STRESS March 22, 2013
We all have experienced it, but why is it so common today?
“Over 20% of all americans have experienced major stress in the past year”
WHY WE STRESS Diego Valer
Joseph'Stanner'has'a'4.0'GPA,'he’s'a'varsity'
Joseph’s'case'is'not'a'strange'one.'Over'20%'of'all'
athlete,'he'is'in'the'school’s'jazz'band,'and'is'an'
Americans'suffered'from'stress'in'2011,'so'the'
active'member'of'5'of'the'school’s'community'
odds'are'you'will'face'the'disease'too.
service'group,'as'well'as'the'leader'of'the'Habitat'
Stress'hasn’t'always'been'a'problem.'In'fact'stress'
for'Humanity'group.'His'parents'love'him,'he'has'
only'came'around'about'30'years'ago.'As'stated'
many'friends,'coaches'that'care'about'him,'but'he'
by'an'article'by'the'National'Public'Radio,'the'Eirst'
is'not'happy.'Joseph'Stanner'suffers'from'a'very'
time'it'was'even'referred'to'was'“'the'middle'of'
common'disease.'He'suffers'from'stress.'Joseph'is'
the'19th'century”.''So'why'is'it'that'it'is'such'a'
trying'to'Eind'a'balance'to'his'life,'but'with'
common'problem'now?'
everything'he'is'involved'in,'he'just'can’t'Eind'time' to'be'happy.'
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“Stress had not even been mentioned until the middle of the 19th century” Most'people'don’t'stress'because' Research'center.'So' they'are'unhappy'with'how'their' how'relaxing'can'a'few' life'is'going.'Most'people'stress'
hours'on'a'media'site'
because'they'have'so'much'going' really'be?'In'fact'the' on,'that'they'can’t'focus'on'
Internet'is'one'of'the'
simple'being'happy.'In'ISB'alone'
leading'causes'of'
the'average'student'is'involved'in' stress,'add'that'to'an' at'least'one'afterschool'activity.'
already'busy'schedule,'
We'get'out'of'school'at'2:15,'and'
and'you'end'up'with'
more'free'time'to'actually'relax'
most'activities'begin'at'3:15.'In'
no'time'to'simply'relax!'
and'stay'calm,'a'luxury'most'of'us'
between'that'time'we'don’t'really' Let’s'say'after'all'that'mess'you'
don’t'have'today.'Way'back'when'
get'an'opportunity'to'do'much'of' still'get'yourself'one'hour'of'just'
people'didn’t'have'to'worry'
anything.'Most'activities'end'at'
about'how'their'favorite'sports'
relaxing,'playing'a'sport,'or'
around'4:30,'allowing'the'kids'to' reading,'odds'are,'with'your'
team'was'doing,'what'was'going'
be'home'at'around'5,'that'is'if'
already'busy'schedule'you'are'
on'halfway'around'the'world,'or'
you'live'in'Nichada.'You'then'
getting'to'bed'at'around'11'to'12'
what'their'next'status'would'be.'
have'another'Eive'hours'until'you' PM.'Leaving'you'6'to'7'hours'of' go'to'bed,'if'you'want'to'get'the'
Back'then'people'could'focus'on'
recommended'eight'hours'of'
sleep'before'you'need'to'wake'up' simply'being'happy.' for'school'the'following'morning.'
sleep.'Take'away'around'two'
Why'is'this'a'problem?'Sleep'
So'maybe'young'Joseph'Stanner'
hours'of'school'work'that'you'
depravation'has'been'proven'to'
should'stop'worrying'so'much'
need'to'Einish,'the'other'hour'it'
stress'people'out,'for'the'simple'
about'what'activities'he'has'that'
takes'to'eat'and'shower,'and'you' fact'that'a'tired'mind'is'never'as'
day,'how'people'think'of'him,'or'
have'two'hours'left'to'just'enjoy'
what'his'next'Facebook'status'
relaxed'as'a'rested'one.'
yourself.'The'problem'is'what'
will'be,'and'just'take'a'little'time'
most'people'do'in'these'two'
And'why'is'it'that'now'a'day’s'
to'enjoy'him'self.'Time'is'given'to'
hours.'According'to'studies,'
people'are'so'much'more'
us,'but'it'is'how'we'manage'it'
people'spend'about'two'hours'a'
stressed'than'those'that'came'
that'truly'matters.'We'need'to'
day'on'the'Internet.'Social'media' before'us?'Well'it’s'only'recently'
stop'spending'so'much'time'on'
sites'consume'most'of'this'time.'
activities'that'don’t'make'us'
that'after'school'activities'were'
Over'20'percent'of'teens'on'these' so'big.'Before'that'the'Internet'
happy.'Next'time'you’re'anxious'
sites'are'“mostly'unkind”'
and'even'television'wasn’t'even'
and'thinking'of'something'to'do,'
according'to'a'study'by'the'PEW'
invented,'this'gave'people'much'
why'don’t'you'just'try'and'relax.'
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TIK TOK AROUND THE CLOCK AN INTERVIEW ON TIME MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK / BY. JI MIN LEE
TIME MANAGEMENT
with
an IB STUDENT High school is a stressful stage for all students. It can be even harder for those who are taking IB. JuWon Kim is a junior at ISB taking four high level IB classes. Although most students tend to take three high level classes, JuWon manages to have her own free time even with one more high level class. In this interview she talks about ways of dealing with stress and using time effectively even through the many classes she is taking.
WHAT PROGRAM ARE YOU TAKING? AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT? I am currently taking the IB Diploma program. It is consisted of three higher level courses and three standard level courses. However, I opted to take four higher level courses because I felt that I could learn more from taking more HL classes.
WHAT ARE THE DAILY ROUTINES OF A JUNIOR? IS IT MOSTLY CONSISTED OF STUDYING? Well, I come back from school pretty late because of extra-curricular activities such as band, MUN or community service. When I get home, I eat dinner and have some free time. Then, I start my homework. Usually I finish at around 11 or 12 and go straight to sleep. To answer your question, yes, studying is a big part of my daily routine.
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED OTHER THAN SCHOOL WORK? HOW MUCH OF YOUR TIME DOES THIS TAKE AWAY? I definitely had to prepare for the SATs, but I mostly finished that over the summer. I have to fulfill my CAS requirements (creativity, action, service) and so I joined extracurricular activities like MUN, SEA honor band, pit orchestra and community service. To be honest,
these activities did take a lot of time away, but it wasn’t too stressful.
DO YOU THINK THIS ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE YOUR OWN FREE TIME? HOW MUCH FREE TIME DO YOU GET IN A DAY? As I’ve stated before, I do get a lot of free time, mostly because I always set an amount of time everyday to do what I enjoy doing. I feel that setting this free time (around 3-4 hours a day) helps me relax from a hard day at school and recover in time
WHAT ARE SOME MAJOR REASONS YOU GET STRESSED IN YOUR LIFE? I mostly get stressed from thinking about my future, because it seems that everyone is asking me about my “dream school” or “dream career.” Because I don’t have these things sorted out yet, I have trouble answering these questions. We are required to complete our junior profile (information about our desired majors or universities) this semester, and it is really stressing me out.
WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS DO YOU RUN INTO WHEN STRESSED? Usually, I feel very, very unproductive. I come home and I feel
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reluctant to do any work at all. This leads to failure to complete homework (or rushing to finish it the next day).
WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO WHEN COPING WITH STRESS? I usually try to eat it or sleep it off. Eating good food helps me feel really happy and it actually works very well when I feel stressed. Sleeping is another good way, because usually the stress stems from lack of sleep.
ARE THERE ANY METHODS OF TIME MANAGEMENT THAT YOU CAN SUGGEST TO OTHER STUDENTS? I suggest that you prioritize your work. This really helps me, because I am able to concentrate on my work and feel that the effort I am putting into a project is meaningful. I also try to designate the minimal amount of time needed to each piece of homework so that when I am doing it, I feel that I can complete within that short time if I really concentrate. This is a great source of motivation for me.
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The secrets behind the tests!
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Diego Valer- Star of Freshmam
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An Interiew
L:#What#is#your#opinion# on#the#drug#test#system?
E DIEGO’S GAM s isn’t
at hoop He’s amazing
he?
“Drugs are something I am going to avoid in my life”
iego#Valer,#a#famous# freshman#student# athlete,#is#most# famous#for#his#basketball# skills.#(Go#watch#his#game,#his# skills#will#make#your#jaws# drop#in#awe,#screaming#wow,# he#is#good.)#He’s#one#of#the# few#freshmen#who#went#to# IASAS,#as#most#freshmen#are# not#skillful#enough#to#go.#He#is# also#famous#for#his# over,lowing#kindness#and# heartwarming#smile.#(Sounds# like#the#model#ISB#student,# right?##If#this#is#true,#then#why# has#he#been#drug#tested#so# many#times?)##He#has#been# drugOtested#about#6#times#in# the#past,#and#today#he#is# going#to#share#his#opinion#on# drug#testing#with#me.#
D
D:#Well,#I#like#it,#,irst#of#all,# it#gets#you#out#of#class# easily#and#you#won’t#have# to#worry#about#make#up# work#or#anything.#I#could# see#how#drug#testing#can# prevent#kids#in#school#to# use#drugs,#as#the#fear#of# being#detected#and#booted# out#of#school#scares#them.#I# do#like#the#fact#that#the# tests#are#“random”#because# you#don’t#know#when#you’ll# be#tested#so#people#that#are# doing#drugs#are#likely#to#be# caught.#
Leo:#What#are#your#views# on#drugs?
L:#Do#you#think#the#tests# are#truely#random?
Diego: I do oppose using drugs as I am an athlete, I do understand that drugs do greatly hinder your performance, and risk the chance of being messed up for the rest of your career, once you get caught with drugs. Like Lance Armstrong, his titles are stripped and his trust in the public plummeted. However, I do think some drugs are worst than others. Drugs are something that I will
D:#No,#not#really,#what#I# think#they#do#is#they#do# pick#some#random#kids,#to# make#the#system#seem# more#random,#but#they#will# always#have#one#or#two# kids#whom#they#strongly# suspect#are#doing#drugs.#Or# kids#parents#requested#to# have#been#drugs#tested,#so# no,#I#don’t#think#the#drug# testing#system#is# completely#random.#
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L:#Is#getting#drug#tested# embarrassing?
D:#No,#not#at#all!#It#is#just#the# school’s#way#of#checking#that# the#students#are#indeed#doing# what#they#should#be#doing# instead#of#going#in#the#wrong# route#of#doing#drugs,#none#of# the#things#that#they#do#in#the# drug#testing#are#what#I# consider#embarrassing,#they# just#pull#hair#out#of#you.#I# didn’t#take#any#drugs#in#my# life#so#no,#nor#did#I#do# anything#that#I#consider#bad,# So#no,#I’m#not#embarrassed#in# any#way#shape#or#form#by#the# drug#testing.#
“Drugs are something I am going to avoid in my life”
L:#Do#you#think#ISB#should# continue#drug#testing# students? D:#Oh#yes,#most#de,initely!# Because#I#think#it#is#a#good#way# for#the#school#to#keep#the# students#in#check#and#since#the# students#are#scared#of#being#2 caught#and#booted#out#of# school,#they#will#be#scared#of# the#system#and#not#do#any# drugs.#Also#drug#testing#can#get# you#out#of#a#sticky#peer# pressure#situation.#For#example,# if#a#kid#from#another#schools# you#hang#out#with#offers#you# drugs,#you#can#say:#My#school# has#drug#testing#and#if#I#get# caught#using#drugs#I#will#be# booted#out#of#school#and#my#
For#more#information#visit fcd.org#for#info#on#drugs# abuse 12
Drugs
Drug,&it&is&a&kind&of&chemical&that&is&harmful&to&people.&Drugs&used&for&fun&is&called&Recreational&drugs& in&the&Western&countries.&Drugs&can&make&people&feel&relaxed,&and&make&people&forget&about&the& pressure&at&that&time,&so&people&in&pursuit&of&momentary&pleasure,&gradually&become&addicted.&There& are&different&types&of&drug,&such&as&phencyclidine,&marijuana&and&so&on.&Nowadays,&the&social&problem& of&drug&becomes&more&and&more&serious;&also&the&people&who&have&a&drug&problem&become&younger& and&younger.& Firstly,&let’s&talk& about&the& history&of&drugs.& Drugs,& discovered&in& ancient&times,& traditionally& came&from& plants.&But&at&that&time,&people&only&used&them& as&a&kind&of&narcotic,&medicine,&and&for&worship.& They&were&known&as&“Happy&plants”.&The& ancient&people&burned&the&plant&so&that&they& could&get&the&smell.&It&put&people&into&a& psychedelic&state.&Medical&technology&in&the& modern&world&shows&that&that&kind&of&drug&can& make&people&generate&hallucination.&Gradually,& people&will&become&dependence.& Drugs&are&very&harmful.&For&example,& drug&will&affect&different&organ&system&in&our& body,&if&someone&uses&too&many&drugs,&will&even& die&for&that.&Also,&it&will&harm&the&family&and& even&the&society.&Drug&will&make&the&family&go& bankrupt&and&control&the&mind,&makes&people& commit&a&crime.
However,&people&all&know&that&drugs&are& very&bad.&Why&do&they&still&continue&doing&drug& trade?&The&reason&is&that&they&can&get&great& proMit&from&that.&That’s&why&despite&the&police& campaign&to&stop&drugs. If&people&don’t&start&using&drugs,&they&will& never&have&the&problem&with&them.&In&Russia,& about&2.5&–&6&million&people&have&drug,&and& more&than&100&thousand&people&died&from&using& drugs&every&year&in&average.&But&teenagers& learned&that&drugs&are&very&bad&why&do&them& still&have&drug?&From&the&result,&70%&of&the& teenager&use&drugs,&and&78%&of&the&teenagers& choose&drug&because&of&curiosity.&This&shows& that&curiosity&is&the&biggest&reason&for&the& problem&of&drug.& At&their&age,& curiosity&is&the& greatest.& Whatever&a& stranger&gives& them&anything,& they&want&to&try& it.&
A&girl&entered&high&school.&At&Mirst,&she&didn't&use&drugs.&But&many&of&her&close&“friends”&used&alcohol& and&drugs.&They&even&asked&her&to&join&them.&She&wasn't&interested&in&that,&so&she&refused.&However,& she&found&that&was&fun,&so&she&start&drug.&From&that&moment,&her&life&changed.&It&went&into&a&sharp& decline,&she&had&great&regret&because&she&suffered&deeply&and&now&she&cannot&live&without&them.& As&the&problem&
This&is&one&of&the&ways&to&do&the&drug&testing.&&
becomes&more&and& more&serious,&people& pay&more&attention&to& that.&So&there&are&also& drug&test&at&high&
There&are&also&other&ways&to&do&it,&such&as&onXsite& Urine&Drug&Testing,&saliva&and&sweat&analysis,& and&blood&analysis.&Wherein,&the&blood&analysis& is&most&accurate&but&it&is&also&the&most&expensive,& so&mostly;&people&use&the&hair&testing&or&urine&
school.&For&example,&in&our&school&ISB,&we&have& random&drug&tests&The&vice&principal&takes&a& strand&of&hair&from&a&student&and&tests&whether& they&have&drugs&in&their&bodies&or&not.
