지역별 뉴스를 확인하세요.

많이 본 뉴스

광고닫기

[Student Reporters] Korean-American Students' Reactions to the New Dartmouth President

Dartmouth College recently announced their 17th President Dr. Jim Young Kim 49 to succeed James Wright in July being the first Korean-American and Asian-American President of an Ivy League school. Dr. Kim who graduated from Brown University and received his M.D. and Ph. D from Harvard University as a physician and anthropologist is known for his humanitarian efforts in the field of medicine being active in the World Health Organization and providing effective medical treatment of H.I.V. and AIDS to the poor. This unprecedented news elicited different reactions among Korean-American students who saw it as both a groundbreaking event and a concern. Many Korean-American students hold an optimistic outlook towards Dr.Kim's upcoming leadership as a symbol of hope and societal advancement. Mark J. sophomore believes that doors have opened for other minorities to step in: "Increasingly our society is becoming less and less focused on race and Dr.Kim's story inspires me to strive for higher positions in government and education." In addition he views Dr. Kim's story as a means of motivation to think outside the box. "All my life I've been pushed by my parents to go somewhere like Stanford" states Mark. "Now as I look at Dr.Kim's story of success I realize that where I go for college does not necessarily shape my entire life. Who knows I may end up at Dartmouth!" Similarly many saw Dr.Kim's story as a means of motivation. However other Korean-American students adopted a rather cynical view to Dr.Kim's upcoming presidency seeing it as a concern. "While it seems great that there is a Korean-American partaking in such an important role" says J.C. a junior "I think we're jumping the gun-Dr. Kim has not done any work in office yet and we will have to wait and see what will happen." Students such as J.C. espouse a practical approach to things stating that like all things it is necessary to make judgments based on his future actions and not overemphasize his race too much. Likewise Cindy V. a freshmen agrees: "Why should his race matter at all in relation to his ability to make improvements in education schools and demonstrate effective leadership?" Furthermore the students believe that negative stereotypes of Asian-Americans and possible ineffective leadership would lead to a bad reputation among other Koreans. J.C. states "What if Dr. Kim's well-anticipated leadership ends up being ineffective? Then other Koreans will be indirectly affected into such top positions in society." These preoccupations may end up being simple worries or something far more significant but the consensus among these Korean-American students is that Dr.Kim's upcoming presidency is a revolutionary event that will have larger future influences in education and society.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] College Suicide Rates Targeting Asian American and Asian Race

Suicide is the second leading cause of deaths for college students. Untreated depression is the number one cause for these suicides. "I was never aware that college suicide rates were that high" Ben Kim 18 from Granada Hills Charter High School said. "Maybe it's because I'm still in high school but I honestly don't understand why college students would end their lives after all the hard work they put in to get to college in the first place." Environmental factors such as intense educational competition isolation from family members substance abuse rejection from friends etc. all contribute to the depression and suicide consideration of undergraduate college students. What's even more disturbing about these premature deaths is that a large portion of the students committing suicides are Asian-American or Asian. "It doesn't surprise me at all that most of the college suicides are Asians and or Asian-Americans" Ji Kim 15 from Granada Hills Charter High School remarked. "Asians are stereotyped to be extremely hard working towards a successful educational career so that pressure may push them off the edge." Asian American and Asian students are generally believed to have surplus pressure from their parents to pursue traditional careers such as doctors lawyers and engineers. First generation children may feel an even more burdening pressure because of the stereotypical "sacrifice" the whole family and parents made in order to secure a brighter educational future for them. "The competition at my school is intense. I'm trying my best to focus intently on school but it discourages me to see my other ethnic friends partying and having fun using the excuse "we're in college now"" Alex Jung 19 from Yale University stated. "Although most everyone here is constantly stressed it seems like Asians feel pressure not only from themselves but from countless other outlets like our parents back home." Along with this notable difference of educational aspiration the Asian culture in general is noted for their emphasis on extreme respect towards elders. Thus students find it difficult to communicate with their parents about their issues and problems. They may also refrain from questioning any parental authority. "I do feel restricted against talking to my parents explicitly about my education issues or the pressure I feel from them and even when I attempt to they just end up pushing me again and telling me to keep up my good grades" Soo Kong 16 a first generation immigrant from South Korea explained. With a combination of all these external internal and most importantly cultural factors there has been incessant contribution towards the depression and mental issues that Asian students typically those in college feel. Asian students parents and authorities must collaborate and work together to lessen the cultural pressures placed on students as a preventative measure against future suicides.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] 'Pink-Slipped' Teachers

