inline : OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : Getting Ahead

Attending school is a money-making proposition. A typical high school graduate earns $212,000 more in a lifetime than a high school dropout, according to the Census Bureau.

If you have a friend or relative (18 or older) who doesn’t have a diploma, give them the word. They can sign up for high school diploma programs offered through local school districts. Garden Grove Unified School District, for example, offers the course at its Chapman-Hettinga Education Center. Diplomas are accepted by community colleges and four-year institutions. There are no residency requirements, and classes are free.

Call school district offices at a location convenient to you for more information about specific programs.

Spirited Debates

School spirit run amok? At Irvine High School, debate was swirling over the principal’s objection to a time-honored chant that derides freshmen (using one of Beavis & Butt-head’s favorite phrases). At Brea Olinda High School, seniors were having a hard time explaining the large ’95 etched into the school’s lawn with salt, killing the grass.