CORNER CANYON CHRONICLE - EDITORIALS

Is College Really necessary?

11/22/2021

BY EMMA JOHNSON
SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Edsurge: It's Time to Digitally Transform Community College

Parents are always asking us the questions, “What college do you want to go to? Have you applied for any colleges? What do you want to study in college?” It can be a lot of pressure, especially for someone who isn’t sure what they want to study in college, or even if they want to go to college. So I’m here to ask the question we all want to ask: Is college worth it?
For some people, they don’t even need to consider college. They know exactly what they want to do after high school, and they’re graduating with an associate’s degree. They can get a job right out of high school. But for most of us, that’s not the case. We all have to decide if we want to go to college, and then what college we want to go to. I think the most important things to consider when picking a college is if you feel it will work for you: it has the major you want, it has a campus you feel comfortable in, and it has a reasonable cost that you are willing to pay.
All that aside, is it actually worth it to go to college? I’m sure most of us have the fear that college will end up doing us no good, or that we won’t actually be able to get a job after attending. We know, however, that college is more likely to help us get hired than just high school. The National Center for Education Statistics says that 80% of college graduates will get a job, while 74% of high school graduates will get a job, and people who do not complete high school have a 57% chance of getting a job. You’re probably thinking, well hey, that’s still more than half of people who don’t finish high school or college. Why don’t I just drop out and get a job. Yes, you can still get a job without going to college, but it's much harder. While the difference between high school graduates and college graduates is a mere 6%, it’s still much better to get that extra six percent of a chance than to just throw it away. This obviously doesn’t take into consideration people who had a gap year, or anything like that.
So, do you have to go to college if you don’t want to? Absolutely not. You should just consider the benefits before you decide.

Best Non-Ivy League colleges in the US

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford (yes, it's not an ivy league school)
University of Chicago
California Institute of Technology
John Hopkins University
Northwestern University
Duke University
Vanderbilt University
Rice University
Washington University (St. Louis)

College Raptor: How do I actually know if a college is a good fit?

Most Popular Colleges in Utah

Brigham Young University
University of Utah
Utah State University
Westminster College
Southern Utah University
Snow College
Utah Valley University

How does the education system fail students?

11/15/2021

BY OAKLEE EWING
MIND & BODY EDITOR

BEHIND THE SCENES

     This interview was a lot harder than I expected. Many teachers turned me away in fear that answering this question would somehow put themselves in jeopardy - which should show you enough evidence of the flaws in this system - but I also had many people give me answers not wanting to be filmed.
     Coach Kjar once again emphasized how enabling schools are, with no tardy penalties, no late work penalties, etc. Kids don’t have any accountability with anything, which sets up students for failure in the college setting where if you turn something in late, upwards of 50% could be taken off your score simply for not being on time with it.
     On my mission of finding teachers, I think I asked upwards of 6 teachers, and yet only 2 agreed to it. I felt like the monkey in the middle, each teacher asking me to go ask another because “they are much more qualified, or opinionated than I.” Many students stared at me saying “I don’t know what to say.”
     All I can say is that my issue with school? The fact that I no longer strive to get 100s on things anymore, all I want is a 93% at least since that’s an A and as long as I have an A I am A-Okay. I’m just here to graduate then get a degree, that’s all I want. The college experience doesn’t even sound appealing to me anymore because all I want is just to be done with school. I’m burnt out.

Is The Purpose of School to Learn or to Pass?

