February 2015 www.lightningboltonline.com
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 www.issuu.com/shsbolt @theboltonline
Volume 15, Issue 5 www.facebook.com/sagehillschool
Projects Highlight Life Lessons
Kandis McGee Capturing a victorious moment. This diorama displays a scene from the significant Battle of Marathon where the Persians invaded Greece for the first time and were successfully fended off.
By Namita Prakash executive editor
Kandis McGee Learning about women in history. Freshman Sarah Takallou presents her National History Day (NHD) exhibit on feminism to freshman Justin Camp during the NHD Night Feb. 11 in the D. Diane Anderson Humanities Building.
National History Day (NHD) is an academic program designed to push students past their limits as they create a project based off weeks of investigation. These research-intensive projects were on display around the school on Feb.11 as part of the Ninth Grade History Night. “NHD promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, research and reading skills, oral and written communication and presentation skills, self-esteem and confidence,” history teacher Dominic Campeau explained. For six weeks, students studied topics of their choice and developed a website, paper, exhibit, performance or documentary. With the goal of helping students hone vital criticalthinking skills, the history department chose to not participate in the main NHD competition held at the county level. “We want them to be creative, go above and beyond without being limited to a specific amount of words, size, etc,” Campeau added. Primarily done by freshmen and sophomores, NHD is a vital preparatory project for the rigors of the later high school years and beyond. Freshman Madeline Sharp is grateful for the opportunity to explore a topic she feels passionate about. “I created a website on how early writers influenced Shakespeare. I focused on the influences of Plutarch and Chaucer; the connections from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Chau-
cer’s A Merchant’s Tale and Othello to Plutarch’s How To Know A Flatterer from A Friend,” Sharp said. She recognizes her growth as a result of overcoming challenges posed by the project. “My greatest challenge was finding resources with valid information,” Sharp admitted. “My topic only had a small frame of information to write off of and it was narrowed down even more once I found the sources I was able to use.” While she understands the project’s positive impacts, Sharp also expresses appreciation for the process. “The best part of NHD was being able to do a huge project on someone whom I love. I enjoy reading Shakespeare (shocking isn’t it?) and my project allowed me to better understand how Shakespeare came up with some of the ideas for his greatest books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of my sources and finding out new things about Shakespeare,” Sharp said. As someone who has gone through the NHD experience twice, sophomore Nelson Kim enlarges on the positives of gaining teamwork experience. “If you have good partner, which I did last year, we motivate each other to exceed expectations,” Kim elaborated. Since NHD is a history project, however, Campeau does not fail to underscore the project’s weight in developing students’ skills as historians. “The NHD research process helps students realize that we all are the result of the past,” Campeau said. “Who we are, how we act, our values and our beliefs are all dictated by events that have taken place way before we were born. The NHD research process helps students realize that, and it gives them a chance to demonstrate how past actions impact the present.”
