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Opinion
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Written by Cara Connors
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Tuesday, 11 May 2010 |
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In February of this year, Utah State Senator Chris Butlars announced a plan to eliminate senior year from Utah public school curriculum. The plan would significantly cut education expenses and could help reduce Utah’s budget deficit. The senator also hopes this program—which was subsequently modified to let students test out of senior year—would allow schools to focus on competency instead of seat time. Dozens of public high schools in eight states across the nation are piloting accelerated graduation programs that would allow sophomores who pass a battery of tests to get a diploma in two years and immediately enroll in community college. This system of high school coursework with board examinations is modeled off of school structures in Singapore, England, and France—all of which have high performing educational systems.
These programs have added to the debate surrounding America’s public education system. Is senior year really a necessity to further education or is it a rite of passage for American teens? By senior year most students know where they’re headed after high school, whether it be to community college, a university, the military, or a job. Letting students graduate earlier could help avoid the lethargic behavior—commonly known as “senioritis”—that plagues high school seniors. Many feel that senior year is not remembered as a time for hitting the books, but as Walt Kirn described it in a recent New York Times article, “an occasion for oafish goofing off, chronic truancy, random bullying sloppy dancing in rented formalwear and interludes of moody, wan philosophizing…” In short, some feel that senior year is an entitlement and tradition rather than a necessary component of a high school education.
Other educators feel differently. Senior year can be a valuable time to prepare students for college or the workforce. “First it’s important to recognize that every student is different,” comments Grant Vice Principal Kim Patterson, “but I think the majority of students need that extra year (senior year) to grow socially and emotionally.” Many students use senior year as a time to figure out their plans for the future. “In our society, senior year is a wonderful, luxurious gift. High school is an extended adolescence that gives students time to learn about themselves before they go off into the world,” says Patterson. Critics of accelerated graduation also warn that in these tough economic times, it doesn’t make sense to rush students through school when there are no jobs for them to fill.
Students at Grant have varying opinions on senior year. Students often take a light load senior year that can help alleviate senioritis, but that causes many to question the worth of senior year. A small percentage of students take advantage of Grant’s option to graduate early—or in three years instead of four. Kaelirose Cohen Peltier, a Grant senior who is graduating a year early, commented: “Graduating early was definitely the right choice for me; it was either graduate early and go to college or drop out. But I think the majority of kids really need the extra year.” “I thought about graduating early, but decided against it,” said senior Lizzie Koehler. “Senior year really helped prepare me for college with classes like con team and PSU World Civilizations, classes I wouldn’t have been able to take as a junior.” Senior year at Grant does a good job of catering to students who are planning on attending college—offering a plethora of Advanced Placement and Portland State challenge courses—but lacks any trade based classes for students not planning on going to college.
Students who plan to enter the work force after high school are often the ones who find the least fulfillment during senior year. Jered Martin, a senior who plans on entering the army to become a helicopter mechanic said, “A lot of high school is preparing you for college, you can’t really go to work after graduating high school. Some experience in mechanics would have been great for me—especially this year. We have all the facilities for classes like that; we’re just not using them.” Vice Principal Patterson agrees that more trade-based options would be ideal. “I would love for junior and senior year to have more courses in trades. There are several entry level classes at Portland Community College that I would like more high school students to be involved with.” Another option for students headed into the workforce could be a program that allowed them to take fewer classes their senior year and instead to intern somewhere related to their desired profession.
The newly announced high school redesign plan would convert Benson High School from a four year high school to a career tech center that students could attend part time as juniors and seniors. This could help students gain valuable skills and help make the transition from high school to the work place or a vocational school easier. The redesign does not address accelerated graduation but leaves students the option to graduate early on their own.
Its important for Grant and the other Portland Public Schools to continue to give students flexibility to choose the path to graduation that is right for them. For some students that may mean graduating in three or two years instead of four, while others may take the full four years to fully enjoy an extended adolescence. |
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Written by Cooper Thomas
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Tuesday, 11 May 2010 |
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Underclassmen, be forewarned: senioritis is real. Very, very, real. This debilitating ailment, which is known to wreak havoc on the productivity of second-semester seniors, is more than just a fabricated myth or an illegitimate excuse for seniors to quit working. It is an epidemic. Its effects are contagious and crippling, and compound over time: as graduation approaches, seniors find it increasingly difficult to attend classes, let alone set their minds on their schoolwork. Its reign is pervasive throughout the class: one would be hard-pressed to track down a second-semester senior who hasn’t observed a decline in their productivity (see accompanying statistics). It doesn’t distinguish between students based on GPA, or work ethic, or how badly they want to get into college (or perhaps enthralled that they already are).
