Police Brutality

Imagine waking up everyday and checking to see if your dad made it home safely from his job. What would you do if people were attacking people you love? What if your father was putting his life in danger everyday to help complete strangers? My dad is a Wilmington Police Sergeant. Check the news and see what people are saying about police officers like my kind, generous dad. New York police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were killed in an ambush by a man who posted his frustrations with police on social media. This man was upset about police killing black men. The man who ambushed the two men based his ambush off of the few officers who have issues with blacks and he took it out on two innocent men. Some days my dad comes home devastated because maybe he saw someone pass away, or he saw some stranger in serious danger and he had to act upon it. My dad puts his own life on the line every single day to save us. They don’t understand what being a police officer entails and instead they listen to hate rumors around the internet. Although there are examples of police being racist to blacks, the brutality to police officers is uncalled for because officers are putting their lives in danger everyday, and then getting backlash for a small number of bad behaved police officers.  

   Statistics show in May, the Washington Post analyzed the 385 fatal police shootings in the United States that had occurred so far in 2015. The Post noted the number, which came out to two officer-involved shooting deaths per day. That was more than twice the rate that the government had recorded over the past decade. Police officers save lives. Does it not seem a little scary to you that police officers, for no real reason, are being killed with about two deaths a day. Most police officers, like my father, are good guys who just want to make a difference in the community, but are being punished for some of the racist officers the media portrays.

   Media has had a huge impact on society. Media shows a one-sided story. In this situation, the media only shows the police officers that are killing black people and showing “black lives matter.” What the media is not showing is the police officers that rescue somebody from maybe a car accident, or someone physically getting hurt. On Facebook there was a post that showed a police officer and young boy laying on the floor and says… “This little fella was having a rough morning and fell out on the floor. I saw his mother step back and look. She stated this is how he is expressing himself lately. I decided to get on his level and talk to him. He started to cry so I wiped his tears and told him it will be ok. As an adult sometimes all we want is one person to stop, get on our level and maybe wipe our tears. These children are entitled to bad days just as us, so give them that moment to bring it together.” This police officer could’ve walked away and left the little boy but he layed on the dirty floor and comforted him. The Media never recognizes the good in police officers, they always highlight the bad.

   Blue Lives Matter is an organization whose goal is to honor and recognize the actions of law enforcement in order to strengthen the public support. Blue Lives Matter is trying to make the public realize that the blame is going to the wrong side. Criminals are upset that they get caught for the bad they do to the world and they try to turn the blame. But really, if these criminals hadn’t done wrong they wouldn’t have to even deal with police officers in the first place.  On August 9 2014, Ferguson PD Officer Darren Wilson was doing his job as he stopped Michael Brown, who had just committed a robbery of a local convenience store. Brown attacked Officer Wilson in an aggravated assault. Officer Wilson was forced to defend his life by shooting Brown. Media has portrayed this as “Black lives matter” but really, this officer did not care about race, he was just trying to defend his life. People assumed the police officer was racist. They did not even look into if this person was armed or how bad he was acting upon the police officer. Blue lives matter is defending police officers to let them know that they do still have support from people and not everybody is hating on them.

   In conclusion, imagine saying goodbye to your father everyday and not knowing about tough situations he may encounter. As a teenager, having social media is scary because sometimes I see things about my dad’s job that I did not want to find out. Statistics have shown that police officers fatality is increasing more and more each year. Police are protecting our community from harm. Media is portraying police officers all the wrong way. Blue lives matter is trying to be a support system when police officers see the horrible words on the news and media. Police officers choose their job to help and make a difference in the world. Police brutality is getting worse everyday. They do not deserve brutality because of all the good things they do in the world.

Heroin Addiction: Can the Problem be Solved?

