Edition 1

Spring 2012

The Current
Global Issues, Local Solutions

Save Our H2O: Coming to aA Drip To Drip

By Samir Durrani

Those Who Cant Do Do, Teach: A Rebuttal

By Alexa McElroy

Old School to New School: Shifts in 21st Century Education

By Aileen Hawkins

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Editors Note
We decided to launch this magazine because although there are plenty of organizations actively working to find solutions to imperative, global crises, young people often dont know how to get involved. We noticed that many Sage Hill students were accomplishing vital community service initiatives; however, the issues that they work to ameliorate werent given the widespread awareness in the local community that they merit. This magazine aims to spread awareness of national and global events and charitable work throughout the South Orange County community. We imagined The Current as a forum for actively philanthropic youth to obtain more volunteers, petition for assistance, and garner resources. We also wanted to recognize their amazing work and spread awareness for their cause, because with awareness comes involvement. When establishing The Current, we defined our mission statement as follows: To educate the Sage Hill community and surrounding areas about local and global current issues and create a chain of positive change throughout the South Orange County region. Our hope is that The Current will be able to disperse this information throughout the community and elicit a spirit of activism in todays youth. We want to acknowledge Mrs. Sharp for providing the necessary guidance to complete this project and the tools to execute our mission. With the support of Mrs. Sharp and the Sage Hill community, weve been able to release the first annual issue of The Current, with education as the featured topic. As high school students, the future of Americas education system is an extremely relevant issue in our lives. We explore the quandary of fate of the American education system from both a students and a teachers perspective. Other articles discuss global topics ranging from racial discrimination to water conservation. We hope that the issues discussed in The Current will inspire the community to get involved and incite positive change throughout the South Orange County area.
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Alexandra Kain

Brennon Mendez

About
Established in 2011, The Current was founded by two Sage Hill juniors, Alexandra Kain and Brennon Mendez. The magazine aims to discuss global current events and charitable work being done by Sage Hill students.

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Table of Contents
Old School to New School: Shifts in 21st Century Education By Aileen Hawkins 4

Save Our H2O: Coming to a Drip By Samir Durrani

Those Who Cant Do, Teach: A Rebuttal By Alexa McElroy

Out of the Shadows: Bringing Depression into the Limelight By Alex Kain

Kairos Technologies: Providing Recycled Computers for Local Students By Jeremy Dorne

Acceptance Over Tolerance: Overcoming the Epidemic of Gay Suicide By Brennon Mendez

Education

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Old School to New School: Shifts in 21st Century Education

By Aileen Hawkins
One of the hottest topics among educational theorists today is 21st century skills, a set of core competencies students should master in order to be successful in this digital age. In fact, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (p21.org) was specifically created to advocate for the education of these skills to every student, to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs (Critical thinking and problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity and innovation). Ironically, though, education is often one of the last fields to adopt new ideas, because teachersmyself includedknow that while trends come and go, the essentials of reading, writing, and rithmetic never go out of style. Admittedly, I struggle with the changes that the Interweb and the 21st century have brought to my classroom. Call me old school but I prefer well-written, thorough analysis to tweets and blogs, I still think the library is a better resource than Wikipedia, and with all due respect to my grad school alma mater, I have a hard time embracing Modern Culture and Media as a legitimate major. Ive also noticed that while there are clear advantages to having unfettered access to unlimited information, our hundreds of Facebook friends, thousands of satellite TV channels, millions of tracks on Spotify, and billions of YouTube videos have eroded some of our common ground. My references to The Brady Bunch or even Star Wars often dont make sense to my students, not just because of our generation gap, but because we no longer share some basic cultural experiences. Nevertheless, even if my jokes fall flat, its my obligation to prepare my students for their future in an increasingly complex, quickly evolving, and closely connected world. Many of the jobs that were once highly sought after by my college friends have been automated or outsourced. Basic competency in left-brained skills such as reading, writing, and math is important, but as Daniel Pink argues in A Whole New Mind, today right-brained skills may be even more important. Pink asserts that to succeed in the future, students need to learn how to design, to tell a story, to show and elicit empathy, to play, and most importantly, to create. I think I agree. As teachers, we have an obligation to impart the skills of the future, just as our students are responsible for mastering the lessons of the past. If we all embrace our roles in this approach, we wont just be setting ourselves up for success, we will create a new paradigm of teaching and learning that positions Sage Hill as a leader in 21st century education.

