December 2, 2015

Education

47 E Pennington St Tucson, AZ 85701

BY MIA BATES

There are undoubtedly flaws within the American school system. Education is being handled
poorly. Teachers arent paid well and debt is
high. Students are trained to take multiple
choice tests, write formulaic three point five
paragraph essays, and determine the yintercept of a parabola (which most will never
use again outside of higher math classes). All of
this they memorize and repeat countless times
in school, rather than being taught to learn and
think critically and creatively -- valuable skills
necessary to function well in society. Our country uses a backwards education system: starting
from graduation requirements and trickling
down to determine the level first graders
should be at, regardless of what theyre naturally capable of, putting unnecessary pressure on
young children. Such strict standards being in
place creates the expectation that standards are
to be met -- because of that, few students exceed that predetermined standard since they
dont need to set their own goals, nearly eliminating any internal drive and personal sense of
achievement. For example, the SAT is blatantly
geared for the average student; how well students do on the test itself isnt looked at, only
how they do compared to the average. Supposedly the United States spends $12,731 (on average) per student -- more than all but 4 other
countries (those being Austria, Luxembourg,
Norway, and Switzerland) according to the
most recent study done by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development. Yet
the US is still failing its students, teachers, and
the future generation as a whole. Taking a look
at some other countries (known for holding
high ranks on education lists every year) and
their systems, effects become evident.

South Korea placed at 47th place, immediately

following Japan (another education -- test score
-- chart-topper with strict, pressured schooling). More similarities with China, Hong Kong,
and Singapore: they score high on education
tests every year; they all have a test-heavy and
high-pressure system; and receive low scores
on the annual happiness survey (by country).
A more positive example: Finland is wellrenowned for its non-traditional education system, as well as always being highly ranked on
education lists. There is only one statemandated test (a significant tool in traditional
systems) -- a final exam at the end of senior
year. Theres minimal homework, and theres
not a lot of rush -- students learn when they are
ready without any stressful, external pressure,
giving them the freedom to determine what
they want to know and what they want to do.
Play and socialization are recognized as important and the society acknowledges the value
of education; there is no tuition, the state subsidizes families, schools offer food, medical care,
counselling, and the occasional taxi service for
students who need it. The entire system revolves around what the student needs. Finland,
and the other Nordic countries -- who have
comparatively relaxed and individualized educational systems -- all fall into the top ten happiest nations according to the aforementioned
happiness survey.

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Behind the Scenes

Designers:
Jane Bendickson

Supervisor:

Jane Bendickson

Anna Brunson

Dillon Martino

Anna Brunson

Oliver Dewey

Additional Support:

Ash Smith

Michael Fisher

Seamus Turner

Ash Smith
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December 3: Algebra 2 student satellite showcase hosted by KC Engelman.

College Night for 1st generation students & families
hosted by Eve Rifkin and Marisol Badilla.
December 10: 3rd Annual Art Show & Sale hosted
by arts teacher Jessica Melrose.
December 11: Drama performances of 12 Angry
Jurors at 5:30 and 8 pm.
December 1618: Final exam days, early release at

A correlation is obvious -- high stakes testing

1:30pm.
and strictly regulated schooling (copy and paste
style teaching, memorization, multiple choice
December 21January 1: Winter Break
answers) dont allow students to develop a love
for learning and nurture their inherent curiosiSource: Tom Moore
ty. That natural desire to acquire
knowledge, grow as a person, and
BY ZAVIER GONZALES
succeed in life is clearly linked with
the way schooling is done. True eduAnd can't you see
cation isnt merely pressure and test
That even though it's half and half
scores. The systems that treat learnThe demons never get the best of me
ing as an individual endeavor still Even though I sneak a peek at the bleak part of everything
score well on tests (because the stuThat doesn't mean
dents truly understand the material,
That I can't be more than the twice of me
not just because theyve memorized
I'm just a corrupted heart
it) and produce happier people.

South Korea -- currently in first place for education for at least the second consecutive year -regularly and often implements testing, normally expects hours of homework to be done every
night, has a seven day school week, strongly
encourages unhealthy levels of competition,
and all apparently for a college entrance exam
taken in November. According to NPR, South
Korea also has the highest teen stress levels out
of thirty or so developed countries, and with
that, a strikingly high number of teen suicides: a For more pieces by seniors visit http://
penningtontragic way to avoid the stress of it all. In the
foryouthoughts.blogspot.com
2015 happiness survey given internationally,

Editors:

Vol. 1 No. 2

Stitches

Who can't see

And can see
Who or what I should be
Who or what the beast be
And even the monsters eyes contrast with beauty
Blood and emeralds
Roses and leaves
Seem to me
To be in good company
That's why I stitch myself to be
A monster, a hero and a little bit of art
A monster, a hero and the story of how I fell apart
A monster, a hero
Who was only ever me
From the start