2
OPINION/EDITORIAL staff editorial
Moral of the Story: Only Stay Up Late If You Can Handle it Without Unnatural Substances
Caffeine, prescription drugs and over the counter supplements are used by students across the United States to gain an edge on schoolwork by forgoing sleep. According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the U.S. government, 72,000 cases of illicit drug use are derived from stimulants. Most of these drugs are consumed by teens. Half of the new illicit drug users were under the age of 18 said the same study. As much as we refuse to believe it, this use of stimulants happens throughout Sage Hill. At an academically rigorous school many people forgo their own health to excel in the classroom. For those people who use these substances and drugs, we urge you to understand the negative side effects that they have on you, your family and friends. A newcomer at Sage would notice how students amble across the parking lot at 7:59 sporting a backpack slung across one shoulder, computer and calculus text book in one arm and a Starbucks cappuccino stuck to their hand—everyday the same thing happens. The caffeine craze is upon us. Caffeine is everywhere you dare to look. At one end of the spectrum coffee (espresso style) contains 194 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per 100 milliliters (ml) and at the other end Coke Zero contains 9.6 mg per 100 ml (Australian Drug Foundation). But coffee isn’t really that bad is it? That is the real question which is still debated by health professionals around the Unit-
ed States and the globe. “For the healthy adult population, moderate daily caffeine intake at a dose level up to 400 mg day(-1) (equivalent to 6 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) in a 65-kg person) is not associated with adverse effects such as general toxicity, cardiovascular effects, effects on bone status and calcium balance (with consumption of adequate calcium), changes in adult behaviour, in-
achievement: evidence of harm due to caffeine” showed that among 7,377 Icelandic adolescents who were surveyed, caffeine use caused daytime sleepiness . It’s ironic that most times, the substance that supposedly mitigates sleepiness is an underlying cause. Studies have shown that caffeine found most notably in energy drinks is a gateway into other more harm-
creased incidence of cancer and effects on male fertility,” said one study. Even one study by Ann H Rosendahl proposed that caffeine and caffeic acid was responsible for reducing the “insulin-like growth factor-I receptor” in breast cancer cells resulting in impaired cell cycle progression and cell death. A study titled “Adolescent substance use, sleep, and academic
ful substances and drugs. Caffeine itself can be treated as a drug as it is shown that toxicity occurs at approximately one gram (g) and is lethal at 5-10 g depending on the person. Drugs in the amphetamine family which include the more well-known Adderall. They are used to treat ADHD by increasing concentration, focus and memory and can be taken advantage of by students in order
15millerh.publications@gmail.com
•
15minm.publications@gmail.com
•
to expand their studies. Amphetamines enhance studying, staying awake and keeping focused. Students tend to overlook the harmful side effects to realize the beneficial effects of amphetamines just as in coffee or caffeine. Short term, these effects seem minimal and even positive—increased heart rate, blood pressure, reduced appetite, pupil dilation, feelings of happiness and reduced fatigue. Long term though, the effects are less pleasant—insomnia, hallucination, weight loss, tremors and violent behavior. The real problem lies in what is expected of teens in the twenty-first century. They have to balance their social, academic and extracurricular life and hope to get enough sleep.In the last issue of The Bolt we talked about sleep deprivation among teens and proposed possible solutions to this problem. While many of these solutions are viable, many kids turn to unhealthy alternatives in order to function on less sleep. Teens, who are still developing, can combat these sleep patterns by not overscheduling, managing time more effectively and getting rest when their bodies rather than their minds dictate it. There are many ways to balance sleep and work while at the same time living a healthy lifestyle. Natural habits, a protein rich diet and using fruit for energy are all ways that one can combat sleep deprivation without relying on the aid of caffeine or outside drugs.
15hamadanin.publications@gmail.com
publications staff Academics Editor: Claire Goul Alumni Editor: Hannah Hong Executive Editors: Namita Prakash, Kristin Saroyan, Amanda Ong, Arts Editor: Tess Hezlep Lifestyle Editor: Bailey Super Stephanie Min Opinion Editor: Ingrid Dickinson Senior Editors: Liz Farkas, Selin Karaoguz Associate Editors: Claire Dwyer, Celine Wang, Jackie Nam Sports Editors: Maddy Abbot, Brittany Murphy Underclass Editor: Lauren Fishman Social Media Coordinator: Tommy Lee Reporters: Elizabeth Alvarez, Liam Murphy, Claire Lin,Vale Lewis, Eliana RodriguezTheologides, Julia Dupuis, Marina Anderson, Christina Acevedo, Steven Du, Donna Afrasiabi, Farooq Ansari, Jo Farkas Graphic Artists: Lynn Fong, Chance Kuehnel Photographers: Kandis McGee, Genesis Gonzalez, Kate Kim, Sahale Greenwood, Chloe Henson, Maddy Nadelman Photo Editor: Kellen Ochi
