By Kimberly Allen
Wearing a T-shirt he got at his niece’s summer camp, wrinkled plaid shorts and a smile, Ron Griffin does not look like a man with a law degree.
This 59-year-old man, of Harwich, Mass., works as a bell man at a hotel and as a social worker at a group home.
He has a law degree, but does not practice law. He said he is happy with the jobs he has.
“I get to meet people from all over the world, staff and guests,” he said about his bell man and concierge job at the Mariot Hotel in Boston. “It’s an escape. and a release for me.”
Initially, Griffin graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1975 at age 26 with a degree in sociology. He was hoping to get into social work and teaching. He also had a keen interest in law.
He graduated later than expected because he wanted to do something different, he said.
“My sophomore year, after 16 straight years of school, I left college and tried to enlist in the Navy, but high blood pressure prevented me from being able to join the service,” he said.
Instead of being in the Navy, he traveled around New York, New Jersey, and New England and worked in a factory making ski racks.
During all of his travels, he said the he was still interested in law.
“I always thought having a law degree would be a useful tool to have...to make some social change,” he said.
A friend of Griffin since their college days, Bob D’Addario, said he really admires “The Griff”, the nickname D’Addario and other friends gave him.
“Sometimes I forget that he has a law degree because he never boasts about it,” D’Addario said. “At the end of the day, he’s just one of the guys.”
Going to law school right out of college was never his plan because he wanted to get married and have children first. For more than 10 years, law was on the back burner.
He spent his time working at the Massachusetts Office for Children, then at the Department of Social Services.
Griffin did get married, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1986. He then reset his sights on the goal of getting a law degree. It had been a long time, but he was determined to get what he had wanted for more than 10 years.
After graduating in 1993 from the School of Law in Andover, Mass., Griffin, then 45, took the Bar Exam. He passed on his first try.
In February of 2008, 72 percent of the 363 applicants taking the test passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam on the first attempt.
“He got the degree not for monetary reasons, but for the love of knowledge; he still wanted to do social work. That says something about him,” D’Addario said.
Griffin doesn’t practice law though, he believes “it is a very adversarial environment.”
He thinks that courts sometimes use unfair advantages, and that it is not a place he has interest in.
“I admit, it is also an issue of confidence,” he said.
Having the degree comes in handy at work sometimes though.
In 1996, he began his current job, at the Department of Mental Health in Chelsea, Mass. Here he works as a counselor in a group home, using his degree to advocate for people with mental retardations. He also still balances the bell man job two or three days a week.
He uses his degree at the Department of Mental Health to make sure the clients get what is legally theirs. He also offers workshops for people there and helps with the benefits.
“There is a good relationship between the DMA and the law. In this job, I can use law and do social work,” he said.
He also occasionally does briefs for lawyers. He helps write on such items as custody and guardianship of the mentally ill. The writings are reports on the state of the law.
With his two main jobs and writing on the side, Griffin has little downtime. When he does, he likes to read non-fiction books relating to law and other classics. Helter Skelter, a book about Charles Manson, is one of his favorites
Family is also a huge part of his life he said and he is also finding time to help people.
“The guy has a big heart,” D’Addario said. “If you could only have one friend, he’d be a good one”.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Bleak job outlook for college seniors
By Chris Almeida
College students in the class of 2009 may not be graduating onto bigger and better things.
Since the stock market plummet in mid-October that marked the worst week in the history of the market, many companies have decreased the number of college students they plan to hire out of the class of 2009.
Employers now say they will hire 1.6 percent less people than they had previously projected in August, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
“I’m really nervous I won’t find a job because the economy is so tough and a lot of people I know are losing their jobs,” Mike Sullivan, a student at Bridgewater State College, said.
The decrease in jobs for recent graduates will be felt across all fields, the NACE survey indicated. Only the government as a sector plans on increasing the amount of students hired by a large percentage- 19.8 percent.
“In August, approximately one-third of employers said they were going to trim their college hiring; in our current poll, however, 52 percent said they were going to adjust their college hiring downward,” said Marilyn Mackes, executive director of NACE.
Based on the dire state of the economy, it would seem logical to predict that the financial fields would have the worst cutbacks. However, according the NACE survey, the construction industry will actually be the hardest hit.
Those college graduates who do get jobs may have to take lesser quality jobs than those before them.
“There will probably not be significant salary reductions for college grads. The bigger problem is a lack of positions to be filled which would indirectly force graduates to accept lower paying jobs than they might be offered in a normal economy,” said Robert Rosenthal, chairperson of the economics department at Stonehill College.
