Newspapers / Grimsley High School Student … / Dec. 3, 1993, edition 1 / Page 3
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Editorial GRIMSLEY HIGH LIFE Friday, December 3, 1993 page 3 Teachers teaching bad habits By Michael Shuman Giimsley’s teaching staff certainly shares their wide variety of knowledge with us in the classroom, but they also inadvertently introduce us to their bad habits. Webster’s dictionary defines teaching as, “to instruct by precept, example, or experi ence.” Grimsley has a long history of aca demic excellence. We usually credit such success to the teachers. The teachers at Grimsley are the “cream of the crop” in the newly consolidated Guilford County School System. We learn much through the lec tures of our teachers and their other forms of teaching, but do they know that we also learn from their actions and the examples they set? As teenagers we develop the habits we are going to possess throughout a lifetime; consequently, the teachers we spend almost eight hours a day with are some of the most influential people in our lives. Is it right that these powerful figures in our lives are able to smoke in the place where we are supposed to learn to be a healthy p erson? Some p eople might say that it is okay if it goes on behind closed doors, but to get to the Mac Lab journalism stu dents used to have to fight the smoke leak ing out of the teachers loxmge. A simple passerby in the New Science can breathe in the smoke at peak times during the day. We now know that smoking is harmful to our health, so why are our educators able to smoke on campus? Smoking is banned for students, so it should be banned for the teachers. Overall, teachers set a pretty good ex ample for the students here at Grimsley High School, but their few bad habits should be addressed. Smoking is a big problem for students as well as teachers at Grimsley and it is looked down upon by society. But who should we believe, society which deems smoking unhealthy and harmful to others or our teachers who show us by their ac tions that it is okay? The teenage years are the most vulnerable years in life and we should not be lead in the wrong direction by a role model such as a teacher who smokes. Students troubled with stress and high expectations of college By Kelly James Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you stressed out? This seems to be the feeling of many Grimsley students. Today, colleges expect students to be superhumans—president of every club at school, star athlete, involved in the commu- High Life Staff Editor in Chief Kathryn Taylor Editorial Editor Ryan Robinson News Editor Brent Bulla Feature Editors David Hoffman Jill Robbins Carrie Traister Sports Editor Jenny Adams Advertising Manager Heather Markham Business and Circulation Manager Tracey Moore Adviser Linda Kidd published monthly by the journalism class of Grimsley High School 801W estover T eixace Greensboro, NC 27408 High Life "Voice of the Whirlies" nity, and on top of all this, make straight A’s in all honors and AP classes. In order to fulfill these requirements, stu dents often forego many activities outside of academics that they find enjoyable such as attending school plays and athletic func tions. In the extreme, some students even cut down on the amount of sleep they get. Underclassmen, especially juniors, work twice as hard, looking forward to their se nior year where they can relax and have fun. But this year 1 have noticed that many se niors are more stressed than the underclass men. In addition to all the work required dur ing the previous three years, seniors have the added pressure and anxiety of college applications. During om spare time (where exactly does this time come from, anyway?) we have to fill out applications and do es says, all the while maintaining our regular school work, not to mention that colleges want to see a challenging senior schedule which only adds more pressure. It’s not that I don’t understand the college’s thinking. They want to separate the students who are willing to go the extra mile from the ones who cannot make that commitment. But what cost do we have to pay to get accepted to a good college? Are we, as students, expected to completely give up our social lives and other extracurricu lar activities we enjoy? These activities contribute to both a student’s personality and learning experi ence as much as the actual academics of daily school life do. I realize that life in and of itself is very stressful and that high school may actually be preparing us to deal with the stress we will inevitably feel when we leave. But perhaps we need to reevaluate our goals in life and concentrate on those goals rather than being first in the class and ha\Tng a thousand extracurricular activities. Let’s face it, we can only do so much and be so many places at once, no matter what the colleges feel. New smoking ordinance to protect the health of nonsmokers By Kelly James The new smoking rules voted into Guilford County have caused an uproar among smokers and nonsmokers alike. These rules would place a ban on smoking in restaurants and all other public areas in side Guilford County. Originally, the new regulations were to go into immediate en forcement, but in order to soothe pubhc pro tests the Guilford County Board of Health voted to phase in the new regulations over a one year period of time. This “phase in” process was in response to complaints that immediate enforcement of the rules would not allow for an adequate adjustment pe riod. But most opponents are upset about the regulations in general, not the way the regulations are being implemented. In or der to preserve the rights of all Guilford County citizens, the smoking ban must be enacted. One argument of the opponents of the smoking ban is the belief that the regula tions will cause a decrease in the restaurant business in Greensboro. This same argu ment was made a few years ago when the regulations providing a mandatory non smoking area in Greensboro restaurants went into effect and these worries went un substantiated. But even if smokers do boy cott Greensboro restaurants because of the rules, many non-smokers will come to Greensboro in order to dine in a smoke-free environment. Opponents also argue that in the future, many Piedmont area jobs will be lost be cause similar bans may go into effect na tionwide. “Howcanthehometownofmany tobacco businesses place aban on the state’s leading cash crop?” I’m sorry, but the fact is that smoking is bad for your health and will eventually kill you. If recognition of this proven fact causes a loss in jobs for some, there’s not much anyone can do about it. It still doesn’t change the fact that smok ing always leads to health problems and that these problems are just as apt to appear from effects of second hand smoke. This leads into the biggest controversy over the new regulations- the invasion of people’s rights. The fact is, the new rules do not ban smoking; they only regulate where one is allowed to smoke. Smokers still retain the right to smoke, but they do not retain the right to smoke where they can expose other people to the harmful effects of smoke. It has been proven that the inha lation of second hand smoke is nearly as lethal as actually inhaling the smoke directly into your lungs. Aperson’srights end when they infringe upon the rights of others. It is a nonsmoker’s right to be able to go and eat in a restaurant and not choke on smoke between each bite. For centuries, doctors have quarantined persons with infectious diseases so that they don’t spread the disease to others. Is it then- civil right to break the quarantine and, in turn, inflict others with their disease? Smok ing is just like an infectious disease. If people are forced to contain their smoking habit to their own homes or places that have adequate ventilation systems, the disease will not spread. If smokers are not forced to contain their habit, the disease will thrive, not only killing the smoker, but killing in nocent victims as well. Letters to the EAtor In order to make High Life a true forum for the students of Grimsley High School, input from the entire student body is essential. If you are interested in having your opinion printed in your newspaper, drop your letter hy Room 203 in Main Building.
Grimsley High School Student Newspaper
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Dec. 3, 1993, edition 1
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