FINAL

          During this semester, I have become a better writer. I have really focused on getting to the main point of my subject while still providing adequate background knowledge and plenty of supportive details that keep the paper and writing interesting. A good majority of the focus is centralized in the thesis and beginning paragraph, as well as the overall structure of the paper; all of which I practiced in class and applied to my writing.

            Before I was able to really improve any specific points in my writing, I had to develop the skill of critical thinking. I really had to practice getting more out of the articles I was reading so as to improve my supporting details and sources in the informative and argumentative essays as well as the research-based blog posts. Part of that was learning to ask the right questions to get the right angle for the paper. Another part of the process of developing critical thinking was taking a step back and acknowledging some of my weaknesses as a writer.

            I found that a major point of weakness for myself was that I rambled quite a bit when I wrote. I would evade the subject of my paper without even meaning to, adding random details and facts that had nothing to do with the matter at hand, and it made for a choppy essay that did not flow at all.

            The final part to developing the skill set I so desired was thinking things through clearly on my own. I found that writing out all my ideas, regardless of if they fit or not, helped to empty my head enough that I could weed out the ideas that wouldn't work with my main point. I was able to draft an outline quickly and then fill in the details as needed with relative ease and quite a bit more efficiency.

            Soon after I began practicing and applying these steps, I noticed improvement with my writing and gradually I was no longer practicing because the steps became habit. This proved to help me feel more confident in my writing and actually enjoy the process more as I became aware of the process. 

We Need a Break!

Every once in a while, students just need a break! We go a million hours a day (mine typically starts at 6 am and finishes around 11:30, although tonight will be later because I forgot to do this post! Silly, busy me.) and get very little sleep, proven in a post several days ago. Between school, extra-curricular activities, maintaining good grades and good standing with teachers, family time, work, and what little social life there is to be had in high school, there is just no time for relaxation!

School holidays provide some relief. Thanksgiving break was just two weeks ago and it took care of some serious stress. However, it seems to me that all teachers' minds work the same and right around holiday time they all get the same brilliant idea: "You know what? Those students are going to have (insert amount of school vacation here- ranging from three days to two weeks) with nothing to do! They will most likely sit around and waste the day pining to come back to school….. I should give them 6 books, 15 pages of arithmetic, and a science experiment so that they won't be so bored!"

NOOOOOOOOO! WE DON'T WANT IT!

Please, dear teachers, give us our break. School is hard. Clubs are hard. Work is hard. We need this break so that we don't break!

Since teachers don't seem to understand that a vacation is a time for relaxation and enlightenment- as well as a fairly large debate as to whether it is worth it or not to return to the dreaded school- students sometimes need to take matters in to their own hands. There is a very simple term I like to use for gaining control of my breaks and that is Ditch Day.

Today was a Ditch Day. I have been having reviews for finals in my college classes all week, I have had to get up insanely early to make it to all of my early morning classes (one of which is a high school course that goes in the morning because my credits are all full), and I just did not have it in me to go to all of class today. So, I went with my mom on a Ditch Day Adventure.

First, I came home after my early morning psychology class and did math homework. Lame, right? But, c'est la vie and I can't fall behind in math if I want any chance at maintaining my 3.9 GPA. Anyways, after math was finally finished, my mom came into my room and said that since I had been working so hard, I could take a day off! GO MOM!

We went down the canyon and she took me out to breakfast, then we drove around for a while and listened to Christmas music, and I got to end my relaxing Ditch Day with a nap before I went back for math class and a huge choir concert this evening. It pays to take matters into one's own hands when one's sanity is at risk. ​

Another Student's Opinion

I have decided to interview a fellow student on his opinion of high school, that way this blog is not just my opinions and topics that I have researched, but insight from another student as well.

Question: How would you rate your high school experience?

Answer: It's been good. There have been ups and downs, but in my opinion the ups outweigh the downs.

Question: What sort of clubs and sports have you been involved in? (extracurricular)

Answer: Choir and diplomacy club have been my main focuses over the past four years, however I enjoyed many of my classes such as film appreciation.

Question: What has been the most challenging thing about high school?

Answer: I would have to say, the most challenging thing for me in high school has been juggling my time between the honors classes and my jobs after school.

Question: How many hours have you been averaging on your job throughout high school?

Answer: I average 25 hours a week for 3 of the past 4 years.

Question: How much time do you spend on homework on average?

Answer: I would say about 2-4 hours a night on homework.

Question: And how many average hours of sleep do you get a night?

Answer: I get about 3.5 to 4 hours of sleep a night.

Question: What are your feelings on school dress codes and uniforms?

Answer: Uniforms, I dislike very much because there is no self-expression in them. I feel that the dress code at Wasatch is just fine for a predominately LDS society.

Question: What are your feelings on teachers carrying guns?

Answer: I feel that when a teacher is responsible and able to hold a gun, where they would feel comfortable around their own children carrying that gun, and they feel emotionally and mentally stable about themselves, then there is no restriction holding that weapon from them. Those teachers would need a gun safety class and a concealed weapons permit and class I would suggest they take to show that they are qualified. The school should also run background checks on that teacher. I would personally feel a lot safer if certain teachers that I trust had guns.

Question: What has your college application experience been like?

Answer: Because of the help from college representatives, the college application process has been made easier for me. There are many resources out there to help high school students apply for college that I have been able to take advantage of, it is only a matter of the student taking initiative and looking for aid from these resources. ​

What Does It Really Cost?

