“On his eleventh revolution he switched off the air conditioning, opened up his window, and rested his elbow comfortable on the sill, driving with one hand.

There was nothing left to say.” - The Things They Carried

Life is full of strong emotions that we need to live with. As humans we have to find ways to process and deal with emotions and issues. These ways of dealing with emotion are as diverse as the human race itself. For me, travel is important. The Movement itself is what can make a difference.

We had left early in the morning when the sunlight was still asleep. We had hauled all our baggage down the long path leading back to our house with only one eye open. As the car pulled out of the driveway my head fell back onto the back cushion and back into sleep. I reawoke at a sain hour. There was already a sense of a change of emotion inside me. As I watched the trees fall on either side of me in a blur I feel released. I’m in a enclosed metal bubble with people I love moving a 60 miles per hour away from the places that are the root of my problems. I rested my head back against the grey suede seat.

I gazed out a slightly tinted window at a long sunrise in that distance. My source of negativity was falling rapidly behind the fast moving grey car. When an emotion or conflict is linked to a specific place there is, for me, a direct connection to moving farther away from it and feeling better. Throughout the long days of sitting, my sister singing in the backseat, early morning departures, late night arrivals, pit stops, fast food stops, and winding roads I’ve come to appreciate road trips as a release, a forced retreat. There’s not much you can do in a car so it's a given time for what you need. For me this combination of time with distance increasing from my problems makes it a healing time for reflection and growth. I look back at the sunrise and then back at my mother who is calmingly controlling the car then I look back out the window.

Travel is the root of calming and healing for me, but this can be expanded with the  destination being healing as well. In this case the destination is a southern small town filled with love, good cooking, and family. In the heart of the south where time seems to move slower and people are good at showing something greater than the limited scope of your emotions. This destination was another layer of calming.

My mind is set to a framework of progress. Progress makes me happy. What is progress if not a kind of movement, like travel. These two differ because progress is in the end result while travel in the journey. Travel in necessary for progress because you must be in a different place than when you started. In contrast progress in not necessary for travel. I find healing in the travel that is too simple to be progress, but is enough to not be rest. To me travel in resting while doing something.

All travelers land somewhere. My family’s car rolled into the driveway at my grandparents house that night when the stars were shining through the clear night air like they never do in Philadelphia. We were at there in South Carolina. We stay with my grandparent when we are in South Carolina. My grandfather bought a good 30 acres of land and built a house on the edge of it. The rest of the land stretches out into forest. The next day and days that followed I wandered out in those areas.

The pines trees stretched out before me in long seemingly unending rows. The grounds was orange with pine needles and a mixture of dirt and sand. The air was warm with southern sunlight and a light breeze. It wrapped around me as I walked forward. My feet avoided the subtle dangers of thorn bushes and fire ant hills. The light bounced off leaves, bark, and the clouds themselves. Each time the light carried a piece of the color from where it had come. My feet drifted away from the “path” and in and out of the shadows, past trees and branches on the ground. I was surrounded by a changing environment, but also controlling the change in my own environment. This was the balance of progress. I was changing, generating new places as I moved. At the same time walking is second nature to us as humans so the mind can process as the body moves. Dozen of minutes passed as I wandered in these dense and beautiful forests.

Walking through the environment around me I felt like Norman Bowker in “The Things They Carried”. Slowly drifting around the lake telling himself the story that he wouldn’t tell anyone else. We both drifted for the sake of movement and nothing more that that. He would tell his story in his head and I would tell mine in mine. In his journey around the lake Norman noticed people, things, events happening in the environment around him. The travel in not a dream state where things in my immediate environment don’t affect me. I see the bark on tree. I still am aware of the beauty around me. Norman Bowker stopped for food and almost told the fast food attendant about his problem, but stopped short. As he drove around the lake he went over the stories and how they might play out in his head. I’m not a huge talker about how I’m doing. I won’t really run to anyone for unloading my problems. Instead I think I unload them to myself in travel. Or maybe my environment or maybe both.

