Student Declaration of Independence

Student Declaration of Independence

I.                   Declaration of Student Rights

We, as students of Grosse Pointe South High School, deserve basic rights as young adults. Being in a public school, a student deserves freedom while maintaining discipline. The student should have the right to dress, express, and act the way they want to, as long as it is appropriate for a school environment. The student should be able to make decisions for their own self that benefit them and the school.

Academically, with the vast majority of classes offered, the student should be able to take whichever classes they want, as long as it goes along with their ability level. The student has to complete certain academic requirements, but the electives are their choice, it all depends on their interests and expression. If the student chooses to take seven academic classes, it is their right. If the student chooses to take the bare minimum of academic classes and the rest classes of their choice, it is their right.

With extracurriculars, the student has the right to participate in whichever pertains to them. From orchestra to choir to sports to clubs, there is about everything offered to interest a student. No administration should have the right to stop these activities; the students have the right to keep them ongoing for as long as they choose.

Being in high school, open campus should be an automatic right for the student. For lunch especially, it allows the students to choose wherever they want to go that interests them. When it comes to attendance, the student should be allowed to take full advantage of the open campus while respecting the attendance policy. As long as approved by the parent, the student should always have the right to leave if sick, injured, or for other reasons. Going along with attendance, the student should always have the right to have the weekends off, holiday breaks off, and occasional regular school days off. Constantly having homework and work to do is not always to the student’s interest, so these breaks are necessary.

When it comes to teachers and counselors, the student should always have the right to communicate with them, whether it be for help or other reasons. Teachers should always be willing to accept the student for their personality and behavior, and to create a good relationship with each one of them. Students have the right to talk to them and counselors, to figure out what is best for them, for help, whatever it best for them.

A student of Grosse Pointe South should have many rights, being a public school. The student should have the right to express themselves academically, through sports and activities, and whatever other ways they choose. School should be a place to benefit the student, give them rights is the best way of showing it.

II.                10 Complaints

I.        Start time- The start time is just too early. It is easier to get up when it is lighter out. The extra half hour that we could add to the start time would increase the attendance in school. It would increase the attendance because the students would most likely get up on time and not skip their first hour. This would boost the grades of the students in the school.

II.      No free period like other schools- Other schools, like Ligget, have a free period when you can do what ever you want. We should also have designated rooms where students can take naps, like in China at some work places. This free period would recharge students’ brains, and work harder. This period could not only be for taking naps, but you can catch up on work, or go get food. Students will not sleep as much in class because they know they have a nap coming up.

III.    Homework on weekends- Homework on weekends is rarely done. Rather than wasting the assignment, we should be given the homework during the week. The undone or half-way done assignments bring down students grades. There is no point to assigning work that will not get done, because without doing the homework, students will not understand the topic. Without understanding the topic, students will not do will on the test that teachers will subsequently give.

IV.    No snow days- Snow days are rarely had here in Grosse Pointe. Even if the entire state and surrounding states are not in school, we still have school. It should not matter that we do not have buses; some of us still need to get rides to school. If there is enough snow to close down most schools in the surrounding areas that would mean that it is too cold to walk. Also, it is very hard to drive in those conditions, so students could be late to school because of difficult driving conditions.

V.      Electronic use in classrooms- The electronic policy is pretty strict. Students should be allowed to use their iPods or other devices after they finish a test, or while homework is being done in class. If they are not disrupting the other students, it should not be a big deal. IPods help some people be more focused and get more done faster. If students got their homework done faster in school, then they would have less at home, and it would be more likely to get done, and not be a zero.

VI.    Lunch too short- The time we get for lunch just does not cut if. If a student wants to go across the street to Subway, then they barely have time to eat. By increasing the lunch period by just ten minutes, it would give the students a chance to go somewhere to get food and to enjoy it. It would also give students minds a break, and have a chance to recharge. Being rushed during lunch is not fun, so adding the extra ten minutes would make it more of a relaxing period.

VII.  Attendance policy- Students are not allowed enough absences. Ten absences are not very many for an entire semester. There are sometimes issues with illness, doctors’ appointments, and even custody. It makes it very hard for students to feel like they can stay home and recover from an illness, when they feel they might miss too many days of school. Even just making the days absent to twelve would greatly improve the attendance policy.

VIII.                        Food/Drink policy- Teachers do not want their students leaving class for any reason, so if drinks were allowed in class, it would take away one reason for students to leave. Also, sometimes students do not get a chance to eat breakfast in the morning. So, being allowed to eat in a classroom would be very helpful. As long as the foods or drinks are not mess or distracting there should not be a problem. Eating and drinking can also help some students concentrate, which would lead to higher grades and test scores.