Although senioritis afflicts a significant portion of the Grant student body, its effects are largely ignored by the administration. Second-semester seniors are unfairly subjected to the same attendance policies and held to the same academic standards as the rest of the school, and so senioritis remains an elephant in the (class)room. Everyone knows it exists, but with no real way to solve the problem (save from excusing seniors from school sometime after January), it is largely ignored. Often, the administration’s sole acknowledgement of senioritis is the occasional motivational speech directed at the senior class, or a ‘come to school if you want to go to prom’ notification in the bulletin—which most seniors don’t even read.
It is perhaps of little wonder that the affliction is rarely discussed outside of the senior class. Of course, most students in the class are anxiously counting down the days until graduation, and the senior class practically exudes an aura of eagerness. Academic efforts in the classroom (or a lack thereof) are, quite frankly, a low priority. Although seniors often bemoan their own lack of academic initiative at this point in their high school tenures, the exact causes of senioritis aren’t frequently examined. Until now.
High school can be great fun at times—but by senior year, many students are yearning for a breath of fresh air. The entire four-year experience accounts for nearly a quarter of a senior’s life, and so it is little wonder that by second semester they are ready to move on. As the light at the end of the tunnel comes into sight, in-class focus wanes as seniors eagerly await college and adulthood.
The college application process—which is essentially a class unto itself, replete with its own scheduled curriculum and coursework—drains many seniors of whatever motivation remains. I applied to nine colleges—which was, I admit, a bit overzealous—and so when the January 1 deadline passed, I was finally able to sigh a huge breath of relief.
For many high school students, college acceptance is the only justification for this tedious four-year experience. It is a beacon of promise—the sole motivator for slogging through a bevy of semi-interesting requisite classes, an unhealthy dose of stress, countless standardized tests, and perhaps a hearty serving of drama. So come April, when the nerves of anxious seniors are (hopefully) quelled by fat envelopes in the mail, some students feel that their academic obligations at Grant have been fulfilled. Patrick Streckert, a senior at Grant, is an authority on senioritis. Says Streckert, “I worked hard for three-and-a-half years so that I would be able to go a good university, and now that I’ve reached that goal, I feel like high school has little left to offer apart from daycare services.”
Streckert’s sentiments are echoed by many other college-bound members of the senior class—and perhaps rightly so. After all, the second semester of senior year—or more precisely, the continued effort that seniors are expected to put into schoolwork—is a distinct departure from the classic proportional relationship between work and reward. Even though seniors have dedicated almost four years of their lives to the pursuit of college acceptance (which has, of course, hopefully been attained), they are still required to attend high school classes. Their efforts have paid off, but the school denies seniors the opportunity to rest on their laurels for even a moment. “I just don’t understand it,” says senior Joshua Melander. “At this point, shouldn’t our teachers be rewarding us for our efforts instead of just giving us more homework assignments?”
Granted, the fundamental purpose of a public high school (or at least the advertised purpose) is far more universally applicable than a lesson in college preparation, and the four-year curriculum is constructed to cultivate the basic skills necessary for successful life. Although a high school diploma is a valuable entity unto itself, many high school students view secondary education as a necessity.
For these students, Streckert and Melander included, high school essentially serves as a training ground for college academics and life. Remarks Streckert, “The way I see it, high school is where kids learn how to learn. I feel comfortable saying that I’ve learned just that, and in the remaining weeks of school there are few, if any, lessons left to be learned.” Although this point is debatable, one fact remains true—senioritis is real. |
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Written by Desmond Jones
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Tuesday, 11 May 2010 |
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A journey to remember
When Doug Winn, the school’s yearbook advisor, stopped me in the hallway and asked me if I was interested in going on this year’s Alabama trip, I hesitated to answer. It’s not every day that a man in his 50s comes up to you in the hall and asks you if you would like to travel across the country with him. “Give me a couple of days,” I responded. I went home, talked to my mom about it, and she thought it would be an interesting experience. When I saw him the next day, I told him I was up for it and that I would have the money for the tickets soon. I still didn’t think much of the journey I would soon embark on. But over the next four days, my mind would definitely be changed. Below are some of my journal entries from the most outstanding moments of the trip.
