Choose an issue of significance that you feel passionate about and persuade "your peers" (using pathos, ethos, or logos) with a strong, specific argument. Please offer facts to back up your opinion.
I feel that SAT scores should be demolished. Who is a test to tell you how smart you are? Maybe you had a bad day when you took or or maybe your not a good test taker. I feel that your four years in high school should be the only thing counted. Four years shows a lot more about someone then sitting in a hard test for four hours does. It is unfair that kids who slack off all through high school get into a great college because they have awesome SAT scores. Why should students like myself have to suffer and not get into schools because they are bad test takers? I think this test should really be reconsidered.
I think that the driving age should be kept the way it is as of right now. The idea of changing the legal driving age to 18 years old has been disscused. I don't feel that it is necessary to raise the age because, the law already keeps teenagers from driving legally before the age of 18 without having taken a Drivers Ed course. Most high school students are 18 at the begining or halfway through their senior year, it is would be unfair to keep them from driving to school. I feel as long as you have fulfilled the set amount of hours in the classroom and in the car that have been set by New York State you should be aloud to drive at 17. Since these rules for Drivers Ed courses have been created it shows that the state believes it only takes so many hours till someone is ready to drive on the road alone. There is also the road test that one must pass. If you pass this test it is obvious that are capable to drive but if you do not then you must take it again until you pass. There are many steps one must take to get their full license and if you can obtain it correctly at the age of 17 what is the difference between that and just being handed your license because you have turned 18 and can pass your road test without any defensive driving classes.
I feel that Smithtown East and Smithtown West should not have the same policies when it comes to certain school issues. We are two different schools with two campuses, two principals, and two student bodies. Each school has its benefits, but in easts cause we have more downfalls than anything. Why should we be penalized for what west doesn't have? Yes, we all lost two friends in a tragic car accident and it does look like they were rushing back to school, but in saint james we can get to the deli, eat and be back at school in 20 minutes. Why are our proms being changed, why can't east just do what everyone else has had for the past thousand years. Smithtown east seems to consistently draw the short stick.
I feel that college should be cheaper than it is now. the price of college is more than the price of living these days and if you end up not doing well, you just wasted 20,000+ dollars on something that was supposed to benifit you when it did the opposite. It stinks that some people can't afford it when they deserve the education and worked so hard for it. This is unfair and unreasonable because that one person that can't afford it could have maybe came up with the cure to a diesease or an end to world hunger and no job will ever care because that one person didn't go to college over not having money. I'm not saying it should be free but a change in the price could not only help the one person but help the world in the long run.
I wish our school had more school spirit. Coming from a cheerleaders perspective, spirit is key. Our school is considered cheap and scummy and there is no pride in anything that the school does. We are constantly being compared to Smithtown West when it comes to sports teams and drug use, but we never focus on school spirit. If spirit was increased in the school, administrators and teachers would get more involved and homecoming wouldn't be a mundane experience. There would be more to look forward to,and if everyone did get involved there would be more to homecoming. The problem with school spirit is that everyone just wants it to happen. We recently just had one of the best pep rallys in year due to hard work and rigorous planning. I want everyone to get involved and give back a little to a school that has givin everyone so much
I feel that the SAT's should not count as much when it comes to what colleges you can and can't get in to. If you are a bad test taker, or had a bad day, then it seems you aren't smart and can't get into good schools. Also, the SAT only tests certain subjects and if you aren't good in those certain areas then you are in trouble. The colleges should focus more on your GPA because that shows what you did in four years rather than just four hours.
What is the deal with the librarians? What did they do in some past life that makes them hate us so much now? So you have a period off and you want to do a little reading or go on the computer. All of a sudden, it is like you are going through immigration just to get past those ridiculous book detectors. It is almost comical how they go down the list yelling out peoples names like "Hey! So & So! Do you have a pass?!" Then you ask someone what the homework is and BAM "Stop yelling in the library!" Just to sit down in a quiet place is made impossible. A pain, just to go and read a magazine. It is like they don't want us there. What does that tell you about their views on education?
I don't understand why parents of young kids get so worked up in their games. Like youth soccer, or little league baseball. Parents get so into that they start yelling at anyone they can,e specially the referees. Most of the time the referees are teenagers and when a parent yells, your put in an odd spot because you want to tell them to be quiet, but you don't want to be disrespectful. Parents just need to lay off and let their kids have fun or their going to embarass their kids or ruin the fun.
i think that seniors need to be able to leave during there lunch periods. all the years before were aloud but because one person made a mistake the entire district got punished. west is also a lot more dangerous to leave because they have to go far to get to a food place. for east we have a long line of fast food resturants right around the cornor from us. we never even got the chance to prove ourselves they just asume that we are going to mess up. i really belive that we should be aloud to leave and prove that we are resonsible seniors.
Why is our school falling apart? Our school volleyball team cant even play at their school because the ceiling is falling down? Are you kiddin? They're probably the best team in this school and they are playing at their middle school. We have rust in our water, the walls are falling down, we probably abestos from 1940 raining down on us. We have roachs and other creatures living in this building and we also failed the health inspection. But hold on, we have SMARTBOARDS!
