Your task is to extract the thesis of an opinionated news article by selecting some of its text segments. The thesis is a summarization of what the author wants to persuade the reader of. Your answer should consist of segments of the given text. Note that you are not allowed to combine different sentences.

Input: Consider Input: A bully in Harvard Yard: What professor's $4 food fight tells us. If you think bullies are teenagers lurking on schoolyard playgrounds , think again . At least one is a grown-up walking the hallowed halls of Harvard University . His name is Ben Edelman . He not only teaches there , but he earned several diplomas including a law degree at that storied institution of higher education . But Edelman seems to have adopted the word "higher" as his personal calling card . You see , he's higher than you and me . Or at least he seems anxious to let you know it . A hardworking Chinese immigrant family found that out when the professor ordered a takeout meal of shredded chicken with spicy garlic sauce and three other dishes . Edelman thought he was overcharged by $ 4 bucks ($ 1 dollar more for each dish) , so he launched a relentless war on Ran Duan , who works with his parents at their restaurant, Sichuan Garden in Brookline . You can read the sordid details in a story at Boston.com where the website also published the unbelievable litany of Edelman's intimidating and condescending emails to Duan . The prof's remarks ooze with arrogance and conceit . Edelman's exchange with Duan has become a viral sensation , as it should . A Harvard professor vowing legal action over the sum of $ 4 dollars . Come on . The professor has now apologized for his treatment of Duan and his family , but his emails will leave you shaking your head in disbelief that someone so supposedly "learned" could be so seemingly insufferable . Maybe that's what a Harvard education gets you these days -a degree in imperiousness . Arrogance aside, the professor's persistent threats of legal action constitute a shameful campaign of bullying . He uses his knowledge of the law --at least his tortured interpretation of it-- for a purpose that can only be described as abusive . It turns out , he has done this before to a different restaurant . Bullies tend to target the weak and vulnerable . For Edelman to use his advantage as a lawyer to berate the Duan family who have come from nothing as immigrants and are trying their best to make a living running a restaurant is, in a word, unconscionable . During one email exchange, Duan asked the professor,"you seem like a smart man... don't you have better things to do?" Bullies usually don't . For all I know, Edelman is a pretty good professor . That does not make him a good person . Clinical psychiatrists might find him to be an interesting case study in how living in the Harvard bubble can distort even the most agile of minds . Sometimes intellectuals take themselves too seriously . Sequestered from the experiences of the average man, they can lack common sense, kindness and decency . Edelman seems bereft of them all . There is a reason why places like Harvard are called"ivory towers" . All too often, they envelop an artificial atmosphere where intellectuals are disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life . So, it should be no surprise when guys like Ben Edelman explode like a bomb on some poor immigrant family trying to make a buck with the sweat of their brow . Fortunately, academic elitism is not contagious . Teaching at Harvard may be a lofty achievement in the egg-head world . But professor Edelman seems to lack the one quality which elevates people above all other primates: compassion . He might gain a measure of humility and understanding by getting a real job . Might I suggest washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant? The next time I visit the Boston area, I'll skip Harvard Yard . Instead ,  I plan to drop by the Sichuan Garden to try their sauteed prawns with roasted chili and peanut sauce . And I won't check the bill .

Output: At least one is a grown-up walking the hallowed halls of Harvard University


Input: Consider Input: Free community college isn't a joke for families who spend half their income to send a child. In the United States today, the odds of getting a degree are more tightly linked to family income than ever before, thanks to skyrocketing college costs and insufficient and misallocated federal and state financial aid funds . Although the federal government distributes about $170bn a year in financial aid to many types of students attending many types of schools , many low-income families still have to pay too much . Low-income families often end up paying about 40% of their family income for a member to attend community college - and , for four-year colleges, the bill can add up to a whopping 59% of a family's earnings . Even middle-class families may be asked to spend or borrow a quarter of their annual income to finance one child's attendance at a public university , while the costs of a private one are yet higher . As a result, many families of modest means are unable to afford college . Students from middle- and low-income families have also become more likely to drop out from public colleges and universities, leaving with debts they can't afford to pay back rather than degrees . But these are more than just personal tragedies : they represent a significant loss to America's economy and competitiveness for decades to come . On Friday, President Obama offered a simple, universal solution: free tuition for two years at community colleges for students who maintain a 2.5 grade point average, attend at least half-time and make steady progress towards completing their program . The federal government would cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college , and participating states would be expected to pick up the rest . The last time a president did something this bold on higher education was the original Higher Education Act of 1965 . Then, President Lyndon Johnson had a huge Democratic majority in Congress to support his proposal . President Obama, on the other hand, faces a tougher road in a government run by Republicans who are reluctant to support spending more money to help poor and middle class people - yet they should forego partisanship and take this legislation seriously . Instead of being available only to the poorest students(like Pell grants) free community college tuition would be available for all . The most powerful and enduring American social policies - Social Security, infrastructure investments like the highway system and indeed public education itself- have always benefitted everyone . As it stands now , America's outdated student aid policies simply aren't fulfilling their mission and are instead actively failing to make college affordable for all students . And, unlike many other proposals to fix the twin problems of college affordability and student debt focused on four-year programs, free community college has the potential to meet the immediate needs of employers , who often say that they cannot find potential candidates with needed skills . Community college programs in fields like nursing, technology and even management are designed to give students the skills that employers need more quickly than the average bachelor's degree program . Obama's plan is far from perfect . It is not a catch-all solution , and other major problems in American higher education still need to be addressed- including for-profit colleges that consume vast amounts of federal aid dollars but often leave students with little more than terrible debt burdens . The costs of private and public four-year institutions should not be ignored , so that the number of bachelor degree graduates will again rise . And the President's proposal only gives students a discount on tuition , which is just one part (albeit a major one) of the cost of going to school . Yet there is no question that Congress should, if anything, seek to outdo Obama with an even more ambitious proposal, rather than negotiate to reduce his package . They should not let this proposal die upon arrival . Families can't afford to wait through more years of inaction . [Editor's note: The author advised the White House on this effort, but was not compensated for her work .]

