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march 26, 2010
Disrespect: You are what you leave
Zach McCune editor-in-chief
It can be seen anywhere, someone will stand up and with all disregard for the environment or the arena they are in, just toss their trash on the ground like it would dissolve right in front of them. What do these people do next? Just get up and walk away, often walking right past a trash can. ut what it truly Call it convenient, but ect. Individua is just a lack of respect. Individuals und is their own who litter like the ground personal garbage bin are exuding ect for those the upmost disrespect around them. They fail to anithink about the janitors who clean their schools afnd ter classes and nts, sporting events, onsider they fail to consider orkers who the city workers he parks and they clean up the also fail to consider the negative effect that it has on ent. the environment. Not only is this behavior lso a irresponsible, but it is also waste of money. Most of the
hurricane
wilmington
opinion
trash that is disposed of from your car window and out onto the highway and surrounding areas, has value and could be recycled. According to www.greenecoservices.com, in 2005 the value of 135 billion wasted bottles exceeded over $2.1 billion. In an economy such as this, recycling these bottles and pumping the $2.1 billion back into the system seems like the most sensible choice. It really doesn’t take too much effort to save your trash for the big cans that are placed nearly everywhere you can look. So what if there isn’t one in the ca e, car, there is in the house, so just
don’t throw it out the window. Everyone is guilty of it at some point in their life and I’m well aware that just one little piece of trash isn’t going to make plants welt, trees spontaneously combust and global temperatures skyrocket. Thinking this would just be ridiculous, but if every individual in the world would contribute to this epidemic, the world would be overticles of flowing with over 6 billion articles unnecessary clutter. n pieces of dirty, disSix billion ggusting, sting, non-decomposable
trash fl floating in our ocean oceans and covering our nation tionall parks doesn’t sound like a bright and beautiful depiction of tomorrow.
Not only do people disrespect our environment, but they often disrespect the property of their fellow citizens. There are often too many cases of teenagers who key people’s cars, egg houses and smash mail boxes. st cross the These types of pranks just line from innocent and harmless, to imnd disrespectful. Do they re mature and realize the cost of their actions? These iin-
noc e n t victims are often left to clean up the mess left l by the car carelessness of oth others. Whether it be littering or vandalizing, there seems to be a lack of respect for each other and our environment in today’s society and it’s scary to think what kind of a world we are creating for ourselves and future generations.
New honors requirements incite horror among students Katie Swindler opinions editor
A junior is excitedly scheduling their senior year of high school, trying to balance the classes they need and the classes they want. Idly, they flip to the honor’s diploma requirements, to make sure they are still on track. They are taken aback when they see a new requirement on the list: physics. Out of the blue, with no warning whatsoever, students are required to take physics to fulfill the requirements for an honors diploma. The truly appalling part is when this rule takes effect. Next years’ seniors will be the first class to shoulder the requirement; those who are least prepared and equipped to accommodate their schedules. The state of Ohio mandated that the class of 2011 be the first class to receive this extra requirement. Incoming freshmen, even next year’s sophomores, could have moved around classes to ensure they would be able to take physics later. But for students
scheduling their senior year, it is next to impossible to work in an extra class, especially when it’s fifth period, without bending over backwards. Physics, due to its focus on lab work, is best taught during the only extended period of the day, fifth. The problem is that this is not the only class that must be fifth period. Journalism, for example, must also be scheduled fifth period due to the immense amount of work that goes into creating each issue of the hurricane. So what are students to do if they want to receive an honors diploma and a fantastic resume and life experience? Perhaps this wouldn’t be as much of a problem if the rule started with the incoming freshman, those who have four whole years ahead of them to hash out their schedules. But no, this new requirement is a burden to the class of 2011. Think about what this does to the physics class. Formerly, physics was a class for the scientifically elite, those who truly understand both mathematics and science and can handle the workload of physics. But now, with students rushing to fill all the require-
ments, physics will be flooded with students who have no place in a physics classroom. This culminates into a major educational failure. Good going Ohio,
thanks for keeping our best interests at heart. The State of Ohio has failed its youth in this aspect and should rescind or regret the decision to add physics to the honors requirements.
Point/Counter Point Continued from page 6 For healthcare
Against healthcare
speaker.gov, an individual can indeed keep their current plan if they chose as well as their doctors. The freedom of choice is one that Americans truly value and this House bill does not seek to diminish it. In all, the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 will help bring affordable health care to the American public still struggling with high unemployment and uninsured rates, and assist in pushing America into a healthier future.
-practice lawsuit. Essentially, under a tort reform, a limit is put on damages inflicted upon doctors, so they can’t be sued based on a highly interpretive charges like ‘pain and suffering.’ Though Obama’s proposed government-run, socialized healthcare plan sounds like a winner, a good rule of thumb is to actually stop and think rationally about what it is that is really being approved…a good and practical money-saver, or just another waste of time.