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E-readers: the most dangerous read

Posted on 07 June 2010 by newsdesk

By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

On Nov. 6, 2007, Newsweek magazine celebrated the release of Amazon’s new Kindle with a cover page emblazoned with the boldly-scripted statement “Books Aren’t Dead.” What most Americans didn’t realize at the time was that Newsweek was lying to them.

By then, I had already braced myself for an onslaught of e-reader commercialism, but when I first saw the Barnes & Noble nook, my heart sank. I walked into the store, only to be greeted at the door by a large and obnoxious kiosk. So I turned around and walked right back out. I had never expected my favorite literary vendor to betray my trust so quickly, and I felt somehow violated.

To be fair, Newsweek wasn’t lying outright—it was more of an artful fudge. But no amount of waffling on behalf of advertisers with well-lined pockets can dispel the fact that books all over the world are sucking in their last few breaths of fresh air. The paperback is dying, all in the interest of readers looking to save a couple of minutes.

So, to save those minutes, I’m going to cut right to the point. To all the optimists out there: don’t deny that the book is on its way out. I’ve come to realize there’s really no point in being angry. I’ve found that skulking around the nook kiosk at Barnes & Noble and stealing pamphlets had little cathartic value. I left a supportive comment on a YouTube video bashing the iPad, but, in the end, I only felt more depressed.

Although it’s still around now, the book is just a few faltering steps behind its cousin, the compact disc. And like the compact disc, its successor, the e-reader, follows the revolutionary steps of the small and convenient iPod: easy to buy, easy to use and easy to skip through. These normally-admired qualities sour in light of the one minute detail that books are supposed to be read and scrutinized and pondered.

As alarming as the e-reader is, I find this electronic coup far from surprising. In fact, it’s been in the making for hundreds of years. Since its creation, the written word has struggled to survive in a world determined to truncate its very existence.

Who would dare call an unruly crowd by its original name, “mobile volgus” or remember the abbreviating apostrophe in ’cello? No one, and only for the simple reason that it’s easier not to.

The shortening and omitting of words has wrought even more dramatic changes to the world of literature. In James Fenimore Cooper’s day, a book was supposed to spin a visual for its readers down to the last leaf. It was the style, until people decided that reading took up too much time.

As we spiral deeper and deeper into an overwhelming state of attention deficiency, everything we do, invent and use is intended to save us time, no matter the cost. Our society’s manufactured ideology that time spent is time wasted inherently opposes the book and all it has to offer. Reading isn’t just another tedious chore to be endured as quickly as possible. Books provide us with a multitude of alternative worlds—parallel universes in which we can vacation for however long we choose.

That is precisely why we, as the human race, need to resist the devious HAL’s and other dangerous technologies we come across. As helpful as it is, technology can only save us a certain amount of time without severely siphoning information that feeds the mind, a stronghold of imaginative potential that grows increasingly vulnerable with every new e-reader released Some things are worth the time they consume, and reading is one of them.

So, even as the world accelerates around me, I will continue to give books as birthday gifts and I will continue to carry a library card in my wallet. I suggest you do the same. I suggest you carry around the paperback version, even though the corners curl sometimes. I suggest you read Goldstein’s book inside of “1984,” even though it’s easier just to skip the chapter. And I suggest you join me in giving the nook salesman dirty looks while entering the Barnes & Noble because the freedom to slow down and enjoy a world different from ours, even for just five minutes, is a privilege worth preserving.

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

This article originally appeared on p.8 of the June 7, 2010 issue of The Spoke.

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Schools shouldn’t regulate off-campus behavior

Posted on 25 March 2010 by newsdesk

Guest Commentary by Leah Rusenko

Pennsylvania school districts have been making national news recently, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of being recognized for top-ranking SAT scores or high graduation rates, school leaders in our area have been cited in the press for neglecting their responsibilities and for invading student privacy.

For example, in the Philadelphia School District, several Asian students were bullied and beaten on school property by fellow students, yet the school administration did little to stop it. And, on the other end of the spectrum, the Lower Merion school administration allegedly spied on at least one student at his home through a laptop webcam.

While it is certainly true that administrators must ensure that school is a safe learning environment for all students, there is a limit to how much power they can exercise when monitoring students’ behavior. In Philadelphia, administrators failed to act when a group of students was in danger. And in Lower Merion, administrators overstepped the boundaries of their jurisdiction.

School administrators, despite the legal ramifications involved, simply should not have the right to regulate students’ behavior outside of school functions.

When students leave the school environment, they are citizens of a larger community and are therefore subject to the rules in that environment. Any problematic behavior in these circumstances should be handled by parents and, in extreme cases, by the police.

