April 2011

Vol. 90, No.6 • April 2011 • Lakewood High School • 14100 Franklin Blvd. • Lakewood, OH • 44107 www.lakewoodtimes.net

The Times thanks our patrons: Gold

Saleh & Faten Awadallah Nancy Graves Dr. Wagner & Family

Silver

Claudia & Darryl Chajon Barbara Michel Suzanne Pollack Sherri McEntee & Don Richmond Jim Quigley & Mary Ryan Mark Schroeder Vicki & Dan Smigelski Kefah Suleiman

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Bronze

Yakoob Badat Moira Dugan & Charlie Bango Barb Cromer Costo’s Juice Plus John L. Dowling Olivia Hiles Kiley Family Mary Beth Kohl Susan Love Brigid McNeely Walt & Sue Moran Keith Owen Wendy & Dave Robar Bill, Mary, & Ian Schulz Tracy Supinski John & Patti Witri Kari Zimmermann

The Lakewood Times

contents Stress

4 Nameless struggles to survive 6 Alumna’s pain still fresh 8 Are we losing the middle?

Driving

10 Drive yourself wild 12 Gift of carpooling Insurance 13 Problems at the pump

Recreation

Times staff 2010/2011 Co-Editors-in-Chief Deven Middleton Fiza Shah

Design & Sports Editor Lisa Kowalski News Editor Sam Cross Opinon Editor Alberto Rodriguez Lakewood Life Editor Julia Houska Copy Editors Melissa Gajewski Gwen Stephen Adviser Karen Ballash

Editorial Board Members Juan Amador Tori Chesmar Grace Coy Katy Eberl Grant Graves Matt Majewski Lindsey McEntee Haley McGinty Andrew O’Connor Lily Pollack Peter Quigley Meredith Richards Wilson Sackett Naseem Shean Paige Smigelski Sabrina Suleiman Toby Tobin

14 Money: now and them 16 Matt’s mooching & Juan’s milking 17 How Mrs. C sees it 18 Saving with style 19 Money-less, what to do 20 Kids with credit cards

Vol. 90 Issue 6 April 2011

College

21 Employed v.s unemployed 22 Community College 23 Sandoval aids students Dreams dashed by reality 25 Does money equal happiness

Jobs

26 Jobs 28 Final Word

About the cover

Photo by Juan Amador Photo illustration by Lisa Kowalski Block letter images on front and back cover by Leo Reynolds

Editor’sNote

Unless you’ve spent the past few years under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the decline of the economy. And, if you leave your house every once in a while, you’ve most likely witnessed its effect first-hand.

With summer drawing closer, many teens are beginning to feel the pressure of finding a summer job, and paying for their current or future expenses. Because this is a topic with such broad scope, the Times staff decided to devote a special issue to investigating the economy’s effects on teenagers.

Each section is split into a various topics, such as jobs, stress at home, recreation, college, and driving. Read on.

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It is the mission of The Lakewood Times, the official newsmagazine of Lakewood High School, to serve as a public forum that promotes the gathering and exchange of ideas, and uphold high journalistic standards for the purpose of enriching the lives of our readers.

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We reserve the right to withhold a letter or column and return it for more information if we determine it contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy. Letters will be edited for spelling and grammar. Should a letter contain errors in fact, excessive grammatical errors or be too long, it will be returned to the author for re submission. Deadlines for letters and columns will be no later than ten days before the next publication date. The Times may choose to report student, staff, faculty, and alumnus deaths as he editorial board is made aware of them. We reserve the right to decide not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstances. In cases where the editorial board decided not to cover death, letters to the editor in regard to that death could be printed.

April 2011

3

Fighting against LHS students struggle to stay afloat when financial stress hits home.

By Al Rodriguez

Students with stories of financial hardship walk by us each day. They belong to our classmates and friends.

The stories aren’t told and are often not looked for. Students who deal with these issues often don’t want to “brag about how hard [their] lives are,” said an LHS junior who wishes to remain anonymous.

This student has one of those stories.

“The financial struggle in my family have always been present, but even more so in the past year,” she said. “My family barely makes $21,000 a year, if that.”

The national poverty level for a family of three is $18,350, according to 2011 federal poverty guidelines. With an income only a few

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Stress

thousand dollars above the poverty line, even the basics begin to become a headache. “[Things] like school fees that others take for granted are really a tough expense to pay,” she said.

Things are only made more difficult by the lack of a job.

Unsuccessful in her search, she is not in a position to lessen the financial stress at home.

“I’ve sought out a job to no avail,” she said, “and [having a job] would certainly help our situation with one less p e r s o n depending solely

on a single mother’s income.”

When a job does come around though, she is prepared to help.

“I would place about 40% of my earnings in a college fund, and give the rest to my family,” she said. “I’m a teenager [and] I don’t need the money for anything important. Until I do, I’m sure my family can benefit from it far more than I can.”

Despite the difficulty she faces on an everyday basis, this student chooses not to let the financial stress of her home get her down.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not the pressure is fair, it’s there,” she said, “My mother doesn’t ask for this pressure to be put on her, it just is. And being a single mom means she needs someone on her side, and that person happens to be me. I’d rather share it and lessen her burden than allow her to feel it alone.”

Determined to make a better life for herself and her family, she tries not to let her struggles interfere with her school life.

“I’ve never felt the pressure to drop out of school,” she said. “I feel that my making it through school and acquiring a well pay-

ing job would be the one thing to aid my family’s financial situation in the future. I’m determined to do everything I possibly can to eventually help out my family.”

Although her tale isn’t a cheerful one, she sees her situation as better than some.

“I focus on the fact that there are those who are far less fortunate in the world. I focus on the gratitude I should have for a roof over my head and shoes on my feet, and to not have to worry about having enough food for my next meal.”

The Lakewood Times

the current All names in this article have been changed in order to protect the student’s identity

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April 2011

5

LHS alumna’s story still hits home

By Al Rodriguez

The phenomenon of teens being placed in an adult world of financial responsibility isn’t one new to 2011.

The experience of a 2007 LHS alumni (who wishes to remain anonymous) illustrates a not-so-far away past. His story shows that financial pressure does not always disappear with the passage of time.

“I never talked to anyone about it when it happened to me,” said the LHS graduate, currently a student at Cleveland State University, “I felt kind of ashamed that I had to start supporting myself when I was 16.

It’s not what a teenager should deal with.”

Her story of financial difficulty begins at her junior year of high school at LHS. “I got a job so I could make my own money, so I rewarded myself with things such as new clothes, running gear and a new cell phone,” she said. “The day I bought [myself] one, my parents yelled at me with things like “We can’t pay our own phone bill, but you can pay for yours?” and “We can’t pay for the electric bill. How are you going to charge your phone without electricity?”

“I was only 16, and it was a lot to deal

with.” It wasn’t long before things got worse.

“Four days after my 17th birthday, my family got evicted,” she said. “So, I stayed with another family so I could graduate from LHS. I still worked to make [my own] money, but every other week or so since the eviction left my parents [without money], they would call me and ask for [some] -- making me feel guilty that they couldn’t afford to eat, but that I could, since I lived with another family.”

This pressure didn’t take her down, however. She graduated from LHS, and went on to college. But even at college, her past financial difficulties revisit her.

“Every year when I fill out my FAFSA, I have to call my parents and ask them for their financial information, and every year it’s a hassle. It usually ends up with my mom saying something like ‘I haven’t filled out taxes. I owe the government money for last year. I’m sorry that we’re not financially stable enough to provide you with money for college,’” she said.

“It causes at least a 45-minute argument every year”.

Now a biology major at CSU, she intends to complete her degree and continue on

to graduate school. The issues she faced in high school haven’t slowed her down, and she intends to sprint to the finish. “[My experiences] have given me extra motivation to finish my degree,” she said.

“I’ll be the first one in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and my driving motivation is so I can financially support however many kids I have one day.”

If today’s students are dealing with problems similar to those she faced, she shares a message of hope: “Stick through it, and stay strong.

As clichéd as it sounds, it’ll feel ten times [better when] whatever academic goal you have is finally reached.”

Let’s hold on to what little we’ve got An opinion by Peter Quigley

G

aps. Gaps are everywhere nowadays. There are gaps in the ozone layer, gaps in legislation, gaps in wallets, Gap clothing stores and an increasing amount of gaps in social status.

