OPINION/EDITORIAL
OPINION/EDITORIAL
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School Should Start Later
8:00 AM is too early!
By Halo Jenkins
Do you hate waking up early every day to take your kids to school? Or, if you are a student, do you hate waking up early every day to sit in a building for seven hours a day? Because I know I do, and my parent hates taking me to school. Therefore, the school should start later because 8:00 AM seems absurdly early, especially because some people live far away, so they must wake up early to get to school on time.
School starts later at 9:30 AM is a perfect and more reasonable time. School should start later for many reasons. Firstly, parents have to take their kids to school every morning, and most parents hate waking up early, so the time should be later. Second, students also hate waking up early. Attending school is already enough, so having to wake up early is not extremely fun. Lastly, teachers would have more time to take their kids to school in the morning if schools started later.
Only some people are early birds. Some parents like waking up early and taking their kids to school, but let me tell you, most do not. Considering it is against the law for your child to not go to school, parents should at least get a say when their kids go to school. School should start at 9:30 AM instead of 8 AM. It is way more reasonable. Also, many kids would not be late to school if the time was changed because waking up super early and having to drive to school is a lot so early in the morning, so it would be way easier for kids to wake up at 8:00 or 8:30 AM and be at school at 9:30. Most kids are not even late because of themselves most of the time kids are late to school because of their parents so if parents could wake up later and prepare themselves and not be half a sleep taking their kids to school would be much more enjoyable.
It is not just parents who hate waking up early. It is also kids. If school starts at 8 AM, students must wake up early to get ready, eat breakfast, get everything ready for the day, drive to school, walk around the school, and up a million stairs to get to class. Students already face so much stress with work and friends and all the things that happen at school, and having to wake up early and be on time for school is a whole other unnecessary stress. So if we make school start at 9:30, most kids could wake up at a more reasonable time and have heaps of time before school starts to they will not need to stress out. Also, if kids are at school super early in the morning, they will be tired and unable to focus on work, which is unfair to them.
Some might argue that kids should get an early night's sleep so they will not be tired in the morning. While this is 100% true, students should be getting an early night's sleep. It does not mean that they will not be tired in the morning. I could go to sleep at 8 PM and have 11 hours of sleep, and I would still be so tired, unable to get out of bed, yawning every second. It does not matter how early you go to bed. You will always be tired when you wake up, so if schools change the start time to 9:30 AM, students could wake up at 8 AM and have a whole hour to make themselves alive and able to learn before school starts.
In conclusion, I believe that school should start at 9:30 AM rather than 8 AM because it will just benefit everyone, students would be more animated during class, students would not be late to school anymore, parents would enjoy taking their kids to school, and lastly, teachers would have more time in the morning to get to school and get their kids to school on time.
Kids Bully, Parents Pay The Price
By Daria Serheyeva
Bullying at school is a shared experience, even if it is wrong and incredibly harmful. According to the National Center for Education Statistics 2019, twenty-two percent of students aged 12–18 reported being bullied during the school year. It is quite a high number, and schools are going a lot to lower it, but using a different punishment could lower it even further. Parents of bullies should have to pay a fine because the fine money could benefit the school, the punishment would be more severe than usual school punishments, and it would make it more likely that parents attempt to fix their child's behavior.
Firstly, if bullies' parents get fined, the money could be used for a good cause. A very hurtful thing would have at least some positive results. The money could even be used to stop bullying; negative behavior would help stop itself. Fines could help balance out the terrible effects of bullying.
Secondly, it would be more severe than usual school punishments, like detention. That way, there would be more motivation to stop hurting others verbally or physically. More severe punishments, like fines, could help stop negative behavior.
Some may argue that fines would not affect bullies enough and instead affect the parents, who are less directly involved. While that may be true, finding the parents would interest them more. Since it does not just affect their child but also their wallets, it is more likely that they would attempt to correct the behavior. Since parents are usually more of an authority figure than other adults in someone's life, more involvement could be helpful. Making parents more interested in stopping their children from bullying others might make a difference.
In conclusion, fines could help balance the adverse effects of bullying, motivate students not to bully others, and get parents more involved. Financing the bullies' parents would have positive effects and make bullying less common.
Teen Driving Is A Slippery Slope
By Isabella Miller
In California, when kids turn 16, they can get their licenses and are legally allowed to drive. If you have a child or are a child that has turned 16 and is thinking of getting a car, there are a few things to consider.
