Water Conservation a Habit We Must Keep

In the article “Water Conservation a Habit We Must Keep”, published by The Austin American Statesman, the editorial board urges their audience to wisely continue to manage their water usage.  According to Arnold Garcia, Alberta Phillips, and Ken Herman, conservation works and the city of Austin initiatives to preserve water have been successful.  For instance, the first week after the city’s Stage 2 water restrictions were implemented the water usage dropped by 100 million gallons.  Another relevant point stated in the article is that sometimes the fear of fines can reinforce good habits.  This last statement seems very reliable given that most people would not be willing to pay $475 for breaking water restriction rules.  Hopefully, this reinforcement to conserve water will generate a major change in attitude the same way the law requiring car passengers to buckle their seat belts did in the 80’s.

An additional argument in this article is that Austin will encounter more droughts in the future and that water restrictions only during these times will not be enough to guarantee sustainable usage in our area.  The editorial board insists that conservation is everyone’s responsibility and we should not take water for granted even during wetter periods.  They make a point in saying that the more we conserve water, the more it will be something we just do; it will turn into a natural instinct, a habit.

           Considering that Austinites are pro-conservation, as the authors emphasize by saying that the city received 675 water waste complaints during the first week of stage 2 restrictions, it appears that the Lone Star capital is going in the right direction.

           The authors were able to make their argument credible through presenting some facts and telling some statistics.  Although the Austin American Statesman’s usual audience may be liberal, this article was meant to reach every Texan.  Furthermore, the writers support the idea that every resident is responsible for the preservation of the most precious natural resource we have.  In the end, the reader gets a positive feeling about what has been done, but also understands that the continuing effort to preserve water is vital to all of us.

Grant Will Help Community College Students Get Up to Speed

Complete College America, a national nonprofit organization, is giving a grant to Texas community colleges to help freshman students perform better and graduate faster.  According to the article published in the September 1^st edition of The Texas Tribune, fifteen community colleges throughout the state will benefit from the million-dollar grant.  The money was provided through a donation made by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and it will help implement the developmental programs at colleges.     

            State representative, Donna Howard, D-Austin, reinforced that this grant is essential to the Texas community colleges because of the massive budget cuts in education.  The article also provides interesting data about a study from Georgetown University that concluded 56 percent of jobs in Texas will require a college degree by the year 2018.  Also included in this article, are the findings of Texas State University professor, Selina Vasquez Mireles, about developmental education and how it is not always efficient and motivating to students.

            Although this grant brings good news to the students, it also reminds Texas residents of the poor educational quality in the state.  The reason why the grant is vital to the community colleges is the fact that 38 percent of new students are not prepared to enroll in college level math classes, for example.  This unpreparedness is a reflection of the low standards of primary and secondary education in Texas, and the grant will only aid the consequences of it, but it will not stop the causes of the problem.