Endangered Species

"Cruella De Vill, Cruella De Vill, if she does not scare you no evil thing will, Cruella Cruella De Vill"  Cruella De Vill is one of the most nefarious villains in cartoon history, but why? What makes Cruella De Vill such a terrible woman, what makes her have such a negative connotation?  Simple, her want to skin innocent animals for their fur. Many people can agree that they did not cheer Cruella on, they wanted her stopped, they did not want her to kill the Dalmatians. Yet, in real life, many animals, for example tigers, leopards, and cheetahs are being killed for their precious fur. Not only are animals being killed for their furs, but also for their horns, or for their fins. Stricter laws need to be enforced to prevent poachers from claiming another life. Sometimes, the animals are not killed directly, but taken from their habitats to be sold as exotic pets.

Animals cannot speak for themselves, they cannot protest being taken from their homes and shipped across the ocean, where in fact two thirds of them die. I understand that some people may say that animal skins are beautiful and portray a wealthy status; however that is both selfish and insensitive reasoning. Humans do not have the right to put themselves above animals. Something poachers do not realize is that killing off even just one species has an everlasting effect on the whole ecosystem. Taking one species  away, takes the food source away from a different species, leading to the destruction of a whole habitat. Poachers and illegal trading have led to the extinction of more than million species, and yet they have not been stopped. Many organized crime groups have even switched to illegal trading of animals because of the high wages and the low risk of getting caught. Even when caught, they face a small fine.

Compared to killing animals for their skin, selling them as pets seems humane and reasonable; however, many animals die on the journey to wherever they are being sold. They can die from insufficient food or the extreme stress and trauma they feel from being captured and ripped away from their homes. For every live animal captured and then sold in pet market, 50 others are killed from the journey. Keeping an exotic pet is ethically wrong and unjust. It is not fair to the animal to be kidnapped and snatched from their native land to serve the mere purpose of fulfilling selfish wants. In fact, some people do not realize that some exotic pets are actually dangerous. Keeping an exotic pet bird doubles the chances of developing lung cancer. The most important weapon that can be employed against illegal animal trading is becoming informed. Once people were to learn all the negative side effects that killing animals for trade brings, their mindset may begin to change. They can talk to their friends, and make them too realize how terrible animal trading is, and help gain their support for stricter laws. If stricter laws were enforced, the number of poachers would decrease substantially. A small fine is not enough to stop people from selling exotic animals, a harsh punishment needs to be employed to prevent anyone from wanting to harm another vulnerable animal again.

The next time you watch 101 Dalmatians, remember the sympathy you feel for the puppies, remember the gut wrenching feeling of them almost getting caught, and most importantly, remember the relief you feel when they are safe. 

 

 Work Cited:

Ehrenberg, R. (2008, Nov 08). Poaching's long reach threatens elephants anew. Science News, 174, 5-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/197452810?accountid=45237

 

Herro, A. (2008, Demand for exotic creatures widespread. World Watch, 21, 7-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230020931?accountid=45237

Mark, C. S., & Jane, S. S. (1997). The economics of saving endangered species: A teaching activity. Social Education, 61(6), 334-336. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/210631924?accountid=45237

 

 

 

Teen Tanning Ban

     Adolescence is a period marked by awkwardness, new beginnings, but most importantly responsibility. Teens are supposed to be able to make their own decisions that will help prepare them for the real world; but how are teens supposed to be prepared for the world when laws keep being passed to restrict their freedoms? Recent legislature has passed a bill banning teens under 18 years old from using indoor tanning beds. The excuse is that tanning beds are dangerous and cancerous, while true, why only ban 18 year olds? Tanning beds will still be dangerous when they turn 19 and yet they have not been outlawed. Teenagers should be allowed the privilege of deciding whether or not they want to use a tanning bed, state governments should not be deciding this for them.
     I understand that the purpose behind the law is prevent teenagers from developing skin cancer, but just because they cannot go to a salon does not mean they will be stopped from tanning ever again. Banning the use of tanning salons will only cause teens to lie out in the sun for longer amounts of time or invest in getting their own tanning bed. It has been proven that people who invest in their own tanning beds use them more frequently because they are so readily available. So, the ban that is supposed to be protecting teens from cancer is actually serving as a catalyst. This law will not only affect teens wanting to get an even tan, but local and small businesses. Banning teenagers under 18 years old will impact 25% of local businesses, putting more than 5,000 people out of jobs. Most of the customers of a tanning salon are teenagers, and taking away one of their main sources of income could have a detrimental effect on the community.
     Something people do not know about tanning beds, is that they are actually useful in the case of people with Vitamin D deficiency, though there are a lot of people that do not go to tanning beds for this reason, there are still some good in tanning beds. The bill is called the “Youth Skin Cancer Prevention Act”, and it’s main purpose to stop teenagers from developing early onset skin cancer. However, it is not like the state is banning all tanning salons, so they are still allowing some people to develop skin cancer. It is not fair to only ban teenagers from tanning salons, because all people using tanning salons run the risk of getting skin cancer. Then again, there is a chance that an airplane may crash; does that mean teenagers should not be permitted to ride on another airplane until they turn the proper age of 18?
     Laws like these are giving teenagers mixed signals. Teenagers are supposed to be responsible and make choices for themselves, yet they are also supposed to be told what to do and have the decisions made for them? Confusing. Babying teenagers until they turn 18 is not going to help them; they deserve the responsibility that comes with being an adolescent, and deserve the right to choose whether or not they are going to use a tanning bed.

