CHALLENGE: ABANDON PHONES TO ENRICH YOUR LIFE

Arlene Lewis | Guest Writer
Since my son was in the University of Virginia Glee Club several years ago, we receive their periodic newsletters, which I always enjoy reading. However, the most recent one had a troubling article written by the conductor, Frank Albinder.

Albinder was dismayed that the smallest number of students auditioned for the club this year since he arrived in 2002. This wasn’t because students were busy with other clubs or sports. In fact, participation in all groups at the university suffered from the same lack of interest.

In his opinion, this disinterest is a result of the effects of technology on “brain development and other aspects of behavior and personality.” He commented that while university curricular classes can ban device use during class, he is unable to do so during rehearsals.

Albinder added, “Students are more and more distracted, seemingly unable to focus or concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time.” Also, he noted that students simply don’t have the desire to commit to weekly rehearsals, working toward mastering vocal pieces for a concert that is weeks away. From his perspective, the goal is not immediate enough in an age when young adults see instant gratification as a norm.

Smart phones only came into wide use ten years ago, but the changes to us, not as a society, but as people, are astounding.

Have we really gotten to the point where we are not unwilling, but actually unable, to participate fully in activities that are both fun and enriching? Choosing not to participate is very different from being incapable of participating.

Are you living your life on a three-by-five screen instead of the three-dimensional world (or a three-dimensional reality)? Is your natural curiosity being satisfied with Instagram and Snapchat instead of life’s many opportunities?

In this new decade, I challenge you to take a break from your phone, even if it is just for a few hours each day. Open yourself up to the possibility of alternatives to video games and social media. Explore your options.

Don’t let technology limit your life.

CONVEYOR BELT EDUCATION: GRADUATES’ OPTIONS SHROUDED BY SOCIETAL STANDARDS

Cara Hodge | Editor in Chief
School has become a factory and students are cycled through six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, four years of high school, then they’re lurched to college on a conveyor belt and after four years they are spit out into the real world with loads of student debt and no marketable skills.

As soon as students enter middle school they are ingrained with the belief that a four-year college is the only viable option for them to pursue after high school. All the while schools fail to mention the other marketable options like trade school, the military, or an actual job.

“The big push especially in Loudoun has been college, so the stuff we do for careers seems to take a backseat,” said Dan Croyle, head of the counseling department.

One might assume that this shift is a result of a lack of interest from students, but the real issue seems to be a lack of information about these options being presented by the school system.

“I think we do an awful lot for students that are college-bound, but I get concerned about students that are not necessarily college-bound,” said Langston West the head of the career center.

This factory-like system quickly becomes monotonous. Instead of being provided with skills, students are being programmed to memorize facts, take a test, and then wipe their brains for the next information. The end goal, of course, is a college acceptance—as if that is an end in and of itself.

“It started in the late 80s with the ‘work smarter not harder’ idea and then it became really stigmatized to want to do a job in construction or dig a ditch or fix pipes,” said Daniel Chandlee, technical education teacher.

Schools spend all of their time telling students all about the illustrious benefits of going to college but not the affluence that can be obtained from pursuing a trade.

“It’s not the most glamorous work you’re ever going to do, but it will definitely pay the bills,” said Chandlee.

By not promoting trades, the school system is stifling students’ options to get ahead. Trade school is a viable option, and the skills learned at those schools will be imperative to the continued growth of upcoming generations.

“If we have a million doctors, that’s great,” said Chandlee. “But nobody’s going to have a place to go to the bathroom or a house to live in [without attendance at trade schools].”

The haughty attitude of Loudoun County has led students to look with disdain on any option other than four-year college, but electricians, plumbers, welders, and construction managers are always going to be imperative to growth in society.
Trades and tangible skills are important, and “we can’t just all go to college and all be on that track,” said Chandlee. Trades are “not a negative alternative to going to college that’s what needs to be stressed.”
The way to emphasize this point would be by increasing students’ options when it comes to career and skill oriented classes, allowing them to study information that is specific to what they are interested in or what would benefit them, rather than classes that won’t benefit them in the future.

According to an article written by the senior vice president of workforce strategies at Strada Education Network, Michelle Weise, “43 percent of recent graduates” from college suffer from underemployment. Underemployment is having a job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree, which means a student is putting to waste the four years they just spent at college.
“If graduates start off underemployed, there is incredible inertia that prevents them from getting out of that rut,” wrote Weise.

The reality is that most students aren’t going to get out of this rut by plugging a formula into a calculator or by writing a perfectly formatted essay. They are going to need the versatility and ingenuity that most college degrees will not provide.

“I just feel that leaving high school there’s a lot of students that have no idea what they want to do,” stated Croyle.

If students had access to opportunities that weren’t strictly based on academics they would have a greater expanse of career options to choose from. With this in mind, the school system should find ways to promote trades and apprenticeships.

