Already Living The American Dream?

While talking with Sheridan, a member of the elite AIS BO'Connor team, a topic of constant discussion came up: The North Shore. We are all very privileged to live in a community that is known across the country having the best neighborhoods, schooling, and security This is all, of course, on top of living on one of the largest and most beautiful fresh water lakes on the continent. How can a location so close to the big city of Chicago (a place supposedly full of ruffians and hooligans) be so successful as a society? The answer: money. Seven of the North Shore communities are in the top quintile of of U.S. Household income, and four of those are in the top ten (Thanks Wikipedia)! Real estate prices here are out of control, reaching millions of dollars for a two story house, not necessarily even on the lake or next to the schools! The educators of the community are paid top dollar, receiving unlimited support by parents and members of the towns. Taxes are also rather pricy (understandably so), funding law enforcement to be active around the community.

This sounds like practically a dream, doesn't it? A perfect education, unlimited resources, and a practically guaranteed safe environment. Who WOULDN'T want to live here? Surprisingly, a lot of people (even myself at times) will complain about growing up in a place like this. I have heard many statements, such as "There's no diversity in a place like this" and "The North Shore is a bubble, it's not the real world."

Sheridan got me thinking, don't we WANT these things? The American dream can be defined as the "perfect" lifestyle, living in a perfect place full of perfect people doing perfect things with their lives. Isn't displaying wealth and living in a nearly surreal neighborhood what all Americans are working towards on a daily basis? Are we, the students of New Trier and members of the North Shore, living the American Dream?

A Sin or a Justified Sacrifice?

I was shocked today after hearing about a massive animal slaughter that took place in Zanesville, Ohio, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. A man named Terry Thompson, an owner of about 60 exotic animals, let them all loose on his farm shortly before shooting himself in the head. The police made the call to shoot all of the animals, fearing that if anyone tried to capture them, they would be mauled to death. This course of action rubbed many animal lovers the wrong way. The police claimed that "Tranquilizer guns proved ineffective — and in some cases, weren't even available." Despite hearing this, some are still having trouble digesting that they killed 18 endangered Bengal tigers, 17 lions, and 6 black bears. For more information, feel free to read this article.  Did the government make the right decision? As Americans, we tend to make decisions that benefit both the individuals of society AND the greater good. True, there was potential for an accident involving a human, but automatically resorting to killing MULTIPLE breeds of endangered animals was "the right thing to do?" How do you think the government should have handled the predicament?

Curfew: Considerate or Controlling?

This past weekend has been a joyous occasion for all New Trier students, being a four day weekend opposed to your average two day weekend. As delightful as this is, there's a twist. Although the school's schedule is atypical, curfew does not change. Curfew in the state of Illinois is 10 p.m. on week nights and 11 p.m. on weekends. Since we had Friday and Monday off, two of our four nights was cut an hour short due to the government and it's law regarding curfew.

This is not only at times confusing to the minor population of the North Shore, but it is also irritating. Why should I have to be home by 10 if I don't have school tomorrow? This question got me to think even more about curfew, not just during this four day weekend, but as a system in general. Why is the government allowed to dictate what time a teenager needs to be at their house? Parents of the children to whom the curfew law applies are legally responsible for them and their actions. Should they not be the ones who determine what time their child should be home every night? As American's, we truly value our freedom as individuals and our government allowing us to practice our rights.

Isn't it the American thing to do to NOT abide by curfew? Would it not make more sense for parents to tell their children what time to be home by? Or is curfew just a friendly reminder to the community that rambunctious teens should not be roaming the streets late at night and enforcing parental responsibility?

Raising the Standard in Standardized Testing

Being juniors in high school, we are all beginning to experience the joys of the ACT and SAT, both college entrance exams that are considered a standard way of assessing knowledge. Everyone is asked the same questions and is given the same amount of time to answer them. Sounds fair, right?

After attending my first of many ACT prep classes today, I started thinking about all the other people that have to go through the same process. Everyone is required to take the test and are given the opportunity to take the test multiple times (in case your full potential was not captured in your initial test). There are also ACT/SAT prep classes offered to anyone who can afford them. Most kids take the test at least twice on the North Shore, if not five or six times, and attend multiple preparatory classes where there are practice tests and tutors. At each tutoring session, there is a fee--a fee that some cannot afford due to their economic status. There is also a fee for every ACT/SAT the student takes. What about the less fortunate students who can only afford to take the test once? The students that can't afford practice ACT classes or private tutors? How can they be considered a standardized tests when there are thousands of kids that aren't getting the extra  preparation that other students are?

As American's, we value equality more than any other moral in our culture. Is it "fair" to provide tutoring, practice tests, and the opportunity to retake tests multiple times to all students, knowing that only a select few can take advantage of the privilege?