In one of my college classes, taught through the high school by a University professor, we had a discussion about the cost of our "free" public education. Our professor asked us what we thought the average cost for a Utah high school student- or public school student- was. Our guesses averaged around $500. I think I can speak for the class when I say it was astonishing to learn the true average was in the thousands. This free public schooling that I have been receiving for 13 years has cost me and my parents thousands upon thousands of dollars- and I am only one of their children! The prices for class fees, sports fees, and textbooks will continue to rise each year, and the school may continue to tack on extra prices like they did when it became necessary to purchase insurance for the mandatory devices we use in class- about $25 per student per year right now.

The professor continued to show us averages for alternative forms of schooling. Private schooling is a much cheaper way to go. Even with all costs- uniforms, transportation, etc.- there is a significant decrease in the average cost of private schools from public schools.

Given all of this information, we must weigh in the fact that some states will charge less for their schools and others will charge more. There is financial aid available for students and families that are low-income or have special situations that require assistance so that their children can be properly educated. And, of course, there is always the difference in cost for programs that a student chooses to participate in. A sports fee at my school is $50 while a choir participation fee is $35.

However, all of these fees add up very quickly. As students, we are encouraged to participate in anything and everything that we possibly can. Yet almost every club has a fee between $10-$15. (When I started the French club, I purposefully stated that there would be no fee for the club because I know first hand how frustrating it is to have to pay for so many of these clubs. Yet even with my trying to make everything as free as possible, the students will still end up pitching in money to cover cost of club shirts and club activities.) All sports are $50, textbook fees are $25, choir is $35 plus a robe rental of $10 for some classes, computer insurance, standard class fees, supplies, lunch, uniforms- all of these cost.

I will say that there is one way that my school is especially great at giving me the most for my money, and that is through their partnership with the universities in our area. I am able to take as many college courses as I would like (that the university offers to high school students) and only be charged $5 a credit hour. I paid $60 at the beginning of the semester and am receiving a $3,600 education. This almost outweighs the cost of those thousands for the early years. ​

Beauty Pageants and Their Effect

Sivamani, Raja K., Lori A. Crane, and Robert P. Dellavalle. "The Benefits and Risks of Ultraviolet (UV) Tanning and Its Alternatives: The Role of Prudent Sun Exposure." PMC. N.p., 01 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2692214/>.

Tanning has become a more common practice- statistically from 1968 to 2007. People state that they feel like they are more attractive and they feel better when they are tan. Most people that do tan are light skin, with 0% of people with dark skin tanning. Outdoor tanning can increase happiness levels and provide essential vitamin D, however it increases the risk of developing cancer (specifically Melanoma). Indoor tanning, or UV tanning, serves as a base line for a tan and can act as a sun protectant. Even with use of sun protectant, including tanners and sunscreens, there is still a risk to tanning of any sort.

Park, Madison. "From 234 Pounds to the Miss America Pageant." CNN. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/25/health/beauty-queen-weightloss/>.

Miss South Carolina went from being a 234 pound 17 year old, to winning pageants. She says that there was no need for extreme dieting, there was only determination. She worked slowly to lose the weight once her doctor told her just how dangerous it was. Since then, she has never promoted extreme diets and holds a firm belief that no one needs to be a size 00 to be perfect or beautiful. She has worked her entire pageant career to send the right, healthy message to other girls.

Nadine DeNinno. "The High Cost Of Beauty Pageants." International Business Times. N.p., 08 June 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.com/high-cost-beauty-pageants-1595724>.

Interviewing several professionals, we learn the true cost of a pageant and often times it is much more than the award money at the end. Dresses can cost up to $1,000, and entry to the pageants is usually $500. Plus there is the cost of makeup, hair, tans, extensions and wigs, swimsuits, other outfits for interviews and the talent portion, and finally any trainers that are hired to assist the girls and women in their exercising. One runner up from Provo says that she doesn't pay as much as "normal" runner ups do and she also does no extreme dieting. A professional pageant organizer says that she does not condone extreme diets either. Overall, they agree that the pageant is not for the money, it is for the publicity boost.

The Week Staff. "5 Reasons Child Pageants Are Bad for Kids." The Week. N.p., 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://theweek.com/articles/477311/5-reasons-child-pageants-are-bad-kids>.

5 reasons why pageants are bad for children. 1, the girls are not old enough to stand up for their opinions and say no. Often times, they don't want to be in the pageants and their mom's force them to do things they don't want to. 2, pageants sexualize young girls. In fact, France has banned all child pageants because of the way the young girls behave, very suggestively at a very young age. 3, There is a strong correlation between pageants and girls that suffer from eating disorders and depression. 4, using too much hairspray on a young girl can actually stunt her growth. As an adult, there is not as much fear for health but the chemicals can react negatively with the child. 5, some of the dress can have negative effects on the child as well. High heels can damage the way a young girl's feet form and even prevent her from being able to wear other shoes off the stage.

Stephen Huey. "Beauty Pageant Contestants Remain Underfed." Womensenews.org. N.p., 04 Dec. 2002. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://womensenews.org/story/commentary/021204/beauty-pageant-contestants-remain-underfed>.

The line between "skinny" and "fit" is very blurred, and lots of women who enter in pageants have begun to mix them up. They are either not skinny enough, or too skinny to be fit. Swimsuit portions of the pageants have been made to include a specific title that includes the word "fitness" so as to promote healthy dieting and activity, since so many pageant runners are of an unhealthy weight and BMI. There is also a mandatory portion of the pageant that is a video of the runner working out in a healthy way.