EICs: Nellie Hamadani, Hawken Miller, Michelle Min
Video Editor: Amelia Tanner
Adviser: Konnie Krislock
News
APP
3
He’s Got an
For That
By Vale Lewis staff writer
Sophomore Krishan Arora’s new app Affine has taken off, holding a spot in the top apps list in 67 countries this week. “It’s a puzzle game. It is kind of like Candy Crush and Bejeweled but not entirely,” Arora explained. “It uses a proprietary source code that was engineered by myself. Otherwise, it’s just a normal connect-emup game. It’s mainly supposed to be something you play when you have a minute of free time.” To learn how to code and design the app, Arora took a course through MIT’s Open Courseware online program over the summer. The intensive course, consisting of 18 hours of instruction, led him to create Affine completely on his own. Arora also had to learn how to do the math involved. “It’s very math intensive. It’s a lot of permutations and combinations that are mainly calculus based and a lot of physics,” Arora said. “The math was complicated and I had to take a physics class so I could learn how to do the math necessary for it.” The app took only a few months to complete. The images and design took about a week while the coding took about two months. The Application Program Interface (API) is something Arora constantly updates. “The API is what you would use
‘Having the knowledge of how to code, even though I’m not an expert on coding yet, is really useful, no matter what you want to do.’ to let the app be an app; it’s the base coding. For example, in Instagram, API is what lets you like or send a photo,” Arora said. “The API for my app is actually being licensed and used by other companies through venture capital connections. So now, I’ve taken their work and put it into this app and it’s much better API quality than what it was before.” The app’s success has been noticed by many large publications including Block List, 148Apps and Stern, a German news magazine which featured Arora in an article about teens who are creating new apps. “The couple of articles about it in the magazines really spread the news about the app. Other than the ar-
Jackie Nam
ticles, word of mouth is what’s spread the news about the app, just asking friends to download it,” Arora said. “It’s done pretty well, and I’ve spent nothing on marketing, so it was all home grown.” Affine’s success is evident by its impressive place on the leaderboards all over the world. It reached the top 100 apps in the United States, 28th in Germany and 5th in Japan for a few days. Arora is pleasantly surprised by its success. “I was totally not expecting it to do this well. I was expecting it might do well at Sage or even in the local community, but I was not expecting it to go worldwide,” Arora said. One of Arora’s favorite parts of Affine is the fact that he’s created it
completely by himself, and he encourages others interested in app design-
Affine’s success is evident by its impressive place on the leaderboards all over the world.
ing to do the same. “For anybody who wants the fun of making an app and watching all the profits come in, do it yourself because
in the long run, you’re going to end up knowing your code, knowing your limits and goals you set for yourself,” Arora said. Coding, according to Arora, is one of the most important skills to have, especially in our world, where technology is becoming increasingly more prominent. “Having the knowledge of how to code, even though I’m not an expert on coding yet, is really useful, no matter what you want to do, whether it’s business or law or something else,” Arora said. “I don’t know whether I want to do apps or not in the future, but it’s a lot of fun.” Affine is now available on the App Store for free with more than 104,700 downloads worldwide.
LIFESTYLE
4
Q&A with Interns
By Claire Goul academics editor
* Ingrid Dickinson UCI, Psychology research
Q: What is your internship? A: Currently I’m working with
* Kenan Torlic Boden Autohaus
Q: What is your internship? A: I intern at Boden Autohaus, an aftermarket auto shop specializing in air suspension, exhaust, aero parts, and vinyl work. I work in the shop as well as being a photographer for the company.
Q:
How did you get involved in your internship?
A: I’ve had an interest in cars
ever since my dad got his first Porsche. Only recently, however, have I decided to pursue my love of cars. I spoke to a mechanic that put aftermarket parts on my car and he offered me an internship in the summer. It was actually thanks to my fitness coach and my dad that I got this internship. My fitness coach came to Boden to install parts on his car and he introduced me to the owner, Josh. My dad stopped one day after I gave him Josh’s car and became interested in what Josh was doing. He realized how passionate I am about the car scene and entering the business, so he talked to Josh and the two of them made a deal; and here I am now.