Output: As a result, many families of modest means are unable to afford college Students from middle- and low-income families have also become more likely to drop out from public colleges and universities, leaving with debts they can't afford to pay back rather than degrees


Input: Consider Input: Last minute Christmas shopping: Five things to avoid. This weekend millions of Americans will take to the mall to get last-minute gifts for their loved ones . They will pour through the already-picked-over selections to try and find "the gift." For those of you who are forced into the mall this weekend : I'm sorry . Here are five things to avoid as we enter the final shopping days before Christmas . 1 \. Believe the best bargains are found if you wait until the last minute . While it's true , retailers are starting their after-Christmas sales earlier than ever - just as the Christmas shopping season starts before you get to Thanksgiving dessert - seasoned shoppers know(1) value and(2) bargain do not mean the same thing . We all know just because something is cheap doesn't mean it's "a bargain" or a "value." It's only a bargain if it is truly something you want or need, and are able to get it at a deep discount . Often last minute shoppers don't know what they want . For those shopping this weekend you will have to settle for what circumstances present , which in many cases will be cheap materials, but not a bargains . The value is the ratio of quality (or quantity) to price . Low quality at a low price is no value , especially when compared to high quality at a low price . Values tend go early in the holiday shopping season . Cheap stays on the shelf until it's all that's left . 2 . Believe there is still money to spend in your budget this month . Last minute shopping, particularly for December, means buying during the back half of the month . That's typically when most income for the month is already committed , and any incremental spending means "borrowing against the future." It's better to buy early - and spread the purchasing over time - so you can more easily absorb the expense . Nobody likes that "January surprise." And for new last- minute shoppers, that surprise can be surprisingly BIG! 3 . Believe you can still find "just the right gift for Uncle George." Waiting until the last minute to shop means having to make compromises . Time and selection are your two greatest "friends" when you shop early . But for last minute shoppers they become your two greatest nightmares : you're pressed for time and all the best colors, sizes and values, are gone . Don't put yourself under a lot of pressure to find that perfect gift . At this stage in the game, a gift will do . 4 . Believe you still need "just one more" gift . We should all take a lesson out of Santa's playbook: 1. Make a list. 2. Check it twice . Too often last minute shopping isn't just an indication you've waited to the bitter end to buy those needed gifts . It also means you've waited too long to plan that shopping . And when that happens you're never quite sure if you have all the gifts you need (it seems keeping track of what you've bought is just as hard as planning what to buy in advance!) . So you keep buying just one more gift... just to make sure you've covered all your bases . By the way, that's when shoppers are especially susceptible to impulse buying . An attention-arresting display will attract last minute shoppers like honey attracts flies! 5 . Believe that the shopper has the advantage . While it is true that the Saturday before Christmas is still one of the busiest shopping days of the year , the advantage has swung back in favor of the retailer . With fewer hours to shop until Santa fills his sack, the retailer has the upper hand , especially if they've had a strong Q4 . For some, shopping the weekend before Christmas can bring the ultimate sense of that holiday experience . For those who enjoy shopping as a pastime, it's one of the best times to be in the mall , but for those folks who need to fulfill a shopping list, it can be one of the worst . The early bird still does get the worm . And the late bird gets ... the opportunity to pick over the dregs with a lot of other "late birds." With the brief time remaining before Christmas, use it to "shop for fun" not for necessity . It will truly help keep you in the Christmas spirit .


Output: Here are five things to avoid as we enter the final shopping days before Christmas This weekend millions of Americans will take to the mall to get last-minute gifts for their loved ones


