“The mind has to be kept active”

Contrary to the image often conveyed by sitcoms and other venues in a youth-oriented culture, growing older can be an enriching experience, particularly in oceanfront Brooklyn.

Just ask Jerry Markowitz, an 84-year-old born-and-bred Brooklynite. “The mind has to be kept active,” said Markowitz, who has been a student in Kingsborough Community College’s My Turn program for 20 years.

In the midst of the economic slowdown, many of America's youngest generation are beginning to feel it where it hurts the most- their wallets.

Locally, the scene isn't very much different, as many of the borough's college students are having trouble making ends meet.

Being independent and paying your own way through college used to be looked at as a precursor to inevitable success.

For many however, it feels like a death sentence.

“I don't have a job and have been looking for one for about two months now,” said Kingsborough Community College freshman Lauren Mandel. “I even had to go on food stamps to afford food for my house.”