Wiki Wiki What?

Research Paper. Wikipedia.

Those two different things go together like peanut butter and jelly, as they say. For a majority of high school students, research papers/questions usually begin with the infamous Wikipedia search. According to Wikipedia itself, Wikipedia is a free multilingual enclyopedia project supported by the non-profi Wikimedia Foundation. Not only are there usually the basic facts necessary to even begin research, but Wikipedia is easily accesable for the average high school student. Why not use it? Of course, there are always the pre-research warnings of only using Wikipedia as a source to gather ideas for further researching from other, perhaps more reliable, sources. However, how many students actually listen to this advice?

It is important to remember that almost anyone can go onto Wikipedia to edit a search page. I have realized that it is not only the high school student, but even college students and thousands of others who use Wikipedia frequently. One of my friends even likes to Wikipedia in his free time to read about random history or geography. Sure, Wikipedia is a useful tool that we all like to have at our disposal, but how far will we take it?

Apparently, some will take it too far. Irish 22-year-old Shane Fitzgerald decided to hold an "experiment" of sorts with Wikipedia. Majoring in sociology, he wanted to see how dependent the 21st society media-users was on this Wikipedia site. After inserting a false quote on the page of Maurice Jarre, several blogs and websites across the world were shown to have used this quote. The Wikipedia monitors immediately removed the quote, but the damage was done. Outraged, the authors of the sites critized Fitzgerald for his cruel prank; however, who was really the fool - Fitzgerald or the site-authors? To not even check the validity of the quote they were using on a public site reveals the fatal flaw of being too trusting of the Internet. Perhaps Fitzgerald's method of testing this theory of society's flaw was too rash and affected a bit too many people, but in the end, truth was revealed.

Today's society has become dependent not only on Wikipedia, but also on the internet and electronic sources in general. How ironic - since this blog is on the internet. So, remember, the internet is probably your second home, but remember to not become too dependent of the media. It's always a good idea to check your sources!

The R-Word

Though this post will deviate from my usual interesting tidbit about politics/news, I would like to draw attention to a particular topic that has caught my eye. As I was reading Seventeen Magazine the other day, I noticed a website for r-word.org and after visiting this site, I became very interested in participating in the Best Buddies program. This program helps teens with mental disabilities connect with others around them in their local communities; it's a chance for teens with and without disabilities to get to know one another in an environment that might not have been available beforehand. Although I am not an active member of the Best Buddies program quite yet, I do want to call all of your attention to the "r-word", in other words: retard. Retardation is quite often a mental disability that many in the world suffer from, and it does make the person who is retarded any different from a normal human being.

Often, myself included, people use this word as a derogatory term as a substitute for "stupid" or "weird." But to be perfectly honest, what gives us the right to use this word in such a way? To further ostracize these members of the community is something that I am going to try to prevent by promoting awareness at my school, and by attempting to get involved this summer to meet teenagers just like me who might be a little different (but everyone's different, right?). So please, pledge today at r-word.org and make that small difference.

Next time you want to say something's idiotic, remember: Don't Use That R-Word!

Want to know more about mental disabilities and retardation? Visit the Best Buddies website (or the Best Buddies California Information site)!

Prom Season? Or Not.

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Prom Couples

April and May are always referred to as "prom season" because most high schools hold their junior and senior proms at around this time. From the fashion magazines to the tuxedo rental coupons from Men's Warehouse, prom is in the air.

Thousands of young teenage boys spend hours planning their unique way to ask that someone special to prom - flowers, notes, scavenger hunts, videos...It just gets more diverse every year! On the other hand, you have your classical boys who have their bouquet of flowers along with the simple question, "Will you go to prom with me?" While the boys have their elaborate plans and tuxedos and the girls frantically try to pick the most elaborate dress they can find, all this hullabaloo is actually quite of the traditional fun high school students like to experience. When one thinks high school, what comes to mind is prom, football games, and massive homework assignments.

However, it is one thing to choose not to go to one's prom, as many of people I know have done, and a very different situation when a student is forbidden to attend a prom.

In Findlay, Ohio, 17-year-old Tyler Frost faces suspension, and possibly expulsion, if he attends a public school prom with his girlfriend. Arranged to graduate at the end of this month, Frost merely wanted to have fun at prom, but unfortunately his catholic high school had other plans. The school board and principal of Heritage Christian School has all its students sign an agreement at the beginning of the year which "forbids dancing, rock music, hand-holding and kissing" according to Associated Press.

Heritage says it stands for the Christian ideals and morality, and these ideals are infringed upon with events such as prom. Perhaps these Christian ideals are being too strict and non-practical? Or maybe this set of rules is a way to promote good behavior and conduct. Who knows?

All I know is that, being a high school student myself, I hope Frost does not get suspended or expelled; he's almost done graduating!