Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

1995-1996 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest

Responsibility Who Has It And Who Doesn't
And What That Means For The Nation

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Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

Teacher : Galen Boehme, PhD

1st Jacqueline Fuller 2nd Tonya Herrmann 3rd Carrie Torres

"People are acting responsibly. This summer Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads will attempt a $3.9 billion merger and thus they will create the nation's largest railroad company. When the merger takes place, many communities along the train routes will lose vast amounts of tax money that support the communities along the railroad line. The folks within the towns are acting responsibly by starting petitions and contacting the government at the state and national level so that the merger might be stopped and the money will not be directed elsewhere."
Nathan Wohlenhaus, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"In Billings, Montana, the Young Families Program has made teen pregnancy a two-person responsibility. This innovative program has targeted teen fathers as its outreach. Twenty-four years ago in Baltimore, Maryland, a public school opened exclusively for teenage mothers. The school's goal centered around keeping the teenage mothers in school. Since its opening, approximately 21,000 girls have gone through the Laurence G. Paquin School, open only to girls aged 12-19. The girls study standard high school subjects, as well as such valuable skills as parenting, cooking, sewing, and nutrition. . . .Southwind Hospice and other programs similar to it provide home health care to terminally ill patients regardless of insurance coverage or the patient's capability to pay."
Jacqueline R. Fuller, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"The irresponsibility of being uninvolved ultimately belonged to those people in Elisa's life who were knowledgeable of the abuse but did nothing to stop or prevent further abuse. Neighbors heard the child's screams and pleas, but felt that the affair was none of their business. Teachers saw the bruises and burns and notified authorities but went no further to get help. The authorities knew of the complaints but did nothing about them."
Erica L. Burkhart, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"One way the community can help teenagers is by having a teen center. The obvious obstacles concern shortage of money and lack of community, parental, and teen support. Another obstacle deals with finding the place to open a youth center.

Our first step is to get parental support of a teen center. This becomes important when deciding on what a teen center is about. One way to get parental support involves having activities that involve the parents and teens would be events like volleyball and basketball.

Our second step involves getting community support, part of the solution to having a teen center in Kinsley. We could have community projects to let everyone know what the teen center would be all about. People will realize faster that a teen center is needed if they are involved in the help of building up a good teen center.

Our third step, get teen support, will also go a long way in helping build a successful teen center. When some of the teens in the community are in favor of the teen center then it will make it that much easier to get rest of the teens to follow suit.

Our fourth step would be to raise money to support the teen center. Fund raisers would help in helping raising the money. Another advantage in having a fund raiser would be the high level of community involvement. One fund raiser that would raise money and get the whole community involved is a bake sale. Another worthwhile fund raiser would be doing something like putting on a talent show. Community support is the key to a successful fund raiser.

The last obstacle to overcome is the question of location. First we should go the the city commissioners' office and check out what buildings are available for use. We should then make a point of talking to local teenagers and finding where they want it at. We have to realize that the teen center would involve the whole county, so we have to take in account the driving distance people want to drive.