December 2, 2015

47 E Pennington St Tucson, AZ 85701

Vol. 1 No. 2

Horoscopes BY CARA LEHRLING

Aries (March 21st to April 19):
This month will be your lucky month. Keep your chin up;
brighter skies lie ahead, you just need to look for them.
You will be okay. Listen to what others have to say, it will
advance you.
Taurus (April 20 to May 20):
Your feelings are valid, you are loved, and you will not be
given up on. You mostly listen to others, but you should
talk too. Your peers will take their turn to listen.
Gemini (May 21 to June 20):
Youre not as two-faced as they say. Do not apologize for
who you are; you are not a doormat and you should not be
treated as one.
Cancer (June 21 to July 22):
Its okay to be upset. You dont have to bottle it up - we will
understand you. Open up to your best friend, they will help
you feel better.
Leo (August 23 to September 22):
Try organizing your life a little bit. You might find something youve been looking for. Your decisions now may be
huge, but you are meant to dictate your future.
Virgo (September 23 to October 22):
Listen to someone elses point of view today. Consider
apologizing for past actions - but not everything is your
fault. You are not meant to hold the world on your shoulders.
Libra (October 23 to November 21):
Your sensitivity towards others does not go unappreciated.
It really does pay to be kind.
Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21):
You are doing a good job right now, but dont wear yourself out. Take a break every once in awhile. You deserve it.
Scorpio (December 22 to January 19):
Talk to those seemingly long-lost people that youve been
meaning to get back into contact with. It will do you well.
Drink more water and dont let speech be your enemy.
Aquarius (January 20 to February 18):
Beat the universe back. Glare into its looming, vast, expressionless face and spit in it. Do not succumb to what it tells
you - you mean more than your existence.
Pisces (February 18 to March 20):
You are so much more beautiful than you think. You are
also worn out - you need less caffeine and more sleep.
Thank you for being understanding, but let others have a
chance to understand you.

Image Credits: Anna Brunson

Teen Court

BY OLIVER DEWEY
Restorative Justice is the whole concept Teen Court is based around. The idea behind it
is to focus not just on the person who messed up, but to look at the harm that was caused
by their actions: the harm to themselves, the harm to the community, and the harm to the
victim. Restorative Justice seeks to fix all harm that was done in those different areas.
That was Kate Spaulding, director of volunteer operations at Pima County Teen Court,
explaining the concept of Restorative Justice and its applicability to Teen Courts mission
statement and operation. But Im getting ahead of myself. First the question needs to be
answered: Just what is Teen Court?
Pima County Teen Court is a subsidiary of Pima Prevention Partnership (PPP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of families and youth throughout Arizona. PPP runs several schools, workshops for families, and Teen Court. The key to Teen
Courts entire operation is the idea that the teen defendant is judged by a jury of their
peers (other teens). In fact, most everyone involved in Teen Court, is just that: a teen. The
defendant is a teen, the jury consists of teens, even the attorneys are teens. As Kate puts
it:

I believe the reason Teen Court works

is because its teens deciding the consequences for other teens; that is really
what is at the heart of it. Additionally
that the teens coming in have to admit
guilt to their offenses. Thats a really
important part of it. The only way that
they can learn from their mistakes and
start making better choices for the future is by admitting to the mistakes
theyve made.
The reason Teen Court works is this
system of positive peer pressure as it
were. Peoples actions are often influenced by the recommendations of people their age. This is usually a bad
thing, with people being pushed into
doing bad things based on what their
peers say. At Teen Court the opposite
outcome is sought. The teen defendant
is driven by fellow teens to do the right
thing and set goals so they are never
found in the same situation again.

The reason Teen

Court works is
because its teens
deciding the
consequences for
other teens; that
is really what is
at the heart of it.
- Kate Spaulding

This system is more effective than the

regular juvenile system that many
teens go through. With the regular system a teen is judged by a jury who cannot relate to
them. Theres a sort of metaphorical wall between the adults on the jury and the defendant. This results in many of the adults viewing the teen in a negative light. To many of
them, that teen is a screw-up and needs to be punished. And the system itself reflects
that. The punishments are not constructive in any sense of the word. Most of the time
they are simply sent to a Juvenile Detention Center. They are never shown the effects of
what they did. When they are released, they usually just continue a life of repeated offenses.
Going through the Teen Court system shows them the effects of their offense. They begin
to understand that what they did was wrong, and are given rehabilitating sentences.
Many of these workshops teach the teens the effects of their actions. There is also homework help for those who are struggling in school. There are other things like journal writing to help those whose offense may have stemmed from stress.
At Teen Court the defendants are viewed as humans, as people who could have committed an offense for a number of reasons. This is done through their nurturing system and
application of Restorative Justice. As for the future of Teen Court, Kate said:
For the future, there isnt really a grand plan of it looking totally different. I do feel like
juvenile court could use us even more as the years go on. That way we could have a handle on more cases.
If you would like to get involved you can visit their website at www.pcteencourt.com.
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