Various teachers have received pink slips this month at Cypress High School. For those who haven't caught on yet these pink slips of paper are the district's warning to teachers that they may be laid off in the imminent future due to the shortage in education funds. In fact this act has added the term "pink-slipped" to the daily colloquial. The Orange County school district has given notice to 2706 employees to reduce their 271 million dollars in spending. This is an issue that many teachers staff members and students are very concerned with. In fact on March 13th Cypress High School's ASB wore pink shirts to show their support along with participation from the whole school. Teachers are the victims of the budget cuts and many worry about their own position their close friends and co-workers. Mrs. Frank-Johnson a health and P.E. teacher at Cypress says "I don't like to see my friends in trouble. I feel bad about what's happening. I don't know how they are going to survive without jobs especially when they have a family to support and a mortgage to pay" As students find that their very own teachers may not return the next year they cannot help but feel sympathy and voice their own opinions as well. "…she's one of the best AP teachers and a big benefit to our school. It's unfair that she might get laid off" says Riddhi Vora sophomore. "They shouldn't fire the new teachers. They need to fire the bad ones!" Not only that but students are also beginning to see the impact of the recession more clearly on a daily basis. "I never really cared about the recession but now that teachers are being fired I'm beginning to realize how important it is" says Hannah Lee a freshman. Rumors of "pink-slipped" teachers spread quickly as teachers are spotted in despair and as co-workers continue wearing pink clothing to support their less fortunate friends. Through these hard times Mrs. Frank-Johnson shares a piece of advice. "Be hopeful because there's still a chance that things will get better" After all last year the district notified 1900 both permanent and temporary teachers but only ended up cutting 100.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] How has the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 affected students?

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 otherwise called NCLB was an act passed by the federal government to increase school proficiency beyond that of the original legislation it was based on - the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Both acts aimed to improve schools yet while the ESEA was oriented towards increasing funding the stated goal of NCLB is to increase academic achievement with the ultimatum of a mandate - 100% proficiency for all students in the subjects of math and reading by the year 2014. The act however has undergone major controversy over its effectiveness and its results and the enactment of the legislation in 2002 sparked major debate. However it does not seem that there is any quantitative data that proves the Act's effectiveness - or it's lack thereof as stated by the Department of Education. The DOE concluded that it cannot yet be determined whether or not No Child Left Behind has worked. Many among the student population do not see the act in a positive light. Evan Gardiner a high school senior says that "[NCLB] teaches isolated facts instead of higher order thinking" stressing that the standardized tests imposed by the act was not the proper course of direction. Other students when asked primarily linked the No Child Left Behind Act towards standardized testing which was the main implementation of assessment that NCLB proposed. Essentially the scores from standardized tests are submitted annually to the federal government and if a school has made a certain amount of progress (based upon the passing rate of these tests) the school gains additional funding. NCLB hoped to increase educators accountability towards students by implementing an incentives-based system. Another student Daniel Steffe explained that the primary reason why he was against NCLB was because of "grade inflation" when student's scores in the tests and the classrooms were raised due to lowering standards - a common accusation against NCLB correlating a wider gap between state test scores compared to national tests such as the NAEP. Essentially critics argue that states lower the standards of the tests and the classrooms in order to show artificial progress that might or might not be accurate. "Teachers are giving A's to kids who shouldn't receive them" says Steffe. However even though views were negative there were some supporters. "I think that NCLB needs reform but it's a necessary evil. Not having standard generally breeds inefficiency and our education system needs to be as stream-lined as possible" says a student who wished to stay anonymous who explained that having the standards set forth by the Act was beneficial towards a well-regulated system of education. While students' opinions on the No Child Left Behind act vary in many aspects students seem to agree that it has impacted their schools in various ways.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] Raising the API

