Walnut Hills High School
April 9, 2013
Volume CVII, Issue 7B
People of the United States vs. the Marlboro Country A look at cigarette smoking’s declining role in society Josh Medrano, ‘13 They were once as ubiquitous as their catchy, unforgettable slogans. “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should” is declared by one magazine as one of the best newspaper/television/radio jingles in the past century. Marlboro advertising campaigns, including the “Marlboro man” and “Marlboro country” signatures and the feminist “Mild as May” slogan, are said to be some of the most brilliant of all time. Basically, cigarette companies were everywhere—in every BRANDON WAGNER/CHATTERBOX newspaper, radio and television— Smoking’s popularity has greatly decreased over time, especially recently. that even a television program was Cigarettes were, ironically, a advertisements were banned on named for a cigarette brand. form of treatment, especially for television. In 1990, smoking was Cigarettes were not merely a sore throats. One 1944 print ad banned on all interstate buses and product, however; they were an for Philip Morris cigarettes stated, domestic airline flights lasting six insignia of social life. They were an “When smokers changed to Philip hours or less. indication of masculinity, coolness Morris, every case of nose or State legislatures have also and social status. Mathematics throat irritation—due to smokmoved to ban smoking in public teacher Michael Herald agrees; be- ing—either cleared up completely spaces, especially in restaurants. cause of peer influence and desire or definitely improved.” Herald, who had a scar in his to fit in, Herald was dragged into In addition, although more neck due to smoking, agrees that the world of smoking. He smoked and more evidence was surfacing “people should be able to go to a cigarettes mainly in social occathat smoking is linked to lung restaurant without smelling like sions and lit about a pack a day for cancer, cigarette companies in the smoke.” 25 years. 1950s continued to promote their Herald quit smoking 15 years He started in the early 1970s, products. They also made new ago, due to a mini stroke. Howwhen he was already a college ones that they considered were ever, he first thought of quitting graduate and a lot of teenagers “safer,” such as low-tar and filtered when his three-year-old son sat on were smoking. In 1974, an esticigarettes. the recliner and gestured as if he mated 31.1 percent of teenagers With the lung cancer revelawas smoking. His son told him aged 12-18 smoked regularly, an tion, people became more aware that he wanted to be like his father eight percent increase from 23.1 in of the dangers of smoking. This, of when he grew up. Herald didn’t 1968. There would be a separate course, began a series of legislawant him to. room for students and teachers tive and executive actions. In Today, cigarette companies who desired to smoke during the 1965, Congress passed the Federal have been generally unwelcomed school day, according to Herald, Cigarette Labeling and Advertising in the United States. Warning who also remarked the ubiquity of Act, which requires the Surgeon from the Surgeon General that cigarette machines in stores, where General’s warnings on all cigarette cigarettes contain carbon mona pack cost 25 cents. packages. In 1971, all cigarette oxide appears in a small font on
every cigarette package. Death from lung cancer is also still very prevalent. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “[More] people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer.” In 2009, over 200,000 people were diagnosed from lung cancer and almost 160,000 people died from it. Among teenagers, about 20 percent consider themselves to be regular smokers. According to the Surgeon General, for every person who dies due to smoking (about 1200 a day), at least two youths or young adults become regular smokers. The American Lung Association reports that 3,800 kids try their first cigarette each day and that state governments fail to fund the tobacco prevention and quit smoking programs. But these statistics only occur in the United States, and cigarette companies now profit more by exporting tobacco to other countries. Although its usage has dwindled a lot, cigarettes still hold a moment in history where they were a treatment for basic medical problems, the most omnipresent commercial product, an emblem of life’s grandiosity. But Canadian comedian Dave Bradfoot makes a point: Isn’t a smoking section in a restaurant really like a peeing section in a swimming pool?
Upcoming Event:
The FUNraiser A Chatterbox-Sponsored Carnival
Who: This event is sponsored by the Chatterbox staff. It is open to all Walnut Hills students and faculty. What: A carnival to raise funds for the Walnut Hills Chatterbox. There will be games, booths, group activities, food and drink, live music and FUN! When: Friday, May 3 (the Friday before AP exams) after school Where: The “triangular courtyard” by the new music wing. Keep an eye out for more information over the next few weeks!
The state of study guides at Walnut Hills
JOSH MEDRANO/CHATTERBOX
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is currently the most searched study guide in Sparknotes, although 126 out of 160 Walnut students surveyed say they have read the novel. Emily Friedman, ‘13 “When I was in high school... you had that big bright yellow color, and there was no mistaking it if you had it out in class,” says English teacher Dawn Wolfe of the original CliffsNotes. “But in theory you can now have it out
www.whhscbox.com
in class... [and] no one knows.” The advent of the Internet has digitized sources previously only available at bookstores or libraries, including CliffsNotes, SparkNotes and other study guides. 94 percent of 160 Walnut students surveyed said they have used a summary site at one time or another, and 77
percent have used that site in place of a reading assignment. “There really isn’t a difference, other than if you read the summaries you miss the details, so you also miss the deeper meaning,” says a SENIOR. “So it [reading the book] helps for essays.” When asked why they chose to read a summary in place of an assigned text, 37 percent of students responded that they didn’t have time with their other work to do it. “A lot of people are busy, or too lazy, and don’t want to read the book. Using SparkNotes is an easier and more efficient way to get the assignment done,” a junior explains. “I have choir rehearsal and soccer practice basically all year round, so spending free time reading can be difficult.” While 13 percent of students denied using a summary site in place of reading homework and 30 percent said they used these websites because they couldn’t understand the text, 21 percent responded that they simply didn’t
feel like it. With the predominance of media at home via the laptops, TV, iPods, iPhones and other devices, it can be hard to break away from the ease of watching a screen and pick up a book full of complicated language. “I feel that most reading quizzes are too nitpicky. There’s stuff I miss when I only read, so I use SparkNotes to fill in the blanks... Especially with older writing,” says a freshman. The SparkNotes mission statement says, “As SparkNotes editors, our mission is to help you make sense of confusing schoolwork...We work with experts to create books, blogs, quizzes and flashcards that will help you master hard material.” They expect the site to be “read along with the books” analyzed in class. “We’re here to help you learn, not to help you cheat.” “I know the kind of quizzes I give,” says English teacher Samantha Gerwe-Perkins when asked about her reading evaluations. “But I don’t know what kind of
Jade K. Clark and Josh Medrano, News & Features Editors
quizzes other teachers give. We haven’t actually looked at all of our reading quizzes.” Wolfe wonders if teachers could be to blame for students not having time for reading. “Does that mean the course load is too difficult? Does that mean that we need to do something else and coordinate things across the board?” she wonders. English teacher Blake Taylor disagrees. “It’s never the teacher’s fault that students read SparkNotes. I don’t think it’s the teacher’s job to plan for students to cheat,” he says. “My quizzes are almost always based on not only just a factual understanding of what happened to whom. They’re not plot based. They synthesize information. They have to build on stuff that we’ve talked about in class. They have to do analytical things that you cannot prepare for by reading SparkNotes or CliffsNotes.” Read the complete article at <whhscbox.com>.
Issue CVII.7B