I reached a clearing in the trees that was marked with a ring of sand and some dirt bike tracks. I breathed in and out slowly aware of all the cacophony life around me. I stood for a second still. In this second I felt my body woke from the hike and my mind wandering, but engaged. I was not anywhere, but I felt like I was somewhere. I can’t explain what happens in those moments. Epiphany, realization, cure, touch with divine. But the way I see it that doesn’t matter. What matters is the feeling of completion, wholeness and how it come about. The travel and movement. In this second I felt whole, but then turned around and started the journey back like Norman Bowker on his loops.

COCAINE

Although many people believe that it's only important to focus on drugs in the modern day and how they are messing with the community,  it is also important to look into the history of drugs. It is not always the same drug that comes in a causes problems in communities around the world, but drugs come and go in popularity. Every drug has its heyday, whether it be PCP in the 60’s or Marijuana in the current day.  The main focus of this paper is the topic of popular of cocaine in the 1980’s.

Cocaine, just like most if the other drugs in the world, is extremely addictive, which is obviously one of the reasons that it was so popular in the 80’s. According to drugfreeamerica.org  “Cocaine creates the greatest psychological dependence of any drug.  It stimulates key pleasure centers within the brain and causes extremely heightened euphoria.”  This is basically what causes the addiction. People enjoy the feel of the heightened euphoria which makes them want more when the so called high is up. The with this is that Cocaine is a drug in which you can build a tolerance to quite quickly. This tolerance causes drug users to use more and more of the cocaine each time, to stimulate the high that they reached the last time they used the drug. Addiction is clearly an obvious draw into any drug, including cocaine, which still makes it a factor into popularity.

Another reason cocaine was such a popular recreational drug is because it was very idolized. It was shown off in the media a lot in the 80s. Many big celebrities, like Tim Allen and Steven Tyler, were using cocaine and making it know that they were doing so, which lead to the use by others. For the longest time in the world, average everyday people in the world believe that they can better themselves by copying things in which they see celebrities do, for some reason it is thought that doing things that they do, will make you become more like them, so people tend to copy things, whether they harm the body or not, which is the main problem and is another reason cocaine was so popular. According to project know (projectknow.com) some of the celebrities in which did cocaine in the early and or late 80’s include ike turner, whitney houston, tim allen, steven tyler (as said above) and many others, who were at the time, looked up too by the general public.  

Cocaine was in abundance high abundance in the 80’s, or in other words, it was not very difficult to get a hold of  it at the time. According to Andrew Fenrich, who is a representative for the  New York for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said in  his article “marijuana of the 80’s” He says that cocaine was basically “falling from the sky” and that it was the “marijuana of the 80’s”. When he says that it was basically falling from the sky, he is basically just saying that it was everywhere and it was so easy to get, like rain because a lot of it falls, and he said it was like the marijuana of the 80’s because in the current world marijuana is extremely easy to get. The reason it was high in abundance is because the form of cocaine in which was being heavily used was crack cocaine crystals, which  was relatively new drug to the world, and since it was relatively new, it was easier to move around the U.S to get more where it needed to be. It was easier to move the drug “under the radar” so to say. They brought a lot more into the U.S. then could really be handled, which caused a huge price drop of almost 80%.

Math worksheets, take-home reading, and essays are all popular forms of homework in many schools. These kinds of homework can either be helpful or not, depending of the student. The effects of homework can stick with us for a while if we learn anything from it, however it could just be taking up time if it is not the “right kind,” which all depends on the student’s preference.

Homework is very important, because of how many skills it teaches students such as time management, work ethic, and many kinds of interactions between peers, parents and the teachers. Based on Dr. Joyce Epstein, an expert in sociology, “[Homework] Builds student responsibility, perseverance, time management, self-confidence and feelings of accomplishment; develops and recognizes students’ diverse talents and skills that may not be taught in school.” Overall homework appears to have the effect of making a person better at many academic and work related traits.This is one of the things that Dr. Epstein says homework helps improve. Along with the previously listed benefits, doing homework can have more. Homework has shown to have many non-academic purposes or uses: “Indeed, some primary-level teachers may assign homework for such benefits, which include learning the importance of responsibility, managing time, developing study habits, and staying with a task until it is completed.” Many other teachers and/or experts appear to have similar input on the importance of homework. Homework can helps people academically and mentally, as well as socially when collaborating with others, but that’s not always the case.

