2018 – Page 5 – Teen Observer Archive

June 27, 2018June 28, 2018

Private high schools eliminating AP courses

High school and college students were split this week on the news that seven private high schools in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area will remove Advanced Placement courses, according to interviews and a Sidwell Friends administrator.

This month, Bryan Garman, head of school at Sidwell Friends, emailed parents to say AP classes would be removed by the 2023-2024 year because teachers believe the material limits what they can explore in their classes.

Olivia Choi, 17, a Sidwell Friends student, will have taken two Advanced Placement courses by the time she graduates and sat for four AP exams.

“Some places, AP equates to ‘advanced’ in which case, they can be great options for students who want to be challenged academically,” Choi said. “At Sidwell, however, that is not the case.”

Min Kim, 48, assistant principle and academic dean at Sidwell, explained the schoool believes teachers should teach beyond the topics that appear on the tests. The school will continue to offer the AP exams which allows students to continue talking the tests of their choice and may help some get college credit.

Unlike some other high schools, AP courses are not the only accelerated courses offered at Sidwell Friends. In fact, the school has numerous classes that are considered advanced but do not follow Advanced Placement curriculum.

Choi agreed with Sidwell Friends’ decision to end the AP program.

When asked about her feelings toward the removal of the AP courses she said, “students enroll at Sidwell for equality of teaching and highly involved instruction, and I think it’s worth sacrificing the ability to put ‘AP’ on a transcript.”

Adam Friedman, 17, talks about AP classes. Photo by Iseabail Kelley.

According to Kim, Sidwell Friends already encourages its students to take exams for subjects that are not offered as APs, such as English, history, and language. Choi believes removing all APs will be beneficial and result in a healthier state of mind for all students.

“I believe removing the option altogether and shifting emphasis away from testing will help to minimize that disparity in course offerings,” concluded Choi.

Other students including Adam Friedman, 17, who attends Woodrow Wilson High School, a public high school in Northwest Washington, D.C. and Najsha Satterwhite, 18, from Luke C. Moore High School, another public school, agree with the schools’ decision to end the program.

They both believe that despite the benefit of taking advanced courses, it is not worth the stress the exams put on students.

Although removing AP courses may be popular among some high school students, Jessy Cashman,19, a rising sophomore at American University, and Wakefield High School alum, is against the idea of removing the courses. Wakefield is a public high school located in Arlington, Virginia.

Cashman took four Advanced Placement exams, and she believes the AP courses are both helpful and important to take before beginning university. The AP courses help students “get out of a high school mentality,” she said.

On the other hand, Cashman experienced that AP courses can become a “number game,” meaning students become competitive with one another over the amount of APs each student takes, or the scores they receive.

Overall Cashman believes APs are beneficial, and that everyone should have the option, but students should remember that “school is not just about tests,” she finished.

June 27, 2018June 28, 2018

The pressure of hookup culture on young adults

Young adults in Washington, D.C. this month gave their opinions about what they say is increased pressure in recent years to hookup without emotions or strings attached, adding that communication by text message adds to that culture.

Amy Zahn, 24, said she has never been pressured into hooking up and defines it as meeting someone and having casual sex where no emotions are involved.

“It’s important to have no expectations of it developing into anything further,” Zahn said.

The American Psychological Association writes that, “Hookups are becoming more ingrained in popular culture, reflecting both evolved sexual predilections and changing social and sexual scripts.”

It continued, “These encounters often transpire without any promise of — or desire for — a more traditional romantic relationship.”

Emily Richter, 22, who defines the word “hookup” as meeting someone and having sex with them, without any strings attached. She believes that technology is a big part of hookup culture in which “hanging out” is used more than “going on a date.”

And although there’s the pressure of having no emotions, Richter says that “people leave more strings attached then they assume.”

And although hookups many agreed can tarnish a woman’s reputation more than a man’s many feel the pressure to hookup with an individual who is widely-viewed as classically “handsome or “beautiful” from their friends’ perspectives. And as a result of the perceived effect a hookup may have it mostly affects the individual’s “status” and, by extension their friends.

An example of a motivation to hookup which was illustrated by The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University that included “118 female first-semester students, 56 percent perceived attractiveness of the partner.”

Richter believes that men are pressured by expectations set upon them to to find someone that is seen as attractive by collective agreement.

