CNN 2010-02-23

Remember being a senior in high school? It was a big deal, right? Homecoming, the prom, graduation, the excitement of taking that next step. You know, the stuff that memories are made of. Well, can you imagine high school ending in 11th grade? Juniors at the top of the high school hierarchy¹? Well, they're actually having that discussion in Utah right now.

A state senator has proposed making senior year optional. If you've got enough credits to go to the next level, well go for it. If you need the senior year, take it. The idea here is to save money. The man who has proposed the idea says it could save Utah up to $60 million and the state is looking for ways to make up for a big money shortfall.

Some people who support the idea say that many seniors just slack off anyway, you know, the old senior slump², senioritis but the student body president of West Jordan High School in Utah actually told the "L.A. Times," "senior year hasn't been a waste for me. If you're the type of kid who will slack off, you'd find a way to do that in sophomore³ or junior year anyway."

Well, you have to admit the idea is definitely different. So let's talk about it. William Sederburg is Utah's commissioner⁴ of higher education and the lawmaker who put that idea out there in the first place, Senator Chris Buttars. They're joining us both live from Salt Lake City.

All right. So, Senator, let's start with you. How did you come up with the idea and why did you think this would be a good way to save money?

SEN. CHRIS BUTTARS, UTAH STATE SENATOR: Well, there is a lot of money to be saved. We've got a $700 million shortfall. If you talk about the 12th grade, that represents $120 million. But by giving the seniors an option, it's really up to the parents and the child so there's no pressure to stay in 12th grade.

I believe that about half will take the option. There’re some incentives⁵. There's $1,000 scholarship and a number of things that they'll be able to take advantage of. For example, we give the kids in the 12th grade a special price for their freshman⁶ year called AP classes. So we let that transfer over to their freshman year.

I believe as this becomes better known where this option is available, it will become a big thing. You talk about $120 million and you talk about two groups of kids in high school, those that's working real hard taking AP classes really has one foot in college and then you've got the kids that are just goofing⁷ off. If you talk to 100 kids, you'll hear over and over again, well, I took four classes of PE and two arts classes. That's not a…
 

1 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

2 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

3 sophomore   

n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的

参考例句：

• He is in his sophomore year.他在读二年级。
• I'm a college sophomore majoring in English.我是一名英语专业的大二学生。

4 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

7 goofing   

v.弄糟( goof的现在分词 )；混；打发时间；出大错

参考例句：

• He should have been studying instead of goofing around last night. 他昨晚应该念书，不应该混。 来自走遍美国快乐40招
• Why don't you just admit you're goofing off? 偷了懒就偷了赖，还不爽爽快快承认？ 来自辞典例句