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COMMANDER THE

Volume XXXV, Issue 6 April 8, 2016

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UNIVERSITY CITY HIGH SCHOOL Keeping it Clean Earth Day Special Edition PAGES 4 and 5

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Congrats to Senior Jayce Bjelland for finding Joe first in the March issue!

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Twenty-fifth Annual Grad Nite Celebration to be Spectacular cards and printed T-Shirts, and glow sticks Cranford said, “Tickets will be sold at the By Cameron Doyle are given at the door.â€? door; however, go to this link to purchase Staff Writer Smith stated, “Food and drinks are served tickets now: http://uchsptsa.org/?page_ 7KH WZHQW\ Ă€IWK DQQXDO 8& +LJK *UDG Nite will be held in the gym on the night of all night long. In the past, we have served LG 7LFNHW SULFHV DUH DV IROORZV JUDGXDWLRQ 7XHVGD\ -XQH IURP FRRNLHV VDQGZLFKHV SL]]D VXVKL ULFH DQG dollars until March 25 (25 dollars for stuchicken bowls, lumpia, Mexican food, so- dents who qualify for Free and Reduced 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Lunches (FRL)), Grad Nite Co-Chair Netanya 95 dollars March Cranford stated, “Grad Nite is a -XQH fun, safe, chaperoned drug-anddollars for students DOFRKRO IUHH H[WUDYDJDQ]D ZLWK who qualify for music, dancing, food, entertain)5/ DQG GROPHQW JDPHV DQG SUL]HV Âľ 6KH ODUV DW WKH GRRU added, “The theme is a Roman dollars for FRL).â€? coloseum to compliment our In addition to tickCenturion mascot, and it’s the et sales, according same [theme] each year.â€? to Cranford, Grad Cranford explained, “The doors Nite is also funded open at 9 p.m., and the event goes through “...grants until 4 a.m. It is like an indoor from the communiamusement park, with games and ty, individual donaactivities to chose from throughtions from parents out the night. Then, there is a and the community VSHFLDO VKRZ DW D P WR FORVH WKH and fundraising party!â€? The activities, which inactivities, such as clude “...a casino, arcade games our garage sale on [and a] green screen photo booth,â€? $SULO D P will be located “...throughout the to 12 p.m. The gym, the activity room and the DGGUHVV LV quad near the gym.â€? Award Row, San Cranford said, “All attendees Diego, 92122!â€? will be given tickets that they can courtesy of Netanya Cranford Cranford stated, XVH WR FKRRVH ZKDW SUL]HV WKH\ UC High alumni host the first ever Grad Nite at UC High in 1991. “Every year, the ZDQW WR ZLQ 3UL]HV ZLOO EH JLYHQ PTSA forms a committee over the summer. out at the end of the night. You must be das and water.â€? According to Smith, “We have a crash The Grad Nite Committee works throughSUHVHQW WR ZLQ 7KHUH DUH PDQ\ JUHDW SUL]HV including bikes, Kindles and an iPad and a room for students to sleep and parent chap- out the year to plan the event, meeting drone.â€? Head Secretary Norma Smith said, erones, and we serve breakfast in the morn- monthly. There are a number of sub-committees to help with planning, too.â€? “We have given away refrigerators, gift ing at 4 a.m.â€?

Cranford stated, “Only UC High graduatLQJ VHQLRUV PD\ DWWHQG 7R Ă€QG RXW ZKR LV attending, go to this link to view a list of students who have already purchased tickets: https://docs.google.com/document/ G PZ[*YZ MUFP/9)D;UEM WT S*PEDU]:FJU%*L+ .G J HGLW Âľ Smith stated, “Grad Nite was established because a group of parents got together and wanted to create a safe graduation night, as it would be their last night with friends before leaving high school.â€? She added, “UC +LJK *UDG 1LWH EHQHĂ€WV VWXGHQWV DV D VDIH bonding experience.â€? Smith said, “Grad Nite has always been WKH VDPH VHWXS VLQFH ZKHQ WKH Ă€UVW UC High Grad Nite. Originally, some people at Sea World made the set for us.â€? 6PLWK VDLG ´6WDUWLQJ WKH Ă€UVW *UDG 1LWH was a great ordeal. The committee had to get insurance and speak to the principal for permission, and to this day, we still have to make sure everything is given to the committee by donation.â€? Senior Rayph Crosford stated, “I am excited to go to Grad Nite and celebrate graduation.â€? Senior Hanna Katsiapis said, “I’m looking forZDUG WR JRLQJ FUD]\ DQG ORRNLQJ IRUZDUG to experiencing my kid-like self.â€?

