Dollars for degrees- Financial planning now prevents stress later

The time is coming. Between now and summer, meeting application deadlines, organizing payment plans, getting final transcripts and completing final assignments to raise grades a rank or two will consume seniors’ time.

However, there is valuable information for both graduating seniors and students who will return next year. It’s never too early to start preparing for and thinking about college.

In fact, every grade you make, every club activity you complete now affects how much you will stand out to the admission heads of every school you mail an application.

Every student will have at least one problem to clear to get to college, whether it’s deciding where to go, figuring how much tuition and fees will have to come out-of-pocket, making the grade, whether or not to work during college, trying to appear unique in a sea of thousands of applicants, and so on. For many graduates the largest of challenge is money. How will you ever pay for college?

There are many ways to make paying for school easier. The following are only a few methods that, over time, could shave hundreds, even thousands off tuition and cover expenses for all four years.

-Set a percent of your earnings aside every paycheck.

For those who have a job or plan to get one, a regular savings plan will help pay for school. Depositing 20 to 50 percent of earnings into a savings account will add up. Students may not earn much and therefore lack a large amount to contributed, but over a year or two, that money can ease the bill a considerable amount.

Senior Kateland Maddox, who signed a scholarship to run track and cross-country at South Plains Junior College, said that having a job will help with the remaining cost of attending.

“I’m going to have to get a job this summer, and my parents are making me pay it all by myself,” Maddox said. “I almost have it all paid for.”

Senior Christian Spring, who plans to attend Amarillo College, also works a job to cover his college expenses.

“Every week, I put money from my paycheck into my college fund,” Spring said. “I can pay for two years so far.”

-Apply for everything you can.

Every year, millions of dollars of financial aid go unclaimed nationwide. The rumor goes around that there is not enough money for everyone. If that much aid stagnates every year, then money is waiting for someone to step up and lay claim to their portion. Scholarships and other forms of aid are available and schools and agencies are willing to help figure how much each student can receive. The first step is applying.

Senior Maddison Sigler, who will attend Texas State in San Marcos, said scholarships helped her situation a great deal.

“I don’t qualify for government aid,” Sigler said. “Applying for lots of scholarships helped. I got $32,000 from Texas State.”

Senior Michael Stigler signed a track scholarship with the University of Kansas March 10.

“I don’t know how much total it is, but it’s a full-ride,” Stigler said. “I don’t have to pay for anything.”

-Prepare as early as possible.

Colleges have application deadlines for everything, not just attendance. Scholarships, grants and loans all have deadlines. In addition to mailing or emailing the forms in on time, students must plan ahead and take enough time to prepare the applications and supporting materials.

Sigler said students graduating in future years should save themselves frustration and send in the necessary information sooner rather than later.

“Apply for scholarships and don’t do anything last-minute,” Sigler said. “I did my application the night before and it was really stressful.”

Cowboys Stadium more than imagined

On my 16^th birthday, Nov. 16, I received tickets to the  Nov. 21 Lions vs. Cowboys game. This was the first time I had ever gone to an NFL game, and though I had expectations, the game was nowhere near what I ever imagined.

The evening before the game, my dad, cousin and I checked into an Arlington motel where we got a clear view of the new Cowboys Stadium. We could see half of the roof from a mile away.

The next day we made it into the dome after coming from a $40 parking lot, and as we stepped into the stadium, its sheer size became real. I had to bend back to see the ceiling’s highest point. You could probably fit the Statue of Liberty in there. We wandered around as much of the stadium as our tickets allowed, seeing lines at concession stands and crowds in the pro shops. Even at this point, when Dallas was 2-7, personnel still served mass after mass of fans.

While I did not mind much since I had a great view of the game, our tickets were in Section 417, near the top of the stadium. The only cheaper seats were not seats, but places in the standing-room-only section. Being as high up as we were meant sitting eye-level with the 60-yard-wide Jumbotron/Jerrytron. I do not think my pictures of it even captured the entire screen.

The fans at the stadium did not just talk trash, they talked something worse–something I will not mention. Expletives flew all around in our section. Curses streamed back and forth between Lions fans and Cowboys fans. At least the game and rest of the stadium distracted me enough to not think too much of it.