I believe that the minimum driving age for New York should stay the same. Although I am a full licensed driver I believe that changing the age to receive a full driver’s license is totally ridiculous. Most kids take drivers education to receive their license at age 17. If the minimum age was pushed back a year it would cause a huge problem. Kids that get their licenses now, are sometimes already half way through their senior year. If this was to be pushed off they would not be able to drive to college. How is that fair? What if someone does not have enough money to live on campus? They can’t drive to school. I believe that if you complete your requirement of completing drivers education then you should be allowed to receive your license at 17, as long as you pass your road test.
I think that guidance should put more effort in helping us with the college application process. There are tons of different deadlines, and different parts of the application which are sent in by different people, in different size envelopes, with a different amount of stamps, with different return addresses, due by different dates, sent to different locations. How are we expected NOT to get confused?! The logical resolution would be to see our guidance counselor, right? WRONG!!!! When we go to guidance, we should not feel like a "bother." We should feel like we are going to be able to get the GUIDANCE that we need. At the guidance office, I would expect that they would give that much? MAYBE IT'S JUST ME? Many schools have been working with their students since Day 1 of high school to get ready for the college process. Smithtown started a little after Day 1 of Senior year. Already feeling behind the game, I feel like I'm scrambling to complete all that needs to be completed, and doing it alone since the guidance office has done nothing but confuse me all the more. I went down to my guidance counselor the other week, asking if he could guide me and let me know if I was on the right path. Instead of giving me the time of day, (which I didn't think was too much to ask seeing that I had made an appointment in advance)he tended to another student's guidance counselor's letter of reference, 2 phonecalls, and another student who had came in without even knocking. Walking out of the office I was more confused than what I was when I had entered. I had not received guidance...I had received a cold shoulder. This is not acceptable. Under any conditions. The seniors are progressing through one of the most important time of their lives. In any other, normal school a person in this situation would be able to walk right up to their counselor and ask for some help, as it is a very complex process. However, in Smithtown East this is most, certainly NOT the case. At Smithtown East we are expected to rough it alone, and if we do something wrong than that problem is ours. In Smithtown East it is very rude of us to bother our busy counselors...they have much better things to do. At Smithtown East, things are nothing but a joke. Atleast now I see how it really is, and I know now to not even consult with my counselor anymore because I wouldn't want to be such a burden. OKAY!! Now I see.
I feel that all seniors to be eligible for a parking sticker. It is not fair to the seniors that have later birthdays or didn't have a car at the time stickers where being handed out. I know that i am not the only one who feels this way becuase there are many other students being forced to park on the streets. At east it is one of my only privileges as a senior to be able to park on campus. Why should my birthday being in late october keep me from getting a sticker becuase they "ran out"?
I hate the fact that every single website on the internet is blocked in our school. We're not 5 years old. Yeah maybe we get obsessed with facebook or sometimes computer games but what about those people who need to get to there emails or go to certain websites that aren't bad for school purposes but can't because it's blocked. I think that the block does more harm then it does good. It restricts learning instead of trying to prevent people from abusing. If people want to abuse there internet rights then restrict them from using the computer at the school but don't make the students who work hard suffer because so people can't handle something as simp[le as the internet.
I feel that the seniors should have more privliges than they have now. At the moment we don't have much that makes senior year exciting. Sure, we have senior banquet and prom, but what else is there? There's no open campus, there's no senior lounge, and now they've even made study halls in classrooms. Senior year is supposed to be the best year of high school, but the ridiculous amounts of rules and the lack of privliges are making it suck. I'm not saying we should be able to do whatever we want, because that's never going to happen, but a little bit of freedom would make this year a lot better.
I believe that gym should be an option for juniors and especially seniors. If you are in 11th or 12th grade and play a varsity sport you should not be obligated to take the course. First of all your already show that you are of some athletic ability by being on a varsity sport and second of all your getting excercise everyday at practice. Gym in my opinion is a waste of time, the class just ends up standing around doing nothing and its not really the gym teachers fault because they don't necessarily know if the kids are trying or not. And it's not like running the mile will get you in incredible shape. This period could be used for studying or doing work. It also makes it difficult because it is offered everyother day and it makes it tough on some of the sudents scheduals where as they might not be able to take certain classes.
I feel very strongly about SAT and ACT scores counting towards college admissions. These two tests are merely testing you on how you can take a test rather than on what you actually know or learned in high school. I almost feel like the emphasis placed on these tests paralyzes students because it gets them so worked up which in turn has a negative effect on their performance. Also, these tests are four hours long which to many students feels like an eternity. A lot of students have a hard time concentrating this long due to specific learning disorders. It isn't fair to judge them on the score of their test. I know for myself I didn't even come close to earning a score near my level of capability. My score reflects a student who doesn't care or even try hard. My grades, on the other hand, demonstrate who I am and what I have done in order to work hard and be successful. College needs to make SAT and ACT scores more optional in the admissions process because choosing students just based on their scores will yield an unsuccessful student body. Nobody should feel like they aren't good enough to be accepted into prestigious schools for this reason. This reason alone is a contributing factor to students losing self confidence. I definitely believe that standardized tests should be done away with because they don't give anyone a correct portrayal of a student.
