_________________________Forum
Ignorance displayed by American
S tu den ts about world around them
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m C alley L athrop _____________
Staff Reporter
The word "bubble" has been
used to describe West Linn.
Most citizens live comfortably
and many problems that
people in other situations and
places face are irrelevant in
the generally posh suburbs
and calm atmosphere in which
we live. Americans, and West
Linn students, in the past and
very recently, have displayed
ignorance in the face of
difference. That is not what we
should represent.
"The Kenyans are coming!"
read a banner hung from the
second floor near Student
Street. "Welcome Namwela
Sister School" was also
displayed on a butcher paper
sign on the second floor near
A porch. The words weren't
the problem. There were
pictures of a zebra, a monkey
in a tree and a bear. Students
at Namwela do not live
among these animals, as their
habitat consists of plains and
grasslands. Although no harm
was meant by the "Kenyans
banner," and ASB had good
intentions, many students felt
it left a sour taste.
"It was like they were
saying 'Run away, the Kenyans
are coming'!" Mark Lewis,
senior, said.
D
uring
the assem b ly
on
-- » p
. x r
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Dec. 8, when the Kenyan
exchange students answered
questions about where they
are from, several people asked
questions that resembled more
"verbal diarrhea" than curious
students looking for insights.
People were asking about
Africa in general, when Kenya
is only a tiny piece of a large
continent.
Americans, in general, are
not educating themselves on
the lives or cultures of others
in the rest of the world. A 2006
survey by Roper Public Affairs
and Media found that 20%
of 18-24 year-old Americans
think that Sudan is a country
in Asia, and 48% think that the
main religion in India is Islam,
when actually the majority is
a mixture of Hinduism and
Buddhism. That is a very
depressing statistic.
I personally experienced
ignorance when I traveled
to Pennsylvania over winter
break. A woman asked me
where I was from, and upon
hearing the answer said, "Oh,
so you live in the wilderness,
or do you have real towns out
there?" Let's get real. Of course
Oregon is a real state! We even
have indoor plumbing!
Ignorance stems from
arrogance as well as laziness.
There is little drive to explore
others lives, and this lack
of knowledge is just being
reflected through the ignorance
displayed in every culture,
every person and every
country. The effects of being
uneducated about the world
can be costly and lead to
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assumptions, stereotypes and
prejudice.
It's time people take
personal responsibility and
recognize the fact that others
may be different, but it is
not okay to stereotype or
judge their situation based
on unfounded evidence or
assumptions. When you're
sitting in history class, pay
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"The education here
is easier and less com
plex than in Kenya."
attention. Want to know what's
going on around you? Classes
like Global Issues will open
your eyes. Read the front page
of The Oregonian, watch the
Discovery Channel once in
awhile. It may seem boring at
first, but there is nothing more
interesting than learning about
the world you live in and the
people you share it with.
— Irene
Wanyonyi, junior
Teens take privileges for granted
Could you spare a dime?
u H aley E fperly ______________
Looking around the school,
I notice Abercrombie logos
on clothing, and fingers
dancing on cell phones during
class. What teenagers may
not be aware of is that the
money spent on one pair of
Abercrombie jeans could feed
a family for months. Or that
while they are texting beneath
their desk in English, people
all over the world are working
diligently to accumulate
enough money to pay for
school.
So many people in West
Linn, especially teenagers, take
the advantages they are given
and materials they possess for
granted. Living in the United
States of America, we have
education we receive through
many years of schooling is
what helps us thrive in life and
become employable.
Think of the difference
between a person that has
graduated high school, and a
person that hasn't. In nearly
all cases, the person applying
for a job that has the higher
education would receive the
position over someone less
educated. In a study done by
the U.S. Department of Labor,
the unemployment rate of one
that has a doctoral degree is
1.4% and they make a weekly
median income of $1,441. The
unemployment rate is 6.8%
for people that do not have a
high school diploma and their
median weekly income is $419.
That is just one example of
the right to a free education,
how education is important in
which means we don't have to
pay for elementary, middle or
high school. In most countries,
education is a privilege, not a
right.
Most of the students I know
dislike going to school most
days and can't wait for that
last second when the clock
strikes 3:10 p.m. and they
are free. I have found myself
guilty of not appreciating my
opportunity to learn many
times. But I also believe, since
we are given an education so
freely, we should go to class
each day ready to learn, not
ready to catch up on sleep. The
life. Children develop social
skills in elementary school, the
basics in middle school and
in high school they are able
to narrow down the classes
they take to the ones that will
pertain to their career.
Education isn't the only
thing taken for granted in West
Linn. Nearly every student
in West Linn has one or more
of these items: cars, trendy
clothes, cell phones, iPods,
televisions, computers, the list
goes on. They are all luxuries.
Contributing Writer
"Technology and
the climate are the
biggest differences
though the spirit here
is very welcoming
and friendly" >
---- Geoffrey
Amunga, junior
What is the biggest
difference between
Kenya and West
Linn?
"The lifestyle and
guys. They all have
vehicles and they're
more prestigious."
Spate a fliiii____________ m
continued on page 10
—— Daisy Nafula,
senior
New venue for Fine Arts
Assembly deserves applause
m
B mmaue C ox & L exi W elf
Staff Reporters
Last school year students
congregated in the Main Gym
for the Fine Arts Assembly,
crawling and squeezing their
way through the nearly 1,600
other students to find their
seats. Once seated, students
continued to converse and
socialize. This disruptive
behavior continued even after
the performances started.
Fine Arts Department
teachers felt that the gym
wasn't conducive to this type
of assembly and suggested
that from now it be held in
the Auditorium. Numerous
issues led to this decision.
With seating on both sides
of the gym, it was more
difficult to keep thé attention
of the entire audience.
The performances weren't
planned to be facing multiple
directions, and most often
were facing only the junior
and senior audience, leaving
the sophomores and freshmen
feeling left out. Another
problem was the unavoidably
faulty microphone system
that causes even those who
are paying attention to lose
interest in the hard work of
the performers.
By not giving their full
attention to the performers,
students are not being
respectful. The casual
environment of the gym
contributes to the audience's
unfocused behavior.
Hue iris issiia&ly________ m
continued on page 8
The weather is
iry different and
m uch colder."
-----Edw in
K em ei, jun ior
Photos
by Calley Lathrop