By Erica, St. Paul's Convent, age 14
Evolution, one of Darwin’s greatest legacy, has a tremendous impact on both nature and on people’s lives. Although widely debated about its creditability, it is still nonetheless present in nature. It not only allows animals and living organisms to evolve into different creatures with unique characteristics throughout the long course of time, but it also changes the entire ecosystem of the world silently. Once creatures that belong to the wild, some species of wolves have evolved into dogs and are domesticated to become man’s best friend. Basal amniotes have slowly transformed into what we consider the smartest creatures-humans. All these successful examples show that evolution, the slow but steady change of an organism overtime, is something both beneficial and beautiful. The same theory of evolution can also be applied to the development of the English language throughout the ages.
English, the world’s official language alongside with mandarin, is considered to be one of the most beautiful languages spoken. It incorporated foreign languages such as French, German, Latin and many more into its words, making it the language with the most extensive vocabularies and words. It has been traced back to 100AD. It was born to the Western Germanic dialects and was nursed to what we speak today by the Anglo-Saxons. Yet, the ancient Germans would have never guessed that the language they invented would turn out to be words strung together by ‘likes’, ‘ums’ and ‘uhs’. Not many people can speak without saying ‘And I was like…’ or ‘yeah…whatever’. This shows a rising trend that it is getting more and more difficult for people to differentiate causal English from formal English. As the saying goes, there is always a proper time for different things, and I strongly believe that the ‘likes’ widely used by teenagers should be lessened and should only be used in appropriate situations.
First, there is always a right time for our actions. For example, sleeping should be reserved for the bedroom, not during classes. The same applies to colloquial words or slangs. It is acceptable to speak with ‘likes’ and ‘ums’ on the phone with your best friends about your vacation, but you should omit them when you are talking to your boss. However, this does not mean that the ‘likes’ are a bad thing- it is simply not meant to be used in formal occasions since it is more of a casual language. For example, the way we speak to friends may not be accepted by professors at university. Like wearing jeans to a wedding, using colloquial terms with teachers or bosses is not entirely unacceptable, yet we should still show some respect towards the occasion.
Also, by incorporating too many ‘likes’ and other slangs into one’s speech, it becomes less of a disgrace problems and more of an articulation one. One may slur or mumble when speaking with the aid of ‘likes’, thinking phrases such as ‘yeah…you know what I mean’ enables the listener to understand their true meanings. It will be very hard for a person to listen attentively if you add ‘like’ into every single sentence. This may lead to misunderstandings and communication problems. Executives still pay vast sums of money to improve their communication skills, so why should we jeopardize ours with some measly colloquial words? For example, in a recent press conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg repeated words such as ‘like’ and ‘um’ numerously, making it a largely ridiculed speech. Surely, the CEO of such an influential company should be able to hire a better speech writer. If Mark spoke in the same way to his friends, it would not be much of a problem since it is a less formal occasion. In addition, the slangs make it harder to understand Mark’s speech clearly. This creates an articulation problem as mentioned before.
There is always an appropriate time for certain words and actions. How would you feel if your Dad came home and start talking to you in bank jargon? As our grandmothers would’ve said, ‘ stop the mumbling and pronounce your words clearly!’ It’s times to start listening to her advice and cut out the likes’ from your speech.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Teen Speak Today
By Samantha, CDNIS, Age 13
Teenagers of the current generation have recently started to speak more informally, with up-speak, ums and likes occurring a multiple of times within their speech. Some people consider this a disgrace to the normally formal English language, and feel that teenagers should abandon the slang in their speech, and adopt the way the adults speak the English language.
Teenagers can give a bad impression on others if they heavily speak slang, and if teenagers become used to the language, they may start to use it when writing school assignments and when talking to people of higher rank that deserve respect. Moreover, the language the teenagers use can deteriorate even more if they use it too much, resulting in more derogatory words being used in normal conversation. However, I believe that teenagers should be able to keep on speaking like this, and it is not a disgrace and an insult to the English language.
Firstly, English is a rapidly evolving language, changing many times to get to this ‘version’ of English. Teenagers in past generations have most likely spoken in some version of slang considered inappropriate, not unlike this situation. For example, in the time of Shakespeare, the English language was very different then compared to now, and also had to change a great deal. No one was able to prevent that change, so what is the chance that we will be able to prevent this change now? The change of English language is inevitable.
Secondly, when people use formal language to speak, most of the time the people sound serious, and in a way, intimidating. As the teenagers of this generation speak a non-formal, slang-including ‘version’ of English, it tends to get under people’s nerves less. For example, students tend to get more nervous when they need to engage in conversation with a person of high ranking and formal speech, such as a school administrator or someone similar. This is unlike when students have to engage in conversation with the class assistants, or fellow classmates, whose language is not as formal, and the students do not get nervous.