IX.    Tests and Quizzes on Mondays- Having a quiz or test on a Monday makes life more difficult. Some students will forget over the weekend, and some just will not study, because it is the weekend and they do not feel like it. It is very difficult to have a quiz or test on a Monday because the student did not have the review day the day before, they had it three days before. The extra night to prepare if the test was on a Tuesday, would give the students who did study over the weekend a chance at a better grade. Tests and quizzes on Mondays are harder to concentrate on, because it was just the weekend, where students stayed up late, and are now tired.

X.      Unnecessary required credits (computers, art, health, etc.)- Some required credits are just unnecessary. Some students are not very good at computers, or art, and just do not want to know about health. Not doing well in these classes that they have no interest in taking will just bring down their overall grade point average. These classes are sometimes mundane to students, and serve no real purpose. Some students want to take an arts class, or computer class, and they should be able to, but it should not be required that every student do so.

                         

III.             Concluding Statement

The students are the majority of the population at Grosse Pointe South. Therefore it is only fair that the student body make most of the decisions, or at least get a say in the matter. Instead we are forced to go to a school where we don’t agree with half of the rules and policies. We, the student body, are taking a stand. The student body is revolting against the school, the board and Mr. Provenzano. We are told as teenagers that we need at least 8 hours of sleep that is hard to do when school starts at 8:00 A.M. we should be able to come to school at a reasonable hour. We deserve a free period every day, just a single hour a day where we can do homework or anything within reason. The weekend is a time for students to be relieved of stress and take a break, we are swamped with sports, drama, and homework all week, the student body deserves to have no homework over the weekend. The fact that we have one snow day a year is preposterous! It can be below zero degrees and we still must come to school, when schools like L’Anse Cruse have two in a row, we must get more then one snow day. There should be and acceptance of electronics in class rooms, high school students are old enough to be able to use a cell phone in class. Students go to school for approximately eight hours a day, it should not be too much to ask to have a longer lunch. When you are legitimately sick you should not be penalized, you should still be getting credit for taking the class as long as you get the work done. We get to eat once a day, that is it! We are not allowed to eat or drink anything in class, and that is just not fair because teachers can eat what they want when they want it and the students just have suck it up and be hungry. When there are tests and quizzes on Mondays it makes it difficult to get a good grade because you cannot ask questions and no teenage wants to have to worry about studying all weekend. When we are forced to go to school we should be able to pick what classes we take, not be forced to take unimportant classes such as computers. It is the student’s school; therefore the students should make the decisions. We will not cease until our new requirements are met. It is time for the students to take a stand. We will no longer be walked over and bossed around. Our demands must be met or there will be consequences.

Crucible Epilogue

Epilogue for Reverend Hale

            The horrid hangings had finally ended in Salem along with the witch trials. The town was once more a tranquil place but this peace had cost the lives of many. There would be a scar forever gouged through the back bone of Salem society. Reverend Hale had taken some of the blame upon himself for the trials. He later figured that it was his undertaking to preach to the world about the fictitious beliefs in witchcraft. Reverend Hale then set out on his valiant expedition with the thought of accomplishing his goal engraved in his mind.

            It was a bright and sunny, Saturday morning in Salem. The birds were singing their early morning tunes and the town was alive as usual. Bitter goodbyes were exchanged between Hale and Parris in the brisk morning air. Hale would soon be on his way, dedicated to spreading his true thoughts on the topic of witchcraft. With the crack of a whip his carriage began to roll out of Salem were he could not bear to live much longer. Hale was destined for Beverly, Massachusetts that was his hometown and where his wife Sarah Hale was living. Here Hale would rest and acquire the supplies needed to begin his campaign. With the thoughts of the Salem witch trials still fresh in his mind he set out on his journey.

            Hale’s first stop was at the small town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He had a friend there who was also relatively powerful and skeptical of witchcraft. After his extensive trip Hale had finally stopped his buggy outside of Reverend Joseph of Portsmouth’s home. It was a very joyful meeting between the two considering that they had not seen or heard from each other in over five years. After getting caught up on life Hale dozed off. Later he was awakened by the echoing sound of booming cheers. Hale’s curiosity got the better of him and wiping the drowsiness off of his face shot out of his bed and ran to the town square. What Hale stumbled upon both shocked and confused his tired and emotionally battered self. Five poor looking people were being prepared to be hung! “Die witches!” was the prevailing chant of the observing crowd. Hale frantically searched for Joseph and discovered him sitting on a rock excluded from the crowd with a terrible expression occupying his face. Joseph grasped Hale by the shoulder and they then returned to his home with no words exchanged.