More than a word
It was a warm Saturday afternoon in Selma, Alabama. We had just finished our ten-mile walk, and we were waiting for our speakers to arrive at the slavery interpretation museum. Anticipation quickly turned into boredom as everyone started to worry about other things. Doug Winn, our chaperone, struggled to keep us focused, as we were eager to check out the large festival down the street. Just when my mind began to wander off to other things, I noticed two women turning the corner. One had dreadlocks that had begun to turn white, and wore a blue dress. The other wore bright red lipstick, which contrasted greatly with her dark skin. They were smiling as they came closer to the group, but their expressions soon changed. “Men on that side, women on this side.” one said. The other scanned one of the girls in our group. “Spit out your gum,” she said.
Nothing seemed to be wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy after the way they were looking at us. The woman in the blue dress then shocked the whole group, when she yelled “All of you n----s turn around and face the wall right now.” The other began to chuckle hysterically, and asked “Where did you find this bunch of sloppy n----s?” I don’t know if it was out of shock or not, but something struck my funny spirits, causing me to burst into uncontrollable laughter. Trevionte nudged me, the contact alone yelling “Shut up!” but by the time I covered my mouth, they were after me like cobras.
“Oh you think this is funny, n---a?” She growled at me. “Do you think your history is funny? Or are you just a funny boy? We have a name for n----s like you. We’ll call you Sambo. He liked to make the white men laugh. He was a funny boy.” I looked up at her, and she returned a cold stare. “Don’t you ever look at me in my eyes again! You n----s are not equal to us! You are not worthy.”
We continued our journey through this museum, learning more about the experience of being taken from Africa, riding on a slave ship, and the slave trade. It was hard to believe that a person could be called n---a so many times without snapping. In fact, at some points, the only thing that held me back from throwing a few punches myself was the fact that these two were women. I couldn’t quite understand how a word that I hear so commonly back home could be so harmful now, just because they were using it differently.
After the reenactment was complete, we sat in a circle of foldable chairs and discussed what we had just gone through. One of the women said, “This word is degrading. 'N---a' was used against us for years, and hurt us for so long. And even now, when people use it, it still carries the weight that it did hundreds of years ago.” At the time I didn’t really process what she had just said, but when I had a chance to think about it, she was right. Just because you change a letter, or change the way you use it, doesn’t mean you change the story behind it. The N-Word, commonly used in our music, movies, and schools, is more than just a word.
Walking A Mile (or ten) in someone else’s shoes
I awoke early Sunday morning to the sound of Mr. Winn banging on our door. “You guys need to wake up,” he yelled, seemingly trying to keep his cool. “We’re going to be late for church.” Trevionte and I prepared for church, more sluggishly than what Mr. Winn would have liked. I wasn’t too excited to go to church, partly because I’m not the biggest fan of sitting around for extended periods of time. Little did I know, I was about to experience something I would never forget.
As the pastor gave his benediction, Mr. Winn hurried us out of the church, and into the car. The group was noticeably fatigued, and we all needed a couple more hours of sleep. And in the car, I struggled to keep my eyes open. That was until we turned the corner to a residential neighborhood packed with people, most of them tourists like us. Eager to find out what the fuss was about, I rushed out of the car, immediately noticing that the church down the street was where they were headed. As the rest of the group spilled out of the other car, we rushed over to the church, holding our signs that Mr. Winn ever so carefully crafted.
I noticed an interesting looking man standing near the microphone. He was a tall, average-looking man, and he wore a gray suit with New Balance walking shoes. But there was something about his face that was familiar. All of my questions were silenced when the man that was speaking said “And now, Reverend Jesse Jackson,” followed by a loud applause from the crowd.
After his speech was finished, he walked down from the podium and prepared to begin the march. We walked from the church to the other side of the bridge, packed like sardines with a crowd of hundreds of people. A man from the front hollered chants, and the crowd hollered back. And once we arrived at the bridge, we were met by a crowd of thousands of supporters, who sang, “We shall overcome” and held up signs. I was a part of a historic moment in the history of Selma, the same city that Dr. Martin Luther King started his historic march to the capital in. I even picked up a rock, because for all I know, Dr. King himself could have stepped on that rock once upon a time.
At the end of the bridge, the various groups of people dispersed; some went back across the bridge, others stuck around with hopes of taking a picture with Jesse Jackson, or any of the other activists and famous people that were present. Maya and I stayed near Jackson’s entourage, hoping to get some pictures of our own. He was about to conduct an interview for the local news station, when one of his bodyguards asked me where I was from. After I responded, he grabbed me by my arm, and told me I would get to be on TV. I asked Maya to take a picture, and after she did I returned the favor. I quickly sent my mother a text message, notifying her of this accomplishment.