A common strategy for some seniors is to postpone going to work by either going to graduate school or by doing a year of service, which is essentially taking a year off to do volunteer work. In exchange, the student’s loans from college are often forgiven.
“The downturn in the economy was a definite, though minor, factor in my contemplating potentially going to India for a year of service,” said Bill King, a senior economics major at Stonehill College.
Tess Collins, an English teacher from Boston who has worked throughout Spain, did just that.
“I decided to volunteer to teach overseas because I love children and I love Europe. But it didn’t hurt that the program I am with is helping me with my student loans,” Collins said.
According to College on Credit by Sandy Baum and Marie O’Malley, 20-30 percent of college students have debts so large they find the debts difficult to manage after they graduate.
Career Services at Stonehill has been urging students since the beginning of senior year to start networking with people they know in anticipation of a less-friendly job market.
“In this economy you’ve got to get out there now,” Christina Burney, associate director of Career Services at Stonehill, told the senior class through email.
Many Stonehill accounting and finance majors already have jobs lined up after graduation.
“I am so excited that I got a job at Wolf and Company, a Boston public accounting firm, and don’t have to worry about it all year long,” said Lauren Pietrasik, a Stonehill senior from Abington, Mass.
Other students, such as those majoring in education, generally have to wait until after graduation to begin lining up a job.
“It’s scary because mid-way through next semester a lot of seniors are going to get jobs but we have to wait until mid-June to hear about jobs because school budgets need to be approved for the up-coming school year,” said Lindsay Henry, of Marshfield, and an education major at Stonehill College.
This is not a tough job market for only recent graduates. According to the Department of Labor, the number of unemployed people in the United States has gone up by 2.2 million people.
“The economic meltdown has trickled down to every level of the economy. Financial institutions, corporations seeking credit, small businesses and individuals, it is far-reaching and wide-ranging,” said Doug Catalano, COO of Integra Technology Corporation, a consulting firm located in Waltham.
College students in the class of 2009 may not be graduating onto bigger and better things.
Since the stock market plummet in mid-October that marked the worst week in the history of the market, many companies have decreased the number of college students they plan to hire out of the class of 2009.
Employers now say they will hire 1.6 percent less people than they had previously projected in August, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
“I’m really nervous I won’t find a job because the economy is so tough and a lot of people I know are losing their jobs,” Mike Sullivan, a student at Bridgewater State College, said.
The decrease in jobs for recent graduates will be felt across all fields, the NACE survey indicated. Only the government as a sector plans on increasing the amount of students hired by a large percentage- 19.8 percent.
“In August, approximately one-third of employers said they were going to trim their college hiring; in our current poll, however, 52 percent said they were going to adjust their college hiring downward,” said Marilyn Mackes, executive director of NACE.
Based on the dire state of the economy, it would seem logical to predict that the financial fields would have the worst cutbacks. However, according the NACE survey, the construction industry will actually be the hardest hit.
Those college graduates who do get jobs may have to take lesser quality jobs than those before them.
“There will probably not be significant salary reductions for college grads. The bigger problem is a lack of positions to be filled which would indirectly force graduates to accept lower paying jobs than they might be offered in a normal economy,” said Robert Rosenthal, chairperson of the economics department at Stonehill College.
A common strategy for some seniors is to postpone going to work by either going to graduate school or by doing a year of service, which is essentially taking a year off to do volunteer work. In exchange, the student’s loans from college are often forgiven.
“The downturn in the economy was a definite, though minor, factor in my contemplating potentially going to India for a year of service,” said Bill King, a senior economics major at Stonehill College.
Tess Collins, an English teacher from Boston who has worked throughout Spain, did just that.
“I decided to volunteer to teach overseas because I love children and I love Europe. But it didn’t hurt that the program I am with is helping me with my student loans,” Collins said.
According to College on Credit by Sandy Baum and Marie O’Malley, 20-30 percent of college students have debts so large they find the debts difficult to manage after they graduate.
Career Services at Stonehill has been urging students since the beginning of senior year to start networking with people they know in anticipation of a less-friendly job market.
“In this economy you’ve got to get out there now,” Christina Burney, associate director of Career Services at Stonehill, told the senior class through email.
Many Stonehill accounting and finance majors already have jobs lined up after graduation.
“I am so excited that I got a job at Wolf and Company, a Boston public accounting firm, and don’t have to worry about it all year long,” said Lauren Pietrasik, a Stonehill senior from Abington, Mass.