Drug Laws
analysis.&In&America,&random&drug&tests&are&done& in&high&school.&Of&1343&samples,&the&average& school&tested&14%&of&the&school&population.&
“possession&of&drugs”,&the&laws& of&drug&trade&and&so&on.&Also,& antiXdrug&ofMicer&established& checkpoints&at&possible&drug& dealing&place.&They&use&XXray& machine&to&inspect&the&bags&for&
To&stop&drugs,&not&only&drug& testing,&but&also&laws&are& needed.&When&the&government& realized&the&seriousness&of&the& drug&problem,&they&made&laws& to&control&the&drug&trade.&For& example,&the&laws&of&
drugs&the&drug&in&the&bags&at& the&station.&They&use&dogs&to& smell&out&the&smell&of&the&drug& among&thousands&of&luggage& and&parcels.&They&work&that& hard&just&to&reduce&drug&trade.&
The#lives,#stories,#and#regretful# experiences#of#alcoholics# ! ! arl!is!broke,!he!lost!his! home!and!job!,and!his! family!is!scared!of!him.! He!certainly!didn’t!want!these!things! to!happen.!These!things!make!him! drink!again.!He!can’t!stop;!it’s!a! never>ending!cycle!that!always! results!in!drinking!alcohol.!Carl!is!an! alcoholic.!It!wasn’t!his!choice!to! become!an!alcoholic,!yet!it!was!his! choice!to!start!and!continue!his!foul! habit!of!drinking.!! ! Alcohol!has!developed!along! with!mankind.!They!have!been!with! humans!since!thousands!of!years! ago,!and!now!there!are!uncountable! kinds!of!alcohol.!However!alcohol! abuse!and!dependence!wasn’t! classified!as!a!disease!until!1991.!! ! How!does!alcohol!affect!us?! According!to!Drugfreeworld.org! large!consumption!of!alcohol!can! have!a!negative!effect!on!humans! both!physically!and!psychologically.! Physically,!alcohol!can!be!a!reason! for!mouth,!trachea,!and!esophagus! cancer.!It!can!also!lead!to!several! diseases!such!as!alcoholic! cardiomyopathy,!anemia,!hepatitis,! cirrhosis,!pancreatitis,!and!chronic! gastritis.!Psychologically,!it!can! cause!several!mental!diseases!
C!
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related!to!antisociality,!anxiety,!and! depression.!! ! How!deeply!has!alcoholism! affected!our!daily!life?!1!out!of!13! adult!has!alcoholism,!and!92%!of! American!adults!have!consumed! alcohol!in!a!huge!amount!once!or! more!in!a!month.!Likewise!alcohol! used!by!teens!and!young!adults!cost! the!community!and!their!family!58! billion!dollars!per!year!including! treatment,!vandalism,!injury,!and! death.!!
Alcoholism!influences!not! only!the!drinker!but!also!his!or!her! family!and!society.!Due!to! Alcoholism,!2.3!million!years!of! potential!life!is!lost!and!30!year!of! potential!production!time!is!lost!as! well.!In!US,!1!out!of!10!child!has!at! least!one!alcoholic!parent.!These! children!with!alcoholic!and!violent! parents!grow!up!to!seek!alcohol!as!a! psychological!refuge,!becoming!an! alcoholic!as!well.!! 17#
“If!I!had!a!glass! of!wine,!I!would! be!back!to!two! bottles!of!vodka! a!day”! Sally!is!an!alcoholic!like!Carl,! but!she!has!reformed.!She!says,!“If!I! had!a!glass!of!wine,!I!would!be!back! to!two!bottles!of!vodka!a!day,!within! a!month.” Not!everyone!realizes!this,! but!Alcoholism!is!progressive.!!You! can!never!totally!recover!and!go! back!to!the!odd!drink.”!She!had!a! relapse!6!years!ago!where!she! almost!killed!herself!with!overdose! and!almost!lost!legal!custody!of!her! children.!After!this,!she!started! treatment,!and!currently!she!is! working!as!an!addiction!counselor.! When!she!was!asked!what!were!her! biggest!consequences!of!being!an! alcoholic,!she!replied,!“Alcohol!had! cost!me!my!job,!marriage,!self! esteem!and!almost!my!children!and! my!life.”!! ! So!how!did!these!people!start! this!horror?!What!led!them!to!this! state?!Dr.!David!Walsh!Ph.D.,! psychologist!and!the!founder!of!the! National!Institute!on!Media!and!the! Family,!believes!that!the!earlier!a! young!person!starts!to!drink,!the! higher!the!probability!of!he!or!she! will!have!develop!Alcoholism!as!an! adult.!! ! Dr.!Walsh!says,!“The! adolescent!brain!is!in!the!middle!of! an!intense!developmental!stage!and! is!incredibly!sensitive!to!foreign! substances.”!He!also!adds!that! alcohol!has!a!bigger!effect!in!areas!of! teen’s!brain!that!controls!the!mood! !
!
and!memory!than!it!does!in!an! adult’s!brain.!About!memory,!he! comments,!“Alcohol!interferes!with!a! neurotransmitter!called!glutamate…! glutamate!is!even!more!crucial!in!an! adolescent!brain!than!in!an!adult! brain.!This!is!why!adolescents!who! drink!a!lot!of!alcohol!end!up!having! more!memory!and!learning! impairment!than!adults!who!drink! the!same!amount.”!
Just!because!alcohol!is!linked! to!Alcoholism!doesn’t!mean!that!it! doesn’t!have!a!positive!aspect.!If! consumed!in!moderate!amounts,! alcohol!can!reduce!risk!of!death!and! some!disease!such!as!diabetes,! arthritis,!kidney!stones,!and! gallstones.!However,!in!order!to! benefit!from!the!good!qualities!from! alcohol,!wise!choices!must!be!made.! Will!you!drink!at!a!young!age?!Will! you!binge!drinking?!Will!you!use! other!drugs!as!well!as!drinking?!You! should!be!aware!of!all!of!these! choices!and!the!consequences!that! might!follow!them.!If!you!choose!to! drink!now,!I!admonish!you;!no!one! ever!knows!how!too!much!alcohol! could!change!your!life.!Like!Carl,!the! reckless!choices!in!a!harmless,! innocent!party!could!be!the! inception!of!the!infinite!nightmare! that!would!shadow!over!one’s!life! until!the!end.!
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DO THE MATH: DRUGS = GRAVE EARLY Interviewed with Mr. Virote Chaowiwat
M
r. Virote Chaowiwat, a
victim of drugs usage when he was young wild and free. Now he works for a company making ready mixed concrete. In addition, he also goes to visit students who are addicted to drugs and have a nice chat with them to make them feel better. He
needs to make these students feel better due to two circumstances. First, their parents do not want to look after them. Second, most of the time they feel like they are hopeless and they are not needed in this world. Mr. Virote also tries to help the society by persuading students who are addicted to drugs and alcohol to quit. Mr. Virote Chaowiwat
Why$did$you$use$alcohol$and$other$drugs$ while$you$were$a$teenage? Because'I'thought'it'was'cool'and'everybody,' especially'girls,'would'accept'me.'And'I' wanted'to'free'myself'from'the'environment' and'to'escape'from'problems'that'I'had'to'face.'