Beverly Hills High School has started a new effort to improve the school's standing among other high schools. The Student Body Action Committee has been created this year for the sole purpose of raising the school's API the academic performance index. This is the almighty list that shows up every once in a while in Korean newspapers for parents to scrutinize for their kids. The scores range from 200 to 1000 and are based on both STAR testing scores and the CAHSEE scores. The significance of the API score is that it measures how difficult it is to earn a good grade in the school thus demonstrating the quality of the offered education. Ashley Chiu a member of the SBAC reveals that in 2008 Beverly dropped 19 points to a score of 805. The average change in other schools in California has been positive 14 points. Beverly which has been reputed to be a fairly good school is suffering immense humiliation from this regression. If its score drops to 800 the state will take over and attempt to solve the problem. The main cause of the decline in API scores at Beverly seems to be that most students do not care how they do on the STAR tests since it does not appear on their transcripts. Vivien a Korean student from Beverly says that she has always tried her best and actually looks forward to the STAR tests. Many of the Korean students are just like Vivien always taking the STAR tests as seriously as any other test and scoring no less than advanced in each category. The ones who do not take the tests seriously but fill in smiley faces and hearts on the answer sheet say that the class environment is less than conducive to the necessary test-taking attitude. They also state that the imminent regular classes and homework after the STAR tests discourage them from even trying on the test. Ashley says that students have been suggesting all sorts of incentives to help them do better on this year's test. Students have proposed starting the test at 9 AM instead of 8AM so that they can sleep in a little more before facing the sleep-inducing reading comprehension and math problems. Free breakfast and elimination of homework during the testing period have also been mentioned. The SBAC cannot make any changes on its own. It can only pass on the students' suggestions to the administration for consideration. Hopefully the new group will successfully help the school raise its API score. The future is looking good as the students seem to finally understand the importance of the number that they once deemed as unimportant.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] Foreign Exchange Rate Skyrockets and Number of Student Going Overseas Plummets

The Korean won has reached its lowest value in 11 years-1570 won for 1 U.S. dollar- diminishing the popularity of studying overseas for Korean families. In the last several years the value of the Korean won was increasing allowing Korean parents to send their children to study in the United States. However due to the nose dive of the Korean won the opposite is happening now. In 2007 about 350000 Korean students were going abroad beating China in the number of students that were studying overseas and this was due to the high value of the Korean won. Nevertheless due to the plummeting value of the won many students have given up on studying in the United States. According to the statistics from the Bank of Korea the money used for studying overseas was about 167.7million dollars which is about a 51.5% decrease from the 342.8million dollars that was spent in September of 2007. The Korean government has teamed up with the United States to promote the WEST project but could not hide from the economic crisis. This project was implemented by President Lee with the consent of then-president Bush in August 2008 to allow Korean university students become interns at American companies. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade selected 352 individuals but 135 students decided not to participate in the program. Due to the great drop in the value of the Korean won the life of a student studying abroad has changed. With the rise in tuition rates male students are choosing to serve their time in the military. Many Korean students are trying to find part-time jobs from private tutoring to working in bars so they can help their parents. Parents with children that are studying overseas are going through tough times. Because the amount of money their children need have increased lots of parents are working two jobs or taking on jobs with higher pay. To avoid spending more money than necessary some parents are making spreadsheets to calculate the best time to send money to their child. Despite all these efforts lots of parents cannot keep up with the rising value of the dollar compared to the won. If the exchange rates do not stabilize until June it is projected that many students studying abroad will be coming back home. It will be an unpredictable time for the parents and students who are studying overseas.

2009-03-08

[Student Reporters] Varying Viewpoints on SAT Academis

With the ring of the bell that marks the end of the school day Junior Elis Lee of Crescenta Valley High School hastily packs her schoolbag and hurries off to her mom's car that is heading for downtown Los Angeles. She takes out flashcards of the fifty words she needs to master for this week and starts cramming them into her memory all the while munching down on a small snack for she will not be back home until 9:30 p.m. Lee attends a pricey SAT academy where she takes weekly classes to improve her writing and math skills for the SAT Reasoning Test. Over the past few years the competition for college admission has gotten extremely competitive. With such competition many students are turning to SAT academies to improve their SAT scores which many hope will give them an advantage for college admission. "A generation or two ago test prep was essentially a good night's sleep and a good breakfast. Today it really has become ubiquitous. Students have become much more aware of how effective and how important it is. College admissions has become so much more competitive over the past several years that students' parents are looking at every edge they possibly can get." said Carina Wong spokeswoman for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. SAT academies and test prep classes are raking in enormous sums of money but whether such academies actually improve students' scores is still up for debate. Many individuals point out that the growing number of such academies and the students taking these classes clearly show that the prep classes are indeed helping students improve their score. "SAT classes have really helped me improve my score. When I took the actual SAT test my score jumped quite a lot from my first practice test. I didn't get the best score but I did improve my scores and I am satisfied with my scores" said Lee. While many claim that SAT classes are extremely beneficial others claim that SAT academies do little to help students and students can improve their scores effectively on their own without spending such great sums of money. Many of these students also feel that the SATs are not quite as important as many individuals make them out to be. When going through college applicants colleges and universities base most of their decisions on the student's grade point average and personal statement essay. "I'm not taking any SAT prep classes. The SATs are important but I think that keeping up with my school work and maintaining good grades at school is much more important" said Cody Sibulo a junior at Crescenta Valley High School. "I'm taking the test in March and I am going to prepare by taking a practice test online. I think I'll be able to just fine on my own without taking any classes."

