Opinion

 

 

 

Something Must be Done

Nikoli Weir

Scientists have been warning us about it for ages. Every year is hotter than the last; the ice caps are getting smaller and smaller at faster and faster rates. Sea levels continue to rise. Experts agree that something must be done. The United Nations knows that something must be done. The rich know that something must be done. Even the Democrats, for all their faults, recognize that something must be done. Some on the far right are starting to become concerned. On the issue of climate change, Secretary of Defense James Mattis says that “the effects of a changing climate - such as increased maritime access to the Arctic, rising sea levels, desertification, among others - impact our security situation.” Now, Mattis is coming at the issue of climate change from a mostly nationalist perspective, when it’s really a global issue, but at least he recognizes its existence and understands that it’s a problem, unlike the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, who believes that climate scientists have “a very big political agenda,” and pretends that there is no scientific consensus on the issue of man made climate change, even though there is and has been for many years.

The fact that the President of the United States denies climate science is scary enough as it is, but he doesn’t just deny climate change and environmental destruction; he, whether he is intending to or not, is actively working towards the destruction of the environment. The Trump appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (which from here on out will be referred to as the EPA), Scott Pruitt, has made it clear with past comments that he despises the EPA, and describes himself as being “against the EPA’s activist agenda.” Not only that, but Pruitt himself is extremely skeptical of climate change, seems to be “unusually close to energy producers,” and has received funding from oil and gas companies in the past.

Trump has also announced that he intends to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, saying that the deal imposes “draconian financial and economic burdens” on the country (though he never made any specifications regarding these “draconian financial burdens,”). What’s ironic is that countries who join the Paris Climate Accord are not forced to do anything; they are allowed to decide what they will contribute and how it will be contributed.

Trump is also planning to, as said by the New York Times, “weaken federal clean water rules designed to protect millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of miles of streams nationwide from pesticide runoff and other pollutants.” What reasons does he have for doing this? Probably something along the lines of “nationalism blah blah america first blah blah blah good deals blah blah.”

We have tried so many different reforms, and none of them have worked, yet we still insist that the system can be fixed through reform! What other reforms can we try? We’ve tried everything; gas taxes, corn ethanol, even some local governments are even taxing plastic straws to try and encourage businesses to be more sustainable! As if a straw tax will somehow save all the polar bears and penguins! As if it will stop us from putting a giant hole in the ozone layer! These liberal, bourgeoise policies aren’t going to save the earth or humanity. The only purpose they serve is to make the upper middle class liberals feel better about themselves; it makes them feel like they’re doing something to help, like they’re doing their part, when all they’re actually doing is reinforcing the methodology of the current system that got us in this horrible situation in the first place!

There is only one way to save our species from global extinction; end capitalism. Ever since the beginning of the industrial revolution, capitalism has been the number one cause of ecological destruction and de-wildization, and they will continue to be the number one cause until someone stops them.

The capitalists know that they are destroying the earth; but they don’t care, because they don’t need to. They know that when things get bad enough, they can just hop in a spaceship fly to Mars. Why do you think Elon Musk is so obsessed with colonizing Mars anyway? Because he knows that the earth is dying. He knows that one day, he and his rich friends are gonna need an escape route. And don’t delude yourself into thinking Elon will take working and middle class people with him, because he won’t. Him and his buddies will take a handful of highly skilled scientists, engineers, doctors and laborers for the purposes of maintaining the ship and setting up colonies. Unless you have a Phd in electrical engineering or atomic physics, you aren’t getting on that ship. He’s not gonna bring truck drivers or sewage workers or even artists. Why? Because he doesn’t need them. They aren’t essential. He doesn’t need you. You will be left behind.

There is only one solution; the tyranny of the rich must come to an end. The rich and powerful own the means of production, and they will use them not to protect the environment, not to ensure a decent standard of living for the workers, but to make money, and nothing else. Ownership and control of the means of production must be taken back from the rich and given to the workers. Companies should be owned collectively by those who run them, rather than a handful of rich businessmen. They should be run democratically, not dictatorially, and their purpose should be to provide workers with a decent standard of living, not make profit.

Such an economic system would quickly put an end to environmental destruction, as companies would no longer destroy the environment for the sake of profit, seeing that they would no longer exist for profit.

 

Sources Cited

Turrentine, Jeff. “The Military Takes Climate Change Seriously. Why Won't the Commander-in-Chief?” NRDC, 9 Feb. 2018, www.nrdc.org/onearth/military-takes-climate-change-seriously-why-wont-commander-chief.

Benen, Steve. “Asked about Climate Crisis, Trump Questions Scientists' 'Agenda'.” MSNBC, NBCUniversal News Group, 15 Oct. 2018, www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/asked-about-climate-crisis-trump-questions-scientists-agenda.

Detisch, Christian, and Alison Grass. “Scott Pruitt's Troublesome Ties to the Oil and Gas Industry.” Food & Water Watch, 18 Jan. 2017, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/scott-pruitts-troublesome-ties-oil-and-gas-industry.

