News Final
Savannah Yilk, Period 6 News
Articles: College Requirement Editorial: Title: College on the Lookout Header: College requirements not heavily stressed upon high school students.
Savannah Yilk There seems to always be something cooking during the culinary club meetings every other Wednesday at lunch in Mr. Philips room. The team of culinary connoisseurs along with their President brew up events to enrich the minds of potential chefs and teach themselves and others what it takes to possess professionalism in a working environment. These clubs within the University High School campus are exactly what colleges are looking for on student’s transcripts when they make the leap of courage into filling out their first couple applications. Although these colleges partake in the main brush over the academics and SAT scores, the main thing they are seeking is the extra curricular activities students should be participating in that will make them a well-rounded individual outside of high school. The problem at hand is that instructors care more about placing knowledge into student’s craniums than encouraging them to join a club that revolves around something they may or may not know they are passionate about. According to a study by the huffingtonpost.com, colleges like to look for the “quality of the activities instead of the quantity,” meaning that they would rather want to see a long term commitment than a sporadic schedule filled with smaller clubs. Not only does the involvement in extra curricular activities look good on an application but it also expands the students’ knowledge by being socially active with others who have the same interests as them. Clubs and sports are meant to be perceived as both a fun and learning experience that they can use in the real world. High school can be one of the most stressful times of a student’s life when they have no clue where they need to be in order to succeed. Ismail Rainey, president of the culinary club, has definitely pulled through a time where he did not know the direction he was going in when he was not involved in any extra-curricular activities. “I used to not know what hobbies I was interested in,” Rainey said. “Culinary club allowed me to find my love for cooking and make new friends who had the same passion as me.” Culinary club and many clubs such as Rho Kappa and Interact club at UHS provide key knowledge that can be used after high school. Who knew that students could be introduced to an organization that could potentially have an effect on their near adulthood, opening doors to opportunities they never thought were possible. Many argue that extra-curricular lessons can be distracting towards student academics, making it difficult to pay close attention to both activities correspondingly. Based on a study by the nces.gov, students are more likely to be engaged or attached to their academic studies when being involved in at least one extra-curricular activity after school. This illustrates that a plethora of students have the capability of keeping their grades up although they put the same amount of scholarly effort into something they are passionate about. Extra-curricular activities are an overall positive impact on college transcripts. These associations reflect on the students’ prime identity and how well they were able to keep up their grades using time management.
Analysis: This article was one of the most interesting to write about. It also possessed a lot of crucial information on the topic itself, which was why it was so fun to write about it. It was nice to see the great diction on the topic, especially the imagery I used about the culinary kitchen in the first paragraph. The article demonstrates good journalism through style by portraying an unbiased view on the necessary means to achieve college requirements through extra curricular activities that one may be interested in. Looking back at this article, the one thing I would change is the amount of people I had interviewed during that time. I had only interviewed the president of the culinary club so it was difficult to get a different standpoint on college requirements. This time around I would be more focused on different people who didn’t have a clue about their college requirements as well as the methods they would take to be in the know about them. Education is significant in a student’s life; so much that they should be on top of their requirements in order to excel in college.
Grasping Through Hands On Editorial Title:Grasping through Hands on Header: Students going on lesson-based field trips make class more appealing to the eye It is a typical Tuesday morning and instead of teaching an intricate lesson on natural selection William Lastowski is guiding his biology students through the thick shrubs of the Spruce Creek Reserve. The reservation is a popular place he takes his advanced placement biology students each year in order for them to receive a first look on how the environment actually thrives. Not only do the students get a free day from their regular school work but as well as an understanding to our natural ecosystems. Field trips in high school are essential for students to get an in-depth look at the lessons in which they are studying. If University High School offered more academic based excursions, then maybe students would actually possess the need to learn about their subject. “Knowledge is Power,” as Sir Francis Bacon said. According to njsba.org, the respondents to their field trip survey did believe that “school field trips have long enriched the education of students, helping them make connections between the real world and the lessons that they study,” illustrating the knowledge that kids receive when learning at a museum, or travelling to a reservation. Several classes offer one or two field trips throughout the year, but there are a profusion of subjects that do not think twice about planning one for their students. Intense subjects such as english and math fall under this narrowed category. Nadine Khalaf, a junior at UHS, loves going on field trips with her AP environmental science class. She wishes that there was a place to go for her English class to learn more about the ideas she learns. “It would be awesome to have fieldtrips for my English class,” Khalaf says. “We could go to places like art shows or museums and write our thoughts about them.” These out of classroom adventures expand the mind as well as create civilized young men and women who will appreciate the arts and culture. Enriching field trips contribute to the development of students’ knowledge much more than an average classroom lesson. Based on a study by educationnext.org, students who travel to yearly field trips have increased their knowledge by 13% and possess more critical thinking skills. Many teachers argue that field trips are a waste of time and that students just use them as an excuse to skip out on their classroom lessons. They feel as though they are a waste of money that could have been used towards new educational apparatus that could be beneficial for years to come. William Lastowski feels much differently towards this issue and percieves that field trips are a huge benefit to a students’ learning. “Field trips are a way to allow my students to experience what is actually going on in our biology books,” Lastowski said. “If we stay cooped up inside the classroom every day, what is the actual benefit of learning about life science if you never get to experience it?” In order to fully understand the lessons students obtain in the classroom, the only option is to experience a hands-on learning of the topic itself. This will make kids grasp the topic much more easier rather than having to stare at a book all period. Overall students would receive not only knowledge but a fun experience out on their expeditions that they would take with their class. Field trips make lessons memorable for life, something that every teacher yearns to engrave into students for the future.