11/7/2021

OAKLEE EWING
MIND & BODY EDITOR

     The education system in the United States has been flawed and failing for too long. Most kids might tell you they don’t even remember what today’s lessons were on, but they sure could tell you how good/bad their grades are. Schools today have put more emphasis on trying to pass with an A rather than actually learning material and understanding core concepts.
     “In most schools, memorization is mistaken for learning.” (Wharton) This quote is from an essay dated back to 2008. Students are taught to memorize material that will be used for a test, and once that test is over, much of said material is then forgotten to make room for the next units’ information. Then, by the end of the year or semester, students are forced to cram as much information from the entire course into their brain for a final exam that basically determines their final grade. Once that class is over, however, everything is long forgotten.
     John Taylor, an educator, lines out his ideal classroom on aeon. He goes on to explain the importance of seminar-style classrooms, and classroom design that inspires discussion and inquiry. Taylor says, “...[T]he classroom of today resembles a military training ground, where students are drilled to produce perfect answers to potential [test] questions.” Classrooms are not for the student to learn, just to be filled with information from either a textbook, teacher lectures, or pointless assignments that do them no good for the future since, once the test has passed, the information goes out the door.
     The grading scale is stupid. Most students worry only about their grades and not about what they’re learning. Asking teachers for extra credit or to be able to redo this and that to bump them up just enough points for the next letter grade. Not because they deserve it, but because that letter grade on their transcript could make or break their ability to go to that dream college they’ve been looking at since they were in elementary school. The stress students feel purely to have good grades completely defeats the purpose of education.
     One thing I can attest to is that I hardly ever strive for 100% on tests to demonstrate a full understanding, I only strive for a 93%. Why? Because that’s an A, and as long as I have an A I’m good. I also know there is a large number of students that feel the same. There is something really wrong with that mindset and the education system needs to fix it.

What part of the education system do you think truly failed you?

“Standardized Testing”
- Maci Waldron (Senior)

“Testing System”
- Harrison Taggart (Senior)

“Standardized Testing”
- Kerklyn Hoff (Junior)

“Not stringent enough, they just want as many kids to pass”
- Coach Kjar

“The grading scale”
- Addie Kjar (Sophomore)

“The math curriculum is difficult and stupid the way they’ve adapted it.”
- Ellie Horrocks (Sophomore)

“Not allowing us to redo assignments, we are never allowed to get better”
- Vee Witzel (Senior)

“Not retaking tests or even talking through test answers so cheating is less of an issue since they can do it again and actually learn”
- Emma Gleason (Senior)

Our school ranking system...How it fails Students

11/2/2021

JANICA STOCKING
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Weighted GPA Scale (left) v. Unweighted GPA Scale (right)

All throughout high school, we as students are ranked against all other students in our grade. This is called class rank. Most high schools do this, but there are many different ways high schools rank their students. Ranks are assigned according to a student’s GPA compared to the rest of their grade’s. The most common ways students are ranked are decile, quintile, and quartile. Decile ranking systems rank students by percentile in increments of 10 (ex. 10th percentile, 20th percentile, etc.). Quintile ranking systems rank students by percentile in increments of 20 (ex. 20th percentile, 40th percentile, etc.). Quartile ranking systems rank students by percentile in increments of 25 (ex. 25th percentile, 50th percentile, etc.). Exact ranking systems simply give students a “place” or a number based on GPA. Ranks can also be unweighted and weighted. Weighted ranks take rigorous classes into account while unweighted ranks are based solely on your raw GPA. Our school uses exact ranking and it is unweighted.
While an exact ranking system can make class ranks easy to determine, it also has a lot of downsides. Exact ranking assigns all students with a 4.0 GPA (on the unweighted 4.0 scale) a rank of 1. The person(s) with the second highest GPA after everyone with a 4.0 GPA are then ranked the number after the total number of people that got a 4.0 GPA. For example, if there are 36 people who got a 4.0 GPA, the person with the next highest GPA would be ranked at 37th. Despite receiving the 2nd highest GPA, this person would be ranked 35 ranks below their actual GPA’s position on a linear scale. Because of the importance class rank for college applications, scholarships, and other academic recognitions, many students find this system unfair. Many schools now implement percentile-based GPA ranking systems to allow for more students to be better recognized for their achievements.

Another issue with our school’s ranking system is that GPA is not weighted. Weighted GPAs can help make rankings more fair by incorporating course difficulty level as a part of a GPA’s calculation. Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses are given extra consideration and points, therefore increasing the GPA of a student who is taking a lot of rigorous courses. It continues to recognize the achievements of students that aren’t taking as much rigor, but incentivizes students to take more advanced courses (students can often be deterred from challenging themselves because they are worried about their GPA dipping) and rewarding those who already take more advanced courses. So, should our school reconsider the way we assign class ranks? Will transferring to a percentile-based GPA ranking system make rankings fairer for students? Fill out the form to the side of this article and find out how many people agree with you!

