Point/Counterpoint
7
Whatever the Topic, Assemblies are Worthwhile Point Kristen Hadley A few whiny students moan and groan about sitting through lengthy assemblies. These students at Oswego High School think it’s a waste of time to have to hear the tedious lectures about drinking and driving or about the African American culture, but the truth is, it is contributing culture and informing students about life lessons. Without cultural and informational assemblies and field trips, students would be unable to explore their options outside of the usual classroom instruction. According to Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 17,602 people died due to drunk driving accidents. Maybe if more schools had prevention programs put in place, there would be fewer drunk driving accidents among teens. Students cannot evaluate information that they don’t receive, and by
showing them how real the dangers of drinking and driving are, it may widen their perspectives. Another example of how an assembly can affect student thinking is Rachel’s Challenge. This public awareness movement about the Columbine shootings has helped thousands of students personalize violence in schools. It is one thing to hear about what has happened, but to actually see the parents of a victim and to hear their painful story has moved many students to consider the consequences of violence in schools. TV and newspaper stories do not create the personal connection that actually hearing from the victim’s families can create. School field trips may also be highly educational and motivational for students. Some young children because of economic status or lack of parental support may not have the opportunity to visit and explore new places. Some young children may not have had the opportunity to see animals first hand and learn about their habitat without a field trip to a zoo. They may not have had hands-on opportunities to explore energy or space without a field trip to a place like The Museum of Science and Technology (The MOST).
These opportunities inspire children to learn about and explore their world. It opens up opportunities for less advantaged students that they may not otherwise have. Likewise, assemblies and field trips help students learn about different cultures. One recent assembly held at Minetto Elementary School featured a group of Native Americans who shared with students the highlights and customs of their culture. They spoke to students about the history of Native Americans in our state and shared the dances and cultural ceremonies that have been passed down in their culture throughout the years. An assembly like this can help children understand how people of different cultures fit into society. School assemblies and field trips play an important role in helping students understand differences, explore new ideas, and personalize events. They bring the real word into school and help students make more informed decisions about their behavior. The value of these events should not be minimized. The more assemblies and field trips the better. To paraphrase Mark Twain, we should never let school get in the way of our education.
Too Many Assemblies are a Waste of Class Time the AP students who will have tests this month. If education is so valuable at OHS, why don’t we show it? We’re supposed to be a “school in need of improvement,” yet we have pointless assemblies interrupting class time. The juggling assembly is not the first, or the last assembly that has had this effect. Last year, Mark Wood’s electric violin presentation was scheduled two days before the AP Psychology test. This put Mr. Mark Mirabito, AP Psychology teacher, and his students in a bad situation. Although the assembly was “fun,” it was not overly educational and was certainly not necessary. We’re not in elementary school any more. In high school, there’s no “snack time, recess, or nap time.” I understand that not all assemblies are purely for entertainment and many hold true educational value. For example, the mock DWI car accident is a very effective, pertinent assembly. The difference between this assembly and frivolous ones is that people will take the car accident seriously. It is likely to affect many people, and hit “home” for others. This, in turn, may
Counter point Sophie Rosenbaum Juggling, electric guitars, and Russian dancers. How many times do we need to change the bell schedule for “special events?” It seems like every year there are increasingly more field trips and assemblies that are pointless. What is the educational value in juggling? If you really want to learn how to juggle, go take Dr. Altman’s physics class where he teaches his students how to juggle (an activity that is a part of his curriculum). Personally, I don’t see any educational value in juggling, rather it is just another excuse for students to get out of class, leave school early, and miss out on valuable education time. It seems as if it is a commonality for these “extra-special-super-duper events” to occur during the later portion of the school year. Not only does that interrupt teachers attempting to prepare their students for end-ofthe-year exams in June, it also affects
Buccaneer Bulletin
cause them to change their decisions and plans that they have made for pre-prom and post-prom activities. Other assemblies of this nature are also effective in communicating to students the importance of their decisions. On the OHS website, it says, “The mission of the Oswego City School District is to empower all students to reach their full potential in the best possible learning environment.” So, let’s empower our students with knowledge, not pure entertainment. The music assemblies (i.e. musical “teaser,” holiday concert, etc.) are also nice because they show the other students in the school what talent our students possess. A student who watches one of these assemblies may be intrigued and decide that next year, they would like to be a part of the band or be a member of the play. These assemblies provide a sense of school pride as well. Some see all assemblies as beneficial because they take time away from the high-stress classroom environment and give students a break from the same old activities. Once again, this is a nice thought, but extremely unnecessary. An assembly every once in a while will not make my life less stressful, rather it works
in a reverse fashion. First of all, it causes the teachers to have to alter their lesson plans in order to make sure that all of the material needed to be covered, is taught. This puts stress on the teachers which, in turn, is passed on to the students. “In the modern world, teenagers will do what they’ve always done. They imitate the behavior of the adults in their lives. The adults in the school shouldn’t be surprised that our students don’t respect the important class time because we [adults] regularly take students out of class for things that should be after school activities. We are demonstrating to them that class time is not important,” Mirabito said. When you think about it, if students really liked these assemblies, wouldn’t they behave better and be more attentive to them? I’m not saying do away with all assemblies at OHS, just pick and choose more wisely. Many students make fun of the assemblies and choose to leave school early or skip the assemblies because they think it sounds “stupid.” Why not give the students a choice and a say in the matter? Let us decide who comes to the school, whether it is a juggler, a motivational speaker, or a police officer.
May 2008