In America, Teacher Appreciation Week began in 1944 when Wisconsin teacher Ryan Krug wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt about the need of a national day to honor teachers. In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt convinced the eighty-first Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. In 1980, Congress declared the first Tuesday in March to be National Teacher Day. Five years later, the Parent Teacher Association declared the first full week of May to be National Teacher Appreciation Week; subsequently the NEA declared the Tuesday of National Teacher Appreciation Week to be National Teacher Appreciation Day. Some states have gone even farther than that; Massachusetts in 1976 declared Sept. 7 as “Teacher’s Day.” Now Massachusetts celebrates teachers traditionally on the first Sunday of June.

However, America by far and away is not the only country to celebrate teachers traditionally. In fact, there are over 60 countries that have an official Teacher’s Week or Day, including Afghanistan, India, the Philippines and Taiwan. In Afghanistan, it is called “Da Maleem Wraz” where all the students and teachers gather at schools to celebrate. They bring special foods and presents to give to the teachers. In India it is celebrated on the birthday of the second president of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and is called “Shikshak Divas.”

In Taiwan, it is called “Grand Ceremony Dedicated to Confucius” and is traditionally celebrated Sept. 28, which is the Gregorian calendar date of his birthday. It is a major event and has many rituals as well. Every student sends gifts and cards to their teachers. In Confucius temples all over the country there are celebrations that start early in the morning and end late at night. It begins with drum beats in the morning. Later 54 dancers in robes with blue belts appear, and 64 dancers in robes with yellow belts appear. These ceremonies are led by the direct descendant of Confucius, who is considered to be the “model master educator.” Then they sacrifice three animals: a cow, a goat and a pig.

When you compare it to our week of celebration, ours seems pretty mild. However, there are many things you can do to show appreciation for your teachers. PTA suggests homemade gifts, something special that is unique to the teacher, and isn’t “one-size-fits-all.” You could also send notes of appreciation, or you could give them certificates for practical gifts, for example a certificate for the students to wash the teacher’s car. You could even give them class supplies. Whatever you do, just make sure you do something to show teachers how much you appreciate them, whether it be today, or the first full week of May. Remember, Teacher Appreciation Day is May 4.

Summer is just a small break for many in our senior class as they head to college in the fall.

“I am excited for a new challenge, to go away from home, do something I’ve never done before, and meet new people,” senior Kristen Valentine said.

Valentine will attend University of California (UC) Merced in the fall.

In some households, going directly into a four-year college is important, while in other households, it is necessary to go to a community college for two years to get used to the responsibilities of being an adult while saving money through part-time work. Education will continue while freedoms and responsibilities are gained.

Senior Severine Richardson is one such individual. About a month after graduation, Richardson plans to move back to her home country of Germany to pursue an education.

“I’m leaving to try something different, experience life a little,” Richardson said. “The education system is better anyway.”

So often, burgeoning college students don’t include the possibility of international study. What they fail to realize is that colleges in foreign countries are regularly cheaper.

Campos considers his current training as his education.

“Trades are based on skill and knowledge. College is for book smarts,” Campos said.

In the future, Campos hopes to eventually return to school to learn about business management because he aspires to own his own company someday.

Because of the twenty-first century boom of the green industry, Campos believes he has immersed himself in the right business.

“I have the skills and knowledge that many are aching to receive. I’m jumping into a pool of opportunities,” Campos said.

Like Campos, senior Ashley Wheeler will also pursue trades after high school. Wheeler plans to attend Heald College to become a dental assistant.

Heald trains students in a specific fields, such as medical assistance, and then helps students find jobs.

“It’s an 18-month course, and it starts on July 19,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler plans to finish her course and then start working right afterward.

“I don’t want to go to Ohlone. Instead I want to be a dental assistant so I can improve people’s smiles and make them feel better about themselves,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler is excited about starting at Heald and hopes for a good future.

Senior Maverick Hooper will join the navy after high school and work as an aviation mechanic. His responsibilities lie solely in working with aircraft and just about everything else that happens on the runway.

“I’m stoked,” Hooper said.

Senior Stephen Hopkins will serve in the marines this fall. He plans to join security forces and will specialize in defending the government and other facilities outside the United States from terrorist forces.

Hopkins’ older brother, Andrew, who graduated from Washington in 2004, is currently a corporal in the marines and has played a major inspiration for Hopkins.

Senior Robert Schafhirt will also enlist in the marines and will serve as a firefighter. His job will include assisting in the fires of demolished marine vehicles as well as search and rescue operations.

The marines are paying for Schafhirt’s college education, and he will also be provided with housing. Schafhirt, along with Hooper, will not be serving in combat.

“Only ten percent of Marines see combat,” Schafhirt said.

