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Show Opinion entary mm Page 2 Orem-Geneva Times Thursday, May 30, 1991 Editorial High school graduates: More education crucial Graduation time is here again in Orem, and seniors from Orem High School and Mountain View High School are holding their graduation exercises today, following a long tradition in the Alpine School District. Caps and gowns are the order of the day, and the long march to receive their diplomas represents the final chapter in their high school education. As that door of high school achievement closes, another door opens on a vista unimagined by generations of their predecessors-a vista of challenges and opportunities unmatched by any other. Orem high school graduates today are entering an era of unprecedented unprece-dented mobility fraught with danger. Their need, no, their compulsion to travel frequently and far, places them places them in vehicles that must compete with each otheron streets and roadways where gridlock is becoming the norm. The sheer numbers of travelers, speeding to and fro, makes mere survival in our highly mobile society a minor miracle. MOST PROMISING GRADUATES And with alcohol and drug abuse reaching almost epidemic proportions, propor-tions, highly impaired drivers lead the charts in accidents and fatalities on the highways. Some of our most promising graduates may fall victim to the lure of substance abuse, or the actions of others who do. This is a loss society cannot afford. We cannot afford the loss of a single Orem high school graduate to alcohol or drugs. Today's graduates, many of whom have had some work experience in local service industries, have learned that unskilled labor earns the least pay and the fewest hours. Many food service and other service industries are based on the employment of temporary part-time employees. Such firms provide excellent opportunities for high school students to learn the basic job skills, while acquiring expertise in customer relations. However, the facts of life are that such employment can rarely lead to the kind of subsistence which can sustain a marriage and a family. THE COLLEGE DIPLOMA It has been said with some truth that today's college diploma is the equivalent of the high school diploma of 30 years ago, as far as the job market is concerned. Certainly, the high school graduate is in greater need of further education today than at any time in our history. A recent study from th Utah System of Higher Education says that at least some post-secondary training is needed to qualify for 58 percent of the jobs in Utah today. Moreover, 22 percent of Utah's job market requires two to four years of training beyond high school. Eleven percent of jobs require one to two years of education, and 6.6 percent require six months to one year of training. Since the quality of life for most graduates is ultimately related to their levels of income, they should not under-rate the baccalaureate degree. Over 18 percent of the jobs in Utah require a 4-year degree or more, and those holding these jobs will earn more than twice as much as those less-educated. WAGES REFLECT EDUCTION In today's Utah economy, the 42 percent of untrained workers earn $4.25, and those with six months of schooling get $6.25. Those with one to two years of training earn $8.84, while those with two to four years of post-secondary training earn about $11.95 an hour. The college degree makes a substantial difference in the earning capacity, with graduates earning an average of $17.47 an hour in 1989-90. Obviously, the university degree is not for every high school graduate. Family circumstances, special talents, varied opportunities and personal desires are important considerations in making crucial educational decisions. But in the highly complex informational society which every graduate will soon become a part of, the ability to perform, to function and to excel will have a great impact on the quality of his or her life. COMPUTER LITERACY ESSENTIAL Thirty or forty years ago, it was a very good idea for men and women to have a working knowledge of the typewriter, in case that skill may be needed in their jobs. Today, Orem high school graduates are living in the age of the computer. It can be honestly said that almost without exception, computer literacy will be essential to each graduate. Certainly, in any kind of office situation, computer expertise is almost the norm, today, and tomorrow it will be mandatory. Even in manufacturing, the labor and skills involved in producing a product are having less and less to do with hands-on production. For example, in Michigan where millions of automobiles are manufactured, computers have come into their own. There is one new "slotting and shearing" plant where 300,000 tons of steel are shaped into fenders each year by 38 employees. No one touches the steel. All they do is operate computers. THE WORLD OF COMPUTERS The world of computers should be no mystery to Orem graduates who live in one of America's most computer-oriented communities. That has clearly been advantage to them, as far as learning how all-encompassing the computer mentality really is. Any graduate who has not yet made friends with the computer' should do so, post haste. You are living in a computer world where computer skills are basic to a great many jobs. To a degree never seen before, the opportunities and challenges facing you high school graduates are unprecedented. The future is in your hands. Take care of it wisely and well. YOU can make a difference! Orton to hold open meeting in Provo Blackhawk Encampment planned Washington-Rep. Bill Orton will hold a town meeting on Friday, May 31 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the old County Courthouse in Provo. "Congress is debating many issues that affect our lives, such as education, clean air and rising health costs," said Orton. "I hope you can take the time to visit with me and share your thoughts. "I look forward to meeting meet-ing you and discussing these