Uniforms Implemented in Schools will make schools a more safer place to be

http://www.komotv.com/news/local/6370112.html?video=YHI&t=a

There are many pros and cons for schools to make it mandatory for students to wear uniforms. Some say that a child in a school uniform is more likely to take school seriously. Putting on the school uniform indicates that the student is going to school just like dad dresses and goes to work. Schools report that when students dress in "work clothes" rather than "play clothes" they take a more serious approach to their studies. According to Isaac Grauke is manager of sales and marketing for Hall Closet Uniforms and Apparel, wrote an article about the study and says that many parents believe that students wearing school uniforms look nicer and that a school uniform policy ensures that children will come to school in proper clothing, avoiding distractions such as fads considered to be strange or overly revealing. Several students have turned school into a fashion show. This sidetracks the student from learning, as some kids spend more time focused on their clothes than on homework. He also believes that uniforms stress that individuality and self-expression should not be seen through designer clothing. Not only does it convey independence but it also helps one’s ability to maintain school discipline. I found many articles online that prove that children today are lacking in self-discipline because parents refuse to discipline them. Wearing uniforms could ultimately make the institution a safer place to be. When a teenager enters high school there is that need to fit in and many students will do anything just to fit in or “be cool”. Uniform is a social leveler meaning that it makes all the children at a school equal no matter what their family background or income. If students can choose their own clothes, then the rich kids compete to show off their expensive designer clothing. Children from poorer families get picked on for not being able to afford lots of pricey outfits which causes fighting among the students.
The International Debate Education Association, http://www.idebate.org/about/index.php, develops, organizes and promotes debate and debate-related activities in communities throughout the world. The debate I came across was the question of whether children should wear a uniform to school or not. In some countries school uniform is normal and most schools make their students wear one. Britain is the most obvious example of this. Uniform is also required at almost all schools in Japan. In other countries, particularly in continental Europe, the USA and Canada, uniform is very rare in state-funded schools, although private schools may have one.Debates about school uniform have been going on for decades in different countries and districts. At first uniform rules were seen as a way of stopping children dressing in gang colors in troubled urban areas. They also claim that introducing uniform leads to better discipline and educational results encouraged other school districts and schools to make a change. Also, introducing uniform can reduce crime in schools, especially violence and theft. Teachers at several US schools report lower levels of violence and crime after uniforms were introduced. This is partly due to better discipline, but also because students no longer come to school wearing desirable designer clothes. Uniform also helps makes schools safer as it makes intruders much easier to spot. Anyone not in uniform can easily be seen and reported. Both the Clinton and Bush administrations have been in favor of school uniforms in the US. There is no proper research that shows that introducing uniform cuts crime in schools. Uniforms actually lead to more violence. They make students from rival schools much more obvious in the street or on the bus. “Us-and-them” feelings are worsened by uniform and bullying and fighting between students from different schools can increase.
One example I came across in my research happened in a small town in Mississippi called Clarksdale. A committee of faculty and parents proposed a full uniform policy for the Clarksdale Municipal School District (http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=2038). Apparently there have been many cases in this town where uninvited people enter the schools and cause problems such as fights. The announcement was made recently by Linda Downing, principal of Oakhurst Middle School, and Reginald Griffin, principal of W.A. Higgins Middle School. Griffin, a former law enforcement officer, said gang-inspired violence was a key in the handbook proposal. "Wearing uniforms prevent gang colors from being worn at school," he said. "It decreases violence and theft of expensive clothes and instills discipline." Griffin said wearing uniforms also helps instill a sense of community and reduces student distraction. "It increases school safety by recognizing students who do not belong on campus," he said.
Here is an example of a school district in Long Beach, California that adopted school uniforms as part of their strategy.
Long Beach, California
Type: Uniforms are mandatory in all elementary and
middle schools. Each school in the district
determines the uniform its students will wear.