Homework may not be as helpful as originally thought, or as intended to be, based on the conclusions found by some experts and student. Some believe that there is no importance to homework, although homework is believed to help people with nonacademic skills, there is no actual proof of this. “Finally, there isn't a shred of evidence to support the folk wisdom that homework provides nonacademic benefits at any age -- for example, that it builds character, promotes self-discipline, or teaches good work habits.” This is what Alfie Kohn, an American author and lecturer in areas of education and learning, said in his article addressing the “outdated habit” of homework. This counter-argument is important in showing how not everybody thinks of homework the same. The purpose of homework may not be as crucial as we thought or as our teachers told us.

The importance of homework is highly debatable as long as their is someone that doesn’t want to do it. There are people saying that it is good for academic purposes, nonacademic purposes, or just that it’s just not helpful at all. One thing that is proven is that the amount and the type of homework can affect how a student can benefit from it, although one factor that hasn’t been considered, is the actual student. Different students benefit from different kinds of homework. The variables that would be included in making homework for an individual student are too complicated for a teacher to have to do. Depending on the background of a student's life, homework may have different effects on them. “Some researchers believe that students from higher-income homes have more resources (such as computers) and receive more assistance with homework, while low-income students may have fewer resources and less assistance and are therefore less likely to complete the homework and reap any related benefits.” (McDermott, Goldmen and Varenne 1984; Scott-Jones 1984.) As stated in the quote, even income affects the will to learn, as well as its importance. On the same site, it also states that the stereotype of Asian people being smart.  “A national study of the influence of homework on student grades across five ethnic groups found that homework had a stronger impact on Asian American students than on students of other ethnicities.” Because of all these variables, there may always be students that don’t “match” the homework assigned. The way that it seems, the way a student sees homework can be affected by: income, race, gender and age.

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Works Cited!

• "Resources / Recursos." CESDP. 2002. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://www.cesdp.nmhu.edu/toolkit/enhancing-student-learning/purposes-benefits-of-homework.asp>.

• Bishop, John. "View a Plan." HotChalk Lesson Plans Page. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://lessonplanspage.com/OSS10BenefitsOfHomework512.htm/>.

• Kohn, Alfie. "Homework: No Proven Benefits." Edutopia. 19 Oct. 2006. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://www.edutopia.org/no-proven-benefits>.

• Fuglei, Monica. "The Homework Debate: How Homework Benefits Students." Concordia Portland Online. 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/the-homework-debate-benefits-of-homework/>.

• "What Research Says about the Value of Homework: At a Glance." What Research Says about the Value of Homework: At a Glance. 5 Feb. 2007. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Instruction/What-research-says-about-the-value-of-homework-At-a-glance>.

Isabella D’Angelo

Air Stream

English 3

Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” As a preventative measure, vaccinations are essential to quality of life, not only in this country, but across the globe because curing an illness that could otherwise be remedied by a vaccine ends up  costing more in time, effort, and money. There has been a growing trend against vaccination which stems from both misinformation and misunderstanding about the relationship between vaccinations and side effects. According to the propaganda campaigns being spread by the anti-vaccine movement, fear is being instilled in parents based on the alleged link between vaccinations and autism. To turn the tide of opinion from anti-vaccine to pro-vaccine, it is vital to continue to educate parents regarding the benefits of getting their children vaccinated which far outweigh any potential risks, not just to the children themselves, but to any person who comes in contact with an unvaccinated child.
It is first and foremost important, considering the anti-vaccine “hysteria” in the U.S. today, that everyone understand the different meanings and definitions of  “vaccines,” “vaccinations,” and “immunizations.” According to http://www.vaccines.gov, “A vaccine is a product that produces immunity from a disease and can be administered through needle injections, by mouth, or by aerosol. A vaccination is the injection of a killed or weakened organism that produces immunity in the body against that organism. An immunization is the process by which a person or animal becomes protected from a disease. Vaccines cause immunization, and there are also some diseases that cause immunization after an individual recovers from the disease.”