I believe that the SAT scores should be demolished. I think that this test is very unnecessary and shouldn't be as stressful as people make it to be. One test can't tell you how smart you really are. There is a million reason why this test should be demolished or atleast less signifitcant. Someone could have had a bad day, didn't sleep or was very stressed out. I think instead of SATs, an interview with the school you want to enroll with would be more accurate and helpful. This test make kids stress and worry about this one test. It shouldn't have as much control over your future as it does now. Also a student like myself can just be a bad test taker and then they would have to be satifated with the school that chooses them just because thier SAT score wasn't as high as others.
I feel that our school should reconsider the policy of open campus. Because of a tragedy at west, we have lost that policy and I disagree with that. We should not be punished for an accident that happened to other people in another grade at another school. I think that we need to be given a chance. While I feel that this policy should be changed, I dont think that every person should be able to have this privilege. I think the students should have to have earned this right over the course of their high school years.
I don't understand why junior year feels just the same as senior year. As a senior, between 7:20 and 1:55, I don't feel any different. The senior "lounge" is a cafeteria with red walls and fake, hanging plants. Sure it is nicer now that leadership cleaned it up, but come on. I feel like I've been waiting 12 years to be a senior and now its not all that great. I'm sure this year will be a blast and I already have many memories and all, but that is no thanks to our senior status at East.
I think that the block on the schools internet should be taken off. People access whatever is on the internet from their home, so it's not like the school will be held responsible to whatever kids are exposed to these days. Email can't even be accessable, yet half the projects most english and other classes require is the use of email and other sites. Not to mention what if a project or paper is only allowed to be worked on during the day? You get limited information. Sometimes great sites are blocked just because of one thing that seems "innapropriate" which is stupid. And if you have a free period you should be allowed to go on whatever you want. I think it should be taken down it's not really fair and it's causing problems.
I believe that when filling out a college application you should not have to specify your race. What does it matter weather you are black or white? Why is it necessary for them to be aware of what racial ethnicity is attending there college. It is as if the college is racist, though they might not be a student applying may feel as if they check of the “Hispanic-Latino” box that they might not be accepted. They might think by hiding and checking off the box that say “White (Non Hispanic/Latino)” that they have a better chance at succeeding. It is unfortunate that a person has to feel pressured into lying about there culture because they feel that they wont get it. Even though it says “acceptance is not based on race” is that really true?
I feel that the school has no right to keep us locked up during our lunch and off periods. Due to a tragic accident that occured at smithtown high school west, we should not be striped of our right to an open campus. The school could even make an open campus a privilege allowing only seniors with a clean record and/or passing grades would be alloud in and out of the school.
All teachers know that their high school students have cell phones, and that they text while in class. Why not just allow cell phone use so we don't have to hide our phone when we text? The more we hid, the scarier the tohught of getting caught is, and the less we pay attention to the lesson. If teachers and schools let their students use cell phones, it is the student's choice on how they use this privelege. It really isn't like us students text 24/7. In school we text to ask our friends a question, maybe ask what our plans are for tonight or the weekend. Sure, cell phone use could affect the way students learn, but the school and teachers really shouldn't worry too much about that. They all say high school is where we learn to prepare for collge, but how are we supposed to prepare for college and prepare for the real world if we have to follow teachers' rules? If we can have the freedom of cell phone use, we can only blame ourselves for not doing well in school.
I think that SAT scores should not be weighted as much when you apply to a school. Suppose somebody was a bad test taker and got a bad score but they do well in school and deserve to go to the college they want. It seems that when colleges look at your application SAT scores are heavily weighted and everything else come first.
I do not understand the purpose of the SAT being so greatly weighted in the college application process. The SAT has been proven to not be testing intellect of a high school student. Infact the SAT no longer stands for scholastic apptitude test anymore bu stands for SAT since the it does not measure how much you know or how much you could know. Not only that but the only topics on the test is basic Math and English which has only been taught to us in middle school. The questions may seem like they are simple but when in fact they try to use random tricks to make the test harder. The SAT has nothing to do with what kind of material you will find in college rather your departure from middle school. Ryan Montvydas
I'm completely furiated with the way this district has been run. Instead of it being a "Central School District" it's treated like a home for juvenile deliquents. When have you EVER felt like you could do something, knowing you wouldnt get introuble. For God sakes we weren't even allowed to walk through our own schools COURTYARD, and they still have the doors intentionally locked to have students avoid walking through those doors. I in paticular, never go through the courtyard, but how stupid of a rule is that. We can't leave school grounds- why would we ever think that that would be possible when we can't even get feeling of the dirt against the soles of our rubber sneakers, from our very own courtyard. Another thing, how absolutely ridiculous is it that we get FIVE absences, and West gets TEN. OH, I forgot, west isn't as troubled as a school- But people like Michelle DiBartolo who confronted newsday about her case, went to Smithtown West High School. West has senior privledges like their senior lounge.. and we get what, new lockers? WAHOO. Let me mention that west has had those lockers for years, our whole school got new lockers, and where's our senior priveledge such as a lounge? ALSO- we have a school store, sick. But we couldn't heat things up, no we CAN'T microwave or make cookies anymore because of the fire; but west can, oh and they have softserve ice cream machines that also have milkshake makers, that doesnt involve HEAT, so why don't we have them? East is just a poser of West. They make it seem like they've really tried their hardest to do so much for our school, but meanwhile it doesnt even compare to things West has had completed for years. Yeah, i understand that we opened after West so those improvements were delayed- but its been five years now. Does it really take five years to put in lockers, NA, you did it in three months. Thumbs up administration. Don't even let me BEGIN on the grading system. HOw completely bogus are these new freaking rules. 3.6- A-, 3.5- B+. SICK! Lets just not try as hard to get an A, because you'll wind up looking like a B-Pluser. Lets keep going, because I'm on a roll. OUR PROM- LET ME GET STARTED. We have to go to a meeting with our parents, a MANDITORY meeting, or else we arent allowed to go. ALSO, Rumor has it, that our administration called up hamptons and montauks hotels telling them that they have to tell smithtown east kids they can't stay over there after prom. They made prom Memorial day weekend, so that if anyone screws up; they cant walk. F@#$ THIS SCHOOL.
