1993-1994 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest

Doesn't Anyone Care About The Children?

Teacher: Debbie Wiatrek

Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas

   1st Tim Pawelek  2nd Emily Wiatrek 3rd Leann Fleming

"I believe there is a solution to every problem, and I have a solution for drunk driving. It's not fancy and complicated; since I've never been to law school. But I do know that because you move to another state, you shouldn't have your driving record erased. Your address might change but you as a person do not. A person's driving record should be considered nation wide. First time offenders should get their licenses taken away for five years, second time offenders for life. If this law was in effect now more than half of all drunk-driving incidents would never have existed. Now imagine that the answer is so simple, yet our government has done nothing."
Jennifer Pilarczyk, Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas

 "If more businesses would concentrate more on hiring teenagers this would also help keep kids off the street."
Andy Rapstine, Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas

 "In Washington...judges now send about 5000 [juveniles] a year to neighborhood citizen committees. These meet with the juveniles and parents, prescribe counseling, educational help, and punishments. In 1991 penalties averaged 12 hours of community service, and $120 in restitution."
Keri Wiatrek, Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas

 "[Re: Drug and alcohol awareness program)Throughout the whole day every eight to ten minutes someone would come to a classroom and take out one student, paint his or her face white and put a sign on him that said 'Don't talk to me, I'm just a memory.' The rest of the day that person was asked not to speak to anyone. This had an enormous effect on the student body because your best friend could be one of the people dying of alcohol or drug abuse. This made you think who would be left to talk to or hang out with if one of us were to die. Making us aware that we could lose a friend was a great thing for the student council to do."
Emily Wiatrek, Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas

 "Teenagers can be responsible, too. Just recently my school had a blood drive and we also had an ecology day. On this day we cleaned up the entire school from picking up trash at the football field to painting the bathrooms."
Jennifer Pilarczyk, Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas

Back