Matthew T B4 10/18/16
In today’s society the use of drugs, both legally and illegally obtained, has become an overwhelming problem in the U.S.  Heroin and opioid abuse has been dangerously increasing over the past decade.  This issue needs to be addressed immediately before the drugs are exposed to more people, and addiction continues to take more and more lives.  If the issue is not addressed, overdoses will continue to get worse, as currently opioid overdoses are the highest they've ever been in the U.S.  Opioid and heroin addiction are a scary problem because it can affect any age group or gender, causing there to be many different options for rehabilitation.  The heroin addiction crisis needs to be addressed immediately because addiction rates are skyrocketing, not enough is being done to stop it, and the number of overdoses will only get worse.

Heroin and opioid use has been rising recently due to an increase in smuggling  and the effects of doctors’ prescriptions.  One theory has been presented for the cause of the heroin epidemic is cultural transmission.  Cultural transmission is when one person in a community will try heroin, and then share the experience with others around them, and so on.  This is very dangerous due the fact that in just a matter of time whole neighborhoods could be addicted to heroin.  Neighborhoods could be getting their heroin through smugglers, once smugglers establish a successful smuggling route in an area, these routes become nearly impossible to remove. The strongest theory about the rise in heroin use is the surplus of opioid prescriptions given out by doctors.  Doctors were accused of overprescribing opioids such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, as a result doctors had to cut back on these prescriptions.  “The biggest theory is that the crackdown on prescription drugs, like Vicodin and OxyContin, were being over prescribed and as prescribers slowed down the prescriptions of these drugs, heroin use went up," addiction expert Scott Krakower.  If a patient’s opioid prescription is cancelled and they start to feel withdrawal symptoms, an easy solution would be to turn to heroin.  Although doctors were accused of overprescribing, it still happens, which makes it very easy for patients to abuse prescription opioids.  The heroin and opioid crisis will continue if these issues are not addressed soon.

The deaths due to heroin overdoses in my  home town of Wilmington, MA has quadrupled from 2012 - 2015, and has increased by 59% in Massachusetts since 2013.  This trend will not stop unless more forceful actions are taken to end the epidemic.  Police should start intervening and find the source of the heroin and end the distribution of the drug.  The methods being used now are a good start to the end of overdoses, such as the use of medication-assisted treatment, but it is not enough.  The ending of heroin and opioid overdoses should be a number one priority. Many states, towns, and governments are trying to put a stop to the epidemic in several different ways, such as providing knowledge and awareness about the issue, and offering more abuse treatment programs.  The federal government has started working with health care providers to ensure that patients prescribed opioids obtain the correct doses, and so patients don't abuse their prescription.  State governments have been making access to substance abuse treatments more available to those in need of it, and healthcare providers are using prescription drug monitoring programs.  New methods to prevent opioid overdoses are also being researched, such as the overdose antidote naloxone, which has already reversed thousands of overdose cases.  All of these methods to stop heroin and opioid abuse are a good start, but more I believe that more needs to be done.  

Stopping heroin and opioid overdoses should be a number one priority because not only can these drugs kill you, but they destroy your body and brain.  The abuse of opioids can lead to serious medical conditions such as a heart attacks or comas, and if abused by pregnant women the newborn child may be born with severe health complications.  heroin can be consumed in several different ways, but the most common and dangerous is injecting heroin.  Injecting heroin can lead to serious viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and bacterial infections in the heart, blood, and skin.  Heroin is also highly addictive, making it extremely difficult to cure if addicted.  Heroin overdoses can affect the amount of oxygen going into the brain, which can result in permanent brain damage.  The effects of heroin and opioids are a dangerous and destructive force that should never be messed with.  Due the destructive effects of opioids if abused, new medication should be invented to stop the use of opioids.  

The cease of heroin and opioid abuse cannot be stopped by just one person, state, or government.  This effort needs to be a nation wide movement to immediately end the consumption of these drugs.  One of the best ways to help end heroin and opioid abuse is to educate people about the problems and signs of heroin abuse, and to get drug abusers desperately needed help.  Thousands of lives are being lost every year to heroin and opioid overdoses, and this issue needs to be addressed, and stopped now.

Works Cited

Eohhs. "Current Statistics." Health and Human Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/stop-addiction/current-statistics.html>.