Mooney, Chris. “Trump Withdrew from the Paris Climate Deal a Year Ago. Here's What Has Changed.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 June 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/01/trump-withdrew-from-the-paris-climate-plan-a-year-ago-heres-what-has-changed/?utm_term=.471158a5f89f.

Davenport, Coral. “Trump Prepares to Unveil a Vast Reworking of Clean Water Protections.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/10/climate/trump-clean-water-rollback.html.

Why Extra -Curriculars Are Important

Rianna Bradley

 

Often times, students talk themselves out of participating in extra -curricular activities outside of school because they fear they will interfere with their school work and other important things. There are many reasons that prove this to be false, and show that these activities are definitely worth your time. Even though these activities can be incredibly time- consuming, the positives undeniably outweigh the negatives.

One major benefit to these extra- curriculars is that it can promote your social skills. In any activity, you are required to interact with others. You need to deal with conflicting viewpoints and compromising. You also need to learn how to work together and as a team. Developing these skills early on can benefit you later in life.

These activities also help students to develop a good work ethic. Whether it be a sport or a club, the activity you choose is bound to be a huge commitment. It is added responsibility, on top of your usual school work and other things. Taking the time to add something else important to your schedule shows that you have a good work ethic and are willing to work hard.

Students will also develop better time- management skills as they participate in after- school activities. Students often have a lot on their plates, so when they are able to balance it all, and even add some more commitments, that requires time management. As time goes on, they will become better at this.

All of these traits one will develop through extra- curricular activities will prepare them for future occupation. Working together, social skills, a good work ethic, and time management are all things an employer will look for in an employee.

While it would seem like extra -curriculars would have a negative impact on a students grades and schoolwork, due to the time they take up, this is not the case at all. These activities actually improve academic performance in students. It has been proven that these students have higher grades, better attitudes, and more academic ambition. Students also have higher self esteem, because working hard at something you are passionate about boosts your self confidence.

Being part of a sport, one type of extra- curricular activity, can have numerous benefits on a person. Participating in a sport means that you are part of a team. You can rely on one another and cheer each other on. You also learn how to work together, compromise, and not be a sore loser. These are all skills that will indefinitely come in handy later in life. When looking for a job, it will be good for employers to know that you can work well with others, and you are willing to compromise on certain things, and not get upset.

Another type of extra- curricular activity is clubs or groups. Some examples of this would be a book club, or a ski and board club, as our school has going on right now. These clubs allow students to get together with people who share similar interests with them. This is important, and a good way to make friends. These clubs can be a fun way to do something you enjoy with others who enjoy it.

Other clubs, like NJHS, have even more benefits. NJHS, or National Junior Honor Society, allows students to gather and try to make their school and world a better place. They organize and participate in service projects in the community or around the school. Being a member also looks very good when applying for colleges. Being part of groups like NJHS also helps to develop leadership skills.

Overall, being a part of any kind of extra -curricular activity has plentiful benefits, making them well worth your time. They can better you in various ways, by helping you have greater character and be a more well- rounded person.

 

 

SOURCES CITED:

1. Krieg, Jeff. “7 Reasons Why Extracurriculars Are Essential to a High School Student's Career.” St. Lawrence Seminary Blog, blog.stlawrence.edu/7-reasons-why-extracurriculars-are-essential-to-a-high-school-students-career.

2. “The Importance of Extracurricular Activities for High School Students.” Crimson Education, www.crimsoneducation.org/au/blog/benefits-of-extracurricular-activities.

An Idea To Help Schools Right Now

Safety Suggestions

By: Teddie Anest 12/12

         As a freshman in high school right now, I have noticed certain elements in all schools that are concerning to me as a student. Some of the policies at schools are well planned but not well executed. Some of these shortcomings are safety concerns to me and, although it is likely that something will not happen, there is the possibility. There have been many incidents in schools around the country in 2018 and these suggestions might help that number go down by 2019. These changes aren’t dramatic and big changes, but they are useful.

         The first thing is hall passes. Of course, teachers cannot let students out of class whenever they please, but there are many times students do need to leave. To visit the office, go to the bathroom, see another teacher or other necessary reasons. There are hall monitors, usually admin or teachers without a class, in place in the halls to make sure students destinations are not diverted from, but there is a concerning problem. I have noticed that in many of my classes students don't give a reason for leaving, sometimes giving an excuse like “can I go to my locker,” which is usually never the case. This is a usual thing in all schools, but addressing this nationwide could be impactful.

         Many students end up going to hangout in the hallways or bathrooms. This occurs in schools of children in middle school and high school often. What they’re up too is sometimes unknown. Unknowns whereabouts and high school student don’t mix well.

         Though teachers sometimes cannot tell where the student really wants to go, there are more things they can do. They need to ask specifically why and where a student is going. If they say “I’m going to my locker” or “I’m going to Mrs. So and So’s,” ask why. Though the reason might be personal, at times that information doesn’t need to be shared, just enough so the teacher has a clue about their whereabouts. A colored pass to show where a student is going might be helpful. A blue pass to the bathroom, a green pass to the office, etc. will be helpful to the hall monitors. This is used by many, many teachers, but all teachers should use this policy.

