A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked

Page created by Tyler Foster
 
CONTINUE READING
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
AUG . 2 1 , 2008 | T w o D o ll a r s | Upp e r A r l i n g to n H i g h Sc h o o l | 1650 R i d g e v i e w R o a d | Upp e r A r l i n g to n , OH 4 3 2 2 1

         INTRODUCTORY ISSUE

                                                                                            A parent’s nightmare:
                                                                                            Rising popularity of
                                                                                            tattoos prompts some
                                                                                            students to get inked

Link Crew welcomes freshmen | Changes in AP/IB courses | Short North offers end-of-summer fun
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
NEWS

    Freshman mentoring takes a ‘fresh’ approach
    BY corey mcmahon

    T
         he first day of high school is            get the freshmen off to a good start,”        freshmen Aug. 22, where they played
         traditionally a nightmare, a rite of      Greenhill said.                               games to meet new people and learn tips
         passage that all students must brave.        The program trained juniors and            to help get through high school.
    This year, however, the high school’s          seniors Aug. 15 and 16 for a total of            “Link Crew provides the structure
    new freshmen mentoring program,                10 hours. These “Link Leaders” are            for them to receive support and
    Link Crew, will ease the transition for        responsible for motivating and guiding        guidance from juniors and seniors who
    incoming students.                             the freshmen through the transition           have been through the challenges that
        According to coordinators Nancy            to high school and                                                   high school poses,”
    Botti and Kevin Stotts, the program is         then facilitating        Students can teach [other] students the website states.
    designed to help incoming freshmen             freshman success.        in a way that I can’t when I get up at         After orientation,
    adjust to the new environment of high             “Students can                                                     Link Crew provides
    school in a healthy and efficient manner.      teach [other]            the podium and lecture them.                a wide range of both
        The new program was instituted because     students in a way                 Principal kip greenhill academic and social
    of the old program’s poor execution and        that I can’t when I                                                  follow up activities
    subsequent poor results, Botti said.           get up at the podium                                                 throughout the year.
        “The old program was all about giving      and lecture them,” Greenhill said. “It’s a       “We want to continue the connection
    [the freshmen] information, but we             more interactive type of learning.”           that starts at orientation,” Botti said.
    wanted it to be more about connecting to          According to the Link Crew’s website,         Stotts and Botti said they expect big
    the school and other students,” Botti said.    the process begins before the school year     results from the new program, including
        Principal Kip Greenhill said the goal      starts with a “powerful orientation day”      benefits for non-freshman students.
    of the program is to improve the overall       that excites freshmen for the upcoming           “The difference in atmosphere, not
    beginning-of-high-school experience.           school year.                                  only for freshmen, but for everyone else,
        “We’re doing everything we can to             UAHS conducted this orientation for will be [immeasurable],” Stotts said.

    Second wind for renewable energy
    BY Kristy Helscel

    A
         s the green movement goes mainstream, citizens across              blow when electricity is needed. Wind energy cannot be stored,
         the country are making changes to reduce their carbon              making it difficult to harness electricity in times of high demand.
         footprint, from buying local produce and fuel-efficient               According to Meeth, creating the turbines costs approximately
    cars to making plans for carbon-neutral universities. With the          $15,000 — $5,000 of which must be met by the club. Further-
    help of the Environmental Club, UAHS continues on its way               more, the club must figure out where to place the turbines.
    to energy efficiency.                                                                    Students have differing opinions on this
       As a former Environmental Club                                                     future design.
    president, 2008 graduate Kristen Arnold                                                  Junior Emily Steen said she believes the
    made it her goal to decrease the combustion                                           change could be a great addition to the high
    of nonrenewable energy sources and the                                                school and community.
    cost of electricity for UAHS. Following the                                              “The use of wind and solar energy makes our
    school’s installation of solar panels in 2007,                                        school look better as a whole,” Steen said. “It shows
    Arnold proposed the idea of wind energy                                               that we care for the things around us.”
    supplied by wind turbines. Senior Catherine                                              However, sophomore Ben Ross argued that the
    Meeth, now co-president, said she hopes to                                            wind turbines would fight a losing battle.
    follow through with the idea this year.                                                  “The money spent on the turbines would be a
                                                                 Graphic by aldo corona
       According to the U.S. Department of                                                waste because Ohio is not very windy,” Ross said.
    Energy, wind energy is a clean fuel source.                                              According to Meeth, although the club’s
    In addition, wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable intentions are to dedicate its efforts to helping the environment,
    energy technologies available today. With the help of wind              the idea is not to immediately transfer the school’s power source
    turbines, wind energy can be converted into electricity.                to wind energy, but to gradually better the community over time.
       Arguably, the Department said the major challenge of using              “Although it might not produce a lot of energy,” Meeth said,
    wind as a source of power is wind is sporadic and does not always “it’s the fact that we’re making an effort [that counts].”