Opt-out: Yes, with parental consent

Size of program: 58,500 elementary and middle school students

Implementation date: 1994

Support for disadvantaged students: Each school must develop an assistance plan for families that cannot afford to buy uniforms. In most cases, graduating students either donate or sell used uniforms to needy families.
Results: District officials found that in the year following implementation of the school uniform policy, overall school crime decreased 36 percent, fights decreased 51 percent, sex offenses decreased 74 percent, weapons offenses decreased 50 percent, assault and battery offenses decreased 34 percent, and vandalism decreased 18 percent. Fewer than one percent of the students have elected to opt out of the uniform policy.
Dick Van Der Laan of the Long Beach Unified School District explained, "We can't attribute the improvement exclusively to school uniforms, but we think it's more than coincidental." According to Long Beach police chief William Ellis, "Schools have fewer reasons to call the police. There's less conflict among students. Students concentrate more on education, not on who's wearing $100 shoes or gang attire."

The topic of gangs is also very important. Uniforms increase the likelihood of gang fights in the inner city schools. For example, in many cities there are two very popular, notorious gangs that many students take part in. They are the “bloods” and the crips.” The two are identified with what they are wearing. The Crips adopted the color blue for their clothing to set them apart from other gang members and the Bloods adopted the color red. They are one of the main reasons why the request of school uniforms can help to decrease violence in public schools and make them a safe place to be (http://gangsta411.com/Crips-&-Bloods.htm). According to the 1996 State of the Union Address, Bill Clinton spoke out about school uniforms. He said that they could "make public schools more orderly centers of learning and safer sanctuaries for children" (http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/New/other/sotu.html).
There are many incidents in which gangs have been involved because of a student wearing the wrong “color.” At the bus stop at a suburban Maryland school, a high school student was murdered when two masked assailants stole two other students' name brand jackets. Other thefts have involved name brand sneakers and shoes (Holloman). School uniforms would prevent students from bringing expensive clothing to school, therefore decreasing the theft of school clothing. Gang related violence is also decreased by the wearing of school uniforms. This prohibits the wearing of certain gang colors like I stated before, blue for the "Crips" or red for the "Bloods." The primary personal accessories which identify gang affiliations are hats, handkerchiefs, shoelaces, and belts.
A couple of years ago, 5,500 secondary school principals were asked about uniforms and 70 percent thought they'd reduce violence. The theory is that because kids fight over fashion accessories, nobody will have anything worth fighting over if everyone is dressed the same, and nobody will be teased about outfits. In 2000, almost 16 percent of public elementary schools in the United States had school uniforms. If you break down that 16 percent, urban and rural areas dominate the landscape of school uniform policy. Suburban areas, which have a tendency to have a higher economic profile, lag behind.
There will be a greater sense of safety for all which includes students, parents and faculty also the security in schools if uniforms are implemented. Rules about uniforms should be seriously considered for the well-being of students. Other initiatives that many schools have used in conjunction with uniforms to address specific problems in their community include aggressive truancy reduction initiatives, drug prevention efforts, student-athlete drug testing, community efforts to limit gangs, a zero tolerance policy for weapons, character education classes, and conflict resolution programs. Working with parents, teachers, students, and principals can make a uniform policy part of a strong overall safety program, one that is supported in the community. In conclusion to my investigation I found that many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. In addition, many private and close-minded schools have required uniforms for a number of years. Still other schools have implemented dress codes to encourage a safe environment by, for example, prohibiting clothes with certain language or gang colors.

Holloman, Lillian. "Dress-Related Behavioral Problems and Violence in the Public School Setting: Prevention, Intervention, and PolicyA Holistic Approach." The Journal of Negro Education. Summer 1996. November 1, 2003.

Poor Brit: Her downward spiral

Britney Spears has been my favority artist for years. She has gone crazy and I feel so bad for her. It all started on New Year's Eve, when she was hosting a party at Pure club in Las Vegas. An hour after the ball dropped, she had to be escorted out and to her hotel room. Her manager, said she was tired and falling asleep. She ended up passing out in the middle of the VIP area of the club. The tabloids claimed that she was on drugs and drinking a whole lot which caused her to pass out.