Trades allow students to “get into an apprenticeship or get into a job much quicker and then learn on the job as opposed to spending extra years in college,” said Croyle.

The school system should accept their duty to serve students and provide them with every possible option to be successful, rather than sending students through the factory year after year.
If a student chooses a skill to focus on they could go “to Monroe or Academies, get out and they can start making $50,000 or $60,000 a year,” said Chandlee.

Companies want employees with tangible skills, and our school system could provide that by offering certification and training for EMT, mechanics, or construction management at the school.

The school system could also promote trades by making options like Monroe or Academies that offer training in things like welding, HVAC, or healthcare services more apparent and accessible to students.

West took a group to Academies of Loudoun and “LCHS was the largest school base of the other 15” schools that attended, said Croyle. Despite the growing interest among students and parents, Academies of Loudoun appears to have an acceptance rate of less than 10 percent, which leaves most students with no other outlets to pursue their specific interests.

“It’s easier to sit students in front of a computer, and say let’s run them through some scenarios,” said Chandlee.

Easier isn’t always better. In today’s diverse and competitive workforce it is imperative to provide students with skills that will help them stand out in a large pool of candidates.

“It’s a machine, so you go through the whole process and it wants to spit out that one made thing that is successful, so that in the past has always looked like a college graduate but I think it’s slowly changing,” said Chandlee.

Our society doesn’t need more carbon copies of graduates that leave college with nothing to show but a piece of paper, it needs more workers who are trained and prepared to serve their communities.

HOCO AT LOCO LOSES POPULARITY

Maggie Sheridan | Managing Editor

There is one night each year on which all students at LCHS have the opportunity to dress in their finest outfits and participate in an evening of laughter and fun. Homecoming should be one of the most exciting events in a high school student’s life.

Unfortunately, this event has been losing its popularity over the last several years. In fact, this year we had a significant decrease in attendance. There seems to be a wide variety of reasons behind this result.

The first culprit appears to be a diminishing sense of school spirit. Especially when compared to other schools, LCHS lacks greatly in an outward appearance of school spirit.
It seems as though students are not motivated to participate in school-sponsored activities compared to years past.

For example, fewer students attend assemblies, and no one cheers especially loud. They believe that they will be made fun of, and rightly so, by other peers for showing their pride and will become embarrassed.

“They aren’t very fun and no one has any school spirit,” said sophomore Jessica Booker.

“Students are less willing to go out and be social or to go support our school at events compared to previous years,” said biology teacher Robert Hanger. “It seems that this is due to the growing use of cell phones. They feel as though connecting online is enough rather than connecting in person too.”

Another factor in decreased attendance at Homecoming specifically relates to the theme, decorations, and music.

“The dance was fun, but it could have been better due to the lack of decorations and only decent music,” said sophomore Sarah Moshrefi.

“I’d go if we had a better DJ,” said sophomore Kirsten Ponticelli. “No one likes the same old music that is played every year.”

This appears to be a common complaint among other students who also were in attendance, even though this year there was a new DJ.

Many students stop going to Homecoming after freshman year.

The price of the dance is also an issue for some students. Several high schools around the county charge less. Heritage charges fifteen dollars for admission, and Tuscarora charges ten dollars, but County charges twenty dollars.

“Twenty dollars is a lot for Homecoming, and not everyone can afford to pay that much money, especially if you’re bringing a date,” said sophomore Franklin Castro.

Lastly, students indicate that the location is also a cause for concern. Every year, Homecoming is held in the gym. This is odd considering the high price for tickets. “I would go if it was held at a nicer facility,” said sophomore Lillian Kern. “It would feel more special for us students.”

Unless attendance improves, Homecoming will have to be held in the gym and the price will remain the same since the small amount of profits are used to fund senior events.
In fact, most of the money from tickets is used for entertainment, including the DJ and lighting.

“Unfortunately, since attendance has dropped over the last few years, we cannot afford to lower the ticket cost,” said math teacher and senior class co-sponsor Jarod Brown.

It seems as though in order for Homecoming to be as popular as it was in the past, we’re going to need to work things out and make some changes. The best way to increase the popularity of the dance is to increase student involvement.

One solution would be letting students help in organizing the dance. A majority of the dance is run by adults on the PTA. Most staff and students are unaware of the details in the planning, but many students have ideas about how it could be improved.

Student-led committees could volunteer to help with decorations, food, and a theme. They could also provide input about what the money will be used to fund. The widespread problem seems to be a lack of school spirit, so this approach could be used in a number of areas, including Homecoming.

Hiring a student DJ might be a good alternative, especially since we have so many talented musicians at the school. It would be less expensive than hiring an actual DJ and they would understand the style of music their peers want to hear.

With more students helping plan Homecoming, they will care more about the outcome of the event and the end result should be a more successful turnout.