Unfortunately, fear is easier to ignite than to extinguish, but the reality is, vaccines are no more dangerous than the diseases they protect against. The controversy around them stemmed from the clinically unsupported fear that the shots could cause autism and other disorders. According to author and British medical doctor, Andrew Wakefield, based on a study he did on 12 children, there was a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and an autism-like disorder. His paper was published in 1998, and once Anti Vaccination groups and the media heard about the alleged vaccine-autism connection, the news spread like wildfire. It even caught the attention of celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, who claimed that her son got autism from the MMR vaccine. However, there is no clinical basis between autism and similar type disorders and vaccinations. The article that had started the anti-vaccine buzz around the country was retracted in 2010 because there was no scientific proof of the link. While some side-effects of vaccines may include low grade fevers and other mild symptoms as well as the possibility of allergic reactions in very rare cases, the risk of unprotected exposure to diseases that vaccines prevent is more significant than the most serious of side effects.  

The benefit to the community are not just medical, they are financial. Vaccines are one of the most cost effective ways of protecting public health, helping to avert millions of illness cases as well as illness related costs such as loss of productivity (due to death/disability), caretaker productivity loss, and transport costs. Vaccinating kids has a high return on investment. It prevents 42,000 deaths per year and 20 million disease cases. It saves $13.6 billion in direct costs and a combined amount of $68.9 billion in indirect and direct costs. For example, the weighted average price of the Pentavalent vaccine is $2.58. This one vaccine can prevent 5 diseases: Hib, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough). So not only is “an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure,” it also saves a lot of “Pounds,” (CDC).

According to the CDC, before Pertussis vaccines became available in the 40’s, about 200,000 children got it every year in the U.S. and 9,000 died due to the infection. Now those numbers have dropped significantly, with 10,000 - 40,000 cases reported each year and about 10 - 20 deaths, and that is all due to the Pertussis vaccine. So what can every parent learn from these facts? Could it be that vaccines are safe? That vaccines are effective? That vaccines work with the immune system, not against it? When all is said and done, vaccines help prevent disease because they are safe and effective, and because they work. There is not a parent in this world who would ever be able to forgive themselves, in this modern day and age, with all of the technology, research and medical care available, if even one child died of a disease as simply preventable as pertussis. In order to protect a child from disease, vaccinate that child.

Works Cited

http://www.vaccines.gov

"Making the Grade in Preventing Disease." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

http://www.cdc.gov/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 May 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

http://www.who.int

"World Health Organization." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

Transgender people have a very hard time being a part of normal life. A lot of people have been trying to fight for the transgender community but it’s very taboo to do so.  Transgender teens have a hard time at schools because of bullying and being in able to be “normal.” Normal to most teens are just fitting into the environment around them. There was a case where a student named Nicole Maines could not use the bathroom because she was born a boy. The case was brought to court with the help of Maine Human Rights Commission. The court changed two laws that would require a separate bathrooms based on gender choice.  In the court’s decision, justice warren silver wrote “it has been clearly established  that a student’s psychological well being and Although, in the United States all people are supposed to have equal rights, transgender teens and adults have been discriminated against in their schools, workplaces, communities because people don’t understand why these people want to be the opposite gender.

educational success depend upon being permitted to use the communal bathroom consistent with her gender identi.” (Sharp). This is not easy to understand for many because it’s new and people are not sure why people are transgender. Its very complex but educating helps information flow easier and more consistent when understanding why and who the transgender community are as a whole.  

