Subliminal sexism still present
January 25, 2008
By: Rosemary Boeglin <rboeglin@hilite.org>
For anyone who knows her, there are no doubts my mother is a strong woman. My parents divorced when I was five, but my mom never let the lack of an adult male undermine the authority she holds. For this reason, it always astounds me how weak she seems to become around my Grandpa, her father.
It’s not just her, though. My aunt, a professor at Indiana University and single mother, also cowers in the presence of the 78-year-old patriarch. In addition, my Grandma (sassy and active for her age) submits to his every whim and request. As for his son, my Uncle Sam, not so much.
The point is, we still live in a patriarchal society where no one’s going to question the oldest male’s decision to ask my brothers what they’re doing in school while he merely says to me, “You look good, Rosemary.”
The relevancy of womens lib is questioned despite the estimated seven million anorexic women in the US, according to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health. The relevancy of womens lib is questioned despite Facebook’s decision to take a poll on the capability of a woman to be president of the United States (without the results being entirely clear cut on whether it could be done).
Sexism in the United States, although not as blatant as clitoral mutilation or social castigation, is as assimilated into popular culture as in the rest of the world. Efforts have been made by companies, such as Dove, to celebrate women at a normal and healthy body weight, but the social standards remain. Even if progress is made in the crusade to accept all body types, the pressure is hardly alleviated. Why are ads or campaigns for female bodies even necessary?
The gender Utopia, it seems, would be a society in which women are not told their bodies should be so thin, or so toned or even so “normal.” The Utopia would be women deciding for themselves how they’re comfortable with their bodies without the constant reminder their bodies, no matter their shape or size, are always being scrutinized and debated.
It’s only fair to say I’m lucky to be living in the United States where I am permitted to even write this article and can vote when I’m 18, etc. Although this is true, it’s hard to fight an unobvious battle against society. Drawing the line for what universal suffrage is much more clear than drawing the line for characteristic dating tradition. This is the reason womens lib is considered to many as an irrelevant cause, an extremely frustrating sentiment for cognizant and pro-active women.
I, with regret and some shame, admit that I don’t reprimand my Grandpa for only asking me to get him a drink while he talks to my brothers about politics. I justify it by saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. He will never respect me as an equal to my brothers, so what’s the point in causing conflict in his final stretch?” And in the end, the point is not to teach a few old men to get their own glass of wine, but to teach the growing youth that whether the chauvinism is obvious or not, it is still there. I can’t see the glass ceiling, but I can certainly feel it. Rosemary Boeglin is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at rboeglin@hilite.org.
Students must take precautions with valuables
January 25, 2008
By: HiLite Staff
Carmel is one of the safer areas in the county, if not in the state or possibly country. There’s a handy police force patrolling the streets and neighborhoods around the clock, officers in school in case of emergencies and what seems to be a peaceful and safe place to live any time of day. However, these realities can lull students into a false sense of security, and while Carmel High School still remains safe, students should still think twice before leaving valuables out in the open for anyone to snag, and should take precautions to prevent theft as well.
In the past few years, with iPods, cell phones and other valuable items becoming more portable and more expensive than ever, they have become one of the many targets of thefts throughout the school. It is certainly not a bad quality at all that Carmel students generally consider themselves safe enough to bring those items to a school so big, but the growing relevance of those items raise the possibility that those items could be stolen. Every time anything is left by itself, there is a possibility that anyone could just walk by and take it without anyone noticing until it is too late.
Certainly, this school does what it can to deter crime in all areas. Cameras hang around almost every corner, if not each corner, and hallway. But the cameras could be considered one of the culprits to the sense of security that students have. Cameras do not catch everything, and they sure can’t stop a crime or theft from happening. There are also no cameras in bathrooms, locker rooms, or classrooms either. While cameras can certainly help to identify and catch thieves, students should still do what they can to prevent those thefts from happening in the first place.
Overall, this school is generally extremely safe. The so-called “Carmel bubble” does, in fact, exist. Being in the “bubble” is better than having to go to school every day worrying about whether someone will get in a fight or having to wonder what will disappear. But even with the relative safety that this school provides, there are still people who are willing to risk their futures by stealing something to earn some easy money or to keep what they stole.
