Share your final investigative piece here. Then take some time to read through your classmates' articles. Comment on 2 or 3. Read as many as you can during class.
Homeschool or Public School? There is a big question about whether a parent should send their child to public school, or homeschool them. In fact, it is among the top education question parents ask. Parents sometimes fight about it brutally, as if it’s the hunger games and the question is the arena, while other parents are their opponents.
Some people are skeptical to homeschool their child, because they fear that their communication skills won’t be as good as a person’s should be. But in reality, according to www.home-school.com, students who were homeschooled proved to be better than the average child at social skills, communication, and daily life.
Research also showed that homeschooled students had a higher college graduation rate than public schooled kids. For seniors who were homeschooled it was a 3.46 percentile rate, while public schooled kids had a 3.16 percent. Public students typically tested in at a 50 percent over all subtests (a smaller test that is part of a larger test), where homeschooled kids had an 86 percent.
Educational Resources Information Center found that homeschool academic achievements were higher. In grades one through four, homeschoolers scored a grade higher than they were in when they were tested.
“I send my child to public school but understand why you would want to homeschool,” one parent said. They went on to explain that this was because you don’t have to worry about them being taught about something you don’t believe in, and you don’t have to worry as much about bullying or what they might hear from the other kids.
But when asked, a homeschooler said that they “just wanted to get out and see the world”. So even though homeschooled students prove to have higher academic achievements and they tend to be better with basic social skills, they sometimes wind up feeling boxed in. They are also occasionally taught math in a way that’s not taught anymore, or they might be taught something in another subject that had been proven false, their parent or guardian just wasn’t aware of it. In the end, it depends on you and your student. How will they be more successful?
I like that you gave the facts on the topic without adding any unnecessary bias. I also like the ending because it lets the reader make a decision on the topic using the information you have given. It is very well written.
Your article i s really good! I like how you end with with the question "How will they be more successful?" It really sums up that it depends on the individual student and parent.
Your article is really really good! It presents both sides of the argument really well making no bias in the article. I also like how it includes the parents and the students in the article.
The Essential Ideas of Animal Abuse: If a dog was being kicked on the side of the road, what would any human do? After researching animal abuse, this reporter found one thing that is for certain about animal abuse, it is not a subject that is based solely on fact. Part of researching animal abuse is guessing and predicting, but people’s guesses and predictions about it can be very realistic. The fact about animal abuse is that many people don’t even know what it is. Animal abuse is the infliction by omission or commission by humans of suffering or harm upon any non-human animal, regardless of whether the act is against the law or not. To put it simply, it is to cause pain or suffering to non-human animals in any way shape or form. Sadly, other questions about animal abuse are not as easily answered as that. The most complicated fact or question about animal abuse is “Why do people do it?”, or “Why do people abuse animals?”. The answers to these questions aren’t clear, but there are many theories. First of all, there are three main reasons; people don’t realize that what they are doing is abuse, they are getting pressured into it or they aren’t thinking, and/or they hurt the animals on purpose because they enjoy it or it makes them feel powerful. There are many other reasons people abuse animals such as, they have a psychological disorder, the human has been abused themselves so they do it to animals, or they just don’t like animals. Also, the human might fear being attacked by the animal or because the animal isn’t behaving the way the human wants it to. As you can tell, each reason is as good as the next. This reporter finds animal abuse an interesting topic to research. To sum up, animal abuse is as unestablished as the rules of the Hunger Games.
Students around the country struggle through classes restless and unable to concentrate. Health problems are common and many people aren’t living up to their full potential. One factor could change all of these things: standing desks. However, these desks are not easy to get. Standing desks help students focus much better. Imagine you’re sitting in your desk. Your feet are in the small area underneath. You cross your legs, uncross them, tap your feet. The teacher is talking about your upcoming test and you know you should listen, but you just can’t. You’ve been sitting for six and a half hours. You pick up your pencil and tap it on your desk. Finally you can’t take it anymore. You raise your hand and ask to go to the bathroom, just so you have a chance to stand up and walk. This is the story of so many students. They want to pay attention, and know they should, but they’re to restless. Standing up is considered a distraction and is not allowed. Standing desks are proven to improve classroom engagement. They increase oxygen flow to the brain, which improves attention. It causes better behavior and less distraction. Another major benefit of standing desks is student’s health. They increase blood flow, burn calories, and help with processing nutrients. Sitting for long periods of time causes many health problems, such as neck and lower back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. “Sitting is the new smoking,” said one student who prefers to remain unnamed for fear of retaliation from the multi-billion dollar chair industry. Academic performance is another gain that occurs when switching to standing desks. Research shows that more movement correlates with high test scores. Studies prove that physical activity strengthens learning and improves memory. It also improves overall understanding. The only problem with standing desks is that they cost all lot. Each desk is approximately 200-600 dollars. If one desk is bought for each student, they would cost schools hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are some grants and donations that could decrease cost, but the price is still unreasonable for many schools. Standing desks improve learning, concentration, and health, but they’re definitely not cheap. Is it worth it?
Every year millions of college graduates in the United States pay large amounts of money to reduce off their college loans. Some paying tens of thousands of dollars! This can be very difficult and stressful. College is very expensive, the average cost for just one year is about $37,000! Some graduates have debt for decades, up to 30 years. Students and their parents can have a very hard time paying this amount of money. For some paying off their debt is like making pigs fly. However, there are many different ways to try to solve this problem, one being scholarships.
Some solutions to college debt are getting scholarships, working during college, and lowering your living expenses. First, working during college can help you make some money to pay off your debt, but this can be very stressful combined with school and severely limit time to do school work. Next, you can lower your living expensive to save money, however this can also be hard. It requires spending less money and buying less things you want. Finally, scholarships can really help reduce the amount of money you will have to pay, there are many different scholarships. Some just give a little money but others, full ride scholarships, can pay for all of your college expenses. One downside is that scholarships are hard to get, you must work very hard in high school and other events.
In conclusion, paying for college is a big issue but there are multiple ways to help solve it. These ways include: working during college, lowering living expenses, and finally, the one that will probably help the most, scholarships.
Minimum Wage Minimum wage is a debated topic in the American economy. Minimum wage is the minimal amount of money a person is required to pay another for work per hour. There is a federal minimum wage, and no state can have a lesser minimum wage the the federal government requires. But, states are allowed to have it highered or keep it the same. Twenty-nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia have higher minimum wages than the federal minimum wage, which is seven dollars and twenty-five cents. A study from Ball State University found that when in 2007-2009, when the minimum wage rose by 40%, there were 550,000 fewer part time jobs, as a result. Another study at Miami and Trinity University showed that in the increase in 2007-2009, there were 6.9% less employed teens. Overall, solving minimum wage is like figuring out rocket science.
After twelve years of schooling you would think you are prepared for college and adult life. Yet some students have complained about not being taught necessary life skills that they might use on a daily basis after high school. Many students have said that they weren’t taught financial skills, such as balancing a checkbook, investing, or even learning how to set up saving accounts, as well as being educated on proper healthcare and health insurance. Also, students aren’t learning the many steps to applying and being interviewed for a job. These are basic skills adults use all the time. Most likely, students will be applying for a job after high school so they should know all the steps that go into it and the proper way to prepare.Teachers have argued that students are offered FACS classes. However, not all students think that far ahead and think to take those classes when offered. Not all students are super focused on life after high school. Like the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. The teachers aren’t completely to blame, some of the blame goes to the students. They do get a choice on what electives to take throughout high school. Some schools are now making those classes mandatory for high schoolers, but not all schools are able to make that change. Overall, schools should make decisions if FACS classes should remain optional or become mandatory for students.
From the moment that a high school student graduates, he or she will almost immediately think of college. The last four years have been spent studying and working hard to make money. You anxiously wait and spend your time choosing your major and moving into your dorm. Finally, the time arrives when you begin your college experience that will change your life forever. All is right in the world, until you see your admission fee. Suddenly you realize that you may not be as prepared as you thought you were. You may feel as though you have just gotten to the Magic Kingdom but you have spent all of your money elsewhere. Unless, you turn to a student loan.
