Mind The Opportunity Gap
An animated short about SMASH Academy and its ability to close the opportunity gap through STEM education.
Why Does Fairness Matter to You?
Smashcast students interview guests at the 2010 Fairness Matters Gala, asking the question, “Why Does Fairness Matter to You?”
Smashcast Meets Berkeley Edge
Smashcast students have an opportunity to meet students from the Berkeley Edge Program at UC Berkeley. They talk about the path of pursuing careers in STEM from high school to the doctoral level.
The Cost of College Books
When thinking about college you always think about the classes or living expenses to be the worst of college…..well think again. Another thing too add to your list of expenses for college are books. Bet you haven’t really considered how much college books are going to cost or maybe you have and already have a plan on were to buy the books,but what if you have to get an updated version of a book. What if you are required to pay for a for a specific book that you are unable to get anywhere else. Isn’t that a little unfair? I barely have found out how expensive books are and for those who like me didn’t know how much it will cost you, here is something to look at to give you an idea on what to expect from college and hopefully you are able to plan ahead and set some cash aside for books.
Shooting Massacre
There was an old lady shooting in Georgia and now people question the 2nd amendment. People feel the that was unjust for the old lady to shoot the burglar because he supposedly has not done anything wrong yet but others feel she had the right since he broke into her house. Then there was a a killing in at the US/Mexican border. A lot of latinos know this was wrong for what the border patrol did. They caught a lot of latinos trying to come to this country and when they had captured them, they torture them.
Teachers, Helpful or Not?
Teachers. They’re hear to help us and they’re supposed to help us gain more knowledge and prepare us for the future. What happens when the teachers stop teaching and hand the reins over to the students? Well, our school is a representation of this. With a graduation class from 340 kids, the rate has dropped down to about 150! Who is to blame? The teachers for not teaching, or the district for not giving adequate pay and laying off teachers?
School after School
School can be really overwhelming at times. Especially when your trying to make yourself stand out to colleges with sports, community service, and other extra curriculars, while maintaining good grades, and taking a million different mandatory test for individual classes and the ones colleges want (SAT, etc.), all while trying to have some sort of social life.
Smashcast at the Goldman Environmental Awards
Hola,
On April 19, 2010 the 20th annual Goldman Environmental Awards were held in San Francisco, California. Smashcast got the chance to check it out and we asked the youth about what they that young people could do to contribute to the Green Movement.
Should Senior Year Be Optional?
Freshman year. Your first year of high school. The year when everything and every one is new and scary. Sophomore year is when you start to get the hang of things. Junior year is the year when you work yourself to death getting your transcript perfectly polished for college. Then Senior year rolls around. Senioritis sets in, and you get ready to graduate. Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior. Everyone knows that’s how it goes. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if the last year of high school was optional? What if you could go straight to college after just three years of high school? Would you?
In Utah, this idea could become a reality. Republican State Senator Chris Buttars put forth a bill that proposed making the 12th grade optional in the effort to reduce Utah’s $700 million dollar budget deficit. Buttars projected this proposal to save $60 million dollars if put into practice by the 2010-2011 school year. Within the educational community, there’s a bit of controversy over the bill. Supporters of the bill believe that students will benefit from the optional last year of high school. Those who have fulfilled their requirements can graduate early, eliminating Senioritis and saving the state money. Those who oppose the bill believe that the 12th grade is a fundamental and necessary step in high school. John Balden, president of the Utah chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, called the bill “very shortsighted.” Others believe that by eliminating the 12th grade, some students will enter college at 17 and not be ready to face the real world.
Personally, I think making Senior year optional is a wonderful idea. When applying to college, admissions officers look at the applicants grades up to their Junior year. By the time senior year comes around, most students have gotten all of their core classes out of the way. They spend their last year fulfilling performing arts or P.E. credits. If a student has completed all necessary classes, I think they have earned the option of skipping 12th grade. I myself am currently in an alternative high school. I currently attend Independence High School in San Francisco. Here, I attend class once a week and I independent study all of my classes. I have also recently passes the California High School Proficiency Exam, which in the state of California is equivalent to earning a high school diploma. If I have the equivalent of a high school diploma and I can teach myself my high school curriculum, shouldn’t that mean I’m ready for college?
Turn ON the Lights!
Please turn on the lights! No, not those! The northern lights!
The northern lights, also known as the Auroras are beautiful streams of light that roam the night sky in northern or southern regions of the earth. This effect is thought to be caused by charged particles so the chance of visibility increases with proximity to the North Magnetic Pole.
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