ONE MAN’S JUNK IS A HIGH SCHOOLER’S VEHICLE. In a world that is always changing and evolving, one thing that has stayed consistent is the quality of high schooler’s vehicles. According to a school survey, 83% of the students at Valley Heights High School own a car, and many of these cars have their own special and unique features and or problems. Faye Jones, a sophomore, is no exception to the average kid's first car. “My car is actually a hand-me-down from my oldest sister, Alli. When she got a new car and it was my turn to drive, she and my parents decided that car would be mine.”
The data shown in the survey, showed that students had a variety of different car problems they had to deal with. Half of the students that participated admitted that the check engine light has been on for longer than they can remember or that their A.C. doesn’t work right. Faye’s 1991 Oldsmobile 88, White Lightning, has its own problems. “My A.C. has been out since I got her. Air flow in that baby requires the windows to be rolled down. My passenger window works like a beauty. The rest of my windows need a little assistance. My driver's side window gets stuck going back up so I have to take my hands and force it back up. The driver’s side back window is similar except it doesn’t even roll down, and the other window falls out of its frame on its way down and needs to be put back in to roll it back up.”
But even with all of these problems and hiccups, these vehicles still get their passengers from point A to point B. Anne Toerber, sophomore, reflects on how good her family's car, Black Stal has been to her. “Black Stal has been through thick and thin. She’s never stopped showing commitment and determination to getting myself and my partner places. She suffered a case of handenitis, a sickness where one of her door handles popped off, but we took her to the doctor and now she’s better than ever!” No matter if your car is five years old or 35 years old, most kids feel a certain connection to their first car. The memories made, and the adventures that are taken will be ones that will eventually be told to the next generation.
Faye concludes, “I think it is a really special thing for a kid to get their first car. It is just a time in their life that they will never forget and I, as well as lots of other high school students, just feel a connection with my first car that I will never feel with another car.”
Article By: Audra Steinfort