Spring Musical to Open Next Week

By Juliana Marquez Staff Writer The UC High School Performing Arts Department will be performing its spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors, at the auditorium starting on Tuesday, April 12 at S P By Bilal Mohamed skatepark that he invited me to so I could came; it wasn’t as established [as the one According to Theatre Director Matt Staff Writer display some photos. I felt that we had this year]. However, for this one, we had a Moody, the show will run for three nights, On Friday, February 12 at the Tenth Av- grown so much in that year as artists that WXUQRXW RI DURXQG Âľ 3DVFXD VDLG plus a dress rehearsal. The Theatre Departenue Arts Center, a photography and art we needed to upgrade to an actual gallery “I had a really great time. The venue it ment requests a 5 dollar donation to watch show called “Gnashing Art Showâ€? was to showcase our work,â€? Delmundo said. was held in was really cool, and I was able the dress preview matinee. The opening held by UC High students along with loAccording to Senior James Sud, who WR PHHW D ORW RI GLIIHUHQW SHRSOH Âľ -XDUH] QLJKW LV RQ :HGQHVGD\ $SULO DW S P cal artists and photographers to display was featured in the show, many UC High said. a volunteer appreciation night is Thursday, artwork and photography, and also to pre- students showcased work as well. Senior “I was super glad to be in that show. It was $SULO DW S P DQG FORVLQJ QLJKW LV )ULmiere skateboarding videos. Jessica Borchardt, Junior Hannah Toombs, DPD]LQJ WR VHH DOO WKH ZRUN WKDW NLGV LQ 6DQ GD\ $SULO DW S P 7KH VKRZ ZDV RUJDQL]HG DQG KRVWHG E\ Senior Bilal Mohamed, Senior Linay Juar- Diego do, and it was so great to see how ´7KH WLFNHW DGPLVVLRQ LV GROODUV ZLWK Senior Bilal Mohamed, Victorville Photog- H] DQG 6HQLRU 7D\ORU 0F&DEH DOO FRQWULE- high schoolers reacted to the set-up. You an ASB card and 8 dollars without, and 12 UDSKHUV &\ULO 6ROLPDQ DQG /RUHQ]R )ULMDV uted artwork for people to view. usually think of art shows as being an old dollars for adults,â€? said Moody. along with rich people Little Shop of Horrors is a musical about Local Phothing, so it D SODQW WKDW KDV DQ DSSHWLWH IRU KXPDQ Ă HVK tographers IHOW DPD]LQJ and blood. “The movie is based off the and Artbeing kids play, not the other way around. We decided ists Jakob and saying, to do the play, because it’s incredibly enDelmundo, ‘We can tertaining and a ton of fun to rehearse and Madi Frausdo an art perform,â€? said Moody. to, Kaidan show,’ and “Our auditions for our performances Pascua and make it way are open to any UC student, and don’t reClarence better than quire attendance in theatre classes,â€? said Surel, acjust some Moody. cording to old people According to a web-based article about Delmundo. p a i n t i n g the musical, “A deviously delicious Broad“The show f l o w e r s , â€? ZD\ DQG +ROO\ZRRG VFL Ă€ VPDVK PXVLFDO was so sick. Sud said. Little Shop of Horrors has devoured the We had a “I en- KHDUWV RI WKHDWUH JRHUV IRU RYHU \HDUV Bilal Mohamed//Commander big white joy putting [Lyricists] Howard Ashman and Alan Seniors Alex Newman and Jessica Borchardt (left to right) admire students’ artwork at the show. room with shows like Menken (Disney’s The Little Mermaid, a bunch of our work on the walls and a “The art show totally captured the un- this together, because it gives my friends Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin) are little side room with a few more pieces derground skate scene in San Diego. It was and I an opportunity to exhibit the kinds the creative geniuses behind what has beand a Nintendo 64 for people to play. We the art that represents a culture, and not the of things we want to do for a living, while come one of the most popular shows in the also sold some merchandise and premiered stereotypical ‘Anti-Everything Mindset,’â€? also helping us develop as artists by getting worldâ€? (mtishows.com). skate videos with a projector on one of the Sud said. our name out there more and giving us that “I’m super excited, and it’s going to be a walls,â€? said Delmundo. “The show went so much better than we drive to continue doing these shows and great musical. I guarantee that anyone who “I got the idea for the show from Cyril thought it was going to. The last one was doing what we enjoy the most,â€? Delmundo goes to watch it will love it,â€? said FreshSoliman, who held a show a year ago at a DW D VNDWH SDUN DQG RQO\ DERXW SHRSOH said. man Logan Quessenberry.

