Tracy Le

Trending Editor

To many Manhattan High students, a job is a great way to learn new things.

”Jobs teach you a lot,” senior Nechelle Williams said. “I’ve read a lot of statistics that say that those people know how to manage their money a lot better and they know how to save and stuff like that. So there are pros and cons to it, but the pros are really great.”

Williams has been working at the Dillions in West Loop for almost a year.

“I really like it. It was hard at first because I thought I could do school and work. Now I’m more experienced and I’m more comfortable, so I’ve switched to just weekends, so it’s a lot easier,” Williams said. ”When you first start out, I recommend just doing weekends because if you try to work after school it’s going to be hard. When you get home all you’re going to want to do is sleep. That’s it. You’re going to want to sleep. You’re going to say ‘oh, when I get home I’m going to work on my homework’. No. When you get home you’re going to eat, say hi to your parents, and then go to sleep.”

Although time management is especially tough for students with jobs, Williams believes it’s all worth it.

”At first it’s hectic, but you learn how to really manage your time. You get more mature as you get a job,” Williams said.

Working at Ray’s Apple Market every week for 20 to 22 hours, senior Allyssa Pariona agrees.

”It is sort of hard when it comes to homework because you have to go from school to work, for me at least. So you get home pretty late and sometimes you have so much homework, but I think it’s worth it,” Pariona said. ”I think it’s pretty important for high schoolers to get a job, considering it gives us experience for the future.”

Sierra Flowers, junior, also agrees.

“Time management is really hard. It was really hard to get homework done at first,” Flowers said.

Flowers works three times a week; eight to 12 hours on Sundays, Saturday afternoons and from 4 or 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on a weekday. Like Williams, Flowers reduced the load to three days a week and has worked at Taco Casa since January.

Like Williams, Flowers also enjoys the pros of having a job.

“It teaches you a lot about responsibility and time management,” Flowers said.

Junior Claire Kringen has only working since the end of July but she already sees the benefits and hardships of having a job.

”I was working one night a week after school from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. but I couldn’t get my homework done so I switched to weekends on day shifts. So it still gives me plenty of time for homework and other things,” Kringen said.

Kringen now works at Meadowlark Nursing Home as a nursing aid every other weekend from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

”I decided to get a job to get more practice for nursing school,” Kringen said. ”I filled out an application online and then I had an interview and then another interview and then another interview. It was long… Some days I enjoy it. Some days it’s harder.”

Kringen plans on working at Meadowlark until she finishes high school and then plans to look for another nursing home to work at when she goes to college. Though there are rough days, Kringen appreciates the extra cash, the knowledge and the experience.

Darian Foga-Frehn

Staff Writer

In today’s society, piercings, tattoos, and brightly colored hair are becoming more common in schools and in the workplace. There are quite a few students at Manhattan High School who have chosen to adorn themselves with these items. Senior Katie Mack has a tattoo of a heart with a trail of music notes on her right shoulder.

“I got it [the tattoo] on July 15th at Looking Glass Tattoo in Topeka,” Mack said. “I like music, and I like Etta James. My tattoo is of her notes for her song ‘At Last’.”

Senior Carol Wynn has quite a few piercings. “I have 11 piercings. I have a double eyebrow, helix, rook, three lobe piercings on each ear, and I have my belly button pierced,” Wynn said. “I got them all done at Stray Cat in Manhattan over a one and a half year period. I got them because most of them are fairly uncommon piercings, and they give me character.”

It’s can be difficult for teens with body art to find a job because many employers look for employees with a “cleaner” appearance. However, as times change, and more people get piercings, so do employers’ dress codes

“I had a job at iHop. They allowed visible tattoos, as long as they weren’t offensive,” Mack said. “Our uniform was a white button-up shirt, slacks, and black no-slip shoes. Yoga pants and visible undergarments were not allowed.”

“I think that they [piercings, tattoos,etc.] should be more accepted in the workplace. I don’t have a job, but I believe that if businesses don’t allow piercings or tattoos, they’re not really allowing workers to be themselves and express their personalities.They shouldn’t be allowed to tell people who they need to be according to company standards. It’s not right.” Wynn said.