Final Thoughts
As I peered out the window of the airplane, catching a last glimpse of the city that I had grown a bit attached to, my mind began to recall the last few days. Not only did I get to enjoy spending time in a interesting area, and talk to lovely people, I got to take a trip back in time, and learn about the people and events that made it possible for me, a young black man, to walk ten miles on a highway in Alabama. They say you can’t understand a man until you walk a mile in their shoes. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched in his oxford shoes, with his dress shirt and tie, with hundreds of people from Selma to Montgomery, overcoming police brutality, a lack of support, and a large racial barrier some two hundred years old to fight for freedom. I walked just ten of those miles, in Air Jordans and American Eagle, in a group of nine. Though the actions and the purpose weren't the same, the image was clear. As the clouds began to block my view of the city, I was left with the image of the capital building, where the group and I had taken a picture on the steps. I was leaving the city, yes, but the experience will never leave me. |
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Written by Maya Allen
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Tuesday, 11 May 2010 |
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Never in a million years did I think I, Maya Allen, would be walking with thousands of people, singing the old freedom hymns that my ancestors sang during the hard times of slavery, treading in the same paths of Martin Luther King Jr. on his march to Montgomery, Alabama. But it was happening, there was myself and six other students, in the midst of freedom, equality, and justice, the three things my fellow African Americans fought for the most during the racially rigid times of slavery. Black faces were mostly what I saw, although there were other tourists in sight like us of different nationalities.
In our hands we held “Vote,” and “Fight Racism” signs accompanied by several others held in the crowd amongst us. We carried digital cameras waiting to capture every moment of significance, like the saxophone player walking next to us playing the soulful notes of “We Shall Overcome,” a famous Negro Spiritual sang by slaves during endless labor and fieldwork. Prominent leaders like the Buffalo Soldiers, Jesse Jackson, the Mayor of Selma, and the Ambassador of Haiti walked with us, and spoke to us of their experiences. Leadership was definitely in our presence and it felt great to be surrounded by it.
We all waked as one, black and white faces. Although it has been over 40 years since Martin Luther King’s quest for equality, it still meant something to me, and I’m sure to all of us. A sense of peace filled the air. This march meant the people of America finally achieved what Martin Luther King and his followers fought so hard for, and that was equality. As I marched, my appreciation for Martin Luther King and all of the other freedom fighters exulted from within. The march was by far, the day that touched me the most.
Although the March was my most powerful experience, the museums we went to really took a toll on my mindset and understanding of history. Many of us have misconceptions about what actually happened during the times of segregation, but the museums filled all of those missing spots in history I had and gave me the raw truth. The most powerful museum we went to was the interpretation museum. It’s purpose was to make us feel like we were trapped in the days of slavery, and we were actually enslaved and owned by white masters, which our tour guides acted as.
The sun was shining, music was playing on the streets, and the scent of barbecue filled the air, which stirred our excitement for the annual jubilee parade we were attending later. Immediately one of our tour guides starting yelling at us, ordering the boys and girls to disperse in separate lines. She made us look down to the cement and to not say a word. The feeling of worthlessness immediately came to me. If anyone of us smirked, giggled, or looked her in her eyes, trouble was coming our way. We had to hold our hands out and open our mouths. Submitting to every order she gave was a given. It was hard for me to believe that blacks actually had to live like this. It was like the feelings they endured came back to me, and I was actually living in their shoes.
Throughout the time in the interpretation museum scenes were reenacted to us, to display the pain and horrible conditions slaves really experienced. After that day, I was changed forever. We all read history books and novels about slavery, but actually physically being put into the inferior roles they were forced into by society, has a different effect. I am glad we went to the interpretation museum, because it made me gain a greater appreciation for the times I live in today, and for all of the slaves who endured the pain and hatred-filled days of segregation. I wish we all could experience the feelings and emotions I did during the tour. Not that I didn’t before, but now I walk with even more pride of my race.
Selma was truly an irreplaceable experience that will stick with me forever. Although I only named a couple of the powerful moments we experienced in Alabama, the whole trip had a lasting effect on me. Although it was a culture shock for all of us, it took us out of our comfort zone for the better. It made us actually walk in the paths of history. |
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Written by Palistha Shakya and Arrainia Brown
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Tuesday, 11 May 2010 |
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Until a few years ago, the biggest challenge for us was picking out the perfect t-shirt to match our shoes, adjusting to bad cafeteria food and making a few new friends. But as the years wore on and high school began, we are thrown into a shark tank full of huge assignments, long papers to write, and the never-ending pages and pages of reading. In high school, we are faced with the kind of pressure that we never imagined before the beginning of freshman year. Now, our biggest challenge includes working on multiple assignments at a time, finishing homework in a way our teachers will accept, and keeping that perfect G.P.A., all while balancing work, sports and other activities. While students back away from the academic demands of high school, there are others who thrive in this environment.
