Kennedy+G’s+2018+OpEd+Article

I took forever to think of a topic for this assignment. This assignment we were literally told held no practicality towards passing the AP tests. This assignment I really don’t want to write. This assignment I see no reason to write when my sleep deprived body longs for the sweet embrace of my bed…. No surprise, then, I decided to rant on school.

I never minded it so much before btw, back when I found school practical. But what I’m doing right now? Not practical; I would get a 0 on any AP test for writing a piece like this. But hold on a second, don’t think that that implies I find the college board to be some super practical system. Nuh uh. Somebody pleasee tell me, why it is deemed important that I memorize boatloads of formulas and dates to ensure a good college application? Seriously, do tell, because last I checked all this info is readily available on Google where it does not have to occupy precious amounts of my brain cells.

Ok, now let’s say we didn’t have google, or even easily accessible libraries everywhere. I want to go into engineering of some sort, and that is an extremely broad range of topics. I wonder if any employer will find it essential that I know the significance of the Gadsden Purchase? Now it wouldn’t bother me; I can appreciate the acquiring of knowledge, essential or no. I’m not bashing on education, it’s a great institution, but the way it is being administered is inconsiderate to the students. According to the Working Time Regulations, most workers should not have to work more than an average of 48 hours a week. Huh...let’s do the math; I’m in school for about 9 hours a day including practice, 5 AP classes which on average give an hour of homework each a night including necessary studying. That amounts to 14 hours of school stuff alone, per day, 5 days a week. Result: 70 hour weeks, not to mention I have at least one all-day track meet a week. Oh and you expect me to engage with my family everyday and get 8 hours of sleep? Right.

Ok this may seem more trivial, but I assure you it’s not. School lunch needs reform. Two fricken spoonfuls of pasta is not an entree, certainly not for someone who has to run 10 miles on that in a few hours. And you can only grab two entrees and plead ignorance so many times before getting caught. And then there is the line to even get in the cafeteria, there’s literally been Mondays when people are still in line as the bell rings. And if you think you’re so sneaky waiting till the line dies, have fun being stuck with the “Sriracha-Ball Sub”, cause more often than not that’s all that’s left. Oh and don’t give me the whole “Just pack a lunch and stop complaining”, did I not just explain how little time the average student has in their schedule? And ok, I admit I’m lazy in the mornings but can it be that hard to increase the portion size just a tad?

One last thing: Ren Cards. Come on. I get that they’re like a reward for doing good and stuff and it would be great if they actually worked. They did as a freshman I think but now I’m lucky if it’ll get me late credit on some 5 point paper. It also annoys me that you can take all AP, get ONE B and you’re dropped down a level while the guy with all CP who got straight As is “Platinum”. Oh yea and similarly I don’t get why valedictorian is reliant purely on grades at Foothill. What about somebody who commits hours upon hours of potential study time into a sport? Or into community service? Ugh, there's so much more I can go off on but I fear I'll start becoming incoherent, plus I have other busy work to attend to. (Btw I hold no animosity to teachers themselves, if anything I blame college board).