Hints of Islamophobia present, more awareness needed
2012-04-25
Recent happenings, which do not need to be identified, show that negative stereotyping persists. As a moderate Middle Eastern Muslim, I learned this two weeks ago.
Students and staff: Instances of bullying rare, but still problematic
2012-03-23
In school, English teacher James Macindoe said, he and his friends were bullied.
“I don’t think we thought of it as bullying at the time,” he said. Macindoe cited petty incidents in elementary school and times that he saw physical violence between his best friend and upperclassmen in high school.
“My best friend played on the soccer team and every day after school one of the seniors on the team would beat the crap out of him,” he said.
Honoring EarthForce’s honest efforts to recycle
2012-03-23
I love EarthForce. Every Friday after school, the dedicated students in the club spend hours sorting through your trash and recycling. It is not an easy job; we all know how much junk ends up in the recycling bin. EarthForce dedicates real time to making real change in our community and I think it deserves real recognition.
It seems like every other day that some club at Marshall is raising awareness or fundraising or soliciting donations. But how many of those activities are done for a grade in a class, for admission to a tournament or with some other ulterior motive?
Stress Free Day deserves more serious activities
2012-03-22
While the hallways are filled with people complaining of lack of sleep, tests and in-class essays, these concerns are rarely addressed by the administration or teachers unless you enter your counselor’s office. Stress Free Day is an exception and an excellent idea. However, if the administration is serious about what Stress Free Day represents, it needs to make some serious changes.
Counselors, school should be first barrier against bullies
2012-03-22
Smiling, senior Austin Hoskins held up a caricature of himself and junior Danny Glass next to his face.
“Guess who’s who?” he said.
Hoskins acquired the caricature from IB Art student Rachel Frankel, junior, who was partipating in the second annual Creative Arts Festival held on March 9.
The festival welcomed all attendees to enjoy live music and events presented by the National Art Honor Society, Art Club, Photo Club and ACE Mentoring.
Microfinancing creates long-term, community-based change
2012-03-22
In three days, the internet did what it took two decades of genocide to do: it made Joseph Kony famous. Nevertheless, with the objectives of the “Make Kony Famous” movement so unclear, this man will soon be forgotten. However, there is a way for the millions interested in stopping Kony to help Ugandans, not by a death warrant for mass murder but by connecting with and investing in the individuals of Uganda.
College Board’s SAT grades, charges dishonestly
2012-03-22
Founded more than a century ago as the College Entrance Examination Board, College Board created and popularized standardized testing. Today, however, College Board has become a parasite to its clients, as its countless fees and lack of accountability to clients have grown rampant in recent years. Now, the time has come for parents and students to look for alternatives to College Board.
Justanother viral fad: KONY, reduced to a meme
2012-03-22
As the “Boromer” meme points out, one cannot simply become a social activist by watching a 30-minute video.
However, some students believe the opposite. Ever since “KONY 2012,” a video by Invisible Children Inc. intended to spread awareness of the namesake Ugandan warlord, hit Facebook by storm, students were pledging their commitment to “cover the night” on April 20. Essentially, students will receive “action kits” from Russell’s website and then
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State of the Union addresses bipartisanship, but nothing else
2012-03-14
Rather than informing the public about current issues the government is facing, this year President Obama’s State of the Union address focused too much bipartisanship and patriotism.
Much of the hour -and-a-half-long speech was spent trying to encourage both parties to work together in Congress. Obama used examples in history to create a sense of patriotism that would overpower the divide the two parties are experiencing.
Obama dropout proposal fixes symptoms, not cause
2012-03-14
In President Obama’s most recent State of the Union Address, he spoke of keeping students in school until they turn 18 and of making laws against dropping out of high school. While it’s true that research shows a direct correlation between how long one stays in high school and income later in life, making dropping out uniformly illegal is not the best way to help teens. In fact, it’s the wrong way.