5November 2015Features

By Hannah Thomazin Staff Reporter

‘Real jobs’ are only for the ‘real world’

Grown-ups commonly tell teenagers that the ‘real world’ still hasn’t hit; recording and paying bills, managing a family, and getting a job are all tasks that are still foreign to teens. The outside world will hit like a wall as soon as they step out of the bubble that their parents have kept them in for

so long. So why not postpone

this ominous trek of adulthood a little while longer? Teenagers have the rest of their lives to become adults and live in the real world.

Teenagers can start working legally at the age of sixteen. Having a ‘real job,’ the ones parents commonly encourage their kids to have, at this age gives the government permission to start taking all kinds of hard-earned cash from their paychecks. Not to mention that teenagers barely make minimum wage. By the time teens actually receive their payment, a fraction of it is gone for government spending. Poof. There goes any extra spending money to welfare or whatever

government program needs it now. It’s going to be like this for the rest of adult life.

If a teen does end up deciding it’s worth it, jobs are mostly limited. Teens aren’t employed at interesting jobs or work at a business that incorporates something that they’re passionate about. For the most part, teens are going to be stuck bussing tables, taking cash, or stocking retail.

Working at a fast food restaurant, for example, can be stressful. It doesn’t take that much mental effort, but when the lady across the register is yelling at you because her son needs four—not three—double cheese-burgers and a large order of fries pronto, things can get a little tense. It’s not like you can control the cheese-burger gods, or tell her son to try a

salad instead. Eight dollars an hour is not worth putting up with snarky customers.

So why do teens put themselves through this real job stress? To prepare themselves for the real world? Flipping hamburgers or being a sales rep at Rue 21 isn’t going to help. How is that going to prepare teenagers? Besides, teens have the rest of their lives to work in the real world and become like their parents. That’s why people go to school, college, and get a degree.

Instead of getting a real job, teenagers should instead look into nonconventional jobs like babysitting, mowing, or house cleaning. These jobs vary in pay. More than likely, the employer is going to give the employee close to minimum wage and

pay in either cash or check. This rocks. Technically, the employee of this cash-paying job does have to report their income to the government, but the employee is getting paid in cash and the employer doesn’t really care about the government’s rules so long as the job is getting done. So nothing gets taken out, and the employee can keep the whole wad of cash. Awesome.

Plus, being a nanny or babysitter, for example, during a summer is great. You get paid to be someone’s older sibling. Sometimes the kids are going to be sassy, but that’s to be expected. These are people I’m talking about; it’s more engaging than punching numbers into a cash register. Being a babysitter is a great alternative to a “real job” because you

the employee has to be responsible. Lives are literally on the line every day. If the employee messes up stocks at Payless, no one is going to get hurt. But if you don’t watch your kids for a couple minutes when you’re babysitting and they’re running around in the street, in an instant their life could be over. Responsibility will be important in the future as a student and a parent.

Peter Pan is a fairy-tale character that is famous for not wanting to grow up. Unlike Peter Pan, teens are eventually going to have to grow-up, but they’ll have the rest of their lives to become adults and live in the real world Peter Pan was so terrified of. While teenagers have the chance, they should postpone this ominous fate of adulthood.

S t u d e n t s w o r k t o g e t h e rBy Haley FaustStaff Reporter

Working a job is something that many high schoolers hate. These jobs often require students to work long and demanding shifts. However, these tiring hours can be made more enjoyable when students work around some familiar faces.

Scotus students are employed at a wide variety of businesses, but some businesses employ more Scotus students than others. These businesses include Godfather’s Pizza, The Pawnee Plunge, Elks Country Club, Hy-Vee, and Paul Davis Restoration.

Students often hear about these job openings from their friends and fellow students.

“During summer running, Kaylee Tonniges told me she was working [at the Pawnee Plunge] so I applied,” senior Jessica Lahm said.

Fellow Pawnee Plunge co-worker senior Justin Brockhaus heard about the opening in a similar way.

“Some of my friends were talking about applying so I decided to go for it,” Brockhaus said.

Godfather’s Pizza employs six Scotus students. Junior Alison Zoucha is one of these employees.

“I love it! It was nice to know people when I first started. We also get to talk about school events. Last year, Ashley Foreman helped me study for a Biology test at work,” Zoucha said.

Junior Keaton Kudron works at Hy-vee along with five other Scotus students.

“Its way easier communicating with other Scotus students because I already know them. Being in a department with mostly Scotus students is also like having another family,” Kudron commented.

There are also some disadvantages of working

with so many other Scotus students.

“One big disadvantage of working with so many other Scotus people is that if one of us asks off for something, then we all do. That makes it difficult to take off because then there may not be too many people left to work. For example, state volleyball,” junior Ashley Foreman said.

Junior Elk’s Country Club employee Nathan Ostdiek found this to be a problem.

“If there is a Scotus event it’s tough to find a sub,” Ostdiek agreed.

Although there are some drawbacks, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

“You get to talk about events that happened during school. You also get to become better friends,” Zoucha said.

Foreman also enjoys this friendly atmosphere.

“My favorite part of working with fellow Scotus

students is getting to know each other better. I like all of the people I work with, and it makes it fun to be able to work together. Emma Strecker and I work every Monday together, and it is something to actually look forward to,” Foreman added.

Junior Tyler Brandenburg, who works at Paul Davis Restoration, has easy access to his job because his dad own the business. Six other Scotus students are employed at Paul Davis Restoration.

“[My favorite part of

working with other Scotus students is] making memories with my pals. We look back and laugh at all the stuff we had to do and the good times,” Brandenburg concluded.

Juniors Alison Zoucha and Emma Strecker help a customer at Godfather’s Pizza. The girls work at Godfather’s along with five other Scotus students.

Haley Faust/Rock Bottom staFF

“I love making conversa-tion with my customers and joking with the other waitresses and cooks.”

-Jenna Salerno sophomore

“I have so many commit-ments as it is with sports and clubs that trying to give out any more of my time and energy is unre-alistic.”-Jackson Kumpf senior

“Nothing is enjoyable about fast food, any-where, ever.”

-Cody Siemek senior

“Our lives as teenagers are jam packed with activities.”

-Natalie Schaecher junior

“I really don’t want to spend my little free time in high school working.”

-Ryan Mustard senior

“It’s like the store is my closet, and I get to dress up my friends (guests) who come in to get an outfit.”

-Anna Wickham senior

What is your favorite part of your job?

“Yes, our whole lives cannot be relied on our parents, and we have to be able to survive on our own.”

-Wren Allen sophomore

“Yes, it expands the peo-ple you meet and helps you learn to work with different types of people, which you will have to do in the future. ”

-Savannah Robertson senior

“No, we need money for college, but we also need time to enjoy high school and focus on school. We need to live before we work.”

-Amy Heusinkvelt senior

“No, because you have the rest of your life to work. I hate when high schoolers complain about being stressed, but they have a job.”

-Layne Schroeder junior

“Yes, because it teaches them to be smart with money, and they have more responsiblities and learn the value of a dollar.”

-Matt Hoenk junior

“Yes, earning money early on and learning responsibility is import-ant. It also forces them to become more social in different situations.”

-Alyssa Kuta junior

Do you think it is important for high schoolers to have a job?

Why don’t you have a job?