Q: Do you plan to continue pur-
suing the field that your internship focuses on in the future?
ing in Mechanical or Automotive Engineering, hopefully in Germany, and I wish to open my own shop that will install parts as well as work with manufactures to make quality aftermarket parts ranging from exhaust to aero.
Q:
What suggestions do you have for other students who want to get involved in internships?
A:
For those of you who are trying to pursue an internship, do it. It is a great experience and it will help you learn a lot. If you don’t know how to find a place open for internships, start asking around and get familiar with the social circle of that field. For example, I frequented car meets to meet many different people in the field and my name starting rolling around in conversations. Also try and get yourself noticed, especially if you’re looking for an unordinary internship.
Q:
What is the most meaningful experience you have had in your internship?
A: The most meaningful experi-
ence is probably working in the shop. I am able to work on cars hands on and learn how to setup different components the customer is asking for.
A: For now, yes. I plan on major- Q: How much time do you spend
at your internship? When did it start (and when does it end)?
A:
I spend 2-4 days at my internship. I am usually there from 2-6 and sometimes later depending on my schedule. I began my internship at the beginning of the second semester and I hope to continue until I leave to college; hopefully by that time it will be a paying job.
Q:
What inspired you to do an internship/why did you do it?
A:
I wanted to start working on my own project car but I had never worked on a car before. I wanted to learn the basics of the car as well as other components.
Q: Is there anything else you want
to add about your internship/experience?
a graduate student at UCI on a psychology experiment. It has to do with eyewitness testimony and the reliability of witnesses. Most of what I do is just coding answers, however Rachel (the UCI student) helps me quite a lot by giving me journal articles to read and teaching me all the important pieces of putting together research and experiments.
Q: How did you get involved in your internship?
A: I was very interested in
criminology this summer, and was connected with Elizabeth Loftus, a very well known psychologist who spends much of her time testifying on memory for criminal cases. I met with Dr. Loftus and she introduced me to Rachel because she thought I might be interested in helping with her project.
Q: Do you plan to continue pur-
suing the field that your internship focuses on in the future?
A: I’m just really thankful to Josh A: I doubt that I’ll want to
for taking me in. It’s such a great atmosphere and we’re always having fun. David is the greatest mentor and he is a car genius and Trevor can do magic with a camera. Even for non-car people, I feel like it’s something amazing to see, so look them up on instagram: bodenautohaus.
“Don’t have your parents do everything for you”
pursue this kind of experimental psychology, however I may major in psychology for undergraduate. It’s likely that I’ll go into a field that involves similar ideas such as criminology, but I haven’t completely figured out what my passion is.
Q: What suggestions do you have for other students who want to get involved in internships?
A: It really helps to use any
connections you have. Ask your parents, ask your friends, find out what you want to get involved in and who can help you get involved
LIFESTYLE
Q: What is the most meaningful experience you have had in your internship?
* Janis Jin
Pacific Symphony education department
A: I think the most meaning-
ful part of it has been working one on one with Rachel. She’s really worked to help me understand concepts I wouldn’t have known about on my own. It’s also been very beneficial to get practice communicating and working with adults, or at least people a little older than myself.
Q: How much time do you spend at your internship? When did it start (and when does it end)?
A: I first started meeting with
Rachel sometime around May last year. I worked with her all summer, going in to see her once every two weeks, and doing work and research in between our meetings. It was only about a week or two ago How did you get involved in that we finally collected all the data your internship? for the experiment, so she’s currently compiling it all. There really I’ve been a musician in the isn’t much of and end date set but I Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, figure I’ll just be available to her as an education program of Pacific long as she needs me. Symphony, for two years now, and it’s been one of the most incredible What inspired you to do an experiences I’ve had in high school. internship/why did you do it? I started volunteering at a lot of Pacific Symphony education events during my sophomore year, just I really enjoy trying new to help out whenever they needed things. I’d like to get as much expeextra volunteers, and I got to know rience as possible in the different a lot of the people who work for the fields I’m interested, and I’ve always education department. found internships to be the best At the same time, I was teachway to get that hands on experiing my own music class at a local ence. Santa Ana after-school center, and I was getting really interested in music education. I asked a lot of questions to the people I knew with Pacific Symphony, and after being a regular volunteer for so long, they offered me the internship at the beginning of my junior year. I actually also created and run one of the Pacific Symphony education programs--a youth service program related to music education--so my internship is a way for me to explore the world of music education in a way that also helps me manage PSYE-S (that’s what the program’s called) program.