2                                                         AUGUST 21, 2008                                                  ARLINGTONIAN
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
FEATURE

Redefining rigor
Changes to AP/IB courses spark enrollment, concern
BY Joumana Khatib

L
     ast year, amidst dwindling enrollment in advanced courses,
     revisions were planned to the AP/IB programs to increase the
      number of students taking the classes.
    According to principal Kip Greenhill, this support includes a
guarantee of no more than three hours of homework per week per
course, delayed start of school on Wednesday mornings for students
to be able to meet one-on-one with their teachers, and one-day                                                                          Photo illustration by GUNNAR SAMUELSON

reprieve passes (given once a semester) which can be used for tests,                              AP/IB course loads have been reduced this year as part of academic support
assignments or homework—or they can be exchanged for food                                         provided by the administration. The changes have been introduced to encourage
                                                                                                  enrollment in advanced classes.
coupons if not used.
    These changes seem to have worked, as enrollment in AP/IB                                    enrollment in the wrong way.
courses has increased 60 percent from last year, Greenhill said.                                     “I realize that it is a problem, but I think [the school] is trying to fix
    However, the modifications to AP/IB courses have generated                                   it in a manner which is both inappropriate and ultimately ineffective,”
concern among some students. Senior Connor McNamee said he                                       McNamee said. “Kids will sign up for the perks but not the class.”
worries the quality of his education will be compromised as a result.                                The value of the incentives offered to students enrolled in advanced
    “It’s like degrading the value of the education so we can fulfill some                       classes has been questioned by some students. Junior Emma Gargus
quota,” McNamee said.                                                                            said the motivation and support offered to take IB courses did not
    One of the most controversial changes is the refusal to allow                                affect her decision to enroll in the IB Diploma program.
students to drop AP/IB courses without attending the class for five                                  “I would have taken the IB Diploma even if the incentives weren’t
days. Senior Bailey McClellan said this new rule inconvenienced her.                             offered,” Gargus said. “I feel like anyone who signed up for the
    “I signed up for AP Studio Art, but after being named as a                                   program just to have the perks signed up for the wrong reason.”
Norwester editor I knew I wouldn’t have the time for that class                                      Greenhill maintained that the changes introduced this year were
anymore,” McClellan said. “I understand why they introduced the rule,                            implemented to benefit students.
but I know that [this class] will not work for me as a student, so it’s                              “Over 90 percent of our students go on to college, so almost every
frustrating [that] I can’t drop it [until five days have passed].”                               student should take at least one advanced course,” Greenhill said. “This
    Greenhill said in order to drop an advanced class, a conference                              academic support will help students better prepare for college.”
with the teacher and counselor must be held to ensure that the correct                               Greenhill said students should be receptive to the changes.
decision is being made.                                                                              “AP and IB will be different this year,” he said. “Students should
    McNamee said changes such as the increased difficulty of                                     give it a try and not base their opinions on the reputations of the
dropping AP/IB courses are unfair, and the school is seeking to boost                            courses from the past.”

   SIGN UP NOW for your ’08-’09 Arlingtonian Subscription
   Order NINE issues by Sept. 26 for
                                                                             $15
                                                                                                         Send to:

                                         After Sept. 26, subscriptions are $20                           Arlingtonian                         1650 Ridgeview Rd. • Columbus, OH 43221
                                                                                                                                              Phone: 487-5240 ext. 180 • Fax: 487-5221

  Name:						Grade (Please circle): 9 10 11 12 Staff
                                                                                                                                                       Indicate building

  Homeroom section (write N/A if not a UAHS student) :
                                                                                                                                   Subscription $15              ($20 after Sept. 26)

  Address  *
               (all subscribers must complete):
                                                                                                                       Mail Home (optional $12) $
                                                                                                                       Staff Donation (optional) $
  Please circle one:
  		        cash		                   check (All checks payable to Arlingtonian. Please do not staple money to form.)                    TOTAL $
  *UAHS students and UA staff will receive their subscriptions via homeroom delivery. All other subscribers will receive their subscriptions via USPS.

