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OPINION
JAN. 26, 2018 | HIGH TIDE
Editorial
Teachers are not here for your entertainment
HIGH TIDE Staff Editors-in Chief Ben Brill
Elizabeth Fauver
Kylie Yorke
News Editors Mia Berger, Alex Dang
Opinion Editors Miriam Farah, Jon Mallen
ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL BOTTCHER
Features Editors Reem Chamas, Summer Saad, Ben Yepez
Entertainment Editors Justin Pioletti
Sports Editor The road to happiness does not need to be paved by teachers. They should simply be held accountable for carrying out their job: teaching. Having purpose and meaning contributes to overall happiness, and having a good education and developing skills that can translate to the real world helps find this purpose. The the U.S. Department of Education’s mission is to “prepare students for global competitiveness.” Although recognizing the stress students are under and being accommodating is beneficial to students, having a classroom in which ignores academic progress and tries to be “fun” and “relatable” to teenagers really isn’t grasping this concept. Students will take their instructor more seriously when they’re the best at teaching the curriculum. Teachers who are deemed as “fun” and “cool” actually inflict frustration on students with their lack of instruction. Those who try desperately to maintain entertainment and happiness in the classroom really end up doing the opposite. With a lack of learning in the classroom, students don’t succeed. For example,
entertaining students with movie clips that narrowly relate to the topic don’t help them visualize the concept, it just induces anxiety for wasted class time. However, not all “alternative” teaching methods are in vain. Teachers who take the time to consider how students learn best are appreciated, and at times videoclips can help students visualize the concept or add a new perspective. The purpose of high school is to stimulate intellectual development in children and prepare them to further their education at a college or university. Positive reinforcement and a sense of meaning being essential to students, but the traits that are vital to success and happiness, such as grit, optimism, and self-awareness, can not be taught in a classroom. As students continue their education or begin to pursue a career in the real world, they won’t have bosses or peers that provide them with the constant sympathy and cushion they are accustomed to. Therefore, high school should not sugarcoat reality. The classroom isn’t a place where teachers should walk on broken glass to spare their student’s feelings and spirits. It is a
place of growth and knowledge that will give teenagers the tools to achieve contentment later on in life. Highschool is a place where students need to take charge and uphold certain responsibilities. Certain subjects aren’t fun or easy and are not going to bring happiness to every individual student. The teacher can not, and should not be expected to do anything about this other than teach the material to the best of their abilities. The line between considering a student’s well being and obsessively trying to have a “cool” classroom is increasingly being crossed. At school, students need to be challenged and surrounded by an environment that fosters their education and growth, not babied.
Editorial Board Vote Is it ineffective for teachers to value a “fun” and “cool” curriculum over strictly adhering to the course material, even if it might be very challenging, or worse, boring?
YES: 5
NO: 2
Calling yourself “pro-life” is blatantly misleading
by Kate Ripley Nearly forty years following Roe v. Wade, the discussion on abortion continues to divide our country. The Supreme Court ruled that a woman’s right to abortion fell within the rights of privacy, and thus a woman has total control over her pregnancy for the first term but must abide by state regulations in her later terms. Those who strongly oppose the legality of abortion have cleverly coined the name ”pro-life,” although the name anti-choicers is much more fitting. Now, I am not making an argument for or against abortion, but the use of the “pro-life” label oversimplifies and leads away from the actual agendas of those opposed to abortion. Someone who identifies as pro-life should be exactly that: pro-life. Yet many
who call themselves “pro-lifers” refuse to aid in the form of medical care, asylum or other measures of security to those who need it most. You cannot claim to be prolife and watch as half a million Americans sleep on the street starving each night. It seems more than a bit hypocritical to identify as pro-life yet support the death penalty. Ironically, after comparing information about death penalty and abortion restrictions, you’ll find that 27 states of the 32 that restrict public funding of abortion also use the death penalty. It’s pretty simple. The label pro-life suggests that you cannot support anything that pushes toward death, yet the countless issues our country turns its back on seem to show that many citizens are exceptionally great at doing just that. Every citizen in our nation has the freedom to openly practice any religion and make their own choices, but they cannot make decisions for others. Yes, you may believe abortion is wrong, but your personal opinions do not change the right of potential parents to make a choice for themselves. Abortion is a moral decision, the right to which should remain protect-
ed by the Constitution. Outlawing abortion will not lower the number of procedures, forcing women to find less safe options. Almost half of the world’s abortions each year are unsafe, according to TIME. The World Health Organization found that 70,000 maternal deaths occur each year due to unsafe abortions. The battle over abortion has always been a violent storm. Protesters threaten to attack reproductive medical professionals nearly everyday and clinics are forced to shut down. Physically assaulting and threatening someone’s life doesn’t sound too “pro-life” to me. Those who are against the legality of abortion are not saving lives, nearly taking away choices and therefore affecting lives of women, men and children without their consent. Are you really pro-life if you’re taking away someone’s ability to determine how their own life will play out? I don’t think so. If you are against abortion, that’s your right and your opinion, but please do not pretend that you are standing for the sanctity of all lives.
The Mustangs take the L
&
Hits Misses
RUHS blew out Mira Costa in soccer and basketball this week. Let this be a lesson to them. If you play mediocre against the Sea Hawks, expect to get dunked on.
Luke Peterson
Photo Editor Eden Millan
Copy Editor Alexander Clark, Lauren Kim
Writing Editor Lauren Kim
Technology Editor Samaya Rubio
Staff Writers Aaya Jhaveri Adam Sayad Alex Laureano Alexis Mesa Analisa Asaro Austin Nunis Camille Grace Christina Owen Christopher Snyder Danny Parhizi Ethan Park Grace McGonigle Ivanica Skalko Juninho Paniouchkine Jenna Edwards Kate Ripley Kaden Kaczmarczyk Liam Barret Kiera Patterson Maia Ward Lorraina Scolaro Michael Solimando Martha Farah Nicholas White Molly Cochran Rukhaa Kamran Ophelia Winslett Sangjun Lee Sabrina Kim Sarah Flannery Sarah Falahawazi Sophie Fleming Shyanne Landers William Pournamdari Sydney Nguyen Angie Tait Yasmine Elahihaghighi
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Shuaib Ahmad Elise Dipaola Jade Rona Kierin Woolridge
Ben Cheng Amber DuFresne Danielle Sestak Mia Wicks
Illustrators Brennan Hickey Makena Frias
Emma Lyon Michael Bottcher
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No teacher on campus has any tissues? Teachers have to pay for classroom tissues out of their own pockets, and most don’t have tissues as a result. RBUSD, invest in some tissues please. Achoo!
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