Smithtown East should abolish the new so-called "grading system" with C-'s and A+'s and all that jazz. Minuses are completely idiotic in the first place, don't even get me started on those. If Smithtown wanted to change their grading system and give kids who slave over their work higher A's, they should've investigated giving numerical grades rather than adding more comfusing symbols. Despite a handful of people being happy about the new grading policy, I am quite enraged. It is now even more challenging to get a plus on your report card, which is one thing that keeps many students afloat during high school. The new grading policy is more negative than positive because seeing a minus next to a grade you may have worked hard for is discouraging. Students at East are frequently even more stressed about their grades under the new system's jurisdiction, which only leads to more trouble. They have to stress over whether or not they recieved a 77.8 or a 78, becuase the two are totally different grades, and will look completely different to colleges reviewing a student's transcript. While it is true that students who have very high achievement should be rewarded, under the numerical system there is no room for complaint because your grade is your grade and that's final without the confusion of a plus or minus...after all, you can't get a 98-.
Something needs to be done about the disparity between East and West. First, the administration should stop with this "One school Two campuses" business because it doesn't feel like one school to me. It just feels sort of like East and West are siblings and West is the favorite who always gets everything good and we're stuck here with no gym, no ceiling and other terrible conditions. Our parents are paying the same tax dollars as West's parents are, but it seems the only thing we have that's better than West's is our fire alarms. It feels almost more like a rivalry than anything else, honestly. Whenever West is mentioned here, everyone complains about how they have it so much better - and that's absolutely true. It's just unfair.
What is the deal with seniors not getting the schedules they asked for? If seniors want to leave early or come in late then let them do it if they get all their credits in! It's called a privlige... not a chance of good luck. It's bad enough that we don't have the senior lounge, have only five absences, get the dirt parking spots and lots, and more. To be a senior at Smithtown East does not mean anything special anymore after open campus was ripped out from underneath us... it just means to be the highest class, the oldest grade. Who cares when that's all there is to it? I think if enough people had a say then we could get back what is rightfully ours. Think about it... now we can use our cellphones bc we stood our ground and didn't stop. That proves we can get anything we want.
The woodlawn lot is a pitiful excuss for a parking lot. I don't see why I have to pay to have the transmission of my car ripped out everytime I go over the mountainous bumps to get into the lot from the street. Normally one pays for goods and services and that parking lot is service except to destroy my car, and i'm paying for it. After people complained about the potholes and they just filled them in with gravel and called it a good job.
I feel that every student should take some kind of public speaking or communcation class at least once in higschool. Due to instant messaging and text messesing so many kids forgot how to talk to people. A lot of the time when someone wants to communcate with someone, they do it through some form that doesn't actually envolve them talking to a person directly. I feel as if kids are forgetting how to properly speak becuase they are so use to talking through short forms of words. By taking a class, students will be able to learn a skill that can help them greatly to get a job when they are older.
I feel that you shouldn't have to pay to apply to colleges. Just to be considered for acceptance into a college it could cost anywhere from 40 to 100 dollars and if you are denied acceptance your investment was a waste. Also, on top of the charges to apply, you are charged to send your SAT and ACT scores. Usually, this costs ten dollars per college, and you end up paying to send something that is mandatory for each college. I feel that as long as you have to pay such high tuition rates, applying should be free.
I feel as though your SAT and ACT scores should no longer be used to determine your acceptance to a college. These tests do not show if you are a strong academic student, it only proves if you are a good "test taker". I think that your grade point average is the only thing that determines if you are a smart student. These grades show how you have preformed over your four years of highschool. It is extremly unfair that students who have lower grade point averages are getting into very competitive colleges and universities because of their test scores on the SAT and ACT. Many students like myself are suffering from this policy.
I feel that the SAT's should not be a requirement in the college application process. They only test your knowledge of math and english, not the broad range that we go to school for. Why should one test tell you how smart you are and whether or not you will get into a certain school? It is a hard test to take, not only because of the material but also because of the format. It is not formatted like any other test we have ever taken, and there are classes you can attend in order to understand the difficult format. Why should we have to pay for tutors and prep classes for a test that puts more stress on us than ny state regents? This test should not be requried and needs to be reconsidered.