Why don't people write letters anymore?

11/2/2021

VEE WITZEL
HEADLINE NEWS EDITOR

If you’ve ever watched the video on Youtube, “History of the Entire World, I guess,” you may have heard the line, “Let’s check the mail. Surprise! It’s on your computer.” If you HAVEN’T watched the video, I highly recommend doing so because it is both informative and hilarious. The video has been embedded for your enjoyment to the side.
   The point, though, is that mail is not seemingly only on our electronics, and the art of letter writing is seemingly dead. This is a shame, because something about writing a real letter is just so satisfying. Your hand moves in swirly motions while ink falls on a dead, thin piece of tree and suddenly a message full of your personality and intent is created.
   Though I think what draws me the most to the art of writing letters is the aesthetic. Sure, you can do it swiftly and without care, jotting down what needs to be said on a slab of lined paper, shoving it in an envelope and licking it closed. However, spending time on the endeavor can be really fun. You can make your own antique-looking paper and envelopes, write with fancy quills or pens in old- fashioned cursive, and use a candle to melt wax and press down a beautiful design to seal your message.
   My favorite part of the entire process, though, is actually receiving a letter back. I absolutely adore opening the envelope and getting to read all the words they wanted to say to me. I get all set up and make a whole activity out of reading and responding to them.
   I’m certainly not advocating for the convenience of letters. Writing them takes more time than sending electronic messages, sending them takes days and getting a response back takes even longer. If you need to know something soon, still send that text or email. But for the fun conversations in life, letters can add to the festivities.
   Unfortunately, not many people our age feel this way and don’t enjoy writing letters quite as much as I do. If you would like to try it out and see if you enjoy it, though, fill out the form below and I’ll send one to you! You can try writing your own letter and put your own personality and style into the process. Find a way that is most fun for you!

Vee's Letter Writing Process:

Mix some coffee grounds with cold water
Use a paintbrush to paint your regular white paper and white envelope.
Leave them to dry for a few hours
Use a quill to write your letter on the paper (cursive is more fun for letters!)
Spray paper with perfume so it smells nice when recipient opens it
Fold paper so it fits in the envelope
Put it in and close the envelope, write recipient's name on the outside
Light a flame and melt some wax over it
Pour wax onto your letter and then quickly press it with your chosen seal (wait till it’s dry to pull off the seal)
Deliver the letter and await a response!

Parents and Students bring attention to several issues at Canyons District School Board Meeting

10/24/2021

ALAINA MAST
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Click to find school board meeting calendar

On October 19, 2021, Canyons School District held a school board meeting that focused on a few different viewpoints. The meeting began at 7, starting with the opening item including a welcome, approval of the agenda, the pledge of allegiance, then a school highlight of Lone Peak Elementary’s Principle, Tracy Stacy. After the opening items were the recognitions where the board administrators acknowledged students & staff for their outstanding achievement. Once the recognition was over, the board moved on to the Patron Comments.
The Patrons Comments was the most controversial part of the entire meeting. This part of the school board’s meeting allowed Canyon’s community including teachers, parents, students, or current taxpayers in the Canyons School District to share their thoughts and opinions on current subjects on the agenda, or of an issue within the district.

Second-Step Program Goals:

Emotion Recognition
Emotion Management
Empathy
Problem Solving
Prevention of Bullying
Goal-setting
Self-awareness