Emotions are Real

Depression is a huge problem among teens. I did not notice just how far the pain traveled until it began to affect me and my friends personally. It comes in slowly and no one really notices at first. I did not notice when my friend began to suffer, and still- after months of treatment- I have a hard time realizing when he is facing a bout of sadness and when he is just fine.

Over the weekend, I watched the movie Paper Towns. I had read the book and really fell in love with the characters and the story. There were so many parts that I could really relate to. Many times, one of the main teen characters would say something very profound about their feelings and I could not help but think that that particular character was something like me. However, one of the adults that was in the room while I was watching commented in a way that really burst my bubble. He said, "No teenager could ever think or feel something that profound. It's not possible." Let me tell you, that really ticked me off.

I get really tired of people saying that teens do not have mature emotions. They do. The teen years are full of ups and downs and they are the highest highs and the lowest lows. There is so much pressure put on a teenager now that it would be impossible not to expect them to feel something besides the basic happiness, sadness, or anger.

In my four short years of high school, I have felt heart break, and loss, and earth-shattering sorrow. I have jumped for joy and felt my heart skip beats as I fell in love. I have been the very angriest at my family and my friends and at myself. I have been ecstatic on several occasions. Days later I felt like the world was coming to an end. I have ridden the roller coaster that only goes up, to find that it inevitably comes back down, and it comes down hard and for a really long time. Eventually, though, it all evens out and I lead a good life. I would not trade any of these emotions for each one has taught me a very valuable lesson.

Adults need to remember what being a kid was like. It is not easy. (There are easier things. I do not have a house payment yet, nor do I have to feed my family and pay for their needs. Yet I still have the stress of school, family, college, work, sports, clubs, and performing arts.) Do not take for granted a teenager's emotions. They could be feeling more in ten minutes than an adult has felt in a year, and it is all very raw and it is all very real. ​

College Applications- A Tiresome Process

​I recently finished writing my college application essays. Let me tell you: after revising, and revising again, and revising again, and leaving to take a breather and coming back to revise on more time, they are finally good enough to submit! The process is so time consuming and really made my brain fuzzy- and that was just the essays for one application! Not to mention the rest of the application and the others that I filled out! 

Getting out of my own way has proven to be a most difficult challenge. Throughout my life I have thought of myself as a leader. I enjoy taking charge and serving others through the titles given to me in church callings and school positions. I apply for every leadership position I can and expect to get them. 

Inevitably, this attitude leads to some disappointments. Recently, I applied for several high leadership positions in student government and National Honor Society and others were chosen. I was devastated. I felt that I could not serve my classmates well if I didn't have some sort of title to accompany my actions. The lesson of humility and service was a hard one for me to learn at that time.

Gradually, I realized that I didn't need a title to go out and tutor or to head up a community service project. I must be willing to respond to the call of service, whether it be through the grand and widely acclaimed effort, or as is much more likely, through the small myriad  (indeed, a lifetime) of small, yet significant acts of kindness and caring. Selfless service becomes sacred when there is a far greater focus on "self". In the final analysis, I will better serve myself, my family, my church and my world, if giving, serving, caring and loving are my titles. 

Sometimes, we simply must get out of the way of our own potential.

Given the choice, Brigham Young University is the CES school I would most like to attend. Many generations of my family have attended BYU and I have seen the great impact it has made. Grandparents, great grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles have told me so many stories about how wonderful their experiences at the University were- spiritually, academically, and socially. I want to be able to not only have the same experience, but be able to carry on a family tradition.

I also love the idea of being at a campus that is so diverse. With a large community, a wide variety of post-graduate degree programs, and so many majors, BYU provides the exposure to students pursuing a wider variety of subjects. I want to be able to experience Saturday night football games with my fellow classmates and roommates, surrounded by school pride.​

High Schoolers and Music

High School Music

                Music is, without a doubt, one of the most important aspects to a teen's growth. Friends and music probably have the greatest effect on growing and changing high school students. Why then, are the school's music programs so small?

                In some schools this is not the case- there is always an exception to the rule- but in my school there is way more funding and priority put into sports and academics than there is to the performing arts. I have taken every possible course involved in our performing arts department: theater, ladies; choir, concert choir, chamber choir, bell choir, orchestra, and (by extension of color guard with the marching band) band.  Every single one of these classes or teams has been extremely small, especially when compared to the other performing groups in our region.

                Our band has been through three separate teachers in the last four years, each better than the last.  The first teacher was exceptional and very loving of the students and his job, although he did not push the students very hard. The second teacher had a huge love for music and wanted to share that, so the band did grow slightly when he implemented a jazz band and marching band his first year. Unfortunately, by his second year he was overworked teaching at multiple schools and had to drop the extra bands. This year there was a new band teacher and he works the students very hard. The jazz band is back and the marching band continues to grow under his direction- even to the point where a color guard was started.

                Our orchestra program has had a bad rap because the teacher that use to teach was really psycho, but I haven't heard anything bad about the new teacher. In fact, many of the students that had quite playing under the direction of the old teacher have now joined again and are loving it.

                The theater has put on some astounding plays throughout the past four years including Les Mis, Crazy For You, The King and I, and Pirates of Penzance.  Luckily the student body and faculty are very supportive of the theater and thus the program continues to grow and improve.

                Finally, and this is the one I don't understand, is our choir department. This year, we had so few students that there is no men's choir and the Ladies' choir consists of five girls. The choir teacher is an amazing man who has incredible talent and is a wonderful teacher. Every student walks out of his door having learned more than they could have ever dreamed of learning. Yet the program shrinks more every year and our funding dwindles to the point where we have to cut classes.