ARLINGTONIAN                                                                         AUGUST 21, 2008                                                                                     3
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
FOCUS

    Some students’ desire for tattoos sparks controversy between adults, law
    By Jessica Banchefsky and sarah watson

                   ith a combination of             like it, it will grow back in three weeks,”      that [my parents] would decide where
                  nerves and exuberance,            he said. “A tattoo is forever.”                  I went.”
                 2008 UAHS graduate Kevin                                                                Jacobs agreed that referrals are
    Murray endures the prodding pain of a                                                            important to have.
    needle in order to get his first tattoo—        According to Jacobs, choosing                        “If you see someone’s tattoo, and
    without his parents’ permission. Now,       where to get a tattoo is one of the most it looks good and they had a good
    as he struggles to hide his new body        important steps. He stressed the need                experience, that helps a lot,” he said.
    art, he said he does not regret his         to visit multiple shops to get a feel for                Andy Keyes, a Health and P.E.
    decision in the least.                      the parlor, artists and their work.                  teacher at Hastings Middle School,
       “My [first] tattoo was a milestone at        “You should be really critical about             used a combination of background
    this point in my life,” he said. “I love it.”
                                                their work,” he said. “You have to talk              information and referrals to decide at
       Murray was one of the few students       to people about cleanliness issues and               which stores to get his 12 tattoos.
    brave enough to invest in a tattoo, but     find someone well-trained.”                              “First I did internet research—
    he is one of many who love the idea.            Marchese allowed her parents to                  this allows you to get background
    Despite Murray’s positive experiences,                                                           information,” he said. “For example,
    some students’ desire for a tattoo          It’s not like getting a haircut, where if all tattoo artists have to be licensed
    creates controversy between parents,                                                             by the state of Ohio, so you can find
    peers and the law.                          you don’t like it, it will grow back in              out if they are, and if they aren’t, you
                                                three weeks. A tattoo is forever.                    shouldn’t use them. It’s common sense.”
                                                                                                         According to plastic surgeon Dr.
       Like Murray, many students reach a               Professional tattoo artist James McMahon, there are also
    point where they crave a tattoo of their                                  Chris Jacobs health risks to consider when getting
    own, and senior Jen Marchese was no                                                              a tattoo.
    exception to this rule.                     select the shop.                                         “Tattoo parlors are supposed to be
       “I’m pretty impulsive when it comes          “They looked into it really well,”               regulated by the state, but there is always
    to that sort of thing. [Every] teenager     she said. “They called one of my dad’s               a risk of a skin infection,” he said.
    wants [a tattoo] growing up; the            friends who recently got a tattoo to                     Stores that do not fulfill these
    only difference is I actually followed      see where he went so that they knew it               requirements are dangerous to a
    through,” Marchese said.                    was safe. The one condition that had                 person’s health and safety, he said.
       However, junior Zach Kelch said he       to happen for me to get a tattoo was                     “Besides infection, there is also the
    does not have any desire                                                                                           risk of hepatitis or even
    to get a tattoo.                                                                                                   AIDS from a dirty
       “I wouldn’t want to               Tattoo Survey: Students share their views                                     needle,” he said.
    have one on my body                                                                                                   According to Jacobs,
                                          Do you have a tattoo?            Do you plan on getting a tattoo?
    for my whole life,” he                                                                                             the next important step is
    said. “I think it would be                                                                                         deciding what you want
    awkward to have it when                                                                                            as a tattoo. Keyes has a
    I’m 70.”                                                                                                           very distinct reason for
                                                     YES                          UNSURE
       According to                                  11%                                                               his tattoos.
                                                                                    16%
    professional tattoo artist                                                                                            “Tattoos have a long
    Chris Jacobs of the                                                                                                history in humans,” he
                                                                                                     NO 47%
    local tattoo parlor Fate                                                                                           said. “They have been
    Tattoos, it is important                                                                                           used to do everything
                                             NO 89%                              YES 38%
    for students to remember                                                                                           from identifying
    the commitment                                                                                                     family to warning
    required for a tattoo.                                                                                             others of confrontation
       “It’s not like getting a                                                                                        discipline. They can
    haircut, where if you don’t               source: Voluntary arlingtonian homeroom survey of 128 students, may 2008
                                                                                              Photo byAndrew Hedden
                                                                                                                       be used for symbolic