Most college students find themselves in a similar situation. In fact, 71% of college students from four year colleges have received student loans to help pay for their college tuition. A student loan is money that the student borrows from the college that they are attending and must pay back later with interest.
Some of these college students have been forced to get student loans for a couple reasons. First, their parents might not be able to support their child by paying some of the college fees. Next, the student may not have been eligible for an academic or athletic scholarship.
Student loans have helped college students substantially, yet nearly all of the college students who had a student loan left college in debt. According to a study, Americans alone owe $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. On average, students who graduated with debt were able to fully compensate for the cost of college in ten years. Despite that, one of the main reasons for students dropping out of college is money-related.
Whether or not student loans are really necessary to pay for college, I cannot say, however there are convincing arguments that college students are paying too much and other arguments that say college students pay the right amount.
Are Sports Too Hard On Kids? Paige Edwards Are youth athletics too intense and rough on the kids? This question is popping up everywhere right now. Too many practices? Are they too long? How about the length of the season? When I asked my coach about his ideal season would be, he said four months with around twelve tournaments. When I asked a teammate they said three months with only around seven tournaments.
Injuries are also coming up everywhere whether it’s overuse or an actual accidental injury but either way parents and players have agreed it’s getting to be too much, while coaches seem to believe it’s just a time in life and to work through it.
All in all, this situation is like a Packer fan and a Vikings fan, coaches and players may never agree.
Battle Scars The U.S. has let 122 refugees from North Korea into the U.S. from 2004 to 2014. Just to reach a different country these refugees have to travel at least 3,000 miles.
My grandmother escaped from North Korea. It was a very sad and scary experience for her. Her family was very wealthy until the Japanese took control of North Korea. One of my interviews with her was about her being home alone and Japanese soldiers coming into her house and raiding it. These soldiers destroyed and stole things while she sat in a closet.
One of the things my grandmother did not have to face was escaping to China. Many refugees that escape to China end up becoming victims of sexual assault by Chinese men and women which can lead to human trafficking. If they are able to get a job the working conditions are poor and they make little money. Since they make very little money that means they can’t pay to leave China. The longer they stay the more likely they will be deported back to North Korea.
These refugees go through many hardships but we only meet them after they get the scars of these horrors. These refugees are very brave, like a bird defending it’s nest. These people need a safe place to live, no fear of being themselves, and to be treated like a human.
I thought this article was very interesting. I like your title because it drew me in very quickly, even after a quick glance. One thing I would change is instead of saying "one of my interviews with her," you could say something like "one thing my grandma mentioned was that..." because it doesn't sound as jumbled together in the sentence.
I like your article a lot, Carol. Your title really got me interested, and I liked that you talked to a specific person who you know and didn't just get information from random people you don't know.
Most schools have recently been incorporating more technology into their curriculums, but is it always a good thing?
The two students that I interviewed both said that they think technology helps them learn in school. On the other hand, they said it should be used less. One of the students even said, “I think it hurts more than it helps.”
Then, I asked a teacher for her opinion. Her response was a little bit different. She said, “ Technology helps students learn as long as it doesn’t completely replace the teachers.” She also thinks that the amount of technology that should be used depends more on the class.
Technology can greatly help an education or distract the student from learning. I think that finding the right amount of technology will be like finding a needle in a haystack! One thing that I did learn though, is that people have a lot of different opinions!
Professional athletes make a lot of money and most people know it. In the NFL, the average player gets paid about 2.4 million dollars per year. The average income for a household in the U.S. is 54,000 dollars. Based on what this reporter has learned there is one big question, are athletes paid too much or is it just right?
As fans, we don’t have to go to the games or buy the player's jersey, but we still choose to anyway which plays a role in how much a player gets paid. Another reason a player gets paid so much is because insurance companies don’t want to insure a player because they have a high risk of injury. Without insurance, even a very minor injury can cost a lot which is another factor in why athletes get paid so much.
In many people’s minds, it may not seem right, but there are several good reasons for why they are paid so much. On the other hand it may seem like people who are not pro athletes don’t get paid enough. Maybe if people stopped watching the teams and buying things from them they would not make as much money. But can you really put a price on someone that you look up to? This reporter is not sure there is a good solution to this.
Gender Stereotypes: The Effect On Today’s Generations
It’s almost impossible to avoid gender stereotypes: boys associated with the color blue and girls with pink. Boys being expected to have an interest in the more labor intensive tasks, and girls are to tend to the more domestic tasks. It’s no doubt that gender stereotypes still exist in this modern day and age, but how do they affect today’s generation? After referring to some of the eighth grade students at Bartels Middle School, our discussions revealed that a vast amount of women and girls are bothered by the gender stereotypes today, and are an immense challenge for them to face.
There are as many gender stereotypes today as there are stars in the sky, according to the eighth graders. Stereotypes the female students report they face the most include being looked at differently or judged when they show an interest in sports considered to be more masculine, being pressured to act ladylike, being seen as crybabies, and thought of as overdramatic. They reported that these are negatively impacting their self esteem, causing them to believe that they aren’t the ideal female. They have also been impacted by these because since the young women were infants, these gender stereotypes have affected what they do, and what interests they have. “When I was little, instead of having action figures and video games, I had a play kitchen,” reports Maddie Sanderson. She believes that it led her to think women are to do the more domestic tasks, like cooking and cleaning, rather than to have an interest in the forces or the computer and video fields.
So, after recognizing these, what can be done to keep them from negatively impacting lives? Adeline Biehl proposes one simple idea: to get past what a person’s body looks and is like and focus on their personality. So simple, yet one of the hardest things to grasp onto still today.
The average college kid leaves college with a debt of $28,950 that is like buying a gold and diamond rolex watch.
There are many ways to pay for college. Some help could come from your parents or you might have to pay for it all. Some parents of college kids have different ways to save for college. To help their kid.
One way they might start saving to pay for college is with an educational fund. They could have started that fund when their child was very young. The reason they start so early saving for their kids college education is so that the kid has a good start to being independent and successful. This though, involves lots of planning on the parent's part.
Another thing the parents did to pay for college is to get the kid invested in what they are doing at college. To make sure of this happened they made the kid pay for the first and third year and they paid most of the second and fourth year. That way the their kid can not mess around too much.
College is expensive. Parents and kids can sometimes pay for it, but they can go into debt for awhile.
I like how you explained the ways that college can put you in debt and the solutions that people have created to stay out of debt. One thing I would change is your noun for "kid" because you say kid a lot when you could substitute it for "child" or some other word of sorts.
Homework. Many people have varying opinions on it. But, one of the most frequent complaints is the amount students are given. Some think and feel like Katniss in the arena. Some think there is too little. Others think that the amount of homework is okay. There is one question that ponders many minds. Does the amount of homework we have now help us in high school? I interviewed 4 freshman to answer this question.“I had a hard time getting my homework done. Between extracurriculars, homework and stuff I wanted to do it was extremely overwhelming.” said one. All had similar responses. “ Half of the time I didn’t get most of my homework done at night. I had a 8pm bedtime. I had to rush to get my stuff downstairs and finish when I was supposed to be asleep.” said another freshman. But all four agreed that the amount of homework was pretty consistent from 8th grade to their freshman year. “I learned to manage my time better because of 8th grade homework. Now I make time for my homework and the things I want to do.” So from the concluded information the high schoolers agreed the amount of homework in 8th grade was beneficial. But one of the students eyes got wider. “ In 8th grade I had 2-3 hours of homework every night. With all the stuff I had going on I stayed up to 11-12pm each night just to get it done. Between everything I was exhausted. People didn’t think that it was a big deal for me. But really I was extremely stressed.” I also interviewed 8th graders to get their perspective on the issue.”During the sports season homework gets overwhelming otherwise it’s not a big deal for me.” Others didn’t think the same. ”I almost don’t have enough time to get my homework done on regular nights. Then on the nights I have Reconciliation, I have to stay up really late to get it done.” Others had very similar responses. “When most classes pile up homework on the same night I get exhausted and stressed within a hour of starting.” From the information gathered with the 8th graders they thought the homework amount was too much. Overall there are many opinions on the amount of homework. Whether you think there is too much, too little, or just enough it is up to you to decide.
