Last week, I made a slight error. I said that the second furthest thing from my mind is the current economic situation. Yet, I still wrote an entire blog on that subject. What I meant to say was that, for the average person in my position (15, male, studly), the economy is not an important subject but that it should be. Now that we've cleared that up...
I must clear something else up. I need to clarify what the specific issue is within my school's budget problem. Mainly, the board is considering cutting the elementary school-level Orchestra and Band to only 6th grade. Additional things that the proposal proposes are cutting the cheerleading program (good riddance), utilizing more office space, limiting custodial duties, decreasing LRT positions, and a plethora of other cuts or reductions. Here's the skinny...
Where the heck did that phrase come from? Next blog will be about random phrases.
I am completely, 100%, full-fledged, head-on, gung-ho, topsy-turvy, two thumbs (way) up, stick-a-fork-in-me-I'm-done in support of musical education in the elementary schools. Back in my day, Orchestra started in 4th grade, Band in 5th.
I wouldn't be the person I am today without Orchestra. Orchestra has affected my life in the most positive way imaginable. Out of my fifteen years, ten months, two days, seventeen hours and eleven minutes on Earth (fact), I've been able to play violin for 7 years. It's the largest commitment I've ever made and kept with (the only things I've quit in life are soccer and debate, and those were for health reasons). It's taught me how to focus, how to break something down and figure it out, how to problem solve and deal with life issues. I take lessons over the Summer. I pick up my violin everyday (partially because I love it... and partially because I have class everyday). Some of my fondest memories have come from within the notes and sounds of the strings. I still hum portions of songs from my first concerts. I have a very close relationship with my past and current teachers. I've met my greatest friends in Orchestra, both young and old. My stand partner in Eighth grade became my best friend. Without Orchestra, none of this would have happened.
The next bit of what I want to say is very complicated:
The Oceanic 6 are the island's constant, that's why things go wrong once they leave the island. They "have to go back, Kate" to set things straight.
WOW, that was uncalled-for. Random Lost interjection, my bad.
My position on the board makes this difficult because, for some odd reason, I continually find myself siding with the board versus where my heart would regularly lay: with the arts. I don't know why this is, but part of it has to do with the fact that the board is being disrespected. The members are not being treated as members, they are being treated as a thing. Concerned citizens are addressing them as an 'it'. If you've read Anthem by Ayn Rand, you know how annoying randomly placed pronouns can be. Most of the public involved with this topic thinks the board members sit around at their workshops and rub their hands together mumbling "Precious" and petting their evil cats while discussing who's life to ruin today. This is so not true! Like I said in Part 1: no matter what decisions the board makes, they will make enemies. You can't satisfy everyone. This is what no one understands!
I just reread everything I've written so far. It's very scattered. Forgive me, but I've got a lot on my mind and I'd like to be going soon.
I have time for one last thought before I go. This means there will be a final part to this blog, Part 3. It will be written over the weekend.
To broaden the view and bring the topic back into focus on the economy in general and not just my situation, I'll close with this:
If I had such the experience with Orchestra that I described (which I did, I'm no liar), then I would want an even better experience for the future generations. I refuse to allow a stupid problem such as low state educational funding and budget cuts to prohibit someone from following their dreams. Whether this be Orchestra, Band, Choir, arts, sports, anything, I don't care. My generation is the future. Kids even younger than myself are my future's future. If they are denied proper opportunities for higher education, then someone isn't doing their job correctly.
That someone might be me.
I whole-heartedly believe that education should come first on the list of importance as far as state funding goes. Our future is the future of the state, the country, the world. More money towards schools means more scientists and musicians and teachers and scholars and intelligence and promise and cures.
Many people have the attitude of "I can't do anything for the world" or "What would I do?" or "One person won't make the difference"
You can make a difference. You can make the difference.
To quote Rabbi Hillel:
“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”
That's the view from here.
f
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A Crisis of Economic Proportions: Part 1
As a fifteen year old guy who's main objectives at the moment are getting his license and passing Pre-Calculus, the furthest thing from my mind is polar bears. But the second furthest thing is the current economic situation. Without getting too political, I hope to show how the status of our country affects a future voter and money-maker in America like myself.
Our economy stinks, to put it lightly. Holiday shopping was down this past season and people in general are cutting back, spending less. This we all know. But some readers, depending on his or her family's financial status, would argue that it's either less of a problem, or much more of one. Myself, you ask? I'm in the middle. My family is no where near lawyer and doctor income, but we're not janitors either (please don't take offense to this comment). I come in contact with people from both ends of the spectrum on a daily basis. I have friends who live in poorer neighborhoods and friends who live in mansions. The point is no matter what type of monetary situation one is in, the crisis in America affects everyone.
Especially teenagers. By no means am I implying a "Boo hoo, feel bad for us" attitude, but teenagers are among those (in my opinion) that are most affected by our economic problems. We have no discretion, no respect, no understanding of the dollar. Give us one dollar, we take two. Give us five, we take twenty. Give us twenty, we hit the road.
Why, just last Saturday I went to Grand Slam arcade. Not expecting to spend any money, the only worthy contents of my wallet were a library card and nine dollars. Little did I know how addicting Skee-Ball and Laser Tag were going to be. My money was gone as fast as you can say "4+8+15+16+23+42=108" (I have a healthy obsession with the program Lost. This will no doubt come up in a future blog). This is just one example of how fast the teenage mind can go from reasonably logical to downright idiotic.