4                                                         AUGUST 21, 2008                                                   ARLINGTONIAN
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
FOCUS
reasons, too. Mine are used to identify
family.”
   Murray’s tattoo, a zombie, is
symbolic of his love of horror movies.
   “I spent my entire life loving horror
movies,” he said. “Because they have been
a part of my life for so long, I really love
the zombie and what it represents.”
   Marchese had a less detailed
motivation for her decision. She said
she did not have a real reason behind
her tattoo, a peace sign.
   “I just like the universal theme of
peace,” Marchese said.
   Jacobs said after these decisions
have been made, all that is left is a $50
deposit, paperwork, an appointment,
the tattoo and follow-up care.
   “After getting a tattoo, it is critical
to keep it clean and pay close attention
to how your body is acting in order to
avoid infection,” he said.

   According to the Ohio Department                                                                                                Photo by andrew hedden
of Health, it is necessary that a parent,      Josh Mackay, co-owner of Fat Lip Tattoo, tattoos a customers arm. Newly opened in May 2008, the parlor allows
guardian or custodian of an individual         custom tattoos for no additional charge.
under 18 years old appears in person at
the business at the time the procedure         a certificate of blood-born pathogens,                 which provides immediate results but
is performed.                                  infection control, and first aid. He                   may often cause scarring. The second
   Although Murray was over 18, his            added that each parlor must be                         option is laser treatments, which is
parents still disapproved of the idea of       approved by the Ohio Board of Health,                  extremely painful.
his tattoo.                                    but that does not necessarily make it a                   “Most people say it feels like a
   Marchese, who is 17, found herself          good shop.                                             rubber band snapping 5-10 times per
in a similar situation before getting             “Just because a shop is health board                second on a very small area of skin,”
her tattoo, but ultimately was able to         certified doesn’t mean it’s good,” he said.            McMahon said.
convince her parents.                          “The health board doesn’t require a lot of                However, according to Jacobs, not
    “At first [my parents] blatantly           things that we do [at Fate Tattoos].”                  many people regret the decision.
said no,” she said. “I asked them to                                                                     “Especially when you get a lot [of
seriously consider it rather than just                                                                tattoos], you remember that you got it at
saying no immediately.”                            One of the controversial aspects                   a certain point in your life,” he said.
   Although Kelch does not desire a            surrounding tattoos is the issue of                       Marchese does not think the removal
tattoo, he knows his parents’ stance on        whether a person will regret his or                    process would be worth the trouble.
the issue.                                     her decision later in life. Murray and                    “The scar I would get would be
   “I know they think that you need            Marchese both agreed they will not                     pretty unattractive. It’s a pretty painful
to think long and hard before you get          regret their tattoos.                                  process from what I’ve heard and I
one because it’s permanent,” he said.              “A lot of people think I am going to               don’t think I will ever regret it enough
   Keyes, a father of two, said he will        regret my tattoo because people regret                 to get it removed,” she said.
let his kids get tattoos if they want          a lot of things that are permanent,”                      Murray also realizes that his tattoos
them when they are old enough.                 Marchese said. “But since I made the                   are with him forever.
   “It would be silly for me to say            decision at this point in my life I think                  “Some of my f riends think I am
no to my kids when I have so many              I’ll be okay with it.”                                 going to regret it, but they’re the
[tattoos myself ],” he said.                       However, with today’s technology,                  kind of people who would never
   Aside from age laws, there are also         tattoos are not necessarily permanent.                 get one,” he said. “My f riends that
safety requirements that must be met.          According to McMahon, there are two                    would get [a tattoo] think it’s cool.
   According to Jacobs, specific               options. The first option is cutting the               [Getting a tattoo is] a personal
requirements for tattoo shops include          tattoo out and stitching the wound,                    thing—it’s fun.”