Sexuality is a very controversial topic that has many thoughts and opinions lying on it. Some believe you are born with your sexual preferences. Others believe they develop overtime. There is little to no evidence on how you get your preferences. Many members of the LGBTQ community, otherwise known as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Community have a rough time defining them through their “label” or otherwise known as sexuality. But they have a rougher time confessing to it, for they fear they may not be accepted by society for those they desire.
Yet, a person's sexuality is not the only thing that allows them to be in the Community, who they identify themselves as is also a factor. At least 697,529 adults or 0.3%, are transgender, meaning they feel as though their personal identity and gender does not correspond with their gender at birth. Culture and religious beliefs can affect this as well, and so can media, family, and friends. Everyone is attracted both mentally and physically to someone differently. Not only do looks play a big image in this, but personality and behavior do too.
Like a snowflake everyone is different. No matter who you are we all face hardships throughout our lives.
Depression and suicide. Two very overlooked topics. ‘Oh it’s just a phase. They’ll get over it.’ You may say. But the truth is. It’s not. Depression is a mental illness. Meaning that it affects the mind and thoughts. And if you aren’t careful that depressive phase could end in suicide. I’m sure you weren’t aware of the fact that around 44,193 americans die each year from suicide and I’m going to be honest, I had no idea either. And I’m sure that people who are suffering from this don’t realize depression is one of the most easily cured mental illnesses. Because thousands of people still die from it and none of them say anything most of the time. And maybe they don’t say anything because they’re scared. Scared of the judgement they may or may not get. So they suffer, even though they really shouldn’t have to. If you are worried about anyone look for the symptoms and don’t bother waiting for them to magically make themselves crystal clear in their thoughts. Waiting for symptoms of suicide is like waiting for an animal with symptoms of a terminal illness. You wouldn’t want to wait for them so why wait for people? When you look for the symptoms of you look for dramatic changes in personality, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleeping and eating habits, considering the idea of running away, frequently sick, plans to take life, and previous attempts to take life. And some of them might no be very easy to spot. Either way don’t just stop at noticing the symptoms though. Talk to them about it as soon as you can. At first it might seem awkward but in the long you could save someone’s life. ‘We just want someone to talk to. To know that someone cares about what happens to us.’ says anonymous. A very popular belief about depression is that it only affects females and sometimes males who seem to be weak and ‘girly’. But that is far from the truth. Although females may attempt suicide twice as often as males, males are four times more likely to succeed in taking their lives. But it might not have to be that way. Many lives have been saved by just a few words being spoken. Just a few words might make a difference. Who would’ve thought?
People all around the world have to leave their homes in fear of persecution. Refugees also have to face challenges when both fleeing and finding home in another country. Once they start to let go of everything they had lost, they still can face bigotry and severe racism. Refugees that follow Islam are like Jewish people during World War Two. Several countries have taken in these refugees such as the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, and Greece. The main focus is on the laws refugees have to follow to be granted admission into the United States.
First of all, what is a refugee? According to the USCIS, a refugee is a person who has fled his or her country of origin because of past oppression based on race, religion, nationality, etc... However, since the Refugee Act of 1980, some of the rules state that a refugee must be these to be considered one. Some include being located out of the United States requesting citizenship, being able to validate previous persecution or feared approaching it based on race, religion, etc., and is not currently settled in another country. Doing these simple, yet complicated rules will give you the rights to live in the United States.
Secondly, in recent news with the terrorist attacks in Europe and the major fleeing of Syria’s people has led Donald Trump to believe that we cannot let any refugees in because he thinks that they will start a terrorist attack in major cities across the country with cities such as Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston from terrorist organizations such ISIS and Al Qaeda. Since January 29th, 2017, U.S lawmakers and the President have started to make rules for the refugees from war-torn nations such as Syria(predominantly), Iraq and other majority Muslim countries. Some new laws talk about discrimination, criticism, and fairness. According to the New York Times, all of these rules have led the President into the travel ban of the United States. According to the Washington Post, there are now eight countries on United States Travel Ban, these include Syria, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Venezuela, North Korea, Chad, and Libya because of their rise in terrorism and threat to the United States. This news of the travel ban erupted the world and has worried many. John McCain says,”Mr. Trump’s new order was not properly vetted and that it could be seen as the United States turning its back on Muslims who have risked their lives as interpreters or the U.S.
Overall, since the Syrian Refugee Crisis, the U.S has changed its view on refugees. The laws will continue to be the same until lawmakers vote, but until then the travel ban will remain in place. These rules have protected people in Europe, let’s see if the U.S can have this happen too.
1.3 million people are in college debt and the number isn’t shrinking. New York Times wrote that in 1974 people used to pay (in today’s money) $2,500 for a public college and only $10,300 for a private college on average. This would make it so many could go to college at this time without a student loan.
Sadly college prices have around tripled from 1974. These prices have grown to $9,000 for a public school and $31,000 for a private college. This is dangerously high and could take many years to pay off.
Even though there are now more scholarships which can pay for you to go to college some say it isn’t enough. You still need to pay for food and a place to stay as well as supplies. Most need to go to college and scholarships could do more but as of right now it is a pointless as the bridge to nowhere. All in all is college doing enough?
What do you think about when you hear the words “boy” or “man?” How about the words “girl” or “woman”? Culture definitely helps people develop beliefs or stereotypes about genders. These stereotypes can change over time, influenced by a number of different factors. Many of the most commonly seen stereotypes involved the physical abilities of girls and boys. When my parents were younger, girls didn’t play sports as frequently as boys because there were fewer opportunities for girls. While boys started interscholastic sports in elementary school, many girls didn’t start until late middle school or high school. Today, while there are more opportunities for girls, my peers note that girls are still viewed as not tough enough and are teased about playing “boys” sports like football. Intelligence is another area in which there are gender stereotypes. Even though there’s no proof, a common message has been that boys are smarter than girls. A generation ago, my parents note that early on, girls were discouraged from pursuing advanced math or science education. Even now, some of my friends still feel that society assumes that boys are smarter than girls. However, girls are more encouraged and participate more often in science, technology, engineering, and math classes and activities. The importance of public image was a frequent topic in my interviews on gender stereotypes. Back in the day, my mom says that women who are beautiful and submissive were valued; and men were to be tough and overly emotional. Today, girls agree that they are expected to wear makeup and dress a certain way to be accepted or liked. A male friend of mine said though, that boys, too have become more concerned about their image, whether it’s athletic or preppy. The type of work that men and women do is often stereotyped. As my parents grew up, the belief was that men were the breadwinners and women stayed home to raise children and do housework. That has changed in their lifetime however, with more women working outside of the home and a better balance of domestic responsibilities. Earlier, many people felt that women can’t do physically demanding jobs and fewer had management or executive positions. These areas have improved as well though, there’s still room for improvement. As you can see, there are many types of gender stereotypes; some of which have changed overtime, and some of which have remained. My parents point out that equal employment legislation changed hiring practices, opening up more opportunities for women. Lastly, friends of mine say that media, especially social media, and technology have greatly influenced the importance of public image for both men and women. I hope that the positive changes that have occurred can be built upon and that individual expression can be encouraged.
You’re just watching tv, and then BAM, there’s a commercial for Quartz. “What the heck is a Quartz”, you think,” Isn’t that just a rock we learned about in 3rd grade?” Well it turns out that Quartz is one of the region's major health insurance providers.
Along with the other two major companies there has been a lot of changes in the health insurance scene lately, like a teen with mood swing. The first of the three is the aforementioned Quartz. Quartz is the a rebrand of Unity and Physicians Plus, which had combined to make it. The main hospital they cover is U.W. hospital and Meriter.
