High Life : A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : High School Is Due for a Change
Everybody’s a critic!
Suppose you’re in a position to make decisions about how your high school is run, and your primary objective is to make it a more enjoyable experience for all concerned.
Hot Topics asks, “High school would be a lot more fun if . . . . “
“We had longer lunch periods and fewer assignments.” Ian Cheng, 17, senior, Valencia
“Sports were more oriented to the needs of the athletes without the pressure of winning.” Dottie Geluca, 17, senior, Sonora
“The teachers were justly paid for their seemingly endless work, then maybe, just maybe, they would look upon their job as a quest, not a yearly trial.” Paul McGinnis, 17, junior, Ocean View
“The school had cuter guys with more money and higher intellect.” Katie Riddell, 17, junior, Woodbridge
“There weren’t so many tests and we had a three-day weekend every weekend.” Marie Alsonso, 16, junior, Connelly
“It wasn’t such a prison. It always feels like Big Brother is watching me. A little freedom would do our students a world of good.” Jennifer Taylor, 18, senior, Capistrano Valley
“Vacations and holidays were in abundance.” Hitn Patel, 16, junior, Valencia
“There were more clubs catering to many different interests.” Gretchen Heimlich, 14, freshman, Sonora
“All the teachers were belly-dancers.” Alex Rodriguez, 18, senior, Ocean View
“We didn’t have so much busywork, lunch was a bit longer, and there were better guys.” Lisa Buda, 15, sophomore, Woodbridge
“School was a half-hour long.” Elisa Caillier, 17, junior, Connelly
“Teachers taught with more creativity and originality. Some teachers lecture right out of the textbook in that awful, monotone drawl. Not every teacher has to be like Jaime Escalante, but they should remember that if it doesn’t hold the student’s interest, then they’re not going to learn it well.” Janet Choi, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley
“School was held every other day and we had two weeks off for summer.” Daniel Wach, 18, senior, Valencia
“It went year-round.” Corey Witt, 16, sophomore, Sonora
“Students had more choices and freedom in selecting their classes so that they wouldn’t be required to take certain (number of) units of English, P.E., etc. They should be allowed to choose classes as they please.” Elizabeth Lin, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley
“Teachers were not allowed to come and they reinstated nap time.” Dan Stovanovich, 18, senior, Ocean View
“I didn’t have to go.” Brooke Leys, 16, sophomore, Woodbridge
“There were more activities and more fun projects instead of boring tests.” Katie Oglesby, 14, sophomore, Connelly
“We had no homework and no teachers.” Quynh Truong, 17, senior, Valencia
Charles Cha, 17, junior, Capistrano Valley