As she sits in class, paying close attention to the teacher’s every word and jotting down a few notes, Ugochi Egbukichi knows that keeping up with the pressures is her path to success. Whether she is studying for a test or writing an essay for her AP English class, she is ready for any assignment in order to get closer to her goal of graduating high school and going out of state for college.
Egbukichi, just like many high school students, constantly stresses about receiving A’s in every single class. “[Good grades] make me feel good, I feel like I have a purpose. It’s the ticket out of high school and to success,” says Egbukichi with a joyful grin. Egbukichi tries so hard in school because she aspires to attend college at a highly selective school outside of Oregon. As of now, her top choices are Stanford University, Brown University, and Howard University, but the only way she can attend those colleges is if she receives a full-ride scholarship. This is why she strives to work so hard in all of her classes.
But there is a limit to how much a student pushes themselves. In 2000, Roni Cohen-Sandler published an article, MissPerfect-NOT!, which focused on the effects of the stress and competition students face in high school. She also observed the competitive world of applying for funds and scholarships.
In 2004, the Nuffield Foundation conducted a survey which showed that the number of 15 year olds dealing with anxiety and stress has risen by 70 percent since the 1980s. The survey continued to state that “pressures of succeeding academically and the prospect of debt” have caused this increase of anxiety in students.
College competition is no doubt on the minds of most juniors and seniors right now and this competition leads to choosing multiple activities along with school and numerous AP classes. Freshman McLeod Sumner is in ACCESS, which allows him to take many advanced classes meant for upperclassmen like AP Eurpean History, Advanced Alegbra 3-4, and Accelerated English. Along with this heavy workload, Sumner also takes violin lessons and participates in the Grant men's tennis team. While doing this, he claims, “This puts me under some pressure when there are major tests or if there’s something I don’t understand. I don’t really feel like it, but I have to do a certain amount of extra things to make sure I do well on tests and quizzes and the like.”
Some students are under the impression that being involved in every school activity will earn them points with their college choices, but it is the balance of school and activities that will impress. Egbukichi is currently enrolled in three AP classes, common for many juniors, and also participates in varsity sports along with other activities. As the year rolls to an end, she is finding the academic pressures more and more stressful. During the week, almost every night, Egbukichi stays up past midnight studying for an upcoming test or perfecting a project. She lacks sleep, which is unhealthy for her. According to biologist Sarah Leduox, teens who lack sleep will suffer from headaches, lack of nutrients, and sometimes facial breakouts. She recommends that teenagers get nine hours of sleep each night because it can reduce stress, improve a teen‘s thinking ability, and better a person’s mood.
During her time at school, Egbukichi enjoys being social, but she knows for a fact that her grades comes first. “The aspect of high school with cliques, fake people, and also the aspect to meet the status quo irritates me,” Egbukichi confesses. Being social is an important part of high school, but Egbukichi doesn’t fall into what others think about her; she doesn’t let her social life come first. People may call her an over-achiever, but she’s not concerned at all. She simply does her work and keeps her eyes on her dream of being successful in life.
Egbukichi’s drive for going out of state for college and being successful comes from her appreciation of her dad. “My father came here for a better life for himself and us, so why would I not utilize the opportunity he gave me and the sacrifices he took,” she says. She also wants to follow the outstanding achievements of her two sisters and make them proud of her. “I want to follow [my sisters,] but I want to be better in my own way.”
In her junior year, Egbukichi has already taken deep consideration into her choices for majors once she starts college. At this moment, she is thinking of studying pathology or studying to be a pediatrician. But then again, she says her thoughts change all the time. Either way, whatever she majors in, she wants to be successful at it and live a happy life. “To be honest, I don’t really know if I will follow through with those plans,” she says with a giggle. “But I do know I want to study something in the health care field.”
It’s understandable that we can rise up to the pressure and want to be the best, but we should know our own limits. Staying up all night to ace a test or being over-competitive will have harsh affect in our life. “It’s definitely a challenge sometimes to balance school and extracurricular activities,” says Sumner. But at the end of the day, the real question becomes, how does this affect your life and is it truly worth it? |
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