Thirdly, people can still become successful regardless of the type of English they speak. For example, Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, did a presentation talking about the new video chats in Facebook. In his presentation, though Mark Zuckerberg is very smart, he still said a large number of ‘ums’ and ‘likes’. This shows that even though Zuckerberg’s language is not very formal, he still became very successful.
In conclusion, teenagers should not have to change the current way they speak to a more official manner, since formal English language can be intimidating at times and people can still become successful whether they speak slang or not. Furthermore, the new way of ‘slang-including’ speech is not a disgrace to the English language, because the English language is always changing.
Teenagers of the current generation have recently started to speak more informally, with up-speak, ums and likes occurring a multiple of times within their speech. Some people consider this a disgrace to the normally formal English language, and feel that teenagers should abandon the slang in their speech, and adopt the way the adults speak the English language.
Teenagers can give a bad impression on others if they heavily speak slang, and if teenagers become used to the language, they may start to use it when writing school assignments and when talking to people of higher rank that deserve respect. Moreover, the language the teenagers use can deteriorate even more if they use it too much, resulting in more derogatory words being used in normal conversation. However, I believe that teenagers should be able to keep on speaking like this, and it is not a disgrace and an insult to the English language.
Firstly, English is a rapidly evolving language, changing many times to get to this ‘version’ of English. Teenagers in past generations have most likely spoken in some version of slang considered inappropriate, not unlike this situation. For example, in the time of Shakespeare, the English language was very different then compared to now, and also had to change a great deal. No one was able to prevent that change, so what is the chance that we will be able to prevent this change now? The change of English language is inevitable.
Secondly, when people use formal language to speak, most of the time the people sound serious, and in a way, intimidating. As the teenagers of this generation speak a non-formal, slang-including ‘version’ of English, it tends to get under people’s nerves less. For example, students tend to get more nervous when they need to engage in conversation with a person of high ranking and formal speech, such as a school administrator or someone similar. This is unlike when students have to engage in conversation with the class assistants, or fellow classmates, whose language is not as formal, and the students do not get nervous.
Thirdly, people can still become successful regardless of the type of English they speak. For example, Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, did a presentation talking about the new video chats in Facebook. In his presentation, though Mark Zuckerberg is very smart, he still said a large number of ‘ums’ and ‘likes’. This shows that even though Zuckerberg’s language is not very formal, he still became very successful.
In conclusion, teenagers should not have to change the current way they speak to a more official manner, since formal English language can be intimidating at times and people can still become successful whether they speak slang or not. Furthermore, the new way of ‘slang-including’ speech is not a disgrace to the English language, because the English language is always changing.
A Materialistic Society
By Jason, age 14, Harrow School UK
Being rich is a goal that everyone hopes to achieve one day. Everyone craves to live in Bill Gate’s house and have 20 cares. Everyone dreams of being in the Forbes Magazine. But apart from that, why would people want to be rich? To show off.
The only reason you would buy a Gucci suit is to let other people know you’re wearing it. It represents your status and it makes you look rich. It also makes people jealous. But is that a gift, or a curse? You will get the attention you desire, and some people may admire you. However, on the other hand, people may be envious and jealous about what you have, and some may even look down on you because they think you are showing off.
Being rich is overrated. Why? First of all, privacy will be shaved out of your life. There will be a lot of workers in your house, and you will always be busy because you have a lot of other rich ‘friends’ to deal with. Secondly, I put friends in brackets because are they really your friends? A friend is someone who likes and respects you for your attitude. You may have people who want to be friends with you just to get closer to you and benefit himself with your money. Do they really respect and care for you? No. You will also have to take into consideration that there are quite a lot of people who’s got this mindset that rich people are selfish and mean and like to show off. So if you’re rich, you’re a villain. Even though we all know it’s not true, someone will hate you for being rich.
However, every cloud has a silver lining. Being rich is caused by working hard, and working hard causes a better economy for the country. Plus, the richer you are, the more you spend, which leads to an even better economy. This is definitely a good thing in a short term, but in the long term it may turn out to be a bad thing. How? People will soon be taking all these things, all the new clothes for granted, and you will want better and newer stuff. This materialism is a curse to the environment, because once you get the new phone, you will throw away your old one, and no one would want to buy that old phone.