“It’s very crowd sourced,” Richter said.

June 27, 2018June 28, 2018

Internet privacy reactions mixed after big data breaches

A man checks his phone at American University’s campus on Thursday, June 21. Photo by Nathaniel Giallanza.

Washington, D.C. residents and students offered this week mixed reactions about their internet privacy concerns in the wake of a high-profile data breach involving Facebook.

Ashley Kratz, 21, and Erika Heddesheimer, 20, walked through the American University campus on Wednesday, and both noted privacy isn’t on their radar.

“I’d only be concerned if my address got leaked,” Kratz said.

Both women described themselves as active web users who utilize the Internet for internship work and to browse social media.

When it comes to how comfortable they are sharing personal information, both say that they are satisfied sharing personal details like daily “life updates” on sites such as Instagram.

Experts say many people share their attitudes and behavior.

According to the Pew Research Center in its study dealing with online trust, the more people integrate technology into their lives, the more they will trust it with their personal information. The study continued saying people behave differently depending on the context of how they’re using the Internet.

Those interviewed this week mirrored that finding saying they use the Internet differently and that matters for their trust in it depending on whether they’re at work or using it for personal reasons like shopping or social media.

Kratz recounted that she felt most unsafe on the Internet when she was younger, saying that she and her friends used to use the online chatroom Omegle where older men would inappropriately reveal themselves.

That was years ago, but today they feel like issues online are more avoidable.

Their reaction to the recent data breaches of Facebook and internet service providers such as Rogers is nominal. They believed their personal data was not at risk, they have no reason to be afraid.

Experts presenting at a San Diego conference in 2010 wrote that even a long and complicated password can help protect privacy.

In terms of password strength, Heddesheimer and Kratz said that they put minimal effort into the intricacy of their passwords by using the same general string of characters with minor variations on each site.

Mckim Jean-Pierre, 20, responded differently to the subject of internet privacy, because she was impacted by a data breach and as a Canadian resident was aware of the Rogers case in that country.

She states that she uses the internet once every forty-five minutes and social media three hours out of every day, and noted she has a different “very strong” password for her favorite sites.

While she said she feels relatively safe on the internet, she is always cautious with revealing too much information.

Nancy White, 70, who lives in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., uses the internet much less than the American University students down the street. She logs on to sort out her finances and for her work on the school board. She says she is more hesitant to save passwords for commercial use when shopping or for leisure purposes.

White also says that she has not suffered from the recent Facebook data breach due to her lack of usage of the site.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a data breach,” White said. “It’s as secure as it could be.”

June 27, 2018

For some, campus blue light emergency phones add to sense of security

Passersby shared this week their differing opinions on the relevance of the dozens of blue light emergency phones around the American University campus.

Nearly five dozen of the emergency phones dot the campus in Northwest Washington, D.C., according to Chelsey Rawles, 24, a dispatcher at the American University Public Safety office.

Known as “Talk-a-Phones” to campus safety, they are equipped with a GPS location that shows exactly where the caller is on campus to ensure a quick response, according to Rawles.

Candra Reeves, 30, who said she attended the University of Georgia, recalled that campus had the emergency phones, but they’ve since been removed, according to the University of Georgia police department’s website. As of April 2014, they had been removed and the police department on the Athens, Georgia campus cited the growing ubiquity of mobile phones that could be used as an alternative to the emergency phone boxes.

Reeves gets that logic.

“If I’m in danger, that’s not my first thought, to find a blue phone,” Reeves said. Instead she said she thinks to find her cell phone.

But, others disagreed, arguing that Talk-a-Phones may still provide important safety measures.

Rawles estimates that the office receives calls from the Talk-a-Phones no more than a couple of times a month. Rawles was uncertain if there was ever an explanation about the Talk-a-Phones and how to use them, but thought it probable that the phones were explained at an orientation of some sort.

When asked if Rawles thought the Talk-a-Phones made American’s campus safer despite the low frequency of calls, her response was immediate. Rawles was extremely supportive of the Talk-a-Phones, referencing their GPS feature as an important part of the safety they ensured.

“I think they make it safer because it shows exact location,” Rawles said.

The GPS feature on the Talk-a-Phones helps security or police who respond to the call locate the person quickly. Rawles said that it takes only a few minutes at most for a security member to reach the position of the Talk-a-Phone being used.