In conclusion I think that teen center would greatly benefit the community of Kinsley. In my opinion keeping teens out of trouble is the whole idea of having a teen center. One activity teens might like is having movie nights where they could watch the more recent movies with their friends in a good clean environment. The whole key to these activities would be they would only be held once a month. By doing this teens might not get so bored as fast with the usual everyday routine. Also it gives teens a chance to look forward to an event."
Christina Ingvalson, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Apathy is the hardest obstacle to overcome because many people look at the. . .picture and say 'my contribution won't change anything'."
Jim Carlson, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"To conquer society's apathy, society must realize the hope that lies within its younger generation. The foundation of a child is its home. therefore, society must demand that parents take an active, responsible role in the lives of their children. Parents must teach values and encourage children to take a stand on issues that concern them. Second, society must educate its children. Society must teach children the values of history, philosophy, and literature which have and still help to guide society. Third, society must encourage involvement in its youth. Service organizations and school clubs provide an outlet for children and they encourage the compassionate and empathetic nature needed for a caring society. Finally, society must analyze and raise the standards that it has set for itself. Society cannot expect what it does not maintain."
Jacqueline R. Fuller, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Todd McDermott and Melissa Beck, our local evening newscasters from Wichita, not only report the news as factually as possible, but also periodically host parenting conferences for parents."
Bart Wenstrom, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Renaissance Ministries of Morristown, Tennessee recently started Keys For Abundant Living, a women's group similar to the all-male Promise Keepers. Both groups help members to improve leadership skills and promote personal development and spiritual growth. The American Association of Retired Persons created the CHUMS project. It pairs volunteer workers with mentally ill elderly individuals, allowing elderly people to live independently at home. Brian Herr, a Valley Center, Kansas, high school student, noticed a girl choking at a Scholar's Bowl event. While other students watched, Herr used the Heimlich maneuver to save the girl's life."
Ryan Boyd, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"By abolishing teacher tenure, the education system has a better chance to improve the academic performance of its students. Teachers who do not care about teaching should be released from the teaching profession. Teachers who care about the students and their career need to be kept. College revision, teacher review boards, and new laws could abolish the need for tenure and could make teaching more attractive for quality teachers."
Melody Brown, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"We need to be aware of what is going on in our communities, states, and nation. Then we need to be aware of the problems, talk about the problems and unite as one to find solutions. I would support the idea of a school assembly on the evils of drinking and driving the day before prom in the spring."
Mitchell Craft, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Marsha Haxton has her definition of what 'being responsible' means. She believes that one person does not accept the responsibility, then others must accept it. She also believes that we are responsible for ourselves and our actions. She encourages the youth in our community to become involved by taking on responsibilities in a positive manner. Also, [on the] panel, Mr. & Mrs. Scott Brown focused upon one's responsibility to himself. The panelists believe that we are only accountable for one person, ourselves. They also expressed that we should be true to ourselves and our ideas, beliefs, or thoughts."
Nicholas Crockett, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"My father is another person that uses great amounts of responsibility and helps special education students by supporting them in contests."
Jay Dunn, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Volunteers that helped with the sand-bagging effort during the flood last spring donated their time and equipment to help other people save their property."
Don Flax, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Environmental obstacles that weigh heavily on the rural community relate to cost. The Offerle Farmers' Cooperative does not have any environmental problems. Yet the Co-op must be equipped with preventative environmental disaster equipment. Pete Ewy, an associate of the Offerle Co-op, says, 'Pollution needs to be monitored, but where does the cost outweigh the benefits?' He suggests that excess environmental equipment may be a waste of taxpayers' money. Perhaps the EPA can use their money more wisely by putting the authority in local and state hands, not in the hands of the federal government. By allowing the state and local governments to use the money as they please, important environmental problems will be solved more efficiently. This local authority eliminates bureaucratic red tape. Also, local agencies can make sincere and personal decisions with farmers easier than the national agency. An example of ill-founded decisions can be seen when a farmer's land is evaluated by the average quality of ground of the area. This average does not give justice to the unique traits of that piece of land. A local extension agent knows the people who farm the ground and knows the condition of the ground."
Adam N. Froetschner, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"My parents. . .are very supportive and have taught me morals that help me to make the right decisions. My parents have been role models who have taught me to respect myself and the people around me. My parents have taught me to be responsible to myself, to my family and to the community. My parents want me to respect myself my being true to myself. They want me to be happy with myself and the way I live. This means accepting me for whom I am. My parents also want me to respect my family. We are a very close family so respecting them is easy. We are very active in each others' lives. I am also taught to respect the community. This is done through community service throughout the year."
Tonya Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"If our nation's parents can build their youth's character on good moral standards, it will be possible to solve our problem of violence in schools."
Brendel Kirkwood, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"In 1986, the Los Angeles Rams football team ran the Harbor City's anti-drug session. The team participated in a drug-education program in 30 high schools. Eugene Flax, a long time coach has been exposed to many different injuries. Flax hates to see anyone get hurt and when a player does, Mr. Flax is usually the first one there, no matter from what team. Women have stepped up as positive role models in the 1990s. Ann Trason trains between 90 and 120 miles a week while teaching at a community college in Oakland. Trason was the first woman to beat a man in a national championship race at any distance."
Jeremiah Proberts, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

"Another obstacle concerns the problem of mixed messages that kids continually receive from the media, peers, and family. They are warned in sex education classes about sexually transmitted diseases, and told about 'safe' sex. Next they are told that if a pregnancy does occur an abortion is an option. Then when they see the media, exposure to sexual ideas or scenes occurs. A national study reported that television portrays six times more extramarital sex than sex between husbands and wives. Many sources give teenagers confusing messages without any answers."
Carrie Torres, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

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