When$you$took$marijuana$what$did$it$feel$ like? I'felt'like'this'world'was'peaceful'and'all'my' problems'seemed'so'far'away.
How$did$you$start$drinking$or$using$drugs? My'friend'seemed'to'have'the'same'problems' as'I'did.'He'advised'me'to'use'drugs'to'leave'all' the'problems'behind.'I'thought'it'would'have' worked'very'well'at'Birst,'but'later'on'it'was' turning'me'into'an'awful'person.'I'did'not' want'to'go'to'school'and'I'would'turn'in'my' homework'late'for'every'class.'It'was'wasting' a'lot'of'my'precious'time.
How$easy$was$it$to$get$these$drugs$and$use$ it? Very'easy.'All'I'had'to'do'was'get'it'from'the' drug'dealer'and'roll'it'like'a'cigarette.'And' smoke'it.'
What$kind$of$problems$were$you$facing$ while$taking$drugs? I'had'problems'with'my'family.'My'parents' had'no'time'for'me'and'they'did'not' understand'me.'I'did'not'do'well'in'class,'I'did' not'hand'in'my'homework'on'time'and'I'failed' most'of'my'tests.'I'could'not'talk'to'my'parents' about'my'study,'so'I'took'drugs'such'as' marijuana'to'forget'the'problems'that'I'was' Looking$back$at$what$ you$did$when$you$were$ facing. young$and$if$you$have$ the$chance$to$change$ one$thing$will$you$do$the$ same$thing?$ Did$you$screw$up$your$life$using$drugs? No Yes,'I'screwed'it'up'badly.'All'the'friends'that'I' had,'we'took'drugs'together.'And'when' Why? someone'who'wanted'to'be'my'friend'found' I'was'stupid,'very,'very' out,'they'started'to'look'down'on'me.'They'did' stupid.'I'would'like'to'tell' not'only'look'down'on'me,'but'they'see'my' who'ever'had'these'kinds' parents'as'horrible'parents. of'problem'that'I'have' face'the'best'thing'is'to' talk'to'your'parents'or' your'teachers.'All'of'them' are'willing'to'help'you.' Where$did$you$get$the$marijuana? I'was'very'stressed'because'I'failed'my'math' Don’t'make'the'same' mistake'I'did.' test,'so'my'friend'and'I'started'to'get'the' marijuana'from'my'friend’s'neighbor.'Later'on,' my'friend’s'neighbor'introduced'us'to'a'drug' dealer'near'the'school.'
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Media, The Culprit of Corrupted Minds Is the media transforming into a greater influential impact on teen sexuality? By: Sarah Lim
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lizabeth!imagined!her!first!time!to!be!special,!
perfect,! shared! with! the! one! she! deeply! loved.! She! imagined! her! first! time! to! be! immensely! romantic!with!her!lover!tenderly!embracing!her! and! showering! her! with! beautiful! roses! and! boxes! of! chocolate.! As! Elizabeth! grew! up,! she! became! caught! in! the! mendacious! media! web,! where! her! perception! towards! sex! became! corrupted! and! tainted! beyond! imaginable.! The! media! drummed! into! her! brain! that! sex! was! normal,! it! was! what! teenagers! did! for! fun.! To! Elizabeth,!sex!no!longer!held!the!sentimental!and! touching! value! that! it! did! before.! To! Elizabeth,! the!meaning!of!sex!became!lost!forever.!! ! It’s! no! revelation! that! sex! has! lost! its! prior! virtuous! image.! We! all! possess! dominant! influential! figures! in! our! lives! that! have! distinctly! individual! attitudes! towards! sex.! Our! parents!tell!us!that!sex!is!a!sacred!bond!between! two! lovers,! an! intimate! promise! of! love! and! affection.! Classical! films! and! novels! convey! sex! as! an! oath! of! commitment! to! express! devotion,! eternal! love! and! absolute! loyalty.! However,! in! today’s! media,! sex! is! portrayed! as! silly! meaningless!minutes!of!pleasure.!!
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Teenagers! of! this! generation! have! grown! up! in! this! wretched! world! full! of! the! deception! from! the! media.! They’ve! been! raised! with! the! belief! that! sex! is! merely! for! amusement! and! ones! joy,! completely! overlooking! it’s! authentic! merits.! In! the! past,! sex! used! to! be! an! act! of! vehement! intimacy,!a!cherished!moment.!Now,!it’s!become! nothing! more! than! the! hobby! of! immature! teenagers.!! ! The!modern!day!media!industries,!with!popular! films! like! Gossip! Girl,! Glee! and! Mean! Girls! informs! teenagers! that! sex! is! expected! in! high! school,!that!if!you!don’t!do!it,!you’re!the!odd!one! out.!Glee,!a!wellLknown!TV!show!amongst!teens,! dedicated! an! entire! episode! to! advocate! high! school! students! having! sex! and! losing! their! virginity.!
! PTC!president!Tim!Winter!revealed!his!thoughts! on! how! “Glee!intends! to! not! only! broadcast,! but! celebrate! on! how! children! having! sex! is! reprehensible”.! It’s! ridiculous! enough! that! the! media! exposes! sex! to! young! teens! but! commending!this!behavior!is!moving!to!a!whole! other!level.!!
The!problem!is!not!the!teenagers!but!the!media! for! its! high! acclamation! for! sex! as! if! it’s! some! noble!achievement.!
! According!to!the!People!Magazine’s!2012!survey,! 54%! of! teens! worldwide! from! 9th! to! 12th! grade! are!sexually!active.!This!poll!is!about!10%!higher! than!their!survey!from!2001.!Ironically,!another! survey! from! Self! Growth! reveals! that! the! percentage! of! sexual! movies! and! TV! shows! released!worldwide!has!increased!20%!over!the! last! decade.! This! verifies! that! there! is! a! solid! connection! between! the! increase! in! sexual! content! of! the! media! and! the! rising! rates! of! sexually!active!teens.!The!media!has!such!a!great! attribute! to! the! development! of! teenagers! that! what! the! media! represents! is! soon! going! to! be! the!lives!that!the!teenagers!lead.!! ! Do!we!want!the!teenagers!of!current!and!future! generations! to! lead! lives! like! the! characters! of! Glee!and!Gossip!Girl!with!no!respect!whatsoever! for! the! meaningful! value! of! sex?! Is! this! the! kind! of! future! we! want! our! children! to! be! a! part! of?! To!live!and!to!learn!from?! ! It’s!no!doubt!that!the!media!has!a!huge!influence! over! their! viewers.! Research! from! the! Crisis! Connection! Inc.! reveals! that! entertainment! media! is! the! number! one! source! of! where! teenagers! acquire! their! information! regarding! sex.!!