Immediately after that, on January 1st, Britney Spears checked into rehab to deal with her alcohol issues. Another shock wave came when the people at Jive Records were so unhappy about the her behavior that they fired her. Not only has she been going through a painful divorce at the age of 25 but she also has 2 children (babies) who are in the middle of it all. One night she decided to go to K-Fed's house to pick up her kids and he denied her. He told her that he was going to get dna from her hair folicles and drug test her. She then headed over to a barber shop in the San Fernando Valley. She shaved her head then a Los Angeles television station grabbed footage of her the sane night at a tattoo parlor. She was there to get a couple of tiny tattoos on her wrist, a pair of pink and red lips. Us Weekly magazine reported that she also got a black, white and pink cross tattooed on her lower hip.

And then on Feb. 23 she attacked a photographer’s car with umbrella that was parked outside the apartment of her estranged husband, Kevin Federline. MY POOR BRITNEY!!!

Critical Analysis: Astronaut psycho

My critical analysis I chose to write about the recent breaking news about the astronaut, Lisa Nowak, who is a married mother of three, decided to drive over 900 miles to confront a woman she believed was a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, an unmarried fellow astronaut. According to the evidence she planned to kidnap and ended up assaulting Colleen Shipman, a U.S. Air Force captain, also the woman who Lisa was threatened by.

I chose two articles to evaluate. The first one I read is titled, “Space Walk: She's an astronaut, a Navy captain, and a married mother of three,” by Arian Campo-Flores. So what made Lisa Nowak drive 900 miles to confront a perceived romantic rival? Diary of a bad trip.” This article I found online in Newsweek which contains national news.
The second article I read I found on CBS.com titled, “Astronaut Charged With Attempted Murder: Astronaut accused of trying to kidnap romantic rival charged with attempted murder.”
In the first article it starts out revealing what exactly happened that day of the murder, the whole story. It doesn’t really have a flow to it. The writer attempts to go back and forth about what happened and what people are saying. There are many different people quoted in the article which gives the reader useful information. Harvey Wichman, former head of the Aerospace Psychology Laboratory at Claremont McKenna College was asked a few questions as well as a former high school classmate who declined to give a name. The Johnson Space Center would not respond for comment. Her attorney, Donald Lykkebak and a fellow astronaut, Steve Lindsey, who attended one of the hearings were also interrogated. The article really goes in depth about Lisa’s life growing up including a high school yearbook quote that said,” I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.” According to the editorial, she was on the field hockey and track teams, and participated in class council, student government, the math team and the French honor society, among other organizations.
The second article is written a little different. It begins with exactly what she is accused for, charged, and how much exactly her bail was. Orlando Police Sgt. Barb Jones was quoted in the piece. The writer mentions that judge earlier Tuesday said she could be freed on $15,500 bail provided she stayed away from the other woman and wore a monitoring device. But the judge increased that amount after prosecutors filed attempted murder charges. The first article didn’t really go into the detail about any of the charges or bail money. Steve Lindsey is also quoted in this article as well as Chris Ferguson another fellow astronaut. A NASA spokesman by the name of James Hartsfield in Houston was quoted. In the second article, the writer gives a short bio of the man who she was chasing after, Navy Cmdr. William Oefilein while in the first article he was briefly mentioned.
When comparing the two, there was a certain piece of information that was told differently in each. In the article from Newsweek, Lisa’s relationship with Oefelein was described as “more than a working relationship, but less than a romantic relationship.” While in the article from CBS news, they declare that the police found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein.” Apparently, Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare the other woman into talking to her about her relationship and didn't want to harm her.