"Heroin Use in U.S. Reaches "alarming" 20-year High." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/heroin-use-in-u-s-reaches-alarming-20-year-high/>.

Https://www.facebook.com/NIDANIH. "America's Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). N.p., 14 May 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse>.

Https://www.facebook.com/NIDANIH. "Heroin." DrugFacts:. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin>.

Https://www.facebook.com/NIDANIH. "Overdose Death Rates." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). N.p., 10 Dec. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates>.

Moore, John. "Heroin and Prescription Opioids Form Especially Toxic Mix in Mass. - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 02 May 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/01/heroin-and-prescription-opioids-form-especially-toxic-mix-mass/WejrwoaMOjM1vQFD9ov2GK/story.html>.

"Today’s Heroin Epidemic." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 July 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/>.

No Child Left Behind?

Every year every child in public schools around the country take some kind of standardized test to evaluate our knowledge in math, English, and science. Students have to take these test each year for third grade till tenth grade. The scores students get in many schools determine whether or not you graduate high school or not. But are these test really valuable for students to take take every year? Since the passing of the act our ranking in science and math drastically changed, but they did not affect our ranking in English. The also only really measure a small portion of what can make education worthwhile.  These evaluations not only cause stress in many students and may also undermine their learning ability. In the past three years another type of standardized test has been implemented in many schools called PARCC, this test is very similar to other types of these test.Even Though students growth has improved since the passing of this act, the test students have to take have caused lackluster results and bad learning environments in schools.

To give background on No Child Left Behind, the act authorized a few federal education programs the are administered by the states themselves. When the law was passed in 2001 it required states to test students in math and reading in grade third through eight and students have to take it once in high school. In Massachusetts students first take the math and english MCAS in the third grade. They repeat this until eighth grade where they take science along with english and math. In most high schools in the state have their students take the MCAS in the tenth grade to determine if they are ready to graduate high school.  

The test have been proven to be very discriminatory to students that may not speak english and students with special needs. People who are not native english speakers have to take the tests before they have mastered the language. It  also make students with mental disabilities take the same test as regular students. These students receive few accommodations compared to usual ones they are given.

    It has been proven that many students experience stress when preparing or taking these test. Since the education system in this country have to now rely on standardized testing to compare student growth, it has caused teacher across the United States to focus more on the students being able to pass the test rather than slowly preparing students for them. The emphasis on external goals has created an unhealthy environment for students causing anxiety when taking any kind of test in school.

    Another downside to these tests is that it has forced teachers to have instruction time consist of mostly monotonous test prep. These test have forced teachers to only prepare students for test and provide little to no other instruction on other subjects. Teachers drill into students minds that they will never succeed in life if they do not pass this one test. It has been proven that teacher evaluations now include how their students do on the MCAS. Teachers whose students get “needs improvement and unsatisfactory” are placed on an improvement plan. And those teachers get unsatisfactory have one year to improve the scores from the bottom two to the top two categories which are “exemplary or proficient” or they will face possible removal.

Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002 the implementation of these test has not improved student achievement. As a county the United States slipped from eight teeth in the world in math, to thirty-first in the world. With a very comparable drop in our raking in science and technology. But the country had no change in our level of reading. In May of 2011 the national Research Council report found no evidence of that these test we were taking were working they way they wanted them to.

    Over the past fifteen years since these test were implemented they have done good for some, but the the cons out weigh the pros in this case.. These test have done little to improve student growth over the years. They test have forced teachers to teach specific things and not other subjects that may be more important than test taking skills. Though it may have improved since the No Child Left Behind Act was passed, but it does not excuse the fact that they have done nothing to help students. It has been proven that they cause stress and do not improve students learning and the teaching environment. 

Sources:

Websites:

Horowitz, Evan. "MCAS Results Are In. Are Our Students Learning? - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2016. <https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/19/mcas-results-are-are-our-students-learning/L8CKeMWFaOyTnr6QRCHJFI/story.html>.