ARLINGTONIAN                                                    AUGUST 21, 2008                                                      Graphic by Aldo Corona
                                                                                                                    Photo Illustration by Gunnar Samuelson     5
                                                                                                                              Cover Photo by Andrew Hedder
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
ARTS

    Short North Shindigs
    North High Street events keep summer sizzling through September
    by leah johnston and kim weisenberger

                                                                                  O
                                                                                        n Aug. 23 the North Market will host a free, indoor
                                                                                        concert featuring the Shaw Brothers, a trio rock band
                                                                                        that will play a set of tunes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
                                                                                     In addition to the music, attendees are encouraged
                                                                                  to browse the large variety of stores. Everything from
                                                                                  fine foods, coffee, flowers, jewelry and clothes are
                                                                                  available at independently-owned businesses scattered
                                                                                  around the market.
                                                                                     If the shops do not impress, the kitchen on the second
     A musician plays his tuba                                                    floor will. The location is the set of The Columbus
     outside the North Market.
     Many performers showcase
                                                                                  Dispatch Kitchen on Channel 10. On the show, host
     their talents at the market.                                                 Robin Davis creates recipes and cooks food that is
                                                                                  available to the audience for tasting. Come for the music
                                                       Photo by hannah bills
                                                                                  and stay for the diverse atmosphere!

    E
         xperience a taste of Greek culture at the Greek
         Festival Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The festival will be held at
         the Greek Orthodox Church located on 555 N. High
    St. Activities will be from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday
    and Saturday, noon to midnight on Sunday and 11 a.m. to
    7 p.m. on Monday. For a mere $5 entrance fee attendees
    can sample authentic music, exciting games and great food.
        One of the most popular events at the Greek Festival
    is the authentic Greek dancing. Several members of the
    church and various high school students dress up in
    traditional Greek clothing and perform.                                                                  A group of dancers pose in their
        Visit the various exhibits and shops, and stop to enjoy                                              traditional Greek attire. The
    a piece of baklava. Don’t forget to tour the incredible                                                  dancers perform multiple times
    cathederal and soak in the Greek culture.This festival will                                              throughought the festival.
    have you yelling “Opa!”
                                                                                                             Photo courtesy katina Maisenbacher

                                                                         O
                                                                               n the first Saturday of every month the shops,
                                                                               galleries and restaurants of the Short North stay
                                                                               open late for some Columbus cosmopolitian fun. The
                                                                         September “Summer in the City” Gallery Hop will be held
                                                                         Sept. 6, beginning at 4 p.m., although many shops will
                                                                         be open prior to the event for early-bird shoppers. Retail
                                                                         shops will close at 10 p.m., but many restaurants stay open
                                                                         later for the late-night crowd.
                                                                            Take the opportunity to peruse the many events on
                                                                         High Street. Make sure to stop in the trendy galleries or
     One of the Short North’s most                                       urban boutiques that often host sales during the event.
     distinct features is the arches that                                Live music played on the streets completes the ambiance
     hang above the streets. At night,
     the arch’s colored lights illuminate                                for the occasion.
     the street below.                                                      If hunger becomes an issue from the shopping, eat at
                                                                         the Press Grill, a restaurant focused on making American
                                                                         classics, or Lemongrass, a mix of Thai and American
                                            Photo by hannah bills        cuisine. Do not miss this one-of-a-kind event!

6                                                     AUGUST 21, 2008                                                    ARLINGTONIAN
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
SPORTS

Cheerleader-in-Chief
Presidential visit inspires U.S. Olympians                                   Graphic by Brandon Sega

