Interviews

Interviews

with Christine Remick

 

Christine Remick is 15 and a sophomore at Norton High School. She has two brothers, Andrew and Matty, and two sisters, Casey and Kathy. Some of Christine's pet peeves are when people scream in the hallway, not using proper grammar, when boys wear saggy pants, and making unnecessary noises. She is Irish and American. Christine has never been out of the country but would love to someday visit Amsterdam. She would love to visit Amsterdam. She currently is playing volley ball, had ran track: " I thought it was miserable", and will be playing softball when spring sports roll around. Her favorite subject in school is English and she plans on going to college as an English major in hopes of becoming an English  high school  teacher. She states, " I hope to get support in my decision to become a teacher". She has lived in Norton for the most part," but when I was born I lived in Walpole," she says, "after a few months our house was finished being built and we moved to Norton". Reading and listening to music  "it's fun to listen to different types, there is so many good songs out there", which is why she is constantly searching for new types of music to listen to. Some of the words she hates to hear are words such as swag, perf, YOLO, rad, and bby (baby). Finally the concluding fact about Christine I learned is that mozzarella sticks are her favorite food.

BMI Testing Opinion Piece

Alexa T.Dosreis

9/22/2013

Period F

BMI Testing

                Many students worry about their grades on their report cards, social status, where they measure up to in life. But now students have to worry about a whole new measurement, their body mass index.  Schools in nineteen states already have started conducting annual tests and the results are sent home to inform their parents whether or not their child is considered to be overweight. Some families and health experts have started speaking out against this testing from worry it will hurt the child’s self-esteem, but others suggest it’s the best way to know whether a child’s weight is healthy or not. In today’s society health concerns are at an all-time high, ones physique is not considered to be healthy if considered to be overweight, and that should be business that stays between the parents and the physician, not written, recorded, and determined by the school whether or not the student deserves to be sent home with a “fat slip”.

                The Body Mass Index test is calculated by dividing their weight by the square of their height. Next this figure will be compared to growth charts that accounts for a person’s weight depending on the gender, age, and height of the child.  This is done so the results can be understood when compared to the rest of the students. A child or teen’s BMI that falls between the 85^th and 95^th percentile is considered to be overweight, any above is measured to be obese. Spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Larne Omojukin  Falusi, told ABC News BMI readings are the “best means we have to determine whether a weight is healthy or unhealthy,”( Medical Daily). This test is effective, but it should be done in private because this is a very sensitive matter. Students should not have to endure that uncomfortable moment where they feel belittled by the judgments passed by their own school, a place where they should feel comfortable and accepted.

                Michelle Obama is also a very big part in the encouragement of these testing in school. She comments on how the country needs to watch what they eat, and also discusses her daughters weight problem as well. She stated on national television, on a show called The View that her daughter indeed had a weight problem and never once spoke of herself as having one to. This is why weight should never be a matter of discussion outside the privacy of the home and parents. Michelle Obama is always attacking the weight of children; however parents need to teach their children how to eat properly so that way they will develop good eating habits at a young age. Education on your weight can be an even more efficient way to keep your weight down than receiving a “fat slip”.

                Schools should take the time to educate the kids on healthy food choices before they get to the stage of obesity so no child will ever have to feel insecure about what they are being perceived as to their peers. Since today’s society is so focused on the health of the younger generations then it’s necessary to educate them about food and keep the conversation private so that way when the child is feeling insecure they have someone who them can reach out to and trust to receive guidance.

               

Rolling Stone Controversy

Alexa T.Dosreis

6-16-2013

Journalism

Period F

The Rolling Stone Controversy: Journalistic Perspective

 

            In times as sensitive as these, America becomes immune to violence. In fact writers and reporters have begun to glamorize the bad. When it comes to the issues on race religion, the people are not being told the whole truth for fear of being politically incorrect. However more than enough people had expressed their discontent with the unexpected Rolling Stone magazine cover of “The Bomber”. The publication of the original Rolling Stone cover and article on “The Bomber” evaluates the course of action taken by the nineteen year old college student “Jahar” making him out to be a victim with “soulful brown eyes” rather than the monster he really is.

            The people of Boston were particularly critical:  “Boston Magazine responded to Rolling Stone’s editorial decision with one of its own, publishing photos of the manhunt/taken by Sgt. Sean Murphy, a photographer/ was described as “furious” about the Rolling Stone cover and accused the magazine of “glamourizing the face of terror.”(Behind Rolling Stone’s Cover, a Story Worth Reading, by David Carr). The graphic photos of the roughed up Mr. Tsarnaev ended up creating a controversy of its own and Sgt. Sean Murphy was relieved of his just hours after turning over the pictures to the magazine. Along with that the caption of the Rolling Stone article: “He was a charming kid with a bright future. But no one saw the pain he was hiding or the monster he’d become”, does not correspond to what was actually written about him in the article.  In the original article there is a strong bias that works in his favor. All the people referenced had personal relationships with Jahar. He isn’t depicted as a monster at all. On the contrary is shocking: “How Rolling Stone can even think about turning an alleged murderer into a rock star by plastering his “soulful brown eyes” on the front page/ thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our days.” (Decision to glorify bomber is what’s truly heartbreaking, by Carmen Rasmusen Herbert). This was simply outrageous to this journalist. It was stated in the Rolling Stone article that he was a troubled young man whose past simply failed him. See this is where a little bit of truth needs to be shoved into the mix of opinions. America today seems to have a problem with the truth, and the truth is that Jahar had converted to the Muslim faith. Jahar stated to his friend that: “the U.S. government is killing our innocent civilians” he wrote, presumably to Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I can’t stand to see such evil go unpunished…..We Muslims are one body, you hurt one, you hurt us all/ Fuck America.”(Rolling Stone by Janet Reitman).   We call the Koran (Muslim Bible) a peaceful religion, but the truth is the Koran says women have no rights, little girls are sold for money, and they hold no value and are killed every day for nothing. Radical Muslims bomb their own people in Iraq so that they stay in constant fear of them and not side with the Americans out of fear of being killed. If we cannot learn this how can we understand what he did and possibly why he did it?.  This leaves no doubt to where his loyalties are. Russia had even informed and warned America twice about him. Why was that question not answered in the article?

            The Boston Bomber’s story is not tragic and does not deserve to be told as thoughtfully as Rolling Stone had done.  It deserves an article, but not the cover. If an article is going to be written about him the whole story needs to be told, the truth of it all.   The publication of the original Rolling Stone cover and article on “The Bomber” was bias and never hinted at a tone of anger towards the tragedy; it was more like remorse for the murder with the “soulful brown eyes” who killed innocent civilians , fully knowledgeable of the consequence that were to follow.