So is being rich overrated? I can certainly say, yes. People will hate you for being rich for countless reasons. You will have no privacy, dilemmas on picking friends and all sorts of other problems. I know, even though you do get the best shelters and accessories, is it worth all these problems? No. Not only will it harm you, but your children, your family as well. They would be extremely well treated once they are born, and cannot endure any sort of failure or pain. They will take the luxury life for granted. And when they grow up, they would not want to work since they expect their first job to have a minimum salary of HKD 50,000, or, they are just waiting for inheritance. Even though you will help your country by consuming, that’s just a short term effect. In the long term, you will start materializing and you will pollute our planet. Being rich will not only harm you and your family, being rich will also harm the habitat of human beings. So in conclusion, sometimes more is not always better. Sometimes it is just more.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Should the scientific community be allowed to bring an extinct creature back to life?
By Carina (Age 12, Chinese International School)
I believe that Neanderthals should not be brought back to life just so we can conduct research on them. Neanderthals do not fall into the categories of humans or animals, which brings up the question of how they should be treated and researched.
With regards to the living conditions, it would be hard to decide on where they should be placed. If they are placed in a room while being researched, it would be forcing them to go under psychological torture. To do research, you would have to force the Neanderthal to do something under surveillance. The Neanderthals would be treated as lab-rats for humans to learn more about them. Instead of placing the Neanderthals in a room, putting them into a zoo is just as bad. Even if they would be living in their natural habitat, they would be confined and locked up in a cage. Being in a zoo would also mean they would be treated the same way animals are treated.
The amount of freedom they are given will be very limited. Since the world is no longer what it used to be 30,000 years ago, they would need to be watched every minute of the day. They might be kept indoors for their whole lives for safety issues. Being new to the world, they could start destroying everything they believe to be hazardous. But if the Neanderthal were to be kept indoors and away from the world, then there would not even be a reason to bring it back to life. If it were allowed to be out in the open, it would be followed by someone at the same time being restricted from going to some places, and it would be no different from staying indoors.
The type of research done on the Neaderthal would be a benefit for humans, but torturous to the Neaderthal. Psychological research would be forcing them to do what they do not want to do. It could hurt them mentally, and it could even drive them insane. Surgical research would be treating them like their life is dispensable. Performing surgery just to know more about them could kill them, then the amount of money funded for this research would become a waste. To us it would be gaining more knowledge, but to them it is torture against their will.
To prevent any abuse to the Neanderthal, I believe it would be better if we do not tamper with their lives, rather than to create them just to torture them.
I believe that Neanderthals should not be brought back to life just so we can conduct research on them. Neanderthals do not fall into the categories of humans or animals, which brings up the question of how they should be treated and researched.
The amount of freedom they are given will be very limited. Since the world is no longer what it used to be 30,000 years ago, they would need to be watched every minute of the day. They might be kept indoors for their whole lives for safety issues. Being new to the world, they could start destroying everything they believe to be hazardous. But if the Neanderthal were to be kept indoors and away from the world, then there would not even be a reason to bring it back to life. If it were allowed to be out in the open, it would be followed by someone at the same time being restricted from going to some places, and it would be no different from staying indoors.
The type of research done on the Neaderthal would be a benefit for humans, but torturous to the Neaderthal. Psychological research would be forcing them to do what they do not want to do. It could hurt them mentally, and it could even drive them insane. Surgical research would be treating them like their life is dispensable. Performing surgery just to know more about them could kill them, then the amount of money funded for this research would become a waste. To us it would be gaining more knowledge, but to them it is torture against their will.
To prevent any abuse to the Neanderthal, I believe it would be better if we do not tamper with their lives, rather than to create them just to torture them.
Too much gaming
By Travis (Age 9.5, Diocesan Boys' School)
My hero and I packed everything we needed and set off for our trip. We brought a few bottles of magic potions, some food, and some weapons. Before we left, we bought two horses for transporation.
We set off on our trip to find the treasure. My hero had a map to find the treasure, but we had to pass a few tasks in order to find the treasure. First, we had to go through the Forest of Fear, the School of Zombies, and the Alley of Doom. We rode the whole day until we were in front of the Forest of Fear. There was a sign that said, "Those who enter the forest of fear will suffer!" We kept walking until I stepped onto some sticky and slimy mud. The next thing I knew, I was sinking. I had thought it was just normal mud, and that I could go out of this slimy mud anytime, so I called my hero to join me.
Suddenly, he shouted, "Oh! You are in quicksand." By now, the mud was at the level of my bellybutton. He threw a rope to me and called me to hold on tight on the rope. Finally, he pulled me out of the quicksand. The rest was no problem. We killed a few beasts and then went out of the Forest of Doom.
Next, it was the School of Zombies. It was actually an abandoned school, and we didn't know what dangers would be coming. We tiptoed into the school quietly. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and we were trapped inside the abandoned school. We only had one choice left: find the exit on the other side of the school.