37 comments:
I feel that SAT scores should be demolished. Who is a test to tell you how smart you are? Maybe you had a bad day when you took or or maybe your not a good test taker. I feel that your four years in high school should be the only thing counted. Four years shows a lot more about someone then sitting in a hard test for four hours does. It is unfair that kids who slack off all through high school get into a great college because they have awesome SAT scores. Why should students like myself have to suffer and not get into schools because they are bad test takers? I think this test should really be reconsidered.
I think that the driving age should be kept the way it is as of right now. The idea of changing the legal driving age to 18 years old has been disscused. I don't feel that it is necessary to raise the age because, the law already keeps teenagers from driving legally before the age of 18 without having taken a Drivers Ed course. Most high school students are 18 at the begining or halfway through their senior year, it is would be unfair to keep them from driving to school. I feel as long as you have fulfilled the set amount of hours in the classroom and in the car that have been set by New York State you should be aloud to drive at 17. Since these rules for Drivers Ed courses have been created it shows that the state believes it only takes so many hours till someone is ready to drive on the road alone. There is also the road test that one must pass. If you pass this test it is obvious that are capable to drive but if you do not then you must take it again until you pass. There are many steps one must take to get their full license and if you can obtain it correctly at the age of 17 what is the difference between that and just being handed your license because you have turned 18 and can pass your road test without any defensive driving classes.
I feel that Smithtown East and Smithtown West should not have the same policies when it comes to certain school issues. We are two different schools with two campuses, two principals, and two student bodies. Each school has its benefits, but in easts cause we have more downfalls than anything. Why should we be penalized for what west doesn't have? Yes, we all lost two friends in a tragic car accident and it does look like they were rushing back to school, but in saint james we can get to the deli, eat and be back at school in 20 minutes. Why are our proms being changed, why can't east just do what everyone else has had for the past thousand years. Smithtown east seems to consistently draw the short stick.
I feel that college should be cheaper than it is now. the price of college is more than the price of living these days and if you end up not doing well, you just wasted 20,000+ dollars on something that was supposed to benifit you when it did the opposite. It stinks that some people can't afford it when they deserve the education and worked so hard for it. This is unfair and unreasonable because that one person that can't afford it could have maybe came up with the cure to a diesease or an end to world hunger and no job will ever care because that one person didn't go to college over not having money. I'm not saying it should be free but a change in the price could not only help the one person but help the world in the long run.
I wish our school had more school spirit. Coming from a cheerleaders perspective, spirit is key. Our school is considered cheap and scummy and there is no pride in anything that the school does. We are constantly being compared to Smithtown West when it comes to sports teams and drug use, but we never focus on school spirit. If spirit was increased in the school, administrators and teachers would get more involved and homecoming wouldn't be a mundane experience. There would be more to look forward to,and if everyone did get involved there would be more to homecoming. The problem with school spirit is that everyone just wants it to happen. We recently just had one of the best pep rallys in year due to hard work and rigorous planning. I want everyone to get involved and give back a little to a school that has givin everyone so much
I feel that the SAT's should not count as much when it comes to what colleges you can and can't get in to. If you are a bad test taker, or had a bad day, then it seems you aren't smart and can't get into good schools. Also, the SAT only tests certain subjects and if you aren't good in those certain areas then you are in trouble. The colleges should focus more on your GPA because that shows what you did in four years rather than just four hours.
Stephen Pulaski Per. 2
What is the deal with the librarians? What did they do in some past life that makes them hate us so much now? So you have a period off and you want to do a little reading or go on the computer. All of a sudden, it is like you are going through immigration just to get past those ridiculous book detectors. It is almost comical how they go down the list yelling out peoples names like "Hey! So & So! Do you have a pass?!" Then you ask someone what the homework is and BAM "Stop yelling in the library!" Just to sit down in a quiet place is made impossible. A pain, just to go and read a magazine. It is like they don't want us there. What does that tell you about their views on education?
John Dodaro
I don't understand why parents of young kids get so worked up in their games. Like youth soccer, or little league baseball. Parents get so into that they start yelling at anyone they can,e specially the referees. Most of the time the referees are teenagers and when a parent yells, your put in an odd spot because you want to tell them to be quiet, but you don't want to be disrespectful. Parents just need to lay off and let their kids have fun or their going to embarass their kids or ruin the fun.
Chris Grenzig pd 2
i think that seniors need to be able to leave during there lunch periods. all the years before were aloud but because one person made a mistake the entire district got punished. west is also a lot more dangerous to leave because they have to go far to get to a food place. for east we have a long line of fast food resturants right around the cornor from us. we never even got the chance to prove ourselves they just asume that we are going to mess up. i really belive that we should be aloud to leave and prove that we are resonsible seniors.
Why is our school falling apart? Our school volleyball team cant even play at their school because the ceiling is falling down? Are you kiddin? They're probably the best team in this school and they are playing at their middle school. We have rust in our water, the walls are falling down, we probably abestos from 1940 raining down on us. We have roachs and other creatures living in this building and we also failed the health inspection. But hold on, we have SMARTBOARDS!