            Joseph locked the door behind them and then lit a small candle on the dinner table were the two sat and began to talk. Joseph explained to Hale that recently a young girl had come to Portsmouth and since her arrival the fear of witchcraft had been embedded into the minds of the citizens. Hangings for accused witches then began with haste. “The girl goes by the name of Abigail” This statement spoken by Joseph put a look of emptiness upon the face of Hale. Hale then asked Joseph were she was staying and if he could borrow a hammer. Joseph replied, “About ten minutes down the road, why do you need a hammer?” Hale then said, “You have been the greatest of friends Joseph but now I must finish something that I started a while ago. I will not let her do it again.” That was the last Joseph or anyone else ever heard from Hale. To this day the disappearance of Reverend Hale ended the hangings in Portsmouth as well as the thought of witchcraft along the entire East coast of the United States. 

Crucible Essay

     In the spring of the year 1692 Salem, Massachusetts was under attack by witches. According to citizens the devil was running wild through the streets of Salem with no restraints. Something must be done! Many were brought to court and tried, many were guilty and many were hung. Witchcraft was not a joke back in Puritan society. If someone did not believe in the Bible word for word then they could not be referred to as a true Puritan.  So who were the founders of this terrible lie of witchcraft? Most would argue that Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams, and John Proctor began this tragic lie that ended many innocent lives.
     To begin with, Reverend Hale could have ended the lie in it's early stages. When Reverend Parris first discovered Abby and the girls playing in the woods he frightened them to the point of his daughter Betty fainting. Suspecting witchcraft he called upon Reverend Hale to examine his daughter Betty and to question the girls. After reviewing the case he believed it was indeed witchcraft and was sucked into the lie. "Tituba; the devil is out and preying on her like a beast upon the flesh of a pure lamb"(47). This was one of the most vital parts in the entire novel, Hale had fallen victim to the merciless lie! If the lie had been killed here no one would have died for the silly crime of witchcraft.
     Second of all, Abby and the girls would have admitted the lie if it wasn't for John Proctor. Abby had an affair with John and since that day she was psychopathically addicted to him. Proctor had even admitted this in court, "I have known her, sir. I have known her."(110). She had a crazy reason to follow the lie she created. Her plan was to gain the town's respect and to eventually accuse Elizabeth Proctor of Witchcraft and with Elizabeth out of the way her and John could then live happily ever after. Her plans would soon be dashed though resulting in the deaths of John, Elizabeth, and many others.
     In all, Abigail was the main reason in starting the Salem witch trials. She had started the lie and had ran away after she had killed her primary objective, John and many others along the way. "She comes to me every night to go and drink blood!"(44). These words uttered from Abby's lips began the sick and twisted lie which cost the lives of many. She was truly crazy, one who had no respect for human life. No one really questioned Abby about her and the girl's story because they were all somewhat "high up" in their society. Therefore, the girl's lying could not be stopped. Abby commanded the girls as minions and with them under her control she would not be stopped.
     In conclusion, Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Hale were most responsible for the Salem Witch trials. John was the reason for the lie to start and spread, Reverend Hale confirmed the horrid lie, and Abby put it in action. This chain of events did not bode well for the town of Salem and it took awhile for the citizens to recover from it. Many good and loving people were murdered for no reason thanks to a disgusting lie of witchcraft. This novel demonstrates how bad a lie can truly be and how terrible the consequences are.            







Abby
Hale
John

Crucible Post 2

    Telling a lie is usually never a good idea. No one ever wants to utter a lie but in some cases one must be told. As Hale travels from house to house looking for witches he eventually arrives at the Proctor residence. There he questions John and Elizabeth about the suspicion of Elizabeth being a witch. John is appalled. Still he states that he believes in witches even though he does not. A lie spoken seeking only personal protection. Keep in mind that even a very strong man like John was willing to tell a particularly large lie under pressure. Overall, I think I would not have lied like John in that situation.
    Sure, I lie every once in a while but if you put me in the situation John was in I would tell Hale that witches do not exist. If that was my wife about to be taken away on behalf of witchcraft lying would be out of the question. If it required me to go against the bible regarding witchcraft I would, even if I were addressing a very powerful man like Mr. Hale. Maybe, an honest statement is what Hale needed in that situation and the girl's plan would have been tattered. It is amazing how some honesty can affect your future. People will view you as you would like to be viewed in society and if some don't agree with you so be it they have the right to hold their own opinions. In conclusion, you should never tell a lie no matter what consequences may face you, especially a life or death situation.