The game itself made the 12-hour round trip and money worth the time. If you hear stories about how loud the fans are at Cowboys games, believe them. Their noise was deafening whenever the opponent had the ball. When Dallas turned it over, made a great play or scored, I could not hear myself think. I do not even remember thinking. I went about as crazy as the other 90,000+ patrons, more so when Bryan McCann scored on a 97-yard punt return in the third quarter and Jon Kitna ran a touchdown in from 29 yards out in the fourth.

By the half, Detroit led 10-7.   The halftime show was unique and a relief from the action. The Cowboys featured Emmitt Smith, who received his Hall of Fame ring, the final token of confirmation into the Canton, Ohio shrine. Smith gave a thankful speech for what he had, how he ended up as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and encouraged the crowd to stay loud during the second half.

Overall, the experience of being right there and watching my favorite team in the NFL play well and win was thrilling and fun. I loved every second I was in that gigantic stadium. I would suggest going to a season game when you have the chance.

Distracted driving simulator now available to students

For the first time, this week students could drive while drunk at Canyon High School. Thanks to a new driving simulator, students can also experience other distractions while taking a virtual drive.

“Drive for Your Life” is a driving simulator that allows students to get behind the wheel and into virtual reality. The “passenger” gives the path the driver needs to travel, and the driver takes it from that point. The simulator offers three modes: free drive, distracted and impaired.

According to State Farm Insurance Company studies, in the United States one out of four drivers age 16 to 24 years are involved in a fatal car crash. Drivers 16 to 19 die in wrecks four times as often as older drivers. For the most part, this statistic is as high as it is because beginning drivers fail to recognize the dangers of not driving at their best every second they are behind the wheel. Or maybe they just don’t care. Some may think, “It can’t happen to me this time.”

It can. Even the first time can be the last.

However, students hear that in lecture after lecture from health teachers, driving school instructors, parents. After a while, the adults start to sound like the teacher from Charlie Brown. Canyon ISD is changing that. Instead of hearing about everything that could go wrong, students can now see for themselves.

Freshman Trevor Macklin demonstrated the program Sept. 15.

“It doesn’t have exact timing,” Macklin said, “but it’s pretty much the same thing, actually. In impaired, you’re ‘drunk,’ so steering isn’t as responsive and the brakes aren’t as strong. I would hit the brake and stop a second later.”

The head of the Education Foundation, Delores Fincher, said she worked as hard as she could to get this program to Canyon and Randall high schools but was not alone in this effort.

“Randi Coetzee, the lady in charge, came across this idea,” Fincher said. “The Education Foundation, which I’m the director of, had some money for it, and the entire board voted to do this. State Farm pooled a little money and paid for what was left.”

Principal Tim Gilliland aided in introducing the program to Canyon ISD.

“We’re hoping to set it out the week of Homecoming and two weeks leading up to Prom,” Gilliland said. “It’ll be open to all students. Unfortunately, you can only have one person at a time. That’s the downside to it.”

The simulator will only be available to use at certain times, however, due to the need for someone to supervise the equipment.

“The problem is having someone to sit by it and take care of it,” Gilliland said. “We’d need a good spot to keep it. We want to take good care of this computer program.”

Fincher said her hope for this program is that students will acknowledge and act against the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.

“I hope that students will see the seriousness of changing the radio, talking, eating while driving– things we think we can do while driving but can’t,” Fincher said. “Even the least little thing can distract while driving.”

Gilliland said he anticipates students experiencing “intoxication” while driving the simulator and choosing to avoid drinking before getting behind the wheel.

“It will allow them to simulate what impaired driving is like,” Gilliland said. “Students need to see how dangerous that is.”

From his own experience with the software, Macklin said he advises looking at the legal aspect of impaired driving.

“When you get into a crash while drunk, you get arrested by the police,” Macklin said. “You get a lot of fines, you go to jail, you get probations. It’ll show teens the consequences of drinking and driving and help them not do it in the future.”