Work Cited:
Harvey, Anna. "Bill Tries to Ban Teens from Tanning Salons." Carolina Coast Online. BLOX Content Management, 23 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Leslie, Laura. "Teen Tanning Ban Passes Committee." WRAL.com. Capital Broadcasting Company, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Tozzi, John. "The Tanning Industry FightsTeen Bans." Bloomberg Buisnessweek. Bloomberg, 3 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

School Start Time

     Depending on age the number of hours of sleep that is required varies, but there is something that does not vary, and that is how much of an impact sleep has on a person. Schools that begin at 7 am deprive students of needed sleep to properly be alert for the day. When a school begins at 7am the students that live at least twenty minutes away have to be awake by 6:00 am so that they can get ready and make it to school on time. Sometimes, students have to wake up even earlier if they want to shower or leave early to avoid getting caught in traffic. What if a student went to bed at 4 am because they had three tests in their AP classes the next day? All of this lack of sleep adds up, and by the time a student gets to school they are not ready to tackle the day, and are most likely going to fall asleep in class.
     Schools are designed to help students learn, but a student is not learning when their head is on their desk and a puddle of drool has developed next to their mouth. Studies have shown that when schools started later 51% of teachers reported less students falling asleep in their class. Sleep deprivation can have detrimental effects on a student’s productivity and alertness. I understand that some adults argue that students just need to go to bed earlier, but things have changed since they went to school. Not only do students have to pack on four AP classes at a time, but they also have to be part of more than just one extracurricular activity for colleges to even consider accepting them. So much emphasis is placed on getting good grades, but that requires studying. Sometimes when all tests are placed on the same day students can be up studying until at least four in the morning, if school started later to at least 9 am they would at least have five hours of sleep instead of just two.
      A later start time does not just increase student alert time, but also affects student happiness. A study that was conducted on two different schools with the only main variable different being the different start time proved that when school starts later there are less student reported depressions. Not only are there less reported depressions, but there is also less students falling asleep in class, higher attendance rate, less student drop outs, and increased test scores. Higher grades on standardized tests are actually good for the school as well. A school gets some of its funding from how well their students are scoring on tests, if the test grades are higher from students being more alert in classes, the school will look better. 96.5% of teachers that teach at schools whose start times have changed to a later time stated that they did not want to go back to the original start time. Changing the schedule not only impacts the students, but the teachers too, and most importantly impacts the school as a whole.
     A different starting time does not just mean students are getting a chance to sleep in. It means students are getting the chance to allow their brain to be fully alert and ready for class. There is no difference between a student who missed first period to get more sleep and a student who is asleep in class. Neither are getting the benefits of what school has to offer, because they are both trying to catch enough z’s to be ready for the rest of the day.

Work Cited:
Jessica, L. T. (2006). Later high school start times a reaction to research. Education Week, 25(28), 5-5,17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/202774546?accountid=45237
Rosenberg, R., & Monaco, M. (2012). Should high school students have a later start to the school day? American Teacher, 97(2), 3-3. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1124531323?accountid=45237
Wahlstrom, K. (2002). Changing times: Findings from the first longitudinal study of later high school start times. National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Bulletin, 86(633), 3-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216016019?accountid=45237

Mandatory Tutorials

When I am struggling on a topic or confusingly reading my textbook or having any trouble at all in a class, I will go in for help. I do not need to be told when to get help and I certainly do not need a mandated quota to meet each quarter. Tutorials, mandatory lunch help sessions, are ridiculous. Students, especially high school student should not have to be told when to ask for help. High school students need to be able to accept responsibility and judge for themselves when they need extra help from a teacher.

I understand that tutorials were initially created for the purpose of decreasing the student failure rate by allowing a time for students to have the chance to talk to their teachers and get some help. However, because they are mandatory it serves to be a chore rather than an opportunity. Yes, there are some people who are too lazy to go and talk to a teacher themselves or frankly do not care enough, but if that is the case, then even if they are in the tutorial they will not actually put any effort in. Many students just go to tutorials for the credit and do not actually utilize the time and either socialize or just sit and wait for the bell to release them. There are even some students, who sign their name in the tutorial book and then slip away unnoticed before the bell has actually rung. How is this "benefiting" the students? For the students that go in because they actually need help, it is hard for them to focus with those just sitting around socializing. The tutorial is now actually inhibiting these students  from studying, because they are distracted by the students who are being loud and not actually working on anything because they are only at tutorial for the credit.

Not only do mandatory tutorial sessions stress students, but they also overwhelm teachers. Some students wait until the last minute to attend their tutorials. When this happens, classrooms are packed with students, and teachers are overwhelmed trying to accommodate all of them. The teachers have to keep track of the students, as well as make sure they are actually working on something. When a student just goes to tutorial to receive credit and then proceeds to do nothing, it wastes not only the student's time but the teacher's time as well. A teacher's time is precious, they could be using this time to grade papers or plan lessons. It is not fair to the teacher to have their time wasted with a swarm of students showing up on the last tutorial day available to make sure they get credit.

Tutorials are not wrong, but forcing students to go to them is. A teacher should be available to students who actually need help and are willing to ask for it; however most people do not like to do things when they are forced. Leave the decision of going into class to ask for help up to the students. One thing is for sure, if I need help I will take it upon myself to ask for it.

Work Cited:
Hallead, Missy. "Hudson's Bay High School - Tutorial Program." Hudson Bay. Vancouver Public School, 23 May 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
"Jackson Finds Smart Lunch Program a Smart Move." GManet. Georgia Municipal Association, 6 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
"SMART Lunch - Adhscurriculum and Instruction." Athens Drive. A Wake Stem School, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.