Secondly, we have some less confusing changes with Dean. You might say, ”Dean? Don’t you mean SSM health.” They haven’t had much clarity in their adds. However, contrary to popular belief, that is wrong. The Dean health insurance company didn’t change their name, but their clinics and hospitals are now SSM health, which is what dean largely covers.
Finally, have GHC (Group Health Cooperative) the one company that hasn't changed at all. The one thing that GHC did do was launch a massive ad campaign about how they haven’t had any major changes, and how they’re employee owned. The largely cover Meriter and that area.
In conclusion, there has been a lot of changes to the health insurance scene lately. Mostly to the three major companies. Even though there are around ten smaller companies in Wisconsin, but the most major changes happened to some of the big ones. It’s always useful to get up to date on the health insurance scene. After all, it pays to know your provider.
It was 8 o’clock and Collin was racing to his backpack. He turned the corner from his hare tile floors to a fake wooden accent. While running he stubbed his toe on the transition tile but it wasn’t going to hold him back. He raced through the next hallway nad did a 360 as he grabbed his backpack. After he grabbed his backpack Collin raced towards the overstuffed brown couch and began his five hour journey of homework with his trusty bag of M&Ms.
Most students of Bartles Middle Schools hear everyday. A recent discovery shows that most 9th graders have over three hours of homework per day with only four assignments. This means that they spend over 45 minutes per assignment. That amount is less than what 8th graders have. 8th graders only have three assignments but it takes two and a half hours. This means that 8th graders have to work 50 minutes or more per assignment. 7th graders on the other hand usually only get one assignment for one hour. This is more time per paper from 9th grade and 8th grade but less time overall. If you look at all of the grades you can see that 7th graders have the most hours per assignment, but 9th graders get the most homework. This study shows middle schoolers and high schoolers have a lot of homework. Another reason is that most students have a lot to do once school ends. It;s just like the ending of a major war. You might have won and are now happy but now have to fix everything after the celebration. This can be sports, clubs, dates, dances, and more. With this much going on with after school activities will usually never finish all of their homework or will have to randomly,”write down an answer or accept defeat”, Bartel Students.
Teachers are the people who help form the next generation. They spend their whole careers trying to better the life of the children they teach. Teachers spend many hours inside and outside the classroom working hard at their job however, in some cases they don't’ get paid for all of those hours. If we were to raise the salaries for teachers, it would have a huge financial impact on the taxpayers. Education is already one of the largest areas of state spending. Most teachers go to school between 4 and 5 years and many have to take out student loans. With how much they make a year compared to how much debt they have from college, it would take years to pay off. However, Americans already have to pay so much of their hard earned money towards taxes. If tax payers were asked to pay more it would be like taking a bone away from a dog. Also, teachers have to deal with kids who have desire to learn and are disrespectful. Teachers have to adjust the way they teach in many ways to accommodate for certain children. However, many people would say that you have to face many struggles in any job you have. Overall, teachers spend many hours in and outside of classroom working and don’t get paid for all of the hours. However, if we were to raise their salary, it would play a huge financial toll on the taxpayers of our society.
You do You! By: Ella Briggs According to gender stereotypes, women don’t need college and men are lazy and messy. These are just two of the many gender stereotypes in our society. A few of the most mentioned ones are that women can be nurses, but not doctors, or men do the heavy lifting, but women do the less labor intensive work. People worry about these things like a chipped nail on a brand new manicure.
In general terms, women wouldn’t do the heavy lifting, but that didn’t matter when they worked on a farm, or in other similar situations. If the family needed help, they got it whether it was from the boys or the girls.
Nowadays, these stereotypes are starting to change. Women are becoming lawyers or construction workers. Men are becoming teachers.
It seems that these stereotypes are all starting to change, but it’s in the hands of the people, whether they become a part of our society, or a thing of the past.
Harassment On the Streets --------------------------------------- Many people have heard the term catcalling, or street harassment. But it’s unknown to many how often it occurs on a day to day basis. According to a survey done by the Cornell University, numerous women experience this, with not all of them enjoying it.
Out of the women surveyed, 85% of them are familiar with street harassment and catcalling before the age of 17, and 67% were catcalled before the age of 14. Along with the 77% of the women under 40 encounter someone following them at some point in their life. And while the majority of women surveyed found catcalling as disgusting as orange juice and toothpaste together, 3% of the surveyees found catcalling to be flattering.
Meanwhile in Bartels Middle School, the majority of girls interviewed had not been catcalled. However, some did say it would make them uncomfortable if it were to ever happen to them. A lot of people also said that they would find it amusing.
In Bartels Middle School, street harassment isn’t a major issue for girls, but for other women it can be. According to the survey, many women get catcalled or endure street harassment. And seeing as most don’t appreciate it, it’s a wonder that street harassment is still going on at all.
Don’t Let Your Pet Be a Fish Out of Water Many people own or care for animals today. Some people are good at treating animals with care, but there is also a lot of the opposite. Certain things that are done to animals might not be something that is thought of as harmful, but could be or already is. According to the Wisconsin State Legislature, the treatment of any animal, whether owned or not, with cruelty or mistreatment of any kind is prohibited(Including wild animals). That doesn’t just include hitting or abusing them, it also includes things like providing enough food/water or shelter. With providing food they need to have enough to maintain a good health. Water needs to either be always accessible, or given daily in sufficient amounts to maintain a good health. With providing shelter keeping and maintaining a healthy temperature for the animal/animals is a priority. They need to be sheltered from extended amounts of sunlight. They also need a strong living structure with enough room for them to move around. Mistreating an animal isn’t always hitting/abusing them, there are many other ways. Even the way that they are punished. Something that seems so obvious can potentially harm an animal even if that’s not what it seems.
Should college players be paid? That’s the question that has been dominating headlines lately. Sometimes it seems that the debates go on and on like the capulets and the montagues.
College has become much more expensive. According to the college Board the average cost for college in the 2016-2017 school year was $33,480 for private colleges. The yearly tuition for in state residents of their college was $9,650. There’s also the argument that a college player’s schedule is very busy and long.
The average time a division one football athlete spends on practice is 6.4 hours a day. That’s not even counting that athletes travel and can’t work for a job or get school work done during that time. But there is another argument that athletes have scholarships to pay tuition.
A scholarship is nice to have but not everyone can have one. J.J. Watt one of the best NFL players today started his career at Wisconsin as a walk on. But most players who begin as a walk on and are good enough will earn a scholarship.
In conclusion, college players being paid is a hot topic and it doesn’t look like it won’t be anytime soon.
Homeschool or Public School?
ReplyDeleteThere is a big question about whether a parent should send their child to public school, or homeschool them. In fact, it is among the top education question parents ask. Parents sometimes fight about it brutally, as if it’s the hunger games and the question is the arena, while other parents are their opponents.
Some people are skeptical to homeschool their child, because they fear that their communication skills won’t be as good as a person’s should be. But in reality, according to www.home-school.com, students who were homeschooled proved to be better than the average child at social skills, communication, and daily life.
Research also showed that homeschooled students had a higher college graduation rate than public schooled kids. For seniors who were homeschooled it was a 3.46 percentile rate, while public schooled kids had a 3.16 percent. Public students typically tested in at a 50 percent over all subtests (a smaller test that is part of a larger test), where homeschooled kids had an 86 percent.
Educational Resources Information Center found that homeschool academic achievements were higher. In grades one through four, homeschoolers scored a grade higher than they were in when they were tested.
“I send my child to public school but understand why you would want to homeschool,” one parent said. They went on to explain that this was because you don’t have to worry about them being taught about something you don’t believe in, and you don’t have to worry as much about bullying or what they might hear from the other kids.
