How
to better the community I live in
It is important for people in a community to have a sense of belonging; a place where people can learn and grow in a safe and content environment. A Community is a place people can call home and raise a family. The community I live in is located in north central Oklahoma, called Stillwater. It was part of the Oklahoma land run in 1891. There is one state college, one community college, a technology school, six elementary schools, one middle school, one junior school, and one high school here in Stillwater. It is a diverse community because people come from all over to study at Oklahoma State University. The population of Stillwater Oklahoma is around 50 thousand people. The median household annual income is around 30,452 dollars. John Miller said it best, “Not everybody wants to live in the city these days but, then again, not everybody wants to run off and live in the wilderness either. Which kind of leaves the small town as the "middle ground" alternative . . . and there are lots of small towns hanging around the country to choose from” (Miller, 1971). Stillwater is like he explained, in the middle of the two big cities; one hour from Oklahoma City and one hour from Tulsa. The majority of businesses here are banks, food places, and bars. Oklahoma State University is here, so there are a lot of college age kids in the area. Mother earth news website has an article to explain my community well, it reads, “There's probably no place in the country (other than a college or university) where such large numbers of people voluntarily come together . . . often simply for the purpose of living and interacting with others who have similar personal goals. To an increasing extent, the college experience has become less a four year hassle for a degree than a series of personal encounters” (Miller). As a growing community of families, there are many young children who could use more activities to do in the summer and during the school year. Also for the adults living here, they are in need of jobs to provide a decent living for their families and to go do family activities.
I have three children, two boys, ages two and twelve and one girl, age ten. There is not much for them to do in our community, entertainment wise. There is a bowling alley and The Wondertorium, but not much else for the young children. I feel my community would greatly benefit by having activities or a place to go for young children. Many families in my area travel an hour away to take the children somewhere for them to have a good time and not get into trouble. When I take the kids to do something exciting, I have to drive an hour to get there and an hour back. Because of this inconvenience, it ends up being an all-day event and costs way too much money. Most families who are living in Stillwater, Oklahoma cannot afford to go out of town every weekend to entertain themselves and their families. Stillwater needs a place like CHUCK E CHEESE’S where kids can have a good time with other children playing arcade games and be in an environment where they feel they belong. When kids are bored they will find their own entertainment; however, this entertainment is not always positive entertainment. Children will find ways to get them into trouble. The City of Stillwater reported, there were three hundred and twenty – one juveniles arrested in 2012. USA Today has conducted reports and have brought up good points such as this one: “The high rate of arrest among youth is troubling because their records will follow them as adults and make it harder for them to get student loans, jobs and housing” (kurlychek 2012). We do not want the youth of our communities to have a hard time as they enter adulthood. When my kids are bored with just playing outside, I tend to find them getting in a lot of trouble. They have been in trouble for breaking items, wandering off into the neighborhood, and also finding other kids who are getting into trouble, not suitable for their age. I have caught them burning grass and starting fires with the other kids in the neighborhood. There are many parks in Stillwater, however these are public parks so no one is there supervising the children. There is a little skate park where the older kids tend to gather. I have seen these kids smoking cigarettes and drinking there. These are not good influences for my teen age boy, or any children, to be around. Smoking cigarettes is not something I want my kids to start doing at an early age just because they are bored and have nothing else to do for entertainment. I also feel I have no right to tell other people’s children what they should and should not be doing. If there were more job opportunities it could keep some teenagers out of trouble and off the streets.
To find a job in my community it is difficult. Careerbuilder.com shows two hundred and fifty - seven jobs available in Stillwater to our fifty thousand people whom reside here, whereas Norman, Oklahoma, which is another college city (where The University of Oklahoma is located), has one thousand seven hundred and fifty – four jobs to their one hundred and eighteen thousand people. When someone gets a job in the fast food industry or start a new job, the majority of businesses will start people out at minimum wage. Minimum wage in Stillwater, Oklahoma is $7.25 an hour. There are established companies here that have great job opportunities to make decent money, but it seems like those positions are filled and very rarely become available to people outside of the family whom owns these businesses. Most college graduates have to move out of town to make a decent income. The average annual income for a police officer in Stillwater is $19,000 and in Norman, the same position makes $21,000 a year. The nurses in Stillwater $49,000 is the average annual income and in Norman they can make up to $ 56,000 annually. An office manager in Stillwater can make up to $31,000 annually and in Norman they make $77,000 annually. Therefore, I feel my community could and should do more to increase the wages and have more activities for children and families to do.
When interviewing people from the community, many people stated “Stillwater needs more jobs with better wages.” There were many other people that stated, “We need more activities for children and families.” If Stillwater would build skating rinks, Chuckie Cheese, or even the Charleston’s like one of the people interviewed wants, then we would possibly have more jobs available for people in the community.