Gnashing Art Show Highlights UC High Student Work

2 OPINIONS

Unsigned Editorial

April 8, 2016

uchscommander.com

Editorial Board Vote:

From the Editor-in-Chief

Unanimous

Kennedy’s Khronicles

Tenure Allows Subpar Teachers to Keep Working

(in years). According to a website looking for a better solution, “...the current tenurebased system is not a good model‌. The best option is a renewable contract system,â€? which involves teachers creating D ÂłSRUWIROLR RI LWHPV WKDW MXVWLÂżHV FRQWUDFW renewal,â€? such as a sample of their “most effective instructional activities.â€? With a multi-platformed way to judge teachers’ skills, we will be able to achieve a better state of education (edge.ascd.org). Test score improvements and evaluations by administrators, parents and students should also be considered as factors for determining teacher compensation as well DV ÂżULQJ According to an article in the New York Times, “It’s the classic driver of, ‘I taught high levels throughout their educational it, they didn’t learn it, not my problem.’ It has a decimating impact on morale among careers. We should hold teachers accountable staff, because some people can work hard, for the way they teach and how well some can do nothing, and it doesn’t matter.â€? they do so, not just for how long they’ve When all teachers are paid using the same been on the job. “According to the pro- scale, regardless of performance, there is education reform documentary Waiting no incentive work harder, improve or even for ‘Superman,’ one out of every 57 maintain standards. The good teachers who doctors loses his or her license to practice remain good teachers do so for the love of medicine. One out of every 97 lawyers teaching, and there just aren’t enough of loses their license to practice law. In many those out there who are willing to do this major cities, only one out of 1000 teachers when morale is low and pay doesn’t equal LV ÂżUHG IRU SHUIRUPDQFH UHODWHG UHDVRQV´ the work load (nytimes.com). (teacherunionexposed.com). It is necessary 6HQLRU 1LFROH *DUFLD VWDWHG Âł, WKLQN LW LV for teachers to be held responsible to important that teachers are judged on how similarly critical standards, just like others well they teach.â€? If we want a better education system, in similarly important jobs. Schools and districts should implement we need to confront the tenure issue in ways to measure teachers’ skill levels and various ways. Schools need to focus not abilities. Salaries and job security should only on student performance, but teacher be tied to teaching quality, not quantity performance as well.

With all the fuss about reforming public education, you would th.ink by now there would be some talk about those who are teaching it. Why are there K-12 teachers out there who are protected by tenure, yet don’t deserve to be? According to a website about tenure, “Teacher tenure is the increasingly controversial form of job protection that public school teachers in all states receive after 1-7 years on the job. As of 2008, 2.3 million teachers have tenure.â€? On one hand, tenure is a logical way to secure jobs for teachers who have been doing exceptional work for years. But when abused, it may end up protecting substandard (or even dreadful) teachers simply because of their years on the job, which could ultimately harm students’ educations (teachertenure. procon.org). According to commentary on a study published in Education Next, “The IXQGDPHQWDO ÂżQGLQJ LV WKDW JRRG WHDFKHUV have an extraordinarily powerful impact on the future lives of their students. Symmetrically, the researchers show the lasting damage that poor teachers have on the lives of their students‌. [and] evidence shows that bad teachers cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost income and productivity each year that they remain in the classroomâ€? (hanusshek.stanford.edu). Poor teachers are bad for the students and bad for the education system. 7HDFKHU WHQXUH ÂżUVW VWDUWHG LQ 1HZ -HUVH\ in 1909. According to the website of the American Federation of Teachers, “... tenure rights came out of the progressive good-government movement as a way

to improve the quality of teaching and education for children� (aft.org). Though the initial reasoning behind tenure was meant to support education, it now seems to be hindering it. That is not to say that all teachers who have taught for a long time are substandard -- in fact many get better as they gain experience -- but rather that we need to have a more aggressive approach to ensure that teachers are performing at

