“Community colleges and not-for-profits in Arizona are now subsidizing ABE programs through FY 2012,” Carlisle said.

“GED and English as Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes may no longer be available,” said Carlisle.

According to Carlisle ABE is funded by the federal government WIA Title II, which requires a 25 percent match from state government and without the match, the federal money disappears.

If the state Legislature does not restore the ABE funding for FY 2013, then thousands of citizens and immigrants won’t have the resources to make improvements in their lives, according to Carlisle.

Where will all the employees of ABE go if the State eliminates its programs? Probably unemployment will rise in the Grand Canyon State, said GED Coordinator, Cheryl Casey.

The reality of ABE being canceled or partially-funded is a high probability, and Casey said she may have to move to another state to seek employment in the worst case scenario.

“Until then, or unless funding is restored, Yavapai College is offering free classes for GED and ESOL,” said Casey.

Casey said that teaching adults has always been a joy because they come to class with more maturity and the majority are well motivated to succeed.

The cuts in education for adults will decrease the chances to advance to a higher-paying job because, according to Casey, around 20 percent of GED diploma holders go on to register for that first class that will lead them to certificate and degree programs.

Adults enrolled in GED can spend a few weeks preparing for the GED test, but for some others it may take years.

This fear is sometimes brought on because of a lack of knowledge on how the tax filing system works as well as the substantial amount of time that goes into filing taxes. Students, however have various options in receiving assistance with filing their taxes and making sure they receive all the particular tax credits available.

In addition to classes, there are a number of free tax preparation programs available to students. According to Snavely, students have the option to seek free tax preparation assistance on campus through VITA, the IRS Volunteer Assistant Program which is available to those earning less than $49,000 per year.

As part of the VITA program, Snavely oversees a group of seven students majoring in accounting who are qualified volunteer tax preparers.

Besides the on-campus VITA program there are also other tax sites that are available in the community in aiding low to moderate-income individuals and families. AARP provides a volunteer based tax preparation site with certified tax preparers that is available to help with aiding people with filing their taxes.

According to Janelle Riedl, State Training Specialist with the AARP, they keep individuals in compliance with federal and state tax law. “We also provide verbal information on how to prepare taxes…an individual can sit in with the tax preparers to learn how to file their taxes,” she said.

Catholic Charities, which also participates through the VITA program, provides tax-filing aid to low to moderate-income individuals free of cost by their trained volunteers. According to the Catholic Charities website www.catholichcarisiesaz.org, last year their organization helped over 400 families and individuals to receive more than $450,000 in tax refunds.

Mary Ann Bivans-Grimm, owner of the H&R Block in Yavapai County said, “We offer a 14 week class in the fall that is open to the public for a cost of $250.”

“When the time comes for me to do my taxes by myself I will still want to have additional help…maybe doing some kind of classes that will better equip me with the necessary skills,” said Ashley York, an Associates of General Studies major.

“I usually do my taxes online with the help of my mom, but it’s not always easy to do my own taxes, not having the basic tax knowledge,” said Shelby Lichtenberger, a second year student at Yavapai and who also works part-time.

There are some students that feel that filing out their taxes is too time consuming. Sarah Attebery a General Arts major at Yavapai College said, “I have my mom or her accountant do my taxes…I want to eventually do my taxes on my own but I think it’s just finding the time to do it.”

Knowing the various procedures that is required in properly filing one’s taxes is imperative. According to www.irs.gov there are particular tax benefits available for students. Some of these credits include American Opportunity Credit, the Hope Credit and the Life Time Learning Credit. In order to receive these credits particular steps must be followed when completing or filling out the income tax forms.

According to Snavely, the on-campus site is open to provide tax help to qualified students and the community at large on Fridays from Noon to 5:00 p.m., free of charge right up until April 15, 2011.

Rebecca Kalant was 16-years-old when she received her first death threat. Now a university student in Canada, Kalant remembers having to face the bully in real life. “I felt very unsafe. I was hurt and embarrassed, and I was scared,” said Kalant. “Her status was [a] graphic description of how she wanted to kill me, it was disgusting.” According to Kalant, she was also sentanti-Semitic hateful messages.

