By R.J. Sullivan I decided to pursue this topic because I was interested in the science on how the high school ecosystem is ordered wanted to spark a conversation on this topic in hopes of allowing better understanding of human social behaviors. To begin we must first understand what exactly this article is attempting to dissect, and that is the complex social interactions high school students have as they move through high school. From dating to sports teams, to gangs and bullying, the high school ecosystem can be both diversely rich, and dangerous when not properly understood. During the transition into young adulthood, social interactions between peers become “increasingly important for the social and emotional development of adolescents” says the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health (NCBI). This means a power struggle ensues giving those with a higher social standing more power and control over the cliques they belong to, The study conducted by NCBI also found that “Social status differences between cliques are accompanied by distinct characteristics and behaviors of members of those cliques, most prominently aggressive and prosocial behaviors”. To simplify, think of the stereotypical bully group in media these days, the ones that get all the attention and frequently bully those under them. But what controls both the founding and growth of cliques? According to a study done by Stanford researcher Edmund L. Andrews it is a mix of a few things with notables being school size, and more importantly the rigidity of the school system, “pecking orders, cliques and self-segregation are less prevalent in schools and classrooms that limit social choices and prescribe formats of interaction.” this also means that “a more rigid school setting can sometimes promote more open-mindedness in making friends — a potentially valuable quality in adulthood.” To bring this article “closer to home”, I interviewed the Freshmen counselor Bryan Mitchell. When asked which student demographic (freshmen, sophomores, etc.) had the biggest social troubles, Mr. Mitchell replied saying that while he wasn’t an expert on the other demographics, to him the freshmen seemed to be ones who had the most trouble fitting into social groups. According to him it was because of the “anxiety” and “baggage” that comes with the transition between middle and high school that can cause a “lot of drama”, but that didn’t stop freshmen from quickly forming up socially. Mr. Mitchell’s estimate for when freshmen start fitting in to social groups and cliques is around two weeks. When asked what students could do to help get into the social groups Mr. Mitchell said “just be involved” in sports, clubs, events, and other school activities to meet and make friends with new people. So how does this affect you? My hope is that it can help those who still haven’t fit into social cliques and feel like they just don’t fit in, as well as those who are in social hierarchies to be more empathetic to those mentioned previously. So if I could leave you with one last thought let it be this. If we as both students and humans could understand each other better, not just who we are but why we are who we are, what would the world be like? Thank you all and have a wonderful day, Sincerely, R.J. Sullivan
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By Rice Miller Back in elementary and middle school I had an extremely difficult time because I couldn’t sit still in class. I was always getting detention and being kicked out of class, as a result of this I usually had a lot of time to myself. I really started to hate school. It felt like school was just a place where I would get put into an empty room for one hour every day. During these long amounts of silence, I would create things. It seemed like my pencil had no boundaries. My experiences have lead me to believe that the traditional way that schools are set up does not always work.
First of all, I'm not saying school is bad. School is great. It provides people with the knowledge they sometimes need to live in our complex society. However, I do believe that in some cases giving people rules for specific things or introducing people to the way “things are” makes people less likely to try to innovate when given a complex task, or even just following their dreams. If you ask a child who hasn’t finished grade school the common question “what do you wanna be when you grow up?” they almost always have crazy answers. Some want to be astronauts while others want to be rockstars or doctors. In a “TedTalk,” a man named Sir Ken Robinson speaks about a girl named Gillian Lynne who at a very young age had issues in school. She was extremely energetic and had a difficult time trying to pay attention in class. Eventually her mother became concerned for Gillian because she was unable to perform well in school. Seeking medical help, she took Gillian to the doctor. Once there, the doctor asked if he could have time alone with Gillian and as her mother left he turned on the radio. He too left the room and and upon returning with the mother they observed her through the window. Gillian was dancing. “She's not sick she's a dancer” said the doctor. That was 84 years ago. Gillian now at the age of 92 she has been a successful dancer, and choreographer. As an 18-year-old man, this story really hit home with me. I had many of the same issues growing up. I couldn’t sit still and I had a very hard time in school because of this. I still struggle with some things because I was to much of a spaz during elementary and middle school. However, because I couldn’t pay attention in class, I often ended up drawing, I drew all the time and I got pretty good. Eventually I joined art in 7th grade and I was way ahead of the class because of personal experience alone. I had taught myself a decent amount of different techniques over the years. Once I made it to middle school I also found out I really liked to run. I joined cross country and track and over time I went from running 9 minute miles to 5 minute miles, and in my sophomore year in high school I was running 18 minute 5Ks in cross country. The funny thing is I hated every sport I tried until I started cross country. School is good but it's not for everyone. I do believe that it is beneficial to our society, but I also believe school snuffs out peoples creative spark when it expects so much of some things that aren't really that important. School doesn't care about our hobbies, It cares about grades. There are small things, like clubs, that help fix some of these issues and I think that's what we need more of in schools. We need more reasons for people to get together and create. We don’t need to be told how something is done when we have the power to make our own personal creations. By R.J. Sullivan Hello. It's a simple phrase, one that you probably say at least once a day, perhaps to a friend, coworker, or teacher, and yet it’s becoming something you hear less and less. Think I’m being dramatic? Think about the last time you said hello to a total stranger or the last time you had a conversation with someone you didn’t know, you’re probably reaching a stark realization. You can’t remember the last time you interacted with a stranger voluntarily.