                I simply do not understand why my school has not put more emphasis on these performing arts. Performing arts classes teach more life skills than I could get out of a million years in a math class. There are more personalized lessons, and students create friendships that will last a lifetime between fellow classmates and teachers. ​

ACT- No Thanks!

The ACT is a huge part of a high school student's life. From the moment that student walks in the front doors of their high school, they start training for the biggest part of their life (up through high school, of course).

As a freshman, I took practice ACT exams at least one major time all the way through, and then multiple sectioned tests in my individual classes. The school set aside a day where all the freshman would meet in the auditorium and take a test that was similar to the ACT in terms of length and difficulty. This test helped determine our course schedules for the next year and predicted what our actual ACT scores would closely resemble.

As a sophomore, I took another of these practice tests with the rest of my class. The difficulty had gone up a bit to resemble what the common curriculum of the average sophomore level would be. I also had ACT practices in math and English. In math, the teachers provided the practice exam and then we would have to pass off each problem to our peers after we got our scores. Even the questions we answered correctly had to be passed off so as to make sure we knew thoroughly how to do each type of question on the exam.

My junior year, the school provided the actual ACT in the spring. This was absolutely nerve wracking. I have never in my life felt so much stress and pressure as I did on the day of that exam. I made sure to take all the early morning prep classes offered by my school prior to the test. I went home every day for a month and took a practice section of the test to prepare. I stayed after school and got help from my teachers. Every spare second I had was put into preparing for the ACT, and a lot of my school work was pushed to the side for a couple of weeks so that I could prepare.

Everything that I planned for my future rested on this test. If I didn't pass with a decent score then I could kiss my dream college goodbye. Above that, if I didn't get a high score then I could kiss any scholarships goodbye as well.

My studying ended up paying off and I felt very relieved when I opened up my ACT envelope that said I had received a 31. I have taken the exam once more since then, to try to raise my score for scholarship purposes, and it was equally stressful the second time.

A student's entire life rests on this test (or the SAT equivalent). It seems unfair to put so much pressure on a 17 year old. It seems unfair to test these students on math and science when those subjects probably won't carry much weight in their future careers anyways. It seems unfair to coddle a student all through high school and then throw this exam on them and let it determine their future. But that is how it is, and it is a very difficult process to complete as a student. It requires great determination and a whole lot of work to be able to pull off a score that will get you far in life. 

High School Relationships

This topic seems cliché but it really is a very important part of all students' lives. There are romantic relationships, friendly relationships, teacher relationships, and many other relationships that take place in high school and every single one makes an impression on a student still growing and changing in society and how they fit in.

The first relationship a student will make, at least that I have seen in my experience, is going to be friendly relationships. Usually these will take place with people that have similar likes and interests and thus stem from sports or clubs. I met my new friends, when I moved my freshman year, in my honors classes. The majority of us had multiple accelerated courses together and so it was easy to invite them over to study and gradually those turned into just normal parties with good friends.

Next I would say, comes negative peer relationships. These will be with people that, to put it frankly, really bother you. I'm a slightly pessimistic person by nature and so there are a lot of people that I don't really like. I try to be kind to them anyways because I recognize that I'm going to be with them for four years of school and I don't want to be miserably fighting with them for those years, but I also don't make it a point to hang out with them.

After the peer relationships comes teacher relationships. These aren't as crucial to some students, depending on the course type and how dedicated the student is. I've been through some classes where I do the assignments and listen to the lectures but don't ever talk to the teacher for the entire semester. Other teachers I go see every day to either talk about school work or just discuss social life. These people are very influential, both academically and socially to a student.

Finally, the last major relationship is going to be romantic. There are many aspects that can be covered in the word "romantic": boy likes girl but girl doesn't like boy or vice versa, girl and boy like each other but kind of like others as well, boy and girl are exclusive, etc. Lots of students that I know (granted I live in Utah) are really against having romantic relationships. I strongly disagree with these people. I won't bore you with details, but I recently went through a breakup, after a year and a half of dating, and it was really hard. I cried for a long time and went through multiple phases of grief and depression. In the end, I don't regret anything. It was a growing experience and I wouldn't change a thing. I know many of my friends look at me and think I made a huge mistake and wasted half of my high school career on one guy but I don't think of it that way.

When thinking in terms of relationships, you really do get out what you put into it. If you only casually wave to that one kid in chess club, chances are they are only going to casually say "hi" every once in a while. If you swoon over your significant other, then expect the same in return. Relationships define us as people, so be the kind of person you would expect others to be.  ​

High School Dropouts

Dailie Anderson

Professor Smith

English 1010

30 October 2015

High School Dropouts

As the end of the term approaches quickly, she fumbles through her finals attempting to save her grades at the last moment. She can feel the pressure of tests and quizzes and carefully calculates every homework assignment so that it counts. College applications are due soon and this is her last chance to prove she is ready for that. She does not know if she is. It would be easier to stop now and just go find a job. She could help out around the house, pay some bills or tend to her seven little brothers. The pressure is overwhelming and at this point she has enough skills to get a stable job. Doesn't she?

Although many people believe that high school dropouts are just lazy students that don't contribute anything to society but negative feelings, crime, and bad choices, in reality, a good majority of these drop out students do not dropout to engage in criminal activity, but rather to help their families or themselves in the best way they know how.