  Originally, my classmate and I went to the board meeting to raise our concerns about the potential ban of the “safe space” signs and pride flags within classrooms which would likely harm LGBTQ+ students and administrators. When we went, we discovered that the bigger issue of the night was the Social-Emotional Learning program, Second Step. According to Second Step, their program is a tested, highly researched curriculum that helps “promote the social-emotional development, safety, and well-being of children from Early Learning through Grade 8.” Now, what is the issue with the Second Step program? That’s where it gets confusing because there was, like all issues, a group for Second Step and a group against it. The group that was for Second Step was mostly educators, counselors, administrators while the group that was against it was parents who had a lack of resources of information.
   Katrina VanTassell, an elementary school social worker said “...without evidence-based curriculums...we run the risk of internal biases not being challenged by both viewpoints.” She went on to say, “in efforts to oppose this program, there have been comments made that are inappropriate and offensive towards our students of color…” A parent, Rebecca Colley, claimed that the program is “morally grotesque, and sexually perverted,” later stating “SEL (social-emotional learning) is a form of CRT (critical-race theory),” however, she never went into depth on how SEL is morally grotesque, sexually perverted or a form of CRT.
   Because of the events during the last two school years, the district is under pressure to avoid conflict, but as the controversies over Second Step continue, it gets harder and harder for them to stay neutral. The next school board meeting will be on November 9th at 7 pm at the district building.

Should we still have a dress code?

10/24/2021

SOPHIE MADSEN
TRENDING EDITOR

When walking down the halls of Corner Canyon you have people looking at you up and down, students, teachers, even administrators. How do you feel? The judgement on your shoulders. All because you had an off-the-shoulder shirt on? What is so bad about that? The dress code has been in question worldwide for years now. Students all across the world have walked out of school in petition to get rid of the dress code. The dress code has been influenced by sexisim and racism over the years. When parents and students started to realize that the dress code was targeting one gender, and even a certain race, a few eyebrows were raised. According to a Brookings article, “Black students are three to six times more likely to be suspended or expelled from school, and today, there remains a regressive movement that continues to criminalize natural Black hairstyles under the auspices of “preparing them for the real world.” So with this in consideration, do we believe that the dress code should be updated regularly? Should this be something that is in question every year? Social norms are changing, generation after generation coming in and changing the limits. With more walk outs and demands for changes, what's next?
In an article from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise talking about how a student from Georgia went to her school district with 15 other girls to demand the dress code to be reformed. It said, “Whether intentional or not, some adults have a tendency to belittle or oversimplify students’ experiences or perspectives, perpetuating a cycle of condescension that so many of us experienced when we were young ourselves. Yes, adults know better than teens a lot of the time; still, students deserve respect and to be fully heard.” These schools use their power to make their own students feel little about themselves. So what is the next move? What do we do next? How do we make a positive impact on the school environment for everyone?

Official Corner Canyon Dress Code (per Student Handbook)

Curfews of Corner Canyon Students

10/4/2021

BY SOPHIE MADSEN
TRENDING EDITOR

Imagine you are walking out of your house to go hangout with your friends. On your way out, you shout out to your parents that you are leaving. You hear a reply back saying, “Be home by 11:30!” You think to yourself “11:30?! It’s a Saturday night, and I have to be home by 11:30?” Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever had controversial talks with your parents about your curfew? I talked to a few students on what they thought was the best curfew for them. London Carr, a senior, told me that “my parents never set” an established curfew and says she really just has a lot of free reign. Another teenager, Addison Cromar, said that, “My mom usually stays up for me, and my curfew changes from 11:30-12 almost every weekend.” So what is the answer?
According to Karen Gill from Healthline, parents need to establish a good curfew for their children for multiple reasons. Communication is key when it comes to a parent’s relationship with their teenager. Gill said, “According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 years old need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day.” Making sure you still have a good curfew for your teenager, and making sure they get enough sleep was the top concern for parents when it came to setting the clock for when they come home. Many teenagers say that parents should “loosen up” and remember when they were a teenager when establishing a curfew for their children. I had Peyton Meyer tell me that he “wished his parents” would give him more freedom to be a kid. So what’s your opinion? Do you think kids should be out all night? Or do you think that there should be a set curfew? Until next time Chargers.

What does corner canyon think about cereal?