Kalant walked through the school hallways days after the threats in fear. “Luckily I had a friend walk with me to my locker and to my classes.”

Cyberbullying is not reported often. The reason being because teens themselves don’t want to report it or admit that they are scared. 

“We’ve found that over 90 percent of kids did not tell their parents about these incidents,” said Jaana Juvonen, a Psychology professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. According to Juvonen, the reasons were varied; among 12 to 14-year-old girls, the reason was because they were concerned that their internet access would be revoked. Others wanted to deal with the incident themselves, without adult help. 

According to Kalant, she didn’t want to report it at first but her English teacher saw the status update by accident and reported it to the principal.

“I’m very thankful for her support,” she said. According to Kalant, she was given the choice to press charges and thereby get the girl expelled, but instead decided to give the girl a warning and not press charges.

Kalant’s ordeal is not over. She is now graduated from high school and never has to see her bully again. “Unfortunately,” said Kalant. “The girl continues to bully others by way of rumors so that she can’t get caught. She appears to have no empathy, which is disappointing to me. I had hoped that she would learn something from that, but I guess not. I sincerely hope she learns one day.” 

Kalant urges teens to get help. “The main thing kids need to know is that it’s not okay and that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Tell someone.”

Cyberbullying is affecting more and more young adults like Kalant.

Celine Sanborn was a freshman in high school when two former friends turned against her, calling her “a whore” and “that I should die in a hole.” “I felt betrayed and angry,” said Sanborn. “I just wanted to scream. I felt hopeless.”

Only a freshman in high school at the time, she didn’t seek the help of any adults or authority figures. “I knew that they wouldn’t have done anything,” she said. According to Sanborn, she immediately blocked contact with both of them.

Not everyone is a victim of cyberbullying, however, there is also another side. There are the cyberbullies themselves. According to Scott Meech in the book Media Violence, cyberbullying allows one to bully without a face-to-face confrontation. “Kids become emboldened by the false feeling of being anonymous and they say things they might not have said in person,” said Meech. 

Cora Smith, a 14-year-old from Connecticut says why she bullied a former friends at 12-years-old on the social networking site myspace.com. 

“I don’t think I had any real motivations for bullying her,” said Smith. “She was just an easy target, I guess.” According to Smith, she and the target used to be best friends. “We just stopped talking, and I started hating her,” she said.

According to Smith, she didn’t know that what she was doing was actually that hurtful – until she moved and was bullied herself. “I apologized to her for everything and she said that she forgave me but nothing has ever really been the same between us since then.  It’s probably one of the biggest things I regret. I don’t even remember why I started harassing her, I just did it because I had nothing better to do.”

Kalent believes that cyberbullying “is a serious issue that can destroy lives, and needs to be taken seriously by adults. It can have lasting, damaging effects on a child’s psychology, self-esteem, and self-worth.”

The report additionally indicated that a significant amount of students across the country were not only using credit cards for personal expenses but also for entertainment.

The rate of consumer debt is decreasing. This decrease is not just among college students.

A Federal Reserve Statistical Report released on November 5, 2010 showed that the current Unites States consumer revolving debt fell to $814 billion at the end of the third quarter in 2010 down from $894 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2009.

The trend of using credit cards to purchase Christmas gifts is also on the decline. Students at Yavapai College along with a large number of Americans have saved up cash to go shopping for Christmas gifts to avoid using credit in making purchases.

According to a number of Yavapai College students, they are serious about exercising better fiscal discipline particularly because of the struggling U.S. economy. They are extremely cautious about owning a credit card out of fear of accumulating debt.

Chelby Hahn, a second year student at Yavapai who also works part-time said, “I made a decision earlier on that I would not own a credit card while in college. I do not want to deal with debt or high interest rates. I am taking other responsible measures to build my credit to prepare for the future.”

“I am using all cash by keeping a budget and I have to save up $500 to do my Christmas shopping this year. Right now I am more excited about shopping over the holidays than I would be if I were using a credit card,” said Hahn.