2009-03-08

[Student Reporters] The Asian Movement

On the evening of Saturday February 21st approximately seven thousand Asian-Americans and non-Asians flocked to the Shrine Auditorium in Downtown LA. for the ninth annual Kollaboration performance to begin. Kollaboration sporting its motto "Empowerment through Entertainment" is a nonprofit organization first founded in 2000 as a talent show to showcase the performing arts talents of Asian American/Canadian artists. Its goal is to break the stereotypical image of the quiet meek Asian and bring the artistic potential of Asians to the attention of the world. The Kollaboration organization brings together an international community of Asian-Americans attracting people nationwide even as far as Canada. It also helps the past generation and present generation to find common ground to connect on and encourages a more constructive outlet for youths to spend their energy on. "Kollaboration started as a small-time show one city and four hundred guests" said the host welcoming the spectators. "Nobody thought this was going anywhere- now look at us; nine years [six] cities twenty-five shows and tens of thousands of guests." It's true Kollaboration is no longer a small roadside show. Three well-known dance crews from MTV's television show America's Best Dance Crew a girl-crew from MTV's Top Pop Group three world-famous musicians from YouTube and many others came to perform for the sold-out show. Even international pop star BoA came to perform and showcase her first English language album. There was a wide range of age groups in the audience. When it came time for the competitions and performances the elderly adults teens and children alike screamed and cheered from their seats (and out of their seats) for their favorite performances. For three hours there were no boundaries between adults and teens in the audience- there was only who could scream louder. With a purpose to showcase hidden talent Kollaboration continues to take its shows across the country to inspire and encourage talented Asian-Americans.

2009-03-08

[Student Reporters] Editorial: The Decline of Christianity in the United States

Christianity has had a pivotal place in the United States-a 2007 survey indicated that 78.4% of adults identified themselves as Christian compared to rates in other wealthy nations such as the United Kingdom (53%). However I noticed that fewer teenagers were caring about religion and becoming more liberal adopting attitudes different from their parents. This observation led me to conduct a survey asking a total of 30 teenagers (and several college students) two simple questions: What religion do you practice if any? And what religion do your parents practice if any? 20 out of 30 identified themselves as Christian or Catholic and 10 as nonreligious. I assumed that most students follow the same religion as their parents due to being raised in the same religious environment. My assumption was confirmed when the 20 students that identified themselves as Christian indeed claimed that their parents were also Christian. However when I asked the same question to the nonreligious students-6 out of 10 claimed that their parents were also nonreligious but 4 stated explicitly that their parents were religious. This data reveals that simply because the parents are Christian does not necessarily mean that their children will be. Jake M. a 16 year old who identifies himself as atheist states that "My parents are Christian but they never really raised me in a strong conservative setting. I was taught to question my beliefs and live my life the way I choose." While the United States is still predominantly Christian it has been on a steady decline since 1990 (88.3%) suffering a loss of 9.7% in 11 years. According to the ARIS study on religion if this trend continues then non-Christians will outnumber Christians by 2042. Furthermore the label of being a Christian may be deceptive-Rodney stark a professor of sociology at the University of Washington claims that "People who believe in God - are unchurched" stating that one who considers himself Christian may never even have gone to church or actively participate in the religion being a Christian at face value only. Reasons for this decline can be seen as an amalgam of personal and societal factors. Unprecedented advances in technology and science have provided an endless sea of knowledge regarding our world and one major quality they uphold is the value of using secular and natural means to further human knowledge. Inevitably it tends to conflict with religious teachings that largely involve faith and spiritual values. A recent trend in rising immigrants is also a significant factor as many of them bring their cultural and religious beliefs into the nation increasing their community and spreading their beliefs to others. This is not to say that Christianity will eventually die out. Perhaps it may perhaps it may not. Linda S. at USC believes that "Christianity will never die out simply because of the sheer number of adherents." Still in our modern society the impossible has happened many times and many events and actions have often been unpredictable.