Edelstein | , By Daniel. "Tests + Stress = Problems For Students - Brain Connection." Brain Connection. N.p., 12 July 2000. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/2000/07/12/tests-stress-problems-for-students/>.

"No Child Left Behind Act of 2001." ESEA. N.p., 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://www.k12.wa.us/esea/NCLB.aspx>.

Bernardo, Richie. "2016's States with the Best & Worst School Systems." WalletHub. N.p., 1 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-schools/5335/>.

By Mar. 2002, after a Surge in Testing and the Passing of NCLB, That Figure Dropped to 47%. "Standardized Tests - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., 31 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://standardizedtests.procon.org/>.

Photos:

McCormick, Cynthia. Mixed Bag with MCAS Scores. Digital image. Cape Cod Times. N.p., 20 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20140920/NEWS/409200327>.

Kluver, Carisa. Is Education Broken? The Problem with US Standardized Testing in Public Schools. Digital image. The Digital Media Diet. N.p., 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://digitalmediadiet.com/is-education-broken-the-problem-with-us-standardized-testing-in-public-schools/>.

Rise for Our Anthem

Home is where you live. It’s where you’ve had to work hard to build and create everlasting memories. You would feel hurt, almost violated, if anyone disrespected your home. When a person doesn’t stand for the one minute and fifty seven seconds it takes to sing our National Anthem, it's as if someone is disrespecting your home. The United States of America is our home. It has given us opportunity to live freely and speak out. Turning one’s back or taking a knee is inappropriate and uncivil for the singing of the National Anthem at anytime or anywhere.

    49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, is refusing to stand for the National Anthem during  his

games. That is when it became a controversial topic, and a discussion that many feel strongly about. He explained his reasoning for kneeling to the National Anthem to NFL media in an interview after the game “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color". He also mentions that he feels “selfish” about looking toward the flag. He says that people, particularly African Americans, are targeted and disrespected. He also mentions that they are being mistreated: “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Colin’s reasoning is not a good enough reason to disrespect your entire country, especially when he is an NFL player who is seen and watched by millions all over the country. The entire nation isn’t oppressing the African American race. There are far more many men and women who have died in war; or serving our country, that gives Colin Kaepernick the opportunity to be standing on a football field, to play the game he loves. Standing up for the National Anthem is a part of the pregame ceremony, which gives players time to honor the United States.

    Standing up for the National Anthem not only shows respect for your country, but shows respect for those who are serving and their families. The singing of the National Anthem should be a reminder of how lucky we are and should remind us of the men and women who risk their lives for you. If you were to take a look around in a football stadium I’m sure you would see a man or woman from either the air force, navy, army, or coast guard. Some of those men and women wish they could stand, but they physically cannot. They put themselves in front of harm’s way so that we can have or football fields, our hot dog stands, our souvenir shops and our football players. They bust theirs, for yours, so show them that we thank them and stand up for that one minute and fifty seven seconds.

Writer Bernie Linciocome, from the Chicago Tribune believes that the standing for the National Anthem is anyone's decision. He mentions in his article: “I recall feeling very uncomfortable standing for Deutschland Uber Alles when the world cup came to Soilder Field. I stood, out of courtesy, but probably more so because everyone else was standing.”. It is a song in remembrance of those who died for everyone else to live in this free country. It is a song to remind us of the liberties we have. The National Anthem is a song of pride and courage. It's not just a song, it's our beliefs and defeat that brought us to our freedom that we still have to this day.

Although many people may disagree and think that the National Anthem is something we have to 

stand for before a soccer game or before a match of some sport, it is truly time to take in and be 

grateful. Citizens Of the U.S may have their differences, but the singing of the National Anthem 

brings us together. Many put their right hand over their heart, and close their eyes as they take a step 

back from reality, and realize how lucky they are. Listening and singing the National Anthem is a 

 time to respect and stand, for those who can't. Respect your home, respect other people’s homes, 

respect this country and stand with pride for The National Anthem.

