Juggling a family, friends, school and work is a daily chore that doesn’t get easier

There is a conflict in the lives of students. We are being pulled in all directions with work, family, school and the possibility of fun.

Many students hold down full time jobs while going to school to make ends meet. They are single parents trying to make sure their children get proper care, and that their own homework gets done.

Work isn’t really an option anymore for most students, it has become a requirement just to pay for books.

Most financial aid while under the age of 24 requires your parents information in the calculation of what your need is. But in all reality most students in the Chabot College community don’t have the luxury of parents paying for school in any way. They are lucky if their parents let them stay at home rent free.

Additionally more students are finding themselves having to make the hard decision of whether or not to go to school at all.

Some jobs aren’t flexible and keep employees at work longer then the hours they are scheduled. Students are negotiating with teachers about tardies and times of finals hoping to create some sort of balance.

Returning students have it even harder, the transition of family and work to school life isn’t always easy. The idea of having to let go of comfortable habits of going out and choosing to not have a car or to live on your own just to afford school is not a pretty thought.

Families often become an issue for students. What do you do when your child is sick or has a doctor’s appointment? Not everyone has a support network of family and friends.

Many parents end up missing class because of family conflicts.

The in-class experience isn’t meant for commuter students with families who rely on them as the sole provider and care taker.

Many students are back at school with the hopes of a better career option in the near future, tired of the dead end job they have with no hopes of advancement.

Chabot is a great place to get a higher education, but it’s a constant struggle.

With the economy in such a slump, job competition is high and most of the job choices for full-time students is retail or restaurant work. Students get to go to school all day and then drive to work and spend 8 hours working till 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., go home do homework and wake up at 8 a.m. and do it all over again.

Choices are made daily by thousands of students on whether or not school will take a back seat. This choice is not an easy or a happy one.

In a typical two-year institution many are taking 3, 4 or 5 years to finish.

This college is full of everyday superheroes. The Spectator commends these people for their hard work and their ability to not lose hope when things become so overwhelming that many would normally give up.

To read about the struggles of returning students click here.

One mans view on the issues plaguing our youth

I at one point in my high school career was in a class with Oscar Grant at Mt. Eden High School.

I’m not here to take sides just to give my opinion.

Grant is no stranger to crime and had previously served two state prison terms for different felonies. Not to say that what happened to Grant was just but I just want to clarify who he was before this all happened. He had a life that wasn’t easy but he also made his choices.

Tonight as I write this I want it to be heard again, that the only people responsible for what has happened are all of us. It’s the fault of the drug dealers who go out and corrupt kids with false hopes. It’s the fault of the state for failing to so many students making them turn to from education to the streets.

Look at his record, if he would have been in a different environment where America fights to give its children a fighting chance.

I look at my people, I look at all these “minorities” and I ask myself what the hell are we doing? I look around and see our kids have no one to look up to. Right now in Oakland I see many people speaking with a purpose of anger, when they should be speaking about uniting, speak from our hearts with love not hate.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

If we call what happened to Grant an act of racism, then damn all of us for not banning together more often. All I see is people wanting the officer’s head on a platter but that isn’t going to bring Grant back.

I see the history channel talk about civil rights groups in the 60’s and 70’s. They banned together to become a power that was looked up to. Men like Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights groups like The Panthers and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) fought for civil rights in the black community. The 60’S and 70’s had groups of people honorable enough to fight. What do we have now with all our great power and technology? We have Lil’ Wayne, Flava Flav and kids with no dreams.

If you don’t think justice was done, then turn in anyone you know who deals drugs, go out and make sure your government doesn’t make decisions for you. Why not host a sit in or host a boycott of business and places you feel don’t help the problem but make it worse.

Let’s fight the problems on the home front, be parents and not let our kids sell drugs and let’s make sure we take care of our kids. I see many mother with 3, 4, 5 kids walking down the street. I went to school with kids who didn’t know there dad. It’s our fault.

We have a black president, but not an un-racist America.

We need to give our kids morals instead of just giving up on our kids, that’s why I blame everyone. Because there are only two sides to this when there actually three. People either said he did it or he didn’t do it. When in fact I don’t think he did it on purpose. To kill a man in cold blood in front of a vast group of people and put his freedom and job on the line? And although given a guilty verdict, people still want more.

by Missie Houangvilay, Staff Writer

Missie Houangvilay

Santa Clara county has recently passed a new law which makes it now illegal for McDonalds to give away toys in their happy meals. People in support of the new law explain that 1-4 children are over weight in the county of Santa Clara. They believe the free toy lures children into eating from the fast food joint. However, 87% of Santa Clara residents disagree. For those who oppose the new law, they believe parents are the one’s who have a right to say what their children consume, not the government. Many chain owners also fear their business may decline in sales due to the new law.

What do I think? I think it’s ridicules. We, in the United States of America have the right to free speech, yet in the county of Santa Clara kids don’t have the right to free toy? Having the government dictate parents what to feed their children is nuts. Parents are adults, they know what is good and what is bad. If they still choose to fed their kids fast food, so be it! If the parent wants to give their kids a happy meal, why should get kid get stiffed a toy? No matter what, kids going to eat whatever Mom or Dad stick in front of them (as long as it’s not icky brussels sprouts.)

In addition, McDonalds also has healthier alternatives to fried greasy food. Instead of fries, kids can chose crunchy sliced green apples, there are also salads, juice and milk. So what if a child wants those healthier alternatives in their happy meal? It’s healthier, yet they still get no toy?

Having this new law isn’t going to make kids any less over weight. Giving a simple toy through a happy meal isn’t what makes America’s children obese. There are many other things that play into effect of a child’s health and weight. What Mom and Dad also prepare for the kids at home also plays a major role in their childrens diet. Will the government ban the sales of chips, Twinkies, and soda to parents? After all, so many parents fill their kids lunch pails with those unhealthy fillers. Will the government go as far as stop the sales of frozen dinners, cereal, and other processed food? Because in the end, that is what the majority of American kitchens are stocked with.

Stepping away from how food links to obesity, people also tend forget that children now are a lot less active. Kids aren’t burning as many calories as they used to. Instead, they spend many hours indoors watching television, on the computer, and are glued to their video game consoles instead of being outdoors running around being a normal kid.

So lay off the ban of toys in happy meals Santa Clara. McDonalds toys aren’t making kids fat. Plus, there is still the option of Burger King because they still provide toys in their kids meals.