         The admin/ teachers in the hall would know then know where you're supposed to be, helping the concern of safety. Another idea is having more monitors in the hall. Not to many where it starts to feel like you’re being watched, but enough so students aren’t “ditching” like they often are. Otherwise, the amount of students unaccounted goes up.

Some of these changes seem obvious and the school’s I’ve been too have some of the policies, but it’s doubtful that they’re used everywhere. These changes should be considered and possibly implemented into schools around the country. It’s critical that they are put in affect to help the future generations.

Packs in class?

arter Butzine

 

One of the most essential things needed for school is a backpack. Without one, it would be practically impossible to bring things to and from school. These bags can make life a lot easier for everyone, but there has been some controversy over the fact of whether or not they should be allowed in classes. The following article will discuss the perks and weaknesses of bringing your backpack to classes and around the school.

Long, long ago in elementary school, most students in most schools had hooks for their backpacks in class. When a student approaches middle school, lockers are a new sensation. This concept of lockers is that students leave most of their belongings in their lockers except for what they need for class. This concept doesn't make sense to students. For some apparent reason, students have a comfort when they are with their backpack. It's kind of like a less embarrassing teddy bear for students. It seems as if students must be fulfilled with their personal belongings. There are both positives and negatives for backpacks coming to class.

Starting with the positives, students would never have an excuse not to have anything for class. If they were responsible, everything could be carried everywhere and that could make for less struggle in the beginning of class trying to get students prepared. If this issue was taken care of, a few minutes everyday could be saved which in the end could turn into hours throughout the course of a year. In students eyes, this may not mean much, but in the eyes of teachers and admin it means alot. This is precious and useful time. If teachers kept the class supply requirement to a minimum (which in most times, is already the case) there would be no problem for students being prepared. Teachers could have a catch with students and their backpacks in class. If they didn’t bring all of the necessary supplies for class they as an individual could not bring their bags to class.

As far as the cons go, many different categories of watch would need to be in the awareness of teachers. Many categories of concern have arisen over the safety and distractions that backpacks bring to classes. Starting with the safety issues. A major concern for teachers is what types of things students could bring to class in the bags that go unseen. For example, weapons could be easily hidden in bags that threaten the safety of staff and other students. If there were exceptions that the students needed to have certain things brought to class, there could be discussions if and how necessary that particular item is. Another issue that teachers have with students is the distractions that would be carried. Even if not harmful, things like phones and certain technologies could be easily hidden out of teachers sight. This issue would take away from class learning from individuals and their peers around them. Backpacks are made of fabrics so that individuals can not see through, on purpose to protect privacy of people, but when this comes to classes and hiding things, it is hard for teachers to figure out what is actually is going on.

Now that both arguments of the backpacks in class have been discussed, another idea can be fit and pushed into the argument: the use of lockers. Concepts of a personal storage space is thrilling for incoming middle schoolers but into highschool, the use of lockers becomes less and less prevalent. Each student has a storage place for their stuff, but with students these spaces are not being utilised. If students take their bags to class, why are lockers necessary in schools? This concept benefits the idea of leaving bags in your locker. This way, personal belongings are kept protected and out of the way of daily class procedures. As a closer, backpacks and their presence in schools can be a good and bad thing, depending on the perspective, as well as the locker use. If a perfect median is found between the two a perfect functioning class system could be found improving the efficiency of time and students’ performance.

The Need for Philosophy in Life

How to Overcome Suffering

Nikoli Weir 12/9/18

What is philosophy? And, more importantly, why does it matter? Why should you care? Do all these implausible thought experiments really matter? Do all these dead white guys really matter?

Philosophy is not just some lofty academic pursuit practiced by a bunch of old European white guys with near unpronounceable names (though I must admit, much of historical philosophy does fit into this category), it’s much more than that. Philosophers are people who set themselves the task of discovering truths about subjects reigning from ethics (the study of moral values) to epistemology (the study of the nature of knowledge). Without philosophy, it would be extremely difficult to build and maintain society and its institutions, seeing that the rules of a society are based solely on subjective moral values that can only be created through philosophical reasoning.

Not only is philosophy important for maintaining the structure of society, but it is also important (and some would even say necessary) if one wishes to live a good life. Without meaning, this can be a very hard thing to do. How do you choose your friends and acquaintances without knowing what virtues you value in other people? How do you decide whether or not you support a certain political movement if you don’t understand how to think logically? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you, as the philosopher Albert Camus once said, judge “whether life is or is not worth living,” (Camus 3).

The question of whether or not life is worth living is strongly related to another question, the question of suffering— of why we suffer. For before we answer the question of whether life is worth living, we must first answer the question of suffering. It is undeniable that we all suffer to certain degrees, whether that suffering is physical or psychological. When I speak of why we suffer, I am speaking of two things; the causes of our suffering and the purpose behind our suffering, both of which have multiple answers.