‘Mockingjay’ ends ‘Hunger Games’ on good note

“Mockingjay” is the third and final book in the “Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins, author of “Gregor the Overlander.” A forewarning: if you have not read the first two books, “The Hunger Games” and “Catching Fire,” please read those before you read “Mockingjay.”  The first two books in the series are excellent and give much more background on the final novel. Read those first and come back when you have.

For those of you still here, “Mockingjay” begins with Katniss in the remains of District 12, which the Capitol bombed after the escape from the Quarter Quell in “Catching Fire.” The final installment of the series takes readers through the underground, military-esque, unfamiliar world of District 13 as the rebels plan their propaganda, starring the Mockingjay, Katniss, who strikes a deal with 13′s President Coin in exchange for the immunity of Peeta, Haymitch, Johanna and Finnick. In addition, to no one’s surprise, she will also have the privilege of executing President Snow if the rebels win.

Collins’s writing is one of the best in modern literature if not one of the best ever. The plot is intriguing; each detail makes the plot flow and holds meaning and the characters are complex and important in their own way. All of it falls into place in an intense and brutal, yet logical manner.

Nothing with a post-apocalyptic story ever held my attention longer than it took me to blow it off until I got into the “Hunger Games” trilogy. I am quite sad it is over, but every good thing must end, and the conflict that drove the series is resolved.

In short, “Mockingjay” is a must-read for anyone who read the first two books.

Fans forecast great year for football

After Thursday night’s season-opening win against Lubbock High, Eagle fans said they expect a successful season for Canyon football. The 29-7 victory over the Westerners gave fans confidence in this year and predict more great things from the team.

Some fans said this was only a warm-up.

“I think if we wait until we play a harder team, we’ll see how we do,” freshman Braxton Sides said.

Others said they already had their thoughts toward the future.

“I’m very excited about this season,” assistant principal Jerry Schaeffer said. “I’m excited about their offense and I expect great things from their defense. I think they’ll win ‘em all.”

Graduate Austin Cintella agrees.

“I think they’ll win state,” Cintella said. “From what I’ve seen, they’ve got great offense and great defense. They’re always watching the quarterback, stopping the ball before it gets any farther than it needs to.”

And some said they see a lack of experience, but do not expect it to be a problem.

“I personally think we have inexperience at the quarterback [position], but after seeing [Lubbock-Canyon], we might have a chance at a successful season,” junior David Martinez said. “I really think that we can make the playoffs this year. We have a strong senior class.”

The game revealed the team’s work ethic to students as well as a boost in attitude.

 “I think it’s good we’re getting a lot of confidence for our first game since we won,” senior Ashton Pedigo said. “Keep up the good work.”

The next game is Sept. 11 against Goddard High in Roswell, New Mexico at 2:00 p.m. Central.

New Oscar’s Burritos wraps up big flavor

I had my doubts about Oscar’s just like I would any other new local restaurant. Empire Super Buffet’s recent closing did not help that. However, I decided to settle these doubts once and for all when my family and I went there for a nice Monday evening dinner.

My first impression of Oscar’s when I went inside was it resembled just about every other Mexican food place I have been to and did not like: generic. The menu, despite the namesake, has a wide variety of choice. There are not only burritos, but also tacos, tamales, gorditas, rellenos the list goes on. Before we got our meals, we decided to get an order of chips and queso. It was not bad, but the chips were somewhat lukewarm, and the queso just standard. A little salt, however, remedied that. I decided to try their carne guisada burrito platter that night while the rest of my family ordered tacos and chile rellenos.

Once I bit into that burrito, every doubt I had dissolved. The wonderful taste of that tortilla-wrapped package bound for my mouth impressed me. Just about everything else could have been wrong with the restaurant, but the food that came out of there sealed this reviewer’s approval. As I sampled the other dishes, they, too, were as delicious as the one in front of me, but the chile relleno was a show stopper.

For four people at any restaurant, on average, it would cost approximately $30 or $40 to eat. For my family of four, the bill was only $23.12. And that is with chips, queso and four drinks. Refills are absolutely free, so do not worry about that, either.

My final verdict on Oscar’s: if you have not gone yet, go. It is a great place to eat any time they are open, and for the upperclassmen, it is close to the school, so you do not have to worry about time pressure. Suggest it next time you come to town for dinner. Just go.

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