Other students, such as those majoring in education, generally have to wait until after graduation to begin lining up a job.
“It’s scary because mid-way through next semester a lot of seniors are going to get jobs but we have to wait until mid-June to hear about jobs because school budgets need to be approved for the up-coming school year,” said Lindsay Henry, of Marshfield, and an education major at Stonehill College.
This is not a tough job market for only recent graduates. According to the Department of Labor, the number of unemployed people in the United States has gone up by 2.2 million people.
“The economic meltdown has trickled down to every level of the economy. Financial institutions, corporations seeking credit, small businesses and individuals, it is far-reaching and wide-ranging,” said Doug Catalano, COO of Integra Technology Corporation, a consulting firm located in Waltham.
For Women, College Admissions Process Gets Even Harder
By Genevieve Quinn
As if it wasn’t hard enough to get into college these days, it has become even tougher if you don’t have a Y chromosome.
Women outnumber men by almost two to one among college students over the age of 25, according to the American Council on Education.
At the undergraduate level, the percentage of male students in attendance is 42 percent.
Women have a comfortable 60 to 62 percent majority among undergraduates.
At the graduate level, women have a slight enrollment majority in fields such as medicine, at 51 percent, and other health science professional programs, at 53 percent.
What was once considered a man’s field of study now has an equal to slightly larger number of women.
With more women attending college than ever before, the competition has increased for acceptance into top notch private universities.
With so many female students applying, many colleges want to offset the numbers by taking in more male applicants.
This could mean accepting a male candidate who is less qualified than a female candidate.
“I have a male friend who got accepted into a school that I was rejected from. He didn’t have the GPA, SAT scores or extra-curriculars that I did. It was pretty upsetting,” said Melissa Cartagena, a local college student.
While these obstacles may prevent women from getting into their top school choices, it says a lot about the changing times.
Women have certainly evened the playing field.
As if it wasn’t hard enough to get into college these days, it has become even tougher if you don’t have a Y chromosome.
Women outnumber men by almost two to one among college students over the age of 25, according to the American Council on Education.
At the undergraduate level, the percentage of male students in attendance is 42 percent.
Women have a comfortable 60 to 62 percent majority among undergraduates.
At the graduate level, women have a slight enrollment majority in fields such as medicine, at 51 percent, and other health science professional programs, at 53 percent.
What was once considered a man’s field of study now has an equal to slightly larger number of women.
With more women attending college than ever before, the competition has increased for acceptance into top notch private universities.
With so many female students applying, many colleges want to offset the numbers by taking in more male applicants.
This could mean accepting a male candidate who is less qualified than a female candidate.
“I have a male friend who got accepted into a school that I was rejected from. He didn’t have the GPA, SAT scores or extra-curriculars that I did. It was pretty upsetting,” said Melissa Cartagena, a local college student.
While these obstacles may prevent women from getting into their top school choices, it says a lot about the changing times.
Women have certainly evened the playing field.
Balancing School, Sports, and Sleep
Published Dec. 27, 2008, The Taunton Daily Gazette
EASTON—It can be tough to balance sports, school and sleep.
Just ask Ashley Langlois, who plays varsity softball at Stonehill College.
“During season you really need to be organized in order to get big projects and papers done. It’s hard when you have away games, we play double headers so there are away games when we won’t even get back to school until 11-12 at night. By the time you eat and shower you’re so tired you don’t want to write a paper,” said Langlois.
Playing a varsity sport in college involves hours of practices a week as well as lifting, conditioning, games, and travel. Add to getting involved in other school acitivites, Langlois said sleep can sometimes be the first to go.
This is not unusual among college athletes.
One study found that college students who are involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to be sleep deprived and be sleepy during the day. This can affect their academic performance, according to a research abstract presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
Eddie Vachon, a sophomore on the varsity football team at Stonehill College.
Eddie devotes hours per week to football while trying to balance his schoolwork.
“During the season we have meetings, lifting, conditioning, practice, and games. It’s hard to find time, let alone energy to get all of your work done,” said Vachon.
One study, “Learning and Earning: Working in College,” by Jonathan Orszag, found that a student who was involved more than 10 hours of extracurricular activities a week was more likely to have what is called “non-restorative sleep” which is less than six hours per night and results in excessive daytime sleepiness.
Another study by Fred Danner, found the amount of hours of sleep on a school night were tied to how high or low a student’s grade point average was and how motiviated he or she was.