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Save Our H2O: Coming to a Drip

By Samir Durrani
water. I know we have all heard this, and of course we would like to help the Sub Saharan African nations in their time of need. After all, we pay our donations to the collector outside the supermarket. Why wont this problem just disappear? Perhaps, in this case, money is not the cut and dry solution. We are, as humans, all connected in this global age, and the actions of one affects all the rest. The root of this issue lies in population, and in a world of seven billion, we must all take responsibility. Water conservation is essential to the development of struggling nations. As water becomes more and more scarce, it becomes more and more of a struggle to obtain. Water is now transported across continents to reach populations, and the impact of our overuse of water is now affecting the water supply in distant lands. The average American uses 35 times as much water as the average African. Five minutes in the shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country uses in a day. Even in California, water scarcity has become such a large issue that our agricultural output has been adversely affected. The Colorado River, which provides Southern California with water, is drying up quickly, and time is running out. Of course, we Americans are not trying to consume the worlds supply of water, nor do we desire to exacerbate the issue. It is merely our culture as dutiful American consumers to... well, consume. But small changes in daily habits are incredibly powerful. Switching to water-conserving fixtures saves 4.5 gallons per minute in the shower, and low flow toilets save the same amount every flush. Being conscience of consumption, from the lawn sprinkler to the dishwasher, can move mountains in the water conservation movement. As individuals, we have the ability to avert this crisis. To help out, www.SaveOurH2O.org has released a comprehensive website with easy ways to reduce water consumption. On a global level, Water.org offers opportunities to donate and assist in projects to improve the accessibility of water worldwide. Remember, even small steps in the right direction are crucial. Humanity has overcome obstacles thought impossible numerous times. Now is yet another time in history in which we must band together to ensure the welfare of future generations.
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Water is the driving force of all nature. Little did Leonardo da Vinci know, 500 years later, the global supply of clean drinking water would be jeopardized severely. But how? Water is so essential. 60% of human mass is water, and because of its peculiar chemical qualities, life would cease to exist without water! Perhaps this is why humanity has been drawn to water since the dawn of time. Water has been the source of civilization, progress, innovation, industry, and power. For centuries, the global supply of water has been considered boundless, and the thought of running dry seemed as plausible as the sun burning out. Unfortunately, the reality of a water shortage is not only pressing, but deadly. One billion people do not have access to basic drinking

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Those Who Cant Do, Teach: A Rebuttal