On the question of the cause of our suffering, the reasons are quite simple. The first reason is that we set up ideals and are disappointed when we are unable to live up to them. We all have in our minds images of our ideals; the ideal friend, the ideal partner, the ideal family, the ideal house, the ideal job, the ideal self. These ideals are, in our minds, perfect. But, when we begin looking for them in the real world, we become extremely disappointed to find that they don’t exist. We try and find perfection in both others and ourselves and we fail miserably. This failure to find perfection in the material world leads many to believe that perfection can only be found in some other, non materialistic world. This search for perfection is what characterizes religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This never ending strive for perfection can be called The Search for God.

This search is, in the end, always a failure; perfection can never be found nor achieved. But those who dedicate their lives to it continue onward, though they never reach their goal, and thus they suffer. In this way, God can be compared to the father that left before the child was born and never came back, though this does not stop the child’s shrieking cries of abandonment from piercing the dead and cold night air. We are like the child who has been abandoned by his father, but rather than accept the father’s absence, he creates in his imagination what he thinks his father (and thus the ideal father) would be like. This thought form is imbued with what the child imagines his father would value and these values become so ingrained in his psyche that he is forever regulated by the imaginary father figure in his head.

These values, due to the fact that they were conceived of in childhood, are inadequate when it comes to dealing with the real world. They are often over-simplistic, naive, and lack a basic understanding of life.

But why is God so elusive? Why is it that no matter how hard one searches, he is never found? It is because we imagine him as being eternally static and unchanging. Perfection does not and cannot exist because the very idea of perfection is contrary to nature. If something is perfect, it cannot change because it has no need for change. If it becomes anything other than what it already is it is no longer perfect. Perfect beings cannot change, nor can they improve or evolve or devolve. Nothing in nature is like this.

This is also why a search for one, static, all encompassing meaning to life is itself a flawed goal, for once one believes they have found such a thing, they will attempt to impose it on themselves. By attempting to impose a static, non changing value on your existence, which is by its very nature extremely dynamic and irresolute, you are attempting to not only contradict human nature, but also to annihilate what makes you you. This youness is what the philosopher Max Stirner called the Unique; he described it as being a “thoughtless word,” whose “content cannot exist a second time and so also cannot be expressed, because if it could be expressed, actually and wholly expressed, it would exist a second time… in the expression,” (Stirner 57).

Stirner explains that “you, inconceivable and inexpressible, are the phrase content, the phrase owner, the phrase embodied; you are the who, the one of the phrase…” (Stirner 59). If I were to say that I am the Unique, what I would be saying is that I am me and nothing but me, that my essence is mine and mine alone, that I share it with no one. There is no other word capable of expressing who I am. There are many ways of saying what I am. For example, I am a mammal, I am a human, I am an American, I am a Pagan; but these terms are completely useless, for “as soon as something is said about you, you are only recognized as that thing (human, spirit, Christian)...” (Stirner 58). The Unique, however, says none of these things “because it is merely a name; it says only that you are you and nothing but you, that you are a unique you…” (Stirner 58).

Due to the nature of the Unique, of how it cannot exist a second time (and thus cannot be expressed), a problem arises, a problem that creates a tremendous amount of suffering in a great number of people; the problem of loneliness and isolation. For it follows that, if who you truly are (the Unique) is incapable of being expressed, that not only are you incapable of adequately expressing who you are, but that everyone else is also incapable of doing so. If no one is capable of adequately expressing themselves, then no one is capable of truly knowing anyone else directly.

Relationships, then, are not based in a knowledge of who the other person is (knowledge of the Unique), but rather, they are based in a knowledge of what the other person is. Maybe you are friends with someone because you share common interests or common beliefs; maybe it is because you both have similar goals and aspirations, or maybe you are in the same field of work. But, as I am sure you have noticed, none of these things define who an individual is (as that is undefinable). So what is friendship? I previously said that it is based in knowledge of what someone is, but it is more than this. A friendship is formed when two individuals, rather than have their interests and goals either completely ignore each other or be hostile to each other, voluntarily and consciously choose to combine their power in order that both peoples goals are furthered (these goals can be anything. Perhaps a friendship is formed with the goal of mutual entertainment or enjoyment or happiness. Or perhaps a friendship is formed with the goal of finding a purpose to life). In this way, a friendship is simply an expression of the will to power.

But, like many things, how people view friendship is far different from what it actually is. The average person views friendship as a way of coming to true and mutual understanding with another person. In a sense, this true, but in the wrong sense. It is true because friendship is based on a mutual understanding of goals, but not of individuals (nn no way does this make friendship less important; on the contrary. Rather, the fact that you can never truly know the Unique of your friend makes him all the more valuable. In this way, entering a friendship is like taking a leap of faith. You do not know his essence, thus anything could happen. It could come to an explosive end at any moment. But most of the time it doesn’t. In this way, friendship is a testament to the resilience of a union sustained by mutual aid). However, those who enter into a friendship expecting to come to a true understanding of someone else will be sorely disappointed.

Because they expect friendship to bring them to an understanding of another person, they will be made to feel extremely alone when they realize that this will not happen. This will bring about a feeling of isolation, for they will come to the conclusion that they are and forever will be alone. Not only that, but it logically follows that if we are incapable of truly understanding others, others are incapable of truly understanding us.