By Camille Cudaback Opinions Editor In modern society, abortion tends to be a rather taboo topic, and oftentimes it is seen to be a personal decision, whether

a women wants to follow through with this procedure. According to Our Body 2XUVHOYHV 1HZ <RUN EHFDPH WKH ÂżUVW VWDWH to make abortions legal up until week 24 of a pregnancy. Even though abortion later became legal in all states, this controversial topic continues to be a source of persistent argument (ourbodieourselves.org). Currently, the Supreme Court is bringing the topic of abortion back to discussion by hearing a case regarding laws passed by the state of Texas that would increase the criteria for allowing organizations to perform the operation, according to the New York Times (nytimes.com). These new measures passed by the state of Texas are simply loopholes trying to prevent women from exercising their right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. The new Texas law requires “...doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, while the other requires all abortion clinics in the state to meet the standards for ‘ambulatory surgical centers.’ However, now the justices in the Supreme Court are ruling whether these new laws create an ‘unconstitutional artwork by Audrey Hancock burden’â€? (nytimes.com). These new laws are extremely unconstitutional because these laws are preventing women in Texas from having an abortion. These new laws have lead to the closure of about 20 abortions clinics in Texas, which is about half of the clinics. This decrease in abortion clinics makes it hard for women to receive the procedure, which leads to an infringement of their constitutional right to have an abortion (nytimes.com). In addition, if women in Texas can’t receive safe abortions from clinics, they may turn to dangerous alternatives. According WR WKH RIÂżFLDO 3URFKRLFH ZHEVLWH Âł,Q WKH years before Roe v. Wade, the estimates of illegal abortions ranged as high as 1.2 million per year. Although accurate records

We need to have a more aggressive approach to ensure that teachers are performing at high levels.

Abortion Laws in Texas are Unconstitutional Commander University City EDITORS-IN-CHIEF:

Volume XXXV Number 6

Kennedy Wilson* Emi Zeger * NEWS EDITORS: Micah Osteria* Hata Velic* OPINIONS EDITOR: Camille Cudaback* FEATURES EDITORS: Dorian Uson* Karyssa Newsome* SPORTS EDITORS: Valerie Bennett* Anthony Garbino* PHOTO EDITORS: Kate Atkins* Carissa Guzman* ARTISTS: Karyssa Newsome* Taylor McCabe BUSINESS MANAGER: Averie Wehr* STAFF WRITERS: Joshua Choi Cameron Doyle Audrey Hancock Taylor McCabe Ellie Massey Juliana Marquez Bilal Mohamed * Members of the Gabriella Proa Editorial Board Sebastian Rodriguez Kayli Sandoval Max Schaldach Kailey Withers Alison White Alex Volk ADVISOR: Susan Bristol Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editorial Board, while signed articles UHĂ HFW RQO\ WKH RSLQLRQ RI WKH ZULWHU 7KH RSLQLRQV expressed in this newspaper are not representative of WKH IDFXOW\ RU WKH DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ DW WKLV VFKRRO $OO DG queries may be directed to our business manager at Please direct all letters and questions to: University City High School Journalism Department 6949 Genesee Avenue San Diego, CA 92122 or email The Commander at