Today, the term The Average Joe has become an obscure one. With the recession in full bloom, the common man has almost become extinct. The mid-

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Stress

dle class is rapidly disappearing.

The University of California reports that income inequality is soaring, with the bottom 20% of wage earners in 2005 averaging around $10,000 per year and the top 20% averaging around $160,000 per year, a 1,500 percent difference.

Today, politicians bring tax cuts for the rich as well as cuts in public service wages and welfare.

For example, the state government has recently passed Senate Bill 5, a bill that inhibits public service workers from collective bargaining, as well as issuing major cuts in spending and consequently the workers’ salaries.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that in

2010, 29 states cut public health programs, 24 states cut programs for the disabled and the elderly, 29 states cut aid to public education through high school, and 39 states cut scholarship money from public universities.

Overall, it is clear that the government is short on money.

Corporations have had an easier time dealing with the economy. In 2004, the White House reported that multinational corporations paid about $16 billion in taxes while earning around $700 billion. In other words, the companies that have supposedly been victims of hard times only had to chip off 2.3 percent of their earnings.

Some companies such as

General Electric have actually earned money from tax revenue. According to the New York Times, GE has gained a tax benefit of $3.2 billion, with its total earnings weighing in at $14.2 billion. At the same time, the company reportedly paid no taxes to the government.

While the general population is forced to bear the burden of the economy, the wealthy have been prosperous.

If the government is so low on money, why can’t it simply tax companies like General Electric, instead of cutting jobs and programs from public sectors? Why can’t it trim the already monstrous amount of money big businesses make

The Lakewood Times

instead of sucking every penny out of middle class workers?

It is simply unfair that CEOs, the undeniable culprits of the recession when companies like AIG went bankrupt back in 2008 due to poor business decisions, are not only exploiting middle and lower class Americans, but our very own government is aiding them in doing so.

If things continue to go like this, the middle class will be no more. It is clear that wealthy citizens and poorer citizens will each be on separate glaciers heading

in opposite directions. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer.

The impoverished are left to a world where they are at incredulous disadvantages to wealthier people.

First off, they struggle to find money for college while the rich are able to afford almost any school, getting a better education. After that, the poor either don’t receive an adequate education or they find themselves buried in student loans, while the rich easily land high-paying jobs.

One of the biggest problems

middle and lower class Americans have to deal with is health care.

With our country lacking universal health care, it has caused many people to find themselves in economic stress. In 2009, Harvard and Ohio University researchers discovered that 62 percent of bankruptcies in America were due to health care expenses. The common victims were almost always ordinary, middle class citizens.

But that’s not the main problem facing poorer Americans.

Beyond their struggle

to accumulate money for life’s needs, they also face deeper problems psychologically.

Money is everything in America, and the poor must live in this world, too. They live in a world where everyone has to have a car and everyone has to pay for their own insurance.

One of the few things the rich and the poor have in common is that they live in a world ruled by media. Every day, millions of Americans are fed commercial after commercial, being mercilessly led to believe that if they buy a fancy new car, they are superior to their peers. Beautiful celebrities decorate the spaces in between the price tags, donning decadent clothing and smiling brilliant, pearly smiles characteristic of the “elite.”

The worst part about our crazy, capitalistic, cantankerous, cash driven country is its psychological implications. Poor Americans are unfortunately led to believe that they aren’t as good as rich Americans. They are forced to believe that if they don’t own obnoxiously spacious homes in Beverly Hills, they are failures.

In the game of life, they were losers from the start, the sorrowful victims of those with silver spoons in their mouths.

Imagine living in a world where you’re surrounded by homes you cannot afford.

Imagine being surrounded by peers in your school that have cooler clothes than you, but you cannot afford to buy them. Above all, imagine a world where you sometimes feel that you simply cannot amount to anything.

This is our nation’s dire dilemma.

I wish I had an answer on how to solve it.

Art by Matt Majewski

April 2011

Stress 7

Drive yourself wild

By: Melissa Gajewski

Driving: it’s just another stage of maturation for most students. Another step towards freedom and self-reliance.

But, it’s a step that comes at different times for everyone. It can arrive swiftly, hot on the heels of your sweet sixteen, or linger about as a possibility until you’re eighteen and no longer have to worry about classes.

“I got mine right away,” said senior Dragoslav Cvijetinovic. “I was under the impression I would be getting a car. Yeah, that didn’t happen.”

Cvijetinovic got his license on January 17th of his sophomore year, twenty-nine days after his sixteenth birthday. No longer suffering under the delusion of owning his own vehicle, he drives only his family cars: either a 1998 Buick or a 1996 Chevy.

Cvijetinovic isn’t the only one driving around the family car. Most Lakewood High School students don’t own their own car.

Senior Leon Kratz drives his mother’s 1994 Honda Civic, and Sarah Sponsler, also a senior, drives either a dated Ford Contour or a minivan.

For Sponsler, sharing a car with her parents works out just fine.

“I’d have to drive everywhere if I owned my own car,” Sponsler said. “I already do enough driving, picking up my sisters, taking them to classes and such. It’s all to help my mom out, and I don’t mind it and I don’t need my own car to do it.”

But what about the limitations of not having your own car? You can’t just grab the keys and go when they aren’t your keys to grab. Sure, you have your license, but what good is a shiny piece of plastic with your picture on it if it just lays wasted in your wallet every weekend?

“I don’t feel limited,” said Sponsler. “All my friends drive, so I’ve never been kept from going where I want to go just because I don’t own my own car.”

Driving isn’t for everyone, as Sponsler

8 Driving

Senior Dragoslav Cvijetinovic looks good with four wheels.

made clear, but it is for a lot of underage Ohioans. In Ohio, there are 520,570 teenage drivers, 43% of the high school population of the state.

Kratz is included in that percentage and has been since he was sixteen. According to Kratz, “having [his] own car to drive would make things infinitely simpler.”

“I’m actually a secret scientist at the NASA Glenn Research Center, in the Nuclear Moon Science Division.” Kratz said soberly. “Getting dropped off by my mommy at the front door hurts the intense effect of my white lab coat sometimes. It’d be better if I could roll up solo.”

While the validity of Kratz’s alleged profession at NASA is questionable, it does raise a good point. What about work? Cars are great for joyrides and delivering you and your buds to super fun destinations, but doing all that costs money. Teens need money, so teens need jobs. A lot of jobs for Lakewood teenagers are local, within either walking or biking distance.

“I’ve worked at the Y as a lifeguard for the past three years,” said senior Mary Shannon.

Senior Danielle Lesko embraces her vehicle.

The Lakewood Times

“I guess I would have tried to work someplace else, but there’s really nothing else I can walk to that has openings. I don’t drive.”

Not everyone lives a hop and a skip away from their place of business, as Shannon does. Nearby jobs are coveted by the carless, but more doors are opened to those who can make the motorized trek out of the city limits. Senior Danielle Lesko falls into that number of driver-dependents.

“I probably would have been stuck at Dunkin’ Donuts up the street from me if I didn’t drive,” Lesko said. “I was able to get work at CYC [Cleveland Yachting Club] because I could drive there.”

Though Lesko doesn’t have her own car, she and her mom work out when Lesko can take their 2010 Nissan Altima. Being able to drive opened Lesko up to an excellent summer job, giving her guaranteed, good paying work five months out of the year.

Lesko and her mother make it work, proving that as high school students, not everyone needs a car for work. Yet. “I know I’ll need my own car eventually,” said Sponsler. “Probably by my third year [of college,] when I start student teaching.”

Sponsler plans to go to Bowling Green State University to study music education.

On campus, she won’t need a car, which is also the case at many other popular colleges for Lakewood graduates.

“I’m probably going to OU next year, and you’re not even allowed to have a car there as a freshman,” said Cvijetinovic. “So I don’t technically need a car, but right now it would just be so much more convenient.”

That’s a word you’ll hear dropped by most everyone who has a car: convenience. No planning who gets the wheels when, no remembering to adjust the mirrors in your dad’s car before you give it back. Your own car, to do with as you please (unless you’re on your parents insurance, in which case it is suggested you tread lightly).

“If I had a car, I’d have it for whenever I wanted, to go wherever I wanted. I wouldn’t have to share with my mom, or bum rides home from my friends all the time,” Kratz said.