Chris McCormack Per. 2
I believe that the minimum driving age for New York should stay the same. Although I am a full licensed driver I believe that changing the age to receive a full driver’s license is totally ridiculous. Most kids take drivers education to receive their license at age 17. If the minimum age was pushed back a year it would cause a huge problem. Kids that get their licenses now, are sometimes already half way through their senior year. If this was to be pushed off they would not be able to drive to college. How is that fair? What if someone does not have enough money to live on campus? They can’t drive to school. I believe that if you complete your requirement of completing drivers education then you should be allowed to receive your license at 17, as long as you pass your road test.
Kevin Schlakman
Period 2
I think that guidance should put more effort in helping us with the college application process. There are tons of different deadlines, and different parts of the application which are sent in by different people, in different size envelopes, with a different amount of stamps, with different return addresses, due by different dates, sent to different locations. How are we expected NOT to get confused?! The logical resolution would be to see our guidance counselor, right? WRONG!!!! When we go to guidance, we should not feel like a "bother." We should feel like we are going to be able to get the GUIDANCE that we need. At the guidance office, I would expect that they would give that much? MAYBE IT'S JUST ME? Many schools have been working with their students since Day 1 of high school to get ready for the college process. Smithtown started a little after Day 1 of Senior year. Already feeling behind the game, I feel like I'm scrambling to complete all that needs to be completed, and doing it alone since the guidance office has done nothing but confuse me all the more. I went down to my guidance counselor the other week, asking if he could guide me and let me know if I was on the right path. Instead of giving me the time of day, (which I didn't think was too much to ask seeing that I had made an appointment in advance)he tended to another student's guidance counselor's letter of reference, 2 phonecalls, and another student who had came in without even knocking. Walking out of the office I was more confused than what I was when I had entered. I had not received guidance...I had received a cold shoulder. This is not acceptable. Under any conditions. The seniors are progressing through one of the most important time of their lives. In any other, normal school a person in this situation would be able to walk right up to their counselor and ask for some help, as it is a very complex process. However, in Smithtown East this is most, certainly NOT the case. At Smithtown East we are expected to rough it alone, and if we do something wrong than that problem is ours. In Smithtown East it is very rude of us to bother our busy counselors...they have much better things to do. At Smithtown East, things are nothing but a joke. Atleast now I see how it really is, and I know now to not even consult with my counselor anymore because I wouldn't want to be such a burden. OKAY!! Now I see.
Nicole S
Pd. 2
I feel that all seniors to be eligible for a parking sticker. It is not fair to the seniors that have later birthdays or didn't have a car at the time stickers where being handed out. I know that i am not the only one who feels this way becuase there are many other students being forced to park on the streets. At east it is one of my only privileges as a senior to be able to park on campus. Why should my birthday being in late october keep me from getting a sticker becuase they "ran out"?
Lauren Graff pd.2
I hate the fact that every single website on the internet is blocked in our school. We're not 5 years old. Yeah maybe we get obsessed with facebook or sometimes computer games but what about those people who need to get to there emails or go to certain websites that aren't bad for school purposes but can't because it's blocked. I think that the block does more harm then it does good. It restricts learning instead of trying to prevent people from abusing. If people want to abuse there internet rights then restrict them from using the computer at the school but don't make the students who work hard suffer because so people can't handle something as simp[le as the internet.
I feel that the seniors should have more privliges than they have now. At the moment we don't have much that makes senior year exciting. Sure, we have senior banquet and prom, but what else is there? There's no open campus, there's no senior lounge, and now they've even made study halls in classrooms. Senior year is supposed to be the best year of high school, but the ridiculous amounts of rules and the lack of privliges are making it suck. I'm not saying we should be able to do whatever we want, because that's never going to happen, but a little bit of freedom would make this year a lot better.
Diana Pacinello pd.8
I believe that gym should be an option for juniors and especially seniors. If you are in 11th or
12th grade and play a varsity sport you should not be obligated to take the course. First of all your already show that you are of some athletic ability by being on a varsity sport and second of all your getting excercise everyday at practice. Gym in my opinion is a waste of time, the class just ends up standing around doing nothing and its not really the gym teachers fault because they don't necessarily know if the kids are trying or not. And it's not like running the mile will get you in incredible shape. This period could be used for studying or doing work. It also makes it difficult because it is offered everyother day and it makes it tough on some of the sudents scheduals where as they might not be able to take certain classes.
I feel very strongly about SAT and ACT scores counting towards college admissions. These two tests are merely testing you on how you can take a test rather than on what you actually know or learned in high school. I almost feel like the emphasis placed on these tests paralyzes students because it gets them so worked up which in turn has a negative effect on their performance. Also, these tests are four hours long which to many students feels like an eternity. A lot of students have a hard time concentrating this long due to specific learning disorders. It isn't fair to judge them on the score of their test. I know for myself I didn't even come close to earning a score near my level of capability. My score reflects a student who doesn't care or even try hard. My grades, on the other hand, demonstrate who I am and what I have done in order to work hard and be successful. College needs to make SAT and ACT scores more optional in the admissions process because choosing students just based on their scores will yield an unsuccessful student body. Nobody should feel like they aren't good enough to be accepted into prestigious schools for this reason. This reason alone is a contributing factor to students losing self confidence. I definitely believe that standardized tests should be done away with because they don't give anyone a correct portrayal of a student.