Anthony Tomasz, a sophomore on the varsity football team at Stonehill, said he sometimes spreads himself thin during football season as he tries to balance sports and school work.
“My GPA during football season was a 1.5 last year, my GPA out of season was a 3.2. Enough said,” said Tomasz.
Student athletes reported more stress than non-athletes in areas such as: having a boyfriend or girlfriend, finding enough time for sleep, having a lot of responsibilities, and having heavy demands from extracurricular activities, Gregory Wilson and Mary Pritchard wrote in "Comparing Sources of Stress in College Student Athletes and Non-Athletes."
Diana Rojas, a sophomore at Stonehill College keeps busy on campus as a representative for Spirit Committee, programming committee, and class committee in Student Government Association. She also participates in Swim Club, Dance Club, Education Society and Hall Council.
“Being so involved helps me get my work done because it gives me less time to procrastinate. When I stay busy I know I only have limited time for my work, so I know I have to do it during that free time,” said Rojas. “It also depends on who you surround yourself with. If the people in your organization or sport are motivated and competitive in their studies, it encourages you to focus on your studies as well.”
Lauren Swett, a sophomore at Stonehill, participates in Dance Club, Art Club, Swim Club, and also plays intramural volleyball in the spring and the fall.
“My extracurricular activities help give me a time limit on when I need to get everything done,” said Swett. “Plus it just gives me something else to do besides work. If I didn’t do any activities I would get overwhelmed by school.
Texting Not Driving: 20 percent of drivers aren't watching the road
By Sean Powell
Jeff Duggan used to be like a large number of teenagers who admit to texting while driving. He was cruising down Interstate 93 and sending a text to his friend about plans for later that night.
“I was trying to text him directions,” Duggan said. “I had just gotten the street name to come out right when I felt a jolt and realized I had bumped into a car in the next lane.” Duggan said he grabbed the wheel and pulled to the left and he separated from the car without any damage.
“Aside from the paint scratch, which cost me some serious cash to fix before my dad saw, the car was fine. I got really lucky,” Duggan said.
According to a recent study, Duggan is not alone. Over one million vehicles on the road are being driven by someone using a hand-held phone at any given daylight moment according to the annually conducted 2007 National Occupant Protection Use Survey.
The study is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The survey also found that 1 percent of drivers 16 to 24 were visibly manipulating hand held devices and that 46 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.
A recent study by Nationwide Insurance found that 20 percent of drivers are texting while driving.
Stonehill College Police Chief Peter L. Carnes was Wenham’s Chief of Police from 1984 to 1995 and served as Yarmouth’s Chief of Police from 1995 to his retirement in 2007 when he came to be Chief of Police for Stonehill College. Carnes said the raw data is not complete yet because of the newness of the technology but we can already see the trends.
Carnes said texting is more hazardous than talking on the phone while driving.
“Texting for some reason requires a different level of concentration because, you know, people start reading the message and then they star thinking about the message and when you’re deep in thought about the message you’re definitely not paying attention to the road,” Carnes said.
Curtis Crocker, 21, is a senior at Bridgewater State College and commutes to school. Crocker said he is a chronic user of text messaging while driving.
“I know it’s dangerous but I am just so used to texting after having a girlfriend for so long,” Crocker said. “It’s just easier.” He said he text messages at least once every time he drives.
“I had a few close calls, actually. I almost hit a truck once on the highway. It stopped and I wasn’t watching the road,” Crocker said. “I probably should stop.”
Shawn Torres, 21, of Stonehill College is a senior, said he can text and drive without a problem.
“Phone calls are longer and more distracting than shooting a text to someone,” Torres said.
Matthew Salerno, 21, Torres’ roommate, disagrees.
“Texting and driving are both pretty hard. You can’t be looking at what you’re texting and watch the road at the same time,” Salerno said.
He said he has had too many close calls driving to attempt a text while driving.
Alexandra Gordon, 18, freshman at Stonehill College, said texting while driving is a bad practice.
“It’s just stupid and dangerous,” Gordon said. “I couldn’t risk it.”
Gordon said she has never been in an accident or gotten a ticket and does not want to break her streak.
Police Chief Carnes said this sort of incident was not uncommon.
“You’ll be driving down the highway and see someone drifting across the lane and you think ‘This guy must be drunk,’” Carnes said. “Come to find out it’s just a kid texting his girlfriend. You’re operating a motor vehicle at excess of 60 miles per hour and don’t feel like you need to watch the road. It’s scary.”