“If I had my own car, life would just be easier.” Lesko said. “Definitely more convenient.”

April 2011

(Above) Senior Sarah Sponsler happy to be licensed.

(Above) Sponsler demonstartes perfect 10-and-2 hand postitioning.

Lesko looks ready for a ride.

9

The gift of car pooling Getting there together beats going alone

By Grant Graves

M

any students have a hard time transporting themselves from activity to activity. If they do not have their license they usually depend on mom and dad or a friend to help with transportation.

Lots of students need rides to and from school and to various activities, including extracurriculars. While ther are various opinions concerning car-pooling, it is still a viable and widely used form of transportation.

“It is a great way to cut down on the amount of drivers going to a mutual destination,” said senior Luke Fesko, who is a member of Barnstormers, Tennis, Cross

Country and Eaters of Lakewood, just to name a few. “Carpooling for me is not to much of a nuisance. It is a great way to cut down on greenhouse emissions and it is also a lot of fun, if it is done right.”

Senior David Reulbach feels as if car-pooling and giving rides is a drain on his wallet and very inconvenient.

“Sometimes when I am driving people home, I cannot get dinner because the food will get cold or I do not have to time to run errands. It also costs me money driving others home. The extra gas it takes to drop people off is taxing on my economy.”

Cars line up to exit the Mods parking lot after school

Senior Mikaela Tardivo drives home with friends.

10 Driving

The Lakewood Times

Insurance means money out of your wallet

By Toby Tobin

For teen drivers, car insurance is an ever important topic. Nearly all teens would love to be driving, but what holds many back is the cost of car insurance.

Though necessary for a person to drive, the expensive cost of car insurance will leave a serious dent in nearly every teen’s budget.

Since many teens do not have jobs, it can be very difficult for them to come up with the required payments every month.

According to www.rmiia.org, teen drivers age 15-20 accounted for 16% of all reported car accidents in 2006. A car accident can raise insurance rates, which is the last thing teens want, especially if they are paying the bill themselves.

For a number of student drivers, parents pick up the tab and the student is free to drive without the heavy burden of paying the monthly bill. On whether he would still drive if he had to pay the insurance bill, senior Luke Fesko said, “probably not.”

Seniors Evan Roder and Kevin Ritter both drive, but do not personally pay for car insurance. Roder said he wouldn’t be able to drive if he had to pay, “because [he doesn’t] have the money.”

If he had to pay for his own insurance, Ritter said, “I would not have my own car, but I still would be driving.”

For others, they must pay the car insurance and must often get a job in order to do so. Getting a job just so one can afford to drive around town may seem unreasonable, but it is something many teens deal with.

Because of the high price of today’s car insurance, some students find that it’s not worth it at all. Senior Kyle Kvasnicka doesn’t drive because he doesn’t want the hassle of a monthly insurance payment.

“In order to drive I have to spend $100 per month. That’s not worth it for me,” Kvasnicka said.

Junior Jesse Littleton is one student who does pay for his insurance every month, at a price of around $150 per month.

“It’s awful,” Littleton said.

Adding a teen driver’s car insurance is a heavy bill, but not one that can’t be lowered.

Websites such as www.freeinsuranceadvice. com suggest tips to lower the rates of teen

insurance. Picking a smart used vehicle, or taking a driving course can lower the cost of the insurance. Avoiding accidents, and even having good grades at school can help keep the cost lower.

5

WHAT TO DO

1

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Car insurance is a big bill to pay for teens, one that often turns them off to the idea of driving in general. This is true at LHS, where the idea of paying upwards of $50 per month for car insurance disgusts most teens.

PLANNING STEPS

FOR CHEAPER CAR INSURANCE

Get on your parents’ policy

It’s usually cheaper to add a teenager to your parents’ policy, rather than be insured separately. Most companies won’t charge an additional premium until the teen is a licensed driver. Parents need to inform their insurance agent or company that their teenager is being added to the policy.

Good grades pay off Most insurers offer a discount, some as high as 25%, for students who maintain a B average.

3

Driver experience Graduated Driver Licensing law requires teens to log 50 hours with an experienced driver, but taking a formal drivers training course will likely save on insurance. Many companies offer up to a 10% discount.

4

Drive an “insurance friendly” vehicle Cars that are a favorite target for thieves, are expensive to repair, or are considered “high performance” have much higher insurance costs. Before you buy a car, contact your insurer to get a quote on what it will cost to insure.

5

Safety features and crash worthiness Don’t assume an old clunker is your best insurance bet. Newer makes and models are designed to be safer and discounts may be available if you have automatic seat belts and/or airbags.

April 2011

11

Problems with prices at the pump

By Sam Cross

Gasoline prices have erupted the wallets of many people across the city of Lakewood.

With gas prices on the rise, vehicles are becoming more and more difficult to power up, especially for teens.

“My parents offer to pay for gas sometimes, but when they don’t, the money has to come out of my pay check,” said senior, Paige Morana.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average U.S. Retail price for gasoline rose the first week of April by 8.7 cents from the prior week, to an average of $3.737 per gallon.

“I only drive when I absolutely have to,” said senior, Taylor Birth.

“The gas prices are such a stress and barely fill up my tank, even when I have the money.”

In the frigid

month of December 2008, as the recession was beginning, gas prices were at a low of $1.67, according to the EIA. Two years later in the beginning month of December 2010, the average price of gas was above $3.00.

That’s an estimated $1.33 increase in just two years. “I don’t even like to use my car anymore because I can’t afford the price [of gas],” said Birth.

Although prices in Ohio have not reached the all time high of $4.062 dollars (like in July of 2008), crude oil has seen costs raise nearly 72.1 cents from a year ago. Also, oil has become 45.7 cents per gallon higher than the monthly average of February 2011.

Highest gas prices in America

1. Hawaii - $4.42 2. California - $.4.30 3. Illinois - $4.26

12 Driving

The EIA reported in January of 2011 the National average retail price of diesel edged higher by mere two-tenths of cent, to $3.333.

“I have a 1998 Buick. I can’t even imagine what it would cost to fill up something like a semi-truck,” said Morana.

With the general size tank of a semi-truck being around 125 gallons, and with diesel fuel costing nearly $3.87 a gallon since the start of April, the total cost to fill up a tank would be roughly $483 and some change.

On the flip side, living in northeast Ohio does have an advan-

tage for those who are familiar with Giant Eagle’s fuel perks.

The fuel perks program allows Giant Eagle shoppers to get a certain amount off their gas price per gallon for the amount of money spent at the store. If a Giant Eagle customer spends $50, they are able to get 10 cents off per gallon when they fill up their tank at a Giant Eagle Get-Go gas station. “My mom has fuel perks,” said Birth. “We don’t usually buy that many groceries though so it takes a while for [the fuel perks] to build up to a reasonable price off.”

Although it may sound like Giant Eagle is trying to help out the community, it would take about $2,000 worth of groceries to fill up a tank with prices nearing $4 a gallon. Well... who’s hungry?

4. Alaska - $4.12

25. Ohio - $3.87 Source: gasbuddy.com

The Lakewood Times

The fad of the cool car is dying An opinion by Wilson Sackett

Remember the Hollywood vision of the coolest guy in school pulling up in the red convertible, with countless pretty tweens riding dangerously on the back seat? Well if you grew up watching “Saved By the Bell,” or swooned over Freddie Prince Junior in “She’s All That”, this stereotype seemed very real, and very impossible to have.

When facing the facts, having a beautiful dream car is very unlikely, very laughable, and frankly never happens. Kids today not only can’t afford the luxury convertible, but don’t want to. “I wouldn’t want to spend money on such expensive things that aren’t essential,” said senior Bob Zimmermann, “I have trouble as a teenager having enough money for things like food and other things I really need.”

As with any other product on the market today, people have always been after the nicest and newest model. And as the products keep getting nicer, they keep becoming more and more affordable for the middle class.

Originally, cars were something only the rich and powerful could have, and certainly no teenager could ever afford one. Well, they

April 2011

said the same thing about computers, and now eight-year olds are placing iPads at the top of the Christmas list.

“When I see 17 or 18 year-olds with beautiful cars, I always think they’re spoiled. They don’t deserve the nice cars that they’re given,” says Senior Matt Gibson.

With every new product that explodes on the scene today, its appeal fades over time.