"Dropout" is almost the wrong term to use because sometimes the problem is that the student takes longer than the standard four years to complete high school, or they end up getting a GED instead of a high school diploma. This skews statistics labeled "dropouts" because the students that do take longer than the average four year window or choose to receive their GED later in life are still considered dropouts. This also effects the statistics for schools when reporting how many students dropped out because who is really to blame for a student leaving? The school? Or the situation? And which school should take credit when the student chooses to take courses to complete a degree later in life? All of these should be looked at when comparing dropout statistics. However, for this essay, dropout will refer to someone who never completed their four year high school diploma.

While dropout rates have decreased by 3% since 1990, there is typically a 25% average of high school freshman that will not graduate from high school and a total of over 1.2 million students from the US alone will not graduate from high school (https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-high-school-dropout-rates). While the percentage of graduating Latino students is gradually increasing, there is still a much larger percentage of minority dropouts than there is Caucasian dropouts. Many of these high school students that drop out do so because of their family's economic standing.

High school dropout rates have steadily increased as our country grows older, putting America 22 of 27 countries for the highest dropout rates. According to an article by John Rosales, the majority of these dropouts would not have dropped out if they had been offered the choice. These students often come from families that are of the minority in America and, typically, live below the national poverty line. The student will drop school to help raise money for their family in a few different ways: 1, they will contribute all their earnings into the family's income to provide for the whole family. 2, they will use their personal income to supply for themselves and siblings as far as food and clothing are concerned. Or 3, they will completely move out, providing for all their own wants and needs.

Dropout students usually bounce between low-income jobs frequently and earn significantly less than people that continue on through high school and college. When asked if they would have stayed in high school and finished, the majority of interviewed students said they would have and they wish they could go back. 

There is a story of one 17 year old girl that dropped out just last spring before graduation. She did not drop out because she needed to pay the bills, rather she graduated because she felt like there was a greater purpose than just going to high school to get a piece of paper congratulating her on success for the last four years and left to pursue that thought. She recounts that there are very few times she has looked back and regretted her decision, as she is fairly successful as a movie writer after only a few months of leaving school. This, however, is just one account of a successful dropout, who could still go back to school and get a GED like a good percentage of students end up doing.

While many of these students drop school to help stabilize themselves financially, it often becomes the opposite as the average dropout will earn $200,000 less than the average high school graduate in their lifetime (https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-high-school-dropout-rates). Dropouts will also account for 75% of the crime in the United States, from misdemeanors to more drastic crimes (https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-high-school-dropout-rates). However, despite all these negative statistics, there has been little correlation between high school dropout rates and sexually transmitted infections- a ray of hope in what seems an uphill battle. A study conducted by D. Mark Anderson and Claus C. Portner discusses the correlation between male and female dropouts and the risk they are at for sexually transmitted infections. The study shows that there are many variables that play into how the student is affected: age, age when they dropped out, gender, how many sexual partners they had, and if their partner was abusive. There was actually very little difference- an average of one- in the number of sexual partners drop out females had and the number female students had, and zero difference- on average- in the number of partners male's had.

Dropping out of high school may seem like a good idea right now. It may seem easier. It may seem like the gateway to a more opportune future even. There may seem like few consequences but, in reality, there are more negative consequences than there could ever be positive consequences. Even though there is no increase in disease and there have been success stories from dropouts, all in all there are more economic struggles and a much higher chance of crime once a high school diploma is taken out of the picture.

Works Cited

Rosales, John. "Why Students Drop Out the Economic Pressures That Make Leaving School Unavoidable." NeaToday, 08 June 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://neatoday.org/2015/06/08/why-students-drop-out-the-economic-pressures-that-make-leaving-school-unavoidable/>.

This article discusses the fact that most teens that are high school dropouts would not be dropouts if they had the choice. A high percentage are first generation immigrants that drop out of high school to get jobs that help make enough money to keep their families out of poverty. Some students work and contribute to the family income, others completely move out and take care of themselves rather than be a burden to their families. Many of the students that were interviewed said that if they had the choice, they would rather keep going to school. The article addresses the fact that society should be working to keep these families going financially without sacrificing the children's education and future.

Rubin, Zane. "I'm a High School Dropout -- and I'm OK With That." Huff Post Teen 01, 01 June 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zane-rubin/im-a-high-school-dropout----and-im-ok-with-that_b_7454618.html>.

This article is written in first person by a 17 year old girl who dropped out of high school this last year. She has come to terms with her decision and rarely looks back with regret. She is currently working on motion pictures and plays and has become very successful in the past few months. She reads a letter that her eighth grade self wrote to her future self. In the letter it says that she hopes she is not just sitting around and wasting her life. Zane realizes that she is not and it helps her continue.

Hauser, Robert M., and Judith Anderson Koenig. "High School Dropout, Graduation, and Completion Rates." Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. &lt;http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzM2MTY1Nl9fQU41?sid=cce59fe8-bd20-4603-a600-22386e416811@sessionmgr4001&amp;vid=4&amp;format=EB&amp;rid=2&gt;.

This article is about how the information is gathered to produce the statistics regarding high school dropouts. It examines the different challenges presented in regards to GEDs and students that just take longer to graduate than the standard four years. The article presents the questions "who is to blame when a student does not graduate?" and "who gets the credit when/ if the student completes high school, or the equivalent, later in life?" as well as pinpoints the characteristics of students that generally do drop out of high school.

Anderson, D. Mark, and Claus C. Portner. "High School Dropouts and Sexually Transmitted Infection." Southern Economic Journal, 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=cce59fe8-bd20-4603-a600-22386e416811%40sessionmgr4001&vid=8&hid=4111>.