It is important for people in a community to have a sense of belonging; a place where people can learn and grow in a safe and content environment. A Community is a place people can call home and raise a family. The community I live in is located in north central Oklahoma, called Stillwater. It was part of the Oklahoma land run in 1891. There is one state college, one community college, a technology school, six elementary schools, one middle school, one junior school, and one high school here in Stillwater. It is a diverse community because people come from all over to study at Oklahoma State University. The population of Stillwater Oklahoma is around 50 thousand people. The median household annual income is around 30,452 dollars. John Miller said it best, “Not everybody wants to live in the city these days but, then again, not everybody wants to run off and live in the wilderness either. Which kind of leaves the small town as the "middle ground" alternative . . . and there are lots of small towns hanging around the country to choose from” (Miller, 1971). Stillwater is like he explained, in the middle of the two big cities; one hour from Oklahoma City and one hour from Tulsa. The majority of businesses here are banks, food places, and bars. Oklahoma State University is here, so there are a lot of college age kids in the area. Mother earth news website has an article to explain my community well, it reads, “There's probably no place in the country (other than a college or university) where such large numbers of people voluntarily come together . . . often simply for the purpose of living and interacting with others who have similar personal goals. To an increasing extent, the college experience has become less a four year hassle for a degree than a series of personal encounters” (Miller). As a growing community of families, there are many young children who could use more activities to do in the summer and during the school year. Also for the adults living here, they are in need of jobs to provide a decent living for their families and to go do family activities.
I have three children, two boys, ages two and twelve and one girl, age ten. There is not much for them to do in our community, entertainment wise. There is a bowling alley and The Wondertorium, but not much else for the young children. I feel my community would greatly benefit by having activities or a place to go for young children. Many families in my area travel an hour away to take the children somewhere for them to have a good time and not get into trouble. When I take the kids to do something exciting, I have to drive an hour to get there and an hour back. Because of this inconvenience, it ends up being an all-day event and costs way too much money. Most families who are living in Stillwater, Oklahoma cannot afford to go out of town every weekend to entertain themselves and their families. Stillwater needs a place like CHUCK E CHEESE’S where kids can have a good time with other children playing arcade games and be in an environment where they feel they belong. When kids are bored they will find their own entertainment; however, this entertainment is not always positive entertainment. Children will find ways to get them into trouble. The City of Stillwater reported, there were three hundred and twenty – one juveniles arrested in 2012. USA Today has conducted reports and have brought up good points such as this one: “The high rate of arrest among youth is troubling because their records will follow them as adults and make it harder for them to get student loans, jobs and housing” (kurlychek 2012). We do not want the youth of our communities to have a hard time as they enter adulthood. When my kids are bored with just playing outside, I tend to find them getting in a lot of trouble. They have been in trouble for breaking items, wandering off into the neighborhood, and also finding other kids who are getting into trouble, not suitable for their age. I have caught them burning grass and starting fires with the other kids in the neighborhood. There are many parks in Stillwater, however these are public parks so no one is there supervising the children. There is a little skate park where the older kids tend to gather. I have seen these kids smoking cigarettes and drinking there. These are not good influences for my teen age boy, or any children, to be around. Smoking cigarettes is not something I want my kids to start doing at an early age just because they are bored and have nothing else to do for entertainment. I also feel I have no right to tell other people’s children what they should and should not be doing. If there were more job opportunities it could keep some teenagers out of trouble and off the streets.
To find a job in my community it is difficult. Careerbuilder.com shows two hundred and fifty - seven jobs available in Stillwater to our fifty thousand people whom reside here, whereas Norman, Oklahoma, which is another college city (where The University of Oklahoma is located), has one thousand seven hundred and fifty – four jobs to their one hundred and eighteen thousand people. When someone gets a job in the fast food industry or start a new job, the majority of businesses will start people out at minimum wage. Minimum wage in Stillwater, Oklahoma is $7.25 an hour. There are established companies here that have great job opportunities to make decent money, but it seems like those positions are filled and very rarely become available to people outside of the family whom owns these businesses. Most college graduates have to move out of town to make a decent income. The average annual income for a police officer in Stillwater is $19,000 and in Norman, the same position makes $21,000 a year. The nurses in Stillwater $49,000 is the average annual income and in Norman they can make up to $ 56,000 annually. An office manager in Stillwater can make up to $31,000 annually and in Norman they make $77,000 annually. Therefore, I feel my community could and should do more to increase the wages and have more activities for children and families to do.
When interviewing people from the community, many people stated “Stillwater needs more jobs with better wages.” There were many other people that stated, “We need more activities for children and families.” If Stillwater would build skating rinks, Chuckie Cheese, or even the Charleston’s like one of the people interviewed wants, then we would possibly have more jobs available for people in the community.