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Just!making!small!reductions!to!what! kids! are! exposed! to! could! make! a! significant! difference! in! how! quickly! they! develop! sexually."! L! Psychologist! Rebecca!Collins! ____________________________________________! ! It’s! an! undeniable! fact! that! media! is! taking! over! the! minds! of! teenagers.! It’s! an! undeniable! fact! that! if! the! media! doesn’t! change,! this! sexLfilled! world!we!see!in!movies!and!TV!shows!is!going!to! become! the! reality.! It’s! an! undeniable! fact! that! without! the! concern! for! this! issue,! the! sacred! meaning!of!sex!will!disappear,!once!and!for!all.!! ! There! are! and! surely! will! be! millions! of! parents! and!psychologists!who!blame!the!media!for!this! horrific!outcome.!Pointing!fingers!is!always!first! to!come,!but!the!most!important!comes!last.!! !
! It! is! up! to! us! to! take! action,! initiate! change! so! that! the! number! of! teenagers! like! Elizabeth! decreases.! If! we! want! children! like! Elizabeth! to! grow! up! with! their! perspective! on! sex! unchanged,!a!change!is!essential.!If!we!want!sex! to! once! again! hold! its! high! value! and! status,! a! change!is!vital.!! ! We’ve! established! that! the! media! is! the! enemy,! the! evil! behind! this! problem.! However,! the! media! can! work! as! a! doubleLedged! sword;! it! might!have!ruined!the!value!of!sex!and!the!minds! of!teenagers!but!it!is!also!capable!of!contributing! to! reverse! the! causes! of! its! mistake.! The! media,! with! its! powerful! influence! over! teenagers! can! stress!on!the!significance!of!waiting!for!the!right! time!and!person.!It!could!restore!the!goodness!in! sex!and!bring!it!back!to!when!it!meant!pure!bliss! and! symbolized! pure! love.! It! might! perhaps! be! the!only!solution!we!have!to!restore!the!value!of! sex!and!teach!the!future!generations!that!it!was,! it!is,!and!always!will!be!an!act!of!absolute!vow!of! eternal! devotion! from! one! lover! to! another.
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The$V&Card$Crisis$ Is#the#media#telling#us#the#truth?# # # ! ! Sex—it!is!not!only!our! way!of!survival,!but!also! a!part!of!who!we!are.!!Sex! is!a!major!event!for!us! human!beings,!but!when! do!people!take!the!leap! and!enter!their!era!of! sexuality?!!Early! twenty’s?!!College?!!No,! even!earlier!than!that:! high$school.! In!today’s! outgoing!and!modern! society,!young!adults! (some!even!so!young! they!are!considered! children)!are! experimenting!with! sexual!activities.!!Sex! alone!isn’t!bad,!but!with! sex!comes!many! dangerous,!lifeGchanging! events!that!can!ruin!a! teenager’s!life.! With!adults,! maturity!allows!them!to! see!these!dangers!and! prevent!them,!but!as!an! adventurous!teen,!sex! may!seem!like!a!fun! game!with!no!strings! attached.! ! The!2002!US!national! family!growth!survey! stated!that!on!average,! people!have!sex!for!the! first!time!at!17.!!What!I! wanted!to!find!out!was! whether!or!not!ISB!had! the!same!results!as!the! average.!!To!do!this,!I! conducted!two! interviews!per!grade!and! one!per!gender.! Interestingly! enough,!only!a!senior!
! boy!said!he!didn’t!have! his!virginity.!!!However,! when!asked!what! percentage!of!their!grade! had!their!virginity,!the! juniors!and!seniors! thought!around!only! 60%!had!their!virginity.! !
! ! Another!interesting! question!was!whether!or! not!the!student’s!grade$ thought!it!was! acceptable!to!have!sex!in! their!grade!and!whether! or!not!they!thought!it! was!okay.!!The!freshmen! and!the!sophomore!girl! believed!both!their!grade! was!against!having!sex!as! well!as!themselves.! Interestingly! enough,!the!juniors,! seniors,!and!sophomore! guy,!thought!it!was! acceptable!for!their! grade!to!have!sex,!but! didn’t!want!to!be! involved!in!it!themselves.! ! Why!do!we!think!more! people!are!having!sex! than!there!actually!are?!! Well,!remember!that!the! people!I!interviewed! were!teenagers,!you! know,!the!guys!who!are! infamous!for!spreading! gossip.!
So!all!it!takes!is! for!one!mouth!to! whisper!that!they!think!a! kid!doesn’t!have!their! virginity!to!have!the! whole!school!believe!it.!! Believing!that!you!are! one!of!the!“few”!who! isn’t!having!sex!can!be!a! constant!worry,!but!the! truth!is!that!most!high! schoolers!aren’t!having! sex.! !
“Peer$pressure$ can$be$a$very$ persuasive$ force.”$ ! As!with!every!high! school,!there!are!clear! cliques.!!What!groups! were!labeled!as!the!most! likely!to!conduct!in! sexual!intercourse?!! Every!single!interviewee! thought!that!the! “partyers”!had!sex!the! most,!while!“highly! religious!and!academic”! children!were!most!likely! to!abstain!from!sex.! Now!let’s!say!you! like!to!party!but!aren’t! into!sex!in!high!school.!!Is! it!easy!to!say!no?!! “Probably!not,!because! peer!pressure!can!be!a! very!persuasive!force,”! says!a!junior.!!Once! again,!stressful!pressure! into!sex!begins!with! harmless!words!and! opinions.!
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“Losing$my$ virginity$isn’t$ too$big$of$a$deal$ to$me.$$If$I$lose$ it,$alright,$but$I$ won’t$fret$over$ it.”$ ! When!asked!whether!or! not!STD’s!and!pregnancy! scared!them,!most! students!said!yes,! “Because!it!can!change! your!life!forever.”!!But! experts!say!teens!often! ignore!the!dangers!of! sex!!!Perhaps!ISB’s! student!body!has!risen! above!the!media’s! impression!of!sex.! ! Up!until!now,!the!men! and!women!agreed!to!the! most!part!with!each! other.!!But!here’s!where! the!road!splits:!when! asked!whether!sex!was! meant!to!be!fun!or! romantic,!every!man! stated!it!was!mostly! meant!for!fun!and!every! woman!thought!it!was! meant!for!deep!bonding! with!for!a!very!long!term! relationship.! I!think!both!men! and!women!can!have!sex! for!entertainment!and! romance,!but!what! makes!them!choose!is! the!fact!that!the!media!is! encouraging!them!to.!! We!hear!of!men!wanting! sex!just!because!it!feels! good,!and!women!only! having!sex!for!building! romances!everyday.! ! One!thing!most!students! said!was!that!“Losing!my!
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virginity!isn’t!too!big!of!a! deal!to!me.!!If!I!lose!it,! alright,!but!I!won’t!fret! over!it.”!!However,!in! today’s!media,!we! constantly!are! bombarded!with!media! that!encourages!us!to! believe!that!as!a! teenager,!losing!virginity! is!a!huge!deal!and!that!it! is!essential!to!stress!over! it!as!much!as!possible.!! But!once!again,!our! school!shows! independence!from!the! popular!media.! !
! It!seems!that!today’s! teenagers!are!more! comfortable!with!the! idea!of!sex!than!their! predecessors.!!When! asked!how!they!would! feel!about!teenage!sex!as! an!adult,!they!believed! that!“They!definitely! wouldn’t!be!as!strict!as! [their]!parents.”! Does!this!mean! that!as!time!goes!on,!our! sexual!standards!will! decrease!until!we!find! preschoolers! participating!in!sexual! activities?!!Why!is!it!that! most!societies!around! the!world!had!very! conservative!opinions!on! sex!until!only!a!hundred! years!ago?!!Well,!let’s!see! what!else!was!new!at! that!time:!oh!that’s!right,! our!old!friend!popular$ media!! !
