VOA标准英语2011--Scholarship Helps Tiny US Town Fight for

Scholarship Helps Tiny US Town Fight for Survival

The tiny timber town of Sparkman, Arkansas, has lost more than half its population since 1950. If the current trend continues, the 500-resident community might disappear altogether.
Anxious to avoid that grim future, residents have come up with an idea to save their hometown - a scholarship program for students who promise to return to Sparkman after receiving a college education.
Hometown girl
Stephanie Harmon was born in Sparkman 27 years ago.
“It’s always been a part of me," Harmon says. "I love this town.”
Except for the six years she spent getting her master’s degree in education in a neighboring city, Harmon has always lived in Sparkman.
“It’s a very intimate and close-knit town, almost like a one big family," she says. "Everyone knows everybody and we all take care of each other in different ways.”
Harmon is now married to another Sparkman native and teaches in the town's only elementary school.
“We want to do anything to educate our students," she says. "So it’s disheartening to hear students wanting to leave the town.”
High school graduates have to go away to continue their education, she explains, since there’s no college in town. But many of them find better job opportunities in big cities, and never come back. So Harmon and others decided¹ to do something to encourage students to go to college and return.
Saving Sparkman
“We got together, several of us community members, and started this Sparkman Scholarship Foundation,” Harmon says.
The idea is not entirely² new. Many communities in Arkansas and across the country offer students money to pay for their higher education. However, Harmon says the Sparkman scholarship is unique.
“Most scholarships such as ours are funded through wealthy benefactors⁴ or corporations or other foundations," she says. "Our scholarship has a uniqueness that really tells how wonderful our community is. We didn’t have a wealthy benefactor³ or foundation who is funding us. Our scholarship is completely funded by the residents of Sparkman and others with a heart for our town.”
One of those funders is Bill Sorrells, a retired⁵ grocery store owner who has lived in Sparkman for almost all his life. Although he doesn’t have kids of his own, Sorrells donated $500 to the scholarship fund.
“I plan to donate more each year, not just one time," Sorrells says. "It’s our kids. If we don’t help them, nobody else is going to help them. We hope these scholarships will encourage people to stay here and maybe even some people move here and help us to grow a little bit.”
As a condition of accepting the money, students agree to return to Sparkman after graduation, to live and work in town.
Win-win scenario⁶
For Renee Brown, who has two young daughters, the scholarship program is a winning enterprise for everyone.
“One person can fund a scholarship program alone," Brown says, "but if everybody pools together, we can give, but still not have to give as much as we would if we had to pay for our children to go to college alone.”
Since its launch last March, the Sparkman Scholarship Fund has raised more than $56,000, the majority of that in just three months, according to Brenda Garrett, a member of the scholarship fund.
“We had people call after they saw articles in newspapers," Garrett says. "Though they had been away from Sparkman for a long time, they saw the story and connected and made a donation and let us know that they appreciated what we’re doing for their hometown.”
Four of Sparkman’s 12 high school graduates won a scholarship last summer, including Garrett’s son Sam. He's now studying mechanical engineering at Arkansas Technical University in nearby Russellville.
“I’m planning on going back after I get out of the college," Sam Garrett says. "Maybe me staying around would encourage a lot of peers to stay around too.”
America's vanishing small towns
Sparkman is not the only small town facing a shrinking population.
“The United States, as a whole, is growing at a very rapid pace so the population growth is not the problem," says Mark Mather, a demographer⁷ at the Population Reference Bureau. "The problem is that population growth in the U.S. is extremely uneven⁸. It’s estimated that about 16 percent of the United States population lives in counties that are classified as non-metropolitan⁹ or rural counties. The number has dropped every decade for the past 100 years.”
Those who live in small towns and rural areas point to the benefits. For example, it’s less stressful and cheaper than living in metropolitan areas. However, one of the primary reasons people move away is the lack of job opportunities.
“When conditions get that bad," Mather says, "you end up in this vicious circle where new employers don’t want to move in because there is not many people living there and no one wants to move there because there aren't any jobs.”
The key to survival for these communities is job creation. Sparkman’s Harmon says that’s the goal of their scholarship program - to ensure their town survives and thrives.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

3 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

4 benefactors   

n.捐助者，施主( benefactor的名词复数 )；恩人

参考例句：

• I rate him among my benefactors. 我认为他是我的一个恩人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We showed high respect to benefactors. 我们对捐助者表达了崇高的敬意。 来自辞典例句

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

7 demographer   

n.人口统计学家

参考例句：

• Professor Antonio Golini is a demographer at the University of Rome. 罗马大学安东尼奥教授是位人口统计学家。 来自互联网
• Demographer William Frey says immigrants with young families will help keep the United States competitive. 人口统计学家佛瑞表示这些年轻的家庭会帮助美国保持竞争力。 来自互联网

8 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

9 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。