Students, therefore, should take precautions to keep their valuables safe. Keep them in your locker, and be careful if you share a locker; you never know who might open it. If you leave items in classrooms for lunch, make sure the teacher will stay behind or will lock the room until you return. Or, better yet, keep your valuables with you at all times to prevent others from stealing them if they are lying around somewhere. But even with all of the solutions above, the safest solution of all is still just to keep your valuables at home, even if that means a half-hour in class with no iPod to listen to or a few minutes before or after school without a text message or phone call.
When good goes bad
January 25, 2008
By: Mary Queisser <mqueisser@hilite.org>
US History teacher Will Ellery said he believes in “active learning,” where his students get out of their seats and get involved in the curriculum. Recently, he had his class participate in a tug-of-war activity, simulating the Spanish-American War “tug-of-war” over Cuba. But sometimes, students force teachers to exclude such activities from the class plan due to disruptive behavior.
“The reason you do those activities is to give the kids a hitching post to hitch their memories and concepts to and to give a broader vision,” Ellery said.
“There are times when you just forego those activities because when kids are disruptive and all they’re looking for is fun and trying to create it as something other than what your intention was, then you have to consider whether you really want to do that activity.”
However, the teacher still must teach the material to the class. “One of the ways we can learn is to have me standing in front of you and lecturing you the whole time, if that is the only way you seek to respond,” he said.
Senior Jamie Juang said she often sees students take advantage of teachers for cheap laughs. “It’s OK every once in a while, but if (students) do it too much it gets really annoying and we get nothing done,” she said.
Juang said that she tries not to get caught up in the problem and to ignore it.
Ellery said generally there are a few leaders who create a problem. “The big drawback is for the students who don’t want those kids. You do feel for those kids, but at the same time,
To correct the behavior of the problem students, Ellery said that he talks to them on the side and tries to make them understand that they can be leaders. “Leadership shows in one of two ways,” he said. “(It shows) either positively to do the right thing, or as the case in that destructive situation, negatively. He leads everyone in the wrong direction.”
These problem-causing students aren’t necessarily underclassmen, as age isn’t necessarily an indication of maturity. “That conclusion would draw to the idea that you can’t do any of that kind of active learning with kids as they are younger. So I don’t believe that’s true,” he said. “You may have a junior or a series of juniors who are more immature than a large group of freshman.”
However, Ellery said he believes in the value of an interactive classroom, but with limits. “If trying to do the activities is counter-productive, and you’re not achieving what you’re trying to do, then it’s not worth doing.”
Administration cracks down on rules
January 25, 2008
By: Sarah Sheafer <ssheafer@hilite.org>
From the first day of the school this year, senior Melanie Bracale noticed that something was different. No longer could she wear a tank top or walk outside of the school during passing periods. She even couldn’t walk in the hallways during SRT without being checked for a pass.
“I noticed that all aspects of school were stricter. In the past, teachers have never checked hall passes and now they actually look at them,” Bracale said.
Bracale is one of the many students here who said that she has noticed the changes. And students like Bracale now wonder if this new stricter enforcement of rules will remain consistent throughout the year or become more relaxed as spring approaches.
Administrative Assistant Doug Bird said that the rules are always tweaked and sometimes a more forceful manner is necessary. “The rules are re-evaluated each year. Our focus is always the safety of the students and staff,” he said.
Assistant Principal John Abell said that he believes that these rules will still remain just as strict as the beginning of the year. “We haven’t lessened our efforts regarding security but it’s difficult to keep a high profile on something like security every single day,” he said. “We try to do our best but it’s human nature to lose focus.”
In Bracale’s case, she said she fell victim to a stricter interpretation of the dress code rules. According to the Pathways, tank tops, even if they are not spaghetti strapped, are not allowed. Bracale said she was not aware of this. “We have never had a problem wearing tank tops and now we can’t even wear really thick (straps). It’s like junior high again,” Bracale said.