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Media!will!never!leave!us! now;!we!have!delved!too! deep!into!its!trance.!!But! the!issue!of!teenage!sex! is!very!real!and!very! scary.!!What!can!we!do!to! encourage!safe!sex?!! Balance!out!the! equation—use!media!to! teach!kids!of!the!danger! of!false!assumptions! given!to!us!by!the!media!!! Teaching!valuable!life! lessons!through!the! method!students!are! constantly!using!is!very! useful!and!very! convenient.! ! The!media!isn’t! inherently!evil:!but!it!can! be!a!bad!influence!if!not! used!responsibly.!! Popular!media!today!is! teaching!teenagers!that! sex!is!completely!normal! for!high!school!but!it!is! full!of!stress!and!issues.! Here!at!ISB,! students!seem!to!be! teetering!between!the! media’s!pull!and!there! common!sense.!!All!it! would!take!is!a!shove! from!either!side!to!have! it!fall.!!If!more!teenagers! were!educated!about!sex,! it!would!be!the!push! necessary!to!beat!the! media!at!our!school.! So!it!turn!out!the! grass!isn’t$greener!on!the! other!side;!that!there!is! someone!is!the!exact! same!situation!we!find! ourselves;!that!sex! doesn’t!have!to!become!a! giant!issue.!!Sex!is!a!part! of!who!we!are,!so!instead! of!fighting!it,!why!not! just!find!a!way!to!make!it! fit?! ∎! ! By$Caleb$Gray$
THUMBS DOWN
March 26, 2013
The startling truth about sexting.
It starts with a sext, guess what comes next...
In the privacy of her room, At any time or any second, a
fourteen-year-old Addison unlocks her phone and sprints to her bathroom. With the camera phone pointed to the mirror, she snaps her halfnaked body and examines the photo briefly before clicking send. On the other end of the message, Addison’s boyfriend, Zack, admires the photo with his three friends. Shocked, Zack’s friends forward the photo to a friend, who then forwards the photo to another two friends. Then it spreads. Little did Addison know that her ‘private’ photo was being shared with the entire world.
teenager could be sexting someone anywhere in the world. Maybe they know the person, maybe they think they know the person, but what some teenagers don’t realize is how dangerous and risky sexting is. Whether they know the person or think they know the person, engaging in sexting is a gamble. A gamble for yourself, and possibly your life. Sexting is known to be sending, receiving, or forwarding sexual photos or messages through the phone (texts) or by email. Although the idea of sexting is new due to the recent invention of cell phones, the
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idea of giving sexual images, videos, or writing is not new. The only matter the Internet and phones did to change this concept was to make it easier and faster, spreading the action of sexting and making it more prevalent to the modern teenagers.
In a recent survey by the ‘The National Campaign to prevent teen and unplanned pregnancy’ discovered that in the United States, about 20% of teenagers have sent or posted nude or semi-nude images or videos of themselves – 22% of these teenagers are girls and 18% are boys. But, what is the reason for this? Of girls, 51% say that they sext because of pressure from a guy, however only 18% of teenage boys say that pressure from a girl causes them to start sexting. Some teens also say they sext because it gives them pleasure, and makes them feel good about themselves. Yet, do teens really understand how sending sexual messages in an instant can affect them for the rest of their lives? At first, sexting may seem like a ‘fun’ thing to do. However, when and if it hits the public, it is no longer a joke or game. According to the ‘New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services’, an astonishing 12% of teenagers who have engaged in sexting have committed suicide due to their provocative photos/videos/ messages being exposed. Once the sexting is public, this leads to bullying, a very high source of suicides worldwide.
“IT’S THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE IMAGES THAT BOYS AND GIRLS’ BEHAVIOR BEGINS TO DIVERGE.” - AMANDA HESS (SLATE MAGAZINE)
Additionally, sexting consists of the risk that the person you think you are talking to isn’t actually who they claim to be. Although 46% of high school students have not had sexual intercourse, sexting develops
the risk that a random stranger could find a teen through cell phone conversations and sexually assault them. In fact, Gloria Allred of ‘Lawyers.com’ states that there is about a 20-30% chance that teens can be sexually assaulted as a result of sexting an anonymous person. To evade this chance, refraining from starting sexting is strongly encouraged.
and provocative text messages earlier that day. Humiliated and mortified, Addison decides to hold herself together for a few days. The next day, she was called into the counselors’ office and confronted with the photo and the same gut feeling that she’d felt for days. Now, she realized, or at least thought as if the
For that reason, always think before you send a text, any text for that matter because it could change your life forever. Consider the fact that any message, image, or video that you send could possibly become public. With that in mind, if it is not something you would want everyone to see, then don’t send it. Truly, it is for your own good.
entire world had known about her revealing photo. At home, her parents ignore her. At dinner, they bring her dinner to her room while her mom and dad eat in the living room by themselves in silence. Overwhelming feelings of regret, shamefulness, and disgust in herself pour over her. With little hesitation, she grabs her old jump rope and ties it to her fan. Leaving her dinner untouched, Addison slips her head through the knot and kicks the chair away, helplessly hanging alone.
After many looks and suspicious glances at school the next day, Addison becomes curious and goes to Zack about the issue. At that very moment, an unfamiliar boy strolls by, and with a flirtatious wink, he asks for her number. When she turned back to Zack, she was faced with…herself. The exact photo that she had sent Zack the day before. Suddenly, she realized why she had received so much attention
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By: Ellen Sypolt
Asian Academic Anxiety
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orn as an Asian, you are instantly expected to get good grades, go to Harvard, and graduate to be a doctor. Naturally, academic pressures from your parent are sky high. Your future, fate, destiny, call it whatever you want, is already planned, thanks to your Asian parents. Either you take after your family’s business, competing with your cousins or siblings while you’re at it, or get a decent job that earns money; in the eyes of Asians, basically a doctor. Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. If you want to be a doctor, then great, if not, here’s a few simple steps to steer your parent away from the whole doctor thing, while keeping you out of
1. Never complain about school or say you’re tired Asian parents lived a hard childhood. They were born into the time of war. If they ever hear the smallest bit of complaint from you, they’ll order you to be on your knees while they narrate their tale of immigration from China, all the hundred or more relative all crammed into one boat and living in the chicken coop. Their childhood compared to you have the difference of heaven and hell. Worse case scenario, they’ll ship you off to China. 2. Learn the basic first aids Let’s go to the roots of this whole doctor thing. Asian parents want their child to be a doctor to have someone to depend on. To feel assured – safe when you’re with them. To have someone they can turn to. If anything ever happens, you must fight for your life to be on the top of the line, to show your parent that you don’t need to become a doctor for them to be able to depend on you - that you can actually do something. 3. Learn Chinese Take something, you replace it with another, it’s simple as that. If you want to drop the whole doctor thing, you better pay. Whichever type of Asian you are, it doesn’t change the fact that your ancestor originated from China. What does that mean? It means they are ethnocentric (remember the word from world civ?). They believe Chinese are the best. They still believe that Chinese would become the universal language. You must suffer and learn Chinese. 4. Adapt to your family’s culture If you’re not going to be a doctor, -going against your culture that is - you might as well follow the rest of the Asian kids to parent contract. Make it up to your parent. Don’t drink coffee; drink tea, and not just tea, oolong tea! Wait for your parents to eat first before you do. Keep those elbows to yourself at the dinner
table. Pick up some ancient hobbies. ‘Read the dictionary!’ 5. Study Science and Math I’m not kidding. If it ever falls into the A-, your parent will kill you. They’ll go to their backyards and carve themselves a ‘discipline’ stick. Your back will have a new tattoo called ‘lines’. Before you know it, you’re off to cram school. Not kumon, but legit cram school where everyone speaks Chinese. The kind that starts right afterschool and ends at eleven. The kind that will turn you into ‘the Asian’. 6. Give up on having an ‘art’ related job And I mean all sorts of art. Fine or performing, you name it. There is absolutely no chance Asian parents will allow that. Unless they have been exposed to western culture that is. You’re in ISB. A school so expensive three days of school fee can buy an iphone. Just… slowly let that sink in. Now, what type of parent would let their child have such an education and let them grow up to work as a painter? Dancer? 7. Decide what you want to be when you grow up Like most teenagers our age, we tend to feel lost. What do I want to be when I grow up? If you know for certain that you don’t want to be a doctor, you must at least have a goal in life. There will be a time when your parent calls you in - to talk about your future. If you choose to divert from the doctor path, you must prepare a speech worthy so. Have a clear goal. Convince your parent. 8. Prove your passion In then end, your parents are still your parent. They wish the best for their child. Show your dedication. Prove to them. There are always two sides in an argument. Listen to theirs. ‘Respect your elders’ as Confucius says, and in turn, they will surely respect and approve of your choice.