10/3/2021

BY STEPHANIE GUZMAN-DE LA HOZ
STAFF WRITER

We all eat cereal, or at least most of us do. It’s a go to breakfast or even a snack (at least for me). There are many people in the world who eat cereal all the time. Cereal is amazing in so so many ways. There are different types of cereals from super healthy to a sugary treat. While most people think it is obvious we eat cereal, I made a poll to see just how many students enjoy cereal. In the survey 85% of people said they liked cereal. Only ten people out of 95 said no out of all who replied to the survey. I did a survey on what type of cereal people love the most. These are the ones that were the most interesting and fun! Paris Smith says, “If you don’t like captain crunch you have no good taste”. Paige Rhoads, Estella Watson, Makayla Larkins, Lexi Wahlquist, Caleb Bevan, Breanne Cruz, and Madison McGee said that their favorite cereal is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. While lots of people love cereal, some don’t like it. But for the people who do like cereal don’t eat the most sugary cereals all the time, because they can harm you after a long period of time. Another crowd favorite I got was Captain Crunch, you can’t beat that.
For the people who like going healthy in their breakfasts get some new healthy cereals! Cheerios is a very popular cereal but is one of the healthiest basic cereals you can get. Kashi cereal is a cereal you don’t see often and is a little more expensive than your usual cereal, but if you’re willing to try it, it’s really good. Cascadian Farms, Barbara’s Puffins, Seven Sundays, and Three Wishes all are great cereal choices for a healthy first thing in the morning breakfast. If you want to go whimsical and try and eat some of the sugariest cereals, Peeps Cereal is the way to go. They’re marshmallows covered in sugar and look kinda like Froot Loops. Whatever cereal you eat, wherever you like to get your cereal. I don’t think cereal is leaving just yet!

Cool cereals to try

Peeps Cereal
Hostess Donettes Cereal
Chicken & Waffles from Honey Bunches of Oats (limited edition)
Frosted Flakes Banana Creme
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros
Maple Bacon Donuts from Honey Bunches of Oats
Pop Tart Cereal: Frosted Strawberry
Sour Patch Kids Flavored Cereal
Chips Ahoy cereal
Oreo O’s Cereal

Most interesting cereals that have ever been created

Punch Crunch
Ok’s
Sir Grapefellow
Baron von Redberry
Mr. Wonderfull’s Surprise
Grins and Smiles and Giggle and Laughs
Cornflakes with Instant Bananas
Green Slime (limited edition)
Super Mario Cereal
Unicorn Cereal
Black Panther Wakanda Crunch

After an altercation with her FIANCÉ, Gabby Petito was found dead

9/29/2021

BY JANICA STOCKING
EDITORIALS EDITOR

Gabby Petito

   Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old woman who was traveling across the country with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. Since the couple decided to take this trip, Petito and Laundrie have been a major part of the news cycle. While driving through Moab, UT, the couple was pulled over by Moab police officers on August 12, 2021. In a police report, the couple was described to have been involved in a physical altercation, with Laundrie allegedly physically assaulting (hitting) Ms. Petito. Officer Eric Pratt, one of the officers who was involved in the Moab police’s interaction with Petito and Laundrie said that “both the male and female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime.”
   In the full bodycam footage published by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Gabby Petito appeared very distressed and suffering from a “mental health crisis.” After the encounter between the couple and the officers, the couple separated for the night. At the end of August, Petito’s family claims that they had their last contact with her and believed she was heading to Wyoming. The family’s attorney says that the family does not believe that the last message they got from her phone was from her. On September 11, 2021, her family reported Gabby Petito missing, and just 6 days later, the family of Brian Laundrie shared with police that they hadn’t seen him in days, and reported him missing as well. With the FBI and local police investigating and searching for Gabby Petito, people were shocked on September 19th when authorities discovered her remains in Wyoming. Since the discovery of Petito’s remains and the autopsy confirming that she died by homicide, Bryan Laundrie has been indicted and a federal arrest warrant has been issued.
   Multiple investigations have also been launched to analyze the investigations conducted by local police forces who searched for Gabby Petito, as well as into the conduct of the Moab City Police Department when interacting with Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petitio. Petito’s parents have since founded the Gabby Petito Foundation to try and help other families with missing loved ones. At Petito’s funeral, her father gave a eulogy in which he encouraged those in abusive or toxic situations to take any opportunity to get out of it.

Domestic Abuse Resources

***Editor's Note: If you are in a toxic or abusive situation, please reach out to someone you trust or the various organizations listed below.

Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
The Refuge Utah
South Valley Sanctuary
Seekhaven
Colleen Quigley Crisis Center