With the cold weather, the school hasn’t had as many problems with the dress code as the beginning of the year because of students covering up more. However, this might change when it starts to get warmer. Bracale said she hopes that the dress code will become more relaxed, but at the same time doubts it will happen.
Sophomore Ashley Schaefer said she wonders if stricter enforcement actually helps, particularly if there is a lack of consistency among teachers and administration. She said that she still sees students wandering in the hallways during SRT without a pass, but maybe not as much.
Bracale, too, said that some teachers don’t enforce all of the rules. “Some of my teachers don’t make us get hall sweeps because they think it’s stupid,” she said. Schaefer also said that not all of her teachers are strict with the rules. “Most teachers follow the rules but some are more laid back than others,” she said.
Bird said that the enforcement of rules varies between teachers. “Everybody, being a different person, will have a different force of emphasis (on the rules),” he said. “The students need to be aware of what the rules are. If the student is in compliance with the rules, they won’t have a problem with them.”
Abell said the rules are helping more with security than students think. “There is a significant difference.
Although some random students may go outside, those numbers have diminished significantly,” he said. “We did this to increase safety of students and staff. I don’t think there will be a relaxation of security any time in the near future.”
But even if these new rules do not become more strict, Bracale said she is unhappy with the current level of enforcement. “I just feel like the faculty is afraid of the students,” she said. “We are suspects before we do anything wrong. This is neither right nor fair. It has made school a really dreary place.”
Coming clean
January 25, 2008
By: Amy Flis <aflis@hilite.org>
It started with the single file lines in kindergarten, the tedious procession to the bathroom and the check to make sure every hand got washed. Juniors Evan Ackermann and Harrison Coleman both said they remember those good old days. Ackermann said he even remembers singing “Old McDonald” to make sure he washed his hands long enough. Now, he said, he just washes his hands as a habit.
“It’s like an instinct,” Coleman said. “Like whenever I walk into a classroom that has hand sanitizer, I usually use it. And also, I just wash my hands whenever I go to the bathroom.”
Good hygiene, especially washing hands, is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent any illness according to school nurse Carol Gelatt. Although the recent methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outbreaks did not touch this school, they raised questions about proper disease prevention, not just in regards to rare illnesses but to any illness.
For example, the wrestling team maintains high standards of cleanliness to prevent the spread of disease. Ackermann and Coleman both wrestle on the school team.
“(The coaches) told us about (the MRSA infections), but there were measures taken to make sure no one got it, so I felt pretty safe,” Ackermann said.
Wrestling coach Jeremy Stacy said that athletes must be especially careful about disease prevention. According to him, the mats get washed down twice a day. The wrestlers shower with antibacterial soap after every practice and every meet, take home clothes to wash after every practice and even use a cream between matches to prevent the spread of any disease in such a high-contact sport.
“We mentioned (MRSA) to make sure that they were aware of it,” Stacy said. “But we’ve always been into these preventative measures anyhow.”
Gelatt said she stresses prevention as the first step. She said the one of the best measures is to wash hands and be aware of cleanliness. “MRSA is a bacteria that’s been around for quite some time. The scary part of that is that it is resistant to some antibiotics, but not all antibiotics,” Gelatt said. “It’s really nothing to be fearful of if it’s treated properly.”
Ackermann said he has had ringworm, but it wasn’t connected to wrestling. According to him, the wrestling team is very clean. In fact, the team only had one pre-season case of ringworm this year and none during the season. Both Ackermann and Coleman said they weren’t worried about MRSA, but it did make them somewhat more conscious of hygiene.
“I think (the MRSA threat) changed my habits because I started just washing my hands more, but that’s actually the only change I had,” Coleman said.
“The only thing it’s really done is make the wrestling room colder this year,” Ackermann said. “They ventilate it real well now.”
In response to whether people should worry about future outbreaks of infectious diseases, Gelatt said, “No, I just think you need to be cognizant of good hygiene, basic sanitary precautions, especially with cold and flu season, to prevent viral infections as well.”