At that particular moment, two zombies appeared. One was holding a cooking pan while another one was wearing a helmet and holding a spear. They were both zombie students. My hero slayed both of them, but more were coming. I got my spear out and killed some. One zombie teacher used his sword and tried to slice off my head, but I ducked just in time. There were too many of them and we couldn't defend ourselves.
Suddenly, I remembered that there were grenades in my backpack. I quickly threw all of the grenades toward the zombies. There was a loud explosion. Soon, the zombies were all dead. We walked until we saw the other exit. After awhile, we were out of the zombie school.
The third and final task was the hardest of all. We had heard that anyone who goes in never comes out. We went inside the Alley of Doom, frightened. Bloodsucking vampires suddenly jumped in front of us. We killed the first few ones, but more were coming.
"I can't hold them for long, you will have to run!" shouted my hero. At that particular moment, I had a wonderful idea. I got out the magic potions and drank them all in one gulp. I acquired super strength. I killed all the vampires with my bare hands, and soon, they were defeated.
We passed the alley without fear as we knew we would soon discover the treasure. There was still one small rainforest to pass, and after that, the treasure would be there. But unluckily, at that time, we saw our opponent: the big, fat, clumsy green troll - the worst gangster in the video game. He had four eyes, three noses, and two mouths. He charged toward us, but I punched him on the forehead just in time (as my superpowers were still there).
Then, my hero killed him with one blade of his sword. We rode on our horses and rode to where the treasure was. It was in a little village. It looked like my hero's village. The people looked the same. Huh! Actually, it was really my hero's village. And... the map said that the treasure was buried underground next to the village. I was furious. We ran the whole way killing monsters to find the treasure, and it was just next to my hero's village! It was a waste of time.
We dug the whole day long and found the treasure. It was a treasure chest. Inside it, we found a lot of gold and a golden sword.
Just as I touched the golden sword, I felt a gust of wind. It pulled me toward the sky and I was back to the real world. I promised myself that I would never ever play video games again.
My hero and I packed everything we needed and set off for our trip. We brought a few bottles of magic potions, some food, and some weapons. Before we left, we bought two horses for transporation.
Suddenly, he shouted, "Oh! You are in quicksand." By now, the mud was at the level of my bellybutton. He threw a rope to me and called me to hold on tight on the rope. Finally, he pulled me out of the quicksand. The rest was no problem. We killed a few beasts and then went out of the Forest of Doom.
Next, it was the School of Zombies. It was actually an abandoned school, and we didn't know what dangers would be coming. We tiptoed into the school quietly. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and we were trapped inside the abandoned school. We only had one choice left: find the exit on the other side of the school.
At that particular moment, two zombies appeared. One was holding a cooking pan while another one was wearing a helmet and holding a spear. They were both zombie students. My hero slayed both of them, but more were coming. I got my spear out and killed some. One zombie teacher used his sword and tried to slice off my head, but I ducked just in time. There were too many of them and we couldn't defend ourselves.
Suddenly, I remembered that there were grenades in my backpack. I quickly threw all of the grenades toward the zombies. There was a loud explosion. Soon, the zombies were all dead. We walked until we saw the other exit. After awhile, we were out of the zombie school.
The third and final task was the hardest of all. We had heard that anyone who goes in never comes out. We went inside the Alley of Doom, frightened. Bloodsucking vampires suddenly jumped in front of us. We killed the first few ones, but more were coming.
"I can't hold them for long, you will have to run!" shouted my hero. At that particular moment, I had a wonderful idea. I got out the magic potions and drank them all in one gulp. I acquired super strength. I killed all the vampires with my bare hands, and soon, they were defeated.
We passed the alley without fear as we knew we would soon discover the treasure. There was still one small rainforest to pass, and after that, the treasure would be there. But unluckily, at that time, we saw our opponent: the big, fat, clumsy green troll - the worst gangster in the video game. He had four eyes, three noses, and two mouths. He charged toward us, but I punched him on the forehead just in time (as my superpowers were still there).
Then, my hero killed him with one blade of his sword. We rode on our horses and rode to where the treasure was. It was in a little village. It looked like my hero's village. The people looked the same. Huh! Actually, it was really my hero's village. And... the map said that the treasure was buried underground next to the village. I was furious. We ran the whole way killing monsters to find the treasure, and it was just next to my hero's village! It was a waste of time.
We dug the whole day long and found the treasure. It was a treasure chest. Inside it, we found a lot of gold and a golden sword.
