Thursday, November 20, 2008

Enlightening about College Education in Shasta County

Q: Why is this important? Compared to the statewide average, how many people in Shasta County have post-high school degrees? Why do you think there is such a difference? Be specific!

A: Unfortunately, we do not have many kids in our high school with parents that encourage them as much as they should. Most of our classmates do not have parents making comments like "...when you go to college..." and "After you graduate from college..." that help make them believe that it is a necessity to live their lives and to make a living. That helps take a toll on how much perseverance they have to make it into a bigger college or to even go to Shasta College.

Others do not apply themselves because they believe they cannot afford to go. To educate those people, there are plenty of scholarships out there and grants and even loans that are willing to help out. There is no reason that anybody should say that they cannot go to college for whatever reason. Unfortunately, those are the people that have not been encouraged or have not been enlightened that there are endless possibilities to make these things happen.

The statewide average for those who have a bachelor's degree is 29.5%. For Shasta County, its at only 18.8% which is at a high from previous years where it was only 16% or even lower. Programs like the CPEC (California Postsecondary Education Commission) are out there to help those around us to know the possibilities that are available and can be obtained with a little work or just even stumbling over it and finding it. They are out there trying to help and the number of people who have seeked help by visiting that program has increased by 67%. Little changes and these attempts will help those out there to get an education and hopefully we will see the number of people who attend ascend even more.

In my opinion, parents and those around us, including teachers, friends, family, etc., definitely encourage teenagers and young adults to apply themselves to attend any size college. those simple sayings like "...when you go to college..." help put the rite state of mind in their heads that there is no other option to live other then to go. Small steps help to get us to bigger achievements. The difference from the Statewide average and Shasta County is the lack of knowledge that is put out to enlighten those who know little of the subject.

Friday, November 7, 2008

The Great Gatsby and Nick Carraway

Q: What do we know about Nick Carraway and the Gatsby?

A: Nick Carraway thinks of himself as high moral and tolerant. He narrarates the story and tells of the hero, Gatsby, who he describes as "nothing short of gorgeous." It starts off with Nick in the summer of 1922 in New York where he is renting a house in the West Egg in Long Island. East Egg and West Egg are set different by wealth and taste. He knows of Gatsby because the West Egg is next door to the Gatsby's mansion. Nick graduated from Yale and has a lot of connections on the East Egg, which sets him apart from his neighbors and the people he is associating with.

One night, Nick goes to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin Daisy, her husband Tom Buchanan, and her friend Jordan Baker. When he is leaving he gets a hint from Tom and Daisy to take an interest in Jordan. As he arrives home, he sees Gatsby for the first time looking out across the water. He describes him as a handsome, young man, but he cannot find what Gatsby is looking at out in the dark.