The causes, then, of our suffering, are spiritual isolation and imperfection, which are respectively caused by the desire and search for understanding and the desire and search for God (perfection). We will never stop looking for true interpersonal understanding, for it is human nature to do so. We will never stop looking for perfection, for it is human nature to do so. Thus we suffer.

Now, the next question; what is the purpose behind our suffering? And is it worth it? Should we attempt to reduce our overall suffering? To answer the first question, there is no intrinsic purpose to our suffering. It simply is. We work, we suffer. We strive, we suffer. We live, we suffer. We exist, we suffer. We die—and are reborn, and we suffer. Though suffering is a necessary characteristic of life, it must be understood that it is not negative, for without it we could not have pleasure. As said by Friedrich Nietzsche, “what if pleasure and displeasure were so tied together that whoever wanted to have as much as possible of one must also have as much as possible of the other?” (85). So, you have two choices. Either attempt maximize the amount of pleasure and enjoyment you get out of life while also maximizing the suffering you feel by engaging with your desires with the end goal of living a life that is based on feeling, or minimize your pain and your pleasure by resisting your desires, with the end goal of reaching what the Buddhists call Nirvana, a state of existence characterized by the lack of desire.

Though you have a choice between the two, it must be noted that he who chooses to minimize his pleasure and his pain is surrendering his potential for greatness. Great people can only be born out of great suffering.

Though suffering has no intrinsic purpose, it is still valuable, for it creates greatness. Should you attempt to reduce your suffering? It depends. If your suffering is being caused by an external force, such as harsh climate conditions, or perhaps an abusive partner or family member, or a treatable health condition, then yes. But if the source of the suffering is internal, if it comes from within, if it is psychological, than nom your goal should not be to simply suppress it and reduce it. Great internal suffering is simply the result of a conflict within the mind, a conflict between two opposing forces that is caused by the attempted unification of said forces. The closer these forces come to unifying, the more they will resist, which in turn will cause more suffering. But, once they unite, once they become one, and as the resistance of both forces begins to wane, so does the suffering fade into the background, and in the empty space that it left - is pride, euphoria.

So, why should you care about philosophy? Well, in a world like ours, that is, a world dominated by fleeting pleasures and seemingly purposeless suffering, philosophy is needed more than ever before - great men are needed more than ever before. Our society is in dire need of what Nietzsche called a revaluation of values, for the sake of civilization and individuals, and this can only be done by philosophy. To find meaning in a meaningless world, to overcome nihilism and suffering and to actualize the self— that is the task of philosophy. In order to overcome suffering, man must find purpose behind it, for “his problem is not suffering itself, but the lack of an answer to that crying question ‘to what purpose do we suffer?’” (Nietzsche 124).

 

Sources Cited

Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Translated by Justin O'Brien, Vintage Books, 1955

Stirner, Max. Stirner's Critics. Edited by Jason McQuinn. Translated by Wolfi Landstreicher, LBC Books, 2012

Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science. Translated by Walter Kaufmann, Vintage Books, 1974

Nietzsche, Friedrich. On the Genealogy of Morals. Edited by Brădăţan Costică. Translated by Horace Barnett Samuel, Barnes & Nobles, 2006.

The Many Obligations of a High School Student

The Importance Behind a High Schoolers’ Day-to-Day Activities

Rianna Bradley- Completed 12/8

I don’t know that I’ve had a single school morning when it’s been easy to get out of bed, and I have felt completely well- rested. Sadly, I believe that it is safe to say that this is a struggle for nearly all high school students. We get out of school, we have our after school activities, we have homework, we have other commitments, we need to spend time with family and friends, and we somehow attempt to maintain some type of social life through all of this. Attempting to juggle all of these commitments is a difficult task that we have to repeat on the daily. All of these commitments are important in their own ways, but they can be a lot to handle, and seem even impossible at times.

By the time we have completed all of these activities and obligations we have, it is most likely late in the night (or early morning in some unfortunate scenarios), and we are exhausted. In a few short hours, we will have to wake up, go to school, and go through this cycle all over again.

Not only does a lack of sleep have a negative effect on a student themself, but it can also have a negative impact on their schoolwork and overall demeanor. If a student is tired, they have a limited ability to focus in class. They could be at risk of falling asleep in class or just zoning out. This could cause them to retain little or no information from that class period. This becomes an issue, especially as finals are coming up, and sleep is more essential than ever.

I believe that one of the main causes of this situation is homework. I know that this is an unavoidable situation, through no fault of our teachers, as I believe homework is an important thing. However, though this does not happen every night, when several of a students’ teachers all give them homework on one night, it can be very stressful. It can cause a very long night, staying up and working. Sadly, I don’t know that there is a way to correct this. All teachers give out homework, and it is not feasible for them to communicate with each other what they assign, in order to lighten their students load every night. This is because all students have differing schedules and classes. Therefore, homework is an essential obligation for a student to complete every night.