But when asked, a homeschooler said that they “just wanted to get out and see the world”. So even though homeschooled students prove to have higher academic achievements and they tend to be better with basic social skills, they sometimes wind up feeling boxed in. They are also occasionally taught math in a way that’s not taught anymore, or they might be taught something in another subject that had been proven false, their parent or guardian just wasn’t aware of it. In the end, it depends on you and your student. How will they be more successful?
I really liked how you cited your source and used a quote from a parent.
DeleteI like that you gave the facts on the topic without adding any unnecessary bias. I also like the ending because it lets the reader make a decision on the topic using the information you have given. It is very well written.
DeleteYour article i s really good! I like how you end with with the question "How will they be more successful?" It really sums up that it depends on the individual student and parent.
DeleteYour article is really really good! It presents both sides of the argument really well making no bias in the article. I also like how it includes the parents and the students in the article.
DeleteThe Essential Ideas of Animal Abuse:
ReplyDeleteIf a dog was being kicked on the side of the road, what would any human do? After researching animal abuse, this reporter found one thing that is for certain about animal abuse, it is not a subject that is based solely on fact. Part of researching animal abuse is guessing and predicting, but people’s guesses and predictions about it can be very realistic.
The fact about animal abuse is that many people don’t even know what it is. Animal abuse is the infliction by omission or commission by humans of suffering or harm upon any non-human animal, regardless of whether the act is against the law or not. To put it simply, it is to cause pain or suffering to non-human animals in any way shape or form. Sadly, other questions about animal abuse are not as easily answered as that.
The most complicated fact or question about animal abuse is “Why do people do it?”, or “Why do people abuse animals?”. The answers to these questions aren’t clear, but there are many theories. First of all, there are three main reasons; people don’t realize that what they are doing is abuse, they are getting pressured into it or they aren’t thinking, and/or they hurt the animals on purpose because they enjoy it or it makes them feel powerful. There are many other reasons people abuse animals such as, they have a psychological disorder, the human has been abused themselves so they do it to animals, or they just don’t like animals. Also, the human might fear being attacked by the animal or because the animal isn’t behaving the way the human wants it to. As you can tell, each reason is as good as the next.
This reporter finds animal abuse an interesting topic to research.
To sum up, animal abuse is as unestablished as the rules of the Hunger Games.
I really enjoyed your topic and liked that it did not include any bias, when it is a very serious topic. Good job!
DeleteShould Students Stand in School?
ReplyDeleteStudents around the country struggle through classes restless and unable to concentrate. Health problems are common and many people aren’t living up to their full potential. One factor could change all of these things: standing desks. However, these desks are not easy to get.
Standing desks help students focus much better. Imagine you’re sitting in your desk. Your feet are in the small area underneath. You cross your legs, uncross them, tap your feet. The teacher is talking about your upcoming test and you know you should listen, but you just can’t. You’ve been sitting for six and a half hours. You pick up your pencil and tap it on your desk. Finally you can’t take it anymore. You raise your hand and ask to go to the bathroom, just so you have a chance to stand up and walk. This is the story of so many students. They want to pay attention, and know they should, but they’re to restless.
Standing up is considered a distraction and is not allowed. Standing desks are proven to improve classroom engagement. They increase oxygen flow to the brain, which improves attention. It causes better behavior and less distraction.
Another major benefit of standing desks is student’s health. They increase blood flow, burn calories, and help with processing nutrients. Sitting for long periods of time causes many health problems, such as neck and lower back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. “Sitting is the new smoking,” said one student who prefers to remain unnamed for fear of retaliation from the multi-billion dollar chair industry.
Academic performance is another gain that occurs when switching to standing desks. Research shows that more movement correlates with high test scores. Studies prove that physical activity strengthens learning and improves memory. It also improves overall understanding.
The only problem with standing desks is that they cost all lot. Each desk is approximately 200-600 dollars. If one desk is bought for each student, they would cost schools hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are some grants and donations that could decrease cost, but the price is still unreasonable for many schools.
Standing desks improve learning, concentration, and health, but they’re definitely not cheap. Is it worth it?
I like your topic and how it doesn't show any bias. It's a good point and it made me think that kids should be able to stand.
DeleteThis is really interesting and it showed no bias at all but it still kind of made me think that I would want a desk like that.
DeleteThis a very interesting article, I think standing desks would be good as well. However, the price does seem a bit extreme.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCollege Financial Catastrophe
ReplyDeleteEvery year millions of college graduates in the United States pay large amounts of money to reduce off their college loans. Some paying tens of thousands of dollars! This can be very difficult and stressful. College is very expensive, the average cost for just one year is about $37,000! Some graduates have debt for decades, up to 30 years. Students and their parents can have a very hard time paying this amount of money. For some paying off their debt is like making pigs fly. However, there are many different ways to try to solve this problem, one being scholarships.
Some solutions to college debt are getting scholarships, working during college, and lowering your living expenses. First, working during college can help you make some money to pay off your debt, but this can be very stressful combined with school and severely limit time to do school work. Next, you can lower your living expensive to save money, however this can also be hard. It requires spending less money and buying less things you want. Finally, scholarships can really help reduce the amount of money you will have to pay, there are many different scholarships. Some just give a little money but others, full ride scholarships, can pay for all of your college expenses. One downside is that scholarships are hard to get, you must work very hard in high school and other events.
In conclusion, paying for college is a big issue but there are multiple ways to help solve it. These ways include: working during college, lowering living expenses, and finally, the one that will probably help the most, scholarships.
I agree college is too expensive. You make many good points in your article. Good Job!
DeleteGood transitional phrases between how you can reduce college expenses.
DeleteI like your title and how you included lots of detail.
DeleteMinimum Wage
ReplyDeleteMinimum wage is a debated topic in the American economy. Minimum wage is the minimal amount of money a person is required to pay another for work per hour. There is a federal minimum wage, and no state can have a lesser minimum wage the the federal government requires. But, states are allowed to have it highered or keep it the same. Twenty-nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia have higher minimum wages than the federal minimum wage, which is seven dollars and twenty-five cents. A study from Ball State University found that when in 2007-2009, when the minimum wage rose by 40%, there were 550,000 fewer part time jobs, as a result. Another study at Miami and Trinity University showed that in the increase in 2007-2009, there were 6.9% less employed teens. Overall, solving minimum wage is like figuring out rocket science.
I really like your analogy!
Delete
ReplyDeleteAre Students Prepared for Adult Life?
After twelve years of schooling you would think you are prepared for college and adult life. Yet some students have complained about not being taught necessary life skills that they might use on a daily basis after high school. Many students have said that they weren’t taught financial skills, such as balancing a checkbook, investing, or even learning how to set up saving accounts, as well as being educated on proper healthcare and health insurance. Also, students aren’t learning the many steps to applying and being interviewed for a job. These are basic skills adults use all the time. Most likely, students will be applying for a job after high school so they should know all the steps that go into it and the proper way to prepare.Teachers have argued that students are offered FACS classes. However, not all students think that far ahead and think to take those classes when offered. Not all students are super focused on life after high school. Like the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. The teachers aren’t completely to blame, some of the blame goes to the students. They do get a choice on what electives to take throughout high school. Some schools are now making those classes mandatory for high schoolers, but not all schools are able to make that change.
Overall, schools should make decisions if FACS classes should remain optional or become mandatory for students.
Your topic is super interesting! Good job
DeleteAre Students Paying too much for College?
ReplyDeleteFrom the moment that a high school student graduates, he or she will almost immediately think of college. The last four years have been spent studying and working hard to make money. You anxiously wait and spend your time choosing your major and moving into your dorm. Finally, the time arrives when you begin your college experience that will change your life forever. All is right in the world, until you see your admission fee. Suddenly you realize that you may not be as prepared as you thought you were. You may feel as though you have just gotten to the Magic Kingdom but you have spent all of your money elsewhere. Unless, you turn to a student loan.
Most college students find themselves in a similar situation. In fact, 71% of college students from four year colleges have received student loans to help pay for their college tuition. A student loan is money that the student borrows from the college that they are attending and must pay back later with interest.