Soon the school will have friendly reminders to wash hands posted in all the restrooms thanks to the nurse’s office. “Hopefully everyone’s doing that already at the high school level, but it’s always nice to have that reminder,” Gelatt said. Especially with cold and flu season in full swing, Gelatt said the posters will be helpful.
Gelatt asked for art instructor Jonathan Kane’s assistance in designing the hand-washing posters. He said, “She’s always there with a Band-aid and a smile, so I was glad to help her out.” Kane also said that he believes the reminder to wash hands does have an impact.
“I hope people just read it and understand that it’s important to keep your hands clean because that’s how the germs are spread,” Kane said.
Ackermann said he also thinks the signs could help. “Hopefully if people see a sign up, they’ll feel kind of guilty about skipping washing their hands.”
Regarding the prevention of any disease, including MRSA, Kane said, “I imagine (hand-washing) is helpful there, too. I think that’s the purpose of these posters, to keep your hands clean, because you touch everything with your hands, and that’s how you spread infection, any infection.”
Coleman also said that washing hands is important because hands pick up diseases so easily, and that he makes sure to wash his hands.
Kane said, “If we can stop (the spread of disease) here, I think we can help out quite a bit. Don’t you?”
Counselors’ roles change
January 25, 2008
By: Lily Zhao <lzhao@hilite.org>
Recently, junior Elizabeth Frederick sat in the counseling center, waiting to see her counselor. It was the first time that Frederick had visited with her counselor, Stephanie Benson, since Nov. 28 of last year.
While some students here view their counselors as emotional and academic mentors, Frederick said she just visits her counselor for educational advice, with nothing emotional attached.
“I’m pretty comfortable here and I don’t really go see my counselor once or twice a week,” Frederick said. “While I certainly appreciate them being here, I usually just visit the counseling center when I have questions on my schedule or if I have college questions.”
According to counselor Rich Allen, former middle school counselor, counselors at the middle school level are seen as emotional coaches because in junior high, scheduling isn’t as stressful as it is here.
However, at the high school, he said that because of counselors’ busy schedules and due to students reaching a higher level of schooling, many students just feel no need to talk to their counselors. And that, Allen said, is pretty typical.
He said that that’s because most students are likely old enough to handle emotional problems and just see their counselors if they have questions about school-related issues. To Allen, he said that he and many other counselors are here to deal with the best of both worlds.
Of course, Benson said that although she would love to have that one-on-one time with most of her students, she said that she’s perfectly fine with those students who visit their counselors just for scheduling purposes, like Frederick.
“I would say that I am here for my students, whatever their individual needs might be. If I am ‘just’ a resource for academic or college questions, that’s fine, as long as that’s all the student needs from me,” Benson said.
For Frederick, that confidence carries across her household and school. She said that because she feels no strains in her personal life, she said that she feels no need to talk to Benson on a personal basis.
Frederick also said that seeing her counselor for little, tiny problems is complicated, due to counselors’ busy schedules and the time to write out a pass request, so she just consults with friends.
On the other hand, the school still offers resources for students with emotional crises, but in a different format.
Jane Wildman, student assistance coordinator, meets with students who have issues that they would like to express in private. She said that since she is also a social worker here, many counselors who do not have the time to see a particular student refer those students to her.
Wildman, unlike the other counselors in the department, has no scheduling responsibilities. Therefore, she has time to counsel these students. She also said that while students in junior high see their counselors more often, so do the high school counselors, just for different reasons.
Furthermore, according to Wildman, these counselors are all qualified to deal with personal problems, even if they seem like they are there just for scheduling and college concerns.
Fellow counselor Stephanie Payne said, “I wish I had the time to develop a better relationship with more of my students because I want them to come for me for help. I want students to know they have a counselor as a resource.”
Allen said that he agrees with the fact that most counselors, while qualified, still feel the need to want to visit students; but, “most students (at the high school level) are on autopilot,” he said.
However, Allen also said that “for students who need more guidance, that’s where (the counselors) come in. It feels like a victory, like winning the Super Bowl, when you see students with no confidence gain that confidence.”
Welcome to Hilite Online
Advertisement