could not be kept, it is known that between the 1880s and 1973, many thousands of women were harmed as a result of illegal abortionâ€? (prochoice.org). According to Cosmopolitan Magazine, there has been an increase of people researching self-induced abortion, and this is related to the increase of abortion restrictions. Furthermore, it is estimated that there are about 1 million abortions held each year, and in 2015, that number dropped to 700,000 (cosmopolitan.com). This can be explained in part by the rise of laws that discourage women from obtaining an abortion. As a society, we cannot regress back to an era when women are forced to seek illegal procedures in order to make a choice that is rightfully theirs. Finally, having an abortion is a personal choice. Everyone has a right to his/her beliefs, but everyone also has a right to be in control of his/her body. If someone doesn’t believe that having an abortion is the “right thingâ€? to do, then that person doesn’t have to have one. States such as Texas that are creating these loopholes are just creating situations in which those who are anti-abortion can make them harder to obtain. If the Supreme Court deems these new restrictions as constitutional, then other, more conservative states have the right to follow in Texas’s footsteps. This issue was settled many years ago, so let’s not regress back to a time when women did not have full control over their own bodies‌ not anybody else’s bodies, but their bodies.

By Kennedy Wilson Comparison will kill you. I’ve seen it written in fancy letters, I’ve heard my mother say it, I’ve seen it happen between old friends and new ones. The pressing self doubt whispers: “Am I enough? Will I ever be enough? Is there someone who is better?â€? Probably. As a teenager, I see this everyday; we are insecure people. We doubt, we worry, we see things in ourselves that no one else does... Or we hope they don’t. All because we are tricked into thinking that we have to prove our worth to other people. And for what? A wave in the hallway? Someone branding you as pretty? And of course, I would love to say, “Who the hell cares,â€? but I wouldn’t be writing this if that were true. I think that as we age, insecurities age with us. Some start when we are young and stay with us our entire lives. Some come and stay for a few years and then die out as our childhoods moves on. I thought by the time I was the age I am now, I would be relatively sure of who I was. But right now, I have no idea. One day your checking boxes and visting campuses and you realize that you are DFWXDOO\ JURZLQJ XS DQG LWV WHUULI\LQJ <RX think you have time to do all the things you wanted to do and be the person you wanted to be before you have resposibilites and \RX GRQÂśW <RX KDYH WR ÂżJXUH RXW LV WKLV who you want to be? As I applied to college, I had to ask myself what made me better than others competing to get in, and the truth is... I don’t know. I didn’t have an answer for ZK\ ,ÂśP D EHWWHU ÂżW IRU WKLV XQLYHUVLW\ WKDQ the kid sitting next to me. Sure, I think I’m smart or unique or whatever sounds nice, but I’m sure he is too. I’m sure all of us are. And as I watch my peers and friends get into college around me, I wonder... How much better are they? Why am I not that good? And the worst one -- I didn’t think they were that good. Maybe it’s not all bad though; maybe through all the ugly truth, there’s some comfort that by comparing ourselves, we inevitably improve. I mean, you can become a lot nicer simply by hanging out with the right people, and you can compare people to make yourself better. Because, at the end of the day, we do it for the same reason: to see how we measure up and if we are doing alright. And if there is the sneaking suspicion that we aren’t good HQRXJK ZH FDQ XVH WKDW WR Âż[ RXUVHOYHV I feel that as a seventeen-year-old about to take on the world, I still have no clue who I am compared to other people. To be completely honest with you, I don’t have a good reason for any college to think I’m better than someone who is virtually the same as me. So, comparison will kill you; I can tell \RX WKDW IURP ÂżUVWKDQG H[SHULHQFH %XW don’t let it kill every part of you, just the parts you don’t want anymore. Let it kill the parts you no longer need.

Letter Lettertotothe theEditor Editor After this past WASC visit, I just want to say that I am so proud to be a part of WKH 8& IDFXOW\ EHFDDXVH HYHU\RQH GLG VXFK D JUHDW MRE ZRUNLQJ WRJHWKHU ,W ZDV DOVR QLFH WR VHH WKH VWXGHQWV ZRUNLQJ WRJHWKHU -Teacher Michelle Fournier