DAMAGING LOVE
DON’T LOVE WITH YOUR FISTS. THE SCARING TRUTH ABOUT ABUSE WITHIN RELATIONSHIPS
A Silenced Women Bridget(is(a(21-year-old(woman(just( moving(in(with(her(new(boyfriend(Jason,( of(3(years.(Little(does(she(know(she(is( just(beginning(to(embark(on(a(torturous( journey(she(calls(love.(Bridget(is(apart(of( the(25%(of(women(that(are(brutally( beaten(by(their(partners.(But(she( doesn’t(know(what(to(do.(She’s(backed( into(a(corner(when(she’s(too(scared(to( leave,(but(too(scared(to(stay. According(to(the(Bureau(of(Justice( Statistics(Crime(Data(Brief,(everyday(in( the(US,(more(than(three(women(are( murdered(by(their(husbands(or( boyfriends. If(you(were(in(an(abusive( relationship,(what(would(your(Kirst( reaction(be?(To(get(out?(To(keep(going?( To(call(the(police?(According(to( “Domestic(Violence(Statistics”,(76%(of( women(who(are(abused(within(their( relationships(stay(in(them(because(they( believe(that(their(loved(ones(are(way( more(than(they(are(when(they(are( abusive.(Abuse(within(a(relationship(can( happen(to(anyone,(yet(the(problem(is( often(overlooked,(or(excused.(This(is( especially(true(when(the(abuse(is( psychological,(rather(than(physical.( Noticing(and(acknowledging(the(signs(of( an(abusive(relationship(is(the(Kirst(step( to(ending(it.(No(one(should(live(in(fear(of( the(person(they(love.
“If anyone hits me, they can expect to be hit back, and harder. I never turn the other cheek because in my experience that doesn’t work.” -Alice Bag (Victim of Domestic Violence)
domestic(violence(in(her( lifetime.(The(worst(thing(you( can(do(in(an(abusive( relationship(is(to(stay(there.( Who(knows(how(far(your( Why$doesn’t$she$just$leave?$Why$ partner(will(go(if(they(know( doesn’t$she$just$run$away?$Why$ that(you(are(vulnerable(to(their( doesn’t$she$4ight$back?$It’s(these( power.( questions(that(many(people( Bridget(is(at(a(dead(end.(She(is( ask(when(they(learn(that(a( woman(is(being(abused(in(their( terriKied(of(going(home.( TerriKied(of(speaking(and( relationship.(But(if(you(are(in( terriKied(of(looking(the(one(she( an(abusive(relationship,(you( know(that(it’s(not(that(simple..( thought(she(loved(in(the(eyes.( What(is(she(going(to(do(now?(Is( It’s(even(harder(when(you’ve( she(going(to(realize(that(the( been(psychologically(beaten( pain(that(Jason(is(causing(her(is( down,(and(physically( too(severe(to(stop?(Or(does(she( threatened.( think(that(the(only(way(to( Domestic(violence(happens(for( resolve(the(problem(is(if(she( many(reasons.(Usually(it(is( suddenly(disappears(forever.( because(of(lack(of(self-control( and(lack(of(respect(for(the( other(person.(It(could(be(the( result(of(someone(who(abuses( alcohol(or(drugs.(There(are( many(reasons(why(it(occurs,( none(of(which(are(acceptable.(( abusive.(Once(you( acknowledge(the(reality(of(the( abusive(situation,(then(you(can( get(the(help(you(need.(
Escaping(an(abusive( relationship(is(extremely( Domestic(violence(often(escalates(from( difKicult.(If(you(are(one(of(those( threats(and(verbal(abuse(to(violence.( women(who(feels(isolated(by( While(physical(injury(may(be(the(most( your(partner(because(of(how( obvious(danger,(the(emotional(and( you(are(being(treated,(you(need( psychological(consequences(of(domestic( to(know(that(you(are(not(alone.( abuse(are(just(as(severe.(No(one(should( According(to(Domestic( have(to(endure(this(kind(of(pain,(and( Violence(Resource(Center,(one( your(Kirst(step(to(breaking(free(is( in(four(women(has(experienced( recognizing(that(your(situation(is(
The Guide to Effective Time Management The Students Guide to Succeeding in a Limited Time Frame ! ! By!Nico!Ramirez! ! !
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!!!!!!!!!.hink!back!to!one!of!the!times!where!you!have!had!to!complete!a!major!!!!!!!! vfavfproject!or!homework!assignment!in!the!hour!before!it!is!due!because! you!where!up!until!1!A.M!that!morning,!inefficiently!doing!other!school! work.!!! The!first!time!this!happens!you!might!question!what!your!teachers!were! thinking!when!they!assigned!you!so!much!work.!!This!is!justified!to!a!certain!extent! however,!it!is!most!often!the!fault!of!the!student!and!their!excessive!procrastination!and! inefficient!study!habits!which!leads!to!their!lack!of!sleep.!! This!easy>to>follow!guide,!which!showcases!several!useful!tips!that!you!should! follow!in!order!to!manage!your!time!more!effectively,!might!just!provide!an!aid!to!your! lack!of!sleep!and!stress!related!symptoms!no!matter!how!much!work!your!terrible! teachers!assign!to!you Assign!Priorities! ! In!the!most!stressful! environments,!creating!a!priorities!list! often!results!in!a! logical! distribution!of! effort!amongst! all!your!work,! important!or! unimportant.!! This!assures!that! you!don’t!put!all!of!your!effort!into! unimportant!pieces!such!as!homework! because!you!did!them!first!and!rush! through!important!assignments!such!as! major!assessments!because!those!were! left!to!the!last!minute.!!Instead,!you! exert!most!of!your!effort!on!things! worth!very!much!credit!by!putting!them! at!the!top!of!the!list,!and!the! assignments!at!the!bottom!either! receive!the!least!amount!of!effort!or!are! done!last.!!It!often!helps!to!write!down! this!list!and!as!hinted!before,! assignments!at!the!top!of!your!priorities!
