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SPOTLIGHT
Get ready, get set, vote
The educational truth
ALEXANDRA RANDALL Copy Editor
As election day approaches, many 18-year-olds at TOHS are starting to ponder the options they will have when they cast their ballots this November. Politicians often say that the election depends on young voters and some students are starting to see the role they play in democracy. “I do think it is an important decision because the fate of the country depends on the outcome of the votes and the voice of the people, and we young people control tomorrow’s America,” senior Makenna Freauf said. While she doesn’t know who she will vote for yet, Freauf is excited about voting. “I want to vote because I think it’s amazing to turn 18 a couple days before voter registration,” she said. Like Freauf, senior Avery Knizek is eager to exercise his newfound privilege. “Men vote, and I’m a man,” Knizek said. “I want to use the powers I am given. Adults have responsibilities and that includes voting.” He is also not sure who he will vote for but plans to vote for the candidate he feels will put the well-being of the country over that of his own party. “I’m taking in the pros and cons of both candidates and deciding between the lesser of two evils, you could say,” Knizek said. Not all students are unsure of their political decisions, though. Senior Sienna Thomas is confident in the candidate that will receive her vote this November. “I want to vote for Obama because I believe in his genuine desire to help the American people and the planet, and I support his plans for the future of the United States,” Thomas said. Thomas also sees the direct impact this election will have on her life and her fellow students. “If Obama is reelected, his policy to make a college education attainable through financial aid will definitely affect me and my family,” she said. Senior Conor Reed also takes voting very seriously. “Of course I’m going to vote, ” Reed said. “I feel as if it is a part of my civic duty and if I don’t vote the opposition will vote in my place. If you don’t vote then what’s the point of being in a democracy?” Reed also sees the far-reaching effects this election could have on the nation as well as on him personally. “I think this election is very important,” he said. “I think that Obamacare would be good for the nation and it scares me that it doesn’t seem to be a part of Romney’s plan,” he said. “Of course, an Obama win would also ensure better education in my opinion.” Whether a Republican or a Democrat, all these soon-to-be voters agree that the young people of America should take their privilege of voting seriously.
Kyla Vinson Dane Walton
Five TOHS students cast their opinions on the political issues facing students in today’s education Brittany Salyers
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Egan Osaki
The great debate
Some dismiss the upcoming election as though it doesn’t pertain to us, but what we don’t realize is that we will be affected by the future presidential candidates’ decisions on our education.
NOLA ADEDIGBA » THE LANCER
THE CLASSROOM CONVENTION—In an effort to show how much the election will impact us, junior Rola Adedigba and senior Jason Gardiner pose as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney pretending to campaign at our school. Even though some of us can’t vote, students should still be aware that the results of the election can influence their education and that the presidental race can affect them.
Of 100 students polled...
The candidates’ future educational plans • • • •
Victoria Sieverson
Obama wants to let some states out of the “No Child Left Behind” program wants to give federal loans directly to students save the federal government up to $68 billion over 11 years plans to put $8 million into new Community College to Career Fund to train two million workers for jobs in fast-growing industries meant to create better relationships between community colleges and business Department of education and labor would manage fund wants colleges to expand courses and give apprenticeships, internships and onthe-job training for low income students create $1 billion fund to reward colleges that keep net price and grad rates low Romney plans to cut $115 billion over next 10 years would create a voucher-like program that lets low-income and special-education students use federal money for private-school tuition or private tutoring would directly give $30 billion of federal money to public schools save the federal government up to $68 billion over 11 years new education program “A Chance for Every Child” meant to privatize public education; it’s “pro-choice, pro-voucher, pro-states’-rights” low income parents could choose school (public, private, high test scores, etc.) and a certain amount of money would follow the student to school (voucher system) standardized tests wants to increase federal funding to expand charter schools keep reporting student achievement data and test results to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
SOURCES » THE WALL STREET JOURNAL » THE WASHINGTON POST» USA TODAY» THE NEW YORK TIMES» THE HUFFINGTON POST
22% classifed themselves as Democrats
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Of those claiming to be Democrats...
