Life is Fair

 Life is Fair is an organization created for the benefit of students in the state of Georgia. It is for those who have been disenfranchised by the current school system and to uplift all students and let them know that they can succeed. It is my goal that the ideas of Life is Fair can spread throughout the world, therefore I am sharing these thoughts with You because it is highly probable that You may be of some great assistance. Below is the paper I presented about the program at the Georgia Collegiate Honor’s Conference earlier this year.

“If something can be changed for the worse, it can definitely be changed for the better.” —ABAgail Dunn

 Life is Fair
by ABAgail Dunn

 

In the state of Georgia, according to a report from WALB News 10, the high school dropout rate is 56%. According to the same article, this is the second highest dropout rate in the entire country. The education system should be based on the advancement of the students, regardless of issues that they cannot control such as poverty level and the area in which they live, both of which undoubtedly affect the quality of education that students receive. Last semester, I volunteered at a local private school which taught students from kindergarten to the twelfth grade, a school whose population was around fifty students. In listening to the children, I found that none were lacking in intelligence, rather they lacked enthusiasm, never quite understanding why they had to learn subjects such as long division, which I as a math tutor assisted them in twice a week. This is an issue, which, if not recognized, addressed, and solved will cause the dropout rate in the state of Georgia to greatly increase.
     Education has become a commodity rather than a need in the United States and it seems that more often than not, those that do not have financial health and live in low-income areas also live in an environment where they are not properly nurtured. It is generally accepted that those who live in the so-called “ghetto” will not be able to get out and that some are destined to fail so that others may succeed. In my opinion, this is a rather sadistic ideal, yet popular and accepted nonetheless. It is even said that some are just not meant to go to college, but who decides this? Will we continue to covet such a sick mentality and call it reality, or will we attempt to rectify it?
      There are no doubt many flaws in this society that we call home, flaws that many complain about, yet never seem to consider solving. Homelessness, poverty, violence, and the school system are just a few problems that inhabit the state of Georgia with us, no doubt unwelcome, and have had a place there every since I can remember. I have a solution to the plight of the Georgia school system and a remedy for students’ behavior, academic set-backs, and low self-esteem in connection with issues such as poverty and homelessness that are presently attacking the state of Georgia. In order to attempt to eradicate much of the negativity that plagues our younger generations today, the name of the club is “Life is Fair.”
      Currently, there are twelve undergraduate students who are affiliated with this program and my reasons for presenting this paper include recruiting other people, including graduate students, to help us in this endeavor. We are currently raising money for this organization by finding and saving spare change. “Life is Fair” is virtually volunteer based, where members work for the common good of all, in that funds are raised for scholarships, yet no one is paid on an hourly basis. The purpose of this program is to enlighten the state of Georgia as a whole about how they can help those around them merely because we are all human beings.
     In pursuit of gaining greater technological advancement, so much of society seems to be ignoring the children, our supposed futures, while claiming otherwise. My solution to this problem is a multi-tiered tutoring system, where students ranging from pre-kindergarten to graduate school come together to assist each other academically as well as socially. Students will be positively impacted by their tutors, rather than given an alternative to being their absolute bests. All children will be assisted in finding the talents they can use in life, and their weaknesses will be nurtured so that they will gain confidence and trust in the world around them. There are countless negative portrayals of our children in the media, and rather than complain about their obvious bias, why not just cease to buy into it? Why not assist our children rather than continue to allow them to be chastised and labeled in such a detrimental manner?
     One of the issues that children face in school is a lack of interest. Children and adolescents do not connect what they are being forced to learn with their everyday lives, thus the students do not care. Also, our youths are made to feel that they are not yet in the “real world”; in other words, all that they live, all that they cope with is not of importance. Thus, many of our children act accordingly: as if they are not important. With “Life is Fair”, our youths will have a role in every event that is created, and will be given the opportunity to create some events that pertain to issues that they feel are pertinent. In addition, the group will fundraise for the benefit of their community for such issues as AIDS research, cancer research, and eradication of homelessness in the state of Georgia. This program will provide students with a connection to the world around them, demonstrating that there is a place for them in this society, a society which constantly misplaces its priorities.