This article discusses the correlation between male and female dropouts and the risk they are at for sexually transmitted infections. The study shows that there are many variables that play into how the student is affected: age, age when they dropped out, gender, how many sexual partners they had, and if their partner was abusive. There was actually very little difference- an average of one- in the number of sexual partners drop out females had and the number female students had, and zero difference- on average- in the number of partners male's had.

"11 Facts About High School Dropout Rates." Yahoo, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-high-school-dropout-rates>.

This article is just a series of facts about high school dropouts. It includes things such as statistics as to what percentage of minority as well as white students are dropouts, the percentage of crimes caused by dropouts, and the ranking of America on a scale of 27 countries and their percentages of dropouts.

Are High School Students Too Busy?

Taking a break from the common core debate, let us entertain the question of "are high school students too busy?" High school students have a lot on their plates between academics; sports; clubs; extra music lessons; any recitals, meets, or games; tests and exams; family time; homework; and not to mention getting community hours to put on college applications, all while trying to get a good night's rest and not spend time stressed out. Yeah, right.

I am a senior in high school and I never thought I would be this swamped. I take college classes every morning and half a full high school load on top of that. I founded and serve as president of the French club, am an NHS officer, co-captain of the school's color guard, an active member of choir, and additionally take many honors and AP classes as well as music lessons outside of school. After I get out of my 7 AM- 3PM school day, and my 3 PM- 5 PM clubs, then I get to start my homework that takes me anywhere from 7PM to 10 PM to complete each night.

I am busy all. The. Time. And yet I would not have it any other way. I take pride in how busy I am and enjoy trying to balance everything. That being said, this type of lifestyle is not for every high school student.

The Washington Post was able to interview an expert and see her perspective of things.

            "Anisha Abraham, who works at Georgetown University Hospital as chief of adolescent medicine and in a school-based clinic at the District's Woodson High School, said she routinely encounters students who go from a full day of classes to a job in a fast-food restaurant that ends at 11 p.m.

'These kids have no time for themselves,' Abraham said. A growing number of the teenagers she sees complain of similar symptoms: exhaustion, headaches, stomach problems, depression and irritability, a consequence of so little free time. 'Our teenagers are becoming more over-scheduled and over-stressed.'" (washingtonpost.com)

The report goes on to say that, most of the time, the stress comes from the parents pushing their children to be competitive and always busy and

"They contend that some BlackBerry-tethered parents, who equate being constantly busy with being successful in their own lives, compete to see whose kids can cram in the most activities: pre-dawn swim practice, weekend travel soccer tournaments, elite ballet classes, Mandarin lessons, SAT tutoring sessions. Unstructured time, which experts say is essential to figuring out who one is and what one wants, tends to be regarded as laziness or being unproductive.

'Our definition of what makes a kid successful has become unbearably narrow,' said California psychologist Madeline Levine. . ."

As consequences to being over worked, students get very little free time during the summer and some even end up skipping meals to fit in more classes.

I have a hard time balancing things always, but it works out somehow. I think the reason it works out is because it isn't pushed on me by my parents, but everything I do is something I enjoy and want to excel at. 

Quotes: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/14/ST2008071401579.html​

Common Core From an Elementary Perspective

​Last week I posted my thoughts on the common core curriculum and how I've seen it affect the students I'm surrounded by each day. This week I interviewed my aunt who is a teacher at an elementary school in northern Utah. I asked her these questions

1) Which grade level/type of children do you teach?

2) Have you noticed a difference in grades and accomplishments since beginning common core?

3) What complaints have you had from parents regarding common core?

4) Is there a difference between what you used to teach and the new curriculum?

5) Are test scores similar?

6) What challenges come with teaching common core? (New students, slower/accelerated students)

1. I teach first graders.  

2.  The main change that I have noticed with my first graders since implementing the common core is that they have a much deeper understanding of mathematical processes than they did in the pass.  My students now are much better at explaining their reasoning and HOW or WHY they do something.  With this, I have noticed an increase in students being able to make their own connections and figure out their own ways of solving a problem.  They are MUCH better at solving word problems/story problems and in the real life application of math.  The common core standards require that we teach students many different math strategies.  This provides students with several tools that they can have at their disposal.  I like this because different strategies and tools resonate or make sense to different students, so teaching several of them makes it more likely that everyone will find a strategy or tool that works for them.  

3.  I personally haven't had any specific complaints regarding common core.  The most I've heard is the occasional, "That seems like a hard assignment/concept for first grade.  Is this because of common core?"  (Invariably the issue at hand was completely unrelated to common core and was something that has been expected first grade curriculum for several years now.)  I've heard parents, friends, and acquaintances with children in other grades complain about common core, but never parents of first graders.  In fact, I haven't even heard any other first grade teachers complain about it.  In all honesty, I think that the standards of the common core are mostly good teaching practices that many teachers have been implementing for years.  

I have heard parents of some upper grade elementary (4th-6th) complain that their student got docked points on a math test where they were required to use a specific strategy.  The parents felt that it was unfair to require the student to use a SPECIFIC strategy when they could solve the problem some other way.  (For example, the problem may be :Solve the following addition problem by regrouping--and a student can solve the problem in a different way.)   I have three basic opinions on this:

       - It doesn't hurt students to learn more than one way to solve a problem.  Different strategies may come in handy at different times with different problems.  Learn them all!

      -  The real issue at hand here is assessment and accountability.  If the test is purely to assess whether or not a child can ADD, then the child should definitely not be marked wrong for using ANY STRATEGY THEY WISH to add.  If, however, the teacher is giving the test to see whether or not the child can add by REGROUPING, then a child who does not show proof of regrouping should get that problem marked wrong.  