Carnes said cell phones can cause problems on the road but they can also help highway safety.
“People talking on the phone now are usually using a Bluetooth or a headset. We’re seeing progress there at least,” Carnes said.
Jeff Duggan used to be like a large number of teenagers who admit to texting while driving. He was cruising down Interstate 93 and sending a text to his friend about plans for later that night.
“I was trying to text him directions,” Duggan said. “I had just gotten the street name to come out right when I felt a jolt and realized I had bumped into a car in the next lane.” Duggan said he grabbed the wheel and pulled to the left and he separated from the car without any damage.
“Aside from the paint scratch, which cost me some serious cash to fix before my dad saw, the car was fine. I got really lucky,” Duggan said.
According to a recent study, Duggan is not alone. Over one million vehicles on the road are being driven by someone using a hand-held phone at any given daylight moment according to the annually conducted 2007 National Occupant Protection Use Survey.
The study is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The survey also found that 1 percent of drivers 16 to 24 were visibly manipulating hand held devices and that 46 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.
A recent study by Nationwide Insurance found that 20 percent of drivers are texting while driving.
Stonehill College Police Chief Peter L. Carnes was Wenham’s Chief of Police from 1984 to 1995 and served as Yarmouth’s Chief of Police from 1995 to his retirement in 2007 when he came to be Chief of Police for Stonehill College. Carnes said the raw data is not complete yet because of the newness of the technology but we can already see the trends.
Carnes said texting is more hazardous than talking on the phone while driving.
“Texting for some reason requires a different level of concentration because, you know, people start reading the message and then they star thinking about the message and when you’re deep in thought about the message you’re definitely not paying attention to the road,” Carnes said.
Curtis Crocker, 21, is a senior at Bridgewater State College and commutes to school. Crocker said he is a chronic user of text messaging while driving.
“I know it’s dangerous but I am just so used to texting after having a girlfriend for so long,” Crocker said. “It’s just easier.” He said he text messages at least once every time he drives.
“I had a few close calls, actually. I almost hit a truck once on the highway. It stopped and I wasn’t watching the road,” Crocker said. “I probably should stop.”
Shawn Torres, 21, of Stonehill College is a senior, said he can text and drive without a problem.
“Phone calls are longer and more distracting than shooting a text to someone,” Torres said.
Matthew Salerno, 21, Torres’ roommate, disagrees.
“Texting and driving are both pretty hard. You can’t be looking at what you’re texting and watch the road at the same time,” Salerno said.
He said he has had too many close calls driving to attempt a text while driving.
Alexandra Gordon, 18, freshman at Stonehill College, said texting while driving is a bad practice.
“It’s just stupid and dangerous,” Gordon said. “I couldn’t risk it.”
Gordon said she has never been in an accident or gotten a ticket and does not want to break her streak.
Police Chief Carnes said this sort of incident was not uncommon.
“You’ll be driving down the highway and see someone drifting across the lane and you think ‘This guy must be drunk,’” Carnes said. “Come to find out it’s just a kid texting his girlfriend. You’re operating a motor vehicle at excess of 60 miles per hour and don’t feel like you need to watch the road. It’s scary.”
Carnes said cell phones can cause problems on the road but they can also help highway safety.
“People talking on the phone now are usually using a Bluetooth or a headset. We’re seeing progress there at least,” Carnes said.
Seat Belt Safety
Mike Gormley
Imagine your life flashing before your eyes as you brace for impact. You just got in a car crash, and with all variables set aside there is thin strip of plastic that could be the difference between survival, injury, or death.
Bill King of Stonehill College was in a treacherous car crash and believes that his seatbelt saved his life.
“I was strapped in and that is what probably saved my life and the lives of my friends in the car with me,” King said.
King was driving his jeep when it skidded out of control landing on its roof.
“I was driving on the highway, it was pouring rain, and when I went around the bend of a highway, my jeep hydroplaned, and I lost control of the car,” said King.
When the car flipped, King kicked out the side window, and crawled out of the vehicle. “If I was not wearing a seatbelt, I would have surely been tossed out of the windshield, or crushed by the roof.”
Seatbelts reduce the risk of fatality and severe injury. “When used properly, lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate to severe injury by 50%,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Failure to wear a seatbelt is a failure to be safe. With so much publicity and real life accounts it is hard to argue against a practical safety precaution.
“The vast majority of the public, (86%) strongly agreed that if they were in a motor vehicle accident they would want to have their seatbelt on,” according to the National Highway and Safety Administration.
