16 minute read
Should Snow Days Melt Away?
By ANDREW SHINKLE ‘22 Editor-in-Chief
There’s no other feeling like it. After a nervous evening of anticipating the weather forecast’s validity, you jolt awake in your pitch-dark bedroom and reach for the windowsill. As your vision comes into focus, it’s unmistakable — a thick blanket of snow has enveloped the outside world, creating a winter wonderland in your backyard. It’s calm and quiet outside, and you feel just as peaceful inside, as you realize that you’ll be staying home all day. Waking up on a snow day is one of the sweetest, most treasured experiences of youth and adolescence. However, technological advances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have placed their livelihood in danger. Ten years ago, snow days were called due to the perceived inability to safely transport students to and from school, as a result of excessive snow. Now that the pandemic has ushered in remote learning via Zoom as an easy, accessible alternative to in-class instruction, snow days have little practicality. Regardless, they still live on in many school district calendars, including Eastern’s. At least for the moment. U.S states have been attempting to institute at-home-learning on snow days for a number of years now, stretching long before the pandemic. Ohio and New Hampshire school districts have both run “blizzard bag days” for countless years; the idea is that students are given a full day’s worth of classwork either prior to the inclement weather, or remotely on their computers. Students are then assigned to complete the work at home before they return to the building. These days count as attendance for the school year, which means that extra days won’t need to be tacked onto summer vacation. If other states have successfully replaced snow days with remote instruction, even before Zoom became a pandemic necessity, then why does Eastern still use them yearly? According to New Jersey state legislation, school districts that are not open for a minimum of 180 days per academic year lose all state funding and aid. Public schools cannot afford to lose their funding, so the 180 day requirement must be met. However, remote learning does not count towards the 180 days if the switch is made due to inclement weather. This was not the case last year, as Governor Murphy signed an executive bill that allowed remote learning for the entirety of the 2020-21 school year. But now, Zoom instruction can only count towards the 180-day mark if schools are closed for three or more days due to a public health emergency, such as the rampant spread of the Omicron variant. These limitations explain why remote learning isn’t allowed on the grounds of inclement weather in NJ, but things are much different just fifteen miles away in Philadelphia. On Friday, January 7th, Philadelphia’s public schools switched to remote learning due to significant snow accumulation. You may remember that at Eastern, we had a snow day on the same date. Why should Pennsylvania schools be allowed to pivot to online instruction due to inclement weather, while New Jersey schools are not? The two states border each other and share much of the same climate. The only real reason prohibiting the switch is outdated NJ state legislation. Before remote learning became mainstream, the only way to achieve meaningful instruction was to gather in-person at school, and this still represents the ideal educational environment. However, times have changed, and technology has given us the luxury of learning from the comfort of our homes. In the event of insurmountable snow accumulation, NJ schools should be allowed to utilize remote learning to count towards the 180-day requirement. Of course, there would be a massive outcry from parents and children alike if this becomes a reality. The past few years have completely disrupted our sense of normalcy, and snow days have become one of the few lights we can look towards in this time of darkness. That’s why I suggest remote learning be implemented on an intermediate basis, in order to keep the tradition and nostalgia of snow days alive. On days with lighter snow that is still enough to cancel in-person school, remote learning days should be held. Then, for the truly massive snowstorms that roll around every once in a while here in the Mid-Atlantic, true snow days should be awarded. By only using one or two snow days each year, the education system wouldn’t be disrupted as often, and, perhaps most importantly to kids, spring break and summer vacation may be extended. There’s also something to be said about moderation; there’s a healthy balance between work and play that would be achieved with a give-and-take snow day system. Snow days should never be fully removed, but there are benefits to reducing their usage in NJ schools.
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Many students look forward to snow days as much needed breaks from the daily school grind, but the pandemic has put them in danger.
