One of the reasons why is because I’ve gone through – and I’m not going to go into the details – but I’ve gone through a significant loss personally, very intense. I’ve prepared myself tremendously. The reason why I’m saying this is because I am so ready to get this done, more than ever before. And I’m not the only one. That’s what’s great. The more the merrier in my opinion, There’s a lot of us out there [crosstalk] and I think this is going to be the year, despite all of these terrible statistics. And they are terrible.

Jerry : Okay, well first of all, Gary Rivlin – I’m a fan of – when he wrote that book called “Broke USA” and he talked about how banks supported and financed loan companies, pawn shops, mortgage people – predators. So anybody who can align themselves with that guy automatically wins with me. How many people would you consider to fall into your category about being at least militant about changing the world of student debt.

Cryn : Well, again, I’m hesitant to use that word. I guess I’m more insistant through the power of love – as cheesy as that might sound, and people might say, “Oh, she sounds like she’s from the 1960s” – well so be it. Well, there’s plenty of us. I know that Robert Applebaum is still doing quite a bit. I believe Alan Colinge is – to the best of my knowledge. But they’re not the only ones out there. There are so many groups doing things, and the reporters continue to write about this left and right, and I think that’s fabulous. The more people talking about it the better. That’s the way it should be. So the more of us out there, the better. And I think the more and more people join our ranks [all with?] different approaches. I think it’s great.

Jerry : Well I know that you came up to New York City when Occupy was still blooming at Zuccati Park. Shortly after, of course, they pulled it out by the roots and thought that would get rid of it – but that didn’t happen. What was your impression of Occupy, and do you think Occupy has been an important force.

Cryn : Oh, it absolutely has. It’s a collective voice of people who are deeply in debt. These Americans having the courage to go out there with the placards showing how much debt they owed – bless their heart. That was the most powerful thing about that, because we hide the debt we have. We pretend because consumer capitalism – that everything is okay, and it doesn’t appear that there’s any trouble – but we all know that that’s not the case. Americans are just drowning in debt, and not just student loan debt. I was just in awe of the fact that these graduates were walking around with a placard showing how much money they owe, and saying, “This is really a part of my identity.” I think what we need to work on is moving away from that just being your identity, but it needs to be solved. It just needs to be solved. That’s one of the reason why I come to D.C, – where I am right now, because we’re trying to get this done.

Jerry : Okay. Let’s talk about that. Your way of being able to make a difference is by – instead of picketing governmental offices – you’re actually walking through the doors and talking to people. So give us some history about that, and how is that making any difference.

Cryn : Well I run “All Education Matters” on a shoestring budget, as I said. I’ve been very lucky to have people who have debt send me $5 here and $10 there. That’s enabled me to come to Washington DC and walk the halls, and knock on the doors and have the conversations. Because these offices are lobbied 24/7 – including the White House, of course – by the lenders. The Washington Post ownes Kaplan – which is a for profit school. So the Senators and the Congressmen read those papers and they say, “Oh, what the problem? There is no problem.” Well, but that’s changing , and I don’t think I’m the only one. I’m not going to toot my own horn but I have to walk these halls. I have to have these face-to-face interactions – which I’ve been doing for years. It used to be that when I first started doing this – when I came back from South Korea after teaching there – they were telling me behind closed doors, “Yes, we agree with you. There is a student lending crisis.” but they wouldn’t say it publicly. This last summer I was on a phone call with several Senators – including Sharon Brown, and I’m forgetting the Senator’s name, I apologize – but this was with hundreds and hundreds of people who represent millenials – the youth generation. I brought up the problem of suicide, and a Senator publicly thanked me for having my ear to the ground, and let me know that I remind them – and I’m not the only one, of course – but he told me that I remind them that the current borrowers are struggling. I thought that was a huge moment for the indentured educated class, to be recognized publicly on a phone call in that way, and to be thanked for that. It’s not me . I’me streaming voices of other people. That’s what I’m doing.

Jerry : Well you are channeling the essence of the spirit. So let’s talk about that. Let’s say that you have been serving your role and your function in getting out this word and we also talk about the fact that if a student is willing to put a placard in front of them saying, “I owe $80,000 of student debt.” I think that their willingness to do that isn’t to show themselves as victims, as much to publicly acknowledge that, “Guess what? I don’t know what happened, maybe, but I’m up [a creek?] without a paddle”. So, I think its important that it has to be brought to people’s attention however it is done. And you’re doing your job on that. Now I’ve heard that there are some governmental agencies investigating the relationship between college administrators and bankers. Do you know anything about this?