                             P
                                 erhaps the most popular              vacation soaking in the smog-filled Beijing air, think again.
                                 American thus far in the                 The busy agenda of the President is also filled with meetings
                                 Olympic games is not                 and speeches. Along with supporting our American athletes, Bush
                            someone many people would                 has had meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other
                            have expected. This person is             leaders of the country, and has attended church services where he
                            not breaking world records in             spoke about religious freedom—a very sensitive topic in China.
                            the “water cube,” competing for           He also has been speaking with Georgian President Mikhail
                            a second gold medal in beach              Saakashvili and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev to reiterate
                            volleyball, or leading the “redeem        the United States’ position of support for the country of Georgia.
                            team” to victory on the basketball            It would be easy for Bush to simply wish our Olympians well,
                            court. This unlikely American is          send them off to Beijing and wait to welcome them back home at the
                            our very own President George W.          White House. However, supporting them firsthand and personally
     BY Mitch Lex
                            Bush, who has received a workout          spending time with the many athletes offers them support and gives
comparable to our athletes while event-hopping in Beijing.            a sense of importance to their contribution to our country. Many use
   After arriving, Bush cheered on the U.S. Olympians during          the Olympics as an opportunity to exploit political agendas. They
the opening ceremonies with his wife Laura and his father,            protest, expose, boycott—whatever may grab the spotlight from those
former President George H.W. Bush. He then wasted no time             who are simply dedicated to the meaning of the Olympics. These
rushing to meet and greet just about every American team              athletes have been training for the past four years for this moment,
and athlete. He proceeded to spend the day watching Michael           and seeing our President acknowledge them is truly meaningful.
Phelps break yet another world record, getting a few spikes in             Maybe we can all take a break from picking political sides and
with undefeated volleyball duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri            follow our President’s example­by living the moments of these
Walsh, and even finding time to bike a section of the Olympic         games: the glory, the tears, the joy, the redemptions and the triumphs
course. For those of you who think our President is taking a          of giving it your all for something bigger than yourself.

Golden Futures
Two UAHS students compete at the Olympic swimming trials
BY lindsay Gardner

F
    rom June 29 through July 6 in Omaha, Neb., two students got a

                                                                                                                                           Graphic by Brandon Sega
    glimpse of the future to which they can work towards in 2012.
    Sophomore Abby Chin and senior Darcy Fishback swam at the
U.S. Olympic Trials to try to qualify for Olympic team.
   Chin and Fishback both fell short of qualifying for this year’s
Olympic games, but according to Fishback the trials are considered
by many U.S. swimmers to be more competitive than the Olympics.
   Chin qualified to compete for three events at the trials: the      experience of it all.”
women’s 100-meter butterfly, the 200-meter butterfly and the              Neither Chin nor Fishback said they expected to make
400-meter Individual Medley, while Fishback qualified in one          the Olympic team this year, but both hope to compete at the
event: the 100-meter butterfly.                                       Olympics in London in 2012.
   Chin said swimming at the trials was exciting, but her times           “I have a lot of swimming goals for the future,” Chin said.
did not represent her ability.                                        “Competing four years from now would be crazy, and right now I
   “My swims at trials weren’t necessarily my best swims,” Chin       just have to focus on the hard work in order to hopefully get there.”
said. “I got caught up in my surroundings, and how many people            Fishback said she thinks she has a good chance of making
were watching me swim.”                                               the team in 2012.
   It was exciting to compete against some of the top swimmers            “I’ll probably be at my peak during those Olympic games,”
in the world, Chin said.                                              Fishback said. “I have experience at the trials now so I can go in
   “I felt small at trials. I looked around and saw all these tall,   2012 and hopefully represent the United States in London.”
amazingly fit women and it [scared] me,” Chin said. “However,             Chin said, “I think not only my goal, but the team’s as well, is
going in so young, I had no expectations and could swim for the       to bring home another state championship.”

ARLINGTONIAN                                                 AUGUST 21, 2008                                                                                         7
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
VOICE

     New AP/IB policy causes Good vs. Evil:
     strain on students      Welcoming freshmen
                                                                                                                           O
      staff editorial                                                                                                        n behalf of the