Kenneth Ferguson, 47, attended Clark University and worked as a student security officer.

Ferguson agreed with Rawles that the Talk-a-Phones are still helpful to ensure safety on college campuses. According to Ferguson, Clark University also had a similar security measure. However, at the time of his attendance, the phones were red instead of blue.

Ferguson recalled that the emergency phones at Clark also provided students with an escort to their destination. When people at Clark used the phones, it was most often to call for a ride rather than to call for help due to a threat, he remembered.

While Ferguson had never used a phone himself, he was adamant about the Talk-a-Phone’s importance.

“It’s always better to have something and not use it, than not have something,” Ferguson said.

June 27, 2018

Collaborative teaching or a quiet place alone? Students debate learning environment

A woman studies at the Bender Library’s quiet floor at American University’s campus on Thursday, June 21. Research shows learning environment may be an important piece of academics. Photo by Iseabail Kelley.

Washington, D.C. students provided insights this summer on where they prefer to study and how they like to learn, as Vanderbilt University researchers examined the effectiveness of a new collaborative learning style.

Students find different environments most fitting for their study preferences.

Some students prefer working alone in the library. Others said this week they favor working in their room.

Joshua Dantzler, a sophomore at American University, explained that he is most productive in a quiet place. His approach to his Political Science workload is similar to other American University students, touching upon assignments every Sunday and continuing to work throughout the week. Dantzler typically does his work alone in the library, away from friends and other distractions.

“I can’t even work with music now,” Dantzler said. “Most of the time I have to turn the music off.”

Yet, every person is different.

John Tam, 21, an American senior, finds himself to be most productive in a comfortable setting.

“I prefer to have a window, just to see nature or to take a break from now and then and just go outside, get some fresh air,” Tam said. “I just really hate to be stuffed in and just think about work.”

Although older university students find themselves most productive while working independently, innovations in learning environments are changing the way younger students gather information.

New types of educational approaches, such as collaborate learning styles, are becoming increasingly popular among high schools around the globe.

Active learning is a style in which students collaborate “to construct knowledge and understanding.” It achieves “a higher order of thinking” that students would be unable to reach if working alone, according to Cynthia J. Brame of Vanderbilt University.

But, for Adam Friedman, 17, a Woodrow Wilson High School senior, collaborative learning is not as beneficial as studies have shown.

Friedman characterized himself as an introvert, thus making group projects frustrating.

“A lot of times you just go in opposite directions and don’t get anything done,” said Friedman about group work.

June 26, 2018June 27, 2018

Celebrity influence powerful for some people’s politics

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Many teenagers and adults studying or working at American University this summer believe that celebrities have significant influence in shaping people’s political views, although research shows many young people are influenced by factors outside of star power.

Social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat have propelled celebrities’ status and many are opting to share their views on topics including immigration, elections, drug offenses and the prison system.

People like 16-year-old Nei Boney are paying attention.

“If it’s somebody I respect, I will consider their opinions,” said Boney, who considers herself a frequent social media user.

Boney, who said she uses social media frequently, often finds herself pinpointing celebrities’ talents like acting or photography before looking at the politics. Jaden Smith and Cole Sprouse make her list as influential.

This month, model Chrissy Teigen and singer husband John Legend used the social media platform Twitter to encourage fans to donate money to the American Civil Liberties Union to fight President Donald Trump’s new immigration policy separating children and families at the border.

The celebrity couple donated $72,000 for each member of their family in honor of Trump’s 72nd birthday, and urged followers to give what they could whether that was $7.20 or $720. That started a social media firestorm. It was retweeted 94,000 times and liked 414,000 times as of Tuesday.

On June 16, Teigen tweeted stating that 20,000 people had donated to the ACLU, raising more than $1 million.

twitter teigen — Chrissy Teigen tweeted on June 14 urging people to donate to the ACLU.

Teigen, Legend, Smith, and Sprouse are just some of the names that make a political splash on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

People like Boney listen to celebrities because they respect them, while other’s like Marie Rose Belding, 22, respect people based on their policies and characteristics rather than just their fame.

“They need the brains to back it up,” Belding said.

Cory Booker, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton were just some of the people she found herself often looking at when scrolling through Twitter. She stated these people needed to be “well rounded.”