Adults who are transgender have a hard time being accepted into communities around the United States.  For this reason most transgender adults have become homeless or have been evicted from their homes. People have chosen to discriminate against transgender people and as a result is that they are left with being unequal in the United States and loosing basic humans need. Statistic from National Center for Transgender Equality says that one in five people who are transgender are homeless. Shelter tried to help but failed in doing so because they can’t serve transgender people the same way. Transgender adults are not the only people have problems in communities teenages are have some of the same difficulties and some that are just focused on that group. Lots of youth that are transgender end up in jail as a juvenile. There is evidence that shows that over 300,000 LGBTQ youth that are arrested each year and the LGBT youth make up 5 percent of 7 person the youth in the United States. (Center of american Progress). The reason why this might be happening is that these youth might be in family situations that are not good, there might be abuse, and they could even be homeless. This all effect why LGBTQ youth is in a very unsafe and unhappy environments that can cause these problems.

Unfairly judge Transgender adults have a hard time in the work force. A lot of times people say nothing about what's going on or try to avoid coming out at all. Harassments and unfair treatment to the adults at work.  The Huffpost had an article that talked about big companies having started putting in policies about not discriminating against transgender people. “3 out of 500 fortune 500 companies in 2000 had policies in place but now more than half of those companies do have policies in place.” The reason this is important to know is that it's no protects these companies from lawsuits against them and now people can work freely through the company. The internet has helped transgender people communicate and be more organized and together then feeling like they have no one around them. Connection are made when people are talking and getting together more. But discrimination and harassment still happen in workplaces. According to Center of Progress 41 persent of gay and transgender people have been verbally or physically abused and 26 percent of transgender people have been fired.  There is hidden discrimination and harassment in the workplace that hurts good workers but because they chose to be the opposite gender they are targets.

In a country that says that there is a lot of freedom it's hard to see it when people are put in a corner. It’s not fair  to the people that are doing really good work and trying to be normal. There is a unfairness when it comes to people rights and people that are transgender they are treated like aliens or second hand citizens. Transgender youth should not be bullied or discriminated against to be their true self and adults should be able just have the jobs they won’t will out being abused or harassed. Things have changed over time and got a little better but they can always improve so people feel like they are apart of whatever they are doing. No one should have fear or be hated for something that can’t be changed.

Works Cited

"Coming Out in the Workplace as Transgender." Human Rights Campaign. N.p., 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

"Housing and Homellessness." National Center for Transgender Equality. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

Klein, Rebecca. "Maine Court Rules In Favor Of Transgender Pupil." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

National Center for Transgender Equality. "LGBT Workers Continue to Face Unfair Discrimination." National Center for Transgender Equality. N.p., 28 May 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

Sharp, David. "Bathroom Ban Violated Transgender Student's Rights: Court." NBC News. N.p., 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

Sheridan, Vanessa. "Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace: The Time Is Now." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 July 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

The Loss of Childhood Innocence 9/28/15

Brandon Jones

Air Stream

Knowledge is a powerful tool in the hands of man. Knowledge can both help and hurt people, build and destroy relationships and help determine right from wrong. Because of its power, children are taught to seek knowledge at a rapid pace, which could lead to both a revolutionary and destructive future if it continues. At the wrong time, this knowledge could potentially teach children inappropriate behaviors. Parents believe that exposing their children to vasts amount of knowledge at a young age will aid them in adulthood, however, what they don’t know is that this knowledge could at the same time ruin their innocence.

First, it is important to define what knowledge truly means and everything it entails. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of knowledge is, “the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.” When a child first learns the concept of right from wrong, they learn the truth of what is morally acceptable to do and what not to do. Usually, parents and teachers don’t go into detail of what truly constitutes as right and wrong, but instead, a basic black and white explanation, not going into the greys in between. This was to protect the innocence of a child, but times have changed from then. Parents now are so focused on building their children up for “success” that they forget to realize they are opening up a dangerous Pandora’s Box.

