The amplifier., March 01, 2007, Page 5, Image 5

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Forum
STUDENTS
Seniors pick own pockets for cash
S imon K irsch
Staff Writer
Parking permit, $60.
Yearbook, $50. Cap and
gown (basic set), $46.
Spending more than $1,000
just to live life as a senior...
priceless?
Life as a senior is
expensive. There's money
($45) for the Associated
Student Body sticker
on your ID card, there's
money ($300) for sports and
activities and there's money
($90-150) for books and/or
supplied for classes. Seniors
not only have to deal with
those fees, but there’s added
expenses of graduation
costs, parking privileges,
college applications, SAT
fees, senior photos and prom.
With all this spending, it can
be difficult to scrounge up
the money for day-to-day
expenses.
Then there’s college...
college applications can run
close to $60 dollars each,
and with the added cost of
college visits, auditions or
interviews, the totals to get
into college can be hundreds
of dollars.
"There are ways for kids
to save for college," Julie
Swanson, career center
secretary, said. "But with
many fees being compulsory
the best way to save money
is applying for scholarships,
en [students] don’t have to
save as much."
The SAT Reasoning test
runs $40 with extra fees to
send scores to more than four
colleges. This is mandatory
for most colleges, so there is
no saving on these costs.
According to Swanson,
there are ways to do
interviews locally, which
saves on travel costs. "Many
colleges do local visits.
Contact admissions to find
out when."
Seniors have to buy
caps and gowns to wear to
graduation, and pay fees for
the senior grad party. Then
there’s all the memorabilia.
Some of the companies seem
to feed on the population of
seniors or more specifically,
their money. If you can slap
the words "senior" or "2007"
on it, they have and are
trying to sell it to seniors.
It is amazing how many
consumer goods were being
marketed: flip-flops, senior
sweats, senior hats, senior
wristbands and, let us not
forget my personal favorite,
the class ring.
These little chunks of
metal sell anywhere from
$80 to well over $200. With
minute inscriptions and
personal symbols engraved
on them, who wouldn't want
to shell out all that cash?
Then there are the caps
and gowns at $46.1 can't
help but shudder as I look
over that innocent little
pamphlet. This didn't come
with a special tassel or
anything like that. I didn't
even bother looking at that
other stuff because after I
saw how much just the basics
were, there was a little voice
in the back of my mind that
said, "These guys are trying
to screw us! Run while you
can!"
Unfortunately, after
serious thought and soul-
searching, I've come to the
conclusion that there is little
to nothing we can do about
all these things. As seniors,
we're on the fast track to that
harsh and bitter place where
we will have to pay the taxes.
So why not enjoy our simple
youth while it's still here?
Embrace that parking spot,
appreciate that yearbook and
walk proudly down that aisle
in that $46 dollar cap and
gown.
W h a t d o go u
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softball team will continue
its tradition of raising money
with a plant sale.
Inappropriate fundraising
is a problem that definitely
could happen in the future.
According to Sue Bradley,
should have been caught in
Page Editor
the first place even though it
Cancer is something we
might have been an effective
are all aware of; It’s an icky,
way to raise money. I don’t
horrible disease that can
think anyone is to blame
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Eventually the fundraiser
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was canceled. Jamie LeVeque, person who has the position
of vetoing or accepting things
cases, liposuction or Gastric
softball coach, isn't worried
Bypass surgery. Other than
that the concerns surrounding like fund raisers, field trips
and other school-wide events. radiation and chemotherapy,
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Marc Provencher,
senior
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