By Alexa McElroy
Sometime during the shift from childhood to adolescence, the inquiries from adults seeking small talk changed. Once I was asked about the simple matter of my age; now I am expected to know my lifes trajectory. The question comes up at dinner parties, in hallways, and among the friends and family who know me best. So, what do you want to do? Its a tricky question to answer, and not because its an unreasonable one. People seek relatable small talk, and a career-minded adult may be interested in a young adults career path. Teenagers are going to pursue further schooling or become part of the work force in the immediate future. Students find themselves at a transitional point in their lives as they decipher their interests and try to come up with an answer. For those with ambitions for a college education, high school can seem like a steppingstone to the definitely more important stage of what is called real life. School does entail some menial tasks, but those important jobs entail menial tasks too. The difference lies in that students invest to improve themselves, whereas employees serve their employer. There may be a delay in the returns of an education as opposed to a job, but that doesnt make it any less valuable. While I have been blessed with opportunities from caring and inspired teachers, I understand that others have not. Some great learners are squashed beneath the grueling nature of standardized tests and lack of funding, indifferent teachers and missed opportunities. So when an adult asks me what I want to do with my life, a natural response could be that Im just now figuring that out, and Im doing it through my education. My schooling is an investment in my mind for now, but its more than just a flat rate deposit box. A true education is multifaceted and needs contributions from teachers, whether academic or otherwise. The personal growth after a day of intellectual stimulation reflects how broadly dynamic and influential that change can be. I believe more than anything than the power of that personal growth. No matter the career direction, there is nothing more fundamentally fulfilling, and teachers are a necessary component to that self-discovery. So when an adult asks me what I want to do with my life, I respond that I want to be come a teacher, because its the best way I know to invest in humanity. Ive been told multiple times that someone with potential shouldnt waste it on teaching, and that the only people who teach are those that cannot do. Ive been told that its a dead end, a hopeless battlefront, and an unimportant job. There is nothing more incorrect than the idea that the fight for human potential is not a worthy battle. I admire anyone who is willing to sacrifice his or her time to make the necessary part of the investment for anothers personal growth. After all, there is nothing more one can do, but teach. So if you arent a teacher, you might be wondering what you can do to help, but there are three major steps you can take to fight the stigma against working in education. The first involves volunteering as a mentor for a local organization that works to inspire kids and give them the opportunities to discover their passions. Some great organizations in Orange County include Breakthrough Collaborative, your local YMCA, and the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County. If you find the prospect of volunteering with children a bit nerve-wracking, you can also work with your current institution or employer to organize charitable donations to help public school classrooms in need of extra supplies. One such organization is Donors Choose, which allows a percentage of purchases at select office supply stores to go towards the public school of your choice. But most of all, the essential battle is remaining conscious of the selfless work that teachers do and working to promote that within everyday conversations. So if you should hear someone disparaging those who cant do, remind them that they were once taught.
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Out of the Shadows: Bringing Depression into the Limelight

By Alex Kain
suicide attempts. The feelings of loneliness and pessimism are magnified by parents turning a blind eye to their childrens mental issues. Parents often deny, both to themselves and others, that there is a problem not only to save face but also to curb their own emotions of helplessness and failure. However, according to a study conducted by Kent State University, while parents are simply trying to cope with their childs depression, teenagers often feel ignored and neglected amplifying the adolescents initial symptom of depression. The magnification of these symptoms is not only a direct result of the parental faade but also a result of teens finding out that their parents even have to construct a faade to hide their depression from a judgmental society. In addition to escalating symptoms, this negligence denies a teenager suffering from depression the opportunity to utilize treatment options, such as therapy and, in some cases, anti-depressants. Depression needs to be brought out of the shadows and into the limelight as something that can be openly discussed without judgment. In addition to harnessing this ideology in your everyday life, you can contact and support AWARE, an organization dedicated to eradicating depression and its stigmas, at www.aware.ie.

Depression, like most mental illnesses, is often treated as taboo, carrying stigmas that associate it with weakness and shame. Depression is viewed as something that shouldnt be discussed openly, but glossed over, pushed under the rug. However, although people interacting with a depressed friend or family member often have the best intentions, their efforts to ameliorate the illness of depression, typically by ignoring the issue, usually make it worse. Treating depression as something to be ashamed of usually exacerbates existing symptoms. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, typical symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder often include: a persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness or pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and/or weight, and thoughts of death or suicide, or

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Kairos Technologies: Providing Recycled Computers for Local Students

By Jeremy Dorne
As education funding shrinks, schools are finding it harder to equip student with the tools needed for success in a scholastic environment. Computers, which have become a vital part of the education process, are expensive tools that cannot be provided when funding is scarce. Computers open a whole new world for a child. The amount of research and work that needs to be done on a computer is astounding, and computer literacy is an important part of a students success at the high school and collegiate levels of education. Computers can also be used to teach and reinforce lessons to children, thus providing fair attention that is important with growing class sizes. At Kairos Technologies, we help provide computers and supplies to schools in need using donations from the community. Kairos relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses in the community for old, used, and broken computers. Donated computers have their hard drives erased on arrival in accordance with United States military standards to ensure personal data cannot be salvaged by anyone. Next, Kairos fixes any pressing issues that may be needed before reinstalling an operating system back onto the computer. PCs donated have variations of Ubuntu, a linux distribution, installed on them while Macintosh have OS X restored. Next, computers are donated to schools in the local area. We are currently establishing a partnership with Edward B. Cole Academy, a Santa Ana charter school. In the coming months, Kairos donation process possible, and we are willing to either have computers or computer parts dropped off or picked up. Kairos can come to your home or place of business to pick up donations. We are also looking to establish partnerships with businesses in the area. With a partnership, Kairos can come and pick up equipment whenever there is a technology upgrade. Kairos Technologies ensures that the donated computers go towards a good cause, unlike other computer recycling services, where the ultimate destination of your computer may be a landfill. For students, we are looking for more motivated members of the community to be part of Kairos Technologies. Our hope is to keep this service learning project going even after we leave in a couple of years. Feel free to contact us about taking part in Kairos and speaking to us about setting up an interview. No experience with computers and their interworkings is needed, as we need not only people who can fix computers but also those with business sense who can help build partnerships. Contact us by phone at (949) 929-8604 or by email at kairostechnologies@sagehillsc 8 hool.org.

