February 24, 2006 Vol. 34 Issue 10
Editorial: Take tests seriously
By: Erica Greve, sr.
For the Editorial Board
As the season of standardized and ACT testing is rapidly approaching,
high school students are being driven toward learning to take such tests
with the knowledge and confidence that they need to score well.
Education seems to shift much of its focus toward standardized testing in
late winter and early spring, and a great deal of emphasis is placed on the
students’ scores.
School administration often plans rewards for students whose scores meet
certain requirements, which seem to act as great motivators to the students.
Students are driven by these rewards to take the tests seriously, and overall
scores reflect this. Humboldt students have scored impressively well in past
years on such tests.
Cartoon by Haley Huffman
However, the importance of State standardized tests
to students should go beyond the opportunity to participate in school-sponsored
rewards.
When students
score well, it reflects well on the school and the teachers, and the district
can pride itself on being among the top-ranking schools in the league.
College-bound students know all too well how important their scores on the
ACTs are. Colleges use these scores to determine how well the student will
perform in demanding college courses, and whether or not to admit the student.
Also, ACT scores are a very important component of most scholarship applications.
This competitive opportunity of free money for college, as well as how much
emphasis colleges themselves place on ACT scores, both put a lot of pressure
on the student to do well on the test. In the midst of it all, students may
become weary with the exhausting importance of this test.
On top of all a student’s academic and extracurricular obligations,
testing season has a tendency to create a strain on some students, while
others may remain unphased by the added pressure. Regardless of how each
individual student handles this pressure, the important thing for him or
her to remember is that all these tests not only reflect back on the school
and the teachers, but will also affect the student’s future, and this
is something to be taken seriously.
Preparation pays off on test results
(Pro)
By: Phillip Vernon, so.
News Editor
Some students, and even parents, may say that preparing for
tests never help. Well, that is actually just not true. Studying for tests
helps immensely when it comes down to it. Just reviewing over material that
may appear on the test can help prepare students for a big test.
It has been said many times, “Man, I did bad on that test.” Questions
such as, “Well, did you study?” always follow, and the answer
to that question is more than likely, “No, I did not.” A little
studying of test material can go a long way, and some students overlook this
fact.
However, many students may say that it is not just the lack
of studying that led to the failing of a test. It is important for students
to prepare in
different ways. This may sound kind of corny, but a good night’s sleep
and a good breakfast is key to doing well not only on tests, but school in
general.
Some students may have issues with their study skills. They may be mentally
preparing for a test, but then cannot find the time to study. If a student
is failing a subject, it is important to be able to take time out of their
busy schedule to at least review that day’s lesson, or reading some
of that chapter is equally helpful when it comes time for a test.
State assessments are coming up for the sophomores and juniors this spring,
and teachers are doing all that they can to prepare students to do their
very best. Most teachers will tell students to review material.
Some students are enrolled in VPL, which is a sort of an extended learning
program to prepare for the state assessments. Doug Leonard, a math teacher
here at Humboldt High School, reviews State assessment material with geometry
students every Friday. These classes seem to act as a sort of study hall.
In the past, these activities have led to high test scores, proving that
studying for tests improves the way that many students perform on State tests.
Cramming
causes unnecessary stress (Con)
By: Melany Megenity,so.
Reporter
We all agree that state testing and the results are important,
not only for the school, but for students as well. But this is not something
students should stress out so much about. After all, the test is about
subjects the teachers have been teaching all year, right?
Studying for tests for hours and hours is not usually necessary, especially
for standardized tests, which test knowledge students should already know.
I see no problem with students reviewing past information once in a while
just to refresh their memories. However, I do see a problem with students
cramming their minds with large amounts of new information just before
the test. Trying to cram that much information can be very stressful for
a student.
Many students place reasons for doing well on tests in the
wrong areas. Some students try extremely hard just to impress a lot of
people including
teachers, parents, friends, and grandparents with their test scores. Everyone
thinks that they have to do well on the State assessments. That is not
how it should be; students should want to do well on the tests for personal
satisfaction, and doing so can improve the outcome of their future. Students
should not worry just because they are afraid to disappoint their friends
and family.
If someone does not do well on a test; it might not because he or she is
dumb, it might be because the student felt too much pressure to perform
well and could not sleep the night before or possibly that he or she just
went blank during the test because they were so stressed out.
While doing well on tests is important and something to strive for, if
a student does not pass with flying colors that does not mean that the
world is going to end. Students should learn the information the first
time it is presented in class instead of trying to cram it all in before
the test, which can cause unnecessary stress.
With increased seating, the new gymnasium would be able to accommodate
larger amounts of people, meaning more revenue would come in as a result.
People
will go out of their way to come to a newly constructed gymnasium for it’s
recreational and physical advantages. The construction of a new gym facility
would bring people to Humboldt, generally improving overall economy and
making the lives of students and faculty much easier.
Review: Stranger Calls people
to theaters
By: Derrick Onnen, sr.
Reporter
As the winter season draws on, many students look for ways
to forget about the dreary weather and enjoy themselves despite the cold
temperatures.
A great place to do this is at a movie theater. Several new movies have been
released, and one that I recently went to was When a Stranger Calls.
The movie was very entertaining, and the producers put together the right
people for the film.
Camilla Belle starred in the film. She was a very good actress, and knew
exactly when to be dramatic. Without her, the movie just would not be the
same.
Director Simon West is not unfamiliar with stereotypical guy movies. He directed
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and was the executive producer of Black Hawk Down.
Overall, I believe that When a Stranger Calls is an excellent movie. I think
it was very suspenseful, but not as much of a horror film as it seems to
be in the advertisements for it. For students that really like suspenseful
movies, this is definitely a movie that they should want to go out and see.
I thought that this movie was well worth the time of sitting in a theater
and the money it cost to get into the film.
However, I found that this movie was very predictable. Despite this shortfall,
it will keep viewers entertained throughout the whole movie.
The stranger has been watching the babysitter’s every move since she
was at the house babysitting for a doctor. However, the fact that she did
not see the stranger until the end made the rest of the movie seem somewhat
pointless.
Students planning to go see the film should be warned of one thing. The movie
is so realistic that some people may wait a few days before they answer the
phone after they have seen this movie, as this was how the stranger came
into contact with the babysitter.
How do you prepare to take a test?
 David Setter, fr., “I just study.” |
 Steven Dooley, so., “I cram in the class before.” |
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