Younger people can have the objects for less as they becomes more and more normal in our every day lives.

“I have to work for everything that I have,” said Junior Jamil Thomas, “It makes me really envious of kids that have these nice cars handed to them.”

Some teenagers have realized it isn’t worth it to have the beautiful gleaming car, when they can take the more affordable road instead.

Art by Casey Miller

13

Money: now and then The recession’s effect on how teens spend -and what changes they’ve made

By Deven Middleton

T

he five dollars in the lunch line, the eight bucks for a movie ticket.

These are the things teens were used to spending their money on regularly. But things have changed. Now, in an economy where many are forced to tighten their belts, even teens are rethinking the way they spend their cash.

“I’m not the best with my money,” said senior Danielle Lesko, who has a summer job at the Cleveland Yaht Club, but does not work during the year.

Lesko is like many teens who have had to face new realities when it comes to spending their money. As the cost for favorite activities is rising, participation in these activities is decreasing.

“When I waste my money it’s on food and movies, but over the past year things have gotten more expensive,” said Lesko, whose habits have changed. “I spend much less now.”

Many teens feel guilty when paying for unnecessary items, but the reward of an active social life usually wins over an empty wallet.

“I feel guilty spending money when my account’s really low and I go to a movie. After, I think ‘that probably was not the best idea,’” said Lesko. “But I don’t want to stay at home and do nothing while everyone else goes out.”

Spending money to keep up with friends is becoming harder for most teens. For junior Mary Wingle, spending a free night in, instead of spending money while going out, is normal.

14 Spending

“I don’t really go out that often, and when I do either my mom gives me ten dollars or someone else pays for it, [usually] my boyfriend,” said Wingle. “I had to learn how to get by without money.”

Wingle doesn’t receive a regular allowance except for “a few dollars for lunch.” Although she’s worked for Safety Town for three years during the summer, finding a job year round proves difficult. Wingle says her social life has been greatly defined by a lack of income.

“My friends are always going out to eat, and I don’t have the money to go with them,” said Wingle. “I have fun without spending, but sometimes I feel out of the loop because I can’t go out.”

Wingle does admit that when she has money, she splurges.

“I kind of go crazy in the summer, while I’m working. I never have money, so once I have it I think ‘okay, what can I do with it?’”

Wingle isn’t alone. According to a survey by the Stanford University School of Medicine, 5.8 percent of the U.S. population—about 17 million people—are compulsive shoppers.

The recession has only fueled this need for impulsive shopping, because so many have lost the opportunity to spend regularly.

Although Wingle doesn’t consider herself a compulsive shopper, she admits at times, having the tendencies of one. “I get money and I want to spend it,” she says.

It seems the silver lining of the recession might lie in the old idea of saving. Though teens on average spend about $74 a week, 68% have a savings account, and the num-

Money being spent, instead of being saved.

Photo by Deven Middleton.

ber is growing, according to the NAA Business Analysis & Research Department.

“I try to save as much money as I can,” said senior Clay Verga, who works at Angelo’s.

Verga thinks that the key to being successful in the economy is to “spend conservatively and save aggressively.”

Lesko who “tried to save my money long term, but it didn’t work out,” now plans on saving half her future paychecks to go towards college spending. “You really have to manage your money. Choose between what you want to spend it on, go out or spending, and save the rest.”

Though there’s no easy solution to change the way teens spend money, Wingle feels simply changing one’s attitude can prove powerful.

“I’ve learned that when I have money, it’s a gift,” she says. “I just wish more people could see it that way.”

The Lakewood Times

Ch-ch-changes

Ever wondered what your grandparents paid for their everday items?

1961

2011

13 cents

$1.50

12 oz Coca-Cola

5 cents

$1.00 Hershey’s Bar

What the what?

Making “cents” of money terms

$1.00

35 cents

McDonald’s Cheeseburger

Capital: All buildings, equipment, tools and human skills needed to create a product and provide service Inflation: a sustained and general increase in the general price level

Interest Rates: The price paid for borrowing money for a period of time

$1,565

Volkswagon Beetle

Standard of Living: a minimum of necessities, comforts or luxuries held essential to maintaining a person or group Economic Wants: Desires that can be satisfied by consuming a good or service, ranging from things for survival to things that are luxury.

Credit: The use of someone else’s funds in exchange for a promise to pay at a later date Recession: An economic slowdown, in terms of employment, investment spending, Gross Domestic Prodcut (GDP), incomes and business profits.

April 2011

$18,690

$9.99

$3.95

(iTunes)

(vinyl)

Music Album

Source: 1960sflashback.com

15

Matt’s guide to mooching An opinion by Matt Majewski

When you live in a town that has a fast food joint on every corner of every street, you pretty much only have two options.

Eat or get out of town. But what about the kids that are too busy (or too lazy) to get a job to pay for all of these restaurants, or to get their license? Well in these hard economic times, there is no shame in mooching, so long as you have to know how.

Food is harder to mooch now than it was back in elementary school. Back then all you had to do was say “I bet you I could fit that whole piece of pizza in my mouth” and then they would say “Nuh huh!” and give it to you. Whether or not you actually could is insignificant, because you get the pizza anyway.

But, now that you are older (and hopefully wiser), try a little trick I call inception. When in a large group, suggest to one person how much you would like Chipotle or Subway right now.

Then they will start to think about it and suggest it to the group.

When the group goes, stand next to a friend that you did not originally suggest the eatery to, and you make a sad puppy-face as they are ordering the food.

But, DO NOT overdo the sad puppy-face.

If you hear the words “Aren’t you getting anything?” then you know you are about to be fed.

Respond with a very matter-offact “I don’t have any money.”

If this person is nice they will almost definitely pay for you.

Rides can be a little trickier than food because it requires some planning ahead. If you have friends that you can call and flat out ask them for a ride, then more power to you. But, if you don’t, it can be awkward trying to snag a ride because most people don’t want to give one.

So the key is to plan ahead.

The person the plans were made with will call at the time of said plans in order to confirm. This person will provide a ride if they are truly committed to the plans.

If quicknote, homework or pretty much anything is needed, then the lunchroom is your haven. There is bound to be someone in the same class, or someone that has that class another period.

Usually, no one has any problems with letting you see their notes for the period, but there is always someone who has to be difficult. There is a trick called the ‘one thing’ trick. You simply say to the person “I only need to copy one thing.” Say this even if

you have to copy four pages of notes. No one minds if you need to copy one thing.

In conclusion, the puppy dog face only works if you make the person think that giving you something was their idea.

Don’t over-apologize for mooching (it’s annoying,) and never mooch too much.

A good mooch is never called a mooch.

Art by: Matt Majewski

By: Juan Amador

Teens today’s are helpless.

Many are struggling to find a job and those with jobs know better than to “mess up” in fear of losing their job. So, who do these teens look to for daily survival?

Their parents.

When teens are low on cash they turn to their parents. It’s easier to get money from parents than one might think.

16 Spending

Remember, just b e c a u s e one parent doesn’t have money, doesn’t mean another one doesn’t.

These tips come from personal experience. This is a log of my money milking over spring break.

While the money was given to me partly because I kept up with my chores, skill had a lot to do with it.

Day 1: Old Friends

Day 2: Dinner

Day 3: Shoppin

Hunger is a great way to getting a couple bucks from your parents. Going out to dinner is a good way to ask for money. Where you go to eat determines the amount of money you’ll get. I asked for $20.00, but got $15.00.

Going shopping must, especially at There are lots of th attract teens at lar ping centers. Cloth tronics, shoes and more. I got $20.00.

$10 $15 $20

Going to see old friends is a great way to get money from parents. The situation and plans being executed are what your amount of money is going to be based on. I got $10.00.

The Lakewood Times

How Mrs. C. sees it Photo by Juan Amador By: Juan Amador

“[My kids] don’t really get a weekly allowance,” said English teacher Barb Comienski, mother of triplets Matthew, Mark, and Bethany. The triplets are 14 and a half and are in the eighth grade.

“The amount of money [they spend] varies depending on the activities the triplets participate in,” said Comienski.

The boys are involved in many extracurricular activities and share golf as a common hobby.

They also run track, have a high rank in Boy Scouts, and play soccer year round.

“The boys have been on up to three teams simultaneously,” said Comienski. Mark is also in choir, which is an extra expense.