list!are!to!be!done!first!while!things!at! the!bottom!are!to!be!left!for!later.!!In! order!to!remain!motivated,!it!is!a!good! idea!to!eliminate!tasks!on!the!list!once! they!are!completed.! Work!in!Increments! ! When!determined!to!finish!a! task!in!a!limited!time!frame,!students! might!be!tempted!to!sit!down,!and! suffer!through!the!agonizing!work! without!any!breaks.!!This!is!often!not! the!most!efficient!way!to!work.!!In!the! situation!that!a!student!is!determined!to! suffer!through!a!copious!amounts!of! work,!he/she!will!likely!lose! concentration!eventually!and!both!the! quality!of!their!work!and!the!rate!at! which!they!work!will!decay.!!This!can!be! avoided!by!utilizing!breaks.!!A!15> minute!break!for!every!45!minutes!of! work!is!a!wise!distribution!of!time.!!Not! only!does!this!allow!your!mind!to! “refresh�!every!45!minutes,!but!it!also! provides!you!with!something!to!look!
forward!to:!your!break.!!This!of!course,! is!a!general!guideline!and!you!may!need! to!tweak!your!times!spent!working!and! breaking!depending!on!your!individual! attention!span!and!other!factors.!!! Sleep! ! Most!pediatricians!recommend! a!solid!7!hours!of!sleep!for!high>school! students.!!!Attaining!this!sleep!is!crucial! to!remaining!alert!and!attentive!to!the! task!at!hand.!!
One!of!the!many!symptoms!caused!by! sleep!deprivation!caused!by!lack!of! sleep!is!inattentiveness.!!As!discussed! directly!above,!your!attentiveness/! concentration!directly!affects!both!your! quality!and!rate!of!work.!!Therefore,! getting!a!sufficient!amount!of!sleep!will! increase!working!efficiency! substantially.!!A!good!idea!would!be!to! think!about!factoring!sleep!into!your! priorities!list.! Block!Distractions! !YouTube,!Facebook,!Skype,!and! video!games!are!all!just!a!few!of!the! plethora!of!inevitable!distractions!we!all! face!in!the!21st! century.!!Since!the! vast!majority!of! distractions!these! days!are!found!on! computers,!a!mere! downloadable!
program!is!all!it!takes!to!nearly! eliminate!all!distractions.!! Many!schools!are!beginning!to! make!the!use!of!computers!as! “educational!tools”!mandatory,!and! some!are!even!going!as!far!as!giving! each!student!their!own!personal! computer!supplied!by!the!school!itself.!! Weather!the!prior!or!latter!is!the!case!in! your!community;!install!an!effective! distraction!blocking!software!which!is! capable!of!blocking!out!distracting! website’s!such!as!the!ones!mentioned! above.!!! For!the!Macintosh!crowd,! several!effective!site>blocking! applications!exist.!!!Self%Control,% Tracktime,%and%Think,!are!all!effective! and!intuitive!applications.!!For! Windows!users,!programs!such!as!Focus% Writer,!Focus%Booster,!and!Freedom!are! all!effective.! ! Listen!to!Music!Appropriately!! ! Many!students!claim!that!music! helps!“stimulate!their!minds”!while! studying.!!However!a!study!conducted! by!researchers!at!the!University!of! Wales!Institute!in!Cardiff,!United! Kingdom!found!that!when!trying!to! memorize!a!list!in!order!(i.e.!facts,! numbers,!and!elements!of!the!periodic! table),!music!actually!decreases! performance!in!students.!!However,! when!solving!compound!problems,! music!may!actually!increase!student’s! performance!according!to!Dr.!Lesiuk,!an! assistant!professor!in!the!music!therapy! program!at!the!University!of!Miami.!! ! !
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TEEN MAGAZINE
PG 34
A c a de m i c St r e s s RAHUL YUVARAJ - Author - International School Bangkok - Grade 9th
Special credits- Mr. Cohen
Is your child a victim? Do you see your kids sad and unhappy most of the time? Panicking when a test approaches, studying late into the night -even though the test is not a major one? Or even eating less food, having mood swings as well? Your child might be a victim of academic pressure- a problem faced by most of the teens all around the world, an issue which is connected to the parents who put down their expectations before the child and expect them to follow. The more grades he or she graduates, the more likely he or she is to face stress. The realization that the child might have his own idea of life doesn’t strike them till it is too late. In many Asian countries such as India, much emphasis is given on the child’s good academic results and learning. The child studies for long hours from morning to late night in order to get good grades and finally get into a good college. Parents, school as well as the society encourage this. The child gets pressurized to perform which leads to stress and suicidal thoughts and when students fail to achieve the standards, they get condemnation from the society and their parents. According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, Suicides due to academic pressure has risen 26% in India from 2006 to 2010. Many cultures across the world especially in Asia are inclined to the same philosophy.
South Korea prides itself by having the smartest and the brightest students. But on the other side it also has one of the world’s highest suicide rates. Suicide is the main cause of deaths in South Korea aged between 15-24. !!!!!“Day after day we are cornered into an unrelenting competition that smothers and suffocates us. We couldn’t even spare 30 minutes for our troubled classmates because of all our homework. We no longer have the ability to laugh freely,” says the student council of KAIST-Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in a response, when a KAIST student, committed suicide.!! ! The kids carries so much stress and as a result endanger their own well being, their health degrades over time and ultimately leading to disorders and even death. !!!!! In India where population is high and numbers of good educational institutions are few, “The volume of students passing out of the school education system and vying for admission to tertiary education has dramatically increased over the years, with competition levels increasing too. At a time when higher education can result in social mobility, the stakes are very high,” says Shyam Menon- Vice chancellor of Ambedkar University in Delhi.
TEEN MAGAZINE 2013 ACADEMIC PRESSURE- IS YOUR CHILD A VICTIM?
PG 34
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TEEN MAGAZINE
FAST FACTS: - 45% of teens (ages 13-17) said that they were more stressed in 2009. - 42% of teens say they get headaches, but only 13% of parents were aware of the situation. - 49% of teens report difficulty in sleeping, but only 13% of parents were aware of the situation. - 68% of teens say school work is the biggest cause of stress. - Over 600-800 teenage students commit suicide every year in UK. - In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. - American Psychological Association 2009
So, In order to face the competitive world, the parents force their child to out-stand in the Academics, but parents should realize that, their son or daughter has his or her own
Your child may be gifted academically, but he’s still a
limits and he or she should not be pressurized to perform
teenager. They still need to play, test their boundaries and relax.
brilliantly by the very high standards set by the parents.
Their life does not hinge on acceptance to a certain school. You
“If a child’s parents do not add pressure that the Education
are the best judge of your child’s interests, aptitude and motivation. If you see potential in your son or daughter to handle
system puts on him, chances are his stress levels will never cross
the work involved in preparing for a top college, then make him
the threshold for suicide” says Psychiatrist Dr. Sanjay Chugh.
realize his potential by encouraging him and not by expecting. Parents should realize that is it necessary for self-esteem
Simply making your child study and expecting them to achieve good grades won’t make your child smart or develop the
and happiness come before accomplishment? Perhaps success
child to be successful and well educated in life. Encourage the kids
might be a delicate balance between the two. Over the next 4
achieve their own goals in life, ask them what they like the most
years, lots of meaningful, loving talks with you at the dinner table might be the best college preparation your child could ever hope
and let them perform by their own using their best of ability because stress-free kids have better ability of grasping knowledge.
for.
- For ISB
TEEN MAGAZINE 2013 ACADEMIC PRESSURE- IS YOUR CHILD A VICTIM?
Teen Magazine
PG 35