My opinion
If your child is trusted and you know you can trust them not to sneak out or do anything that might put them in trouble, the following ideas can be things to consider. A car can be quite expensive, from paying bills to putting gas in your car; however, if your family is not worried about the price, getting a car is efficient. It teaches your child responsibility so they are not too reliant on their parents. If you have younger siblings, then you can pick up your sibling from school if your parents are busy. Nevertheless, knowing many drunk drivers and car accidents are happening, I would set some rules. This all depends on the child, parents, and the circumstances.
Cons
Knowing teens are reckless and can injure someone or themselves is scary. Some teens might sneak out, drink, get drunk, and hit other cars around them when they get in the car. To make driving a car safer, teens should drive with a parent, guardian, or adult in the car with them. Some teens are trusted and are usually careful, but not all. An article from The New York Times states that drivers ages 16-19 are four times as likely to crash than older drivers.
Pros
Driving teaches kids responsibility; you do not need to rely on your parents. You can help run errands for them and help with necessities they need help with. If you have a younger child that cannot pick up from school, your oldest child can pick them up and drive them. Driving has many benefits and has many downsides as well.
To conclude, getting a car for your teen is a choice for parents. A car would be great if your kids are responsible and can help you with errands.
Source: nytimes.com
Homework Is Irrelavent
By Halo Jenkins
Schools need to stop giving students homework immediately! Did you know that most middle and high school students get homework for every class daily? That is way too much for kids to handle, especially when they have personal lives and already spend most of their day at school.
I believe that schools should stop giving students homework for many reasons, such as they already have to do work every day at school, its too much stress on the kid, and there is no need because we are just learning the same things at school, so why not do all the work in class?
First, students should not get homework because it is too stressful. Considering students have at least six different subjects if every single one of those teachers gave homework to their students every day, the student would need more time to complete it. They certainly did not get a good night's sleep if they were. This is not good because the kid will be tired the next day and not learn anything. So homework is rueing the kid's grades rather than improving them.
Secondly, another reason students should not get homework is that we already do the same work at school, so why do we have to do extra of the same work at home? It does not make sense to me. Kids already spend seven or more hours at school five days a week. Kids wake up early and go to school, and by the time they get home, it is already 4 o'clock, depending on what school you go to. So by the time they get home, the student has roughly six hours before they have to go to bed, which seems like, but it is not. Kids need to shower, eat dinner, hang out with family, do chores, and all these things, and when they get to their homework, they have no free time to do what they want, which is unfair.
Some might argue that homework is suitable for students to understand and practice what they learned at school. While this might be true, it is not 100% necessary if kids do not understand what they learned in class. They can ask the teacher to go over it with them or do practice questions at home if they want; however, only some kids struggle in school, so giving extra work to the students who already understand the work is cruel. Besides, homework does not help kids because they need a teacher to help them most of the time, so rather than sending the kids away with loads of homework, teachers should teach one topic longer, and if the kids still do not understand a doubt, homework is going to help them.
In conclusion, teachers should stop sending students home with homework. It is too much stress for students, and students already spend hours learning at school, so why do they have to learn extra at home? There is just no need for homework, and it is pointless.
The Extreme Dangers of Artificial Intelligence
By Staff
AIs are becoming a danger to society. Some kids use it to do homework and search for inappropriate things. A student used it to write an essay for an English class. Even though AIs are advancing rapidly, they are still learning. For example, an adult asked an AI for advice on a relationship, and it tried to get him to cheat on his wife. Some people are also going on dates with AI and flirting with it, which can be dangerous, especially for your mental health.
On another occasion, a student spent hours texting with the Snapchat AI, trying to gaslight it into thinking that the AI was a unicorn. It consumes all your time and can ruin your grades. An AI pioneer named Geoffrey Hinton quit Google so he could speak freely about the dangers of AI without worrying about how it would affect Google. An AI can now write a full professional play. Every app tries to keep up with this technological development by adding AI to its apps such as Snapchat and Grammarly. GPT-4 can file a lawsuit, pass standardized exams, and even make a working website from a hand-drawn sketch! AI is getting too powerful and should be outlawed.