Hahn is not alone in this decision as statistics show that there are more people using other means than a credit card.

According to a report on creditcards.com, 72 percent of consumers indicated they used a debit card in the past year for shopping; in 2007 that number was 65 percent. Debit cards are a convenient debt free alternative to credit cards.

“I am currently unemployed but even if I was working, I still could not afford to have a credit card. I won’t be doing really any Christmas shopping this year but if I was going shopping, I would rather use cash,” said Misty Baker, a first year Photography major here at Yavapai.

Wendi Nelson, a first year student said, “I am really excited this year about going Christmas shopping and I will probably spend $200 in cash on Christmas gifts for family and friends. I don’t own a credit card because I am afraid that I will go in debt, especially if I use the card for shopping.”

Some students are also afraid that at their age they cannot afford other additional expenses.

“I feel like I am way too young to have a credit card and I am afraid to go in debt. I am excited [to] go shopping for Christmas gifts and I plan on spending about $300 dollars in gifts but I am using cash,” said Kelsey Chambers, a nursing student at Yavapai.

Students are aware of the dangers of relying on borrowed income especially for entertainment purposes.

Baylee Deutch said, “I get pretty excited about Christmas shopping but I am skeptical this year about using credit to make any purchases.”

Marsha Rose, who is a first year student at Yavapai College said, “This year I am using my credit card for some Christmas shopping but I am only spending $100 [on the card] for a Christmas gift for my little brother.”

According to Jessica Moyer a local resident of Prescott, she owns a credit card but only uses it for emergencies. “I make a budget to purchase my Christmas gifts using cash,” she said.

While some employers are taking steps to help their employees in the midst of the recession, others are taking advantage of what is for many a desperate situation.

Gallup.com reports that almost one in five Americans is currently underemployed, which includes those who have no jobs, or those who work part-time because full-time work is unavailable to them.

The underemployment trend has held steady at around 20 percent all year long according to Gallup.com.

Rebecca Muniz, a branch manager from the SOS Staffing Agency in Prescott said that instead of hiring new workers, many employers are adding to the existing duties of their current employees.

“Employers are being more efficient because their dollars are tighter, and employees are more willing to do a little extra work.”

As many employers strive to become more efficient in today’s shifting economy, some are taking cutbacks and frugality to extensive levels; sometimes at their employees’ expense.

Anne-Marie Shipley from Prescott works in a small retail shop in the Prescott Gateway Mall. “They say in the employee handbook that if you work over 6 hours, you get two 15 minute breaks and an unpaid 30 minute break.”

While this is consistent with labor laws, Shipley says that in the day-to-day business practice, things are much different. “We cannot close the gate at the shop for more than ten minutes, or else the store will be fined by the mall.”

Since workers at the store are scheduled to work each shift alone, the practical reality is that the employees have no choice but to work through their lunch breaks and shorten their 15-minute breaks. Sometimes breaks don’t happen at all.

“I don’t really get lunch breaks and I’m not allowed to eat on the floor either. The only way I could eat is if I ate in the back, but they want us out front all the time.”

Originally things were much worse when Shipley started with the locally owned company.

“When I first started you weren’t allowed to close the gate at all. [There were] no restroom breaks “¦even on a 10-hour shift. I complained to management and said that what they were doing was illegal and they finally let us close the gate and use the bathroom.”

Such behavior isn’t limited to just breaks. Chantel McClymonds says that management often has a disregard for their employees’ schooling schedules.

While working as a waitress for a local wine bar and pizzeria, McClymonds felt like she had no rights in the work place.

“Our boss continually was cutting us checks for below minimum wage,” she said. “Not only did they pay us less then what is legally mandated, they also would cut our time cards early at night, so we were not being paid for the remaining hours we worked.”

As a Yavapai College student with limited options, McClymonds continued to endure the situation. “We were not allowed to request time off for anything, and forget ever calling in sick.” McClymonds says she was often coerced to attending work while sick and contagious and serve food to customers.

On other occasions she was told she could not miss work to attend school-sponsored events. “I had a field trip with my Geology class at Yavapai and I had to beg to be able to go. The week following my field trip [my manager] took me off the schedule as punishment for requesting time off.”