Citations:

Wyche, By Steve. "Colin Kaepernick Explains Why He Sat during National Anthem." NFL.com. NFL Reporter, 27 Aug. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Services, Tribune News. "Colin Kaepernick Kneels during National Anthem, Meets Green Beret before 49ers-Chargers Game." Chicagotribune.com. Contact Reporter, 02 Sept. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Lincicome, Bernie. "Whether You Stand for National Anthem or Not, Our Flag Is Still There." Chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune, 02 Sept. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Is the National Anthem Etiquette. 2016. National Constituion Center. Does the United States or Other Countries Compel National Anthem Etiquette? Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

@annkillion. "Is the National Anthem Even Necessary?" San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Aug. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Too Much Homework, Not Enough Free Time?
Cassidy Collins

Do you feel like you are doing hours of homework every night? You are not alone because many students kindergarten through college have the same issue. Homework has increased over the years and is causing arguments at home, at school and outside of school with kids. Studies from different sources show all the negative effects. On the other hand, teachers disagree and keep assignments coming. They feel it is productive and can provide extra practice for the students. Homework is causing an increasing amount of issues affecting families, causing stress and taking time away children outside of school with peers.

Homework has an impact on family life and what goes on in student’s households. For example, parents do not always know how to help children with their assignments. This causes a lot of arguments and fights between parents and the children, because the children want help and the parents cannot do that for them. Also, homework affects family routines. These routines manage time and help to ensure that a household runs smoothly. Examples of these routines are dinner time, bed time, and also reading time before bed. With the amounts of homework students get, they might have to stay up late hours in order to complete them. Also, they might have to skip dinner to finish that history essay that’s due the next morning. These routines are important for families because it makes sure the family members get to spend time together even with all of their other commitments, while it also helps kids socially and emotionally.  Reuters Health says “Preschoolers who sing, tell stories and eat dinner with their families tend  to be emotionally healthier and better adjusted socially than kids who don’t have such routines, a recent study has found”. Homework is affecting family routines and also causing arguments at home, along with a lot of stress.  

Studies from the Journal of Experimental Education prove how stress is mainly caused by homework in students. For example, studies show that two or more hours of homework is counterproductive. Also, 70% of students said they were often or always stressed over schoolwork, while less than 1% said homework wasn’t a stressor. 56% of students said homework is a prime stressor. These statistics show how homework is affecting kids and causing a lot of added pressure. 80% of students had a stress-related symptom and 44% said they had 3+ related symptoms of stress. Homework and the stress that comes with it also affects students sleep. Researchers in China have linked 2 or more hours of homework with sleep disruption. The large amount of homework given to students plays a large part of the stress they have and it also affects children’s lives outside of school.

For the younger kids, the increased amount of homework is affecting their lives outside of school. For example, homework is taking time away from being with friends. Kids feel they need to skip after school activities and family events to finish their homework. Social interaction with peers plays a critical role in brain development according to researchers at “Our Everyday Life”. Also, children gain valuable  social, conflict management and impulse control skills by spending time with other kids. Having more homework is causing kids to have less time playing with their peers, causing them to not develop these skills. Excessive amounts of homework is also decreasing opportunities for active learning. Being outside and seeing all types of things happen, kids will learn a lot more than they do sitting behind a paper and a pencil. Whether it is being out in the driveway, playing on the playground, playing kickball with the neighborhood friends or even taking a walk in the woods; kids learn learn a lot out with friends. This part of growing up is crucial and needs to happen because these young kids will have plenty of time in future years to be doing homework. The amount of homework younger students are assigned today has increased dramatically and it’s affecting a lot of young kids and their development.

The excessive amounts of homework that students of all ages are assigned, affects families, causes stress and affects children’s lives outside of school. Homework is affecting families by causing arguments and also disrupting daily routines. Also, homework causes stress and sleep deprivation, causing students to notice stress-related symptoms. Finally, homework is affecting young kids outside of school by decreasing their chance for active learning that they get by spending time with friends. The National Education Association supports a standard of ten minutes per grade level every night. This would make for ten minutes for 1st graders and two hours for high school seniors. This change needs to be made because the effects of homework are only getting worse, and we need them to get better.