So, is this a problem? In a way, yes. The issue is best summarized in a scientific report on NCBI (US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health) “Intimacy and belonging are intrinsic human needs”. Now you’re probably asking why you should care about this issue, after all you already have at least one or two good friends. But what about people who don’t have many or any friends? Starting to see what I’m getting at? Even if you are the most popular kid in school there are those who want to simply be acknowledged. So if you take the couple seconds it takes to stop and say hello, ask them how they’re doing, you may just make their day or their whole week just because you stopped and said hello. One high school decided to do just that with the “Start with Hello” national program to fight chronic social isolation. According to reports, in this program “throughout the week students will participate in different tasks and activities to reach out to classmates”. One such activity is for each student to say hello to three students they didn’t know. That’s not all they did, they also had a “no one eats alone” day and “wear your favorite shirt” day. If you would like to learn more about Start with Hello or see if you can help bring it to your school then please check out their website at www.sandyhookpromise.org. Social isolation isn’t a uniquely Alaskan or American issue, it’s worldwide. For example, in Great Britain the government has started the “ Safe and Connected Initiative” which has employees of the private company, Royal Mail give a quick survey when they deliver the mail. Then a representative will review the answers to see if the person is lonely, if so, efforts will be made to connect that person to organizations that encourage social encounters such as The Cares Family. Imagine the difference this program could make not just for people in America, but in Alaska, which has the highest suicide rate in the country. It could be quite literally the difference between life and death. Finally, I wish to end this article with something for those who do feel alone or socially isolated. We are very fortunate to have a variety of resources to help students reach out and make new friends and social connections. Sources of Strength is a group of students whose goal is to bring people together to help people suffering from depression and help them make new friends. Next we have of course the Counselors Office, the counselors there are not just for helping you get your school schedule in order, they also are there if you need to talk to someone or need help. Finally, we have all the different clubs throughout the school. There's probably a club for everyone somewhere in school such as Pokemon club, International club, and Model U.N., as well as many others. By June Ganguli Jamal Khashoggi, who is he? Best known for his candid articles on the misdeeds of the Saudi Arabian government, this journalist is world renowned. So, what happens when he suddenly disappears two weeks ago and is recently confirmed dead? The world erupts in shock, wondering who would want to harm this brilliant journalist. The first suspect that comes to mind is Saudi Arabia, after all, Khashoggi was known to be very outspoken about the regime of the Saudi Prince, Mohammad bin Salman. Recent evidence, a video of security footage given to The Washington Post and more, make it pretty clear that the Saudis had something to do with Khashoggi’s death. Despite this, Salman has denied having any knowledge about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. I believe someone is hiding something about this mysterious murder, and I believe President Trump should take the necessary actions against this possible violation of basic human rights.
The Washington Post interviewed Senator Benjamin L. Cardin about the Magnitsky Act, an act regarding the violation of human rights, he and late Senator John Mccain developed. Cardin said, “If you are guilty of gross violations of human rights and your country is not taking action against you, that we will deny you the ability to visit America, we won’t give you a visa, you cannot use the American banking system. We expanded it to make it global. It now applies to violations in any country.” Using this Act, President Trump has the ability to punish Salman, if it is discovered that he did kill Jamal Khashoggi, by cutting off all trade with him and preventing him from using the United States banking system. When the Washington Post confronted President Trump on the matter, his response was quite alarming, “I don’t like stopping massive amounts of money that’s being poured into our country….They’re spending $110 billion purchasing military equipment and other things”. What does that mean? Indirectly, Trump stated that the billions of dollars the Saudi Arabians are pouring into our country are worth more than Jamal Khashoggi’s life. That is wrong. No amount of money or anything else is worth a man’s life. Khashoggi deserves a justified end. On a smaller case, a murderer would be prosecuted to the best of everyone’s ability to give justice to the victim, and the victim’s family. The same should happen for Khashoggi and his family. We cannot allow Salman to get away with murder. We can’t say for sure that the Saudi Arabians murdered Jamal Khashoggi, but we do have some facts. 1. The Saudi Arabians have claimed several different stories leading to Khashoggi’s death, all of them saying the King and Prince didn’t have any knowledge of what was happening. 2. Photographs have been released of a close associate of Salman entering the Turkish consulate. 3. An audio recording of Khashoggi being confronted, tortured, dismembered and brutally murdered was published. 4. Nine of the 15 suspects have been closely connected with the Saudi government, such as security services or military. And finally 5. One of the 15 suspects acted as a body double, walking around wearing Khashoggi’s closes and glasses. This evidence points pretty clearly to the fact that the Saudi Arabian government, and the prince, are linked closely to Khashoggi’s murder. Trump should start sending threats to the Saudi Arabian government about issuing the Magnitsky Act. If it is proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Saudi’s murdered Khashoggi, those consequences should be immediately implemented, Not only to provide a just end for Khashoggi but for his family as well. By Jami Metcalf Students today at West Valley High School are prohibited from bringing backpacks into some classes and in the student handbook it states that backpacks must stay in lockers throughout classes. West Valley’s school policy states, “the practice of carrying backpacks, book bags, duffel bags, purses or similar items into the classroom or student restroom is prohibited.”