McClymonds was faced with a difficult decision. Staying with her job and enduring the harsh treatment ensured a paycheck, but if she were to terminate her employment she feared not being able to find another job.

“I was constantly threatened with my job, and told often that it would be all too easy for them to replace me. This shocked me because I worked very hard for them,” McClymonds said.

McClymonds finally found her way out with a fresh start at the Firehouse Restaurant. “I found a new job at [the Firehouse], and I actually like going to work!” She says that there is no comparison in the management style of her new and former employer. “My new situation is wonderful, I am being treated very well. I am so glad I finally got myself away from that awful place,” McClymonds says.

At her new job, she is allowed time off and offered generous breaks. “My favorite part of my new job is feeling like a part of a team, and not someone who is easily replaced. Also, my boss is very respectful of my school schedule, which makes life a lot easier for me.”

Luke Cilano, another Yavapai student, also feels fortunate not to have such scheduling issues. “I love my job, and they treat me really well. They’re great with my scheduling, [I have] no issues at all,” he said. Cilano works at a local television shop where he found a job after leaving the restaurant industry.

While unsympathetic managers may be becoming the norm, Lisa Pennington, a floor manager at Costco Wholesale, has different ideas.

“Our focus is on our employees quality of life,” she says. When an employee is having problems, be it personal or otherwise, Costco offers a variety of support programs and services for its employees. The result, Pennington says, is an even lower turnover rate and increased employee productivity. But it doesn’t end there. “We are giving [our employees] good benefits, good pay, and paid holidays off,” she said.

Pennington added that both full-time and part-time employees get benefits at every warehouse. “We are total jugglers [because] we are”¦attempting to make sure our needs and the needs of our employees are met.”

Pennington also says that the management does their best to work with students who work for Costco.

“We always try to work with students’ schedules,” she said. “If we need someone to come in, we’ll give the student the opportunity to work extra hours, but we never pressure a student, or any employee, to take a shift. We don’t guilt trip, or browbeat.”

While McClymonds’, and Luke Cilano’s work woes ended happily, and Pennington’s employees are well treated, others are not so lucky. As the economy continues to sluggishly improve, working people are not always seeing the results quickly enough.

Many still fear the loss of their job as employment is not always readily available.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment in Arizona at 9.7 percent, slightly higher than the national average.

Rebecca Muniz at SOS Staffing says that the office has been busy for the last six months with 20-25 phone calls a day, and ten appointments. “80 percent of [the people we see] are not employed at all,” she said.

Additionally, Rasmussen Reports says that only 29 percent of Americans feel like their next job will be better than their current job, a number that reflects the general sentiments of those under 40.

But 66 percent feel that leaving their job will be their own choice, and not their employers’. Even so, Rasmussen Reports says that 42 percent of all Americans feel that there are very few or no jobs to be had in the current economy.

A significant percentage of Yavapai College students who do find employment are forced to work positions that they would not have chosen to work in the past. They work these jobs just so they can try to meet their basic financial obligations.

Many of these students are also living with their parents to avoid the additional costs associated with renting.

Nursing student Jessica Smyer who has been attending Yavapai College since 2009 said, “I am living with my parents because it’s a lot more affordable for me than renting.” According to Smyer she has no other choice but to work part-time at a tanning salon where she barely makes enough to pay her tuition. She also added that she has been unsuccessful in finding a better paying position.

Smyer also said that she does not qualify for financial aid because her parents make above the required income guidelines but that they are not able to afford to help her with tuition.

Yavapai College has also seen a significant increase in enrollment in this year’s fall semester and the demand for student employment positions have also increased on campus as a result of the lack of available jobs off campus. Tom Hughes YC director of institutional research said, “As of August 22, 2010 the headcount stood at 7,871, up 4.06 percent from the same [time] a year ago. An even bigger increase showed up in the Fall full-time student equivalent statistic: up to 10.68 percent over last fall.” Hughes also said, “Research shows that when the economy is in recession people go back to school in greater numbers for new or updated job/career skills.”