Q: A:
Q: A:
Q: Do you plan to continue purJackie Nam
suing the field that your internship focuses on in the future?
A: Music is everything to me,
and I know that for my entire life, music will be something I use to reach out to people. But music education is a very narrow field, and most universities don’t actually offer it as a major. So I don’t plan on studying music education in college. But what I’ve learned from the field of music education is how powerful being passionate about something can be to someone else, so that’s a lesson I know I’ll keep with me regardless of what career I end up in.
Q: What suggestions do you have for other students who want to get involved in internships?
A: One suggestion I have would
a local concert in the park. It’s very powerful when you have a hundred people sitting in a circle, all in sync while they beat their drums. I helped lead for a few minutes, and then spent the rest of the time just passing out drums and sticks to people—I felt pretty insignificant, but it was cool to watch everyone. After it was over though, an older woman came up to me in tears and held my hand, and she told me that was the most empowering experience for her. She didn’t want to come to the concert, but her friends had convinced her to—she had just lost her husband, and she said things were really hard. I kind of just stood there and listened to her talk, not knowing exactly what to say, but she kept thanking me and shaking my hand over and over again—”I feel so released,” she said. “I really felt how powerful simple music can be. Never stop doing things like this.” That conversation was one that I still replay over and over again in my head because I felt so inspired, knowing that what I do everyday touched someone else so powerfully.
* Hannah Hong Community Management
Jackie nam
in it. Don’t have your parents do everything for you; it’s important to contact employers yourself, learn how to make a resume, etc. use it as a lesson in maturity.
5
Q: What is your internship? A: It is an internship at Com-
munity Management Corporation, be to always ask questions! I spent a I help with accounting, organizing lot of time talking to a lot of differ- and general data entry. ent people about music education, Do you plan to continue purand had incredible discussions with suing the field that your internship incredible people. Don’t ever be focuses on in the future? afraid to ask your supervisor any It won’t be my major but it questions you have about the field. I think that being passionate about will definitely be integrated as it has to do somewhat with finance/ something will always push you to be curious about every aspect of it. business which is always helpful to have. So embrace that!
Q: A:
Q: What is the most meaningful experience you have had in your internship?
A: The most meaningful experi-
ence I’ve had was a few months ago, when I helped lead a drum circle at
Q: What suggestions do you have for other students who want to get involved in internships?
A: Make sure you take advan-
tage of the connections you have through Sage and really pursue it if you’re interested by taking the initiative by contacting people.
6
ARTS
Student Initiative in the Arts By Tess Hezlep arts editor Beginning March 12, the Sage Hill one act festival will kick off the Spring season with seven different studentdirected performances. Each year, the one acts festival encourages student directors to push the limits in order to convey a strong, artistic message. Three theater ensemble members, junior Cameron Knollenburg and seniors Alexa Heuser and Kian Amini, have written and directed their own pieces that use comedic tactics and themes of adolescence to appeal to the student body. “It takes a lot of work but it makes me appreciate what playwrights do and that appreciation makes me a more well-rounded actress,” said senior Alexa Heuser. One acts also brings new and different students into the theater department who usually wouldn’t pursue the discipline. “It gives those who aren’t in the theater the chance to be a part of theater,” said senior Kian Amini. One acts often opens doors and allows students to “discover a new passion...It’s the
way I became interested in theater myself.” Whether a student is a freshman or a senior, it’s never too late to take a chance and participate in the show instead of simply watching it from the audience. “I’ve always liked the theater kids and the productions I’ve seen at Sage since my freshman year,” said junior Griffin Vrabeck. “Everyone was so supportive and I thought this would be the best opportunity for me to try something new.” One acts also presents unique opportunities for the student directors and actors to push the limits by using more adult content in their pieces. “We love showing the school what we’re capable of,” said junior Brooklyn Boukather. “Students are willing to put their necks out there because [Sage] is the most free and comfortable environment to explore and test limits.” Testing limits and showcasing talent are two components that are key to the one act process because it “keeps the integrity of the piece,” theater teacher Mary Robinson said. The festival begins Thursday March 12 at 7 p.m. and continues Friday March 13 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 14 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Jackie Nam
Help from a veteran. Juniors Jacob Fish and Annie Iacobelli practice Meisner improv with alumnae Sydney Endicott, who was a past director and actor at Sage Hill.