However, ever since the advent of social networking sites like Facebook, schools have been crossing the lines, seeking to reprimand students for any questionable off-campus behavior. For example, in Haddonfield N.J., the school district recently adopted a policy that punishes students for underage drinking at weekend parties by banning them from school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

Regardless of any activities that the students might engage in outside of school, school administrators have no right to intervene in these situations and must instead leave that responsibility to parents or to the police.

There is one exception to this rule, and that is when an event occurs that would cause a substantial disruption to the school environment. At this time, administrators then have the right and the responsibility to take action.

Students spend around seven hours a day in school, and many spend additional time participating in extracurricular activities. During this time, school administrations have every right to police their buildings and punish students for breaking the rules. However, this should be the maximum extent of their reach.

Schools should concentrate on making their environment as safe as possible, and should not overextend their resources to monitor and punish students for out-of-school behavior. Instead, administrators should focus on excellence in education, and look for laudatory headlines rather than critical press.

Printed originally on p. 8 of The Spoke’s March 25, 2010 issue.

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‘Jersey Shore’: Shoring up stereotypes

Posted on 23 February 2010 by newsdesk

Guest Commentary by Ryan Hughes

For all of its excesses and hedonist delights, you would think that the maxim for MTV’s newest series, “Jersey Shore,” would be carpe diem, but no. Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, one of the show’s most prominent cast members, coined a new adage that will certainly define a generation: GTL (an acronym for Gym, Tanning, Laundry). Words to live by indeed.

When “Jersey Shore” first premiered in December, I was delighted. Finally, here was a show that didn’t focus on the frivolity of life in southern California and instead focused on the frivolity of life at Seaside Heights. I was excited to see how MTV’s lenses of truth would capture the great migration of the mid-Atlantic states to the vast watering hole of the Jersey Shore. After all, most Conestoga students share fond memories of summers spent there. This is where we played in the surf as children. This is where we walked on the boardwalk as teens. This is where we got our first crush, shared our first kiss and went on our first date. The Jersey Shore played an integral role in our development, and MTV took notice.

But about ten minutes into the first episode, I could already tell that this study into human nature was seriously flawed. In an attempt to create the authentic experience, the show creators lumped together eight self-professed “guidos and guidettes,” gave them all jobs at a T-shirt store, put them in a nice summer share and let the cameras roll. But only one of the cast members was from New Jersey, and none were from Pennsylvania.

That couldn’t be right. Above all, the Jersey Shore is a menagerie of beachgoers, a melting pot (if solely for the summer heat and humidity) if you will. The cast further garnered significant criticism for its use of the term “guido.” Italian-American interest groups found the word to be derogative and found the show to be filled with stereotypes and generalizations.

I wasn’t too pleased either. For those of us not blessed with the natural ability to turn a shade of burnt sienna, the guido stereotype can be hurtful and embarrassing. Nonetheless, the cast members of “Jersey Shore” fully embrace the title guido; they wear it with pride, they wear it like a coveted sash. But is the term guido a slur or does it perhaps capture the zeitgeist of a nation changed? Perhaps the word transcends race, lineage or nationality. After all, thanks to advancements in self-tanning technology, we can all embrace our inner guidos.

Still, the cast of the show represents a very limited view of the real-life experience. Most of the action (or inaction, rather) takes place at the nightclubs that dot along the Shore. The cast is rarely seen at the beach or even during waking hours for that matter. Although, to be fair, at the age of 21, some of us may be doing the very same.

While this study of human nature was certainly flawed, the show definitely had its own redeeming qualities. Over the course of the first season, “Jersey Shore” tackled light subjects like romance (Ronnie: “Don’t fall in love at the Jersey Shore”), self-indulgence (Snooki: “When I say I’m ready to go wild, I’m gonna go wild”) and mixology (Angelina: “I’m a bartender. I do, like, great things”).

Ultimately, “Jersey Shore” captured my heart. Whether it was Snooki’s one-handed back flip or Vinny’s sage-like musings that finally did me in, I might never know. The show certainly earned its fair share of flak but in the end, it delivered what it promised: eight episodes of low-budget, lowbrow entertainment from MTV.

So this summer, throw off your J. Crew sweaters and put on some Ed Hardy, turn off the Liszt and turn up the House music, wash off the SPF 70 and lather on some self-tanner. And don’t forget: GTL, baby. Or not.

Printed originally on p. 8 of The Spoke’s Feb. 23, 2010 edition.

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Is work over break beneficial?

Posted on 12 January 2010 by newsdesk

Guest Commentary by Ellen Piehl

Around the second week of November each year, the atmosphere around school begins to change. Snowflake decorations go up and people start talking about holiday gifts and vacation plans. While discussing tropical getaways and slope-side adventures, the thought of midterms does not even enter the minds of most students.