An increase in seatbelt use has occurred as a result of recent ad campaigns throughout the country. Deputy Chief Allen Krajcik of the Easton Police department said the campaign is increasing awareness.
“I think publicity is effective, people hear the ads, and if they aren’t aware are now informed,” said Krajcik.
In Massachusetts failure to wear a seat belt is a secondary violation. This means an additional $25 ticket will be added to a moving violation.
“The smart thing to do is to wear your seatbelt belt because it can save your life, not to avoid the ticket,” said Krajcik.
Krajcik said that he has seen firsthand that seatbelts save lives. “90-95 percent of people who are killed in an accident were not wearing their seatbelt. In 26 years, I have only seen one fatal accident where the individual was wearing a seatbelt.”
With all the information and the statistics, some people still choose to not wear their seatbelts.
Chris Darrah a Northeastern University student is one of those people.
“I don’t have a car, but when I drive my parent’s car, I don’t always wear my seatbelt,” Darrah said. Darrah distinguishes the use of the seatbelt as situational.
“If I am driving short distances around my town, I probably won’t bother, but on the highway I would buckle up,” Darrah said.
Seatbelt use nationally in 2007 was 82 percent as measured by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, and the National Occupant Protection Use Survey.
In Massachusetts, seatbelt use was considerably lower in 2007 at 68.7 percent. This means that close to one third of drivers in Massachusetts are not driving safe. Mr. King said he knows firsthand the seatbelt saves lives.
In the moments before King’s accident his friends made sure they buckled up. “Me and my friends were listening to the radio, and a public service announcement came on about seatbelts. My buddy jokingly put his seatbelt on making fun of the ad, but like a minute later I flipped my jeep,” King said. Perhaps it was an omen, or perhaps it was dumb luck, but King and his friends are alive and well today because of their seatbelt use.
Imagine your life flashing before your eyes as you brace for impact. You just got in a car crash, and with all variables set aside there is thin strip of plastic that could be the difference between survival, injury, or death.
Bill King of Stonehill College was in a treacherous car crash and believes that his seatbelt saved his life.
“I was strapped in and that is what probably saved my life and the lives of my friends in the car with me,” King said.
King was driving his jeep when it skidded out of control landing on its roof.
“I was driving on the highway, it was pouring rain, and when I went around the bend of a highway, my jeep hydroplaned, and I lost control of the car,” said King.
When the car flipped, King kicked out the side window, and crawled out of the vehicle. “If I was not wearing a seatbelt, I would have surely been tossed out of the windshield, or crushed by the roof.”
Seatbelts reduce the risk of fatality and severe injury. “When used properly, lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate to severe injury by 50%,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Failure to wear a seatbelt is a failure to be safe. With so much publicity and real life accounts it is hard to argue against a practical safety precaution.
“The vast majority of the public, (86%) strongly agreed that if they were in a motor vehicle accident they would want to have their seatbelt on,” according to the National Highway and Safety Administration.
An increase in seatbelt use has occurred as a result of recent ad campaigns throughout the country. Deputy Chief Allen Krajcik of the Easton Police department said the campaign is increasing awareness.
“I think publicity is effective, people hear the ads, and if they aren’t aware are now informed,” said Krajcik.
In Massachusetts failure to wear a seat belt is a secondary violation. This means an additional $25 ticket will be added to a moving violation.
“The smart thing to do is to wear your seatbelt belt because it can save your life, not to avoid the ticket,” said Krajcik.
Krajcik said that he has seen firsthand that seatbelts save lives. “90-95 percent of people who are killed in an accident were not wearing their seatbelt. In 26 years, I have only seen one fatal accident where the individual was wearing a seatbelt.”
With all the information and the statistics, some people still choose to not wear their seatbelts.
Chris Darrah a Northeastern University student is one of those people.
“I don’t have a car, but when I drive my parent’s car, I don’t always wear my seatbelt,” Darrah said. Darrah distinguishes the use of the seatbelt as situational.
“If I am driving short distances around my town, I probably won’t bother, but on the highway I would buckle up,” Darrah said.
Seatbelt use nationally in 2007 was 82 percent as measured by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, and the National Occupant Protection Use Survey.
In Massachusetts, seatbelt use was considerably lower in 2007 at 68.7 percent. This means that close to one third of drivers in Massachusetts are not driving safe. Mr. King said he knows firsthand the seatbelt saves lives.