But Matthew is in Jazz Band and he also wrestles. “It’s some expense, but not outrageous,” said Comienski.

Bethany plays violin in orchestra and takes eight dance classes at the Beck Center.

Comienski said, “I’m okay with the expenses of their extra-curricular activities. It’s money better spent than buying junk at the mall or seeing every movie that comes out.”

The extra-curriculars are also providing great things. The boys get to spend time with their dad while Comienski drives Bethany to and from her classes.

Comienski also feels that her kids “don’t realize how lucky they are. They do so much, like soccer and dancing.”

The Comienski triplets don’t have a job with which they might be able to pay for their own expenses. “They’re nagged to do jobs around the house to compensate for their actions,” said Comienski. The chores would

ng

Day 4: Have friends over.

Day 5: Loan your friend money.

Day 6: Expensive Fun

Day 7: Compromise

is a teen the mall. hings that rge shophes, elecso much .

Inviting your friends over is a good way to get money from your parents as well. Eventually you will get bored with being in your house and want to leave -- opening the door to asking for money. I got $10.00.

Loaning money to your friends from the money your parents loaned you is a great way to pick up a few extra bucks down the road. A great circumstance would be going out to dinner and offering to paying for a friend. I did this and had $20.00 to do so.

There’s lots of exciting things to do over a school break. It just so happens that the IX Indoor Amusement Park is in town. Everything is over priced and games are a must. I got $25.00.

Sometimes you just have to compromise. When you want to do something and your parents don’t have enough money, you need to take what you can get and do something that costs less money. I asked for $10.00, and I got $5.00.

include things like taking out the trash, setting the table, keep their room clean, etc.

Over spring break, the triplets spent $50.00 total. Matthew and Mark went backpacking and got by on $10.00 each. Though the ten dollars doesn’t include the cost of camp food, it would be the same as Comienski feeding them at home. Bethany spent $30.00 when she went to the mall twice and the movies.

0 $10 $20 $25 $5 April 2011

17

Saving with style

A fashion opinion by Grace Coy

No one brags about what label they’re wearing anymore. As the popularity of chain stores grows, students are becoming thriftier with their shopping. The NAA Business Analysis and Research Department said, “Teens are bargain hunters, three out of four teenagers tell NPD they shop at retailers that have the lowest prices and 73 percent say they look for sales.”

Teens often feel that the recession doesn’t have a direct affect on them, but the prices of luxury clothing hasn’t gone down. So, teens are turning to discount stores for their clothing needs.

According to the New York Daily News website, “clothing prices are expected to rise about 10% in coming months.”

Outlet stores are great places to find top designer clothing for lower prices. At Marshall’s and TJMaxx, their handbag departments are full of well-known brands and designers. Also they have an amazing clearance aisle.

The best bags are chic, with cool accents, but don’t have a fancy label splashed all over it, obviously trying to show off.

In middle school everything was about the label. People bought t-shirts simply for the Abercrombie moose or the Hollister bird. Everyone was trying their best to blend in and be the same. These stores offered expensive clothing that lacked individuality and style. When students got to high school the value of money and how to save became more important than that stupid moose.

Teens now rely on their own jobs for money or their parents aren’t willing to fork over as much

18 Spending

when they have to worry about future tuitions. According to the NAA Business Analysis and Research Department, 58% of teens obtain money from their parents as a source of income.

The recession is making parents want to spend less on impractical clothing for their kids.

Teens should realize that they can look just as good in clothes from Target, instead of spending twice as much at Nordstrom.

It is now considered an accomplishment to find an item that was originally $50, but only cost $20 on sale.

Value World has become a scavenger hunt for cheap items.

Students go to the store for silly clothing but sometimes come out with quality things. The popular grandpa sweaters or no hooded sweatshirts are found for prices as low as a $1.

A great way to get what you want without paying high prices is “watching” an item. This means that you spot something you want and you visit that store occasionally for about a month.

You keep an eye on the piece and make sure there are still many of them left. After about a month the item will go on sale and you can then get it for the lowest price. Chain stores often restock their items, so at intervals, the clothing goes on sale.

The sale rack is where you can find clothes that aren’t even out of season yet. Sale shopping requires patience but the money you save is worth it.

The key to looking polished without spending a fortune every season is to only buy higher priced items that will be your

Art by Casey Miller

“staple.” The staples are articles of clothing that will be in a constant rotation in your wardrobe.

A cardigan, black shoes, a plain dress, a scarf and a long necklace are few examples. They can be worked into every outfit and you will get your money’s worth out of them.

In order to stay up to date with fashion, buy the trendier items for cheap. Things that are seasonal and are for a specific time period, such as a statement dress or a chunky bracelet, can be bought for cheap. These are the things that should be bought from bargain stores and can have a lesser quality because they won’t be worn as often.

Also you should never pay full price for accessories. Forever 21 has the best selection of stylish jewelry for cheap. Target also has a great jewelry department. Every few months almost all the earrings go on sale. You can find the best dangly, large earrings for less than half of their

original price.

The fashion industry knows the economy is in a rough place.

With all the changes on how we shop, the fashion industry is taking notice by making clothing more affordable for this group of consumers. The NAA reports teens ages 16 to 17 possessing nearly $4,500 in discretionary income often use their money to buy their own clothing, entertainment and music. The teen market is always growing.

The industry is realizing that people aren’t ashamed to buy clothes for less. People want the designer items and much lower costs to fit their lifestyle.

Clothing lines at chain stores feature some of the top designers’ collections at affordable prices. You can now buy clothing such as, Lanvin, Sonia Rykeil and Rodarte, all of which can be found on a runway, at your local stores.

The Lakewood Times

Library

Free museums such as the Art Museum Board game night

Fun sports like croquet, beach, volleyball

Card night

Gardening

Baking night with friends

Bike rides

Friday Night Flicks in the summer at Lakewood Park

Free concerts in Sinagra Park

Art by Casey Miller

Money-less, what to do?

Students find ways to have fun without breaking the bank.

By Meredith Richards

In 1961, the average movie ticket price was 69 cents. In 1980, a single scoop ice cream cone cost 10 cents. Obviously, times are different.

There are 25.6 million teens in the US and the teen market is spending more than ever.

This year, the teen market is spending $208.7 billion nationwide.(marketingcharts.com) Without money, teens are restricted on the activities they can choose from. Senior Emmalee Rinehart is the perfect example of a teenager confined by her bank account.

“Many times, my friends go out to eat or to see a movie and I can’t go because I just can’t afford it,” she said.

Rinehart must decline many opportunities with friends because she doesn’t have the cash to participate.

“I want to be able to go wherever I like to dinner or the mall but I usually don’t even have cash to get some gas to make it there,” she said.

In a time when many people struggle with

April 2011

their money, teens’ tastes seem to be getting more and more expensive. Teenagers used to be able to enjoy free activities, such as a walk in the park or a board game night. Now, these activities are often seen as dated and less than entertaining when compared to going shopping or eating out.

Consumerism has found a home within the teenage population. According to ABC News, teens spent over $170 billion in 2010 on clothes, electronics, food, etc. When you don’t have money to spend you’re left out of this “spending club.” This has probably led to more and more kids being left home on a Saturday night. Without money, teens simply cannot keep up with their friends.

Many teens have jobs but still find it difficult to save the money that they need to have fun.

“Of course I’m so tempted to spend the money that I earn. I want to go out and I want to buy new clothes and when you have like

$60 you’re like ‘oh it’s okay I’ll still have like $45. [But before you know it,] you’re down to $10,” said Rinehart.

No doubt, many teens are feeling the effects of our economy. “Once I actually fill my gas tank and pay for things I really need, there’s nothing left over to have fun with,” said Rinehart.

Even those teens that have either bought or received a car say they cannot use their car as much because of rising gas prices.

Teens must adjust to their situation in order to have a good time, while staying within their means.

“I really like simply just hanging out at someone’s house or going to a party. It’s free! Like last weekend when I had friends over and we played ‘Just Dance,’ I laughed way too hard,” said Rinehart. “Most people find that boring though.”

Spending 19

Be careful taking credit

By Meredith Richards

“Nothing in this world is free.” Though, to some, this cliché isn’t necessarily the case.