The Commander

uchscommander.com

OPINIONS 3

Raising Smoking Age in California a Ridiculous Idea By Valerie Bennett Sports Editor People everywhere are in shock upon hearing the news that as of March 10, California lawmakers voted to raise the smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21. The legislation is currently pending while people wait to see if the governor will sign the bill. Changing the smoking age to 21 not only takes away the rights associated with becoming an adult in this nation, but is another intrusion from the government that restricts people from making independent decisions about their health. The law is also unnecessary, as there is not enough DFFXUDWH VFLHQWL¿F UHVHDUFK WR SURYH WKDW LW will decrease the chances of a teen smoking (abcnews.go.com). According to the ABC News website, $VVHPEO\ /HDGHU &KDG 0D\HV VDLG ³<RX can commit a felony when you’re 18 years old and for the rest of your life, be in prison, and yet you can’t buy a pack of cigarettes.� An 18 year old can register to vote, enlist in the military, sign legally binding contracts, and consent to sex. Therefore, if they are given all of these responsibilities, shouldn’t they be given the same respect and responsibility when it comes to their health? And yet, adults

having the right to smoke tobacco keeps some people up at night. With all of the responsibility this age puts on their shoulders, young adults should be

By Taylor McCabe Staff Writer Technology connects people all around the world in one way or another. The main issue is that not everyone knows how to disconnect. With a constant stream of tweets, status updates, comments and photos to sift through, social media can FDXVH D QHYHU HQGLQJ F\FOH WKDW ÂżOOV XS RXU WLPH DQG LV RIWHQ ÂżOOHG ZLWK QHJDWLYH feedback. Researchers from the University of *ODVJRZ WHVWHG WHHQDJHUV DQG WKHLU use of social media throughout the day and night. They also tested for sleep quality and a multitude of psychological indicators. According to the Discovery Channel, the results showed that social PHGLD XVH VSHFLÂżFDOO\ DW QLJKW OHG WR poor sleep quality, lower self esteem and higher levels of anxiety. This is due to the fact that teenagers feel a constant need to be responsive on social media 24/7. In addition, they feel the need to be constantly connected to their social media accounts through their devices and become emotionally invested, because social media is addictive (discovery.com). Addiction arises because of the fact that social media activity stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain, which are activated, for example, when people click WKH Âł/LNH´ EXWWRQ RQ \RXU SURÂżOH UHSO\ WR your comments or make comments on your photo (discovery.com). The New York Times reported that any communication (not just online) affects these pleasure centers. But the stimulation of dopamine production (a neurotransmitter responsible for the formation of strong desires, including drug-related desires, such as the need to smoke a cigarette) goes to a completely different level when you use social networks (nytimes.com). Senior Elena Voytilla said, “Many people get used to checking their phones or computers if they have a second of spare time. This habit turns into addiction really fast, and can happen to anyone if he/she is not careful.â€? It’s easy to get used to checking your

social networks often. For many people, social media becomes a kind of chewing gum for the brain. Such an activity does not have educational value, but constantly occupies their minds and attention as they are doing some work. For teenagers, this is the perfect way to relax their brains after a long and stressful day at school. But not if it’s interrupting the completion of homework. And not if it may have serious long term side effects. One Personal Development website states that constant multitasking, which can occur when spending time on social media, tires a person’s brain out rapidly. The brain gets tired of the abundance of information. In addition, it takes time to digest the received data and to process the information. %XW LQVWHDG RI ¿UVW IXOO\ comprehending significant knowledge such as that learned in school, many people continue to stuff it with new information from social networks or the Internet, depriving their brains of rest (nperov. com). The same website states that it is likely that if someone is constantly distracted by social networking during the day, then toward the evenings, that person’s brain will inevitably get tired. They explain that trying to close one’s eyes after a social media marathon prevents one from relaxing. A person will want to continue to occupy his/her brain, rather than letting it rest. This pushes out information learned throughout the day and causes stress due to lack of concentration (nperov.com). The alternatives to being plugged can ultimately provide more satisfaction than staring at a screen. Disconnect and let yourself connect with the world around you. Unplug, take a walk, go to the beach, WDON WR \RXU ORYHG RQHV -XVW GRQœW VQDSFKDW every effort to unplug.

artwork by Taylor McCabe

given t h e rights that they f r e e l y deserve in this country, and if they are to be truly treated as adults, who can be sent to jail for life, it is only fair that they are given all the rights of independent, free, American adults, and using tobacco is absolutely included in those rights (abcnews.go.com). In addition, 18 year olds also have the responsibility of taking care of their own healths. According to an article on the