     According to U.S. College Search, there are 201 colleges, universities, and technical schools in the state of Georgia. This may seem like a lot, but in comparison to the number of primary schools, this is actually very few! There are 1,473 elementary schools, 475 middle schools, and 356 high schools in the state of Georgia. Is it a coincidence that the number of schools lessens in such a manner? Is it possible that it is anticipated that students as young as ten, equivalent to a fifth grader who will be entering middle school, will drop-out of school upon graduation or failure of the fifth grade? It would be logical to one that there should be a smaller amount of elementary schools, because these schools house more students because they span over a greater amount of grade levels than do middle and high schools.
     This is a rather puzzling set of data.
     But, to focus on another, more positive and equally important point, there is a large number of universities, colleges, and technical schools in the state of Georgia. As adults who realize the issues that childhood brings, it would be prudent to assist these children. It is important to realize that no college would stand without the students that attend the schools, thus it is imperative that our youths remain focused on their educations so that they may enter college accordingly. If our students continue to dropout of school at such alarming rates, what will become of the colleges and universities, and more importantly to some, what will become of the economy of Georgia?
     Some may argue that it is not the responsibility of others to raise other people’s children. This is so true, but why then is it assumed that it is the responsibility of others to educate other people’s children, especially in such a haphazard manner that there is a 56% high school dropout rate in this state? What a child learns, hears, observes, and does at school impacts this child, which is in a form, raising a child and instilling in him or her values, such as hard work, perseverance, honesty. The truth of the matter is, and the data mirrors this fact, hard work is not valued as much as money in this society, so that many children dropout of school in order to work, thus acting out exactly what they are being taught and what they see around them. Having older students as mentors will allow children to see that responsibility is great and necessary for life.
     In regards to responsibility, in “Life is Fair”, students will also fundraise for their own futures. The club will raise money for and provide scholarships as well as study abroad funds for students. This will emphasize the importance of education and the value of experience from a global perspective. This will allow students to gain a sense of responsibility that they can take back to the classroom and as a result, there will be a renewed interest in their studies, in their pursuits of knowledge, which they will take with them through life.
     One of the many aspects that I want to focus on in “Life is Fair” is the power of knowledge about one’s surroundings. In one of the first events held by “Life is Fair”, students will be asked to research the amount of money it will take to feed, house, and clothe families of various sizes and eating habits. The amount of homeless people in the state of Georgia will also be researched and recorded so that all will be aware of the challenge that we face in reaching the ultimate goal. The teams of students will present this information to an audience, thus emphasizing public speaking skills. The money raised from this event will go towards the goal of eradicating homelessness; homeless families will be given the money for food and clothing, while we will continue to fundraise in order to pay for the rent of an apartment for the family for several months. I desire for many of the events to be of a symposium style because this will give children and youths the clear impression that they are being listened to. Also, students who present will receive a share of the money towards scholarships or study abroad accounts, thus furthering their education.
     It is an obvious fact that we as human beings may live together, yet we do not know what everyone else must cope with in their everyday lives. The homeless man on the corner may have dreamed of becoming a professor, but rather than helping a student learn the complexities of Calculus, he is being teased by the very student he may have written a recommendation for someday.  It may well seem that a woman belongs in a psychiatric ward due to her constant ravings, but you do not know why she cries; it is possible that she has been abused. You may well see the boy wearing clothes that are several sizes too big; but how do you know that these clothes do not belong to his father and that he can afford new ones, ones that fit his undernourished frame? One can look at their own lives and realize that yes, there may have been amazing days, but there have also been awful days, so why judge someone else based on the manner in which they choose to deal with this? Each of these people are no doubt abused by various members of society, and since this is not alleviating their problems, it is compounding the problems that we all face. Complaints and misjudgment about those around us will not solve these problems; it is time to take action with a collective force, which is the basis for “Life is Fair”.

Works Cited

School Tree.org. “Find High Schools in Georgia.” <http://georgia.schooltree.org/high/counties-page1.html> Retrieved 21 February 2008.

U.S. College Search. “Georgia Colleges and Universities.” <http://www.uscollegesearch.org/georgia-colleges.html> Retrieved 21 February 2008.

WALB News10. Gaskins, Nikki. “Georgia ranks second in high school drop-out rate.” 19 July 2007. <http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?> Retrieved 20 February 2008.

 
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