opinion3
wingspan • october 21, 2011
• Staff Editorial Social media sites provide lessons in First Amendment
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How can bullying on Facebook and other social media sites be prevented?
• Viewpoint
What goes up must come down
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cartoon by Catalina Retamal
ady Gaga, she makes me happy, and she lets me know that I was born this way,” 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer said as he sat on the bed in his room, staring confidently into his webcam. “Hold your head up and you’ll go far. Because that’s all you have to do, just love yourself and you’re set.” The Williamsville North High School student was struggling with Internet-based bullying related to his sexuality, so he turned to his pop star idol, Lady Gaga. In spite of the comments in his YouTube video titled “It Gets Better,” Rodemeyer committed suicide last month. Recent tragedies like Rodemeyer’s have focused national attention on what teenagers should and shouldn’t be allowed to post on the Internet, particularly on social media sites. Freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows us as citizens to voice our opinions publicly and freely. Our generation’s most prominent way of expressing our opinions is through the use of social media, and our expression on such sites is drawing widespread threats of censorship. According to a recent study on fastcompany.com, 64 percent of high school teachers believe students do not have the right to express their opinions of teachers and school administrators online without the risk of punishment. While we acknowledge that students’ rights are restricted in schools, we believe that outside of the school environment, students have complete protection under the First Amendment to speak their
opinion be it unpopular or controversial. At home, we are citizens rather than students and are not governed by the school administration. When it comes to private use of social media we are not restricted by the school administration and enjoy the full rights that of American citizens. But with rights come responsibilities.
“You shouldn’t friend people you don’t know. If someone is bullying you, just block or unfriend them. Don’t erase the evidence or fight back because that will make it harder to prove later.”
Ryan Decker Freshman
“Cyber bullying can’t be prevented. I don’t think it’s right, and I think it should be stopped. But it’s going to continue because it’s people’s opinion. I just can’t believe people would put it online.” Sarah Littauer Sophomore
Online bullying is not protected by freedom of speech. Nor are libelous statements and lies protected. While we enjoy our freedom of speech, we should use social media responsibly. Bullying students who are weak or different is not worthy of this wonderful right of citizenship that so many have fought for us to have. “On Facebook, you need to take advantage of the privacy settings. Block people that you do not want to talk to and when you do have a problem, you don’t start arguments.”
“If the person that is being bullied marks a comment or message offensive as spam, Facebook can then review the comment and delete or suspend the person’s profile. Let Facebook know about it.”
Jennifer Reaume Junior
Taylor Henderson Senior
Is a college education worth expense?
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wo men dressed neatly in suits with n a humid Saturday afternoon, dark leather briefcases in hand a long stream of students wipe walked one after the other into the sweat from their brows and revolving doors of the towering skyscraper. nervously shift their weight from foot As they waited to be interviewed by to foot, waiting for their names to be the department supervisor, one of the called. They are hit with the sudden two fidgeted nervously in his chair realization that this is it: the culminaexperiencing feelings of regret over the tion of four long, demanding years of college degree missing from the resume work. tucked away in his briefcase. Three What these students don’t realize DIANE GROMELSKI HAILEY JOHNS days later the position was filled by his is that in the following years, they will junior editor junior editor competition — a college graduate. be drowning in student With college tuition constantly increasing in spite loan debt and will not be guaranteed a job in their of the recesfield of study. Overpriced and overvalued, colsion that began lege is not the investment that it used to be. in December Over the past 30 years, the tuition and fees 2007, at both public and private colleges and high school universities have increased exponenstudents and their parents have begun to tially. Public college tuition and fees question whether or not the cost of have doubled in the a college education is worth the expense. past decade while priThere is no doubt that college is expensive, but vate college tuition and despite the burden of financial aid and applyfees have risen 70 pering for scholarships, a college degree is worth cent, according to the College Board. Because of the current it. recession, the unemployment rate for college graduates is High school graduates planning on looking (based on a survey 4.7 percent, up from 2.8 percent last year, according to the for jobs straight out of high school don’t realize that a high of 398 students) Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even when college graduates school diploma doesn’t exactly prepare them for the job they obtain jobs right out of college, they are making less than may want. Almost all jobs today require some type of edugraduates have in previous years. The average salary for recent cation beyond high school. graduates in 2010 was $27,000, down 10 percent from 2008. Many jobs may not require a bachelor’s degree, but they do require College graduates not only have problems finding jobs after at least an associate’s degree from community college. To be an electrigraduation; they also have the additional obligation of paying cian, one wouldn’t need a four-year degree from a major university, but off their student loans. As college tuition has increased, so has a two-year degree from a community college. the number of students taking out loans and borrowing money. While some may argue that a higher level of education is not worth Student loan debt now represents about 5 percent of all debt in the expense, students with a college degree generally earn more than the average household, which is more than double the percentthose with only a high school diploma. According to a study conducted age that it was in 2001, according to a study conducted by the Pew by the Pew Research Center, 86 percent of college graduates say that Research Center this year. The Pew study found that among fourcollege was a good investment for them. Adults who participated in year college graduates only 55 percent said that their college eduthis study believe that they are earning approximately $20,000 more cation was very useful in helping them prepare for a job or career. a year. In a lifetime those with a college degree would have made on With the opportunities presented by today’s advanced techaverage $1.1 million more than those without a degree. nology, a college degree is no longer imperative to achieving suc Going to college isn’t only the smart choice; it’s the right one. Even cess. Steve Jobs, multi-billionaire and founder of Pixar and Apple, students who don’t think they are a good fit for college can benefit from never obtained a college degree. He dropped out of Reed College enrolling in a local community college. after realizing that college was not a good investment.