      S
                                                                                                                             upperclassmen at UAHS, I
              cheduling has always been, for lack of better wording, a pain.
                                                                                                                             would like to welcome the
              Add the new stipulations for dropping an AP/IB class into the
                                                                                                                       class of 2012. All sophomores,
              mix, and even bigger problems can arise.
                                                                                                                       juniors and seniors know the
            The increased difficulty comes from a policy enacted by the school in
                                                                                                                       transition to the high school
      order to maintain the increased enrollment in AP/IB classes. According to the
                                                                                                                       can be either challenging
      new policy, in order to drop the class a student must attend it for a minimum
                                                                                                                       or great—hopefully both.
      of five days, as well as conference with the teacher and a counselor.
                                                                                                                       However, as upperclassmen we
            Although well meant, the policy
                                                                                                                       no longer need to worry about
      creates more problems than it solves. Although well meant,
                                                                                                                       all the stresses of the transition.
      It is always somewhat difficult for
      students to get into the classes they
                                                  the policy creates more                     By Jamie Arkin           Instead we get to enjoy
                                                  problems than it solves.                                           watching and participating in the
      want, especially for upperclassmen
                                                                                         transition of this year’s freshman class.
      who must fit in all of the graduation
                                                                                             Each of us must choose who we want to be: a “good”
      requirements and get into less-offered, higher-level classes. Now, students
                                                                                         upperclassman or an “evil” upperclassman. The good
      will have even more trouble, as the window of opportunity to get a space
                                                                                         upperclassman is one who will show a lost freshman to his
      in a class will shrink by an entire school week’s worth of waiting. Moreover,
                                                                                         next class or help her understand how LC passes work. The
      because of this policy, many students will find themselves frustrated with
                                                                                         evil upperclassman is one who will try to sell an elevator
      the fact that they have to potentially “waste” five whole days in a class they
                                                                                         pass to an ignorant freshman, hoping to make a quick $5, or
      have no intention of taking. The result is a domino effect, where the student
                                                                                         place a freshman in a trash can just for kicks. (Trust me, I
      ends up being a week behind in their studies for the class they actually do
                                                                                         have seen it happen.)
                                                                     intend to take.
                                                                                              This year, the freshmen will be on the lookout for which
                                                                          In addition,
                                                                                         upperclassmen will help and which ones they need to avoid.
                                                                     the policy
                                                                                         When trying to decide which category you will fall under, it
                                                                     creates a trying
                                                                                         is easy to fantasize about picking up a freshman and stuffing
                                                                     situation for
                                                                                         them in a trash can. The effects on that freshman would be a
                                                                     both the teacher
                                                                                         cause for laughter, and yes, it would make a great story to tell
                                                                     and student
                                                                                         your friends, but would it really be worth it? What happens
                                                                     over the “point”
                                                                                         to the freshmen this year will set the stage for their next
                                                                     of completing
                                                                                          ◈ years at the high school.
                                                                                         three
                                                                     summer
                                                                                             When I think back to my freshman year, I remember the
                                                                     assignments;
                                                                                         upperclassmen being unhelpful. Sure, I am thankful that I
                                                                     if the student
                                                                                         was not placed in trash cans or shoved into lockers, but I
                                                                     elects not to
                                                                                         also wish there had been older students willing to help.
                                                                     do the summer
                                                                                             In the end it seems best to have an even mix of good and
                                                                     work, they are
                                                                                         evil upperclassmen. The freshmen get the help they need
                            editorial cartoon by brandon sega        unprepared for
                                                                                         to survive in high school, but they also get pushed around
                                                                     that week of
                                                                                         just enough so they know their place. This ensures the
      class, yet if the student does do the work, unnecessary time has been spent
                                                                                         next freshman class will know some rumors about the high
      on a class that will never be completed.
                                                                                         school are true, and hopefully this knowledge will lower the
            The intentions of the policy are good: rather than be allowed to drop a
                                                                                         number of arrogant freshmen in the halls.
      class before even beginning, students are given the opportunity to overcome
                                                                                             Like the balances between yin and yang or good cop and
      the intimidation factor of a higher-level class and actually give it a try.
                                                                                         bad cop, it appears there must be a
      When put into practice, however, the policy falls short of helping students
                                                                                         balance between the helpful and the
      begin the school year smoothly. Due to the difficulties students may face
                                                                                         unhelpful for our school to function.
      this year from such a change, perhaps in the future the policy could be                                                             Have something to say?
                                                                                         It is cinema’s most overused cliché:
      modified for special circumstances or possibly even shorten the timeframe                                                    Email us at arlingtonians@yahoo.com
                                                                                         good vs. evil. As upperclassmen you
      for trying out a class. For now, however, it seems students and faculty alike                                                  or visit www.arlingtonian.com
                                                                                         must now decide: Which side will
      will just have to wait and see how it goes.
                                                                                         you take?

8                                                                      AUGUST 21, 2008                                                         ARLINGTONIAN
A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked A parent's nightmare: rising popularity of tattoos prompts some students to get inked
You can also read