In the moments before King’s accident his friends made sure they buckled up. “Me and my friends were listening to the radio, and a public service announcement came on about seatbelts. My buddy jokingly put his seatbelt on making fun of the ad, but like a minute later I flipped my jeep,” King said. Perhaps it was an omen, or perhaps it was dumb luck, but King and his friends are alive and well today because of their seatbelt use.
Local College Students Pursue Higher Education by Looking In State
Published Dec. 13, 2008, Page 1, The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
Published Dec. 29. 2008, Page 1, The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, Mass.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x48915674/College-students-shop-for-good-deal-in-tough-economy
By Genevieve Quinn
Brianna Smith’s decision to attend Bridgewater State College was a no-brainer.
“Bridgewater was the cheapest school I applied to by thousands. After the whole stock market crash I couldn’t get a loan. My dad had to take the money out of his 401k, which now basically cripples his retirement,” she said.
Smith’s situation is not unique.
The increased cost for higher education, combined with an average decrease in family income, has made affording college today harder than ever.
The share of family income required to pay a years tuition at a 4 year public college has doubled since 1960, from 13 to 27 percent, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
College tuition since then has also increased by a stunning 375 percent, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
With the present day economy in shambles, young college students are left with fewer choices as to where to pursue their higher education.
For many students it makes sense to attend school locally, as in state college costs are cheaper compared to out of state.
“The price of tuition was definitely the key in me going to MCC,” said Steve Spillane, a student at Massasoit Community College.
For some, even going to school locally is a struggle.
The average tuition for in-state, public colleges has increased by 35 percent since 2001-2002, according to a NACAC study.
“My parents can't afford to help me out with college bills, so it’s nice to go to a college that's cheap,” said Ellen Berna, a University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth freshman.
In 2008-09, the average tuition and fees of $6,585 for in-state students at public four-year institutions increased by $394, or 6.4 percent. For out-of state students, the average $17,452 is an increase of $866, or 5.2 percent, according to the College Board annual survey of colleges.
These are just public university statistics.
Many students look at private universities, but often realize the debt they will owe will follow them into adulthood.
“It came down to being over $100,000 in debt by the time I graduated or going to school for free,” said Cherilyn Cabral, a freshman at The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, who choose going to college locally.
With private university tution prices reaching outrageous numbers, public universitites are receiving more applications than ever before.
78 percent of public colleges nationwide noted a significant increase in the number of applications since 2007, according to the NACAC.
Massasoit Community College, with campuses in Brockton and Canton, saw an enrollment increase of 4.7 percent in the fall of 2008.
The numbers increased from 7, 064 applications in the fall of 2007 to 7, 394 in the fall of 2008.
“It doesn’t seem like much, but for us it was a noticeable increase,” said Mary Lynch, the Director of Institutional Research at MCC.
Cyndi McNamara was one student who added to this increase.
“It is my goal to earn an associates degree in Computer Information/User support. There are private schools that offer these classes and they are way too expensive,” McNamara said.
Bridgewater State College also saw an enrollment increase from the fall of 2007 to the fall of 2008. There were 6,940 applications in 2007 and 7,628 in 2008.
The numbers projected for the fall of 2009, 8,100 applications, will be the highest ever for the school.
“As of today, with just our early decision applications in, our numbers are up 30 percent compared to last year. All indications are that our numbers will be up significantly, and the biggest part is due to the economy,” said Greg Meyer, the Director of Admissions at Bridgewater State College.
It doesn’t help matters that today more young people across the country are choosing to attend college.
The number of 18 and 19 year-olds attending college rose from 36 percent in
1976 to 46 percent in 2006.
With more people applying to college, there is less federal student aid to go around.
“I come from a low income family and I am one of five girls, and if I was to go to a private school I would be required to take out huge loans and be expected to pay them back myself, if I could even get the loans,” said Alexis Kay, another Bridgewater State student.
For some local students, it makes sense to attend cheaper undergraduate schools to save money for the future.
“One of the factors of my decision to go to Umass was the price, my financial aid and scholarships nearly paid for the whole thing. It is saving my family and I a lot of money in the long run. I want to go to a really good law school in the future so I decided to go to a cheaper undergrad school,” said Nicole Talbot, a freshman at Umass-Dartmouth.
Despite the fact that many students have little choice but to stay close to home to pursue their college educations, most end up having great experiences.
“Yeah I am going here because it is much cheaper than schools I wanted to go to. I don't want to owe thousands of dollars forever. But I chose BSC because it's a great school and so far I love it here!,” said Courtney Bulger, a freshman at Bridgewater State College.