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EDITORS-INCHIEF Natalie Rice Catherine Swift
JUNIOR EDITORS Diane Gromelski (Web) Hailey Johns (Entertainment) SENIOR EDITORS Marissa Treible Tyler Bice (News) (Opinion) Ashley Heywood (Feature) OPINION EDITOR Bella Bonessi MANAGING EDITOR ASSISTANT OPINION Alisha Carland EDITOR Katlyn McCarthy BUSINESS EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mariah Case Lauren Stepp SOCIAL MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR EDITOR Aury St. Germain Rachel Shoemaker
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Sierra Fender SPORTS EDITOR Michael Turlington ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Collin Armstrong Zac Cole FEATURE EDITOR Amy Taylor ASSISTANT FEATURE EDITOR Katie Miller
Swiftly Said
FEATURE WRITERS Patrick Martin Tiernan Turner STAFF WRITERS Jacob Ashba Julie Garrick Erin Gromelski Shawn Phillips Chloe Whealan Anna Yarbrough Alex Vanden Heuvel
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wingspan
Talons & Feathers Feather to the student government for the welcomeback-to-school festivities and surprises Talon to the many recent student car accidents Feather to the outstanding school spirit at all of the pep rallies and especially during homecoming week Talon to the budget cuts that forced students to pay for agendas, driver education and athletic transportation fees
merica is the land of innovation, progress and discovery. It’s also the land of really nearsighted thinking. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other space organizations around the world have sent countless satellites, ships and stations into space. We’ve learned much about the universe, and it’s an accomplishment to be proud of. Yet in September, CATHERINE one of SWIFT these satellites came spiraling back into our atmosphere. Scientists who could not predict when or where it would land put its risk of hitting someone at 1 in 3,200. It was a small risk, but it begs the question: Is the risk necessary? If we’re smart enough to get a complex piece of technology into the galaxy, it seems like we ought to be able to get it back down without risking loss of property or life. Space is not the only territory that we have colonized without thought of the future. Take, for instance, the Earth. Our greedy use of oil, lumber and other natural resources is putting the planet in serious jeopardy. Not that the planet is the one we should be worrying about. There have been several times throughout the existence of earth in which the balance of life is thrown off, but the Earth always survives and regenerates. It is the species, like the dinosaurs and the mammals of the Ice Age, that don’t make it through. For the first time, this imbalance is being created by the dominant species itself, and when the Earth’s carrying capacity is overcome, we may be the next to go. According to Hubbert’s Peak, a model developed by Dr. M. King Hubbert of the Standard Oil Co., the world will have used half of all oil supplies by about. . .two years ago. This is rather startling since we only began drawing oil from the earth about 150 years ago. As the rates of oil production increase, the time it takes for the second half of this supply to be depleted is likely to shorten. Fortunately, engineers have created cars, plastic bags and other oil-dependent products using alternative materials, but it seems unlikely that we’ll be unhooked from petroleum by the time renewable energy is efficient and accessible. In the meantime we’re releasing toxic chemicals into the air that are poking holes in the layer of the atmosphere that allows the Earth to support life. Our glutony and lack of foresight are responsible for all sorts of other issues. For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that in 2008, America produced approximately 1.35 billion pounds of trash every day, and the nation, which makes up less than 5 percent of the world’s population, uses 26 percent of its energy, according to Worldwatch Institute. These practices are threatening air, soil and water quality, available land space, foreign trade and our wallets. It really is incredible that we’ve harnessed the planet’s resources so well, but it’s frightening that our failure to think ahead may lead to problems we won’t have the ability to handle.
The student forum of West Henderson High School is published seven times each year by the newspaper journalism class. The purpose of Wingspan is to convey school and community news to the students, faculty, administration and community. Wingspan content is determined by an editorial board of student editors. Wingspan is a Southern Interscholastic Press Association All-Southern, National Scholastic Press Association All-American, Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist and N.C. Scholastic Media Association All-North Carolina and Tar Heel Award publication. Staff editorials express the opinion of the editorial board. Columns reflect the opinions of the writer. Circulation is 1,200. Printed by the Times-News of Hendersonville, NC 28739. Contact the staff at wingspan@henderson.k12.nc.us.