Just as I touched the golden sword, I felt a gust of wind. It pulled me toward the sky and I was back to the real world. I promised myself that I would never ever play video games again.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Why underage children drink
By Ivy (Age 13, Chinese International School)
Underage drinking is an expanding problem for countries all around the world. Personally I do not understand the point of underage drinking; alcohol tastes quite horrible and is detrimental to a child's growing metabolism. Just because I don't drink doesn't mean other minors may not drink. In the United States, research shows that 11% of the alcohol consumed is by underage drinkers. I think that some minors may drink because it is their perception of being "cool", their parents' behavior, or peer pressure.
In my point of view, drinking and taking drugs is not "cool". To me, being cool is living a good and healthy life, surrounded by people who wish you the best and love you. Even better is if you have an exceptional job and can make an exceptional amount of money. There are people in the world who are very keen on their image; upholding a "cool" image is their ultimate goal. But everyone's perception of being "cool" is different. Some may think like I do, but some may think that binge drinking, taking large doses of drugs, and smoking heavily is "cool". The people who think my way have a delightful attitude in life. But the people who think the other way need to change their state of mind. I can understand where their perception of "cool" is coming from: gangsters, "hardcore" bikers, and prisoners. They are always portrayed as "cool" and "hardcore" and "totally beast!" in books and movies, causing certain people to aspire to be like them. People tend to pick up certain qualities such as drinking, drugs, and cigarettes.
Some minors drink because of their parents. In the United States, more than half the adults drink. Not all of them may be binge drinkers, but alcohol does cast a large shadow over many children in the United States. The children's alcoholic parents (not necessarily in all scenarios) may beat them, causing them stress and pain. There is a saying that alcohol can relieve stress, so the minors may go into their refrigerators and grab a beer to alleviate their stress and pain. Or, the children's parents may tolerate their children drinking because they drink frequently and do not see the horrible side to drinking.
Sometimes minors may drink because of the people they are friends with. Being a teenager, I know that it is important to maintain a "cool" image. Having that "cool" image means you get invited to parties, everyone wants to be your friend, and people envy you. Going to the parties, you must be the ringleader and not the one to be led. So if one of your friends sneaks a six-pack of beer in, what are you going to do? If you refuse, your friends are going to bully you into drinking. They might say things like, "But dude, c'mon, I thought we were friends!" or they could just shun you. It must be a hard feeling. If you drink without a doubt, then it becomes underage drinking! If I was placed in a situation where I could drink and be cool but break the law, or refuse the drink and be shunned, I would most definitely rather be shunned. I am being 100% truthful. I would rather be shunned from my friends (though it would really hurt), than have a drink because one thing leads to another. Maybe this one drink could cause me a lifetime of troubles and lies. I don't want that. I don't want to ruin my life, so no to the drink!
Underage drinking is a very serious topic. Minors may drink because they think it is "cool", because their parents drink or because of peer pressure. I think that drinking is not "cool" because you are abusing your body and hurting your organs. Drinking can cause you to do thing irrationally, inflicting harm to other people, not just yourself. So think before you drink, minors!
In my point of view, drinking and taking drugs is not "cool". To me, being cool is living a good and healthy life, surrounded by people who wish you the best and love you. Even better is if you have an exceptional job and can make an exceptional amount of money. There are people in the world who are very keen on their image; upholding a "cool" image is their ultimate goal. But everyone's perception of being "cool" is different. Some may think like I do, but some may think that binge drinking, taking large doses of drugs, and smoking heavily is "cool". The people who think my way have a delightful attitude in life. But the people who think the other way need to change their state of mind. I can understand where their perception of "cool" is coming from: gangsters, "hardcore" bikers, and prisoners. They are always portrayed as "cool" and "hardcore" and "totally beast!" in books and movies, causing certain people to aspire to be like them. People tend to pick up certain qualities such as drinking, drugs, and cigarettes.
Some minors drink because of their parents. In the United States, more than half the adults drink. Not all of them may be binge drinkers, but alcohol does cast a large shadow over many children in the United States. The children's alcoholic parents (not necessarily in all scenarios) may beat them, causing them stress and pain. There is a saying that alcohol can relieve stress, so the minors may go into their refrigerators and grab a beer to alleviate their stress and pain. Or, the children's parents may tolerate their children drinking because they drink frequently and do not see the horrible side to drinking.
