I learned the Pledge of Allegiance in kindergarten, at the age of five. It is so ingrained in my head that I could recite it in my sleep. And now, eleven years later, I no longer stand up at the beginning of each school day and pledge my allegiance to the United States of America. I remain in my seat. Why? Here’s my reasoning: I refuse to pledge my allegiance to my country if my
When I celebrated the completion of my homework on a regular Friday night, I savored the pleasure it brought me to finally whip out my phone and go to YouTube. As I scrolled and tapped my way through various sections on the app (trending, new music, watch later to name a few) I came across the most peculiar video within my recommended. The video, titled, Study with Me || 14 Hour Study Day, immediately rose
The massive impact of the development of science and technology have tremendously shaped the modern world. As decades passed by, innovators had continuously contributed to the advancement of machinery. Due to this, students around the world adapted to these changes and attempted to incorporate these new knowledge in their system. However, are there enough STEM opportunities for these bright savants to fully engage themselves in their world of scientific inquiry and exploration? Ria Sodhir, a sophomore in the
Now that the second semester of high school is underway, it’s time to start dreading about the future. Although, the future doesn’t have to be so stressful! Determining what you want to do after high school is one of the biggest decisions of your lifetime. Whether you want to enter college, a trade, or the workforce, there are some big questions that are going to define your future. This may sound like a enormous task,
You would think that with every incident of gun violence, there would be a push for policy. Instead, there’s only been a growth in profiting. In the wake of so many school shootings, security companies and defense associations have thoroughly increased their revenue after a boom in the industry. Instead of the demand in gun reform increasing, there’s only been a demand in security mechanisms for schools. While implemented with good intentions, the problem with
Wake up at 6 AM. Drive to school. Spend 8 hours in tough classes. Go to after school activities for 3 hours. Come home. Shower, eat, spend time with your family. Do homework and study. Get some sleep. Repeat. The daily routine of the conventional high school student consists of a jam-packed schedule that can be highly stressful and take up time that should be spent sleeping. According to The Journal of Adolescent Health, a
College preparatory schools—usually private—are often viewed as pretentious with their ridiculous tuition and fancy terms, such as “higher education.” As lavish as these environments might seem, the rules are very lenient. (Not when it comes to skirt length. No, administrators are adamant about girls’ dress code.) Rather, with the high education and tuition comes the obscenely high behavioral tolerance. Word gets around fast in a class of forty-five. I had just finished a biology test
Traditional history classes focus on what is considered the most significant American history- unfortunately, most “significant history” revolves around exclusively white figures. African American historical figures and issues are really only discussed during lessons on slavery and the civil rights movement, causing in-depth discussions about Black history to be a novelty. This creates a very one- dimensional education. Without knowledge of cultures and history outside of white America, young people are growing up not only
It was 8 a.m. on a Friday when the question popped up on the smartboard: can Sharia law and democracy coexist? Like every high school student fighting through class, I instantly started to panic. Did I miss Sharia law somewhere in the 14 page reading? I pulled up last night’s article on my laptop and did a quick Command + F for “Sharia law.” There was nothing. Before I could say anything, I was put
In response to this viral photo, hundreds of schools across Ontario took part in a walk-out protest on Friday, September 21. In August, Ontario Premier Doug Ford decided to scrap the 2015 sex education curriculum in favor of a version identical to the one in 1998. As opposed to the 2015 curriculum, there will be no mention of sexting, staying safe online, or scientific names for genitalia. As well, there will be limited teachings about consent,