Some of these college students have been forced to get student loans for a couple reasons. First, their parents might not be able to support their child by paying some of the college fees. Next, the student may not have been eligible for an academic or athletic scholarship.
Student loans have helped college students substantially, yet nearly all of the college students who had a student loan left college in debt. According to a study, Americans alone owe $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. On average, students who graduated with debt were able to fully compensate for the cost of college in ten years. Despite that, one of the main reasons for students dropping out of college is money-related.
Whether or not student loans are really necessary to pay for college, I cannot say, however there are convincing arguments that college students are paying too much and other arguments that say college students pay the right amount.
Awesome article, it really made me think.
DeleteI think this is a very interesting and important article. College does seem very hard to pay for and is hard problem to solve.
DeleteI agree with Jacob. It also shows no bias in the article. It was really good overall.
DeleteAre Sports Too Hard On Kids?
ReplyDeletePaige Edwards
Are youth athletics too intense and rough on the kids? This question is popping up everywhere right now. Too many practices? Are they too long? How about the length of the season? When I asked my coach about his ideal season would be, he said four months with around twelve tournaments. When I asked a teammate they said three months with only around seven tournaments.
Injuries are also coming up everywhere whether it’s overuse or an actual accidental injury but either way parents and players have agreed it’s getting to be too much, while coaches seem to believe it’s just a time in life and to work through it.
All in all, this situation is like a Packer fan and a Vikings fan, coaches and players may never agree.
That's a good point.
DeleteI like your analogy, Paige!
DeleteI also like your Analogy in your article.
DeleteBattle Scars
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. has let 122 refugees from North Korea into the U.S. from 2004 to 2014. Just to reach a different country these refugees have to travel at least 3,000 miles.
My grandmother escaped from North Korea. It was a very sad and scary experience for her. Her family was very wealthy until the Japanese took control of North Korea. One of my interviews with her was about her being home alone and Japanese soldiers coming into her house and raiding it. These soldiers destroyed and stole things while she sat in a closet.
One of the things my grandmother did not have to face was escaping to China. Many refugees that escape to China end up becoming victims of sexual assault by Chinese men and women which can lead to human trafficking. If they are able to get a job the working conditions are poor and they make little money. Since they make very little money that means they can’t pay to leave China. The longer they stay the more likely they will be deported back to North Korea.
These refugees go through many hardships but we only meet them after they get the scars of these horrors. These refugees are very brave, like a bird defending it’s nest. These people need a safe place to live, no fear of being themselves, and to be treated like a human.
This is a really good point. I never really knew much about this because the general news doesn't cover this highly important comment.
DeleteI like your story and your title.
DeleteI thought this article was very interesting. I like your title because it drew me in very quickly, even after a quick glance. One thing I would change is instead of saying "one of my interviews with her," you could say something like "one thing my grandma mentioned was that..." because it doesn't sound as jumbled together in the sentence.
DeleteI like your article a lot, Carol. Your title really got me interested, and I liked that you talked to a specific person who you know and didn't just get information from random people you don't know.
DeleteDo schools use the right amount of technology?
ReplyDeleteMost schools have recently been incorporating more technology into their curriculums, but is it always a good thing?
The two students that I interviewed both said that they think technology helps them learn in school. On the other hand, they said it should be used less. One of the students even said, “I think it hurts more than it helps.”
Then, I asked a teacher for her opinion. Her response was a little bit different. She said, “ Technology helps students learn as long as it doesn’t completely replace the teachers.” She also thinks that the amount of technology that should be used depends more on the class.
Technology can greatly help an education or distract the student from learning. I think that finding the right amount of technology will be like finding a needle in a haystack! One thing that I did learn though, is that people have a lot of different opinions!
Pro Athlete Salaries
ReplyDeleteProfessional athletes make a lot of money and most people know it. In the NFL, the average player gets paid about 2.4 million dollars per year. The average income for a household in the U.S. is 54,000 dollars. Based on what this reporter has learned there is one big question, are athletes paid too much or is it just right?
As fans, we don’t have to go to the games or buy the player's jersey, but we still choose to anyway which plays a role in how much a player gets paid. Another reason a player gets paid so much is because insurance companies don’t want to insure a player because they have a high risk of injury. Without insurance, even a very minor injury can cost a lot which is another factor in why athletes get paid so much.
In many people’s minds, it may not seem right, but there are several good reasons for why they are paid so much. On the other hand it may seem like people who are not pro athletes don’t get paid enough. Maybe if people stopped watching the teams and buying things from them they would not make as much money. But can you really put a price on someone that you look up to? This reporter is not sure there is a good solution to this.
Ture I don't know if they are paid to much
DeleteI like the information that you included on the topic. It explained it really well.
DeleteGender Stereotypes: The Effect On Today’s Generations
ReplyDeleteIt’s almost impossible to avoid gender stereotypes: boys associated with the color blue and girls with pink. Boys being expected to have an interest in the more labor intensive tasks, and girls are to tend to the more domestic tasks. It’s no doubt that gender stereotypes still exist in this modern day and age, but how do they affect today’s generation? After referring to some of the eighth grade students at Bartels Middle School, our discussions revealed that a vast amount of women and girls are bothered by the gender stereotypes today, and are an immense challenge for them to face.
There are as many gender stereotypes today as there are stars in the sky, according to the eighth graders. Stereotypes the female students report they face the most include being looked at differently or judged when they show an interest in sports considered to be more masculine, being pressured to act ladylike, being seen as crybabies, and thought of as overdramatic. They reported that these are negatively impacting their self esteem, causing them to believe that they aren’t the ideal female. They have also been impacted by these because since the young women were infants, these gender stereotypes have affected what they do, and what interests they have. “When I was little, instead of having action figures and video games, I had a play kitchen,” reports Maddie Sanderson. She believes that it led her to think women are to do the more domestic tasks, like cooking and cleaning, rather than to have an interest in the forces or the computer and video fields.
So, after recognizing these, what can be done to keep them from negatively impacting lives? Adeline Biehl proposes one simple idea: to get past what a person’s body looks and is like and focus on their personality. So simple, yet one of the hardest things to grasp onto still today.
Great article, love how it doesn't show any bias.
DeleteVery nicely written! You had a good analogy.
DeleteNice analogy. Bravo, Gretchen, Bravo!!!!
DeleteI really like how you wrote this. It sound really good!
DeleteIs college too expensive?
ReplyDeleteThe average college kid leaves college with a debt of $28,950 that is like buying a gold and diamond rolex watch.
There are many ways to pay for college. Some help could come from your parents or you might have to pay for it all. Some parents of college kids have different ways to save for college. To help their kid.
One way they might start saving to pay for college is with an educational fund. They could have started that fund when their child was very young. The reason they start so early saving for their kids college education is so that the kid has a good start to being independent and successful. This though, involves lots of planning on the parent's part.
Another thing the parents did to pay for college is to get the kid invested in what they are doing at college. To make sure of this happened they made the kid pay for the first and third year and they paid most of the second and fourth year. That way the their kid can not mess around too much.
College is expensive. Parents and kids can sometimes pay for it, but they can go into debt for awhile.
You have many good points in this article, and I love your lead. Good Job!
DeleteI like how you explained the ways that college can put you in debt and the solutions that people have created to stay out of debt. One thing I would change is your noun for "kid" because you say kid a lot when you could substitute it for "child" or some other word of sorts.
DeleteHomework: Is the Amount Right?