Jackie Nam
Budding Prodigees. Seniors Alexa Heuser and Kian Amini direct their one act, untitled for the time being, about a teenage boy who wakes up as a girl the day of the school prom.This is the second year Heuser and Amini have cowritten and codirected a short, comedic piece for the festival. One acts begin March 12 and continue through the weekend.
Jackie Nam
An unforgettable experience. Senior Michael Fenner and junior Brooklyn Boukather rehearse their first scene together as best friends in the untitled one act written by seniors Kian Amini and Alexa Heuser.
SPORTS
It’s By Liam Murphy staff writer
Abram Booty was named the new head football coach for Sage Hill last month, taking over for last year’s interim head coach Tom Kirchmeyer, who replaced JR Tolver when he abruptly resigned last August for undisclosed reasons. Booty will be bringing plenty of experience to the job, and will look to turn around a Sage Hill team that went 3-7 overall last year (including a 0-4 record in the Academy League), and has had four straight losing seasons overall, though they did make a CIF playoff game in that timespan, a 28-48 loss against Western Christian in 2013. Sage Hill has not won a CIF Southern Section game since 2005, which represents its only CIF victory. Booty was a star wide receiver at Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport, LA), where he set national records for receptions (302), receiving yards (5867) and touchdowns (83), before playing three years at Louisiana State University (1997-1999), one year at Valdosta State University (2000) and finally going pro for one season with the Cleveland Browns (2001) all at the same position. Perhaps not coincidentally, Tolver was also a former NFL wide receiver, with stints for the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys. Abram is not the only member of his family with a qualified background in athletics; his brothers Josh, John David and Jake all excelled at quarterback in high school. Josh, who became the first high schooler to ever pass for more than 10,000 yards (he totaled 11,700, with 126 touchdown passes) put his football career on hold temporarily after he was drafted 5th overall by the Florida Marlins in in 1994 (netting a then-record $1.6 million signing bonus), and spent 1996-8 with the major league club, earning a World Series ring in 1997. Josh then went back to LSU in 1999 and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2001, also spending time with the Cleveland Browns and Oakland
Booty
Raiders. John David had earned enough credits to graduate after his junior year (despite this abbreviated time period, he was still able to pass 8,474 yards in three years), so he pursued an opportunity to play at USC in 2003 (backing up Heisman winner and Mater Dei alum Matt Leinart) and was the starting quarterback from 2006-7. He was then drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, and also spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Their father, Johnny, was an AllAmerican football player at Shreveports Woodlawn High School, before becoming the athletic director at Evangel Christian, where Josh and John David played, and oversaw the school’s rise to prominence as a high school football powerhouse. After Evangel, he became the athletic director for Calvary Baptist where Jake spent his high school career. Why is all this information about his family so significant? Because Abram stated in an earlier interview with the Daily Pilot that the entire family “would be involved with the [Sage Hill] program in some capacity,” and that they plan to move to Newport Beach. Abram’s previous coaching experience involves slightly younger players, but his track record is extremely successful. He coached kids in the 11 to 13-year-old range on the 13-year-olds on the NewportMesa Seahawks Pee Wee Division team, and the end result was a triumph in the OC Junior All-American Super Bowl in November. Abram will have his work cut out for him at Sage, with the primary goals being a return to the CIF playoffs (and obviously a victory if the team gets there) but most importantly dethroning Sage’s chief rival, St. Margaret’s. St. Margaret’s has never lost to Sage in a football contest, and is coming off a very strong season. The Tartans won both the Academy League and the Southern Section titles this year, before finally losing 31-19 to Central Catholic. Nevertheless, Abram is undeterred by the success of Sage’s rival. "St. Margaret's has done a phenomenal job with [its] football program," Booty told the Daily Pilot. "I believe it is a big positive to have a team like that in our league to challenge our team."