West Point Grad comes to Drexel

West Point Graduate comes to Drexel to promote ROTC



Second lieutenant, Patrick O’Conner stood in front of Drexel’s bookstore also known as McAlister Hall for the past 4 days recruiting students to sign up for the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. Upon graduation from West Point in 2006, Patrick was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army. He graduated from Basic Officer Leadership Course II with first time go’s in all technical and leadership evaluations. He is currently enrolled in the Field Artillery School and will graduate in December 2006. He expects to arrive in the Republic of South Korea for his first assignment with the 2nd Infantry Division in January 2007. Patrick oversees about 20-30 soldiers.
ROTC is a college-based, commissioned officers recruitment tool. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.
According to the website, http://www.drexel.edu/depts/rotc/, upon successful completion of the Army ROTC program, and graduation from Drexel or the college of your choice, cadets are commissioned as Second Lieutenants. Second Lieutenants typically command platoon sized elements. A typical platoon size is between 30 and 40 soldiers. Army ROTC is one of the best leadership training programs in the nation.

We caught up with Patrick earlier today to get some of his thoughts and views about being a leader and what it takes to be in the Army. Patrick talks about how being a leader is very important and leadership was the most important skill he could have learned in the reserve. “For the most part leaders are made. Officers who think they know everything before they take command of their unit are bound for disaster. You need to treat every new command differently and the key to success is knowledge. Leaders that refuse to learn will never improve themselves. These officers may be platoon leaders or commanding officers but by title only, the leadership is not there and is most likely being compensated by the officers enlisted soldiers,” Patrick says.

When speaking about what Patrick liked the most about being a manager he told me “You’re master of your own domain. The success of your unit rest in your hands and that provides a considerable amount of motivation to get any job done. I dislike the futility of completing paper work and the occasion that a soldier needs to be punished.”
I could tell that Patrick really enjoys overseeing soldiers and handling the responsibilities that come along with it.
Patrick and I discussed how he motivates his soldiers. His response was “Not only do you need to be a good example of what a soldier should be, but you also must prove to your soldiers that you are always looking out for their best interests. A soldier who believes their leader is always looking out for them is always going to have your back is great motivation. When you give soldiers something to look up to, and someone they want to become, rather than hate the army and regret their decision to join helps motivate them. That doesn’t mean be friends with them or cut them slack though.” I found this reply rather interesting. By looking out for his soldiers, and their best interests, Patrick is able to motivate them. Motivate them to want to succeed in the army and do a great job being a soldier. He also said that it was very important to him to get college credits he needs and serve his country at the same time.

According to Patrick, Stress is a major part of the job when you are employed by the US Army, whether it is the job itself, or if it is the job affecting your life. I asked Patrick if officers of the army have any responsibility in helping soldiers manage the stress caused by life events outside of work. Patrick’s answer was not what I was expecting. His response was “As an officer in the United States Army your main job is taking care of soldiers. With the current deployment schedule giving soldiers on average one year long deployment every two to three years stress brought on by outside events has drastically increased.” He went on to say, “that being said it is becoming more important for managers in the Army to get involved in these issues when it becomes necessary.”

The ROTC is one of the best leadership courses in the country and is part of the college curriculum. Any student interested in both serving their country as well as getting a degree should enlist. Upon graduation from Army ROTC, you will earn the bar of a Second Lieutenant and become “a leader for life.”

http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/
http://www.drexel.edu/depts/rotc

Movie Review: Pursuit of Happyness

Over the weekend I saw the Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith. At the core of this love story (a man in love with his child and his vision) is the greatest life lesson we all must learn. Unfortunately, most people never go as far as believing in themselves and realizing their power. The movie co-stars his son Jaden Smith.

In 1981, Chris Gardner was a struggling salesman in little needed medical bone density scanners while his wife toiled in double shifts to support the family including their young son, Christopher. In the face of this difficult life, Chris has the desperate inspiration to try for a stockbroker internship where one in twenty has a chance of a full time career. Even when his wife leaves him because of this choice, Chris clings to this dream with his son even when the odds become more daunting by the day. Together Chris and his son struggle through homelessness, jail time, tax seizure and the overall punishing sadness in a quest. Although it only recieved a 7.4, I really thought it deserved a 10.

One of the best parts was when Will Smith who plays Chris Gardner chastises his young son for putting too much thought in becoming a pro basketball player. In a moment of clarity, he realizes he's just killed his son's dream and apologetically says, "You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period." It was just really touching.


