Dear Editor,
Is it already that time of the year when the next graduating
class of Gilroy High School seniors needs to start thinking about
all those miscellaneous expenses that occur before receiving their
diploma?
Dear Editor,
Is it already that time of the year when the next graduating class of Gilroy High School seniors needs to start thinking about all those miscellaneous expenses that occur before receiving their diploma? As pointed out in a recent article published in the Gilroy Dispatch, seniors will be digging deeper this year into their pockets or their parents wallets to pay for all those year end social activities and material keep sakes.
Seniors, you won’t be able to add up all these cost on your fingers, so get out your calculators, a fresh set of batteries, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and get ready to take one more test. There is only one question – calculate the value of “X”, when “X” equals the total cost of all the items you want to purchase, minus the total cost of the all items you can’t afford. Answers may vary. Does any one really need the most expensive senior class ring going for $1,159.95 or the $500 senior picture package and the trip to Disneyland – Mickey Mouse won’t even miss you. And now the school has decided to start charging for each requested college transcript, what’s next-toilet paper?
I don’t have any good suggestions how to pay off the value of “X” but, I do have a suggestion how the school may help subsidize the cost of transcripts. Create an incentive program for juniors and seniors that off sets the cost of each transcript. Design a program that offers redeemable tickets for meeting specific academic and non-academic achievements. The redeemable tickets have a cash value towards the purchase of official transcripts. For example, one ticket is given for each garbage bag of litter picked up on the school campus – Mr. Corzo seems to have an endless supply of garbage bags for tardy students, so let’s put him in charge. Tickets can be given to students with no tardies; a 3.0 or higher grade point average, each earned quarterly “A”, etc. And for the teachers, they can give tickets to students that complete all their homework assignments, completion of specific task and projects, leadership and classroom behavior.
However, restrictions should be placed on the use of the redeemable tickets. They should not be accepted for same day processing or late retrieval. It’s good to hear as reported by Linda Martinez, “seniors are much better about retrieving their requested documents, and the students are more in control, and are learning that a deadline is a deadline.”
As mentioned in the same Dispatch article, all the money collected from the transcripts will go towards a scholarship fund awarded to one or more seniors at the annual senior awards dinner in May. So even if an incentive program is not initiated, and you still think $2 is a rip off, remember the money is being contributed to a good cause.
Alan Johnson, Gilroy
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a
well-written letter.