More and more teenagers in recent years have acquired a credit card. According to a survey conducted by Charles Schwab, 12% of teens spend money with their parent’s credit card, and 8% of teens spend money using their own credit card. Even though teens have a card in their own name, the percent of those cards being paid by the parents is unknown.

This same survey said 45% of teens know how to use a credit card. This could be dangerous knowledge, because only 26% of teens know how credit card fees and interests work and only 24% say they have learned from their parents or school how to use a credit card responsibly. Without this knowledge, teens could be set up for a lifetime of debt and problems with money management.

“I’ve had a credit card since Christmas of my freshman year,” said senior Missy Richardson. “My mom hated taking me to the mall because she would have to sit there while I looked at clothes so she thought having a credit card would be easier.”

Richardson’s parents pay the credit card bill, though she has recently gotten a job. Richardson does have restrictions on the card. “My mom goes over the monthly bills and if she sees an expensive charge, she’ll question what I bought.”

Senior Bob Zimmermann also uses a credit card. “I use my credit card about once a month, “ said Zimmermann.

He does not rely on his credit card every time he needs to make a purchase.

“I can only buy things that my parents have approved of beforehand.”

Zimmermann doesn’t find anything wrong with using a credit card his A credit card ready to be used. Photo by Meredith Richards parents pay for. “Having a credit card isn’t as much right or wrong as it is just a fact.” less guilt is felt. “There’s no downside beSome teens use their parent’s credit cause I don’t pay the bill,” said Birth.

Teenagers are spending more than ever. card for their personal expenses, such The average teenager spends a minimum as senior Taylor Birth. “I use my mom’s credit card a couple of times a sea- of $19 a week according to Schwab’s surson to buy clothes for myself,” she said. vey. Clothes, food, and electronics are just a There are many positive and negative few of the items that their own or their parattributes to having such a “tool.” “If I go ents’ money goes toward. Three quarters shopping and plan to spend a lot of mon- of teens have a cell phone and 60% own ey, it’s easier than carrying cash,” Richard- an iPod. Having a credit card may either son said, “It can add up easily though.” aid this spending or help keep it under the Zimmermann is careful about his pur- control of a parent’s watchful eye. Nonethechases. “You can risk abusing it and los- less, credit cards are finding their way easing it,” he said. Even though there are ily and comfortably in teenager’s wallets. many risks, 29% of teens would still rather use a credit card than pay with cash.

Virtual money is easier to spend and

What’s the price of being an LHS student

An opinion by Naseem Shean

Forty-minute classes, bad cafeteria food and massive amounts of homework all create an exasperatingly long day. But on top of the headaches and stress a high school student faces daily, money adds yet another couple pounds on a teenager’s shoulder.

“Ten years ago, the United States was ranked number one in average wealth per adult, but in 2010, the United States has fallen to seventh,” said author of www.crossingwallstreet.com, Eddy Elfenbein.

The economy is getting worse and worse everyday. The problem is, it no longer affects just the adult figures, but it is catching up to students still in college and high school.

Each day that passes, some kind of complaint is heard from a friend or a parent, such as “the gas prices got higher” or “it’s so hard to find a job.”

Recently, schooling has gotten a big punch in the gut from the government and

20 Spending

poor economy. Teachers are getting laid off from jobs and being forced to take the mediocre, low-paying jobs that high school and college students compete for everyday.

Colleges have gone from being affordable to expensive. According to the National Center for Education, the average annual tuition (plus expenses) at a private nonprofit fouryear college is about $35,000 a year.

Although LHS is one of the least expensive high schools in the area, teens are now forced to pay more student fees in order to take common classes like art and cooking, and the students who can’t afford to pay an extra $26 for a class that they’d like to take have to settle for something else in order to get that the credit needed to graduate.

The little things, like lunch prices, in this economy seem to make the biggest difference on students and their families. A slice of pizza, which was once $2.00, is now

$2.50.

“The Gatorades definitly got smaller for the same price of $1.50,” said senior Erin Thorpe.

The cost of student school sports for Lakewood High School is one of the lowest in the area at $75, not including the extra money they pay for team t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc. But compared to Westlake and Rocky River High schools who don’t have a pay-to-play, Lakewood is higher. Senior Peggy Sue Johnson said, “I spend most of the money I make at work on sports, clubs like ski club, my general school fees, and school events like dances and field trips.”

On CBS’S 60 minutes on Sunday, President Barack Obama said, “I do get discouraged, I mean, there are times where I thought the economy would have gotten better by now.”

The Lakewood Times

Teen budgets: the rich and the desperate

Senior Vini Hajdari leans up against his Benz. Photo by Tori Chesmar

By Tori Chesmar and Juan Amador

A few bucks here and there, to 300 dollars every month for car payments, Vini Hajdari goes from from flippin’ burgers to spending his paychecks. Hajdari is a crew member at McDonalds and absolutely hates his job. With only

Junior Kaitlyn Parrigan is ready to take any job she can get.

Parrigan said “I’ve seriously applied for every job out there, even McDonalds. You know the economy is bad when you can’t even get a job at McDonalds.”

Parrigan currently gets money from her parents but says, “I want a job not only to [avoid] asking for money from my parents, but to keep me busy.”

April 2011

three days of work and a total of twenty four hours in a week, he definitely spends his money quickly.

His first big purchase was his 2004 Mercedes Benz. With a great car like that, it took him

Parrigan currently gets about 50 dollars from her parents in a two week period. “I make my money last when I have it. I spend little amounts at a time so I don’t spend it all at once” she said.

Parrigan is saving for college with what little money she gets from babysitting but she said, “I want to take on a real part-time job to start saving for a car.”

Parrigan has applied to Penn Station, McDonald’s, Subway and Burger King. She said, “I’ve applied multiple times to all, but I get the usual ‘We’ll give you a call’ when they look at or even decide to look at my application.”

over a year to pay off the car payments with the help of his parents, too. It took him two days to negotiate the purchase of the Mercedes at the car dealership.

Every two weeks his fancy car takes about fifty dollars to fill up the tank. Hajdari drives his Benz from work to school and friends’ houses.

Nick Hudson, a friend, said, “It’s a nice, smooth car. It looks nice and it helps you get the ladies.”

Hajdari spent over 300 dollars a month for his car payments.

Now he usually spends his money on Chipotle, clothes and little gifts for his girl friend.

“Girlfriends are really expensive. It’s always dinner, movies and little gifts,” he said.

Since senior year is almost over and college is near, Hajdari started saving his money for school a while ago. His only issue is money for prom. The tickets this year are 45 dollars along with renting a tux, buying

Katie Wurstner a junior at LHS said she is, “completely frustrated with today’s workforce.”

“I’ve applied just about everywhere. Wendy’s, McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, even places at the mall” said Wurstner. “They tell me they’ll look at it and call me.”

Wendy’s was one of the only places to give Wurstner a call back. “I got an interview but was never called back in for a follow-up when I was told I

flowers, getting new shoes, and a fresh hair cut. Hajdari will be making an entrance to prom in his Mercedes.

He’s attending his first two years at Tri-C for free and possibly switching over to Cleveland State University. He would like to study network engineering, along with saving his money for a laptop for school.

“Always save a little bit of money because you never know what’s going to happen next. Life is unexpected,” said Hajdari.

Money saving tips -Never carry money in your wallet.

-Always save money because life is unexpected -Spend your money wisely on purchases you’ll still want in the future -Think before you buy

was going to be called back.

I don’t know what happened,” said Wurstner.

Wurstner said, “Finding a job these days is hard. We teens are competing with unemployed adults who have experience and we’re just trying to get that work experience.”

“I’ve been looking for a job since the day I turned 16 last year and cannot find anyone willing to hire me” said Wurstner.

Wurstner averages about 60 dollars over a two-week period from her parents. “My money pays mostly for food, drinks and sometimes gas.

I may not have my own car, but gas isn’t cheap and I have no problem giving my friend a couple of bucks for gas when needed.”

Spending 21

Community college: is it for you?

An opinion by Julia Houska

their prerequisites and define their major.

Some students may use this time to adjust to the college workload.

Going to a four year university and not having a defined major can cost lots of money.

“It’s closer to home (which is cheaper), and it smooths the transition from high school to college,” said senior Jesse Weidlich.

Community college is also a great way to boost your GPA. If you weren’t the best student in high school, community college can help you get into a 4-year university. It’s open to everyone, regardless of your past academic career.