7
Time!
New varsity coach. Abram Booty is the new head football coach at Sage Hill School as of the 2014-15 school year.
What a catch! New football coach Abram Booty played three years at Louisiana State University, one year at Valdosta State University, and one season with the Cleveland Browns.
BACKPAGE
8
opinion
Back to the Basics By Julia Dupuis staff writer
What is the definition of intelligence? While it’s long been defined as a general cognitive problem solving skill, relying on one underlying factor of mental reasoning, it is now being maintained that the idea of intelligence is much more complex and difficult to characterize. Intelligence is broken down into nine different types, also called the nine domains of intelligence. The Multiple Intelligences theory has long been used as one of the primary models for research that has gone on concerning the human brain. It is argued that there is no one true way to measure intelligence and that the human brain is wired with a wide range of cognitive abilities. Therefore limiting the idea of intelligence is detrimental to our understanding of how the human brain works. Furthermore, this idea can be damaging towards the learning and interaction of students. Sophomore Caden Sheetz, who identifies as existential, says, “...we never talk about the significance of our existence. I wish there was a class where we could think about why, and get a better perspective of where we are on the universe. Broaden our horizons. We’re too narrow in what we learn. There’s something more to it. Where we stand with it all. I think
that education gets us too caught up in grades and doing well rather than asking the question ‘why’?” Whether we like it or not, we’re constantly judging the intelligence of others, estimating their level of competence by evaluating their responses to the world around them. Even as students, there tends to be a continuous assessment of those around us, largely based upon what classes they take, how many APs or Accelerated courses, and, eventually, the college they choose to attend. This environment of evaluation can make students who may not fit into the academic mold feel like outcasts. The traditional theory of intelligence has created a mindset as to what “smart” or “intelligent” really means. “There’s too much emphasis on being able to plug things in,” an anonymous student says. “There are so many types of intelligence that we must become more aware of and appreciate.” This ideal has clearly influenced current educational practices, in which standardized intelligence tests are used to qualify children for special programs. The assumption that these limited tests measure intelligence accurately and meaningfully can lead to devastating effects on the students left out from this narrow definition of “smart”. School systems tend to use curriculum focused primarily around verbal, linguistic, logical, and mathematical skills. While it is arguable that these areas of focus are essential for thriving in the modern world, the strongest skills of many young people
are in the more undervalued types of thinking in traditional schooling. The fact is that when you give children the opportunity to learn through their strengths, they will ultimately become more successful at learning all subjects. Including what are often considered “basic skills”, such as mathematics or writing. These specialized areas of learning take up only two out of the nine on the theorized spectrum. Are these children that don’t feel particularly talented in either of these two types of thinking unintelligent? This idea, present in both the testing systems, and the attitudes of those around them, can produce a rapid decline in feelings of self worth, and even decrease performance in all areas of schooling. Intelligence is not a static structure that can be measured and meaningfully quantified, but an open, dynamic system that can continue to develop throughout life. The theory of Multiple Intelligences honors and promotes the development of all types of intelligences in children, providing a more inclusive framework to identify how children learn. This allows them to build upon their strongest assets, exposing them to a variety of ways of learning. A better individualized system based upon separate interests and needs coupled with teaching strategies that are more expansive towards different intelligences could make learning more efficient, successful, and enjoyable for all. As said by an anonymous student, “It’s time we start being able to be taught how we learn.”
excel
Intelligent
APs
thought sma r
?
t