The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/109798
Staff Editorial Page 2 February 15, 2013 RBHS students need more support with getting to college... Simply put, high school���s primary job is to prepare students for college. College should be in every single high school student���s plan after graduation, and if it isn���t, the high school is not doing something right. Here at Red Bluff High, we are lucky to have someone as knowledgeable and helpful as Lauren Tingley to help out students hoping to apply to UC���s and CSU���s. In fact, our entire counseling department in general is not taken for granted, because they are readily available and appreciated by students of all grade levels. The problem is, we need more advisors focused on getting students into college. Every student has a different idea of where they want to go after high school, and some have high hopes towards getting accepted at more prestigious universities than others. While there is absolutely nothing wrong in going to a junior college nearby, the students who want to try for a public or private university do not have the resources they need to guide them. In fact, they are even somewhat discouraged into applying for schools with low acceptance rates just because the easier and more common path to take is to go to a junior college first. If Red Bluff High had more counselors who focused primarily on universities and knew how to guide, help, and encourage students through the admission process, a higher percentage of seniors would be heading off to CSU���s, UC���s, and private universities after graduation. Again, there is nothing wrong with going to a junior college, and it is great that so many seniors are motivated to sign up for classes at Shasta and Butte. However, for seniors who have different plans for their future, they are often lost, discouraged, or scared in applying to more prestigious schools. Part of the problem is educating students about these other options starting at an earlier grade. Sure, anyone and everyone can say they want to go to Stanford one day, but the truth is they have no idea of what is required to apply to a school like that, or how to successfully apply in the first place. Instead of brushing off these students��� aspirations or encouraging them to set lower goals for themselves, the school should have more counselors who specialize in helping students��� dreams become a reality. Sometimes, students just need a push, and if more counselors were available to do this, more Red Bluff High���s students could end up going to universities right off the bat. Standardized testing robs uniqueness Commercials are Students differ academically and shouldn���t be measured by bubbles negative marketing S ince the basic start of our education, high school students have been blessed with standardized testing. From the second grade to junior year of high school all of us have experienced thousands of questions and thousands of problems that the state has given us with the high expectations that our knowledge will surely surpass their standards. Right? By now you know, (or should at least) that every spring, high school students across the nation take standardized testing that is required by the state. Why? The state in which you live hopes to find problem areas whereas the school itself cannot? Some educators themselves dread giving out such a monotonous test for the five day period of time. Coming from the typical high school student, I personally think that the testing that is so graciously given to us is a complete waste of time for the student and for the faculty as well. Studies have recently shown that standardized testing stunts creativity within young adolescents. Why? Because standardized testing treats each individual the same. Standardized testing can���t measure the creativity or the artistic ability of a student. The tests categorizes students in a negative manner. Students of the Portland Public Schools have taken this situation into their own accords by boycotting state testing. ���The students are calling the tests unfair measures of teacher and student performance, as well as a waste of resources... (The Oregonian).��� Several students have contested to opting out of the tests. Parents Across America support the Portland Public Schools Student Union and Portland Student Union in their effort to opt-out of state tests, according to ppa.org. The people who create and administer these tests can���t possibly imagine how ineffective the test actually appears to be. A single test with maybe a few variations from it can���t find the flaws within a single education system. We���d like to hope that it does, but in reality it truly doesn���t. What is taught in the classroom and what���s on the state tests do not always correlate with each other. As they shouldn���t in some conditions, but if the state gives the school a specific curriculum shouldn���t every idea and concept be present on the test document? You���d think so... Students take advantage of the time that is given to them for taking the state tests by purposely doing poor on them. This statement can be interpreted as broad, but let���s face it, if you give a teenager hundreds of questions they���re more than likely going to ���bubble��� in whatever they please. This method doesn���t expand their mind into deeper depths, or let them solve problems by thinking critically. Teachers could use this precious time by actually teaching their subject, discussing future plans, etc. Although, the students who purposely fail to excel on the required document are examples of why