The national problem is hitting home for me in a very personal way. Or should I say, hitting school? I am very connected with my high school in multiple ways: as a sophomore, as a long-time district member (since kindergarten), as one of three representatives on the school board, as a proud member of the orchestra, of the spanish club, of student government, as a son of a school secretary, as the cousin of a school track star and of a school basketball star, as a friend of so many amazing students.
Every other Thursday from 7pm to whenever I feel like leaving, I attend the regular meetings of the school board. I, along with a junior and senior representative, have all the privileges of a board member, minus the vote. We sit with our name plates and our microphones and our computers, ready to comment on or question anything brought to the attention of the board. It's our duty to take high school thoughts and feelings and bring them to the board and, in turn, bring thoughts and feelings from the board to our fine learning establishment.
Recently, many rumors have been going around about cutting music or cutting counselors or cutting language arts or cutting social studies or cutting basically anything in order to save a little money. A week from tonight I will be sitting in my same chair, at my same computer, with my same name plate in front of me, in the same board room listening to the new proposed budget plan.
*I'll be doing part two of this blog one week from now (granted I don't have too much homework) when I get home from the school board meeting.*
No matter what happens next week, the board members will have made some new enemies. My personal opinion (though I'm not able to be biased during the meeting for obvious reasons) is that music and English and History and everything is all equally important to the development of a child, a preteen, a teen, whatever. If one area gets cut, the others suffer. As does every single student.
Because the country is in such a bad standing, money that would usually go towards education is being put towards other fields. Something new needs to happen. Change. Yes, this sounds like a Barack Obama ad. But I said earlier that I wouldn't be too political. While I did/do have a preference between Senator McCain and President Obama, I truly believe that both of them were incredibly worthy and able candidates for President. Either would (and hopefully Obama will) make this country stronger. Now, I will not even begin to demean myself by blaming someone or some group. It's not George Bush's fault. It's not Congress's fault. It's not Joe the Plumber's fault. It's not Oprah's fault. It doesn't matter who's fault it is. It just needs to be fixed.
That's the view from here.
f
Our economy stinks, to put it lightly. Holiday shopping was down this past season and people in general are cutting back, spending less. This we all know. But some readers, depending on his or her family's financial status, would argue that it's either less of a problem, or much more of one. Myself, you ask? I'm in the middle. My family is no where near lawyer and doctor income, but we're not janitors either (please don't take offense to this comment). I come in contact with people from both ends of the spectrum on a daily basis. I have friends who live in poorer neighborhoods and friends who live in mansions. The point is no matter what type of monetary situation one is in, the crisis in America affects everyone.
Especially teenagers. By no means am I implying a "Boo hoo, feel bad for us" attitude, but teenagers are among those (in my opinion) that are most affected by our economic problems. We have no discretion, no respect, no understanding of the dollar. Give us one dollar, we take two. Give us five, we take twenty. Give us twenty, we hit the road.
Why, just last Saturday I went to Grand Slam arcade. Not expecting to spend any money, the only worthy contents of my wallet were a library card and nine dollars. Little did I know how addicting Skee-Ball and Laser Tag were going to be. My money was gone as fast as you can say "4+8+15+16+23+42=108" (I have a healthy obsession with the program Lost. This will no doubt come up in a future blog). This is just one example of how fast the teenage mind can go from reasonably logical to downright idiotic.
The national problem is hitting home for me in a very personal way. Or should I say, hitting school? I am very connected with my high school in multiple ways: as a sophomore, as a long-time district member (since kindergarten), as one of three representatives on the school board, as a proud member of the orchestra, of the spanish club, of student government, as a son of a school secretary, as the cousin of a school track star and of a school basketball star, as a friend of so many amazing students.
Every other Thursday from 7pm to whenever I feel like leaving, I attend the regular meetings of the school board. I, along with a junior and senior representative, have all the privileges of a board member, minus the vote. We sit with our name plates and our microphones and our computers, ready to comment on or question anything brought to the attention of the board. It's our duty to take high school thoughts and feelings and bring them to the board and, in turn, bring thoughts and feelings from the board to our fine learning establishment.
Recently, many rumors have been going around about cutting music or cutting counselors or cutting language arts or cutting social studies or cutting basically anything in order to save a little money. A week from tonight I will be sitting in my same chair, at my same computer, with my same name plate in front of me, in the same board room listening to the new proposed budget plan.
*I'll be doing part two of this blog one week from now (granted I don't have too much homework) when I get home from the school board meeting.*
No matter what happens next week, the board members will have made some new enemies. My personal opinion (though I'm not able to be biased during the meeting for obvious reasons) is that music and English and History and everything is all equally important to the development of a child, a preteen, a teen, whatever. If one area gets cut, the others suffer. As does every single student.
Because the country is in such a bad standing, money that would usually go towards education is being put towards other fields. Something new needs to happen. Change. Yes, this sounds like a Barack Obama ad. But I said earlier that I wouldn't be too political. While I did/do have a preference between Senator McCain and President Obama, I truly believe that both of them were incredibly worthy and able candidates for President. Either would (and hopefully Obama will) make this country stronger. Now, I will not even begin to demean myself by blaming someone or some group. It's not George Bush's fault. It's not Congress's fault. It's not Joe the Plumber's fault. It's not Oprah's fault. It doesn't matter who's fault it is. It just needs to be fixed.
That's the view from here.
f
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