ReplyDeleteHomework. Many people have varying opinions on it. But, one of the most frequent complaints is the amount students are given. Some think and feel like Katniss in the arena. Some think there is too little. Others think that the amount of homework is okay. There is one question that ponders many minds. Does the amount of homework we have now help us in high school? I interviewed 4 freshman to answer this question.“I had a hard time getting my homework done. Between extracurriculars, homework and stuff I wanted to do it was extremely overwhelming.” said one. All had similar responses. “ Half of the time I didn’t get most of my homework done at night. I had a 8pm bedtime. I had to rush to get my stuff downstairs and finish when I was supposed to be asleep.” said another freshman. But all four agreed that the amount of homework was pretty consistent from 8th grade to their freshman year. “I learned to manage my time better because of 8th grade homework. Now I make time for my homework and the things I want to do.” So from the concluded information the high schoolers agreed the amount of homework in 8th grade was beneficial. But one of the students eyes got wider. “ In 8th grade I had 2-3 hours of homework every night. With all the stuff I had going on I stayed up to 11-12pm each night just to get it done. Between everything I was exhausted. People didn’t think that it was a big deal for me. But really I was extremely stressed.” I also interviewed 8th graders to get their perspective on the issue.”During the sports season homework gets overwhelming otherwise it’s not a big deal for me.” Others didn’t think the same. ”I almost don’t have enough time to get my homework done on regular nights. Then on the nights I have Reconciliation, I have to stay up really late to get it done.” Others had very similar responses. “When most classes pile up homework on the same night I get exhausted and stressed within a hour of starting.” From the information gathered with the 8th graders they thought the homework amount was too much. Overall there are many opinions on the amount of homework. Whether you think there is too much, too little, or just enough it is up to you to decide.
Your article was very good! I like your lead, it had a great hook.
DeleteLove is love.
ReplyDeleteSexuality is a very controversial topic that has many thoughts and opinions lying on it. Some believe you are born with your sexual preferences. Others believe they develop overtime. There is little to no evidence on how you get your preferences. Many members of the LGBTQ community, otherwise known as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Community have a rough time defining them through their “label” or otherwise known as sexuality. But they have a rougher time confessing to it, for they fear they may not be accepted
by society for those they desire.
Yet, a person's sexuality is not the only thing that allows them to be in the Community, who they identify themselves as is also a factor. At least 697,529 adults or 0.3%, are transgender, meaning they feel as though their personal identity and gender does not correspond with their gender at birth. Culture and religious beliefs can affect this as well, and so can media, family, and friends. Everyone is attracted both mentally and physically to someone differently. Not only do looks play a big image in this, but personality and behavior do too.
Like a snowflake everyone is different. No matter who you are we all face hardships throughout our lives.
Depression and Suicide
ReplyDeleteDepression and suicide. Two very overlooked topics. ‘Oh it’s just a phase. They’ll get over it.’ You may say. But the truth is. It’s not. Depression is a mental illness. Meaning that it affects the mind and thoughts. And if you aren’t careful that depressive phase could end in suicide.
I’m sure you weren’t aware of the fact that around 44,193 americans die each year from suicide and I’m going to be honest, I had no idea either. And I’m sure that people who are suffering from this don’t realize depression is one of the most easily cured mental illnesses. Because thousands of people still die from it and none of them say anything most of the time. And maybe they don’t say anything because they’re scared. Scared of the judgement they may or may not get. So they suffer, even though they really shouldn’t have to.
If you are worried about anyone look for the symptoms and don’t bother waiting for them to magically make themselves crystal clear in their thoughts. Waiting for symptoms of suicide is like waiting for an animal with symptoms of a terminal illness. You wouldn’t want to wait for them so why wait for people? When you look for the symptoms of you look for dramatic changes in personality, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleeping and eating habits, considering the idea of running away, frequently sick, plans to take life, and previous attempts to take life. And some of them might no be very easy to spot. Either way don’t just stop at noticing the symptoms though. Talk to them about it as soon as you can. At first it might seem awkward but in the long you could save someone’s life.
‘We just want someone to talk to. To know that someone cares about what happens to us.’ says anonymous. A very popular belief about depression is that it only affects females and sometimes males who seem to be weak and ‘girly’. But that is far from the truth. Although females may attempt suicide twice as often as males, males are four times more likely to succeed in taking their lives.
But it might not have to be that way. Many lives have been saved by just a few words being spoken. Just a few words might make a difference. Who would’ve thought?
Refugee Laws
ReplyDeletePeople all around the world have to leave their homes in fear of persecution. Refugees also have to face challenges when both fleeing and finding home in another country. Once they start to let go of everything they had lost, they still can face bigotry and severe racism. Refugees that follow Islam are like Jewish people during World War Two. Several countries have taken in these refugees such as the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, and Greece. The main focus is on the laws refugees have to follow to be granted admission into the United States.
First of all, what is a refugee? According to the USCIS, a refugee is a person who has fled his or her country of origin because of past oppression based on race, religion, nationality, etc... However, since the Refugee Act of 1980, some of the rules state that a refugee must be these to be considered one. Some include being located out of the United States requesting citizenship, being able to validate previous persecution or feared approaching it based on race, religion, etc., and is not currently settled in another country. Doing these simple, yet complicated rules will give you the rights to live in the United States.
Secondly, in recent news with the terrorist attacks in Europe and the major fleeing of Syria’s people has led Donald Trump to believe that we cannot let any refugees in because he thinks that they will start a terrorist attack in major cities across the country with cities such as Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston from terrorist organizations such ISIS and Al Qaeda. Since January 29th, 2017, U.S lawmakers and the President have started to make rules for the refugees from war-torn nations such as Syria(predominantly), Iraq and other majority Muslim countries. Some new laws talk about discrimination, criticism, and fairness. According to the New York Times, all of these rules have led the President into the travel ban of the United States. According to the Washington Post, there are now eight countries on United States Travel Ban, these include Syria, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Venezuela, North Korea, Chad, and Libya because of their rise in terrorism and threat to the United States. This news of the travel ban erupted the world and has worried many. John McCain says,”Mr. Trump’s new order was not properly vetted and that it could be seen as the United States turning its back on Muslims who have risked their lives as interpreters or the U.S.
Overall, since the Syrian Refugee Crisis, the U.S has changed its view on refugees. The laws will continue to be the same until lawmakers vote, but until then the travel ban will remain in place. These rules have protected people in Europe, let’s see if the U.S can have this happen too.
College Crisis
ReplyDeleteBy Justin Konopacki
1.3 million people are in college debt and the number isn’t shrinking. New York Times wrote that in 1974 people used to pay (in today’s money) $2,500 for a public college and only $10,300 for a private college on average. This would make it so many could go to college at this time without a student loan.
Sadly college prices have around tripled from 1974. These prices have grown to $9,000 for a public school and $31,000 for a private college. This is dangerously high and could take many years to pay off.
Even though there are now more scholarships which can pay for you to go to college some say it isn’t enough. You still need to pay for food and a place to stay as well as supplies. Most need to go to college and scholarships could do more but as of right now it is a pointless as the bridge to nowhere. All in all is college doing enough?
What do you think about when you hear the words “boy” or “man?” How about the words “girl” or “woman”? Culture definitely helps people develop beliefs or stereotypes about genders. These stereotypes can change over time, influenced by a number of different factors.
ReplyDeleteMany of the most commonly seen stereotypes involved the physical abilities of girls and boys. When my parents were younger, girls didn’t play sports as frequently as boys because there were fewer opportunities for girls. While boys started interscholastic sports in elementary school, many girls didn’t start until late middle school or high school. Today, while there are more opportunities for girls, my peers note that girls are still viewed as not tough enough and are teased about playing “boys” sports like football.
Intelligence is another area in which there are gender stereotypes. Even though there’s no proof, a common message has been that boys are smarter than girls. A generation ago, my parents note that early on, girls were discouraged from pursuing advanced math or science education. Even now, some of my friends still feel that society assumes that boys are smarter than girls. However, girls are more encouraged and participate more often in science, technology, engineering, and math classes and activities.
The importance of public image was a frequent topic in my interviews on gender stereotypes. Back in the day, my mom says that women who are beautiful and submissive were valued; and men were to be tough and overly emotional. Today, girls agree that they are expected to wear makeup and dress a certain way to be accepted or liked. A male friend of mine said though, that boys, too have become more concerned about their image, whether it’s athletic or preppy.