Community college is also a great place for those with jobs or other personal responsibilities, as most have very flexible class schedules, offering classes at all times of the day.

The class sizes are smaller, the cost is

The search for the perfect college usually starts with a series of questions.

Where do I want to go? What do I want to major in? How many loans will I need?

While all of these questions can be overwhelming, there is yet another decision students must make: choosing between a community college or a university.

Because of the monetary advantage, more and more students are choosing to go to a community college for their prerequisites and then transfer to a university for their degree.

According to the College Board, the average cost for a full year of tuition and fees at a community college is just $2,360, compared to $6,185 at a public, four-year University and $23,712 at a private, four-year University.

Going to a community college is a great idea. It gives a student the chance to take

lower, and the experience can help you figure out your path.

Students should educate themselves to this possibility and consider the great opportunities community college can provide.

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The Lakewood Times

By Lindsey Mcentee

Mrs. Sandoval

aids students

Photo by Julia Houska

By Lindsey McEntee

A Chipotle burrito, a skirt for Saturday night and an iPod. While currently, these may be your biggest financial concerns now, soon a majority of your money concerns will be about how you’re going to pay for college.

While this may seem like a daunting task, there are not only guidance counselors to help you choose the right college, but also Cleveland Scholarship Advisor Pam Sandoval.

Sandoval takes on two major responsibilities. First and foremost, she is here to answer any questions a student may have when filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Anyone applying to any college fills out this form. It is the ticket to all federal, state and specific college aid that can be received. For more elite schools, Sandoval can also help with the Profile, which is in addition to the FAFSA and involves more detailed questions about your family’s financial situation.

She is also responsible for sending out the scholarship bulletin. There are several of these that she compiles periodically that include everything that comes through the guidance office regarding scholarships.

“Getting into the habit of checking all scholarship opportunities at the beginning of each month, or even the beginning of each week, is a great way to make sure you do not miss

April 2011

an opportunity or deadline,” said Sandoval.

She says the number one question she gets is, ‘is there an essay?’

“I tend to see that if it’s $500 plus an essay, students walk away. Every $500 adds up,” Sandoval said.

She strongly advises not to pass up these opportunities, especially if it’s a local scholarship that a student may have a good chance of being awarded.

The more popular scholarships are the local ones offered each year, such as the alumni, PTA, Lakewood teachers, Kiwanis and Rotary scholarships. These are good to watch out for, even starting as a junior.

Most students aren’t thinking about college as juniors, let alone scholarships.

Sandoval suggests if you see a scholarship you may qualify for, even as a junior, to write down the name and time because most scholarships repeat from year to year so you’ll have a list ready when you begin to apply the following year.

The other great place to find scholarships is the college itself.

“When you’re going online to apply, simultaneously check out the scholarships that are offered. These can be found in usually one of two places on a website, under ‘financial aid’ as well as under the individual departments for your major,” Sandoval said.

The financial work doesn’t end once you’ve

entered college. It’s extremely important to fill out the FAFSA from year to year and pay attention to the grades you need to receive to keep any renewable scholarships. “You have to be willing to keep the grades up and do whatever possible to get the higher education,” said Sandoval.

For students who don’t receive any aid or have any help from home, they can spend their first two years at Tri-C or Lorain County Community College to save a significant amount of money.

Sandoval feels that this shows true determination to get any education possible.

Sandoval, along with Guidance Secretary Debra Diamond, have worked hard to make scholarship pamphlets, transcript and release forms, as well as other helpful material easily accessible to download on the guidance web page.

This year, Sandoval is available to meet with students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in room A208.

23

When dreams are dashed by reality

By Lily Pollack

It’s hard when reality hits people. For most seniors, this isn’t uncommon, especially when it’s time to choose a college to attend.

Most people struggle with accepting the fact that they might not be able to go to their dream college. While the reasons are numerous, ranging from a low GPA to financial problems, the emotional reaction is almost always frustration.

Senior Nichole Dashiell felt, and continues to feel, this frustration as she pursues her college search. “My original dream school was George Washington University. It’s in the middle of DC, which is where I wanted to go to school,” said senior, Nicole Dashiell. “I really liked a lot of the nine schools I applied to, though.”

The schools weren’t the problem though. “I just didn’t want to be unhappy when I had to make my final decision.”

Dashiell plans on attending Ohio State University next fall, although decisions aren’t final. It isn’t exactly her dream school, but she says she’d be perfectly content with attending.

“I know I can get a quality education at OSU, and I really love it there. There is no reason to spend everything I have on under grad when I still have to go to grad school.”

Dashiell is in the honors program at LHS, so grades weren’t an issue. Eight of the nine schools she applied to were private. Despite there being scholarship opportunities, the price for out of state colleges and private colleges is still high.

Senior Luke Fesko is dealing with some of the same issues. He too was accepted into his dream school, George Washington University, just like Dashiell.

24 news

“I still am undecided on what school I plan to attend, but if I do not attend George Washington it will strictly be a monetary reason. The school is one of the most expensive in the world,” said Fesko. He is also considering American University and Ohio State University.

There will always be financial aid, and nearly three quarters of full time undergraduate students receive aid in the form of loans, scholarships, work studies and grants, according to the College Board website. Of the financial aid, 45% is in the form of loans.

“Be realistic about your family’s monetary capabilities and scholarships received - you don’t want to enter the world after college with a huge debt on your shoulders,” said Fesko.

The average graduate student debt has increased over 50% in the last decade, according to the Project on Student Debt, a nonprofit advocacy group.

“Search for any college your heart desires, but know what you are looking for,” said Fesko. “A certain program, a certain location, a certain student body, and so on.”

But despite the fact that maybe attending a dream school is out of reach, high school is still significant in helping reach something more attainable.

“Don’t think that just because you can’t get into your dream school, you shouldn’t work hard in high school,” said Dashiell.

“Most importantly, it trains you for college and for life, which is really important.”

Art by Matt Majewski

The Lakewood Times

Doe

? s s s money = happine

By Gwen Stephen

College preparation plays an integral role in the high school experience. While the economy is on a downward slant, students might consider future scholastic plans in order to prepare for occupations more readily available.

This way they can be more successful at the time of college graduation.

Money has become a main staple in students final decisions on what college to attend, as well as majors, according the CNN Money website. Not only are students paying attention to what college costs, but what they will make with their degree.

“I love science. The idea that I could help people make their lives better is an attractive [quality] to me,” said junior Diana Hanson, who wants to pursue medicine. According to Hanson, an average doctor makes “well into the 6-figure range,” but “it really depends on the type of doctor and where they practice.”

According to PayScale’s website, doctors of various practices are at the top of the highest paying occupations in the U.S thus far in 2011.

“I’d rather get more for my [tuition] money,” said junior Zach Prebel, regarding the national average wage of doctors. Before freshman year career connections, Prebel was interested in “architecture, or civil engineering,” until he “realized [he] couldn’t draw. Now [he’s] “more interested in science than art,” as he said.

Some students think that interest in an occupation is far more important than the financial security it may or may not bring to them.

“I’d rather have a job that I like with low pay than a job that I hate with a good salary,” said senior Cameron Olszewski, an aspiring video editor and storyboard artist, which will earn him an average of $50,000 a year. Olszewski doesn’t believe that a handsome salary ultimately leads to happiness. “I just want a job I love,” he said.

“I have dismissed a career because of its average salary, but I don’t think that I have searched one out because of it (salary),” said Hanson. “[Those careers] didn’t fit me,” she said, “more so than the monetary aspect.”