and any other issues affecting our community," he said. The meeting will take place in the East Patio Area of Old County Courthouse building at 51 South University Avenue. Penquins cannot fly but are excellent excel-lent swimmers. M ' 1 On the last leg of our South Pacific trip we arrived in Fyi for five days of sightseeing and getting get-ting acquainted with this small portion of paradise. Landing at the international airport in Nadi, Fiji, we take a short bus ride to the Regent of Fyi, one of the ten finest hotels in the world. A tall, stately Fiji woman, dressed in the traditional long dress welcomes us to the hotel with a cool fruit punch and a description of all the amenities which are at our disposal. dis-posal. The next morning we board one of the Beachcomber vessels and sail across the water to Nadi Bay and beautiful Beachcomber Island. It is a very small island surrounded by white sand beaches, and an ideal spot to spend a few hours snorkeling, swimming or gazing at the ocean floor from a glass-bottom boat. Star fish, sea horses, jelly fish, coral, electric eels, and all manner of sea life present a fascinating fas-cinating panorama to the eye of the spectator. PARA-SAILING IS GREAT Para-sailing is an adventure for one, that pits the courage of an individual against the excitement of getting harnessed into a parachute which is connected to a rope pulled behind a motorboat Throwing caution to the winds, I was buckled into the parachute and prepared to be pulled aloft by the speeding boat At the signal, I ran full speed to the beach on Beachcomber Island, Is-land, as my parachute billowed and I became airborne. Following the speeding boat around the island, is-land, I nearly touched the clouds, as I sailed over the azure blue waters with an unlimited view of the world in every direction. This experience was breathtaking, to say the least, and one which I will not soon forget My landing was somewhat less auspicious than my take-off, since I missed the dry beach and landed offshore, up to my neck in the water. If you question this rather tall tale about Yours Truly, just stop by and I will show you the video which was taken of this Pacific adventure. HOT FIJI MEAL At lunch time, we enjoyed a Fiji meal which was cooked on hot stones under layers of banana leaves and sand. Beef, port, Eotatqes, rice and other delicacies ad been buried hours earlier, and the opening of the food cache was a mouth-watering experience. ex-perience. We were surprised to find that nearly half of the population of Fiji is extracted from India, with only 48 percent of the people being of Fyian extraction. Many of the stores and other businesses are owned and operate by Indians. In-dians. MILD TROPICAL WEATHER Favored with a warm and pleasant climate throughout the year, Fyi offers the ideal holiday destination. It enjoys a mild tropical tropi-cal maritime climate without extremes ex-tremes of hot and cold. The Fyi archipelago includes more than 300 islands. Some of the islands are surrounded wholly or partly by coral reefs which create large lagoons and form superb natural harbors. The larger islands are primarily volcanic in origin with high rugged peaks that typify that type of formation. Near one of those rugged peaks is a beautiful spot known as the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. The Sleeping Giant, of course, is the mountain which, not unlike Mount Timpanogos, resembles the form of a man, outstretched. out-stretched. The garden is the per-fect per-fect and a most rewarding pi ace --to spend a few refreshing hours enjoying Fyi's tropical splendor. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant, nestled in its own shady, mountain valley with acres of orchids or-chids and flowering plants, offers an interesting, relaxing way to experience Fyi's unique tropical beauty. Founded by Raymond Burr in 1977 to house his own orchids, the Garden now displays Fiji's largest orchid collection. All sizes, shapes and colors of orchids are seen throughout the Garden, some of which grow only in Fiji. FIJI CULTURAL CENTER We next have a full day of touring, beginning with a visit to the Fiji Cultural Center and Market Place at Pacific Harbor. The Fyi Museum gives us a valuable valu-able historical perspective of this land where cannibals once lived and unwelcome visitors were eaten. In the museum we saw exhibited ex-hibited the soles of the shoes of one visitor: all that was left of him after a Fiji lunch. , Traveling is great, but, as Dorothy said in "The Wizard of Oz": There's no place like home"--especially when "home" is Under Timpanogos Green. The annual Blackhawk Encampment En-campment will be held June 23rd to 28th in the Santaquin City Park, Santaquin, Utah. Derrill Williams is the State Commander, with Floyd Shephard and Tunny Devenish vice commanders. Board members mem-bers are: Leland Hatfield, Carl Carlson, Blaine Brown, Bob Jensen Jen-sen and Jack Rowland, Heber Butler is Chaplain and Nancy Be-ckstrom Be-ckstrom is Secretary. The fee for camping for the entire week is $8.00. Electricity will be provided for lighting purpose pur-pose only. Please do not enter the park before Sunday, then someone will be there to assist with parking so as to make room for all. For further information call 798-6635, 489-6515, or 456-3365. lUWWO BUT" THEVCALLt AAE YE STERPAY T'ASK IF I YVAMT-'O HIGH SCHOOL OREM-GENEVA TIMES U.S.P.S. ID 411-700 Second Class Postage Paid at Orem, Utah Published each Wednesday by OREM-GENEVA TIMES 546 South State Street Orem. Utah 84058 Brent R. Sumner Publisher Clyde E. Weeks Managing Editor Jeanne Thayne City Editor POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Orem-Geneva Times P.O. Box 65 Orem, Utah 84059-0065 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 Year.....$10.00 3 Years....$20.00 TELEPHONE NUMBERS Editorial Dept....225-1340 Advertising Dept.225-1340 FAX number. 225-134 1 N SCHOOL EMRO I MPkJT 1 rm -z Training School needs Volunteers because she didn't want to leave," Gurney said. