Gunn High School's Student Newspaper
|
[11/9] Families choose abortions for many different reasons, such as the inability to properly care for the child, the risk of having a child with disabilities and the possibility of fatality for the mother during birth. However, some couples, especially in India and China, have chosen a different reason for abortion: gender. These couples have statistically shown a preference for male babies over female babies. While some disapprove of this practice, there is no logical reason to specifically attack gender specific abortion because of the parents’ right to abort and the true reason behind gender specific abortions.
» Read more
|
[Forum] As most people would agree, lying is wrong. But under pressure, morals might fluctuate and actions tend to change. For students filling out college applications, many feel that lying is the easiest way to push themselves above their competitors for seats at top colleges.—Melissa Chan
[Forum] “I don’t know anything about computers,” she said. “I’d probably ruin your club...”—Celine Nguyen
[Forum] When people are born, they are blessed with a body. They are given their own unique facial features and body shapes that set them apart from the rest of the world. However, thousands of teenagers each year ignore the value of their individuality and choose to change themselves through cosmetic surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery over 200,000 teens received plastic surgery in 2007, triple the number from ten years ago. The reason for this plastic surgery upsurge is simple: the media. At a young age, the media infect children’s brains with images of skinny dolls and buff masculine figures. Barbie, a popular doll of which three are sold every second, all have the same exaggerated body shape with a change of skin tone. Even worse is that over the years, GI Joes and Barbies have gotten buffer and bustier. If GI Joe were real, his biceps would have grown from 12 inches in 1969 to today’s whopping 36 inches. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s arms at their peak were only 22 inches in circumference. —Sophia Jiang
[Forum] I am not the early bird type and could never wake up at 6 a.m. to catch a worm with a “rise and shine” attitude. I am addicted to the snooze button, but I rarely take caffeine to be vigorous and upbeat like the “Energizer bunny” in the mornings. — Jazreel Cheung
[Forum] In the United States, people are surrounded by readily available edibles. From the processed junk that comes in plastic packages to beverages chock-full of high fructose corn syrup, cheapness is ubiquitous in the world of American food. This inexpensive availability encourages a high calorie intake, which has led Americans down the path to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and various health disorders. A recent study on caloric restrictions from the University of Wisconsin concluded that over-consuming calories is detrimental to longevity and graceful aging. Clearly that the best way to reclaim personal health is to just eat less.—Sarah-Jean Zubair
[Forum] Everyone knows that when you come down with the flu, you’re likely to get your friends sick, too. But did you know that obesity, smoking and happiness are also contagious between friends?—Sophie Cheng
[Forum] If going to college was like eating an orange, taking the SATs and Preliminary SAT are like removing the rind—you just have to get past it. Colleges, parents and the school administration alike place a large importance on these tests. But recently, many colleges have started to urge students to take the ACT as well. With this comes a series of smaller pre-ACT tests, such as the EXPLORE and PLAN tests that freshmen and sophomores were required to take in October. However, mandating these tests for all students is both time consuming and unnecessary.—Yilin Liang & Lisa Wong
[Forum] Gender specific abortions, specifically, the abortion of daughters in favor of sons, should be banned. This practice is not just a pro-choice or pro-life concept; this is an argument about gender discrimination and widespread sexism.—Arjun Bharadwaj
[Forum] Families choose abortions for many different reasons, such as the inability to properly care for the child, the risk of having a child with disabilities and the possibility of fatality for the mother during birth. However, some couples, especially in India and China, have chosen a different reason for abortion: gender. These couples have statistically shown a preference for male babies over female babies. While some disapprove of this practice, there is no logical reason to specifically attack gender specific abortion because of the parents’ right to abort and the true reason behind gender specific abortions.—Joseph Lin
[Forum] It can generally be concurred that the pernicious possibilities of contracting a nasty flu and dying are powerful incentives for fortifying one’s natural defenses against such an outcome. If this statement holds true, then it is entirely unnecessary to make H1N1 vaccinations mandatory, a step that many groups have been clamoring for in the United States. — Henry Gens
[Forum] As a citizen of the United States, you are protected under the constitution from nonconsensual body searches or searches of property. As a minor, you also have greater protection than an adult during police interrogations and for crime sentences. Despite this, many people seem to think that students’ rights can be easily bypassed, and throughout the United States, their rights are being trampled on. Nonconsensual searches are not only immoral, but also unconstitutional. People need to know their rights in order to preserve them.— Arjun Bharadwaj
[Forum] This year’s extremely chaotic schedule has deprived students of valuable class time. Teachers continually struggle to keep class lessons consistent and students are forced to deal with the odd daily schedules. By failing to think ahead, the district and administration have lowered the quality of education at Gunn.—
[Forum] Getting the latest scoop—the scramble for the most luscious and deliciously satisfying morsels of information—is characteristic of tabloids today. However, there is a dark line between this paparazzi mentality of trying to ferret out any potentially publishable information and professional journalism. It is an ethical journalist’s duty to report accurate information from reliable and credible sources, while still respecting the interviewee’s privacy. In the modern day and age however, personal motives have often distorted such moral standards. Though journalism is a business, and competition for the best stories will always exist, journalists must maintain upheld ethics. —Linda Yu
[Forum] Most schools have little tolerance for substance abuse, on-campus violence or weapons and cyber-bullying. In such cases they resort to immediate disciplinary measures like suspension and expulsion. These shortsighted and draconian forms of punishment ultimately fail to discourage unethical behavior because they do more harm than good.—Regina Ahn
[Forum] Drug use and cheating are a pervasive problem in many high schools. Offenders are often rightfully punished with a quick lash of consequences. Cheating and drug use may seem like two completely different subjects, but they share similar concepts. Both are against the rules and, in most cases, can become habit forming if not dealt with quickly and firmly. Consequences of these infractions often entail contacting the student’s guardian, and in the case of drug use, could include police involvement. Harsh punishments should be given to students who break rules in order to teach them that their actions are unacceptable. —Colin Chen
[Forum] In the early 1920s, it was not uncommon for many white actors to mock African-Americans by donning makeup to make their skin tones look darker. These “blackface” actors enforced early stereotypes of African-Americans; living in squalid conditions, eating fried chicken and usually acting idiotic. While this blunt racism has been pushed out of the media, subtle racism remains prevalent and pernicious.—Arjun Bharadwaj
[Forum] No, I’m not referring to the common teenage reaction to academic stress or social drama. This is about the more vulgar practice of “freaking.” —Sophie Cheng
[Forum] Last September, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom stated that he would introduce legislation to impose a tax on businesses that sell sugary drinks in San Francisco to help combat obesity and associated health problems like diabetes. The tax would consist of a per-ounce extra charge on soda and sugary juices, raising the price of a purchase and theoretically reducing people’s desire to consume soda. Already instituted in some states, a soda tax should move beyond local and state governments and be implemented nationally as a part of the federal government’s attempts to help reduce obesity rates. —Sarah-Jean Zubair
[Forum] Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers with 5,000 teens ages 16 to 20 dying from fatal crashes anuualy. That may not sound like much given the size of the American population, but anyone could be a part of that statistic. In a society where every life counts, raising the driving age will help save lives in the future.—Alvin Man
[Forum] Grades. Tests. Homework. APs. College. The very utterance of these words quickens heartbeats and causes students to groan with anxiety, fatigue or dread. They are the reasons why many sacrifice their social lives and free time in exchange for hitting the books. Grades are curious things—they can cause nervous breakdowns or elation, but most of the time they simply cause stress. In Gunn’s highly academic climate, grades can be a sensitive topic and consequently should be kept as confidential as possible.—Nicola Park