3.22 Issue

Page 29

MARCH 22, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | PERSPECTIVES | PAGE 29

OPINION

Be Smart. Students should make responsible decisions this spring break, abstain from alcohol usage. Let me begin by saying this: I am going to Unfortunately, Jeff did not come back be “that guy.” I am going to be the person alive. Ronald Arrowood, a man who decided to tell you the same things your parents are that it was a good idea to get behind the probably telling you as CHS students migrate wheel of his 1988 Jeep after consuming to various tropical areas this spring break. far too many drinks, took my cousin’s life. Keep away from alcohol, Arrowood is serving 40 keep away from anybody years in prison for what who will be consuming he did, but thanks to him, alcohol, and keep your my cousin never had the MATT wits about you. I say this chance to live his life. BARNTHOUSE not because I want to keep I know for a fact from people from having a good what I hear in the halls and time, but because I do not what I see on various forms want to see anybody come of social media that many back from spring break in a CHS students plan to go coffin, like my cousin did 13 to places like Panama City years ago. Beach for the sole purpose In the spring of 2000, Jeff of drinking until they are Barnthouse was in the same wasted every night, not position as many of us are realizing the consequences at CHS. He was a senior in high school just that could become of it. trying to enjoy himself as he and a few of his According to the Centers for Disease friends left the Chicago area for Panama City Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 percent Beach, FL for their spring break. of teenagers have made the decision to

drink and drive over the past 30 days, and 24 percent decided to get in the same vehicle with a driver who had been drinking. That means one out of every 10 high school students you will be around this spring break is going to make the decision to get behind the wheel after consuming far too many drinks, and one out of four will be in the car with them. Since alcohol affects your judgment so significantly, what makes you think you will not be the one to get behind the wheel and potentially take somebody’s life? What makes you think that you will not kill your friend in the passenger’s seat? However, there are more problems with drinking than just drinking and driving. Binge drinking affects society as a whole, but none more than teenagers. According to the CDC, 22 percent of high school students have participated in binge drinking within the past 30 days. This may be even higher in the Carmel area, because binge drinking is most prevalent in households with an income above $75,000.

The Power of the Crowd. The future lies in crowdsourcing. a general definition, crowdsourcing exists Try as you might, you’ll eventually reach a in many specific cases—which you have limit if you work by yourself. But as a member probably encountered without knowing it. of a group, you’ll be able to achieve beyond Reading product reviews from an online the capabilities of everyone combined. Using store like Amazon is one the idea that the whole is example of crowdsourcing. more than the sum of its If you’ve ever consulted with parts, crowdsourcing has your friends before buying the prospect to become TONY something, you’ve experienced the future of business, TAN crowdsourcing. Websites like science and the solution Kickstarter offer the use of for challenges yet to come. crowdfunding, which is the A few weeks ago, a crowdsourcing of donations. NPR story caught my Back to the research attention. Two research crowdsourcing: both groups in organizations, both aimed the NPR story managed to raise at studying the collection over $300,000 for their projects. of the microbiome— The researchers behind these microbes living in and projects attribute their success on your body—turned to the curiosity and engagement to a non-traditional of the public in the project, method of funding: who paid for a kit that allowed the public. I’ve been each person to take a sample aware of the existence of of his or her own microbiome “crowdsourcing,” but the to have it analyzed and added fact that a crowdsourced to an information pool. After project could fund a information processing, the researchers will formal scientific study impressed me enough make comparative results available to the to do some reading. public, who can then identify where they stand Mashable, an online publication on digital among the sample population. innovation, defines crowdsourcing to be While it seems like only popular projects “distributed problem solving.” Crowdsourcing will be funded through this method, this is centers on opening up contributions to a far from the truth. A microbiologist studying problem or project to the public, amassing a E. coli in mouse guts managed to acquire large group of people who collectively pool funding simply by virtue of her presentation. intelligence, creativity and resources while Crowdsourcing research is largely working together in parallel. While this is

A crowdsourced future may not be very far away.

With Carmel’s median income being around $88,000, the risk of binge drinking increases dramatically. Combine that with the party atmosphere of most spring break destinations, and you have a recipe for disaster. Eighty thousand people die every year from over-consumption of alcohol, including one of our own recent graduates. Do you want to be another statistic? I do not write this column to ask that you do not have fun this spring break. I want you to have the most fun you can possibly have without endangering your life. I write this column because I do want to see everybody return from their spring breaks safely. I do not want anybody else’s family to have to face the pain and anger my family faced when Arrowood decided on that day to drive his Jeep while intoxicated. I just want everybody to stay safe and prevent themselves from making decisions that they will regret for the rest H of their lives. Matt Barnthouse is a social media editor for the HiLite. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach him at mbarnthouse@hilite.org.

Graphic Perspective

independent of the topic; rather, its success depends on how the party communicates its needs. The scientist is rewarded for how he or she conveys information, instead of the actual content. Scientific research is only one of the newest members of the crowdsourcing community. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown in Japan, crowdsource sites popped up to collect and map radiation levels using public-supplied information. Several journalist organizations ask consumers for experiences and reporting help, such as CNN’s iReport. In computer science, a variety of open-source software platforms draw development from crowdsourcing. Crowdfunding platforms have even become financial aid saviors for pursuers of unreachable summer program or college degrees. Crowdsourcing’s flexibility allows for infinite applications. In today’s interconnected society, the ability to harness the power of the crowd becomes a powerful tool in the hands of any activist, researcher or innovator. Already, many businesses, engineers and media have successfully used crowdsourcing as a solution to contemporary challenges, with scientists to soon join the bandwagon. A crowdsourced future may not be very far H away—viable, at the least. Tony Tan is a managing editor for the HiLite. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach him at ttan@hilite.org.

RACHEL CHEN / GRAPHIC


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
3.22 Issue by HiLite News - Issuu