A poll was taken in February 2015 on parents and childhood stimulation, where over 87 per cent of parents said they believed that the more stimulation a child received, the more successful they would be.  From seeing that so many parents agree that more stimulation equals more success, it’s safe to say that they are right to an extent. Yes things like stimulation, knowledge and wisdom are key to a successful life as an adult but everything should be done in moderation. This concept that 87% of parents agree on, looks over very important stages of development. Stages that are necessary for further social development

In an article published by the New York Times about the loss of childhood innocence, information came from a Fourth grade teacher in Denver, Colorado talking about a student in her class. the article states, “ As the teacher reported, ''Kids are a lot freer now. Even in the 10 years I've been at this school, there's been a change. The other day, a very innocent-looking little boy came up to me and casually asked me whether a certain sexual act was 'for real.' He used a crude word for it. I asked him to whisper in my ear what he thought the word meant. Well, he knew more details than I myself knew until about five years ago.” This information supports my thesis because it talks about a child who learned about a certain sexual act that clearly shocked and upset the teacher. It’s likely that prior to learning about the sexual act, the boy knew very little to nothing about sex. By gaining the knowledge of this, the boy’s innocence was lost and born from that loss was the curiosity to find out  if what he had learned was true. His thirst for knowledge drove him to want to seek answers to this concept that he knew nothing about but craved to learn.

Even if parents attempt to bring up a child in the best way possible, they must be aware of the influence the outside world has. Parents must be careful of what their children get exposed, to such as the sexualization of young children. Things like this, specifically the sexualization of young girls, can be a huge factor in the loss of innocence. In 2012, researchers did a study to identify self sexualization in young girls and identify factors that protect girls from objectifying themselves. Also psychologists at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois assessed self sexualization in girls, ages 6-9 through the use of paper dolls. The assessment goes on to say that, “Across-the-board, girls chose the "sexy" doll most often. The results were significant in two categories: 68 percent of the girls said the doll looked how she wanted to look, and 72 percent said she was more popular than the non-sexy doll.” Other studies have shown that “sexiness” boosts popularity in girls but not boys. Needless to say, young girls and boys should not have to feel the pressures popularity through sexualization. These pressures cause children to explore their sexuality at too young of an age and it needs to be stopped.

If parents ever want to combat the loss of childhood innocence, they need to be mindful of what their children are exposed to. They need to focus on nurturing their children instead of being too concerned with success that loose sight of what is important. Parents are responsible for teaching their children what they will need later in life but everything must be done in moderation. If this is not done their might be irreparable damage done to children because of the actions of their parents.

Work Cited:

1. Winn, Marie. "THE LOSS OF CHILDHOOD." The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 May 1983. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.

<http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/08/magazine/the-loss-of-childhood.html>

     2. "Knowledge." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.

<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/knowledge>

     3. Abbasi, Jennifer. "Why 6-Year-Old Girls Want To Be Sexy (STUDY)."Huffington Post. LiveScience, 16 July 2012. Web.

Why must students sit still for long periods of the day? This practice is normal in schools around the world. But how does this affect the health of the student mentally and physically? This trivial thing could be the root of most of the problems that affect students today. Sitting for too long in schools causes mental and physical health problems and kids are being over-diagnosed with ADHD or other attention disorders because  

6.4 million kids, ranging from the ages 6-17  are diagnosed with ADHD each year. Most of the referrals come from teachers who have students that no longer sit still and pay attention. The referrals causes kids to be put on medication to combat ADHD and other Attention deficit disorders when they may not actually need them.  Todd Elder, a man who conducted research on the number of students misdiagnosed with attention disorders stated “ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder for kids in the United States, with at least 4.5 million diagnoses among children under age 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”  Elder also states that 20% of the children diagnosed were misdiagnosed.

The more kids diagnosed with ADHD means more kids with medication to combat it, which  means the more money the companies that sell the meds make. The only problem is that some of those kids are misdiagnosed and therefore wrongfully medicated, which could have negative effects on that child’s life. Not to mention the meds that the children are given and the side affects that come with are  detrimental to the child health, especially when that said child  does not need the medication in the first place. Also, the symptoms for ADHD are things that people deal with all the time. Inattention? Most students procrastinate or are disorganized. Hyperactivity? Most schools are in for 7 hours a day with an average of  a 30 minute lunch. This means that most students are sitting in class most of that time. Now depending on whether or not the school has a PE class or recess there is no time to get up a move around, so expect the kids in class to want to get up and move around.