     -  My third and strongest opinion is that teachers need to use assessment for the right reason.  First and foremost, teachers should use assessment to drive instruction.  Tests should be given so that a teacher can see what a child already knows and what a child still needs to learn. Too much emphasis is given on a silly little grade letter.  If I tell a child's parents that they got a D in math, that does nothing for the child.  If, however, I explain that the child always leaves out the number 19 when counting and that the child adds numbers correctly most of the time, but never answers story problems correctly, that gives parents a better idea of what their child can & can't do & what they can help their child with at home.  I recognize that this changes the older a child gets.  Letter grades get more appropriate the older a student gets because a child has more responsibility for their own learning and they are a succinct way of providing information for college entry, etc.  In the lower grades, however, the focus should be more on WHAT we as parents and teachers can do to help the student because they cannot yet help themselves,  (They can't hunker down and study a textbook if they don't know how to read yet.)  

4.  There is a little bit of a difference between what I used to teach and what I now teach. Mostly, it's the same content, but going a little deeper into it.  

5.  In first grade, we don't have national or even statewide national tests.  We do district, school-wide, and class wide tests, though.  Since beginning to teach the common core, we have changed our tests to match what we are testing.  (For example, coin values are no longer taught in first grade, so we don't test our students on the knowledge of coin values.  Also, we have added many more difficult problems in both math & reading to match the more difficult concepts we are teaching.)  I would say tests scores are about the same, but the tests are harder and more in depth.

6.  I think one thing that has been a little difficult with the common core is that there is A LOT to cover.  The most challenging thing has been trying to fit it all in.  Sometimes I wish we could spend a little more time on one concept before we moved on so that some of my struggling students could have a chance to catch up, but that was a problem even before the common core came around.

     Honestly, I'm not some crazy pro-common-core fan.  I think the Utah core was pretty good before in the grade levels I taught. (K &1st)  I do get a little bugged, though, when people complain about it & don't know what they're talking about.  I admit that I don't know much about the common core in high school or middle school, but I've heard a lot of elementary school parents blame things on the common core that actually had nothing to do with it and that's what bothers me.  Read the dang thing before you gripe about it.  Maybe what you're complaining about actually has nothing to do with the common core.  Maybe there's something your don't understand or maybe your kid just has a crappy teacher. 

There are several points that my aunt view differently. This could be due to the age group, or the difference in perspective (teacher v. student).​

Common Core and Me

Common Core curriculum had become a huge controversial topic for today's high schools and middle schools. I often see, on Facebook and other social media sites, parents complaining about how common core is ruining their student's grades and their understanding of the class materials. Often times when I see these comments, I wonder what the adult is comparing their student's current grades to. Previous grades before common core? Other students' grades? Either way, these parents have obviously not been thorough in their gathering of information before accusing the common core program for the problems their student is having in school.

My graduating class is the first class to be put through common core. The year we moved from middle school to high school (8^th to 9^th grade) was the year that a lot of schools quite accelerated math classes. I had taken geometry in eighth grade and was set to go into Algebra II my Freshman year, but because the high school I was going to was adopting common core, none of the students in my class were able to progress to Algebra II and instead were placed in a secondary honors class where a lot of the mathematic material we had already studied was covered again.

Luckily I moved the summer before my freshman year and the high school I moved to put the common core cut off year to the year behind mine. In other words, anyone from my grade that had previously taken an accelerated course in middle school was able to continue on that accelerated course through high school, so long as they maintained high enough test scores.

This was not the case for my other classes, such as English and Science. I did not notice any huge changes in the way these classes were taught, though, once the common core program had been adopted at my school. There were still honors and AP classes offered for these different subjects, history as well, and actually the syllabi for these courses in honors and regular were not very different. Really the honors classes would only end up with one extra project and maybe one less quiz.

I have watched the grades below mine struggle with common core a little bit, as far as the mathematics portion goes, and students that move to Utah from a state farther east. My sister comes home from school confused about math almost every day. She is very bright and has pulled straight A's since elementary school, with math as her best subject. Often times she will ask me for help and I will not have a clue how to help her because the way the math material is taught is so different from when I went through the program.

I had a friend that moved here from Minnesota her sophomore year and immediately fell behind because her previous school did not have common core, and now she was supposed to learn an entirely new way of thinking.

In my opinion, it is absolutely fine to have common core in English, science, and history classes but it should definitely be left out of the math classes. I don't believe that learning "across" rather than building from the bottom up is any way to learn math. ​

School Uniforms

School uniforms- two words almost every high school student does not want to hear in their lifetime. Sure, it would be nice to not have to worry about what you would wear every day, but that also takes the fun out of it. (I especially have a hard time wrapping my mind around school uniforms. I am a shopaholic and could not standit if I had to wear awful socks and itchy sweaters with ugly brown shoes every day of my high school career.)

I have not actually attended a school where the policy switched from casual clothing to uniforms, so I had to do my own research online to see the effects that uniforms have on schools and students. In every article or "experiment", if you will, there seemed to be roughly four things tested with the implementation of uniforms: violence rates, attendance rates, academic excellence, and graduation rates. Depending on the school and location, all of these differed and results were very inconclusive.

Many of the reports stated that violence had decreased significantly and graduation rates had increased significantly, although there was little to no change in attendance or academic performance. The reports I read that stated these conclusions seemed to agree that a plaid skirt and button up shirt have no effect on how well a student can read Shakespeare or solve an algebra problem, it is the fact that when a school demands a level of physical performance, the student will rise to meet that. Studies show that there is a correlation between uniforms and a decrease in discipline problems.