Sometimes minors may drink because of the people they are friends with. Being a teenager, I know that it is important to maintain a "cool" image. Having that "cool" image means you get invited to parties, everyone wants to be your friend, and people envy you. Going to the parties, you must be the ringleader and not the one to be led. So if one of your friends sneaks a six-pack of beer in, what are you going to do? If you refuse, your friends are going to bully you into drinking. They might say things like, "But dude, c'mon, I thought we were friends!" or they could just shun you. It must be a hard feeling. If you drink without a doubt, then it becomes underage drinking! If I was placed in a situation where I could drink and be cool but break the law, or refuse the drink and be shunned, I would most definitely rather be shunned. I am being 100% truthful. I would rather be shunned from my friends (though it would really hurt), than have a drink because one thing leads to another. Maybe this one drink could cause me a lifetime of troubles and lies. I don't want that. I don't want to ruin my life, so no to the drink!
Underage drinking is a very serious topic. Minors may drink because they think it is "cool", because their parents drink or because of peer pressure. I think that drinking is not "cool" because you are abusing your body and hurting your organs. Drinking can cause you to do thing irrationally, inflicting harm to other people, not just yourself. So think before you drink, minors!
A need-aware system: a choice between diversity and selling your soul for money
By Joshua (Age 15)
Due to the current financial situation in the United States, many universities cannot afford to use the former need-blind system, and are switching to a need-aware system for accepting students. A need-aware system means that universities will unjustly look at your financial condition as well as your results, therefore unjustly affecting the chances of students who require financial aid getting accepted.
It seems like the odds are stacked against students who require financial aid, but there are a few things that they can do to remain competitive. Many universities offer obscure scholarships. These students can spend a day or two looking at the conditions for these scholarships and might find that they qualify. The option that would be the easiest is to take up a part-time job, but that would put a great burden on the student. Another option would be to go to community college, as community colleges offer basically the same education as many universities, and the only difference is in the prestige of the school.
Money shouldn't play such an important role in education but there isn't anything we can do about it. Universities are just like companies. They cannot operate for free or they would go bankrupt and cease to exist. Although it is unfortunate that money plays a huge part in education, that's just how the world works; nothing is free.
The need-aware system that the universities are adopting isn't fair but it is necessary. Universities cannot afford to support all of its students. The former need-blind system was fair, but only the top Ivy-League schools that are well funded can afford to use that system. Many qualified but poor students may not be able to go to the university of their choice due to the new system, whereas not as qualified but more wealthy students will get accepted. The need-aware system is a short-term solution at best. In the long term it is detrimental to society as it will further the boundaries of rich and the poor.
Hopefully in the near future the economy will take a turn for the better, and universities will take up the previous need-blind system for admission, but for now students must accept the unfair need-aware system and the reality of the importance of wealth in today's world.
Due to the current financial situation in the United States, many universities cannot afford to use the former need-blind system, and are switching to a need-aware system for accepting students. A need-aware system means that universities will unjustly look at your financial condition as well as your results, therefore unjustly affecting the chances of students who require financial aid getting accepted.
It seems like the odds are stacked against students who require financial aid, but there are a few things that they can do to remain competitive. Many universities offer obscure scholarships. These students can spend a day or two looking at the conditions for these scholarships and might find that they qualify. The option that would be the easiest is to take up a part-time job, but that would put a great burden on the student. Another option would be to go to community college, as community colleges offer basically the same education as many universities, and the only difference is in the prestige of the school.
Money shouldn't play such an important role in education but there isn't anything we can do about it. Universities are just like companies. They cannot operate for free or they would go bankrupt and cease to exist. Although it is unfortunate that money plays a huge part in education, that's just how the world works; nothing is free.
The need-aware system that the universities are adopting isn't fair but it is necessary. Universities cannot afford to support all of its students. The former need-blind system was fair, but only the top Ivy-League schools that are well funded can afford to use that system. Many qualified but poor students may not be able to go to the university of their choice due to the new system, whereas not as qualified but more wealthy students will get accepted. The need-aware system is a short-term solution at best. In the long term it is detrimental to society as it will further the boundaries of rich and the poor.
Hopefully in the near future the economy will take a turn for the better, and universities will take up the previous need-blind system for admission, but for now students must accept the unfair need-aware system and the reality of the importance of wealth in today's world.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Need-blind?
By Stephanie (Age 15, St. Stephen's)
Nowadays, many families are suffering from financial problems and are not able to afford the extremely expensive tutoring fees for their children. Colleges, especially in the US, used to be need-blind. However, they no longer have enough money to afford scholarships for poor families. Therefore, these colleges ended up not offering any scholarships at all. Smart people from poor families therefore do not get the chance to study in these colleges.
Clever kids from poor families are suffering from paying college fees. Despite their intelligence, colleges consider their family backgrounds which makes it impossible for those people to get in. This is not totally the colleges' fault. They would like to have more intelligent students but they do not have money to afford them. Money did not used to play such an important role in education but now, even the universities do not have a choice. I do not think money should play an important role in education but considering the financial status of the world, colleges have no choice but to deny poor students' applications.
