Current Connection: 2.1

Courtney Sollie, director of admissions communications at Seton Hall University, and author of "Making the Final College Decision" posted at College Express, , gives some advice on overcoming a teenager's toughest obstacle: choosing which college to attend.

According to Sollie, the college selection process should begin with "fully considering what you want from your college experience." There are many factors brought into play when considering colleges. Some students, those seeking professional sport careers, for instance, choose colleges with major athletic programs. The quiet, A+ student, however, most likely attends ivy league universities flooded with the future rulers of the world fighting their way to the top with their ever so advanced brains.

Sollie's most stressed tip is to "truly trust your gut." Visiting a college is a great way to advance the big decision, for it gives a student the chance to experience the life themselves before fully commiting. Finding many residential students along the way, a possible future student could be given the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. If it just does not feel right, being at the campus, maybe it is not the right choice, and it can be marked off the list.

As a senior, I am currently faced with this very decision. My factors involve the location and the programs offered. I have had trouble with eliminating college choices, thus I am stuck at a dead end, fork stuck in my side-done. Great tips such as considering factors, prerequisites, and scholarships have greatly helped in narrowing my search for the perfect college.

With the deadline to a final decision approaching, more pressure and stress is being put on high school seniors, myself included. All their lives students believe the decision to be easy and simple, misunderstanding the seriousness of it. A bright future lies ahead for those willing to make the imporant decisions, given they know how.

Current Connection: 1.2

In her article entitled, "High School Homework: Are American Students Overworked?" Lauren Miller, a teenage writer, uses factual evidence to suggest that teachers give too much homework, benefitting no one.

Miller quotes, "...a student should be assigned no more than 10 minutes per grade lever per night." Although this is a guideline from the National Education Association, students receive two to four hours of homework a night. When figuring in the seven hours of school, a total of 45-55 hours per week of schooling is placed upon the kids of today.

The author also claims that in other countries "which have higher-scoring students, teachers give little homework." The United States is proven to give out more homework than most other countries. These other countries, however, have higher test scores than the U.S.; therefore, they should be an example to others.

In the article, Miller also writes, "If schools assign less homework, it would benefit teachers, parents, and students alike." With less homework given comes less homework to grade-a major relief on teachers. Students would be happier, more stress-free, and have more family time in the evenings.

Receiving thirty minutes of homework does not bother me. It is only when I get assigned that amount of homework from four different classes in one night that I stress. I have spent many nights, long and dreary dark times, studying for a big science test the next day while also writing a four-page essay and completing thirty minutes of math problems.

Maybe if teachers communicated with one another about homework we, the students, would not be overloaded and bombarded with hours of work. Would not that be nice? I can only dream of a day...

Current Connection: 1.1

    In an article written by Samantha Noel Cartwright entitled "Teacher attitude on student performance," Cartwright, a student herself, uses her personal experience to prove that teachers' attitudes do make a difference.
    
     In her article, Cartwright shares about having a professor who was "renowned around the campus for her sternness and being unreasonable." Students fear teachers with reputations such as this. Some may even opt out of a certain class, afraid they would not succeed.
    
     The author also claims that students "were afraid to ask a question in class for fear of being scolded" in the aforementioned teacher's class. Being too afraid to ask questions could potentially lead to a student falling behind. Since we first learn how to talk we gain knowledge by asking questions.
    
     Having a professor with such an awful attitude, a negative air about students, caused Cartwright to tell herself things like, "Why even try, she'll tell me I did it wrong anyway." This kind of an impact on students can steer them towards a lazy, negative outlook on their school work. Obvious bad consequences could be the loss of credit or even the loss of scholarships.
    
     I myself have experienced or witnessed each of these three areas. I have had teachers that harbor a bad reputation, a label given to them by students. I have been belittled by a teacher, causing me to fear speaking up in class. I have also watched "good grade" students slack off and become "bad grade" students on behalf of a mean teacher.
    
     Teachers' attitudes have become a big issue. When students are too afraid of a teacher to ask for help, something is wrong. We should look up to teachers as mentors and as counselors.

Lives are too serious to ignore.

     Being selfish is one thing, but when selfishness gets in the way of saving peoples' lives, it has gone too far. Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian ship is a prime example. Less than nineteen miles away from the horrid sinking of the Titanic, he saw distress signals coming from the ship. As flares rose up into the dark, starlit sky he willingly turned his head and continued sailing across the sea. Whether it was out of selfishness or not, I do believe it was a selfish act. No harm would have been done if he had simply turned his ship and rescued helpess passengers of the Titanic. More good would have been done than harm. Most acts of selfishness can be forgiven, but some effect the lives of people. These acts should not be forgiven. If anyone has the opportunity to be a good Christian and save someone's life, it should be taken whether or not it interferes with anything. I consider that almost murder.

P-I-T-Y You Ain't Got No Alibi.

On page 52 the author asks, "He sought my pity, but had he any right to pity? Did a man of his kind deserve anybody's pity?"

On your blogs, answer these questions in a PEE paragraph. Argue for or against pity for this man. Use text from the book to support your answer. Remember to use pathos in order to persuade your audience. (Remember to use a colon!)


     Previously in a discussion I stated that I would forgive a soldier in certain situations. In this case, I don't believe I support the fact of forgiveness. In the story the man states, "When the war broke out I volunteered, naturally in the SS." He had a choice whether or not to commit to whatever the military would ask him to do. He chose to follow his commands. Therefore, I believe that this man does not deserve forgiveness. There were two lifestyles he could have chosen: safe and peaceful or hard and gruesome. He chose the road less travelled by. That is his own fault.

Forgivness; It's a privilege.

     Forgivness is given out too easily to those who do not deserve it, and yet a soldier who obeys his commander and shoots an unarmed mother and child usually does not receive this benefit. I believe he or she should. During many dictatorships, for an example, the Holocaust under Hitler's rule, soldiers are given strict instructions as to what they are to do. Many of the tasks they are given are very unhumane, such as shooting a mother and her child. Any human being would become emotional over having to do such a thing, so the soldier would feel regret and sorrow for what he or she has done. Therefore, I believe he or she should not be punished and should be forgiven. After all, they were only doing what they pledged they would do: obey their dictator.

Everyone Needs A Little Love

A small pink blur breaks my line of vision.
I see red hair and blue eyes peek over a box.
The little girl, dressed in pink tatters,
stares with big innocent eyes.
"It's okay, don't hide."
Slowly she emerges,
her dress dancing in the wind,
her feet bare on the concrete.
The bag in my hand extended to her,
she carefully grasps the handle as if it were as fragile as glass.
I see the ends of her mouth curve up as she peeks inside,
finding a brand new dress and shoes.
With tear-filled eyes,
this helpless little girl
takes my hand,
and I pull her into a life of happiness and love.
Oh, that little girl;
the joy of my life,
the reason I live,
but most importantly,
my daughter.