Analysis: This article was one of my favorites to research and write about because it involved the study of Biology and I was able to relate it towards a field trip I was fortunate to go on with my class. I am mostly proud of the way I was able to create an intricate scene for the reader in my intro paragraph, as I illustrated the thickly shrubs my friends and I fought against whilst making our way through the beautiful Rose Bay community. I am also impressed with the way I was able to accurately describe the effectiveness of hands-on learning and how it “creates civilized men and women of the art and culture scene.� This article demonstrates good journalism writing through importance due to the motif that the article has. I wrote this article in order for people, whether it be peers or adults, to realize that there is no proper way to learn a new subject. People have their own methods of learning and this article depicts a much more interesting way to attain this knowledge through hands on teaching. Hands-on teaching allows the knowledge to be engraved in your head due to significant events that have correlated with the topic. If I could change one thing about my article in order to make it stronger I would want to include the psychological aspects of how the mind retains information through learning in an actual field study. Besides that, I would use more proper words to elaborate my view on hands-on learning.
Tongue Tied Titans Editorial Title: Tongue Tied Titans
The intricate lesson on the theory of biochemistry has the palms of an inquisitive student sweating. She feels the need to ask her teacher to explain the lesson further but it is as though there is a vast wall full of disregard separating herself from the teacher and towards the answer to the question. The student sighs, slumps into the squeaky desk and continues taking notes, hoping she will get another whack at solving her question later on in the class period. Students at the school have quite a hard time when it comes to getting the attention of teachers and allowing their voices to be heard in the classroom. The conflicts arise when the students are too shy to speak for themselves, leaving unanswered questions on the table. “It makes me feel like the teacher doesn’t try to help me when I’m stuck on a lesson,” senior James Littell said. “Teachers should change their approach on their teaching methods to accommodate the students’ needs.” While this may be true from a students’ point of view, there are several aspects that need to be accounted for when students feel that they are not voicing enough input. The student could have trouble talking in front of the class, or in any case make no attempt to receive help from adults. According to a study by usatoday.com, it is stated that “If the kids do not ask questions then they are not getting the full learning experience in the classroom.” Maybe it is just by coincidence that the teacher never happened to look over at that student at any given point during the class period. It is the student’s responsibility to speak their mind to the best of their abilities instead of concealing their thoughts. They may even be helping out another, shyer student in the process. It is the task of the students themselves to muster up the courage to speak up in the classroom at an appropriate time. If the teacher still does not scan the room for questions revolving around the lesson then it would be proper to wait after class for any inquisitions a student might have. Suprised by the notion of students holding thier tongues, spanish teacher Elodia Jones feels as though her students get enough of her attention during class. “Most of my students are taught to participate when class is going on,” Jones said. “The only feasible way to learn Spanish is to practice speaking aloud.” Teachers are here to help students, not deter them from learning. Teachers are not mind readers, they must assume the student understands the material unless shown otherwise. Making false accusations about an instructor based on a students’ fear to speak out in the classroom, and blaming them for matters entierly out of their hands, is a negative approach to reaching the right solution. “If the students’ don’t speak themselves then how are they going to get the answer?” Said Jones. “Asking questions prep them for the future and give them courage to speak up.” Speaking your thoughts is crucial to being successful in the future. Letting your voice be heard can only happen by putting forth your strength and raising a hand.ing false accusations about an instructor based on a students’ fear to speak out in the classroom, and blaming them for matters entirely out of their hands, is a negative approach to reaching the right solution. “If the students’ don’t speak themselves then how are they going to get the answer?” Said Jones. “Asking questions prep them for the future and give them courage to speak up.” Speaking your thoughts is crucial to being successful in the future. Letting your voice be heard can only happen by putting forth your strength and raising a hand.
