April 2022
Opinion
The Voyager 11
To Revive Our Viking Part Three: The factors
By ARIANNA MORALES ‘22 and ANDREW SHINKLE ‘22 Co-Editor-in-Chief and Editor-in-Chief
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chool spirit at Eastern hasn’t exactly been a strength, but there must be reasons why. Right? Now to be clear, our school has spirit:. athletics and activities, such as the field hockey team and the theater club, are largely successful and foster strong internal connections with their members. But the school tends to struggle to unify the student body as a whole. To shed some light on this, here are the most influential factors contributing to why Eastern’s population may feel apathetic. Isolated Groups of School Spirit As previously mentioned, the athletic and art departments of Eastern are extremely successful, yet one doesn’t often see the two groups interacting with each other. It’s clear there’s a rift between them, not one of tension but one of apathy. Mr. McAleer commented on the notable passion involved students have, explaining that while Eastern students are skilled and dedicated to what they do, their focus is just one part of a larger community. They may not be “paying attention to, again, the bigger part of a community event such as spirit week.” There’s a need for more events beyond Prom and Spirit Week “that cohesively joins [all] the student body together to make them feel like a “Viking,” said Ms. Lattimer. The diverse club selection indirectly creates pods of spirit bonded together by their goals. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the limited interaction between clubs makes these pods too isolating, even if they all gather for the same reason. The Emotional Scars of the Pandemic
During the 2021 school year, Eastern, like other schools, relied on Zoom to give virtual education. While Zoom allowed students to connect with their teachers, the physical distance between them was evident, along with their friends. Many students wanted to be back in the classroom again, to learn and to see their friends again—to regain their high school experience. Although students are physically back in school, they were forced to adjust to the same rigid schedule as before the pandemic. Being rushed from class to class with a small lunch period in between creates an academic environment that’s difficult to engage with on a daily basis. It’s not the ideal foundation for facilitating school spirit. Technology Over the past decade, technology has been increasingly used in schools. iPads allow students to work digitally and remotely. However, digital devices have not only impacted education, but radically shifted human culture as a whole. Students are attached to social media, and they don’t seem to connect to society as much as they used to. When everyone is looking at their phones instead of being in the moment, it’s certainly hard to connect in a meaningful way. However, it’s almost impossible to erase the changes that technology has brought. Dr. Clarke, the vice-principal of the Class of 2022, thinks that it’s not “an Eastern problem, it’s a product of the times in which we live.” Weak Communication If you’re a student at Eastern, could you say you know what’s happening on any given school day? Mr. Hill noted in an interview that strategies to improve school spirit should focus on “Find[ing] a way
The Gazebo stands empty as a chain bars its entrance; what are the chains that hold back school spirit? Photo by Arianna Morales ‘22 to better…more effectively communicate the results of extracurricular and co-curricular activities.” It’s not like Eastern doesn’t make efforts to announce its students’ accomplishments, extracurriculars and events but the problem is that it’s not reaching the students’ ears. While ETV attempts to serve as a way for the school to communicate to its students, teachers are often tempted to use the extra time to continue lecturing. If students don’t know what’s happening, then they can’t attend, and if they can’t attend, they lose that bond with their Eastern family. Modern Culture vs. Past Culture Due to the sense of apathy within the school already, students believe it’s not popular to participate during school events, especially spirit week.
Mr. McAleer noticed that students have shifted their attitudes: “Now you get the opposite effect where... It’s cool to be edgy and not have school spirit,” he said. On top of this, if teachers don’t set good examples for their students in terms of school spirit, then students won’t be as likely to follow suit. This decreased spirit would then make teachers feel more apathetic, creating a dangerous feedback loop. School spirit may not be high, but there’s no time to get caught up on the negatives. We can fix this problem by taking these factors and fueling them to create positive change within the school. Stay tuned for the series finale, To Revive Our Viking Part 4: Moving Forward!
Are jobs overwhelming for students?
based on how busy it is. Some days I get home at like 2:00 A.M.” Because Langan is eighteen years old, these hours are legal. But does legal make n the midst of their unfortunately it bearable? Generally, students without busy schedules, most high school jobs would either spend their weekends students also juggle a job. catching up on the work that has piled up Even though New Jersey laws over the week or studying for their imallow students to get a job at the age of pending quizzes and tests. The American fourteen, many teens don’t get hired until Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends they are 16, but that doesn’t stop any high teenagers to have ten hours to sleep; howschooler from filling out a job applicaever, students with shifts like Langan can tion. People say “age ain’t nothing but a kiss that recommendation goodbye. number,” and freshmen and sophomores When asked, most students said that lug their parents to drive them to work they tend to do their schoolwork before and you can find them in their work unithey go to work. It’s a smart decision in form ready to take on the day… or night. an attempt to shave If they’re feeling down the excessive really risky, some While having a job amount of work esstudents might even have two might be overwhelming, pecially since they jobs. students appreciate the reported to be exhausted afterwards. High school stusense of independence A few of them dents already have so much on their when they are the ones stated that they also do their homeplates from the putting money in work while they heavy homework their bank. are at work when load (especially as they have some juniors), to sports downtime. Students who play sports afafter-school, and sometimes extra help for ter school take advantage of the weekend the strenuous classes they might be takshifts, so it doesn’t impede upon their ing. Getting a job means more responsipractice and games. bilities, because if you do it poorly — you Junior Aiden Kremer has a job at the get fired, or worse, tank your GPA. ChopHouse with weekend shifts. This I held an interview with a number of stugives him the opportunity to go home and dents, senior Anna Langan being one of get some rest after baseball practice from them, and asked her about her schedule. 2:00 to 6:00 in the evening. While KreWhen does she find time to work without mer might not have the same demanding letting it cause an imbalance to her and work schedule like Langan, he does find most students’ delicate schedules? himself exhausted by the end of the night. “Right now, I work on Saturdays and After serving customers with tall orders, Sundays at Applebees,” she says. “I go in he looks forward to coming home, even around three or four o’clock in the afterif that means some homework left over noon and some days they let you leave By MAHAWA BANGOURA ‘23 Arts and Culture Editor
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Students are asked about the delicate balance between schoolwork and a partime job. Photo by Mahawa Bangoura ‘23/Canva.com
from what he couldn’t finish before his shift. When asked if he ever thought about quitting, he answered yes, since it can get overwhelming. If work is another burden on the shoulders of teenagers, why do they get jobs? “I hate asking my parents for money,” Kremer said with a small grimace. I bet many kids can agree with that. If you can make your own money, why don’t you? While having a job might be overwhelming, students appreciate the sense of independence when they are the ones putting money in their bank. It increases their work ethic, and creates the mindset of working for things they want without having to rely on their parents. Sometimes, jobs bring more than exhaustion. Shreya Komar, a senior, works at Kumon as a tutor. Because she spent
a painstakingly long day at school, she admits it can get tiring, but she loves helping others. When her students finally understand what she’s explaining to them, a sense of pride washes over her. She’s helping others in areas they struggle with, which is worth more than the urge of needing to close her heavy eyelids when she returns home. So, the question “are jobs overwhelming for students” truly depends on the particular student. After going to school and packing on strenuous classes along with extracurriculars, most people can conclude that students aren’t strangers to being overwhelmed. Jobs are no different to them. Sometimes, it’s just something they’re willing to take on, overwhelming or not.
