The Campus Current went and asked numerous students about their thoughts on the american dream. This is what they had to say.

“I think the American Dream means freedom and being able to do whatever you want. It means having power and I think that anyone can achieve it,” said Lindsey Korh.

“The American Dream can be achieved, depending on where you come from in America. If you have the right sources and the motivation you can achieve you can achieve it. The American dream is not fake,” Marcus Bell said.

“I think it is a phrase thrown around by politicians; it doesn’t have any real meaning behind it anymore. It was a thing of the past but now it is not, it is mostly slapped on to any success story and we call that the American Dream,” Brendan Sculze said.

“It’s the ability to pursue your own interests, rather that means personal or a professional goal. In America you’re usually afforded that opportunity to achieve it,” Evelyn Berlioz said.

“It is the ability to go about your business, without people being in your personal business. You can do what you want to do, the ability to live free. Not letting the “man” letting you down. It’s not obtainable by everyone and that’s the old people’s fault. Once they are gone and we get more of the younger generation’s in command, we can start achieving it,” Rick Brown said.

“The American Dream, anyone can achieve what they want in their goals. For the most that is true, we all have different obstacles in our way of achieving our own goals. The idea of reaching our goals doesn’t mean that you won’t have obstacles, it just means working harder. The American Dream is still relevant today. I think that anyone can achieve it, look at Johnny Cupcake, having his own business by 16. That is a perfect example of achieving the American dream. Really, it is what you’re willing to work for; people think that they are entailed to the American Dream,” Jacob Murphy said. “My goal everyday is to be a better person than I was yesterday.”

“I feel it was not real even to begin with, I don’t think that it is something that you can achieve. People don’t have the money to go out and get an expensive education or house; I mean people are still living at their parents’ until the age 30. You can’t just go out and get married and have a house by a certain age, it’s nor attainable. It’s a pipe dream,” Amelia Urbanski said.

“It was a great idea at the start of America but not so much anymore. It is not achievable now because everything in this country is different now. I think the American Dream is exactly what it says, just a Dream. I mean it could be obtainable but it just depends on who you are,” Dallas Coleman said.

“Typically, it has to do with getting an education and getting a good job and getting the house and kids. It’s not easy for people to get in good schools and even then it is not easy to get good jobs. Marriage is pretty easy but nowadays people are not expected to have kids. It’s different for everyone; people don’t need to go to college to be successful, you can achieve something you’re passionate about without a degree,” Amy Rittenhouse said.

“When coming to the US it is very different from Vietnam. They have more fast foods and everything is more fast paced than in Vietnam. America is the American Dream, it easy to get a job if you have a degree and you can get a good job. It’s hard to get a job in Vitamin, even if you have a degree. Here for school to get a degree, I don’t know what exactly for but then return to my country for a job,” Duong Nguyen said.

“I think of a house, kids, being married and some type of animal. It is not achievable by everyone because jobs are hard and min. wage is beyond below. I think the typical American Dream is pretty boring. I think of the olden times, not how it is now. People want more big things in life, bigger houses, they want bigger things that are out of their limits,” Kaite Kursch said.