On top of this homework issue, many students also participate in extra -curricular activities. I believe that these are important, because they are fun and something to do outside of school, but they do take up a significant amount of time, depending on the activity. Sports tend to be the most time- consuming, as there are not only practices, but games, meets, and competitions as well. Many sports also require the team to travel on the weekends, which takes up even more time. Another activity students can participate in are organizations and clubs. These typically take up less time, as meetings are usually no more than once a week, but when coupled with participation in a sport, one’s schedule tends to become pretty crammed.

I know that many students also want to have time to hang out with their friends and family occasionally, which poses yet another commitment you need to do, or want to do in most cases.

In the end, high school students have a lot on their plates. Some things we want to do, so we make them work. Others, not so much. Despite this, they are all important. Homework, time- consuming as it may be, furthers students’ education and work ethic, as they make it a priority to put their own time towards something important. Extra- curriculars allow students a break from school- related activities, despite the huge commitment they tend to be. Maintaining a social life, and hanging out with friends is a fun and important thing that is good for anyone to do frequently. High School students have a lot of obligations and things on their plates, but they are all important pieces of their lives.

 

School Should Start After The Sun Is Up

Opinion~ By: Teddie Anest

8:03. That’s an average but that is when thousands of kids need to be seated in a chair. For many students however, it ends up being well before 8:03. If not, they will face consequences from parents, teachers or administration… or all of the above. In more than 40 states, 75 percent of public schools start before 8:30. Though around 8:00 in the morning (7:25 for school’s in our district), may not appear that early to some people, all students have to wake up even earlier than that, sometimes two hours earlier, to catch the bus, get ready for the day, eat breakfast and pack their lunches. Because of this, kids face many negative effects on many aspects of their lives, just because of a start time.

Because of the after schools hours that are required for completing homework given by the majority of teachers, it pushes the time that students stay up at night to even later. With all of the elements of a typical student’s day-to-day life, there is not enough time to get a decent night of sleep. Though students could make changes to go to bed early, enough sleep still isn’t achieved. There simply isn’t enough time in the day. According to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, school should start no earlier than 8:30 and without this idea being in affect, students health, safety and academic performance could be at risk. In a 2010 meta-analysis of 61 studies with 8-18 year olds, it was found that sleepiness most strongly related to school performance. The effects of an early start time (causing a lack of sleep) have also been associated with many other issues including obesity and increased risk-taking behaviors. With a simple change in the time of day, this can be reduced and help students health and academic achievements increase.

Though many parents drive or choose to send their younger children to school on the bus each morning, many high schoolers have the convenient option and freedom of driving themselves to school. But, with the extreme sleep loss that is a serious reality, the chance of mistakes behind the wheel increases, sometimes leading to fatal outcomes. A study done by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2008 showed that crash rates among teen drivers decreased by 16.5 percent in a school district within two years of changing their start time to an hour later. The process of changing multiple schools in a district to start later can be more complicated than it may seem, with the task of changing bus schedules and after school activities (if he day is extended), but the change is positive and will protect teen drivers and everyone in the community.

Dr. Nathaniel Watson, a professor of neurology at the University of Washington, adds that “[later start times] provides an opportunity for healthy sleep for teenage students, but it’s up to the student and their families to take advantage of it.” What he means by this is that the later start time may help students get more sleep, but not having a good sleep schedule, such as using technology before bed, would outweigh the positive effects. Medical writer Terra Snyder added that “most people don’t take [teen sleep deprivation] seriously and don’t see it as a public-health issue,” which is the “root” of the problem. Though it requires change in many aspects to implement this idea, it has been illustrated that it is critical that schools start later to protect future generations.

Sources: http://time.com/4741147/school-start-time/

https://schoolstarttime.org/early-school-start-times/academic-performance/

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/08/why-school-should-start-later/401489/ 

 

Why Daylight Savings is Pointless

Opinion Article: Rianna Bradley

Just a few weeks ago, we all changed our clocks to accommodate for daylight savings time. This is something we must do twice a year. Sure, this change was the better of the two we make each year, as we gained a much needed extra hour of sleep, but when we turn our clocks forward this March, it will be a struggle, as we will lose an hour.

I believe that Daylight Savings time is something that should be abolished completely. It started way back during World War I in foreign countries. Germany and Austria were the first to try it out, in an effort to use less electrical power and extend the daylight they had each day. The idea diffused to other countries, like France, Italy, Belgium and others. Eventually, in 1918, Daylight Savings Time was introduced to the United States. It was highly unpopular with the public, and was repealed by the majority of the country. It was reinstated during World War II, and after that it was an on-and-off situation for many years.

As of 2005, Daylight Savings has been reinstated in all but a few states. Both Hawaii and Arizona no longer use Daylight Savings time, nor do some territories, like Guam and Puerto Rico.

I definitely envy these places. I have relatives living in Arizona, and they all very much enjoy not having to use daylight savings time. While it may seem nice when you gain an hour of sleep in November, it makes getting up that much harder in March. I believe that it should be entirely done away with.

Daylight Savings has permanently been around since 2005, and I believe that that has been too long. When daylight savings time was first thought of, its purpose was the maximize sunlight time during the day. This benefited farmers, who needed as much daylight as they could get when out working it the fields. It also helped conserve electricity. Neither of these are as pressing of an issue or concern anymore. It is inconvenient and unnecessary.