Due to limited hall passes and varying teacher’s policies, students should be able to have their backpacks in class to ensure they won’t need to go their locker during class. This will eliminate wandering in the halls and frustration for teachers. This topic has been discussed frequently and the school has decided that it is the teacher’s choice whether or not they will allow backpacks in the classroom. This is confusing and difficult for students who have to be constantly aware of different rules and policies. Teachers become frustrated because of backpacks; however, they don’t always clearly state their policy on backpacks. Students need to be aware and courteous of policies and the school needs to have one policy that is in line for the whole school. This will eliminate confusion and help to ensure students are following the rules. One of the biggest arguments against backpacks in class is that it’s a safety issue and that students will be able to conceal weapons, drugs, and other harmful items if they are allowed to carry a backpack to class. Students will find other ways to bring in these harmful materials with or without a backpack. There is also the worry that allowing backpacks in the classroom is a fire hazard and teachers often complain of tripping over them. According to classroom.synonym.com, an educational resource website, if students were allowed to carry backpacks passing periods could be shortened. Students would also have fewer tardies because they wouldn’t have to go to their lockers and then rush to class. I propose that students be more respectful to teachers regarding backpacks and that teachers clearly state their policy and consider the students’ perspective in order to see how backpacks in the classroom can ultimately benefit everyone. By Duncan Baumgarten “ALICE Training has a solution for your organization. ALICE works in any industry and organizations of any size. We can prepare your organization to respond to violence.” Those are the first words displayed on the ALICE website, accompanied by alternating photos of business officials, soldiers, children, and armed guards. ALICE boasts being implemented in all fifty states, with over one million children, teachers, doctors, nurses, police, and pastors educated on its protocol. And, ALICE is on its way through the West Valley doors.
ALICE’s mission can be found in its name; Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Its purpose: to protect and prepare individuals who may find themselves in violent or unsafe situations. Commonly implemented in schools and churches, it is taught for vulnerable or consistently targeted communities. It was founded by Greg Crane, a law enforcement officer, who was inspired to create the protective measure training based on the events of Columbine in 1999. In a press release from 2013, it states that ALICE became the face of a company called Response Options, in an attempt to “leverage the good will” of name recognition for the protocol. “We create second chances,” says the Linkedin account for Response Options. But, is ALICE sacrificing a first chance at a comfortable school experience? Typically, discussion of gun control is associated with controversy and perceived bias, usually resulting in either dismissal or compromising just to have the conversation end. However, the discussion around gun violence in schools is far more complex. Those who wish not to discuss it will be risking the lives of unprepared students. Those who do wish to discuss it will be called crisis instigators. In an article for Forbes Magazine, Elizabeth MacBride was horrified by a picture book published by the ALICE group preparing younger children for the protocol. “Story time is not supposed to scare children,” she says, “it is supposed to reassure them that the world and the adults in it can be trusted.” However, it has been shown that the world and the adults can’t be trusted. Due to the frequency of events, it’s hard to find an accurate representation of the number of school shootings there have been since Columbine, but according to a Business Insider article published in June 2018, there have been 154 this year. Already the information is outdated. Additionally, the response time of police during the Parkland tragedy is a hint that students can’t solely depend on the adults of the world to come save them. With a breakdown of communication over what the shooter looked like, and where he was, the delay was significant before the police entered the school. Four minutes into the event, the police weren’t even entirely sure it was a gun, since one student described it as “firecrackers...by the football field,” according to a CNN report of the tragedy. The level of confusion outside of the school compromised the children inside. Because of the lack of preparedness, America has proven that the adults, and the world, cannot, and should not, be trusted. Students don’t have time to wait for adults to fix the situation. Their lives are at stake. With two near-tragedies, one threat and one gun on the premises, in the last two years, West Valley would benefit from having real protocol in place. Students can’t rely on the adults being there to save the day if the worst happens. If high school intends to prepare for the real world, then it’s time to recognize that self protection is the only truly dependable form of protection. If we have a crisis, we can depend on ourselves. That, and ALICE. |
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