Analysis: I enjoyed writing this article due to the fact that I can heavily relate to a student who has a hard time speaking up when class is receiving instruction. I am definitely most proud of my strong diction in my article; I use words such as deter, accusations and vast to emphasis my main standpoint in the article to prove my rebuttal. Another thing that I am proud of is the way my sentences flow into each paragraph. My intro starts out with an imagery towards the main idea I am attempting to get across to readers; then as the transition develops I state the situation of students keeping to themselves instead of speaking up and asking questions. The article demonstrates good journalism writing through both style and importance because my topic is able to flow freely as well as get straight to the point on my views as well as help people relate towards this situation. Everyone has gone through a time in their life in which they possess fear when attempting to ask questions in a classroom environment and make the effort towards understanding the lesson. It was easy to relate this topic to myself because of the topic’s accuracy towards students at University High School. My article is able to go one on one with the reader, suggesting ways that they can overcome the worrying and have courage to ask the questions they need in order to fulfill their learning tactics. If I could change the article to make it stronger, I would include some other tips towards being more confident in class and also provide statistics towards the amount of students that have this fear in order for the audience to feel like they’re not the only ones who go through this situation.
Personal Essay: The House that Built Me A neighborhood is defined as a community within a town or city, but in my case it means so much more than a measly definition. I grew up in the simple town of Deltona, where everybody knew everybody and although there was an absence of activities to do, you always found a way to have fun. With a simple little family of 4 and a great dog labeled as my companion, my perception of life was perfect at the time not only because of my age but as well as the place I spent a majority of my childhood in. My elementary home highly contributed towards my happy-go-lucky self, making me see the glass half full more times than it was empty in different situations. It is a place that I will never forget; the very home I originated my pure ideals from. The plants hung over the walk way similar to an amazon rainforest, and the chipped peach-colored paint lingered on the outdoor walls of my first home. Cloverleaf drive was the name of the street, and my house was smack-dab in the middle of it. The simplicity of the home allowed me to perceive the life just as that; you don’t need fancy new gadgets and guilty pleasures to make your life worth the while. I had my house, my dog, and a swimming pool to keep me happy. Never once did I ask for a new toy; toys were given at holidays and birthdays. My special treats were the coin machines at the old Winn-Dixie before it closed down; oh how I relished the sound of the coins turning into the machine and pop! Out came the sticky hand. This flimsy purple sticky hand was simplistic; and that was no slap in the face to me. I would look over to my mom and smile to find her encouragingly say: “Maybe we’ll come back tomorrow.” Throughout the week my doorbell would ring several times and I would open it up to see my next door neighbors Michael and Makayla. Boy, these two siblings were something. Almost every day after school we would play in the rusty woods behind their house, pretending to be superheroes or playing man hunt. Once around Christmas time we even spray-painted pinecones and hung them as ornaments in the trees. At 6 years old, life couldn’t get any better than having an imagination with your good friends. They weren’t the only friends I hung around with either; my friend Matt who lived up the road always hosted Halloween parties and the kids would pretend to be the monster they came dressed up as(I was an amazing witch if I do say so myself.) These close friends of mine allowed my creativity to flow not only during playing outside but on paper and in person as well. Drawing was my forte and I cherished the moments that my pencil were able to touch the noteworthy paper. Being able to show my drawings to the public and let my creativity flow through my brain is all thanks to the times Makayla made me play the damsel in distress; she does not need to be rescued any longer.
The way the wind blew in my hair while I rode my bike was indescribable. I was fascinated by the simplest things, like the way the crawly banana spiders would linger on their webs and the way my authentic play-fort would creak whenever my friends and I slid down the bumpy yellow slide. My mom had an amusement with all things nature that also rubbed off on me as well. Each time there was a snake or hawk in my yard, mom and I’s curiosity would spike and we would venture out towards the action. The hunting aspect always amazed me the most, making me get a thrill from nature. From that moment on I knew that the way I looked at nature and the environment around me was based off of the closeness I had with nature in my first home. My house was a simple hut and my backyard as well as across the street was an adventure waiting to be explored. Running through the thick brush and tall grass I thought to myself, “Why is this here? Why is there so much life in a place that can be so quiet?” Through these woods that I traveled in I learned that silence is capable of speaking a thousand words to the beholder and that nature has a calming effect that no other place can possess in a world so industrialized as our planet. This very spot of nature developed my love for the soft breezes and variated flowers I would find hidden under the bushes. The woods were my safe haven; one in which I hid like the daises until approached to be called upon. Leaving what seemed like my forever home was absolutely devastating. It was as if my world collapsed, and my lungs could not receive any more air when I was told at age 8 that it was time to move onto bigger and better things that one couldn’t decipher staying in my house. I still long for the memories I used to have in my childhood home as well as the neighborhood I grew up in and sometimes I’m in shock that I was able to move on from this coming of age event. My house itself taught me to not expect to hold on to something for quite too long as it can be taken from under you in the blink of an eye, and to also appreciate and cherish what you have until it’s gone. The barking dogs and the luscious blue and pink sunrise was forever engraved in my memory, making it hard to forget all the nostalgic times my neighborhood gave me. The house I grew up in not only shaped me into a better person but altogether changed my outlook on life; this transformed me into the well-rounded person I am today. I now say goodbye to my forever home and hello to my future that has my new memories in store.