95% would vote for Obama
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25% classifed themselves as Republicans
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Of those claiming to be Republicans...
88% would vote for Romney
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20% classifed themselves as Independents
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and 76% would like to see Obama’s policy of adding $477 billion to the educational budget pass
Of those claiming to be Independents...
65% would vote for Obama
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and 60% would like to see Obama’s policy of adding $477 billion to the educational budget pass
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and 55% would like to see Obama’s policy of adding $477 billion to the educational budget pass
33% classifed themselves as Other
and 81% would like to see Obama’s policy of adding $477 billion to the educational budget pass
Of those claiming to be Other...
70% would vote for Obama
THE LANCER: Should the focus of a class be towards real world lessons or standardized tests? OSAKI: We need to be taught what’s necessary for the real world. WALTON: It should be both. THE LANCER: But how many times do we use the questions that you find on your test? WALTON: Well, it depends on what field you are going in. OSAKI: If you are going into math and science, of course there will be some. It depends on what you are going to go on and do in college. It’s hard to specialize in high school because a lot of kids don’t know what they are going to do. VINSON: But some teachers teach it to the test, but there are always going to be students who could care less. There is only so much you can do to make them care. OSAKI: But that’s part of the problem, some students don’t want to learn, they want to go college and get a job. WALTON: I think the teacher has a huge influence on it though. SIEVERSON: Yeah, students and teachers are co-dependent on each other, on the success of each other. THE LANCER: Staying on that topic, do you think we should give teachers smaller classes so that they can be more focused on their students? OSAKI: We can’t give them smaller classes. VINSON: Many other states have way smaller classes than we do. OSAKI: There aren’t enough teachers and hiring more teachers won’t solve the problem because then you’d have more teachers being paid... I mean, you look at financial figures and it wouldn’t make sense financially. I mean it wouldn’t work. SIEVERSON: I agree. VINSON: If you look at the data, teachers in California are paid much higher salaries than teachers in other states, and some of that can be attributed to housing in California is more expensive. OSAKI: You can’t do that much about it now because of how much debt California is in right now, but yeah especially in California. SALYERS: Does anyone know why that is? Do you know why we are here? We are here because our parents voted to put everything Arnold [Schwarzenegger] put down. He said let’s cut teacher’s expenses or school expenses and let’s cut this and this and he said no to everything. We didn’t want to cut. It’s our fault. It’s all our fault. OSAKI: It’s hard to cut education. That’s one of the main priorities THE LANCER: Which presidential candidate would do more for education? OSAKI: President Obama! He will secure student loans for us, and Mitt Romney promises it, but it’s all talk. SALYERS: Oh my God, Obama is all talk. THE LANCER: Okay, okay, next question. We all know the “No Child Left behind Movement”. Does that label schools and give them certain reputations? WALTON: I think it’s just a name. THE LANCER: Yeah, but there are some schools that are struggling in terms of test scores and grades; does “No Child left Behind” label them as a struggling school? SIEVERSON: That’s such a complicated issue. My sister is doing this program called ‘Teach for America’ and is working currently at a charter school, with underprivileged, undereducated students. So it’s kind of hard, because for example, she was teaching some of the kids in summer school, and there was a drive–by shooting across the street, so it’s hard for these kids to have to come to school, and learn every day. There is so much gang violence and all this other crap; school doesn’t really take that much of a priority in their lives. OSAKI: Yeah, and it’s hard to address that. SALYERS: I agree, my aunt works in an inner city school, in Detroit, to be exact, and she knows that those principals don’t care. I’m serious, they only care about their paychecks and that is all. They walk out of that school and you know, it’s all over but she gives the kids that sass her, unbelievable attention. Like the elementary–aged kids would say very bad comments to her, and you would sit there and you’re like why isn’t someone doing anything about this?