the test should be given, their test scores almost always reflect their physical letter grades. Unless, these students purposely failed to get a point across. It has been said time and time again that the purpose of the tests are to find problem areas within individuals and the population of the school. It���s also been stated that finding these problems will help further the student with future aid by improving their test scores and grades in general. I���ve scored advanced, proficient and basic (it was ONE time, okay) and the THE BLUFFER Editorial Staff News Editors Marissa Chase Laurel Shoop Viewpoint Editor Becca Blanchard A & E Editors Connor Ross Josiah Vasey Features Editors Ashlan Brunello Bailey Patchen Sports Editors Egan Meagher Garrett Sandow Ryan Fisher Topics Editor Shelby Keeler Editor-In-Chief Marissa Chase Veronica Smith Mitch Fox Sarah Bartlett Claire Samay Tymberlyn Bealer Sam Rodriguez Mark Criss Rodrigo Sanchez Ceighlee Fennel Alexis Simpkins Hunter Latham Aleczander X. B. Sims Aaron Lewis Zachary Smith Sahvanna Rice Julia Liebert Owen Ritter Shelby Keeler Topics Editor F or many growing businesses an excellent way to get the name of your brand out to the world is by using commercials or advertising. There are many benefits for businesses that use commercials; like, bring in more costumers to your stores. For business these commercials are great! But, for us people who are home trying to relax by sitting and watching TV they are definitely not great. Now you can hardly do anything without running into commercials. On TV commercials take over at least half of the show time. They also have taken over the radio to where it will play one or two song and then a five minute commercial. They are on everyday things like TV, any radio station, Pandora, Netflix, and many more. Also, when you're trying to get away from things with commercials you'll usually get on Facebook and other things, but here all you see are ads taking over everything as well. I understand businesses need to advertise to make a profit and keep their company open. However, there advertising is obnoxious and almost no one likes it. If companies continue to advertise in such a manner, people will not want to purchase their items because it is so annoying. When something like this happens it will be tragic to a lot of companies. Obviously they will lose a lot of money and go out of business. Hopefully nothing like this will ever happen because it would hurt the economy a lot. Tymberlyn Bealer Staff Writer Valentine���s Day not worth economic stress E very year there is always that one day that can be overwhelming, stressful, and just a huge mess. For most people that day is Valentine���s day. Every girl expects someone to do something nice for them whether it���s their hubby, boyfriend, crush, friend or even parents. There shouldn���t be a day to put pressure on guys to get their girlfriend a teddy bear, chocolate, and flowers. Yet, people continue to spend money on useless things to get their loved ones because of the obligation of this ���special���. What about the other 364 days of the year instead of just this one? Putting in the time, money, and effort can be a waste especially for high school students who may not even end up with the person they are with. For singles, Valentines Day is often referred to as ���Singles Awareness Day.��� This day can bring a variety of feelings but mainly feeling lonely without someone to share this one day with. All in all, everyone saw how Valentines Day was portrayed, but the question is was all of the time and effort worth it? Sahvanna Rice Staff Writer SPARTAN THUMBS Adviser Editor-In-Chief Advertising Director Natalie Almond Alisa Pelanconi Laurel Shoop Staff Writers only thing that has ever come to ���aid��� me, to ���further��� me was a letter in the mail months later analyzing my every wrong move. I could have predicted the letter I received itself because my grades correlated precisely. Standardized Testing has no personal benefit for students, there���s no studies or facts that state that the tests help students towards their college careers. The community as a whole does not necessarily need the reflection of the adolescents saying that they need educational improvement. Improvement should be constantly happening, there should be a consistent change with systems and educators because the world is always changing. Everyday there are new gadgets, technologies, and ideas. And it���s safe to say that none of these ideas came from bubbling in questions regarding the Pythagorean Theorem. The world of learning isn���t always black and white, sometimes the color wheel needs to be added. There is a significant difference between cramming in a few concepts before a big test and learning, whether your English teacher can read between the lines is a different story. Cartoonist Andrea Hveem Karla Nowicki Editorial Policy: Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the district, staff, or student body. We welcome signed letters to the editor. Names may be withheld upon request. We also reserve the right to edit submission based on length and/or clarity. It is FFA week This week was FFA spirit and activity week at Red Bluff High School. Baseball and Softball These two anticipated spring sports will be starting soon. Lovey Dovey dedication Spartan Radio had Lovey Dovey dedications on the Valentines Day. Singing dedications Choir did singing Valentine���s on the 14th. No one liked the Super Bowl Too many people were upset that the 49ers didn���t win. *These Thumbs came from Mrs. Tomasetti���s 4th period class.