April 2011

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Obstetrician/gynecologists $204,470 Psychiatrist $191,337 Surgeon $181,850 CEO’S $140,880 Finance Managers $113,730 Physicist $111,250 Engineering $108,020 Computer Science $105,370 Economics $96,320

25

Job Bulletin:

d n e e h t t o n is t n Unemployme

teenagers who do Still, there are many rs rke wo rk. One all for ared to -18.75 are excelling in their wo ’s or -24.8%, comp 33. have jobs and wie -19 ens. In 29 De ph 19 at n Ste za ee ie piz tw Ern g be r g the recession student is senio Whether it’s servin rin ch du su er, ed mm jobs clin su de his s during the jobs. One of ployment ha running a farm stand t, Stephens has two The total civilian em fac to of y ur) st wa ge /ho w lar ne .25 a $8 the for king he earns n individuals, teens are always loo is at Chipotle (where ral by 80,877 millio / ve se .40 st $7 s pa ke the ma er he Ov 11 . r re at Arby’s (whe d after World Wa e on kin earn some extra cash d its an rs r ge dy, pe na stu s tee urs rcentage of hlin and Sum’ 50 to 60 ho According to McLaug years, however, the pe ur). While he works ho t ed ec ed . aff ne ed is to as ns cre job ntly de allow his gram for tee employed has significa week, he still doesn’t g “A job stimulus pro kin blic ry loo pu ssa rs ce the ge ne in na are tee uth , th yo 10 bo s for because In the summer of 20 - that will create job ic his school work, that elves battling the weak and provide econom rs avors. Stephens says cto de se t en rofi ure np fut no d his for jobs found thems an for te ily va . da pri 49 for for 19 s ce ically, sin ney he earns wage subsidie est job market, histor while he uses the mo i- incentives through typ he pro e, e as ris Th . ch to ns e mu nu tee as e nti save to hir “If gasoline prices co for-profit employers expenses, he tries to n employers, such on programs would tee ati r cre cto job se e. teuth va lleg yo pri co d l for se ca po s can , hotels and resorts, for both positions. In nd and summer job as amusement parks Stephens interviewed provide both year-rou fsu .” t uth tha estions s yo e se es om sin inc er bu went over possible qu nfined to low landscapers and oth ns preparation, he also and not be co tee uld swers ny co an , ma se his ls at rea fee wh inc r d nio sts an might be asked ssia Ocejo, a se he Aly fer when energy co t tha hn e Jo us ca id sa be ing plans,” they apply for cut back seasonal hir aren’t given the jobs t might be. ve officer of Chaluti ec le have the best of “But how can you ge ex e. ief nc ch rie er, pe ng A. Challe While Stephens is ab they lack ex e sh ,” job a u yo . es as a Shay must sacrifice nce if no one giv lenger, Gray & Christm both worlds, junior Tar is not sim- experie t en ym plo that she loves, for em ng un thi in This increase eerleading, some says. ch the at r g e rin on du s, s job nth two ee mo me as a dietitian. He Ocejo, a senior works ply confined for the thr her job at Lutheran Ho the the at re e su on ke d an ma d od wo food an summer.

Dewie’s pizza in Lake job is to prepare the to the Center for Labor River. She has been y then deliver the food ck d an Ro e, in rat rd cu ya ac Andrew Sum, head of ne t’s Bo die ty ar, rsi ye the ive st Un gh pa ou rn job thr rtheaste za for the residents. She got the Market Studies at No working at Dewie’s piz k for a second the ed expert on teen loo m. niz to gra og d Pro rec trie rt e lly sta sh na tio Pro ich na and a during wh West Shore face these conerywhere and it took ed by the numbers. ile it may be difficult to . “I literally applied ev employment, is amaz Wh job s job t los ve kids ha nd job.” n still do things to aid “Proportionally, more that year to find a seco ditions, these teens ca try yun plo co em ) tire en old ar the than -19 ye hired.

While teenagers’ (16 in the past few years their chances of being .8, the employment ssion,” he says. y that there isn’t any 24 pre sa by De n’t t ed es ea clin do Gr de er s the ng ha in t alle nt los Ch me d an .7% m 10 Su done by ) declined by es advise the imporAccording to a study pe. However, he do for young adults (20-24 ho r bo up La gro e for r ag nte the from Ce job search early, and d 2009. As Joseph McLaughlin tance of beginning the ty between 2007 an t rsi en ive ym Un plo rn em ste un ea of rth termination. s, the percentage Market Studies at No keeping a steadfast de of unem- increase ge nta rce pe the , in January 2010 s decreases. tween 2007-2009 wa ployment for teens be

By Fiza Shah

26 Jobs

The Lakewood Times

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onnor Did an y of u would s ever ha for the ve to comp expect to se ete wit sam h adult e the day w “We’ve e entry-leve s with h l s d u efin college en we olde mm said S r degree ix Flag itely seen mo er jobs? s mak workers,” sa s a re a Daniels id AAR es sen in a re musement p dult applica P job e se. Bo nts this are us favored cent U ark sp t xpert h ag in o S y entry-le g adult app A today artic keswomen S ear,” they m by their pee e groups wo Deborah Ru uld rs. An licants ss ay be vel em andra le. Ma o n plo have a issue w generally b ell. It to the p ir adv y employers erate times verqualified e college yers are no it more h adult w antage for the , w requ worke orkers . Som tled and no an overqua p rs requ degree. So ir o in s g it io is li all app t be m e teen n. Eve me ire less panies licants uch us fied worker n in de , worke . It is a training employers m e t r s o a s t ls y fe o a bu , which is have b a o gene e feel dis siness et ra is chea l that adult nd experienc the issue th grun.

T a ence w ter time ma lly consider e p h t . e er for they la One b e nagem hich comck bas issue with ent sk d that adult all pier asic tip give ic wor But no could help w il ls n o c k skills in r and ov k t teenag t all is lost them in the erall e ers guys. It gs that are n o teenage w w ers go fo x s o o p o r r r a k t e k ls the te ri- sur e b od in t enthus enage place. e to dr o recommen asic earring rs is to rem he ia rs. Ma ess as o s. No ded to nies als stic and you work place t h n earring ve a y a t adult hide a ppropr consid becau thful lo o look s ll s ia for e t c a t s r e a o t e t ly gies an for tee n k to th o your la they a na e ck of e work long a as possible os. Also, be d d . x ft busine social netwo gers who ca company. C d an It p e e is expe r Adult ss to o n use rking t worke rience with e the summe new te mpa- appe o expa rs will r. so c cted xtra cu Howev others. a c n r h d ou in a n r lw t r g char o heir co ers. “Y er there are ismatic ays have m icular activitie nter mpany lo- view ca ounge disadv n s. o a a r n e n e d v d are r mana a used t en the playin well put tog experience, gers te ntages to bo o so e g h th sets nd to b t her in iring te field. In tions a of e more an inte en rbiased work- can k nd if teenage age workers the end, co m eep th agains e jobs. workers con for their sum panies t mer po tinue t There o s is just more c work hard, t ihey ompet ition no w.

April 2011

27

Final Word

By Deven Middleton

Some readers may be confused why every article is about the same subject. When the staff of the Times was choosing our ‘Focus’ for this issue, the topic of the economy was raised and the ideas took off from there.

Some thought that the idea was not something that directly affected teens, but after further research we discovered otherwise. We felt a responsibility to write not just a few articles about the economy, but to devote an entire issue to exploring how it affects us all now and later.

Currently in the U.S., the percentage of teen unemployment is 25.9 percent, the highest rate since World War II. And it’s increasing steadily. The culprit for this high rate is the recession.

Its victims are not just the wallets of teenagers, but the future workers of America.

A study out of Stanford University found that people who experienced especially long periods of unemployment as youths were particularly prone to negative long-term effects on future wages and employment.

And research from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, found that unemployment for teens continues to adversely affect their earnings for as long as 10 years.

The lack of jobs for people ages 13-18 will continue to disable us well into adulthood. Not only will we be deprived of money, but of an “invisible curriculum” that comes from learning how to report to a supervisor, show up on time, and work

28

with other people as a part of a team.

We, as children of the recession, will not only be affected individually, but as a society. Living in a future world, jobs may be rare and “upper-middle class” could be a forgotten concept.

How exactly can we survive such a seemingly jobless job market?

We have to go back to basics. What we must do is make ourselves stand out as much as possible. In an age where most of us would rather sit on Facebook than volunteer, an attitude adjustment is in order. We must become more proactive, more hard working, and become the self-starters we were always encouraged to be. If we don’t begin working towards our fullest potential, we simply won’t work.

When work doesn’t come to you, make it for yourself. Starting your own business, whether it’s mowing yards or selling lemonade, is the way to gain experience and get your name out there. Developing independent early can only help one be more successful in the future.

Volunteering is an even better option to gain experiece in a job-like environment. When you can’t earn wages, volunteering gives you the hours and the experience a job could offer.

Besides helping to build your personal resume, volunteering obviously aids people in need. Not only are you helping yourself, but you’re helping society. And that’s work all future employers will respect.

The Lakewood Times