1997-1998 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest
Responsibility: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, And What That Means To The Nation
1st Courtney
Kallas 
2nd Jolleen
Erickson 3rd Sara Byl 
3rd Tony Peterson
Definition
"Responsibility is the quality of being reliable and trustworthy."
Jolleen Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Being responsible takes high moral standards and self-discipline."
Matt Nelson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"I think responsibility is doing everything to the best of your
ability, admitting to a mistake and taking the proper action to correct it. It is setting
and achieving goals and living by set standards."
Anna Robbins, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Alcohol
"Drinking is the number one problem among American teens. Statistics reveal that
many teens are starting to drink at a younger age. Drinking is irresponsible in itself,
but what teens do under the influence is even worse. For instance, alcohol-related highway
deaths are the number one killer of fifteen to twenty-four-year-olds. Furthermore, alcohol
use is a contributing factor in numerous teen suicides, and over half of all the rapes
involve the use of alcohol. A shocking 90 percent of all reported college rapes involve
drinking by the attacker, the victim, or both. Drinking has also been known to lead to
unsafe sex. It has been proven that if alcohol is being consumed, proper precautions will
not be taken to prevent pregnancy and diseases like HIV. In addition, alcohol has been a
component in almost every abusive family."
"Many teenagers fall into peer pressure. A lot are afraid that if they say no they
won't be cool. As young people move through the teen years, the frequency and amount of
drinking increases steadily. At age thirteen, nearly 40 percent of the teenagers claim to
be nondrinkers. By the time they reach eighteen, only ten percent are nondrinkers."
Sara Byl, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Education
"Sports give children a sense of responsibility. Sports teach work ethic and
competition. In sporting events, children are responsible for themselves and their
teammates. They do not want to let themselves, their teammates, or anyone else down so
they strive to do their best. They work as hard as they can, never giving up. They learn
responsibility on and off the field."
Tony Peterson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Children must be educated. Most education is done at school, but if basic things
are taught at home, schooling is more effective. It has been proven through numerous
studies that if a child is read to and they have intellectual stimulation from home, they
are more likely to succeed in the future."
Anna Robbins, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Irresponsible Acts
"An obvious lack of responsibility occurred when three former
Northwest Airline pilots, while intoxicated, flew a Boeing 727 from Fargo, North Dakota to
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. The pilots, Norman Prouse, Robert Kirchner, and Joseph
Balzer, were convicted and sentenced August 20, 1996. These pilots violated strict FAA and
company regulations and put the lives of 91 passengers in jeopardy. This is a clear
example of three men in an important position who acted irresponsibly."
Matt Nelson, Luck High School, Luck Wisconsin
"Out of every one thousand babies born each year, it is estimated
that six will be abused during their childhood years...Nothing is more irresponsible as
child abuse; beating up on someone who is not strong enough to defend themselves is a
disgrace to society as a whole."
Josh Nichols, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Parenting
"Parenting has more responsibilities than any job I know of…Children who
come from stable families do better in school, have less chance of becoming involved with crime, and live better lives than children who have poor
family lives. It is the family's responsibility to raise their children, not anyone else's
[responsibility]."
Anna Robbins, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Peers
"Many teens are helping themselves by helping others. They form an Early
Adolescent Helper Program at their schools… At the Gorilla Theater in Oregon, teens
try to educate other teens, through a play, on the effects of AIDS. The cast is made up of
a bunch of teens who try to educate street kids not to use dirty needles, not have
unprotected sex, and AIDS."
Sara Byl, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Responsibility
"Responsible people are accountable for their actions and feel that sense of
duty. They are trustworthy and dependable. They do not rely on other people, but rather
are the ones other people rely upon. Responsible people are the heroes of today and should
be the people w e look up to."
Tony Peterson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"The most responsible people in America aren't the professional athletes, drug
addicts, or child abusers; they are ordinary people not looking for fame. They are the
people who help others in a time of need without looking for gratitude."
Josh Nichols, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Responsible Acts
"The Seattle central area had a problem with graffiti. The
citizens decided to take the problem into their own hands. Community volunteers, including
many young adults, began a cleanup of garbage and graffiti. It helped the youths to see
themselves as individuals who had a responsibility to the community."
Jolene Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Role Models
"One athlete I read about was Darrell Green. Darrell is a
cornerback for the Washington Redskins. He created the Darrell Green Youth Life
Foundation. It is a learning center for less fortunate children. His center teaches kids
how to do life things how to start a savings account, read, and study."
