Leaving home for college

1. Area seniors share By LAUREN MATEER
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
“This time is really all about starting a new
adventure as an adult.”
T
he end of the school year is here. Every other Or, as JJ Beck puts it: “We are now moving from
their thoughts on year, June hasn’t made a significant differ-
ence in my life. It’s great to get out of school
an environment where wash is done for us to a place
where we must do our own wash.”
the major life for the summer, to work as a lifeguard, to wake up
later than 6 a.m., to hang out with friends outside.
So many things are going to be different next
year, from our living situations to our schools and
transition that is However, I always knew that in about two
months, I would be returning to the halls of Council
classes to the people we see every day.
Others focus on their futures as adults. Many
Rock North. Even the transition from elementary
high school school to middle school or middle school to high
think forward, even beyond the first year of college,
such as Katie Bienas, who says: “It’s weird thinking
school wasn’t a big deal; the hours were different, how far we’ve come in four years and then thinking
graduation. and there were some new people, but overall, the
experience was the same.
how much further we’re going to be in four more
years.”
However, this year, I am graduating. This fall, I Even though we’re still so young, it’s time to start
won’t be returning to school in Richboro, or even considering what we’re going to do as adults. Sarah
Newtown. I won’t even be in Pennsylvania. Going Higgins agrees. “At 17 and 18, we’re expected to map
across the street from Richboro Elementary to out our lives, and graduation is that threshold that
Richboro Middle, or an extra 10 minutes from we’re crossing,” she says.
Richboro Middle to Council Rock North wasn’t a It’s a daunting task, but I believe we’re up for it.
big deal, but going from Council Rock North to Fellow reality panelist Andi Cooke, a senior at
Ithaca, N.Y., about four hours away? Kind of a big Council Rock South, says that she’s “so excited to
deal. leave the bubble that my high school has become,
Sure, graduation from high school isn’t the yet [she’s] also sad to leave the comfort behind.”
biggest transition we’ll ever face. There’s graduat- I think many of us feel the same way. While it’s
ing from college, changing jobs, getting exciting to have so many new opportunities, it’s
married, having kids, all of that going to be weird to see everything change.
fun stuff. However, it’s the Of course, not everything about graduation is a
biggest change we seniors huge transformation. Mohini Tellakat comments
have faced so far, so it’s a that graduation is “more of a milestone than a tradi-
really important time in tion,” and Stu Fram believes that, for him, “it does
our lives. nothing more than affirm the fact that we’ve com-
I asked some fellow pleted 12 years of schooling ... sure, it may seem
Council Rock North sen- huge now, but so was graduating kindergarten at the
iors for their thoughts time.”
on high school gradua- Robin Kutner agrees, adding that “people make it
tion. out as such a great event because we’re starting to
Many of my friends pursue those specific things which we now think
mentioned the fact that this will be related to what we end up doing for the rest
is the first time most of us of our lives — despite the fact that things probably
have really been out on our won’t end up exactly as planned for anyone.”
own. “We go to gradua- Others worry that, as Jane Park comments, grad-
tion for a commence- uation is a transition because college is the first
ment ceremony, and place where we are “told to our faces that sometimes,
to commence is to hard work doesn’t pay off the way you want it to.”
begin,” Elizabeth Whether you believe that graduation is, for an 18-
Rademacher year-old, the biggest change you’ve made or are
says. making or will make at that point in your life, or
you believe that it’s just another mildly interesting
event with a small impact on your life, graduation is
here for the class of 2009.
At the very least, there will be a slight change,
but more likely, graduation means big changes,
transformations and transitions. Best of luck!
COURIER TIMES
THE INTELLIGENCER
Credit Card Act unfair to responsible young adults THURSDAY
JUNE 11, 2009
D
By KATIE GREENBERG me, and my mom starts worrying Obama, which will severely limit lege students from get-
PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL that someone will know that and the ability of anyone under 21 to ting credit cards is any Also
I
’ll be graduating this Friday, happen to be a criminal and I’ll get get a credit card. solution?
Online
and since I’ll be going off into mugged. After the bill goes into effect As I see it, that’s just
the wide, crazy world soon, my Although my dad wants me to next year, all people under 21 must delaying the problem. They won’t
dad has decided it’s about time I get a credit card so I can start estab- either be able to prove their ability be indebted students, they’ll just
get a credit card. lishing a credit history, which to pay or have a parent or guardian be indebted 20-somethings.
I have no problem with this. In sounds perfectly fine to me, too. co-sign. Hopefully, you can already Ultimately, parents still need to be
fact, it sounds great not to have to Actually, I’m still a little foggy on see the problems with this. the ones to teach their kids about
carry around cash with me all the how I’m supposed to get a credit I’m assuming this is an attempt fiscal responsibility.
time. (Yes, I do realize I will have to card without a credit history, but by the government to prevent Also, there’s the very obvious
pay later. If I’ve learned anything that’s a topic for another article. young people from falling into problem of the government trying
from Disney Channel shows, it’s What I want to talk about is the debt. To force them to be responsi- to control legal adults. I’m 18 now.
that credit cards are not magic other reason my dad is rushing to ble. Debt among college students is I can vote, enlist in the army, get www.bucks
money trees.) married and do just about every-
If something winds up being
get me a credit card: the Credit
Card Accountability, Responsibility
definitely a problem — I must’ve
read a million articles about this in thing else that a legal adult can do, reality.com
more expensive than $20, usually I and Disclosure (CARD) Act that the past few years, and it seems to all without asking my parents’ per-
just can’t buy it. And then I start was recently passed by Congress be getting worse. mission.
carrying more money around with and signed into law by President But who’s to say preventing col- See CREDIT, Page D2
REALITY EDITOR ANDY VINEBERG: 215-949-4135 ARTIST TOM RASKI: 215-949-5744 E-MAIL BACKTALK@PHILLYBURBS.COM WRITE REALITY, C/O COURIER TIMES, 8400 N. BRISTOL PIKE, LEVITTOWN, PA 19057-5117