will be setting up its first computer lab at Edward B. Cole as well as donating computers towards a program where children take home computers to reinforce topics learned in the school environment. Edward B. Cole Academy is the first of many partnerships we hope to have with schools in the area as we continue to grow. Kairos would like to implement the easiest

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Acceptance over Tolerance: Overcoming the Epidemic of Gay Suicide

By Brennon Mendez
One of the most pressing problems for todays youth is the epidemic of suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teenagers, often due to antigay bullying in their educational institutions. This issue was brought into the national consciousness following the rash of suicides in September 2010, including but not limited to those of Billy Lucas, Tyler Clementi, and Seth Walsh. Unfortunately, the prevalence of suicide among LGBT youth has not ceased since then, with the recent death of Jamey Rodemeyer illuminating the endurance of hate-motivated bullying. "I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens," posted Jamey Rodemeyer on his blog just days before his suicide. Dan Savage, an LGBT activist who began a project on YouTube called It Gets Better, featuring gay adults talking about their experiences with homophobia as adolescents, reacted to Rodemeyers death by stating that "the point of the 'It Gets Better' project is to give kids like Jamey Rodemeyer hope for their futures. But sometimes hope isn't enough. Sometimes the damage done by hate and by haters is simply too great. Sometimes the future seems too remote. And those are the times our hearts break." The pervasive and profoundly disturbing nature of homophobia in American schools is illustrated by Rodemeyers parents account of a school dance after Rodemeyers death in which his former bullies started chanting 'You're better off dead, we're glad you're dead. And while suicide by gay teenagers has long been a troubling trend, experts say the stress can be even worse in rural and suburban areas, such as Rodemeyers hometown in upstate New York, where a lack of gay support services or even openly gay people can cause an unbearable sense of isolation. Studies have shown that many of these suicides are direct results of a barrage of invective, as well as physical violence, received daily from homophobic slurs and antigay bullying. According to a study conducted by the journal Clinical Child Psychiatry and Psychology, 90% of LGBT youth reported being harassed or assaulted in the past month, and LGBT teens are four times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network recently conducted an extensive poll that examined the widespread problem of antigay bullying in elementary school. Almost half of the teachers surveyed said theyd heard students use gay as an insult in the classroom. GLSEN attributes this hostile environment to the lack of faculty support; a majority of the educators polled said that they opposed any discussion regarding the connection between homophobia and bullying in their schools. In light of the GLSEN study, the first step that can be taken by students to ameliorate this volatile environment of homophobia is to simply be accepting of LGBT students. The word choice of accepting as opposed to tolerant is extremely significant. If one is accepting, the LGBT student will feel like he or she embraces their differences and values a diverse learning environment. On the other hand, mere tolerance can translate to the notion of If I dont tell you outright that Im gay, you wont harass me. Also, one tolerates an illness, a traffic jam, or an annoying coworker. LGBT students dont want to be equated with any of those things. A positive environment in which LGBT students feel safe and accepted should be the goal of any institution hoping to curb this disturbing yet ubiquitous trend of homophobia. If you or someone that you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or sexual identity issues, call the Trevor Project and speak to one of their Lifeline counselors at (866) 488-7366.
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