The type of work that men and women do is often stereotyped. As my parents grew up, the belief was that men were the breadwinners and women stayed home to raise children and do housework. That has changed in their lifetime however, with more women working outside of the home and a better balance of domestic responsibilities. Earlier, many people felt that women can’t do physically demanding jobs and fewer had management or executive positions. These areas have improved as well though, there’s still room for improvement.
As you can see, there are many types of gender stereotypes; some of which have changed overtime, and some of which have remained. My parents point out that equal employment legislation changed hiring practices, opening up more opportunities for women. Lastly, friends of mine say that media, especially social media, and technology have greatly influenced the importance of public image for both men and women. I hope that the positive changes that have occurred can be built upon and that individual expression can be encouraged.
What’s a Quartz?!?
ReplyDeleteYou’re just watching tv, and then BAM, there’s a commercial for Quartz. “What the heck is a Quartz”, you think,” Isn’t that just a rock we learned about in 3rd grade?” Well it turns out that Quartz is one of the region's major health insurance providers.
Along with the other two major companies there has been a lot of changes in the health insurance scene lately, like a teen with mood swing. The first of the three is the aforementioned Quartz. Quartz is the a rebrand of Unity and Physicians Plus, which had combined to make it. The main hospital they cover is U.W. hospital and Meriter.
Secondly, we have some less confusing changes with Dean. You might say, ”Dean? Don’t you mean SSM health.” They haven’t had much clarity in their adds. However, contrary to popular belief, that is wrong. The Dean health insurance company didn’t change their name, but their clinics and hospitals are now SSM health, which is what dean largely covers.
Finally, have GHC (Group Health Cooperative) the one company that hasn't changed at all. The one thing that GHC did do was launch a massive ad campaign about how they haven’t had any major changes, and how they’re employee owned. The largely cover Meriter and that area.
In conclusion, there has been a lot of changes to the health insurance scene lately. Mostly to the three major companies. Even though there are around ten smaller companies in Wisconsin, but the most major changes happened to some of the big ones. It’s always useful to get up to date on the health insurance scene. After all, it pays to know your provider.
Ally, I like your article. I like how you gave lots of examples.
ReplyDeleteIt was 8 o’clock and Collin was racing to his backpack. He turned the corner from his hare tile floors to a fake wooden accent. While running he stubbed his toe on the transition tile but it wasn’t going to hold him back. He raced through the next hallway nad did a 360 as he grabbed his backpack. After he grabbed his backpack Collin raced towards the overstuffed brown couch and began his five hour journey of homework with his trusty bag of M&Ms.
ReplyDeleteMost students of Bartles Middle Schools hear everyday. A recent discovery shows that most 9th graders have over three hours of homework per day with only four assignments. This means that they spend over 45 minutes per assignment. That amount is less than what 8th graders have. 8th graders only have three assignments but it takes two and a half hours. This means that 8th graders have to work 50 minutes or more per assignment. 7th graders on the other hand usually only get one assignment for one hour. This is more time per paper from 9th grade and 8th grade but less time overall. If you look at all of the grades you can see that 7th graders have the most hours per assignment, but 9th graders get the most homework. This study shows middle schoolers and high schoolers have a lot of homework. Another reason is that most students have a lot to do once school ends. It;s just like the ending of a major war. You might have won and are now happy but now have to fix everything after the celebration. This can be sports, clubs, dates, dances, and more. With this much going on with after school activities will usually never finish all of their homework or will have to randomly,”write down an answer or accept defeat”, Bartel Students.
Higher Wages, Higher Taxes?
ReplyDeleteTeachers are the people who help form the next generation. They spend their whole careers trying to better the life of the children they teach. Teachers spend many hours inside and outside the classroom working hard at their job however, in some cases they don't’ get paid for all of those hours. If we were to raise the salaries for teachers, it would have a huge financial impact on the taxpayers. Education is already one of the largest areas of state spending.
Most teachers go to school between 4 and 5 years and many have to take out student loans. With how much they make a year compared to how much debt they have from college, it would take years to pay off.
However, Americans already have to pay so much of their hard earned money towards taxes. If tax payers were asked to pay more it would be like taking a bone away from a dog. Also, teachers have to deal with kids who have desire to learn and are disrespectful. Teachers have to adjust the way they teach in many ways to accommodate for certain children. However, many people would say that you have to face many struggles in any job you have.
Overall, teachers spend many hours in and outside of classroom working and don’t get paid for all of the hours. However, if we were to raise their salary, it would play a huge financial toll on the taxpayers of our society.
You do You!
ReplyDeleteBy: Ella Briggs
According to gender stereotypes, women don’t need college and men are lazy and messy. These are just two of the many gender stereotypes in our society. A few of the most mentioned ones are that women can be nurses, but not doctors, or men do the heavy lifting, but women do the less labor intensive work. People worry about these things like a chipped nail on a brand new manicure.
In general terms, women wouldn’t do the heavy lifting, but that didn’t matter when they worked on a farm, or in other similar situations. If the family needed help, they got it whether it was from the boys or the girls.
Nowadays, these stereotypes are starting to change. Women are becoming lawyers or construction workers. Men are becoming teachers.
It seems that these stereotypes are all starting to change, but it’s in the hands of the people, whether they become a part of our society, or a thing of the past.
Harassment On the Streets
ReplyDelete---------------------------------------
Many people have heard the term catcalling, or street harassment. But it’s unknown to many how often it occurs on a day to day basis. According to a survey done by the Cornell University, numerous women experience this, with not all of them enjoying it.
Out of the women surveyed, 85% of them are familiar with street harassment and catcalling before the age of 17, and 67% were catcalled before the age of 14. Along with the 77% of the women under 40 encounter someone following them at some point in their life. And while the majority of women surveyed found catcalling as disgusting as orange juice and toothpaste together, 3% of the surveyees found catcalling to be flattering.
Meanwhile in Bartels Middle School, the majority of girls interviewed had not been catcalled. However, some did say it would make them uncomfortable if it were to ever happen to them. A lot of people also said that they would find it amusing.
In Bartels Middle School, street harassment isn’t a major issue for girls, but for other women it can be. According to the survey, many women get catcalled or endure street harassment. And seeing as most don’t appreciate it, it’s a wonder that street harassment is still going on at all.
Don’t Let Your Pet Be a Fish Out of Water
ReplyDeleteMany people own or care for animals today. Some people are good at treating animals with care, but there is also a lot of the opposite. Certain things that are done to animals might not be something that is thought of as harmful, but could be or already is.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature, the treatment of any animal, whether owned or not, with cruelty or mistreatment of any kind is prohibited(Including wild animals). That doesn’t just include hitting or abusing them, it also includes things like providing enough food/water or shelter.
With providing food they need to have enough to maintain a good health. Water needs to either be always accessible, or given daily in sufficient amounts to maintain a good health.
With providing shelter keeping and maintaining a healthy temperature for the animal/animals is a priority. They need to be sheltered from extended amounts of sunlight. They also need a strong living structure with enough room for them to move around.
Mistreating an animal isn’t always hitting/abusing them, there are many other ways. Even the way that they are punished. Something that seems so obvious can potentially harm an animal even if that’s not what it seems.
Should College Sports Players Be Paid?
ReplyDeleteShould college players be paid? That’s the question that has been dominating headlines lately. Sometimes it seems that the debates go on and on like the capulets and the montagues.
College has become much more expensive. According to the college Board the average cost for college in the 2016-2017 school year was $33,480 for private colleges. The yearly tuition for in state residents of their college was $9,650. There’s also the argument that a college player’s schedule is very busy and long.
The average time a division one football athlete spends on practice is 6.4 hours a day. That’s not even counting that athletes travel and can’t work for a job or get school work done during that time. But there is another argument that athletes have scholarships to pay tuition.
A scholarship is nice to have but not everyone can have one. J.J. Watt one of the best NFL players today started his career at Wisconsin as a walk on. But most players who begin as a walk on and are good enough will earn a scholarship.
In conclusion, college players being paid is a hot topic and it doesn’t look like it won’t be anytime soon.