Sara Byl, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Reggie White, perhaps the most responsible man in the game of football today, led
the Green Bay Packers to their first Super Bowl victory in twenty-seven years. At the age
of thirty-five, this NFL Pro Bowl defensive end has a work ethic that marvels both coaches
and teammates. He is as much a mentor as he is a player. The rest of the Packers'
defensive linemen claim to have learned a lot from their friend and by drawing double
teams week after week, he gives them a chance to make a big play. Reggie White truly is
the most responsible man in the game today."
Tony Peterson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Pope John Paul II is an extraordinary man in almost all aspects of
human nature. His impact on the world has already been enormous. Mary Kamati is dying of
AIDS in Nairobi, and in her hut hangs a picture of Pope John Paul II. She states, 'This is
the only Pope who has come to this part of the world.' Pope John Paul II has no choice but
to follow a strict discipline of responsibility, since he is the leader of the Christian
world. In all that John Paul has done, he has proved to be a great figurehead for our
children to admire."
Matt Nelson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Children also see irresponsibility on television. They see
professional athletes and actors as role models -what a mistake! How can a role model be
involved in bar fights and drug abuse?"
Josh Nichols, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Sex
"A survey of teenagers nationwide asked teens, 'You have had a
steady relationship for a long time and feel very much in love. At this point your
girlfriend/boyfriend asks you if you want to have sex. Do you?' In this situation, more
than one in three (thirty-seven percent) said they would have sex, one in five (nineteen
percent) said they would refuse to have sex for now. One in four (twenty-four percent)
said they would wait until they were married. This is why each year about one million
American teenagers become pregnant. Five out of six pregnancies are unplanned."
Sara Byl, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Student Opinion
"One of the biggest problems facing teens today, I feel, is drug
use. I have witnessed friends drink so much they pass out. Or, get so high that they can't
even respond to questions. They have [gone] from good athletes to pot heads. I think
we…need to have better laws, and better parents. We need to make laws stricter for
drug users. If a teenager is caught with drugs they need to be put in a program. Not just
sent back out on the streets. They are kids looking for help and attention. We need to
teach parents to spend time with their kids. Parents need to tell their kids they love
them. They need to set high morals and strong views for their children.
I wish that all kids could be as lucky as I am. I am a strong person with morals and
high expectations for myself. My parents [deserve] credit for how I turned out. They told
me they loved me, told me their views, and they gave me morals. They also taught me to say
no."
Sara Byl, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Irresponsible behavior has gone too far in professional sports and something has
to be done. I feel anytime a professional athlete commits an irresponsible act, he should
be fined a minimum of 25,000 dollars and be suspended for a minimum of ten games."
Tony Peterson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Professional athletes do not give respect to their coaches or fellow players.
Salaries of these athletes have been inflated, thereby presuming that they are more
important than others. The professional athletes have become irresponsible partly because
of the inflated egos they are developing. A solution to the inflated salaries is to
provide a 'pay for performance' method to reward athletes for the way they play each game.
There should be mandatory expulsion for the type of behavior that Latrell, not just a mere
one-year suspension; after all, this was a job he was doing. It should be mandatory for
professional athletes to participate in charity organizations or perform community
service. Athletes should be made aware when they accept the role of a professional, they
accept that they are role models and must perform responsibly."
Ryan Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Teens
"A lot of teens are in the work force. Many are working to help support their
families. Three are…saving for their futures. A job is a very good way for a child to
learn responsibility and respect."
Sara Byl, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"I read an article written by a young man who was intoxicated while
driving. He had left a party and was driving home by himself. His car crossed the
centerline and hit another card head-on. While the policeman asked him questions, he
stared at the other car asking if the person he hit was all right. He thought the other
driver couldn't possibly be hurt because he did not have a scratch on him. He had just
ended the life of one of his classmates. He went to court and was sentenced to write a
check for one dollar every Friday for eighteen years and give it to the parents of the
girl he killed so he 'wouldn't forget.' The young man said that not a day goes by in which
he does not think about her. Because of his irresponsibility, an innocent person lost her
life."
Niki Ill, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
White Hats
"Kids Korps, USA engages young people in community-based service
and volunteer activities. Kids Korps is designed to build role models, raise self-esteem,
develop responsibility, and enhance leadership skills. Members spend time with senior
citizens, plant trees, visit shelters, serve meals, and much more."
Jolleen Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
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