Gabriella Sehne Period 8
I believe that the SAT scores should be demolished. I think that this test is very unnecessary and shouldn't be as stressful as people make it to be. One test can't tell you how smart you really are. There is a million reason why this test should be demolished or atleast less signifitcant. Someone could have had a bad day, didn't sleep or was very stressed out. I think instead of SATs, an interview with the school you want to enroll with would be more accurate and helpful. This test make kids stress and worry about this one test. It shouldn't have as much control over your future as it does now. Also a student like myself can just be a bad test taker and then they would have to be satifated with the school that chooses them just because thier SAT score wasn't as high as others.
Jackie Saggese
period 8
I feel that our school should reconsider the policy of open campus. Because of a tragedy at west, we have lost that policy and I disagree with that. We should not be punished for an accident that happened to other people in another grade at another school. I think that we need to be given a chance. While I feel that this policy should be changed, I dont think that every person should be able to have this privilege. I think the students should have to have earned this right over the course of their high school years.
Matt Scicchitano Per 8
I don't understand why junior year feels just the same as senior year. As a senior, between 7:20 and 1:55, I don't feel any different. The senior "lounge" is a cafeteria with red walls and fake, hanging plants. Sure it is nicer now that leadership cleaned it up, but come on. I feel like I've been waiting 12 years to be a senior and now its not all that great. I'm sure this year will be a blast and I already have many memories and all, but that is no thanks to our senior status at East.
I think that the block on the schools internet should be taken off. People access whatever is on the internet from their home, so it's not like the school will be held responsible to whatever kids are exposed to these days. Email can't even be accessable, yet half the projects most english and other classes require is the use of email and other sites. Not to mention what if a project or paper is only allowed to be worked on during the day? You get limited information. Sometimes great sites are blocked just because of one thing that seems "innapropriate" which is stupid. And if you have a free period you should be allowed to go on whatever you want. I think it should be taken down it's not really fair and it's causing problems.
I believe that when filling out a college application you should not have to specify your race. What does it matter weather you are black or white? Why is it necessary for them to be aware of what racial ethnicity is attending there college. It is as if the college is racist, though they might not be a student applying may feel as if they check of the “Hispanic-Latino” box that they might not be accepted. They might think by hiding and checking off the box that say “White (Non Hispanic/Latino)” that they have a better chance at succeeding. It is unfortunate that a person has to feel pressured into lying about there culture because they feel that they wont get it. Even though it says “acceptance is not based on race” is that really true?
I feel that the school has no right to keep us locked up during our lunch and off periods. Due to a tragic accident that occured at smithtown high school west, we should not be striped of our right to an open campus. The school could even make an open campus a privilege allowing only seniors with a clean record and/or passing grades would be alloud in and out of the school.
All teachers know that their high school students have cell phones, and that they text while in class. Why not just allow cell phone use so we don't have to hide our phone when we text? The more we hid, the scarier the tohught of getting caught is, and the less we pay attention to the lesson. If teachers and schools let their students use cell phones, it is the student's choice on how they use this privelege. It really isn't like us students text 24/7. In school we text to ask our friends a question, maybe ask what our plans are for tonight or the weekend. Sure, cell phone use could affect the way students learn, but the school and teachers really shouldn't worry too much about that. They all say high school is where we learn to prepare for collge, but how are we supposed to prepare for college and prepare for the real world if we have to follow teachers' rules? If we can have the freedom of cell phone use, we can only blame ourselves for not doing well in school.
I think that SAT scores should not be weighted as much when you apply to a school. Suppose somebody was a bad test taker and got a bad score but they do well in school and deserve to go to the college they want. It seems that when colleges look at your application SAT scores are heavily weighted and everything else come first.
I do not understand the purpose of the SAT being so greatly weighted in the college application process. The SAT has been proven to not be testing intellect of a high school student. Infact the SAT no longer stands for scholastic apptitude test anymore bu stands for SAT since the it does not measure how much you know or how much you could know. Not only that but the only topics on the test is basic Math and English which has only been taught to us in middle school. The questions may seem like they are simple but when in fact they try to use random tricks to make the test harder. The SAT has nothing to do with what kind of material you will find in college rather your departure from middle school.
Ryan Montvydas
I'm completely furiated with the way this district has been run. Instead of it being a "Central School District" it's treated like a home for juvenile deliquents. When have you EVER felt like you could do something, knowing you wouldnt get introuble. For God sakes we weren't even allowed to walk through our own schools COURTYARD, and they still have the doors intentionally locked to have students avoid walking through those doors. I in paticular, never go through the courtyard, but how stupid of a rule is that. We can't leave school grounds- why would we ever think that that would be possible when we can't even get feeling of the dirt against the soles of our rubber sneakers, from our very own courtyard. Another thing, how absolutely ridiculous is it that we get FIVE absences, and West gets TEN. OH, I forgot, west isn't as troubled as a school- But people like Michelle DiBartolo who confronted newsday about her case, went to Smithtown West High School. West has senior privledges like their senior lounge.. and we get what, new lockers? WAHOO. Let me mention that west has had those lockers for years, our whole school got new lockers, and where's our senior priveledge such as a lounge? ALSO- we have a school store, sick. But we couldn't heat things up, no we CAN'T microwave or make cookies anymore because of the fire; but west can, oh and they have softserve ice cream machines that also have milkshake makers, that doesnt involve HEAT, so why don't we have them? East is just a poser of West. They make it seem like they've really tried their hardest to do so much for our school, but meanwhile it doesnt even compare to things West has had completed for years. Yeah, i understand that we opened after West so those improvements were delayed- but its been five years now. Does it really take five years to put in lockers, NA, you did it in three months. Thumbs up administration. Don't even let me BEGIN on the grading system. HOw completely bogus are these new freaking rules. 3.6- A-, 3.5- B+. SICK! Lets just not try as hard to get an A, because you'll wind up looking like a B-Pluser. Lets keep going, because I'm on a roll. OUR PROM-
LET ME GET STARTED. We have to go to a meeting with our parents, a MANDITORY meeting, or else we arent allowed to go. ALSO, Rumor has it, that our administration called up hamptons and montauks hotels telling them that they have to tell smithtown east kids they can't stay over there after prom. They made prom Memorial day weekend, so that if anyone screws up; they cant walk. F@#$ THIS SCHOOL.