Photo by Andrew Shinkle’22/Canva.com
To B or not to B… that is our important question
By ALANNA STEIN ‘24 Staff Reporter
Eastern students alike strive for that coveted “A” when completing projects and tests, but when what qualifies as an “A” differs from school to school, what does it really mean? At Eastern, we abide by an 8-point grade scale, meaning to earn an “A” in a class, you must receive anywhere between a 92 to 100. However, at schools in neighboring towns such as Cherry Hill East and West, Haddonfield High, Lenape, Shawnee, and Cherokee, students are awarded an “A” for grades ranging from 90 to 100. Unlike the other schools—who have followed this protocol for an extensive amount of time—Haddonfield High School recently switched to the 10-point grade scale in May 2021. While grading systems tend to be personalized based on district, is the twopoint difference truly fair? Is there a valid reason behind the differing scales? How do we benefit from an 8-point grade scale vs. a 10-point grade scale? Unfortunately, no evidence was supplied to answer these seemingly perplexing questions. Even Eastern’s Director of Academic Programs and Student Performance, Dr. Borda, agrees that the extremely sought-after research is unfindable. Before our current grading system was implemented, no numerical value was attached to a student’s work. District policy was to only report letter grades rather than numerical grades, making the worth of an “A” relatively subjective. According to Dr. Borda, Eastern switched from letter grades to the 8-point scale between 1999 and 2003. Numerical grades proved to be more precise and efficient when calculating cumulative GPAs. Upon making the change, a 10-point scale wasn’t necessarily on the administration’s mind; the 8-point scale used to be more common and the favorable choice. Yet, while more schools make the switch to a 10-point scale, Dr. Borda feels unsure if a new system will truly benefit our school. “In education, we make changes hoping for an outcome. We make the change, it disrupts a lot of things, but we don’t necessarily see the outcome we were hoping for,” states Dr. Borda in a recorded interview. Although Dr. Borda sees no advantage in any particular grade scale, she firmly believes that our current scale provides consistency. “We have had a consistent grading system for a very long time. Our parents, students, and families know and are comfortable with the system,” says Dr. Borda. But couldn’t one assert that the same parents, students, and families Dr. Borda mentioned were previously unfamiliar with the 8-point grade scale, so can we truly blame Eastern’s lack of change on the need for consistency? Though it may be challenging, we must embark on the ambitious journey of improving Eastern. Remote schooling simply proves that we, high school students, are capable of adapting to new protocols or systems. If a 10-point scale increases the number of students who earn Distinguished Honor Roll, then we can readily adjust. If a 10-point scale improves our comparability and competitiveness to neighboring schools, then we are prepared to make a beneficial transition. That being said, everything ultimately comes down to college. Students’ motives behind working towards high grades like an “A” stem from the want to attend an applaudable college. Therefore, Dr. Borda claims that colleges don’t even see an earned letter grade— transcripts primarily display the earned number grade. While transcripts show our unweighted final grades, they also show our weighted cumulative GPA— the most sacred statistic to many colleges. Dr. Borda reiterates that weighted calculations “...are a way of normalizing grades and determining what an ‘A’ is when students are coming from very different schools.” Thus, is Eastern’s thought process that since letter grades hardly matter in the grand scheme of things, do they think that changing the grade scale is unnecessary? Even if colleges are ignorant to letter grades, our high school is not. Many accomplishments are based on letter grades, such as Distinguished Honor Roll and National Honors Society (NHS). To achieve Distinguished Honor Roll, a student must obtain an “A” or higher in every class. To be inducted into NHS, a student must have a cumulative GPA of an “A” or higher. However, if the grade scale was shifted to a 10-point scale, more students would receive these honors, as a broader range would be accepted. Upon receiving over 115 responses to a Google Form questioning if students have an issue with the current grading system, negative feedback greatly outweighed the positive responses. More than one hundred students voted yes to having a problem with the 8-point scale, while only twelve voted that the system is fine. The 90.4% of students disagreeing with Eastern’s grade scale proves that change is not a concept among the minority; change is something many of us strongly support. Further research regarding students’ opinions will be conducted to receive a more accurate representation of the student body. Maybe our 8-point grade scale results in higher-performing students. Maybe it leads to greater motivation and determination or even increases the rigor of Eastern’s academics. But if there is no clear evidence or research to support such a peculiar grading system, why is Eastern tightly clinging to the 8-point grade scale even if our closest competitors have already moved on?
Examining the state of America a year after January 6th
By LEAH SNYDERMAN ‘22 Co-Editor-in-Chief
Iwas naive to think that the events of January 6, 2021 would spark change. As awful as the insurrection was, I had hope that it would mark the beginning of a new era in the US. I had hope that it was one of those things that needed to happen in order for true change to be made. I had hope that people would stop supporting Trump and realize what he really stands for. Hope that people would realize that he is a threat to American democracy and minority groups through his encouragement of radical and white supremacist beliefs. I can’t believe I was so naive to think that change could happen in America. Did people not realize what a big deal this was? There was an attempted coup in the United States of America. An attempted coup. The insurrectionists wanted to overthrow the results of the Presidential Election, and they were encouraged to do so by then-President Donald Trump. And, despite his second impeachment for his involvement with the attempted coup, Trump is still the powerhouse of the Republican Party and a real potential candidate for the 2024 Presidential Election. Now, there were members and supporters of the Republican Party who denounced the insurrection when it first happened, but there has been avoidance on the topic amongst Republicans ever since. At the time, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said, “there is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” but in May, he ended the chances of a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 