A little while ago, a photo of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket went viral, and it turned out that it was created by a person who used Midjourney (AI) to make the image. Everyone thought it was real. No one gave it a second thought. The line between reality and the lies created by the virtual world is fading, and it is getting harder and harder to tell what is real. In March, important tech figures (I do not know who) appeared on CNN. It just says prominent figures signed a letter begging AI labs to stop training powerful AIs for at least the next six months. They said it was a 'profound risk to society and humanity." AI needs to must be stopped.
Earbuds Damage Hearing
By Isabella Miller
People at school, at home, on a walk, and most anywhere. Kids, teens, and adults all go around with earbuds in their ears. Some people say earbuds can cause cancer; the answer is theirs, not enough evidence! However, can earbuds cause hearing loss?
Earbuds are more damaging to hearing than other headphones. We all think it does damage because our music or video sound goes right into your ear. There are some tricks you can do to make sure your hearing does not get damaged. One of the tricks that Dr. Portnuff said is called 80 for 90. So you listen to music at 80% of the highest volume possible for 90 minutes a day, and if you listen at a lower volume, you get more time, and a louder volume, less time
If you are thirty years old, let us say, and you are near a lot of loud noises and earbuds all day, your hearing can become like a 60-year-old hearing. Dr. Portnuff and Dr.Fink recommend choosing headphones that block out background noises, Or earbuds that fit right and are more comfortable over earbuds that can seal around your ear.
This article states facts about earbuds; it only gives a complete answer if it does not cause hearing loss because there is evidence that it does well if music blasts in your ear. I am sure it will. There will always need to be more information to prove if it could. Nevertheless, headphones are the safer option.
Source: nytimes.com
Why You Should Play An Instrument
By simone Simantob
Did you know that playing an instrument can help with your hand-eye coordination, can help you pass tests, and build your IQ up by a lot? If you play an instrument for two months, that can happen. Playing an instrument has so many benefits that you did not know, just like above.
Hand-eye coordination is one of the benefits that playing an instrument has on you. Playing instruments like piano, violin, guitar, viola, cello, bass, flute, trumpet, and more can all help you improve daily tasks by preparing you for real-life playing these instruments. Plus, all the devices make beautiful sounds that everyone likes to hear and listen to repeatedly.
Playing an instrument is also a sport. You can compete with others to win the first chair and be recognized as a professional performer. Sometimes when you first start playing, you get attached and continue playing and decide to have it as an all-time job and can play in the philharmonic and so much more.
Playing an instrument can also help you take tests and solve problems you would need to learn to do without it. It can help with strategic planning and learning things you never knew. This allows a lot of kids when they are studying for a test they need to take.
Learning an instrument will also help you with learning another language of to learn how to read another language because when you know notes for a song, you are sight reading and are learning a language that is specific for that instrument and will help you understand things fast, like typing reading learning and speed for your brain. Insteremts help carve your brain to be sharper and brighter while learning something you never knew before.
Lastly, it is something that most people enjoy doing because they are learning something that makes them more intelligent and has a great time in the process of learning.
In conclusion, playing an instrument is so much fun, has many benefits while you play, and can apply it to real life.
Airpods Should Not Be Allowed In Class
By Simone Simantob
Do you have AirPods? If so, are you allowed to use them in school? If you are, this can be a handy tool and can zone you out from the task you are supposed to do.
One reason is that it can detract you from the task at hand. Having a device in your ears can distract you from learning a lesson. Many people use AirPods to listen to music, but the music can contain inappropriate lyrics that can disrupt the scholar from working peacefully. Let alone something in your ears; air pod pros are noise canceling and can make you enter your little world. In class is the time to learn not to listen to music that the teacher does not even know what you are listening to.
Another factor that makes air pods terrible is that when it connects to your phone, you can listen to anything you want, like something to help you cheat on a test or a non-school-appropriate podcast. And you can do all of this without your teacher knowing. Not only are the kids not getting educated this way, but this will not help them in life because if you have an important meeting. When you are there, listening to music covered by your hair is a sign that you need to be made aware of your surroundings and need to be more careful about what time to put them in and take them out of your ears.
We are creating a generation of kids who can cheat and get everything quickly. So now that almost every kid in a school has AirPods, there is a more likelihood of kids being caught cheating on a test and the chance that the Airpods encourage the kids to use them when they are not supposed to.
In conclusion, air pods are disruptive devices that can be used for several bad things and not that much good in school. So better keep them at home!