Kim Kardashian West, who often uses her social media platforms to discuss her television show or items she’s promoting, successfully advocated for the prison release of 63-year-old great grandmother Alice Marie Johnson, according to West’s website.

West retweeted in October information about Johnson’s incarceration, saying “This is so unfair.”

That tweet was liked 30,652 times and retweeted 6,383 times as of Tuesday.

When discussing Johnson’s prison release Belding said she found it wonderful that a powerful celebrity such as West could use her influence in a beneficial way.

Research from Valerie R O’Regan, of California State University, concluded: “The research finds that young adults are more likely to listen to individuals other than celebrities for their own political information.”

Sara Beightol often finds herself gravitating towards people on her social media accounts who agree with her values. These people include two powerful Christian pastors: John Piper and Jonathan Leeman.

Others like Beightol, 26, and Jasmine Ellison, 20, fear the power celebrities have in the political world.

“That’s scary,” Beightol said. “That Kim Kardashian West has that much power.”

June 26, 2018

Genetically modified babies. Would you do it?

People interviewed in Washington, D.C. this week all agreed they wouldn’t genetically modify human embryos or sperm cells, noting they believe in the science to cure disorders but disagree that it should be used to enhance newborns’ features.

The technology might not be that far away.

Cathy Baker, 23, majoring in literature at American University, said “that’s scary” when she was told about the possibility of designing babies. She feared that it could lead to a revival of the eugenics programs like those done by the Nazis.

“You start valuing people based off the traits they have, and not their for their inherit worth as human beings,” Baker said.

There has been a lot of progress in the gene editing field in recent years.

In the 2018 book Beyond Bioethics: Toward a New Biopolitics, Eric S. Lander explained that scientists currently have been able to remove mutations and prevent genetic disorders, and a more distant frontier will be programming babies, giving them certain traits we desire, such as making them smarter, prettier and stronger.

DNA strands, from www.flickr.com, creativecommons.org

As programming babies is becoming more of a realistic possibility in the future, gene editing has become a controversial topic in the recent years.

Derik Siegel, 28, a former sociology student at American University, commented on the issue. He noted that, “science and technology is not inherently good or bad, but it depends on the way it is used,” continuing that “there are are lot of ethics that go into it.”

Winston Kang, an American University student, worries that the technology may be available only to the rich due to its expense.

“Rich people can do this and poor people can’t do that,” Kang said. “And there will be more political issues from there on.”

Intan Fadzullah, 39, a father of two, challenges the morality of changing the environment our self included, saying that we would be too “god-like” defying the natural order of the world.

Despite all this, Tim Nicholls, who describes himself as an entrepreneur, creative designer, traveler, professor and writer, believes science should be helpful to people all around the world in the cure for diseases and therefore should be allowed to advance with some precautions. He’s had a number of surgeries he credits with his own health.

“I wouldn’t be here without science,” Nicholls said.

This technology seems to meet problems with the law in many countries.

In fact, according to the statistics collected by Motoko Araki and Tetsuya Ishii, out of all the developed countries surveyed, in a majority of them such as Italy, France and England, human gene modification is not yet trusted and banned by law.

Other countries such as the U.S. have restrictions on this technology, while the remaining surveyed are ambiguous or have guidelines that can or can’t be followed.

There are many different opinions on this topic, but out of all the interviews, one thing seems absolutely clear: everyone believes that humans shouldn’t tamper with the DNA as it is not natural and might cause problems in the future that we can’t account for now.

June 26, 2018

Social media can influence self esteem

Students shared on Wednesday their views on social media and its effects on mental health and self esteem at American University in Washington, D.C., with many saying they see the negative effects but refuse to give up their phone.

It is very unlikely to find a millennial who isn’t glued to their cell phone, scanning their screen. Social media is used by many millennials in order to stay updated, develop a voice, or create content, and research shows that it can have both positive effects and negative ramifications.

However, many students feel that the advanced network causes their self esteem to take a hit, even though it can help them stay connected to friends and family who may be far away.

Many students studying or working at American University this summer expressed their thoughts on how social media affects their confidence.

Justine Coleman, 20, is like many others interviewed who said they compare themselves to others on social media platforms.

“Sometimes it can get a little in your head,” said Coleman, a journalism and mass communications student at George Washington University. “People just put out the happiest versions of themselves.”

According to the National Psychologist, around 81 percent of the U.S. population has at least one social media account.

