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Rant & Rave
SO, I just had a friend tell me, "I just got a job working at Zippy's. Last week I turned in the application, and a few days later they interviewed me. After that, they called me up a few days later, and I have the job!" Study now; work life
will come too soonI have heard this and similar stories from teenagers getting jobs at least half-a-dozen times. Rather than scoff at their bizarre obsession with part-time jobs, I often reflect on their circumstances.
School is already my full-time job. It amazes me that high school students are willing to spend more than 10 hours a week or summer vacation working at a minimum-wage job that doesn't allow them to apply any of the skills they worked so hard to learn in school.
I imagine this friend of mine must drive for half an hour to his work place, don rubber gloves and a paper hat to scrub dirty dishes for the good part of an afternoon. So much for working for spending pleasure.
Before I would even consider writing my name on a job application, I would ask myself the following: Should I sacrifice my grades, test scores and other college credentials for spare change that I'd spend in a single weekend at the mall, a sporting event or performance? Do I have patience to go through the process of asking, "May I take your order?," "Would you like to try that on?," or "Are you enjoying your meal?," hundreds of times? Did I learn the views of Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and Adams, and the consequences of private and foreign investment in the late 18th century to flip burgers?
The subjects we learn in school are relevant to today's society. Many teenagers just do not realize this yet; they would prefer to spend their weekends standing in a store than getting a sense of the world through studies, social interaction and hobbies.
Only a few of them will find jobs that are meaningful, enjoyable and suited to their interests. Teenagers learn nothing new by performing monotonous labor in stores or restaurants. A good high school and college education will result in much better jobs in the long-run.
Of course, the excuse, "I have to earn the extra money for my family," comes up frequently as a forgivable excuse. For families that do need extra money, taxes will feast on a substantial amount of the $5.15 per hour in Hawaii that teenagers usually earn. Working 20 hours in a week will rarely add up to more than $60.
The responsibility of providing necessities for children lies with parents until their children reach adult status.
Many of today's students have an aim to be the best they can be. While they are young, they should be developing their talents by making the most of their precious time.
Victor Chang is a junior at Iolani School. Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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