I recognize that there are surely some people who can benefit from daylight savings time, or who just enjoy the maximized daylight, but I believe that the people in opposition to daylight savings outweigh those who appreciate it. Overall, I believe that the elimination of Daylight Savings would be in favor of many people, and more beneficial to society as a whole, as it now has limited relevance in our country.

SOURCES:

“Daylight Saving Time.” Animals | Causes of Color, http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/e.html

​

Why School Administrators Are Underappreciated

Let’s Ask Ourselves, Who’s Really Running The School Here?

By Jadyn Heil

Some people refuse to believe that school administrators are essential to the foundations of our schools. Really though, what would we do without them? School administrators basically take care of everything that the teachers can’t. They manage the budget, help hire new teachers, and make decisions regarding the students’ education.

One of the most important things the admin does that is often underlooked is answering phone calls. The administrators deal with angry phone calls from parents, calls about payments, and countless other things that teachers could most definitely not do alone.

Niko Weir, however, seems to believe that teachers are the ones who underplayed and underappreciated, in comparison to administrators. What Niko fails to realize is that administrators are paid more because they do more. Think about how much of the day teachers are actually working. They come to school early, (like administrators), they leave late, (also like administrators), but, unlike administrators, they get a good portion of the day where they aren’t teaching, a lunch break and a planning period. The administrators don’t really get a break because they always have to be available during school hours. While they may not be actually teaching, their work has a different purpose.

Niko also claims that teachers are underpaid because of the time they spend working outside of school and during summer break. But the truth is, administrators have to work on campus all summer, working on everything from hiring teachers to creating schedules for the students. Overall, administrators are very deserving of the credit they are given.

​

​

Teachers Are Being Exploited

Niko Weir

Let’s start by comparing the salary of teachers to the salary of administrators. The average teacher makes about 54,000 dollars a year, whereas the average school administrator makes about 90,000 dollars a year. The standard work day for teachers is eight hours, however, teachers are often expected to show up to school an hour before it starts, and many “stay an average of three to five hours beyond the traditional school day for meetings, grading and other administrative or volunteer activities.” So, teachers, on average, work twelve to fourteen hour days and only get paid about 54,000 dollars a year.

Many argue that this gets balanced out by the fact that teachers get a large portion of the year (summer break) off, but this simply isn’t true. Teachers devote “a good portion of their summer “break” to preparing for the upcoming school year. That includes two to four weeks for continuing education, three weeks for curriculum planning, and another four weeks for training, classroom setup and preparation.”

Seeing that, for most schools, summer break is about ten to eleven weeks long, this means teachers can end up using nearly their entire “break” for planning and other school related activities. Teachers can’t not do summer planning; it is necessary for a well functioning classroom. However, the fact that teachers work over the summer isn’t the problem. The problem is that they don’t get paid for it (nor do they get paid for the hours they do before and after school).

So, how much unpaid work do teachers do? First, let’s look at the extra work they do on their official work days (which makes up about 185 days of the year) . We know that most teachers come in an hour before school starts, and stay an average of three to five hours after school. We can make the reasonable assumption that most teachers stay about four hours after school most weekdays. That’s five hours of labor each day that isn’t paid. Multiply 5 by 185 and you get 925. 925 hours of labor each school year that isn’t paid. The average teacher gets paid 25 dollars an hour. 925 times 25 is 23,125 dollars.

On average, teachers get 23,125 dollars stolen from them every school year. And yes, it is theft. If you work extra hours and don’t get paid for your labor, you are being stolen from. If teachers were paid for all of the labor they perform during the school year, their average salary would be 77,125 dollars.

However, this still doesn’t take into account the time that teachers take out of their “summer break” to plan lessons, set up their classroom and design next years classroom curriculum. Taking into account the work teachers do over the summer, which includes four weeks of training, about three weeks of continued education (neither of which are paid for by the school) and four weeks of classroom preparation, and assuming that teachers work only 4 hours a day during these weeks, the amount of money being stolen from teachers every summer adds up to about 5,500 dollars. If we add this to 77,125 it becomes 82,125 dollars.

However, we aren’t done yet, because we still haven’t taken into account the money teachers spend on stocking their classes with school supplies every year, which, according to USA Today, is on average about 480 dollars (which, by the way, is rarely reimbursed). However, we also have to take into account the 250 dollar tax cut received by teachers, which (kinda sorta) makes up for half of that money spent on supplies. So, subtract 250 from 480 and you get 230 dollars that should go to the teacher’s salary, increasing the total to 82,355 dollars.

82,355 dollars, what teachers should make, is nearly double what they do make, which is about 54,000 dollars. This means that only a little less than half of the work teachers do is paid work. What would happen if teachers didn’t do work over the summer and didn’t stay before and after school started? The education system would barely work and many teachers would be fired for “not doing their jobs properly,” which really means “refusing to perform unpaid labor that is pretty much a form of slavery.”