Using social media is a part of many peoples’ daily routines.

Hannah Kim, 19, a film and media arts major, said that she uses it “really often, almost maybe every hour of the day. Just to check.”

Kim added that “a lot of the younger kids now are growing up a bit too fast and they’re taking inspiration from social media.”

As teenagers develop and undergo changes, they may feel insecure as they observe their friends or celebrities on social media.

“That’s all they’ve grown up with,” Coleman said.

Social media has advanced with Generation Z as they age which affects their mindset. It’s difficult for the younger generation to separate reality from idealism.

“They have grown up with social media, so it’s always been embedded in the culture,” Amanda Luthy, 21, a film and media arts major commented.

However, many of the students overcome the feeling of being pressured.

“There’s a whole team of people behind them producing this content,” Luthy stated on the topic of social media influencers. “It’s not always genuinely that person them self.”

Many students also express how common it is to have a social media cleanse. “Taking some time out is a good way to cope with it,” Coleman said.

June 25, 2018June 28, 2018

Junk food is quick but poses problems

Ty Short sat at Whole Foods eating a chocolate chip cookie.

Short, a construction project manager who grew up on a farm in Michigan, said it’s often easier to grab a bag of chips rather than cook a meal especially after a long work day.

“Eating healthy is being very involved,” said Short, 38, noting what he said is the convenience junk food offers.

Short is one of many Americans struggling to eat healthier as they face busy work and family situations and are seemingly awash in lower-cost, fast food restaurants and chains that many say save time. Some have suggested taxing junk food as a way to limit usage.

According to the Reference Point, most junk foods contain zero nutritional value. They are nutrient-deprived, but are generally stuffed with various chemicals and additives that add to their shelf value.

By the year 2050, the rate of obesity in the U.S. is expected to reach 42 percent, according to researchers at Harvard University. That has lead some places to consider taxing foods and drinks high in fat and sugar.

Although Short knows it’s not ideal, when asked if junk food should be banned, he quickly answered, “no!”

“Would you rob a person of their choice even if it is the wrong one?” Short said. “It’s just not right.”

Marqurita Lightfoot, 68, stood on the sidewalk with her neatly rolled yoga mat in her arms and, with a laugh, said she tries to lead a healthy lifestyle although she does have a weakness for potato chips.

The taste is good she says, not to also mention that it’s quick and easy to just grab off the shelf especially when people don’t feel like preparing a meal.

She believes that the reason junk foods are cheaper than organic foods is because it’s mass produced and because, “It has lots of additives, lots of names you can’t pronounce.”

June 25, 2018June 26, 2018

Amazon offers convenience but for others buying local more important

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Ed Butt, 71, from Northern Michigan, and Wanda Borges, 67, from New York, said Amazon plays a vital role in their lives as far as supplying them with basic necessities such as home supplies and clothing.

Butt lives 45 minutes away from the nearest city in Michigan and believes it to be a hassle to have to drive a great distance to gather supplies when he could purchase the same items straight from his phone or laptop with just one click.

An Amazon prime member, Butt has used the online retailer approximately four or five times in the past two weeks and is happy with its services. He believes that Amazon’s two day shipping feature is a hard one to pass up especially with the location of his home in relation to the nearest city.

“I needed something quickly and there was no other way to get it other than to use Amazon,” Butt said.

On June 21, the US Supreme Court leveled the playing field for brick and mortar retailers and e-commerce businesses, as they overturned a ruling which enabled many online businesses to avoid collecting sales taxes from consumers, which may influence consumers’ decisions to opt for online shopping. Amazon’s shares slid 1.3 percent after the ruling.

While Amazon is very convenient, others like Laura Dehmlow, 36, said all those delivery trucks criss-crossing the country pollute, and she prefers shopping local.

“I definitely try to support local businesses,” said Dehmlow, who was walking to eat lunch in Tenleytown on Monday.

Borges generally uses Amazon daily to fulfill her needs.

She finds Amazon to be far more convenient than going shopping at a store especially with the amount of work she has to get through each day as an attorney.

Borges finds it far easier to buy in bulk while using Amazon which delivers items right to your door, rather than shopping for a multitude of items at a store and having many bags to carry around and risk leaving an item behind.

“I find it far more convenient than to go to a store especially since I am a workaholic,” Borges said.