Still other schools reported that there had been no change at all in the way their students performed. In fact, violence rates had risen during the first year of the uniform policy at one school. By the second year the rates had dropped again and the administrators speculated that this could have been due to the fact that the students were now used to the uniforms.

There was an interesting survey that was taken at one of these schools. The school had interview several students and teachers to see how they felt the school had changed since it had switched to a set uniform. A good majority of the interviewees said that they felt the school had become better and safer, when in all reality there had been no change in rates of violence, academics, attendance, or graduation.

It is interesting to read these articles and see how uniforms affect students and staff at high schools. I would say that uniforms definitely give off a more "important" air, and if it helps students feel better at school, it would be worth it, in my opinion, to change all high schools' policies to incorporate school uniforms. I know several students would be highly opposed to this proposition, and I myself have a hard time wrapping my mind around it, but if it would help even a few more students to graduate or decrease our violence and need for disciplinary action, I am all for it. ​

The Mob Mentality

The Mob Mentaility Saturday, October 10, 2015 ​ As I mentioned in the previous blog post, I conducted a survey over Facebook to get some opinions from my peers and mentors as to their thoughts on whether or not teachers should be carrying guns at school. I got plenty of feedback on their opinions as well as witnessed some crazy mob mentality that was social media based. For the first few comments, everyone was calm and shared their opinions- either yes or no for teachers carrying guns- and why they thought this. The problem came once a specific teacher got on and said that she wascarrying her gun at school. A different friend replied to the teacher's comment and said something along the lines of "as long as there are extreme tests taking place, I [the friend] think that teachers should definitely be allowed to carry guns at school". The teacher explained that she most definitely had taken an assortment and abundance of tests to get her concealed weapons permit as well as informed her principal that she was carrying a weapon and had done all the necessary work to get it approved with the principal and the school. Next came an extremely out-there back and forth between the student and the teacher, to which a separate friend- a cousin, if that means anything- told the two of them "Hey losers, she said no fighting. So give her an answer and shut up." Needless to say that this comment sparked a Facebook fire like none I have ever seen. The teacher respectfully apologized and repeated her answer, but the friend couldn't let the subject drop. He started calling names and calling her out on simple things as he inferred things from her comments. She was not any better, returning his rude comments with snide and sometimes passive aggressive comments of her own. A second fight broke out between two other students that, though not as extreme as the first fight, still compelled me to delete the post all together. Seconds after the post was deleted, I got a message from my cousin that said "Hey, I wasn't done with him!" This only made me feel better about my decision to delete the post. I managed to talk my cousin down and thank her for her input. A few minutes after that, an aunt texted me to ask where the post went. I explained it to her and she replied with, "Oh, yeah. It's probably good you deleted it, although it was pretty funny." While this is not exact research, this is just one example of how students are generally more hot-headed than adults, but adults do not always act like adults should anyways. Each generation is also subject to the mob mentality and the false protection of saying whatever they please with no consequences on social media. The fact of the matter is that the problem is much more prominent in high schools. Each and every day there are students being bullied in and outside of school. Much of this takes place over social media and the schools- at least the ones that I have looked at- have made it a point to do all in their power to decrease their bullying levels and make students aware of the repercussions bullying has.

Teachers With Guns: Yay? or Nay? Thursday, October 8, 2015 ​ With the recent shootings in Oregon, Colorado, and other states, including the catastrophic event at Sandy Hook Elementary, the topic of gun control has become a hot debate. One of the sub topics of this debate is whether or not school teachers should be carrying guns at all times as a protection for their classes. Rather than consulting Google for the answer to "Should school teachers carry guns?", I decided to open the question to my friends, peers, and mentors on Facebook. The results were twofold: one, I got several answers within seconds that varied from "heck yes and anyone who says otherwise should go to you-know-where" to "I would rather walk on hot coals for the rest of my life than attend/send my child to a school where teachers have guns". The second result was unintentional, and I'll save the whole story for the next post, but there was some crazy mob-mentality going on. The status I posted read, approximately, this: Okay everybody, I need your input. Please don't turn this into a big political debate or a fight but I would appreciate if you could answer the following questions. Should teachers be allowed to carry guns? Why or why not? Within a five minutes I had one 'no' and one 'yes'. Within thirty minutes I had four 'no's' and seven 'yesses'. Generally, the teachers were saying yes. I had one teacher comment who said that the Sandy Hook incident is the reason she even got her concealed weapons permit and carries her gun at all times. She made it very clear that the gun never leaves her person and is never put in a place that could endanger any of the students. Many of the people that said 'yes' expressed that they believed that everyone has the right to a weapon and should be allowed to carry that weapon at any time. However, every single one of them agreed that there should have to be a series of tests that these teachers must take in order to be deemed safe when in possession of the firearm and the teacher should, under no circumstances, make it public that they have a weapon. The teacher that carries her weapon currently said that she did have to take numerous tests both with the gun and without the gun, and continues to go in for tests every few months. The majority of people that said 'no' to the posed question were students. All the reasons they gave to support their opinion essentially came down to one point: teachers are there to teach. No more, no less. While these students and single teacher recognized that there could potentially be a threat, they stood by the opinion that teachers have no right to try and protect the students in such a way and that job should be left for the law enforcement placed at the schools. Each side is valid. If the two could work together, I think gun control wouldn't be an issue. It is interesting to see that teachers, for the most part, are pro and students, in the majority, are against the idea of teachers having guns.   ​