Smithtown East should abolish the new so-called "grading system" with C-'s and A+'s and all that jazz. Minuses are completely idiotic in the first place, don't even get me started on those. If Smithtown wanted to change their grading system and give kids who slave over their work higher A's, they should've investigated giving numerical grades rather than adding more comfusing symbols. Despite a handful of people being happy about the new grading policy, I am quite enraged. It is now even more challenging to get a plus on your report card, which is one thing that keeps many students afloat during high school. The new grading policy is more negative than positive because seeing a minus next to a grade you may have worked hard for is discouraging. Students at East are frequently even more stressed about their grades under the new system's jurisdiction, which only leads to more trouble. They have to stress over whether or not they recieved a 77.8 or a 78, becuase the two are totally different grades, and will look completely different to colleges reviewing a student's transcript. While it is true that students who have very high achievement should be rewarded, under the numerical system there is no room for complaint because your grade is your grade and that's final without the confusion of a plus or minus...after all, you can't get a 98-.
Shayna Williams, Period 8
Something needs to be done about the disparity between East and West. First, the administration should stop with this "One school Two campuses" business because it doesn't feel like one school to me. It just feels sort of like East and West are siblings and West is the favorite who always gets everything good and we're stuck here with no gym, no ceiling and other terrible conditions. Our parents are paying the same tax dollars as West's parents are, but it seems the only thing we have that's better than West's is our fire alarms. It feels almost more like a rivalry than anything else, honestly. Whenever West is mentioned here, everyone complains about how they have it so much better - and that's absolutely true. It's just unfair.
What is the deal with seniors not getting the schedules they asked for? If seniors want to leave early or come in late then let them do it if they get all their credits in! It's called a privlige... not a chance of good luck. It's bad enough that we don't have the senior lounge, have only five absences, get the dirt parking spots and lots, and more. To be a senior at Smithtown East does not mean anything special anymore after open campus was ripped out from underneath us... it just means to be the highest class, the oldest grade. Who cares when that's all there is to it? I think if enough people had a say then we could get back what is rightfully ours. Think about it... now we can use our cellphones bc we stood our ground and didn't stop. That proves we can get anything we want.
The woodlawn lot is a pitiful excuss for a parking lot. I don't see why I have to pay to have the transmission of my car ripped out everytime I go over the mountainous bumps to get into the lot from the street. Normally one pays for goods and services and that parking lot is service except to destroy my car, and i'm paying for it. After people complained about the potholes and they just filled them in with gravel and called it a good job.
I feel that every student should take some kind of public speaking or communcation class at least once in higschool. Due to instant messaging and text messesing so many kids forgot how to talk to people. A lot of the time when someone wants to communcate with someone, they do it through some form that doesn't actually envolve them talking to a person directly. I feel as if kids are forgetting how to properly speak becuase they are so use to talking through short forms of words. By taking a class, students will be able to learn a skill that can help them greatly to get a job when they are older.
I feel that you shouldn't have to pay to apply to colleges. Just to be considered for acceptance into a college it could cost anywhere from 40 to 100 dollars and if you are denied acceptance your investment was a waste. Also, on top of the charges to apply, you are charged to send your SAT and ACT scores. Usually, this costs ten dollars per college, and you end up paying to send something that is mandatory for each college. I feel that as long as you have to pay such high tuition rates, applying should be free.
julianne russo per. 8
I feel as though your SAT and ACT scores should no longer be used to determine your acceptance to a college. These tests do not show if you are a strong academic student, it only proves if you are a good "test taker". I think that your grade point average is the only thing that determines if you are a smart student. These grades show how you have preformed over your four years of highschool. It is extremly unfair that students who have lower grade point averages are getting into very competitive colleges and universities because of their test scores on the SAT and ACT. Many students like myself are suffering from this policy.
I feel that the SAT's should not be a requirement in the college application process. They only test your knowledge of math and english, not the broad range that we go to school for. Why should one test tell you how smart you are and whether or not you will get into a certain school? It is a hard test to take, not only because of the material but also because of the format. It is not formatted like any other test we have ever taken, and there are classes you can attend in order to understand the difficult format. Why should we have to pay for tutors and prep classes for a test that puts more stress on us than ny state regents? This test should not be requried and needs to be reconsidered.
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