SHS needs activism to allow students to thrive Baylee Comer Co-Editor-in-Chief
We here at The Booster believe that a group is needed at SHS to foster the idea of activism in students’ minds. This group will address the issues and concerns of the student body and bring to light any problems that require change. These are changes that may affect the whole school or just a certain population of students. The group will be a representation of students, and act as a go-between to the administration and student body. It will create a better learning environment for students and will create a better sense of school participation from within. If needed, officers for the group will be made up of class officers from each year. The Booster staff would like to suggest that there be no student leaders for the group; instead, we would like to see a committee set up with representatives from each grade level. The group will appoint a member/members to be in charge of a certain issue or topic that may arise from student concerns. These students must be passionate about the topic and willing to advocate for the SHS student body to see the problem resolved. The group should meet monthly or biweekly for this program to be successful.
Every meeting will be used to check the progress of each project or to hear the student body voice its concerns and issues. Once there is a concern, the group must address the concern, and members are appointed to the issue. The members will then try to amend the situation by talking to students to see what they would like done and to administration to find a solution. This group should address national issues as well, and in fact, The Booster would like it to be required. We would like to see this group understand what these issues are and how they affect society. For example, national issues, such as March for Our Lives, the protest created by survivors of the Marjory-Stoneman Douglas School shooting in Parkland, Florida, would be appropriate for students to take a stand on. From this activism group, students will learn: • First Amendment rights for students, which are different from the First Amendment rights outside of school • critical thinking and problem solving • how to create and defend a valid argument • negotiation between parties • learn how to make change, not just
talk about it how to work with leaders in our community • how to become an activist in adulthood The Booster believes the objective of this group is not to try to find problems within the school but to allow students an opportunity for their voices to be heard and to allow valuable life skills to •
be taught. This group should stay separate from Student Council as it does not hold the same governing ideas. Additionally, The Booster staff asks the administration to hear our advice for the school and to consider the decision of creating such a group. We would also like to ask teachers to please contemplate sponsoring such a group and aid in helping our efforts.
Focus on living; do not hide behind camera lens Sadie Fugate
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Since the day you were born, your time living on this planet began to decrease with every passing day. Your minutes of life on this Earth began to decline the second you opened your eyes. Today, instead of realizing that moments we are currently living in are just a mere figment of our minds as time passes along, we are focused on living behind a lens rather than participating
fully in the occasion we are engaging in. In today’s society, most people are focused on the perfect Instagram picture or capturing every second on a Snapchat story. I encourage whoever is reading this to take a step back and live in the moment rather than focusing on social media likes and comments. When a large, important event occurs, like a concert or a wedding, if a quick look is taken around the room, cameras can be found in the grasps of individu-
als all throughout the area. Since we live in a world of likes, comments, posts, shares and tweets, we are too focused on our own self-image on our social media platforms and lose touch of the memories we are encapsulated in. Society has taught us that our social media “popularity” or “fame” is more important than the lives we are living because we are so ingrained in making sure every moment is “picture-perfect.” Although some photographs are of
the utmost importance, especially those of lost family members or of places left behind, living behind a lens every second of every day is not the purpose of the individual in this life. I encourage anyone reading this to take a second to call to mind what you believe you purpose for this life is and to set down the camera in which is infringing upon your ability to live in the moment. You never know when your time is coming to a close, so why spend it behind a lens? Opinion
October 2019
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