Christopher Gardner: How many planets are there? Christopher: Um... 7? Christopher Gardner: Seven? No, you kidding me? OK, who's the king of the jungle? Christopher: The gorilla? Christopher Gardner: Gorilla? Nope. Christopher: You wanna hear something funny? Christopher Gardner: OK. Christopher: Knock knock. Christopher Gardner: Who's there? Christopher: Shelby. Christopher Gardner: Shelby who? Christopher: Shelby comin' round the mountain when she comes, Shelby comin' round the mountain when she comes! Christopher Gardner: Hey, that's good. Christopher: Knock knock. Christopher Gardner: Who's there? Christopher: Nobody. Christopher Gardner: Nobody who? [Christopher doesn't respond] Christopher Gardner: Nobody who? [Christopher still doesn't respond] Christopher Gardner: A-ha-ha, that's a good one, I like that!

Long Lost Bud

My best friends and I from home have been friends since we were 5. We all went to day camp together and ended up at the same middle school and high school. There was about six of us until high school when our friend, Marissa moved away. I have not seen or heard from her since the day she moved I guess because we were all so young. We didn't have aim messenger or email yet. Because of Myspace I was able to recently contact her.
On Myspace.com you can search for anyone by their name. I typed in her full name and 5 or 6 "profiles" came up but I immediately recognized her picture. I sent her a message asking how she was doing and what she was up to. She ended up moving to Jackson, NJ and attending Jackson high school. She was always very quiet and into not so much into sports. She is more of the arts type. She really got into arts and science in high school. Her parents ended up divorcing and her mom moved right outside of Philly. She stayed with her father and brother in NJ and graduated in 2002. She applied to many colleges but first heard back from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and decided to attend majoring in biochemistry. As she began to take classes, she was most interested in the Pharmaceutical field. Marissa also did many different internship on campus while taking classes. She joined the American Chemical Society Student Affiliate Organization, which sponsors seminars and field trips to industrial and governmental laboratories which she loved. She also plans to pursue her PH.D. one day so she can work on developing drugs for the treatment and cure of disease. She now still lives with her boyfriend who is also a student at USP but majors in Fitness and Health Management. They live in Philadelphia right by the University of Penn's campus.
She was very interested in what I was up to as well. We plan to meet up soon for lunch or coffee and really catch up.

Weekly Quotes and Websites

"My life is happy ceased with a few unhappy moments"

www.perezhilton.com
www.tmz.com
www.hollywoodrag.com
www.cnn.com

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away"

"sometimes we need to stop analyzing the paststop planning the futurestop figuring out precisely how we feelstop deciding exactly what we want and just see what happens.. "

"..Life is too short, so kiss slowly, love deeply, forgive quickly, and forget the past... but not what it taught you..."

Got Blog?

Blogs are the latest way that students, businesses, and many others are publishing their thoughts these days. Technology is allowing anyone with a computer, the ability to type, and an Internet connection to become a publisher or author. According to Frank Catolino who is a writer at www.thejournal.com writes an article about blogging titled, "Why Blog?" At the end of his informational article, he says, " “Ask yourself, ‘So what?’ before you start blogging. Will your blog add to the world of knowledge and learning, or is it just for fun?” My blog this semester will basically give my opinions on daily news articles and what is going on in the entertainment business. Also what is going on in the class such as my stories, miniprojects, reactions and just my thoughts in general will be posted. I hope my blogging will be helpful to people as well as very interesting since people will be reading it. I hope they get something useful out of my blogs. It is also theraputic to me to get out my feelings and thoughts through writing. I read other blogs daily. My favorite blog website that I read everyday is www.perezhilton.com , it is very interesting! You must take a look at it if you like making fun of famous people and the lives they lead.
Another really good blog website i like because i LOVE food is www.whatwereeating.com/. There is delish recipies as well as really nice pictures of gorg dishes as well as funny dialogue.