Forbes website, Mr. Paul Hsieh said, “If the government can prevent an adult 18-year old from smoking, can they also stop him or her from eating too many chocolate chip cookies? Or require that they eat enough vegetables?� (forbes.com). There are tons of foods and drinks that if consumed too much are bad for people’s health, not to mention the dangers of not exercising; yet, you don’t see the government telling you what food you can or can’t eat because it isn’t healthy for you, or forcing you to go out for a run once a week. This is because people are responsible for their individual healths, and as adults, the government assumes that 18-year-olds are capable of making these decisions on their own. Why should laws about cigarettes be any different? If the government is truly worried about the health risks of cigarettes, it should instead, from an economic viewpoint, have health

insurance companies charge smokers with higher rates, which would discourage smoking while also keeping people accountable if they do decide to smoke and medical issues arise. According to the Los Angeles Times, the age change simply won’t stop teens from smoking at all. In the 1990s, three different communities in Massachusetts attempted to discourage underage smoking E\ FDPSDLJQLQJ ¿HUFHO\ DQG UHYHDOLQJ which stores were selling to kids who were underage, and although this eliminated underage sales, it had no effect on how many teens younger than 18 were smoking. Researchers stated that this was because most minors get cigarettes from their older friends. Even in the days of Prohibition, drinking never stopped, and if Prohibition failed greatly, why would we as a society think that banning a substance like tobacco from teens prevent them from smoking? (latimes.com). Overall, the idea of changing the smoking age to 21 is unnecessary and unrealistic. The government should not decide how adults manage their own healths. If this nation treats 18 year olds as adults, they should have all the responsibilities that come with it.

Does Technology Really Improve Our Lives? Counterpoint Point

level of connection provides anyone with access to media an opportunity to take part in conversations he/she may not have been exposed to before, ultimately making him/ her more educated. Also, social media can be used as a platform to get young people listening and involved in big issues and HYHQ SROLWLFV $V VHHQ LQ WKH FXUUHQW election, candidates are using social media to spread their messages and involve more of the American people (businessinsider. com). 6HDUFK HQJLQHV VXFK DV *RRJOH KHOS WR educate people at a faster pace than ever before. Whether it’s how to change a tire or a math question, a student can solve a problem with just the click of a button. According to a statistics ZHEVLWH Âł*RRJOH now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average..., which translates to over 3.5 artwork by Alison White billion searches per day and people, only a few 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwideâ€? decades ago, couldn’t (internetlivestats.com). even have dreamed According to the New York Times, of. “Research shows that, for in 2011, “...an article in Information, example, video games and other Communication & Society‌ found, screen media improve visual- based on a representative survey of 2,500 spatial capabilities, increase attentional Americans, that regardless of whether the ability, reaction times, and the capacity to participants were married or single, those identify details among clutter. Also, rather who used social media had more close than making children stupid, it may just be FRQÂżGDQWV ´ 7KH QHZ ZD\ WHFKQRORJ\ LV making them differentâ€? (psychologytoday. shaping our social lives is making a leap com). forward in how we communicate with the Instead of standing idly by, we should take world around us (nytimes.com). advantage of the various opportunities that As with all things, technology is something technology offers, such as communicating we should use in moderation, but using to people in all parts of the world, sharing it for the right purposes can accomplish ideas or opinions and even searching unprecedented feats. As a society, not only *RRJOH IRU DQ XQDQVZHUHG TXHVWLRQ can we merely hope to move forward, According to Business Insider, “Social expand our thinking, improve our lives media is helping fuel social activism, as it and invent new solutions to old problems, provides a way for people to connect over but we can start achieving these goals with common causes and ambitions.â€? This new technology as a tremendous aid. By Kennedy Wilson Editor-in-Chief We are now part of a new frontier: the technological era. We have more LQIRUPDWLRQ DW RXU ÂżQJHUWLSV WKDQ LQ DQ entire library, and that is something we should celebrate. Parents, adults and critics are quick to point out the faults in technology. “It’s distracting,â€? they say, or “It makes children lazy,â€? but the truth is that technology plays a key positive role in how our society functions today. Technology helps us connect, discover and invent in ways

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