Cryn : Um, if memory serves me – and if I’m following it correctly – the new consumer financial bureau, the new bureau which is the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren. I’m so glad she’s Senator now. They have been doing excellent work on investigating the “for profits” and putting out supurb reports about student loan debt. This is a very good thing, and so if this is what you are referring to. They’re doing some great stuff. That’s our tax dollars at work right there, and I’m delighted at this new bureau. The other thing is that people are not aware of IBR (Income Based Repayment) program. Now there is a problem with that thought, which I want to make clear to the listeners. This is a loan forgiveness progress if you have federal loans, which is forgiven after 20 years, which is good. However – and hopefully this will change, and a staffer told that it probably would or should – you will be taxed on the remaining amount that has been forgiven. So the year that your loans are forgiven, guess who’s going to come knocking at your door? The IRS, which is not good. I don’t understand why they put this in, why they have that, but this is something that absolutely has to change, because then what is the benefit of the loans being forgiven [crosstalk] when you owe $10,000 or more that year for taxes.

Jerry : Well, let me address that. There is no such thing as loan forgiveness. As far as I’m concerned there is just loan trickery. It’s a form of a shell game. When you think of it, the American student is the only class of citizen – other than a felon – who can not declare bankruptcy on their debt.

Cryn : Right. It’s ridiculous.Punish people for getting an education. Why? Why are we like that? It’s very odd. I don’t get it.

Jerry : It isn’t odd if you happen to be on one side of the political spectrum in which you hold the fact that, number one, everybody has to be accountable and responsible, and, number two, you also fill up your wallet at the local university or college so that you can continue your campaign of good citizenship. That’s a personal gripe of mine, and I think that the relationship between college administrators and bankers has got to be put out into the spotlight.

Cryn : Right. But I think that more than that, Jerry, for me I guess I’m at the point where it’s no longer about pointing fingers and blaming. It’s more that this is a systemic problem – and I’ve said this many times – that this is a terrible systemic problem. And it can be sorted out. Lightning can strike down in D.C., as a matter of fact, and things can change. I know that people might think that, “Oh, she has rose tinted glasses on.” but that’s happened. Especially if there is the power of the type of movement you see with Occupy, and you’ve got lots of “busy beavers” – if you will – people like me, who continually bring it up and bring it up. There can be push, and there can be movement. You can look at the civil rights movement to see that sort of thing. And that started -many people argue, historians – that the civil rights movement began in the early 1900s. Then we moved forward with Martin Luther King in the 60s. This stuff takes time, and that’s alright. Now I wish it could be stopped immediately because of the people who want to kill themselves. It’s horrible. It hurts me in my heart, deeply. But it takes time.

Jerry : Speaking of time. We could do 15 hours and not 15 Minutes of Fact, so what I must do is end the session now, but please let the listener know how they can reach you. For example, do you have an email address, a web site, a Twitter account,. How can they reach you.

Cryn : I want them to follow me on Twitter. I’m very responsive on that. My name is @Cryn_Johannsen. They can also subscribe to me on Facebook. Just look up my name. They can also email me. It’s ccrynjohannsen@gmail.com. I promise to try to get in touch with them as soon as possible. I’m lso a teacher and I’m writing a book about the student loan lending crisis, So, I’ll keep you posted on announcements about that. There’s a big thing coming out about that. I’m very busy at work and I’m also teaching English as a Second Language, which is a big honor. So, I’m [heavily involved?] in education, as you can tell.

Jerry : And what do you do in your spare time, Cryn.

Cryn : Um, [inaudible], I’m just very busy. Busy, busy, busy, solving problems.

Jerry : OKay, well one thing I will do is ask you to give us a final word before we sign off.

Cryn : A what? A final word? Well I guess it’s all those people who are out there suffering. I want them to know that they’re not alone. Especially those who are suicidal. Please don’t be that way. I want them to turn to people they trust – family and friends. People they can speak to about this. This is not something that you should end your life over. I cannot say that enough times. I’m also speaking from a personal perspective, not about debt, but a great deal of suffering. Through suffering you can see solutions and things can get better. That’s my final thoughts on that.

Jerry : That’s a wonderful thought, Cryn. This is Jerry Ashton here at WGRNradio.com, bringing you “15 Minutes of Fact” as an innoculation against the many hours of foe which is usually generated by mainstream media. So I want to thank my listeners for attending to this show. Be reminded that you are searching out my blog at the Huffington Post, and friending me there would be appreciated as well. Signing off, Jerry Ashton.

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