From the way they exploit the labor of teachers, it is obvious that school administrators and the federal government don’t care about them or the work they do because if they did they would make more of an effort to pay them fairly and not try and get away with paying the smallest amount possible!

While we’re on the subject, why don’t we talk about how, on average, administrators make 42 dollars an hour, whereas teachers only make 25 dollars an hour. Who decided that the work of the administrator is more valuable than the work of the teacher? And who in their right mind implemented such a policy? It is absolutely ridiculous to claim that school administrators are more important than teachers. Some may argue that no one is claiming that administrators are more important than teachers and, in a sense, this is true; I doubt many administrators would make the claim that what they do is more important than what teachers do. But there is a very powerful organization that has clearly stated that they think administrators are more important by paying them a higher hourly wage; this organization is the government.

What other reason would it have for paying administrators more than teachers? Does that very act not suggest that they believe the work of administrators to be more important?

Here’s what needs to be done: teachers need to be payed for every hour that they work, rather than all of them getting underpaid the same amount. An hourly wage should be decided upon and applied to both teachers and administrators so that the labor of both is valued equally. This way, it doesn’t matter if you are a teacher or an administrator or a principal— the amount of money you earn is determined by the total hours you work (which must include “official” work hours and extra work hours). This way, the people who work the hardest get paid the most and the best teachers/administrators are rewarded.

I don’t know why I’m writing this last part, for it will likely fall on deaf ears. Call it an appeal to justice or to decency and human goodness. To any school administrators reading this, I ask that you at least try and talk to your higher ups about this issue. The issue of the exploitation of the labor of teachers is one that desperately needs to be addressed. This is not meant to be an attack on what you do, nothing like that. I am not trying to say that the work you do isn’t valuable; the opposite is the case. I know that you work hard at your jobs and add great value to the schools you work at. All I want is for the value of teachers to be recognized and for them to be payed fair and just wages that are determined by how hard they work.

Sources Cited

Murray, Corey. “How Many Hours Do Educators Actually Work?” Technology Solutions That Drive Education, 5 Aug. 2013, edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2013/08/how-many-hours-do-educators-actually-work.
John, Ciaran. “Hourly Wages for Teachers.” Chron.com, 1 July 2018, work.chron.com/hourly-wages-teachers-2044.html.

Danilova, Maria. “Study: Despite Modest Income, Nearly All Teachers Pay for Class Needs out of Own Pocket.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 15 May 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2018/05/15/nearly-all-teachers-spend-own-money-school-needs-study/610542002/.

“Salary of Principals and Administrators.” Sokanu, Sokanu, www.sokanu.com/careers/principal/salary/.

​

Adding Sleep to Students’ Diet

And how it can improve daily routines.

Carter Butzine

Students in schools have eight hour days, typically filled with many fast moving parts. By the time students are released from school each day, the condition of exhaustion that they are in is impeccable. Students need more breaks throughout the day and a longer lunch period in order to be more successful.

Humans are naturally made to function throughout the day with intermediate breaks that give the brain and sometimes the body a break. Without breaks, the functions of an individual can begin to decline. Looking at the facts about this particular topic, it has been proven that students spend about 7.5 hours more on school than that of 20 years ago. It can be argued that 20 years ago there was more physical work to be done around the house that may not be as prevalent anymore, but schools have pushed the expectations way higher than they were in this time period. If teens in high school particularly had breaks throughout the day to specifically target brain breaks students would/ could have more potential.

One issue remains: if these breaks were provided, how would students actually use them? After predictions, students would use these breaks on their phones and technology which is considered to be good and bad. If students used the phones in a way that calmed and helped them decompress, it could be effective. If phones were just used for social media and to get caught up in school drama, it would not be a good. Supervision would be needed to help students go down the right path during this organized time. If there was activities that students enjoyed that helped get their minds off of school they could find joy in this time.

Another idea besides a break period in the day is a longer lunch period. Typically lunch periods are short and fast, making it so students can barely even have time to get their lunches and have some social time. While the break period would be more of a structured time for students, lunchtime could just be a time to socialize (which it is now) just with more time to enjoy it. A common question found regarding this topic is where is this extra time found throughout the day? The day wouldn’t be any longer, students would just have less classes. For example, Mondays could be the first four classes of a schedule, and the next day would be the second four, rotating everyday of the week. If these changes were incorporated into the school day, students could come home or go to sports refreshed.

Also a growing phenomenon is nap pods that schools are installing. It was found that with the correct amount of sleep there are different aspects that students gain compared to when they are tired. The six main things that individuals gain back when they have the proper amount of sleep is: better concentration, increased memory, less focus on the negative, better creativity, you make better decisions, and your immune system functions better. All of these things are essential but improvements could be seen throughout sleep deprived students. Nap pods throughout the day for anywhere from 30-60 minutes could prolong how late you stay up at night because of the refueling you get throughout the day. This change could make school work participation, and students attitudes toward school drastically different.

School could be alot more enjoyable for students if they weren’t tired all of the day. With more breaks throughout the day, homework participation could be different, workloads could be changed, and productivity could be increased. All around, increasing breaks throughout the school day would be an effective and good change for both students and teachers in schools nationwide.