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old. They can come once, or commit to coming on a regular basis. At the beginning of the first visit, a 45-minute orientation is given. Volunteers are instructed about wheelchair safety and school regulations and policy. Other volunteer needs at the school include stenciling residents' bedrooms, coloring the pictures the residents use to communicate, com-municate, and making generic birthday cakes which can be frozen and used later. Individuals interested in volunteer opportunities at the State Training School should call theUnitedWayVolunteerCenter at 374-8108. The Utah State Training School needs individual or group volunteers, said Vicki Gurney, volunteer coordinator. The school serves 428 multiply multip-ly handicapped individuals, most of whom are profoundly or severely severe-ly retarded. Volunteers are needed to create cre-ate devices which enable residents resi-dents who have little control over their environment to function as independently as possible. One volunteer created a buzzer so a resident could summon the staff at night Toasters, blenders, and popcorn poppers have been adapted so that residents can operate them with a push of a button. "Imagine being wrapped in cotton with tape over your mouth and you can see how difficult it is for the clients to communicate. These devices can help them become be-come more independent," Gurney said. Volunteers are also needed to push residents to activities and then stay and associate with them. Residents need assistance getting to and from movies on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, to church services on Sundays, and to a dance once a month. "Most clients don't communicate communi-cate like you and I, and some may not communicate at all, but you feel something when you help them. One young girl went in crying because she was scared, and came out a few hours later crying GED Test Takers are Few in Utah County Unknown to many Utah County residents, Utah Valley Community College (UVCC) offers of-fers a test that gives those who pass the equivalent of a high school diploma. The General Educational Development Test (GED) is offered of-fered in the Assessment Center on the Orem Campus for a fee of $20. Applicants who pass the test receive a Utah GED Certificate that is recognized in all fifty states, U.S. territories and Canada for education and employment purposes. About 250 people per year receive a GED certificate by taking the test at UVCC. In Salt Lake and Weber Counties over 1,000 are received each year. "Approximately one in five people in the nation don't have a high school diploma," said UVCC Assessment Center Director, Robert Loveridge. "Utah County's figures are similar to those of the nation." About 184,000 adults over the age of 18 do not have a high school diploma in the state of Utah. The Utah State Office of Education has been helping people who did not complete high school to earn their GED certificates certifi-cates so they can qualify for jobs, continue their education or qualify for a business license. "All State colleges accept the GED for purposes of matriculation matricula-tion and most employers also regard the GED as equivalent to a high school education, although it is not a high school diploma," said Loveridge. Up to five units of additional credit toward high school graduation can also be received by GED examinees. The GED test was developed by the American Council on Education to measure and certify adult educational competencies in writing skills, social studies, science, literature, the arts and mathematics. To take the GED test, the examinee ex-aminee must be eighteen years of age or older and their high school class must have graduated. Those desiring to take the GED should make an appointment appoint-ment with UVCC's Assessment Center in advance by calling 222-8000, 222-8000, extension 269. Helping your child Succeed in school by Lily Eskelsen, president Utah Education Association 1 Teamwork is an essential life skill. Even the most independent maverick among us needs to know how to function within a group. As a culture, we are obsessed ob-sessed with signing up our children for teams. We want our children involved in soccer games and Little League and volley ball and drill teams, hoping they will develop a talent for teamwork. But the most important team our children should have to learn to work with is the one they wake up with everyday. The family is a team and parents are the coaches. If s up to Mom and Dad to set the stage for the cooperation that s needed for a successful "team." From their earliest ear-liest years, children need to be responsible for family chores beyond their own rooms and their own messes (which for my children are usually one and the same). Pulling weeds, painting the garage, washing the kitchen floor are opportunities for children and parents to work together for the good of the team. It doesn't matter mat-ter if Mom works solely in the home, if Dad is only home on weekends, if sister's really busy with her new iob, or if brother's jot a part in the school play and , ust doesn't have any time. No one erson should be thought of as eing there to wait on other fami-y fami-y members. Each member should e given the chance to know the mportance of his or her contribution contribu-tion to a successful team. I suppose it is only fair to warn parents that my experience with teenagers is that they will sincerely sin-cerely tell you that they really' don't want or need this oppor-' tunity, thank you very much! Coaches, don't be confused, rookies don't always understand the strategy. Mowing the lawn, setting the table, tending younger children, running to the store for milk-to a successful family team, these positions are as important as Quarterback, pitcher or goalie, ew young children are going to thank their parents for making them follow through on family responsibilities. Few adult children are going to forget the basic game plan when it's time to coach their own teams. |