2009-03-08

[Student Reporters] Leading Causes of Disappointment in College Found in Illusory Motive]

With college acceptance at its lowest in history students engage in a competitive race towards college admittance. They are often blinded by the motivation to win the race than to walk the first step to their future career. "I feel like people are trying to get into the top schools because they know it's the best. But at the same time most of them don't realize what they're getting themselves into" said Junior Julie Pineda. Students are often overwhelmed by the undue pressure to apply to the prestigious schools but fail to realize that their choice may not be the most assuring for them. Although students themselves may not recognize such danger immediately spectators are eager to tell those students that their college decision based on reputation may fail them at times: "A lot of students have in their mind that they are going to an 'elite' school regardless of major but you want to choose a school that would fit you and your major" said Terri Wilcox the career center advisor at Santiago High School. Wilcox continued to warn that students must consider the city environment the ethnic and cultural background and most of all the student interaction within campus to base their college choices in order to succeed in the first step to college and future career as a whole. Amid all the fiery competition to get into the top schools some still choose to apply to schools of their "true interest": "I chose Howard [University] because I was offered a few scholarships to that school for tennis but also because I liked the predominantly black atmosphere as a black student myself" said Senior Yazmine Hooper. Others arduously search for the schools with the best programs for their major. "I really want to major in neuroscience so it's hard for me to find the right college. But I think it's worth it because even though the school may not be so famous I will be receiving the best education [for my major]" said Pineda. Despite much public disapproval of prestige-based college choices there exists a consensus among many that the top schools should nevertheless retain their reputation.Junior Susie Choi said "Reputation of a school represents the students' character and ability so it's a good way for future job interviewers to see your capability." Wilcox also added "Your chances of becoming a prominent lawyer or doctor are often a lot greater if you are a graduate of Harvard than say an unknown state college." Perhaps it is not the reputation of the schools that must be deemphasized but the students' dependence on those factors to base their college decision.

2009-03-08

[Student Reporters] Colleges Do Not Determine Success In a Person's Career

College reputations don't determine success in a person's career. This might be hard to comprehend for most Korean students and parents as they focus on the college's reputation when selecting what colleges to apply to. Korean students fail to see behind and beyond the college reputation because of the value they see in the college's name. It is possible that reputation could play a vital role in getting a job in the future because of the recognition and impression prestigious colleges give to people. However a student from Corona del Mar Ponteah Damirchi disagreed with this belief as she said "Well the college name can be important but I know people who have graduated from Roosevelt University which is famous for business and their careers were chemists! I think it [reputation] may be important for someone who wants to be a lawyer for example because most people want lawyers from good schools. What I find more important in order to be successful is to graduate with good grades to show that you have mastered the material that you need to know for your job. If you show people that you know how to do your job and you do it well then [the reputation of the university] you graduated from won't be important." Ponteah believed that when students apply to college they should look for "a college that they know that they can do well in." Mrs. Hath a counselor from Corona del Mar also discredited the importance of college reputation to a graduate's career in America "It is more important to focus on the field the student is planning to study. For example a student who wants to be a dairy farmer is no good to go to UCLA since UCLA is not known for dairy farming. That student should go to a university with specifically agricultural programs where it is the right college for his/her own future prospects." Mrs. Hath strongly suggested social skills to be crucial in a person's career. "Social skill is critical in determining success. Even though a person graduated from a prestigious school if that person does not know how to get involved or deal with other people then he might not get hired." With the belief that the college reputation should be deemphasized she stated that when students apply to college "they should look for a good fit that is right for their focus. Some students might look at academics some students might want to be involved in active unions and some might just want to go to college to party. Students should go to colleges that have what they are looking for."

2009-03-08

많이 본 뉴스




실시간 뉴스