Anna Holm, a returning radiology student who commutes from Cottonwood to Prescott said, “I had to return…to school because my accounting business downsized.”

Marcee Keller, Yavapai College student employment coordinator for the last 5 years said, “There has been an increase in the number of student employees seeking on-campus jobs.” Keller also said “When I first started in this position, I had to sell the Work-Study jobs to students in order to use up the money that the Federal government requires us to award/spend/use”¦ starting two years ago the tables turned completely around. We use up all of our Work-Study funding; by September, we had awarded students everything we had.”

Shawn Mosher, a new student who lives in student housing, added that he had moved to Prescott from California to pursue his college education and to also find a job. He went on to say though that it has been difficult finding work.

Page Motolla, a new YC student, says, “I can’t find a job but maybe I will find one soon.”

A number of Yavapai College students who are working and attending school have also faced the difficulty of working many hours but still having problems paying their rent.

Amanda Panozzo a student with Yavapai College for the past fiveyears said, “The economy has affected my schooling because my job has cut back on my hours, and that cuts into my cash for bills and school.” Panozzo also said, “I have to work two jobs so I have enough to also pay my rent.”

It has been especially difficult for Yavapai College students in finding employment given the fact that Yavapai County has the third largest unemployment rate in the State at a rate of 9.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statics.

“Our program entitled ‘Species Adoptions’ allows donations to a particular animal. Donors receive plush animals of the particular one that they adopt and a framed certificate as well as other gifts,” said Sybelle Klenzendorf, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Managing Director of Species Conservation Program.

“Please keep in mind that our adoption program is symbolic. World Wildlife Fund helps endangered animals by saving the environment in which they live. WWF does not single out particular animals, or families of animals, for adoption. Adoption donations are directed to field programs to support science, research and animal study. They are not directed to a specific species,” said Klenzendorf.

In 2009, the WWF received gifts totaling in over $200,000, according to the WWF’s 2009 tax report. According to the 2009 Statement of Activities, $23,000 of that money was from the Species Adoption program.

“In Arizona, there are 39 threatened and endangered animal species; none of which are on the WWF list of adoptable animals,” said to Lauren Kurpis, Press secretary for Arizona’s Gaming and Fish Department. “We have many programs. One of them being the Heritage Data Management System (HDMS).” According to Kurpis, HDMS is part of a global network of more than 80 Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers. HDMS information is available so Arizonans can make prudent decisions weighing future development, economic growth and environmental integrity.

“We rank these animals by status such as how imminent the jeopardy of extinction is. We also list them by rank meaning how rare or uncommon they are. We do not rank them according to prettiness or put pretty pictures hoping people will donate. It is what it is,” said Kurpis.

The Game and Fish Department of Arizona has also started an action plan called the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The three main focuses of this plan are the species of greatest conservation need, including the criteria used to determine their status and their spatial distributions, the spatial distribution of stressors to wildlife, including a vulnerability assessment for climate change and elimination of landscapes of conservation concern, according to www.azgfd.com.

The Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) is an all-volunteer, statewide non-profit association of people interested in the present and future well-being of Arizona’s wildlife, wildlife habitat and natural systems.

AWF Board Member Tom Mackin said “AWF conservationists believe our wildlife heritage should not be jeopardized by any activity that fails to ensure its long-term health and sustainability.”

According to AWF’s website, AWF volunteers have donated thousands of man hours to projects at Saguaro Lake and Bartlett Lake aimed at improving aquatic habitat for largemouth bass, catfish, crappies and other fish species. “Not tigers or panda bears but fish,” said Mackin. “It just goes to show that people care enough about the preservation of wildlife to volunteer to help any animal, not just the mainstream species.”

According to AWF’s website, in the Prescott National Forest AWF volunteers gave several weekends of their time to the construction of a silt retention dam on Walnut Creek northwest of Prescott. “These are not glamorous jobs but somebody needs to do them,” said Mackin.

“Plants are included in a list of endangered species,” said Prescott hiker Michael Klein. “No one has ‘Save the Welsh’s Milkweed’ as a bumper sticker. I see plenty of ‘Save the whales’ bumper stickers however.”

