“where’s my money?!?!”

I know how Pearl, of The Landlord fame, feels about this topic right now.  (If you haven’t seen this, get to YouTube stat)

I’m pretty much ready for college.  I still have some things left to pack, and I’m waiting on my laptop to be built/shipped, but other than that I’m ready.  All of the shopping is done.  I’ve been decorating my room in my head for the past five months.  I have a single next year, in a sixteen person suite, so I don’t have to confer with anyone on the look of my space. 

One thing that had been on my mind for a while was a scholarship that I had yet to receive.  This was for living in my township and deciding to go to a school in state. 

They really messed up on this one. 

Sponsored by the Board of Economic/Community Developement, this was supposed to be $25,000 dollars divided between 25 students.  This 25 soon turned into 47, and the sponsoring Senator got to have his name read 47 times at my school’s Senior Awards Night.  It became a running joke every time someone got up to get an award.  We’d each get a little over $500, which is still a really nice sized scholarship.  I was annoyed at first because of how we were lied to about the size of the scholarship (it was supposed to be a $1,000 dollar minimum), but I got over that, because the money I was getting would still cover my first semester of books by itself.  The paper we all received at the awards night said we’d get the money within three weeks. 

Three weeks later, I was a high school graduate.

Three weeks after that, it was well into July.

I wanted my money.  That money had a purpose, and I didn’t have it and I needed it.  Textbooks aren’t cheap, even if you go used.

My mom called the office of the Senator.  The people there were very nice, but confused as to why the money was not in my hands. 

“We sent it to the school last week, the students should have received it already.”

In calling the school, we talked to the guidance secretary with a personality only Dolores Umbridge would appreciate.  She was annoyed that we were asking about the money, saying I had four years to spend it.

That’s really not the right thing to say to my mother.  She called the Senator’s office back and found out that the school wasn’t supposed to release the scholarship information because they weren’t even sure if they had the backing.  Holy contradictions Batman.  There’s no money?  At this point, I was really pissed.  I earned that scholarship!  I didn’t sit around senior year, I was in Guidance weekly picking through the scholarship bin.  I wrote countless essays, applied for countless scholarships.  I tried really hard for everything.  I wanted to help out in paying for my college education as much as I could.  Going for scholarships were what my parents asked of me, so I did it. 

It’s not the point.  I know I have four years to spend that money, but over the next four years, I’ll have a job at school to help pay for that kind of stuff.  This year, I don’t have a steady job.  The money that’s in my bank account is money that my brain has earned, not my hands.  In case they didn’t get it, I’m going to make this very clear right now- I’M GOING TO BE A POOR COLLEGE STUDENT IN TWO WEEKS I NEED THAT MONEY SO I CAN BUY BOOKS AND SWEATPANTS AND HOT POCKETS.

When you say you’re going to do something, do it.  If you say you’re going to give out scholarships, actually give them out.  Don’t wait until someone complains or realizes that they’re missing a decent sized check. 

I finally got my check today.  The date in the corner says June 30th.  Today is August 3rd. 

I’m really glad that public schools know so much about responsibility.

local politics as usual

Local politics.  Can be found on the streets, in the grocery stores, and in fire houses.  Typically the least cared about form of politics, and the election where the least amount of people show up. 

As a liberal in a fairly conservative area, I would have to be stupid to think my first election day would go without note.  I have yet to vote today, but my father has.  And my father, true to form, decided to taunt the machine. 

The father of a girl I went to elementary school with has been involved in the township’s government for as long as I remember, and he is a die-hard Republican.  He immediately went after my father upon seeing my name not under his party, basically calling them failures for not registering me for the GOP.  My father retorted with saying that I am an independent person, and both he and my mother pride themselves on allowing both of their children to choose what they believe.   Of course, this little man puffed up his chest and went on talking about how he knew everything about what was going on about the township because he was just the world’s best committeeman.   

I chose my party based on my beliefs and ideals, not on what my parents are.  I know several of my classmates in AP Government that simply spew the same things their parents say (sad, isn’t it?).   I have different views than my parents, probably because I am not my parents.  I shouldn’t be expected to think the same way as them, and I shouldn’t be judged because of that.

I also shouldn’t fool myself by thinking that I won’t be judged because of my views.  Like I said, I’m in the minority.  I’m happy, I have my ideology.  I respect my friends that have different views, and (I hope) they respect me.