Editorials

With summer break coming up, many have already started planning trips and activities.  But some are planning for a job or internship and while it may seem like summer is only for taking a break, it could be for a lot more.  Having a summer job as a teen is a great way to learn life skills, boost confidence and independence and just have something to do during the long break rather than sitting around all day.
A summer job can teach you many different life skills before even becoming an adult.  Things such as time management and how to handle responsibility and pressure are all extremely useful for life, as they are all things you have to face as you get older. A summer job can help with this.  Learning time management means learning how to plan and prioritize so that everything that needs to get done in a day does. Personally, I have many hobbies that have helped me learn how to manage my time wisely, but those who have loads of free time don't really learn this.  With a job, not only can you learn how to manage time yourself, but you can also see other people do it who have experience.  

A lot of the time, teenagers can feel like their parents are hovering over them, and they never get the freedom and independence that they deserve.  With a summer job, not only will you be given independence and treated like another responsible employee, but you will also be financially independent.  Many teens have said this has helped them build their confidence and they feel as if they are actually being treated as they should be rather than like a kid.  This also teaches you different life skills as you are now in charge of your own money.  Things like budgeting, saving and prioritizing spending are all great skills to have.  

I know that many teens, including myself, often spend their summers doing absolutely nothing and although sometimes, especially when school has just ended, that can seem like paradise, but, as a person who has spent many summers like this, it gets incredibly boring and repetitive after just a few weeks.  Having a summer job gives you something to do during the summer rather than sitting around all day.  This gives you something to look forward to everyday and can help you make the most of your break while still being able to relax.  When talking about her summer job experiences, Regan Ernst writes in The State Journal, “All of this activity might sound a little stressful, but I find it fun in a way that is hard to describe. All the things I’m doing I either enjoy doing or need to do. If I wasn’t busy, I wouldn’t even know what to do with all my free time. It would be a crazy boring summer if I wasn’t busy.” Some might be like Ernst, with a bunch of different activities and hobbies they’re a part of, but you don’t have to do that.  Simply one thing would be enough to spend your days.  

Although it may seem like a bad idea, having a summer job is actually a good thing. There’s no need to be worried about wasting your days working or not being able to relax, there is plenty of time for that and, like any other job, there are days you can take off and take a break.  Summer jobs are good for all teens and are highly recommended, so consider getting one this summer. 

From a pool of around 21,000 employees in varying public and private sectors, it was concluded that 43% of these employees considered advancement opportunities a high priority when looking for jobs. However, in a LinkedIn survey, it was reported that 72% of Gen Z workers left jobs due to a lack of flexibility with companies.

With the disconnect between management and the employees, the workforce has become far less concrete. With the growing concern of poor management causing mass resignations, companies may begin to overwork employees to compensate for the unpredictability of their employee base. 

There is a phenomenon to describe this adaptation from companies; it is called dry promotion. Dry promotions are when employee workloads are noticeably increased. However, there is no pay raise to match it. This act from employers has become more commonplace due to the constant movement of employees in and out of these organizations. Those who leave tend to leave due to lack of flexibility, while those who stay are left with  increased workloads. This creates a constant cycle in companies, wearing down a company and creating animosity between management and employees.

Managers may feel compelled to resort to dry promotions and overworking employees due to pressures from higher-ups or shareholders to maintain profitability and competitiveness in the market. They might believe that squeezing more productivity out of the existing workforce is the most cost-effective solution, especially if hiring and training new employees is perceived as too expensive or time-consuming. 

Additionally, in industries where turnover rates are high, managers may feel a sense of urgency to extract as much value as possible from employees before they inevitably move on to other opportunities. This mindset can perpetuate a cycle of short-term thinking, where immediate gains in productivity are prioritized over the long-term well-being and satisfaction of employees.

Noticeably, it's very clear how this issue can be solved: by loosening restrictions on career advancement. Many employees are limited by the fact that career advancement is usually tied to a degree. It's very hard for people to work their way up when their only choice is to drop everything and pursue classes. With the growing price of degrees, it's hypocritical for senior management to prioritize skills that they themselves didn't have coming into the company. The American dream of going from mailroom worker to working in the accounts division is long gone. Now employees are stuck in a cycle of job hopping, never finding purpose in their work

To break this cycle and foster a healthier workplace environment, companies must prioritize the long-term satisfaction and growth of their employees, rather than relying on unsustainable practices that ultimately erode trust and productivity.

The 2015 Canadian stage musical, Ride the Cyclone (RTC) is one of the best musicals I’ve ever heard. While definitely for more mature audiences (I’d say 15+), the humor isn’t OVERLY raunchy (it is still a bit “spicy” at times). I think everyone who enjoys being happy and listening to music should listen to this musical. I’d recommend finding live performances over the studio recording though.

One might see the fact it’s a theater musical, dismiss it as another operatic musical, and never give it a chance; however, it has something for everyone. Ocean’s What the World Needs feels like a generic 2010s pop song, while Mischa Bachinski has two songs of absolute opposite genres: one an autotuned rap about money and awesomeness and the other a Ukrainian folk love song about his fiancee.

Many people look for representation in media they enjoy. Ride the Cyclone has a great representation of “the only gay man in a small rural high school” (a quote of the character describing himself). Noel Gruber, one of the main characters of RTC, is revealed to be gay in the first 10 minutes of the musical. Even if you only listen to the songs and don’t watch the full musical or read the script, it’s semi noticeable in his song Noel’s Lament, along with the transition tracks between songs.

Usually dark comedies have humor that many would find dry and not actually “dark." Many "dark comedies" are just misogynistic or racist, but the humor in RTC is relatable to the age group the main cast are in and actually sounds like things a 15-18 year old would say. Lyrics worrying about never graduating, wiping browser history, and the joke with Constance focusing on “when the two boys kissed.”

Definitely give it a listen. The cast recording is available anywhere you listen to music and you can also find live recordings of some of the songs on YouTube. From first listen, the story might be hard to understand, but if you enjoy the music and are interested in the story a little more you can always read plot summaries, watch videos covering it, or seek out local and/or professional productions. Tickets are on sale for June performances in Rhode Island. Any fan who’s going on vacation near the Providence area should definitely consider going if they want to see it live.