Klein became interested in preserving Arizona wildlife when he was hiking in the Sonoran desert and came upon students collecting plants and insects. “They were middle school students getting samples for class. They were going to bring them back to class and dissect them. The teacher didn’t realize that though they aren’t big and significant, plants, fish and insect species are also dangerously close to extinction.”

According to Arizona Ecological Services, plants and animals become threatened or endangered due to loss of habitat, illegal or unregulated hunting collection, competition from non-native species and pollution. “That’s true for every threatened animal. There just isn’t as much press about them like there is for polar bears,” Klein said.

According to Rose Hurley, director of Human Resources, Dr. Goswami is still employed by Yavapai College until his resignation date on June 30, 2010.

“New opportunities are always exciting,” said Hurley, concerning Dr. Goswami’s future.

It is typical for people in Higher-Ed jobs to be assigned to special assignments during the end of their employment, according to Hurley.

Most of Goswami’s duties now consist of wrapping up his work and transitioning out of his office; other work may be assigned as well, says Hurley.

To fill the open position, YC is “working with an executive search firm,” said Hurley. Cizek and Associates are filtering through all the applicants to narrow down qualified candidates for interviews.

“They [Cizek and Associates] fly around the country and meet with the finalists…They know us well,” says Hurley. Once they interview the finalists they pick only a few candidates to interview with the YC Governing Board.

Applications are being accepted until May 21, 2010. The job opening has been posted online in a few places like higheredjobs.com and on Yavapai College’s website.

The job will be filled well before the fall semester, hopefully by July 1, according to Hurley.ÂÂ Some candidates may not be able to move in such a short time, so the July 1 date is intended but is not a strict deadline.

“The title that we advertised is not Provost…we advertised Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs,” said Hurley. Provost is more of a working title not the official title.

“The Vice President is responsible for a $21 million budget and currently manages a leadership team that includes Student Affairs, Occupational Programs, Campus/Site Deans, Continuing Education, OLLI and Institutional Research, along with several other staff members,” says the position profile on yc.edu.

The position requires a Masters degree, but many members of the faculty, instructional staff and the leadership team, want someone with a doctoral degree for the position.

YC faculty and staff were given an opportunity to fill out confidential surveys in which they could indicate other qualities they’d like to see in the new Vice President. The surveys will help the search firm find a good match for YC, according to Hurley.

Photos by Frances Karl and Amy Gable

“Family-friendly, community-centered, artistic endeavor intended to cultivate and support the creativity in people of all ages and abilities,” says the Chalk It Up Prescott mission statement.

Featured April 17-18, 2010 in the Summit Bank parking lot at 201 North Montezuma, the festival kicked off at 10 a.m. and ran until 4 p.m.

The event, free to the public, featured food, music and belly dancing not to mention art from anyone old enough to hold chalk and willing to participate.

The event, now in its second year, runs annually, last year drawing a crowd of over 400 according to the event home page, PrescottChalkArt.com. According to Chris Adams, Chalk It Up authority, this year’s event went well too.

“It’s going well, we’ve got more people out than last year; it’s definitely growing.”

Drawing people from as far away as Colorado and California, the event is definitely growing larger and being still in its infancy, it has great potential.

Lorelle A. Miller, an award winning artist and featured artist at the Chalk It Up event, from Clarita California, was on hand to demonstrate and display her talent with a large reproduction.

“I do a number of renaissance pieces and reproductions of masterworks…I’ve been doing these festivals about 12 years,” says Miller, “It’s pretty good, a young festival but a pretty good turnout.”

However, the festival was not just a haven for the well established out-of-towners, the whole point, as stated previously, is to help cultivate and showcase up and coming as well as local community talent.

Dana Cohen, winner of last year’s Best of Show and adjunct art instructor at Yavapai College, was also on hand demonstrating his prowess.

“I like [the festival], it brings everyone out; it’s open and free and people get to see everything and meet other people.”

For more information on Chalk It Up or to register for next year’s event visit the Chalk It Up website.