The Drinking Age Should Be Lower
By Daria Serheyeva
The U.S. has one of the highest legal drinking ages in the world, twenty-one years. No one younger than that is supposed to be consuming alcohol, but it happens, especially in the company of friends or family. The legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen because it would be the same as in many other countries, might make drinking less tempting for teens, and make the age of majority and drinking age the same.
Firstly, according to World Population Review, most countries in the world do not have a minimum age when people can consume alcohol but do have a minimum age for alcohol purchase. Many of those countries’ legal purchase age is eighteen, and it does not affect people there much. Overall, it would make the U.S. more similar to other countries, not affecting too much.
Secondly, underage drinking is already a problem in the U.S., and lowering the legal age might even stop some people from consuming alcohol. Illegal drinking is tempting not just because of the drinks themselves but also because it is prohibited. People often enjoy doing things that are not allowed, and by making some drinking legal from eighteen years of age, some teens might lose interest in it.
Lower drinking age can cause even more teens to consume alcohol since they would be allowed to do it. While that may be true, the age when a person is considered an adult is eighteen years, which implies that they have at least some responsibility to make wise decisions, and it would be logical to have the same legal drinking age. Since eighteen is the age of the majority, making it the drinking age would simplify everything and make the age more significant. All adults being allowed to drink is more uncomplicated and shows that the word “adult” has importance.
In conclusion, the drinking age being eighteen would make the U.S. more similar to other countries, could make some teens lose interest in drinking, and make the age of majority more significant. It would only affect a little while, making some things more straightforward.
Dress Codes Are Well Intentioned But Not Needed
by Erin Han
Dress codes in middle schools have been a big topic of debate for many years. While some schools argue that dress codes promote a safe and appropriate learning environment, there are many reasons why they should not matter or be a big deal of argument.
Firstly, dress codes can be a source of stress and anxiety for some students, particularly those who may not be able to afford new clothing or be targeted for their clothing choices. This can make some students feel inadequate and create a hostile classroom atmosphere.
Additionally, dress codes can be challenging to keep up consistently, leading to confusion and frustration for teachers and students. This could create some sense of unfairness and can cause students to feel like they are being targeted for the clothing choices they make.
Furthermore, some schools that have uniforms can reinforce gender stereotypes and can be particularly harmful to students who do not conform to traditional gender norms. For example, a dress code that requires girls to wear skirts or dresses can be particularly harmful to transgender or gender-nonconforming students, who might feel uncomfortable or unsafe in such clothing.
Finally, dress codes could be a big distraction from the learning environment and can take away from the main focus of school, academics, and learning. Instead of spending time and resources enforcing dress codes, schools could focus on providing more academic support or more variety of activities for students.
Overall, dress codes may be well-intentioned, but they can often create negative consequences for students and may not be necessary for middle schools.
The Leggings Review
By Ariela Tehrani
Many people have switched from Lululemon to Alo, but why? Well, there can be many reasons this has started to happen, and I can explain some to you.
The first reason people have been making this switch is Lululemon's quality. Many of their pants have started to peel all around in all areas. For example, on your leggings, it looks like lint is all over your pants, but they are just peeling instead. However, you can take your pants back to get a new pair if something happens to them. However, why would you keep returning whenever something like this happens?
On the other hand, Alo is much different. Alo is about the same price as Lululemon items, except the quality is better. My experience with Alo has been great (no peeling involved). Not only is the quality of their leggings good, but also with any other product, especially the sweaters/jackets.
Quality-wise, Alo is the better buy, but how about color and style-wise? Lulu has so many pretty colors, from lip gloss to diamond dye. Each one of their colors is bright, unique, and fun. They also use darker colors but end up using them more expertly. On the other hand, Alo uses softer and more pure colors, infinity blue, lettuce, sugarplum pink, and macadamia. Each brand has similar types of colors, but just not the same "color." Although all the colors seem similar, each brand is helpful for something else. Lululemons colors pop, and Alo's can be worn all the time. Alo is the more straightforward option regarding the colors, in any case.
Alo is likely the better buy quality-wise, while Lululemon is color-wise. Nevertheless, Alo is better because you get cute colors and better quality.