Works Cited

"Kids with Family Routines More Emotionally, Socially Advanced." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 12 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

"What Negative Effects Does Homework Have on a Student's Social & Family Life?" Our Everyday Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Written by Sandra Levy | Published on August 11, 2016. "Is Too Much Homework Bad for Kids' Health?" Healthlines RSS News. N.p., 11 Aug. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

"Homework Could Have an Effect on Kids’ Health. Should Schools Ban It?"Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

@NEAToday. "The Great Homework Debate: What's Getting Lost in the Hype - NEA Today." NEA Today. N.p., 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

@thealtdaily. "The Negative Health Effects of Too Much Homework." The Alternative Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Sleep? What's That?

Have you ever looked around class during the day and notice that people are starting to look more and more like zombies? Do you ever find yourself almost asleep in a class that you really need to be focused in? Or you have fallen asleep while doing homework due the next day? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then welcome to the life of a high school student, where students are sleep deprived and can only catch up on sleep on school breaks. Although school hours seem like they would allow students to get the appropriate amount of sleep that is not always the when you factor in the normal time high schoolers go to sleep at, how much time spent after school and on weekends doing after school activities and the amount of homework they have to do.

“High Schoolers” and “going to bed early” are rarely ever used in the same sentence. Most of the time high school students tend to go to bed much later than younger children usually do.Children usually go to bed between the hours of 7:30 p.m and ten p.m whereas high school students go to bed between 9:30 p.m. to anywhere after eleven p.m. Even though high schoolers go to be at least two hours after children do high schools start over 2 hours before elementary schools do. This leads to students waking up before they are physically and mentally ready to, resulting in them being overly tired. Studies show that students do not retain any information until after nine a.m which is already a quarter through the school day at some schools. Students that do not get at least eight hours of sleep are more prone to getting mental illnesses and getting sick. According to William Dement, PhD, MD, and founder of the Stanford Sleep Disorders clinic “I think high school is the real danger spot in terms of sleep deprivation”, High schoolers do not always choose the time they go to sleep. In most occasions when they get the rare chance to go to sleep early, they are not ready to go to sleep yet.

It is not very often that high school students go home right after school or stay at home all day after school ends. In fact 79% of high school and middle school students participate in activities both after school and on weekends. Teachers, along with parents and other adults, encourage students to participate in these clubs, sports or other organizations. Seven out of ten students say that they are not home at least 3 days a week after school.  It is also recommended that young people get at least one hour of exercise a day to remain healthy but if they play a high school sport then they probably are going to get closer to two hours a day, which makes you even more tired. These activities are supposed to be fun for,  they help students release stress after a long day and they enjoy doing them, but you cannot forget about all that homework you still have to do when you get home and now you have two less hours to do it so your bedtime is looking like it might get pushed back a little bit.

High schoolers spend majority of their remaining time of the day doing homework. Students spend around seven hours a day in school and on average tend to leave school  with a half of school day worth of homework. On average, high school students usually receive over seventeen hours of homework a week. According to scientific studies some homework is beneficial and allows to students to apply what they learned in class that day but too much homework actually is said to ruin a student’s view of school. Also that some teachers may think that the homework they give students is the recommended amount but it  takes students even longer, on top of the many other classes homework they have to complete. Homework today is often considered busy work for students but after a seven hour school day plus after school activities plus making room for family and time to distress after the long day where does the time to do the three plus hours of homework come from?  There are only twenty-four hours in a day? Do high school students really need anything else to keep them busy?

If you were to ask a student at any high school how they felt, there is a very good chance the answer to that question would be “tired”. Even after getting out of school around 2 students just do not have enough hours in a day to complete everything  and still get 8 hours of sleep and be perfectly healthy and happy. Not getting enough sleep is a domino effect, you might not feel tired right away but by the end of that week the lack of sleep will have caught up and a two day weekend is not enough to catch up. Students need a later school start time, less homework or more time to do it students seem to be “punished” for participating in activities by losing time.