But, unfailingly, the beginning of December brings with it a most-generous gift: the advent of the dreaded midterm season. As excitement mounts for break, students are usually stuck with even larger loads of work than at normal times during the year. The week before winter break, nearly every student in the building has some form of assessment in each class—a test, a quiz or even a dreaded in-class essay. We work with added zeal, all the while reminding ourselves that winter break means a time for relaxing and a long week with no schoolwork. But does it really?

Many teachers assign projects or notes over break with the thought that students have an entire week to complete their assignments. But how can we thoroughly enjoy our time off—let alone start studying for midterms—when we have an overly-taxing amount of work to complete?

Winter break should be just that—a break from school. It should be a break from the huge work load we get every night and a break from the stress that naturally accompanies it. I understand that, when students choose to take certain courses, they know that a large amount of work comes hand in hand. As a sophomore I suffered through the notes in AP European History and trust me, I complained about them often. But I understand that certain classes require more work in order for the students to get the full benefit of the course, and I chose to take a class that required extensive notes.

However, I do not think that students should be saddled with extremely large amounts of work over break. We need time to relax with our families and friends. After all, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and all other holidays are meant to be celebrated with families. Students should not have to worry about having to squeeze in three chapters of history notes and a ten-page English paper before heading to their grandparents’ houses.

I do not think that teachers should be forced to put their lesson plans on hold and assign no work over break. I understand that, a few years ago, teachers were asked to give no assignments over break, and I realize how this request could disrupt the normal learning schedule. A break from the normal school routine does mean that teachers lose days to teach new material, and obviously having to do a few math problems over break helps keep partial fractions fresh in mind. I also realize that December means snow season and extra work may need to be assigned over winter break in order to make up for lost time. I just do not believe that the pursuit of scholarship should come before enjoying time off from school—time meant for relaxing. Manifest teaches us that we should “stress less.” How about a little less stress over the holidays?

This article appeared originally on p. 8 of The Spoke’s Jan. 12, 2009 edition.

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Local elections: Our platform for change

Posted on 24 November 2009 by newsdesk

Guest Commentary by Alex Jacobs

Armed with pamphlets, buttons, donuts, coffee and patience, we stood for five hours in a long, colorless hallway. We were there to get out of school, to earn extra credit for our government class under the pretext of “volunteer work.” But there was just one problem: there was no work involved. We stood idly, waiting for the masses to arrive, but they never came. It was Election Day and our job (there were four of us) was to encourage voters to cast their ballot for our candidate—“Becky Sitarchuk for Township Supervisor, please!” For five hours we stood laden with literature to pass out to voters, but the few who stopped by berated us for attempting to bribe them with pastries and cheer. After an unsuccessful day at the polls, we left lamenting the difficulty we had connecting with the variety of constituents we met.

Not only is it misleading of our region’s population that the typical voter cast his or her first ballot sometime prior to Prohibition, it is a significant problem that so few members of the voting age population elect to vote. I know there are those who feel that they fulfill their civic duty by voting once every four years, but a vote in a major election with tens of millions of voters counts much less in most states than does a vote in a low turnout election, such as the one this past month. Granted, Pennsylvania is a major swing state and every vote counts in every decision; but in local elections each vote carries far greater weight.

The candidate we four intrepid seniors worked for lost her election by six votes. This was not because it was hard to discern between the two candidates’ stances (analyzing their positions on the same issues showed two very different individuals)—this was simply a matter of turnout. In Phoenixville, where we were working, less than 1,300 voters showed up to cast their ballot, leaving such a tiny margin of votes. Voters may not feel that local elections are as glamorous or imperative as national ones, but they miss the immediacy such contests have on our lives. Property and educational taxation, the proposed “Keystone Exams” and seven-period school day, local infrastructure and law enforcement—each of these issues bears directly upon our daily lives, and each is governed at the state or local level.

The oft-repeated maxim that “all politics is local” is worn but true. The decisions that most greatly affect our families are made in our backyards, and we can sway them. It is continually frustrating that parents and students, of late concerned with the direction of the school board’s educational policies, take no measures to counter them. Students have an especially powerful position, as they are a bloc not often considered influential in the electoral process, and when determined, can swing an election. Seniors often make excuses, claiming different deterrents to their electoral participation. The excuses quickly grow stale and lose their validity—registering is a simple, painless process and polls are open into the night, allowing students at school all day to cast their ballot. Moreover, it only takes a couple of minutes out of your schedule (and it only happens once a year).

Although it is understandable that some voters, students and adults alike, may feel that voting for county coroner or tax collector is unimportant (I still have no idea why these are elected positions), there are far too many offices of consequence up for grabs in every local election to simply stay at home. Every vote really does count, and if a group of like-minded individuals decide to exercise their right to vote, they can truly make a difference. Who knows…it may only be a matter of six votes.

Printed originally on p. 8 of the Nov. 24, 2009 issue of The Spoke.

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