Animal Testing Has to be Stopped
by Grace Alexander
More than 50 million animals a year are being used. Animals have to stop being tested. According to the Humane Society International, animals used in experiments are usually subjected to forced feeding, deprivation of food and water, burns, and other injuries to study the healing process, and infliction of pain to study its effects and remedies. Scientists could also test vaccines on human volunteers instead of animals. 94% of drugs undergoing animal testing fail in human clinical trials. According to neurologist Aysha Akhtar, MD, MPH, more than 100 effective stroke drugs in animal studies have failed in humans. Animals can get very sick from all the chemicals they get tested with. Animal testing helps humans to tell if it is safe, but most of the time, they need to be more accurate and harm humans. Animals are often killed after an experiment. Many people do not realize that animals can feel pain, but they are sentient beings and most definitely can. They should not be treated so poorly! Animals should not be treated like objects. There are more ways to find out if a product is good by not having to use animals.
Source: Animal Testing
Kids and Students Need to Read
By Simone Simantob
When you were in elementary school, I bet that you had a reading log that you would have to fill out. The time, the date, and you would have for at least thirty minutes. I bet at least ⅔ of the people reading this faked their log.
There are alternatives to reading logs. Reading is one of the most important things people can do however kids are bored by reading a book they hate every day, so reading a book that the school gives you based on your reading level would be a better option. To ensure that kids are reading to improve fluency and comprehension, teachers should read with their students daily so they can see that adults also read. Kids should be accountable for reading, so writing about it is the best to show that the reading task has been completed.
The more students read and find books they like, the more likely they will succeed. If kids find the books they want, studies show that the kids who graduated in the top ten percent of their class were avid readers who would finish about two books monthly.
Students should be able to read in school as well as at home. Although a reading log is a way for kids to show they have been reading, it should not be necessary.
Passing Periods Between Classes Must be Longer
By Isabella Miller
Passing periods at BVMS are four minutes long, which should allow for visits to the bathroom and locker which is not enough time.
In school, we have to carry heavy backpacks; at the end of the year, some people have scoliosis or back problems. We all got lockers to place our backpacks inside, but there needed to be more time to get the stuff we needed for our class and then go to our class all in four minutes, so we were not forced but had to carry our backpacks around.
Whenever we need to use the restroom, our teachers always say, ‘’That is what passing period is for’’. In four minutes, going from the 1st floor B building to the 3rd for D building takes a while, and we do get punished for having too many tardies, so we do not have time to use the restroom or get a sip of water.
Seven minutes is the right amount of time to go to the restroom or our locker so we will have time to do what we need to do, and there is no excuse for missing 4-6 minutes of class time for a restroom break. Some of our lockers are on the first floor. Putting in our code, unlocking the locker, looking through our backpacks to see what we need, and getting to class on time are impossible. This is why the passing periods need to be longer.
In conclusion, the passing periods only need to be longer by 2-3 minutes! Furthermore, if we have seven minutes, the teachers will most likely have the right to say no when we ask to use the restroom. This solution is a win, win for the teachers as well as the students.
Kids Should Get Paid To Do Chores
By Simone Simantob
Do you have parents who do not pay you for your chores? This should change because getting paid to do chores will prepare you for a real-life job and make the kids stop begging their parents for something they will not get when they can pay for it themselves. This also motivates the kids to do more chores based on their money allowance.
Firstly, this will prepare the kids for real-life jobs because, when they start their job, they will know how to take care of their money and build stamina for doing what they need to do in the time they are supposed to do it. Money can also be used as a motivational tool to make the kids more excited about their job and prepare them to be consistent in their job in high school or college. This will also show how kids can take care of themselves and, for their excellent work ethics, get paid or rewarded for things that make them happy. As they say, "You get out what you put in."
Secondly, it motivates the kids. Parents might stop doing the chores themselves because the kids are motivated to work to get money. So the parents will have time to do things for themselves rather than have to do the chores that they never want to do. Moreover, having the kids, do it increasingly makes them better at the skill they might have just started. As time passes, the next thing you know is that they will be doing without money because it is a habit, and they are just used to what they are supposed to do.
Thirdly, it will make the parents stop buying you things they do not want to buy for you so you can buy them yourself. This always allows the kids to be independent and manage their money best. This is a good thing because when they are older, they will have to manage their money alone and will not have a parent to manage them. So you better start now to take on caring for your belongings.
In conclusion, kids should get paid for doing chores, preparing them for the fantastic future ahead of them.
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