College graduates today have become the most heavily indebted group in American history, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
For many students, the choice is simple: Get a great education for less by going to school locally.
Published Dec. 29. 2008, Page 1, The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, Mass.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x48915674/College-students-shop-for-good-deal-in-tough-economy
By Genevieve Quinn
Brianna Smith’s decision to attend Bridgewater State College was a no-brainer.
“Bridgewater was the cheapest school I applied to by thousands. After the whole stock market crash I couldn’t get a loan. My dad had to take the money out of his 401k, which now basically cripples his retirement,” she said.
Smith’s situation is not unique.
The increased cost for higher education, combined with an average decrease in family income, has made affording college today harder than ever.
The share of family income required to pay a years tuition at a 4 year public college has doubled since 1960, from 13 to 27 percent, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
College tuition since then has also increased by a stunning 375 percent, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
With the present day economy in shambles, young college students are left with fewer choices as to where to pursue their higher education.
For many students it makes sense to attend school locally, as in state college costs are cheaper compared to out of state.
“The price of tuition was definitely the key in me going to MCC,” said Steve Spillane, a student at Massasoit Community College.
For some, even going to school locally is a struggle.
The average tuition for in-state, public colleges has increased by 35 percent since 2001-2002, according to a NACAC study.
“My parents can't afford to help me out with college bills, so it’s nice to go to a college that's cheap,” said Ellen Berna, a University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth freshman.
In 2008-09, the average tuition and fees of $6,585 for in-state students at public four-year institutions increased by $394, or 6.4 percent. For out-of state students, the average $17,452 is an increase of $866, or 5.2 percent, according to the College Board annual survey of colleges.
These are just public university statistics.
Many students look at private universities, but often realize the debt they will owe will follow them into adulthood.
“It came down to being over $100,000 in debt by the time I graduated or going to school for free,” said Cherilyn Cabral, a freshman at The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, who choose going to college locally.
With private university tution prices reaching outrageous numbers, public universitites are receiving more applications than ever before.
78 percent of public colleges nationwide noted a significant increase in the number of applications since 2007, according to the NACAC.
Massasoit Community College, with campuses in Brockton and Canton, saw an enrollment increase of 4.7 percent in the fall of 2008.
The numbers increased from 7, 064 applications in the fall of 2007 to 7, 394 in the fall of 2008.
“It doesn’t seem like much, but for us it was a noticeable increase,” said Mary Lynch, the Director of Institutional Research at MCC.
Cyndi McNamara was one student who added to this increase.
“It is my goal to earn an associates degree in Computer Information/User support. There are private schools that offer these classes and they are way too expensive,” McNamara said.
Bridgewater State College also saw an enrollment increase from the fall of 2007 to the fall of 2008. There were 6,940 applications in 2007 and 7,628 in 2008.
The numbers projected for the fall of 2009, 8,100 applications, will be the highest ever for the school.
“As of today, with just our early decision applications in, our numbers are up 30 percent compared to last year. All indications are that our numbers will be up significantly, and the biggest part is due to the economy,” said Greg Meyer, the Director of Admissions at Bridgewater State College.
It doesn’t help matters that today more young people across the country are choosing to attend college.
The number of 18 and 19 year-olds attending college rose from 36 percent in
1976 to 46 percent in 2006.
With more people applying to college, there is less federal student aid to go around.
“I come from a low income family and I am one of five girls, and if I was to go to a private school I would be required to take out huge loans and be expected to pay them back myself, if I could even get the loans,” said Alexis Kay, another Bridgewater State student.
For some local students, it makes sense to attend cheaper undergraduate schools to save money for the future.
“One of the factors of my decision to go to Umass was the price, my financial aid and scholarships nearly paid for the whole thing. It is saving my family and I a lot of money in the long run. I want to go to a really good law school in the future so I decided to go to a cheaper undergrad school,” said Nicole Talbot, a freshman at Umass-Dartmouth.
Despite the fact that many students have little choice but to stay close to home to pursue their college educations, most end up having great experiences.
“Yeah I am going here because it is much cheaper than schools I wanted to go to. I don't want to owe thousands of dollars forever. But I chose BSC because it's a great school and so far I love it here!,” said Courtney Bulger, a freshman at Bridgewater State College.
College graduates today have become the most heavily indebted group in American history, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
For many students, the choice is simple: Get a great education for less by going to school locally.
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