Angela Hanscom, a therapist in maryland decide to get to the root of the reason why students couldn't sit still during school and what she found out shocked her. Angela recounts her experience by stating  “I’ve been sitting for the past 90 excruciating minutes. I look down at my leg and notice it is bouncing. Great, I think to myself, now I’m fidgeting!” Angela realized that she couldn’t even sit through the same classes that students go through. She’s the example that people can’t expect  kids to sit through 90 minutes of nothing but listening when adults can not even do it. This proves that the school system must change to prevent students from damaging their maturing bodies and having been put on medication that they don't even need.

If schools stopped to think about it, they would realize that kids not paying attention or sitting still is not just linked to ADHD but also problems with the school system as well. The school system and the way they set of classes are reason enough for the many misdiagnosed with ADHD. If one wants that to stop then the school system must change.

Work Cited

"Nearly 1 Million Children Potentially Misdiagnosed with ADHD." MSUToday. Todd Elder, 17 Aug. 2010.Web.12Oct.2015.http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2010/nearly-1-million-children-potentially-misdiagnosed-with-adhd/

"ADHD and ADD Symptoms: Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity."WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-symptoms

Levine, James A. "Adult Health." Sitting Risks: How Harmful Is Too Much Sitting? Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005

Cox, John Woodrow. "A Therapist Goes to Middle School and Tries to Sit Still and Focus. She Can’t. Neither Can the Kids." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/12/03/a-therapist-goes-to-middle-school-and-tries-to-sit-still-and-focus-she-cant-neither-can-the-kids/

"Why Sitting Too Much Is Bad for Your Health." - Live Well. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/fitness/pages/sitting-and-sedentary-behaviour-are-bad-for-your-health.aspx

Testing Anxiety

Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral are apart of the symptoms for test anxiety.This is commonly as referred to test anxiety.  Test anxiety is when someone forgets everything they studied for, gets nervous, zones out, and can’t form a response. In schools all over the country there are tests that stress the students out. Schools are forcing them to take these tests because they don’t care if they have a testing problem.

Each symptoms of test anxiety have different causes.The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) gives a detailed list of these Symptoms, and here are a few “Physical; Headaches, Nausea, shortness of breath.Emotional; Anger, fear.Behavioral; can’t focus, and comparing self to others.” These are the most common of the symptoms of test anxiety. Although these symptoms can be all caused by their self confidence being lowered. The physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms are all caused by the stress they are being put under to do amazing on this test.

There are ways to control the anxiety before a test. At Mercy college a student wrote a paper giving tips and facts, to help control anxiety.  The student that wrote this paper wrote a tip to help change someone’s mindset on this subject.  “Change your attitude about exams. Look at it as something that is a fact of being a student, a barrier to hurdle; necessary for the teacher to make sure you know what you are supposed to know.” What the person is trying to explain is that there the exam is simply there for the teacher to see if students are understanding what is being teached/taught.   

On Cal Poly in their student academic service they have a list of what may help someone stay calm before testing. In their subsection what to do at least a week before the exam says, “ Don’t talk to other students before the exam because you might get confused. Other students may be suffering from test anxiety and they can make you feel anxious if they start asking you questions. Remember :it’s a solo experience.” When asked students who have test anxiety might say that they are stressing out about failing this test. But on closer inspection, their self confidence is really low.

Work cited:

• "Test Anxiety | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA." Test Anxiety | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety

• Nathan, Wendy. "Test Anxiety Facts and Test Tips." Web. 13 Oct. 2015. http://www.mercycollege.edu/images/uploads/pdfs/Test-Anxiety-Facts.pdf

• "Test Anxiety." - Academic Skills Center: Study Skills Library. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.