1993-1994 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest

Doesn't Anyone Care About The Children?

Teacher: Natalie Garrett

Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

1st Mike Godfrey        2nd Josh McFarland  3rd Karen Krumlauf 

"People readily admit they cheat on their taxes. IRS figures based on statistical samplings of returns show that employees who have income taxes withheld from their paychecks contribute their due 97 to 98 percent of the time. For people who don't have income taxes withheld from their paychecks, but who aren't self-employed, the rate for truthful reports drops to 84 to 92 percent. Only 60 to 64 percent of self-employed people report truth- fully. These people are irresponsible in not obeying the laws and cheating."
Rebecca M. Watkins, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

 "Perhaps one of the trickiest scams where people try to abuse the system involved two Russian brothers who took advantage of our health care system. The brothers used over 350 front companies to fabricate insurance billings totaling more than one billion dollars. They used the companies to promise patients care that they didn't receive. The scams started with a phone pitch promising free medical exams. The patients were then sent to expensive mobile clinics. The doctors then charged insurers an average of $8,000 per patient. This was the biggest health care scam in U.S. history. The two have since been caught and are awaiting their sentence in a California court."
Alan Welburn, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

 "It is estimated that in New York alone there are 1500 fatherless children between the ages of one and five. This simple fact shows how many men are causing pregnancies and then just allowing their pregnant girl-friends and their unborn babies to fend for themselves."
Thomas R. Velasco, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

 "Bring the hope of having a wonderful family back, and in return that sense of hopelessness that we see in our children will vanish."
Erik Russell, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

 "With the technology in today's world, a computer chip could be made that would screen out the programs that are considered violent. This could be accomplished by rating programs and having the computer chip read the rating and figure out whether or not the show is appropriate. If the show is not, then the show will be cut out or blacked out. Ðhave each person in the family have a code that would screen out certain programs for the younger viewers and a code to expand the viewing abilities for the adults."
Becky Anderson, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"A few ways to help would be to watch the programs that children are watching and discuss with them what is real and what is not, as well as what is right and wrong."
Becky Anderson, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"Parents can become active participants with their children by watching shows with them and discussing the situations shown, whether they are actual or fiction and what theoutcome would really be if people acted in that manner in real life."
Mike Godfrey, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"In Boston, 300 Brookline High School students are involved in 30 community service projects, including tutoring local elementary school students."
Erica Haines, Phoenix High School Phoenix, Oregon

"If we create a good school system children will succeed. The spiritual exposure that founded this country will provide the children with faith in themselves."
Erik Russell, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"I think that schools should start teaching a lot more ethics in classes."
Ryan J Csaftis, Phoenix, High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"Walter Annenberg, a publisher, recently pledged $500,000,000 to improve public education. He fears that the violence in schools today is going to ruin America's future. He pledged the money to improve schools all across America. He has also challenged other people to join him and help fight the violence. The violence in public schools today has caused a major decline in education. Annenberg is hoping to improve this problem and eventually put an end to it."
Mary Conway, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"MTV has become a media tool for reaching the minds of young citizens. Manykids watch this station and are starting to see ads and promos for anti-violence groups. Free Your Mind is one of the first groups to use MTV for this purpose. Their organization tries to raise awareness of racism. Many people face racial violenceeveryday and this group serves as the light at the end of the tunnel. Free Your Mind deals with racism against all races, languages, sexes, ages, religions and beliefs. Young people are responding positively to these ads so far. Another group using the MTV airwaves is Silence The Violence. This organization protests the use and manufacturing of handguns. They have not yet caught on with the teen crowd, but there is promise of some good for the future."
Kevin Gilman, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"In many Oregon high schools where is a program called 'Natural Helpers.' This is one of the most beneficial programs for high school students today. 'Natural Helpers' is a peer elected group that deals with general problems high school students face on a daily basis. Students educating students? Actually it makes perfect sense. Most students won't go to a teacher or adult to get help with a problem. We, the students and faculty, are taking responsibility by acknowledging that students need to talk to people. I think our student body has really benefited from this program. We have a healthier and happier student body." Kristin Chase, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon"In Chicago, students from six universities approached Chicago House, a nonprofit organization that operates group residences for homeless people with HIV and AIDS. [The students offered] to work as volunteers helping with fund-raising, clerical workand sometimes emotional support for residents. Thousands more school children nation-wide are volunteering in other equally helpful ways by cleaning up parks, planting trees, starting literacy campaigns and so on."
Erica Haines, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"There are many responsible high school students who are lending a helpful hand to our society. Angela Badger, a health occupation student at Battle Ground High School, assists in her high school and elementary school health rooms. She also teaches first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to local community groups. Betsy Radigan operates Project Safe Summer, a project aimed at [steering] youth away from vandalism and other negative activity during the summer. Her efforts helped create community sponsored events that served 345 at risk youths in grades first through eighth in Portland. Both of these girls are helping their peers, the ones who tend to look to someone their own age, who they can relate to, and help them understand and change for the better."
Rosa Garcia, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"In Waseca, Minnesota, high school students have done everything from organizing a miniature golf-a-thon for the American Cancer Society to spearheading a clothing drive that overflowed a semi-trailer truck with skirts, shirts, pants, dresses, coats and shoes."
Erica Haines, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"In ten states the National Guard has developed a program to assist high school dropouts who wish to complete their high school education. They send the teens through a boot-camp like program which is designed to boost interest in learning and increase self esteem."
Mike Godfrey, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

 "Many schools in the area are attempting to help the parents take care of their children better. They are trying something called 'parent networking,' which is compiling a list of phone numbers so parents can contact each other easily. This idea is intended to prevent things such as parties, when parents leave town. The list of phone numbers is provided for the parents that want to be more involved in their children's lives, and keep better track of what they are doing. In schools that have been doing this for awhile, it has produced many benefits and seems to be very effective."
Mary Conway, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

"In Ashby, Minnesota, elementary and middle school students have spent after school hours on Wednesdays for the last three years collecting recyclable materials from the town's 500 residents. The city matches what the kids make, then uses the money to operate the community center that's shared by the students and senior citizens."
Erica Haines, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon

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