Estefania Maldonado. North Penn Zombies: Sleep Deprivation in the Student Population. Digital image. The Knight Crier. N.p., 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.knightcrier.org/student-life/2013/02/27/north-penn-zombies-sleep-deprivation-in-the-student-population/>.

Most US Middle and High Schools Start the Day Way to Early. Digital image. Www.cdc.gov. N.p., 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p0806-school-sleep.html>.

Richter, Ruthann. "Among Teens, Sleep Deprivation an Epidemic." News Center. N.p., 08 Oct. 1970. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/10/among-teens-sleep-deprivation-an-epidemic.html>.

Soluk, Andy. "Not Enough Time To Do Everything." ~ Teen College Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.teencollegeeducation.org/2009/12/not-enough-time.html>.

"Teens and Sleep." - National Sleep Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep>.

Stressing About School

Stress, a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. No matter how hard we try to avoid stress, it always seems to catch up with us. Some stress is good for the body but too much is crippling. Between the homework, classes, sports practices, and clubs that students participate in they don’t have much downtime to relax and destress. Stress in students have been linked to mental illnesses, physical injuries and a sense of pressure.

Stress in students can cause other mental illnesses. The illnesses can range from anxiety to depression or far worse. Even though some stress is good, students get too much of it. Stress in students has been connected to withdrawal, aggression, risky behavior and substance abuse. In response to stress, the brain releases dopamine which combats the stressful situations. Depending on the situation the dopamine release can vary which isn’t healthy. “Changes in dopamine levels are seen in schizophrenia, depression and other mental disorders.” Effects of high dopamine levels are being paranoid, suspicious personality, and withdrawal from social situations. Stress in students can mental illnesses.

Just like mental illnesses stress can cause physical harm. Physical stress is just as serious as mental stress. Some examples of physical stress are headaches, dry mouth, frequent illnesses (colds), panic attacks, and many more. “I’ve had to take a break from work for a while because I was so stressed,” says a stressful student of Wilmington Schools, “I’ve had upper shoulder pains and I even cried due to the amount of stress I was facing.” Even though stress battles with mental health, it is also a physical battle as well.

Stress can be more pressure than you think. Students have enough on their minds and then stress puts that extra pressure on them to be perfect.  “Students are put in a position of feeling they must not stop. They are not given a sense of support. They are put in an environment where they are not accepted for themselves but only for what they are going to achieve. All this builds stress.” The stress students feel about always having to be perfect to achieve the highest grade they can possibly get is taking a toll. So much pressure is put on them through their parents and through the idea of going to a good college to get a good job they become consumed by the stress. Even though they attempt to achieve that perfection, students don’t care if they have a stress beak down in the process. Students are put through pressure that is unfathomable.

Stress takes a physical, mental and emotional toll, but it is fixable. Students can take some breaks off from their work and maybe take a nap and go back to it later. They can take walks and move their body to reduce the stress that has built up. Also students should talk to their teachers about the stress they have been feeling lately, so the teacher will understand if the work is not completed or even if it is not their best work. Also schools could make the day less stressful by adding a free block so the students have more of a break. With a free period the students will be able to do whatever work they need to finish which will give them some time at home after school. Stress in students has been linked to mental and physical illnesses, and also is the sense of pressure, but it is fixable with a little effort.

By Chris Iliades, MD | Medically Reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH. "Stress May Trigger Mental Illness and Depression In Teens." EverydayHealth.com. 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

By Maintaining Good Eating Habits through Your Education and Training, You're More Likely to Continue on a Healthy Path throughout Your Career. Eat Five or Six Small Meals a Day, Drink Plenty of Water and Be Conscious of Choosing Whole Foods, with an Emphasis on Fresh Vegetables, Fruits and Whole Grains. "5 Tips to Deal With Nursing School Stress." NursingLink. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

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