events. ThenVice President Mike Pence originally acted against Trump’s requests to overturn the election results, but current reports say that he has not yet decided if he will cooperate with the current investigation on the insurrection. Even with a new president, hate still runs strong in America. And it is the same hate that motivated the insurrectionists at the Capitol over a year ago. It’s no secret that the world’s perception of the US has shifted over the past few years. The truth is, we have become a laughing stock to many world leaders — especially during the Trump years. We are seen as a country filled with gun violence and hate. On January 15, 2022, a British-citizen, Malik Faisal Akram, took 4 victims hostage in a Texas synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel. He used a gun that he bought on the street (illegally) in Texas to threaten his victims. Why did Akram come to the US to commit this crime? Did he know he could make it happen here? He could’ve chosen any synagogue in any country, even his own, but he chose the US. The fact that Akram traveled to the US to take a synagogue hostage is evidence of the changing perspective of America. We really are seen with a nation filled with hatred. The insurrectionists at the Capitol had a hatred for anyone who wasn’t them. They couldn’t find it in themselves to compromise and accept the results of a certified election. Their leader was known for his unfiltered views and comments, so they took after him to act on an unfiltered version of what happened with the election. With the unfiltered president out of office, I had high hopes for this past year. President Biden seemed to signal the start of change. He made promises during his campaign, but did he keep any? On January 24, 2022, Biden was caught on a hot mic calling Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b****.” Within an hour of the incident, Biden called Doocy to personally apologize for his words. This situation looked rather familiar. There’s a new president, but still the same name calling as the last. Now, in no way am I equating Biden with Trump. Trump has publicly mocked and name-called several reporters, not to mention that time he incited an entire coup. His actions here are far worse than Biden losing his temper for a moment. But I’m also not justifying Biden’s name calling. Anyone who holds such a powerful position must always be more careful than the average person with their words. Biden should know better, especially after his predecessor. However, the difference here is that Biden immediately took responsibility. Trump has called multiple reporters names and fully supported an insurrection and overthrow of American democracy. But where is his responsibility? The president sets a precedent. We’ve seen it over the past four years, and really throughout history. If the President is rude to others and doesn’t own up to his words, a good amount of the general public will follow suit. If the President makes a comment but apologizes and admits he made a mistake, the public sees that. So, over a year later, where are we? Trump is still a powerful member in politics with a huge following. America is still viewed as a country with widespread hatred. We still don’t have an ideal leader. It’s time for change. It was time for change a year ago. As a country, we must do better in combating hatred and upholding democracy.
The insurrectionists wanted to overthrow the results of the Presidential Election. Photo by Big Think Edge/ CC BY-SA 2.0
Systemic racism in education has never faded
By ALANA McLEOD ‘25 Staff Reporter
Knowing that only 15% of black students enroll in AP classes makes me livid. As a black student in AP and honors classes, I am constantly counting the amount of minorities that attend them: two black people (including myself) in my Algebra Honors class, one black person (myself) in my Adv Honors English, one black person (myself) in my World History Honors class. The false illusion that people of color don’t want to thrive sickens me. This delusion pressed upon black people stops us from understanding what we are capable of. By making us believe that we only have limited things to achieve, it discreetly tries to stop us from learning. Society wants to lessen our power, and it is sourced from fear. Fear that we will dominate success to the highest of heights. By placing us in poverty and forcing us to indulge in crimes, it prevents us from seeing our own potential. One black person and one white person could attend the same school. They could both get into Honors classes and both receive the same grade after high school graduation. So why is it that, when finding a job, white people have a higher chance of getting an occupation? “Black workers were 65% more likely than white workers to be unemployed…” (State unemployment by race and ethnicity Epi.org). Society assumes that because we are so desperate for jobs, they can pay us so little. According to Stephen Miller in “Black Workers Still Earn Less than Their White Counterparts,” it is said that the median salary of a white male is $72,900 while a black male’s median salary is $71,500. Implementing drugs and violence on black people in their neighborhoods, it also decreases the employment rate; the drugs are sold at such a high price that it’s difficult to switch to an honest job. The majority of the time I’ve been at Eastern I’ve stayed in after-school assistance in order to concentrate and retain the information I learned throughout the day. Over time, though, I had to force myself to stop going. This is because there are an immense amount of people who ruin the concept of the assistance by talking loudly, fooling around with friends, ordering McDonald’s and Pancheros, and getting no work done. Although I get irritated by the fact that I’m not able to learn there anymore, it saddens me more that these kids who mess around after school are mostly people of color. It defeats me in more ways than any other person of another race would know. Seeing those people lack the desire to achieve greatness forces me to witness what society makes black people believe: that we will never thrive. Systemic racism starts with the mind, so society is able to force things on people of color without lifting a finger. If they force a group of people to believe in a certain way, it can change them without notice. The problems we have as black people are not our faults, but it is our responsibility to change this because no one else will. Despite systemic racism being around for 400 years, there are so many incredible black people who have paved the way for others: Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Simone Biles, and more. My only desire is that, as one, people of color can prove to society what we are all capable of.
“Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations,” (Earl Nightingale).
My only desire is that, as one, people of color can prove to society what we are all capable of. Photo by Alana McLeod/Canva.com