This system is not fair for anyone. First, it is not fair to the poor people for obvious reasons. Although they have a clever brain, they don't get a chance to be educated. Second, it is also not fair for the university itself. By only accepting rich students, the quality and standard of the whole school will also decrease. They do not have a choice. With less money, they have to accept students who can pay for them in the aim for the school to continue working.
To solve the problem we have in front of us, people who are applying for colleges now can apply to other colleges which can offer them more financial aid. If the poor student is that brilliant, it wouldn't matter which university he gets into. He or she would stil be as good in other schools and when he or she graduates, he or she can still find a good job. These people can also prepare themselves so when opportunities come, they wouldn't miss it because of financial problems.
There is one way to help the poor students, and that is to wait. The only thing we can do is to wait. We can wait until the economy recovers and by then, the universities will no longer look for wealthy students only. When the economy is better, universities will become wealthier and less eager to find wealthy students. Also, they will realize that the school's standard and quality has been decreasing. To solve the problem, they will be need-blind again and will no longer care if the student is wealthy or not.
In conclusion, we can face the financial problem positively and maybe find a job to earn more money. We can also put more effort into our studies and maybe someone would appreciate our effort and let us get in their college.
Nowadays, many families are suffering from financial problems and are not able to afford the extremely expensive tutoring fees for their children. Colleges, especially in the US, used to be need-blind. However, they no longer have enough money to afford scholarships for poor families. Therefore, these colleges ended up not offering any scholarships at all. Smart people from poor families therefore do not get the chance to study in these colleges.
This system is not fair for anyone. First, it is not fair to the poor people for obvious reasons. Although they have a clever brain, they don't get a chance to be educated. Second, it is also not fair for the university itself. By only accepting rich students, the quality and standard of the whole school will also decrease. They do not have a choice. With less money, they have to accept students who can pay for them in the aim for the school to continue working.
To solve the problem we have in front of us, people who are applying for colleges now can apply to other colleges which can offer them more financial aid. If the poor student is that brilliant, it wouldn't matter which university he gets into. He or she would stil be as good in other schools and when he or she graduates, he or she can still find a good job. These people can also prepare themselves so when opportunities come, they wouldn't miss it because of financial problems.
There is one way to help the poor students, and that is to wait. The only thing we can do is to wait. We can wait until the economy recovers and by then, the universities will no longer look for wealthy students only. When the economy is better, universities will become wealthier and less eager to find wealthy students. Also, they will realize that the school's standard and quality has been decreasing. To solve the problem, they will be need-blind again and will no longer care if the student is wealthy or not.
In conclusion, we can face the financial problem positively and maybe find a job to earn more money. We can also put more effort into our studies and maybe someone would appreciate our effort and let us get in their college.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Angry Floatees
By Julian (Age 10.5, ISF Academy)
One day, I was in a cargo ship heading for America from Hong Kong. I was a two-headed rubber duck. I didn't know I was unusual until all the ducks started laughing at me. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I started crying. I hid in a corner of the container. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, the container was violently shaking. "Ouch!" "Ooh!" "My head!" I heard someone shouting, "It's a huge tsunami!" The container flew into the air and fell into the ocean. I tumbled out. Suddenly, I saw the ship tip over and millions of rubber ducks, rubber frogs, rubber boats, rubber fish, rubber sharks, rubber starfish, rubber toy cars and rubber octopi flew into the sea. I started to float toward a faint outline of an island. Twenty days later, I got to the island. It was nice, but there was no one else there!
Suddenly, the ground started shaking. The volcano was erupting! Lava started pouring out of the volcano. The lava started burning me! It made me flip over. Then one of my heads burned right off! At first I was shocked... suddenly I noticed something. I looked normal now! Yay!
The lava pushed me into the sea. It started cooling down. Then, I was floating in plain old seawater again. I floated further and further away from the island. Suddenly, I saw another island. It looked cool. It was of lots of different shapes and sizes, and it was very colorful. As I floated nearer, it started looking very creepy. In fact, it started not looking like an island at all! It looked like... a garbage patch! It was a garbage patch after all!
I really wanted to get away from it, but the current was pushing me there. When I got really close, I saw candy wrappers, chocolates, orange peels, old clothes, old toothpaste tubes, old toothbrushes, old bags,and even old tables and old chairs. The thought of having to go through it was utterly horrifying. As I went through it, I felt all the garbage under me. It felt slimy and slippery. I felt sick. I looked ahead. There were MILES of garbage ahead of me! I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it, but the more I tried, the more I felt sick. Finally, I decided to go to sleep. When I woke up, I was almost at the end of the garbage patch. Then I saw a newspaper floating in the water near me. The headline read: "Giant Garbage Patch Floating in the Middle of the Sea." I read the article. Then I understood. The garbage patch I ran into was the one on the newspaper.
