Application after application…it seems as though the process will never end. Sleepless nights are no anomaly. What is all of this for? Well, it is to go to the perfect college and to hopefully create the perfect future! I am a rising high school senior and my life is being turned upside down by an […]

Should schools be able to distribute common forms of contraceptives? Some parents believe if birth control is provided in the school environment that their children will become more reckless with their sex lives. On the other hand, parents believe that kids will be kids and the more access they have to condoms and birth control […]

Being on the podium made me feel like a king, being high up as if I were on a mountain at the very top standing on the tip of the ice cap. Then I realized everything was bigger than me and I was only eight years old, but just the littlest things made me feel […]

School violence has always been synonymous with inner-city public schools, gangs, and racial tensions. But there is a new violence erupting on schools all across the nation and it is a terrifying prospect for the middle and upper classes. It is the violence within the safe, rich, white cul-de-sacs of suburbia and rural America. With […]

Clone Clothes Many students of public schools believe that school uniforms should not be worn because it is restraining people’s freedom of expression and does not create diversity. “Without the outlet of expression in their clothes, students may turn to inappropriate hair styles, jewelry, or makeup” (Public School Uniforms). So by restricting students of their […]

The class is silent. Heads are down. Eyes are half-way closed. District assessment today. This is a classroom on a test day.Do you want your kids to risk failing a test because school makes your kids get up early ? I wouldn’t. Student shouldn’t be scared to fail a test because they are tired. What […]

Grades. The sheer mention of the word can induce cold sweats, shaky fingers and stuttering voices. They have been, and will most likely always be the sole measure of a child’s success, and one of the only things parents care about, it’s pedestal placed almost as high as health and survival, sometimes even higher than […]

College is bound to be an experience unlike any other that I have ever encountered.It will be the first time in my life that I will have to step up my responsibility to another level.My mother will not be there when I get back from a hard-pressed day at school with an uninspired home-cooked meal […]

In conversation with friends, one talks about things that they enjoy. Some may be able to talk about sports for hours, while others may prefer telling their buddies about how they have been trying to gain telepathic powers. When I talk with my friends, I enjoy sharing my experiences from band camp. If a friend […]

I have recently read the book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (formerly known as Samuel Clemens). I read it because I heard it was a good book, and partially because I also read another Mark Twain book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and it was a good book, too The book is […]

I have to say, I think that teachers should be more strict about the dress code. In my school, we’ve got girls wearing short short and crop tops every day. Shirts that you can see their neon bras through. Shorts so high they barely cover buttcheeks. In fact, we have this poster that lists everything […]

Black letters flash across the screen, launching an attack of rumors and insults. A text, a Facebook wall post, a Tweet – a line or two is all it takes to wound someone’s self-esteem, to bring tears, to ruin a friendship. With the explosion of modern technology, old-school bullying is out and a new type […]

Getting a Head Start is Never FairTwenty points, ten points, eight points, or one point? Those are certain points that stand between someone getting into a college of their top choice. Would you accept getting declined because you don’t fit a criterion of who you are and how you were born, just because affirmative action […]

Fresh green leaves were already dying, drying into yellow wrinkles: my precious free days were disappearing quickly. It was a terrible moment to realize the lazy days were over, overwhelming, really. Seeking guidance for the upcoming school year, I turned to the friendly Google. But my friend was not so helpful that day. Soothing advice […]

Technology is ever changing as it changes so does the world we live in. With every new invention or innovation something changes for someone be it as small as the ability to send emails faster or as massive as full stores being online ready to ship products to consumers 24/7. As newer generations grow up […]

Vandalism is a persistent irritation at our high school. The 2010-2011 school year was particularly troublesome. Along with the usual nagging destruction in restrooms, there was also a much more serious incident—a fire. These negligent acts of destruction are detrimental to the school environment and can have very serious consequences. On April 6, a student […]

”A man gotta have a code” -Omar from The Wire At my high school we study Tupac, mostly at different schools the sophmores learn about How to kill a mocking bird and Romeo & Juliet. Some poeple feel that he’s controversial but I feel that we can learn sonething from Tupac’s life. For example he’s […]

It has always bothered me that the bookstores at school are always so disorganized and so crowded all the time. They are always full of people shouting out what they want and pushing others to be able to order. In my opinion, the bookstores are way too small compared to the people that want to […]

How could technology ruin some people’s life when all it has done is given people relationships, help them meet friends, and even given some people relationships? Some people manifest that technology has damaged social skills, it has shut some off the world and life, and that it ruins their relationships and are no longer able […]

Tupac grew up in a rough area. He hung around the wrong crowd, his mom was addicted to drugs, He even sold drugs and was part of violent activity but he turned his life around by educating others, he became very religious, and helped create organizations to help people in his community. Some people think […]

As I begin my applications for University and the necessary scholarships associated with these courses and accommodation, I notice that the questions are exactly what I expect them to be: What extra-curriculars do you do? How have you made a difference in your community? How have you overcome difficulty? What are your hobbies? These are […]

What is the goal of education? Many Americans believe that the goal of education is to teach America’s youth a variety of critical thinking skills that will ideally enable them to achieve success and become contributing members of society. To evaluate what students gather from their learning experience, America’s educational system employs the use of […]

The dictionary definition of a break, “a brief rest, as from work”. At my school, spring break is about to begin, that “brief rest” from all the schoolwork I have done. If only that were the case. In reality, spring break, and all school breaks in general, have become an excuse for teachers to assign […]

Ah, summer. Swimming pools and beaches and fun-in-the-sun. Carefree, happy, content. Spending June and July and August in the shade–Oh no! School’s starting soon! We all know what it’s like to dread having to go back to school in the fall, but what if there was another option? Here, I’m talking about homeschooling. While homeschooling […]

Honors students are defined by idealists as “students with above-average intelligence, and a sincere love of knowledge and learning in all subjects.” Other common misconceptions are that honors students never procrastinate or complain about the assignments they’ve been given. Well, that’s a pretty little picture. Now, to REAL honors students, someone who falls under these […]

Summer break, finally! Now school is over and kids have all summer to be free from grades and homework. That is unless a child attends a year-round school! Children across the country are losing their summer break causing schools to lose money from being open all year. Year round schools have no positive influences on […]

Although we stretch from sea to shining sea, the United States has not quite achieved perfection.It is not difficult to see that we have a problem in our country. Although the U.S. has come very far in its few years of existence, there are still miniscule places in which we fall short. Self defense? There […]

When schools are faced with problems such as a lack of money and budget cuts, it is often the school’s art and music programs that are eliminated from the curriculum. Art and music play an extremely significant role in the lives of many students and it is wrong to take away something that is so […]

People will always tell you “what happens in school won’t matter in the future.” But just think: what if that wasn’t always the case? What if people in school can truly impact someone’s views? Well, that’s what happened when one young girl inspired and motivated students all around her middle school to stand up for […]

Congratulations, you’ve made it through eight seemingly-unimportant years of elementary school and middle school. The days of recess and class Christmas parties are over and now you’re ready to move on to the big leagues: high school. Now you can look forward to making new friends, joining fun clubs and activities, and making sports teams. […]