Guns or No Guns For Teachers

“There is a recognition the Second Amendment rights, like the First Amendment and other rights, come with responsibilities and limitations. There is no reason both sides of the gun debate can’t support policies that both can’t protect the right to legally own guns for sport and safety, and reduce the likelihood of mass fatality.” Quoted by Randi Weingarten. 
There are many mixed feelings on allowing teachers to have guns at school and how safety could be improved. This has proved a problem that requires more attention because of the recent shootings in Florida, California, Kentucky and the tragedies that have occurred during them. Because of the problems guns have caused, some people think that guns should be taken out of the picture or that there should be more restrictions placed on them such as a higher age limit. Others think that more security should be added such as police officers or people previously in the military to guard entrances.

I asked some students at WCHS what their thoughts on the subject are and most had different viewpoints on it. The majority however believed that teachers should be allowed to have guns at school for additional security in classrooms. One of the interviewees stated “teachers are already laying down their lives to save their students, why not give them a way to protect themselves too.” the most common follow up to why students wanted their teachers to have guns was that teachers were protecting their students as past news stories have shown and the teachers don’t have a way to protect themselves and they should to better improve the safety of the school.

Here at WC we have installed threatextinguishers around our school as an alternative to guns. 

Threat extinguishers are concentrated cans of pepper spray that set off and alarm when they are removed from their containers. The people I interviewed that thought teachers shouldn’t have guns, said that they saw these as a better alternative to allowing the teachers to have guns. Another alternative that was seen fit was just following school procedures in classrooms such as attacking the trespasser with the objects they have in the classroom with them. Another student stated they think teachers could be impulsive and cause further issues than what could be prevented. each person I have interviewed has a different opinion on the matter but they all think that there should be a change in some way.

~Lilly Heidorn

The Dangers of Cellphones

What exactly are smartphones doing to us?

In this day and age, smartphones are a huge part of our lives. People rely on their smartphone for directions, communication, and even personal financing. Health officials have been researching the effects that smartphones have on our society.

In order to dig into this question, we must understand a few different demographics. According to the “Pew Research Center” 94% of young adults ages 18-29 own a smartphone in the U.S. Virtually every young adult owns a smartphone or smart device in one way or another. The average person looks at their phone at least 221 times a day. That is about 9 times an hour, but really about 14 times an hour assuming everyone gets about 8 hours of sleep. Would you consider 14 checks in a single hour, addiction? Studies show that nearly 50% of students claim to be addicted to their smart device, but in reality it is likely that every student that checks their phone 14 times an hour is truly addicted to their smartphone.

Smartphones are addictive, and cause several health issues, like sleep disruption, and neck issues. Studies show, that blue light emitted from smartphones, and other smart devices, disrupt your sleeping patterns. Blue light is the most disruptive light to the human body towards sleep. It hinders the release of the hormone melatonin in the brain that causes the human body to relax and fall into the REM cycle. If one is exposed to blue light right before they go to bed, it will take much longer and be much harder for them to fall asleep.

Ever seen a student walking around with their head down looking at their phone? Studies show that looking down at your phone causes great amounts of stress on your neck that can eventually lead to neck issues like pinched nerves and poor posture. At the upright position, your head puts about 10-12 pounds of stress on your neck, while at a 45 degree angle your head gives about 49 pounds of stress on your neck. With the average student checking their phones 221 times a day, that equates to be a whole lot of stress.

Few people would say to never use 
your smartphone, the key is, to be responsible with how you use it. Peter Mallory says “Phones can be extremely dangerous to those with feeble minds.” It is important to know your boundaries and monitor the effects your devices have on you. If you are one of the millions of people who have a cell phone addiction, there is no shame in contacting a professional, like Mrs. Nancy Secrest.

~Danny Myers

Bullies at WC?

Could bullies be the real playground victim? Everyone can relate to the struggles of middle school and the inevitable clash of the ‘school bully’ but if this fact is universally relatable than the bully must be bullied as well. It is 2018 and anyone can be the victim.
After interviewing ex-bullies, who shall not be named throughout this article, a common thread runs from the “bullies” school life straight into their front doors. Experts say that bullying originates by what the antagonists consumes from experiences at home and simply reacts to their social challenges of their high school life. Displaying dominance and or social skills through insults and abuse, bullies often struggle with more than they are given credit. One of our ex bullies talks about being mistreated by others earlier in their education and led them down a dark road and ended up becoming the thing they hated most.
          As culture evolves education is always close behind and with the evolution of schooling and social media a new form of bully has arisen: cyber bullying. Students are now vulnerable to bullying outside of the classroom and even in the safety of their homes. Parents should always keep an eye out for signs of cyberbullying. Any kids

who experiences it should always remembered that you can shut off the phone or delete the app.

           Worthington Christian prides themselves on a bully-free zone and as a student who has attended the school their entire life, attributed that privilege to the families behind the scene. If you look behind the scenes of the school you will find hundreds of hard-working Christian families dedicated the upbringing of their children in a safe environment. WC acts as this incubator and for the most part helps eradicate bullies at the source: home. Ex victim laments his journey “I was severely bullied in middle school but thanks to the support of my father, we held a meeting with them and resolved our differences”. If you are experiencing bullying of any sort do not hesitate to grab an adult. The Wc handbook makes a clear strict rule that bullying will never be tolerated and the faculty and staff are all there to help. So, on behalf of Worthington Christian High School we thank all our motivated families for keeping the community safe and secure.

~Peter Mallory

Texting while driving impacts WC

Texting while driving is a common factor among drivers everywhere. From teenagers to adults, chances are most people have texted while driving at least once, even though it is illegal. On average, there are 1.6 million car accidents a year caused by texting while driving. In a recent online poll about texting while driving, out of 130 that responded, only 22% of the voters have reportedly texted while driving. 

Out of ten students recently interviewed at Worthington Christian High school, eight confessed that yes, they have texted while driving, while only two of them stated that no. 
The people that replied yes, however, have never been pulled over for texting while driving. A few people were asked about their experiences with texting while driving, but everyone responded the same way: No one has ever been pulled over or in an accident. One person had stated they text and drive all the time, while another person had mentioned the only time they touched their phone was to change the music playing. 

While it is very lucky that nobody at Worthington Christian has ever been injured for texting while driving, it doesn’t mean that it will never happen. Studies show that 78% of distracted driving accidents are caused by texting while driving.

~Mia Schoonover