2
The Churchill
Observer Editors
Opinions
Friday, May 22, 2015
theObserver
Excusing our presence is the best present
Editors-in-Chief Fiona Asbury Michael Fox Online Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenzaid Chief Production Manager Emiliana Cardinale Production Editors Thomas Atkinson Jasmine Baten Eugenia Cardinale Ben Dross Sara Heimlich Ariel Levchenko Lauren Roseman Sofia Williamson Becky Wolfson News Editors Isabel Dibble Arjun Swaminathan Opinions Editor Jasmine Baten Observations Editor Eugenia Cardinale Features Editors Madison Hurr Balbina Yang Arts Editor Arielle Gordon Sports Editors Jake Certner Nathan Deychman Photography Editors Zeenat Hammond Fact Checkers Brooke Weiner Sofia Williamson Social Media Editors Peter Durand Sara Heimlich Maya Rosenberg
Managers Advertising Manager Brooke Weiner Business Manager Lauren Roseman Circulation Managers Rebecca Jackson Rebekah Sklute Contest Manager Becky Wolfson Adviser Kelly Knarr
Our Policy The Churchill Observer is published monthly by the students of Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, Md. 20854. Advertising and subscription rates are available by e-mailing churchill.observer@gmail.com. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff, faculty or the student body. Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure that the news is accurate and free of bias. Editorial opinions are those of the Observer staff, and personal commentaries and cartoons reflect the opinions of their writers. Letters to the editor must be signed, and assertions must be documented upon request. Send letters to the editor to churchill.observer@gmail.com The Observer is a public forum for the purpose of expressing the views of and informing the Churchill student body.
Eight a.m.—AP Exam. 12 p.m.—the exam lets out. After that—a relaxing trip to the mall. Any student who wishes can carry out this plan. According to the CHS website, “students taking an AP exam are excused from classes for the entire day.” If that isn’t clear, not much will ever be. Still, some teachers are insisting that students come back to school following an AP exam. Whether it’s out of respect or pity for the students’ fried brains and frayed nerves, the small mercy is greatly appreciated. Students used to take the given time to breathe, relax with friends or study for an upcoming AP. Now they’re spending the time in school. After being excused. Inexcusable. What used to be a reward is now a punishment. Teachers are asking test-takers to come to class and requiring them to make up work missed because of the exam. Reality check, please. Whether or not the student is missing class content or even assessments, it’s the principle of the matter. It’s a given that AP classes should be the number one priority during AP testing weeks. This is Churchill, where students aren’t just taking one exam. They’re taking five. This translates into hundreds of hours spent studying and feverishly flipping through a year’s
worth of notes and review books. Students barely have time to study for the exams they take, much less complete assignments and study for their non-AP classes. But besides mental and emotional health, which tends to be an afterthought at CHS anyway, there are the logistics of the request. On an AP day, students taking the test are only allowed to bring in pencils, pens, ID and the occasional calculator. Attendance in a non-AP class would mean having to bring notebooks, folders and possibly even a backpack. One problem—there’s no place for students to put them. Students seldom have or use their own lockers, so unless students are being provided with a room for backpacks, coming to classes before or after an AP really isn’t logical or realistic. To top that, exams are $94, and no student wants to waste his or her parents’ money by not focusing completely on exams and doing poorly. Some teachers realize that though their class is important, it’s not the beall and end-all. They organize make up work that won’t take longer than fifteen minutes, allow students to work in small groups to lessen the load and work around students’ schedules in order to complete assignments with the least amount of
By Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor
According to the US National Library of Medicine, people struggling with mental illnesses are challenged by the prejudice that results from misconceptions about mental illness. Jokes and generalizations about mental illnesses may seem harmless, but they are not. Those who are mentally ill usually look at themselves in a negative way, so when others view them negatively, their fears of worthlessness are confirmed. The idea of seeking physiological help is viewed as strange in society and at times is even mocked. How many times have you heard someone make a joke about seeing a therapist? According to research done by Iowa State University, the stigma associated with seeking treatment has an adverse influence on people’s attitudes toward or willingness to get help. I know first-hand. When my mom took me to my first therapy appointment I didn’t want to go because I thought going to therapy would prove that I was “weird.” I already felt different because of how anxious and sad I felt. I just wanted to be normal. Even though I was worried about my well-being and my mental health, the last thing I should have
CARTOON BY KEVIN HO.
stress possible. According to Honors Physics teacher Jennifer Czaplicki, whether or not a student needs to come to class depends on his or her personal study habits. If the student feels that class attendance isn’t necessary, missed material is available in the textbook and videos on Edline. But while some classes are flexible, others demand quite a bit from their students during AP weeks. And we haven’t even touched upon athletics and their tendency to eat away at time. Spring sports are in full swing during APs, which means that student athletes have to balance studying for APs, taking said APs, showing up to practice everyday and giving their all in playoff games. Yes, time management is an essential for any high school student, but for a school whose average student is taking multiple APs, tacking on extra class work or taking away valuable study time at lunch shouldn’t be a trend. Instead, teachers could excuse assignments on days of exams that they know a large number of students will be taking, like sophomores taking AP NSL, juniors taking AP Language and Composition and seniors taking
AP Literature. Asking the majority of a few grades to come in and make up missed work is a little ridiculous. Additionally, extended makeup time would allow students to perform well on APs and in class. Though it may seem that the end of the year is coming too quickly and that there isn’t enough time for students to make up work after APs are done, keep in mind that after that last exam is done, students’ AP classes tend to be more relaxed, giving students the time to complete missed assignments thoroughly. Despite students’ best efforts to rise to the occasion, the standard response to any such plea is a shake of the head, roll of the eyes and helpful suggestion to just not take so many APs. The reality is that CHS is home to students who will continue to take an increasing number of APs whether they want to or not, given that academics at CHS have turned into a rat-race of our own. So please be kind. Whether it’s excusing missed work or giving students more time to make it up, there are alternatives to insisting on students’ presence in class after an AP or piling on unnecessary extra work. CHS students need all the stress-free time they can get, so try to help them, not hurt them.
needed to worry about was others’ opinion of me. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, people with mental illnesses will internalize these stereotypes and “believe that they are less valued because of their psychiatric disorder,” due to public stigma, which creates a negative self-image. This can lead to even deeper problems, like depression or suicidal thoughts. Having to deal with a mental illness is already an isolating experience because one feels as if no
one understands them. Add in being stereotyped and mocked on top of that and one will feel even more alone. If you feel as if you may be struggling with a mental illnesses, please get help. It is scary, but I promise, you aren’t a weirdo. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and you are important. If you have ever viewed someone who is mentally ill negatively you have to realize that this has negative affect on them and that you should stop doing it.
BSERVER O OPINION
Stop the stigma surrounding mental health
When I was in middle school, I used to cut myself. One day, one of my teachers made a joke about cutting. I sat there and watched my whole class laugh at an issue I was struggling with. It took me over two years to tell an adult about my cutting and depression because I felt ashamed, weird and afraid of being laughed at or treated like I was “crazy.” What I did was self-stigmatize. Here at CHS, we promote safety for everyone, including those who are mentally ill, but the stigma is still everywhere. May is National Mental Health Awareness month, and now more than ever, students and staff must realize how important it is to drop the negative stereotypes of those who are mentally ill. According to the National Institute for Biotechnology, an estimated two-thirds of all young adults with mental health problems are not receiving the help they need. What prevents teenagers from getting help? The feeling of shame that comes from the negative stereotypes imposed upon them and their illness.
IMAGE BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
Observer April Corrections
The varsity softball team’s record was incorrectly reported as 6-3-1, rather than 7-6-0, as of April 24.