Then I saw land. Real land. As I crept closer and closer, I saw the shops along the waterfront. There was a bakery, a pizza parlor, an electronics store, a supermarket, and a garbage collection point. After half a day, I finally got to the land. I got washed up on a beach. Then, I saw a man walking toward me. He looked at me, picked me up, and then brought me to a silver round thing with garbage in it. The label on it said "Garbage Bin." The man threw me inside. After a few days passed, a man wearing gloves and a mask picked up the black bag I was in. Suddenly, I started getting really squished. I let out a loud squeak. The squishing stopped. The man looked inside the black bag and took me out. He looked at me for a moment then put me in his pocket. A while later, the man took me out of his pocket. I turned to see a little boy staring at me. "Here's your new bath toy!" the man said. A month later, while I was sitting on the shelf in the boy's room, I heard a surprised gasp come from outside. I heard the man whisper, "Rubber duck... worth lots... sell... auction..."
Next day, I was put in a box and taken to a weird place. When I was taken out of the box, I was in a place with lots of people. I was on a stage, and everyone was looking at me. A man on stage said, "Very previous rubber duck. From the cargo accident five years ago."
"Five thousand dollars!"
"Ten thousand!"
"Twenty!"
"Fifty!"
"Hundred!"
Then, a man wearing gold clothes said, "One million!" A long time later, the man put me in his car. He drove to a mansion, and then went inside.
One day, I was in a cargo ship heading for America from Hong Kong. I was a two-headed rubber duck. I didn't know I was unusual until all the ducks started laughing at me. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I started crying. I hid in a corner of the container. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.
Suddenly, the ground started shaking. The volcano was erupting! Lava started pouring out of the volcano. The lava started burning me! It made me flip over. Then one of my heads burned right off! At first I was shocked... suddenly I noticed something. I looked normal now! Yay!
The lava pushed me into the sea. It started cooling down. Then, I was floating in plain old seawater again. I floated further and further away from the island. Suddenly, I saw another island. It looked cool. It was of lots of different shapes and sizes, and it was very colorful. As I floated nearer, it started looking very creepy. In fact, it started not looking like an island at all! It looked like... a garbage patch! It was a garbage patch after all!
I really wanted to get away from it, but the current was pushing me there. When I got really close, I saw candy wrappers, chocolates, orange peels, old clothes, old toothpaste tubes, old toothbrushes, old bags,and even old tables and old chairs. The thought of having to go through it was utterly horrifying. As I went through it, I felt all the garbage under me. It felt slimy and slippery. I felt sick. I looked ahead. There were MILES of garbage ahead of me! I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it, but the more I tried, the more I felt sick. Finally, I decided to go to sleep. When I woke up, I was almost at the end of the garbage patch. Then I saw a newspaper floating in the water near me. The headline read: "Giant Garbage Patch Floating in the Middle of the Sea." I read the article. Then I understood. The garbage patch I ran into was the one on the newspaper.
Then I saw land. Real land. As I crept closer and closer, I saw the shops along the waterfront. There was a bakery, a pizza parlor, an electronics store, a supermarket, and a garbage collection point. After half a day, I finally got to the land. I got washed up on a beach. Then, I saw a man walking toward me. He looked at me, picked me up, and then brought me to a silver round thing with garbage in it. The label on it said "Garbage Bin." The man threw me inside. After a few days passed, a man wearing gloves and a mask picked up the black bag I was in. Suddenly, I started getting really squished. I let out a loud squeak. The squishing stopped. The man looked inside the black bag and took me out. He looked at me for a moment then put me in his pocket. A while later, the man took me out of his pocket. I turned to see a little boy staring at me. "Here's your new bath toy!" the man said. A month later, while I was sitting on the shelf in the boy's room, I heard a surprised gasp come from outside. I heard the man whisper, "Rubber duck... worth lots... sell... auction..."
Next day, I was put in a box and taken to a weird place. When I was taken out of the box, I was in a place with lots of people. I was on a stage, and everyone was looking at me. A man on stage said, "Very previous rubber duck. From the cargo accident five years ago."
"Five thousand dollars!"
"Ten thousand!"
"Twenty!"
"Fifty!"
"Hundred!"
Then, a man wearing gold clothes said, "One million!" A long time later, the man put me in his car. He drove to a mansion, and then went inside.
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