With the training Schafhirt will receive in the marines, he will be able to work as a firefighter after he withdraws from service.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Schafhirt said.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NBIA is a “rare, inherited, neurological movement disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of the nervous system.” Some of the symptoms include involuntary muscle contractions and an inability to coordinate movements. These symptoms are caused by an unusually high level of iron in the brain.

Veronica is part of an online support group for people with NBIA. A man in Iceland posted a press release about a drug in France that, although used to treat a different disorder, can cross over the barrier into the brain and help reduce iron levels. After doing research, the Bonfiglios decided to pursue this option.

In order to be able to use the drug in the United States, a doctor needed to make a compassionate use case for Brent to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that this drug, Deferiprone, was the only treatment that could help him.

Veronica found a doctor at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland who uses Deferiprone to treat a different disorder. They weighed the risks and benefits and decided it would be best to go through with it. It took a lot of paperwork for the doctor to make a compassionate use case to the FDA as well as at the hospital level.

Brent was the first child in the United States to receive Deferiprone for his condition. He started treatment in November 2007. To date there have been no side-effects. The drug has helped stop the disease from advancing in his body as well as alleviating the current symptoms.

Since taking Deferiprone, Brent has regained more coordination, balance and trunk control.

“These gains can be noticeable in the little things that we take for granted like being able to sit without back support [or] hold a cup without dropping it,” Veronica said.

He is also able to walk better, still with assistance, but with more ease. His speech has become clearer and he is able to use his video game controllers again.

Brent’s case has paved the way for four children to get their own compassionate use permits. A clinical trial will start this spring at Children’s Hospital & Research Center in Oakland with 20 children and teens from across the country.

More information about NBIA and how you can help can be found at www.NBIAdisorders.org.

Once legal, an individual can smoke, vote, get married, drive without restriction, adopt children, sign legal documents, stay out late, go to most clubs and join the military without parental consent.

Can parents still dictate their children’s actions and decisions? Legally, no. Morally, yes. New adults may have to respect their parents’ or guardian’s rules if they are still dependent. However, guardians no longer have legal responsibility for the welfare of an 18-year-old.
Turning 18 does not exclude a student from school rules. Administrators can search an individual’s locker, backpack or car without a search warrant as long as they have a legitimate reason. For some schools, an 18-year-old can sign themselves out of class. In 1998 and 1999, WHS students abused this privilege by forging doctor’s appointments and not coming back to class. Washington no longer acknowledges this privilege.
“One student had 93 off grounds passes, which was excessive,” attendance clerk Nancee Reck said.
This effect resulted in negative consequences. In that year, the school lost ADA (Average Daily Attendance). The school does a monthly count of the number of periods students attend. The state then sends money to the school depending on the number count.
Adulthood is exciting with all the freedom. But it also comes with responsibilities.

This article originally appeared in print on March 30, 2010. It has been modified to correct style and grammatical errors.

Teenagers are also entitled to go through a juvenile court system instead of an adult court system. They become a “delinquent child” and have to go through rehabilitation, which means parents may have to pay a fine or the teenager might have to go to juvenile detention.

There are projects, like the Algebra Project, that fight for different student rights. The Algebra Project is a national, nonprofit organization fighting for every child’s right to a quality public school education. Teachers and parents are working to achieve this goal by using better educational research and building an alliance to create changes.

“All students should have the right to a good education. They should be exposed to the same opportunities despite their social status,” government teacher Elizabeth DeWitt said.

Teenagers are guaranteed most of the rights in the U.S. Constitution, but certain rights such as their freedom of speech are limited.

In Morse v. Frederick (2007), the Supreme Court ruled it was legal for the principal to punish a student advocating an illegal drug off-campus.

Supreme Court case New Jersey v. TLO (1985) decreased students fourth ammendment rights and legalized search and seizure of students’ belongings as long as there is reasonable suspicion.

Safford Unified School District v. Redding (2009) ruled that the school crossed the line of reasonable suspicion when they made 13-year-old Savana Redding strip down to her underwear for giving her friend four Advil pills.

There are limitations on teenage rights, but teenagers can and should stand up for their rights.

“Students trust the government more than their instincts on their rights. Students should be able to challenge the government when their rights are being violated. Challenging the government makes America the free and just country it is,” DeWitt said.

Early March: Ask out a date or decide which friends you will go with. Once you have this decided, you and your friends can start thinking about splitting the limousine costs. If you’re going with a date, then you two can decide the color scheme of the tie and dress.

“Go with all the people you want to share that night with. Be safe, stay hydrated, have fun, enjoy the food and dance your face off!” senior Nikita Gurnani said.

If you are planning to ride a limousine to and from prom, have the limousine arranged by early March. Limousines get booked really quickly, and you want to make sure you get a limo that is in good condition. Also you may be get better rates if you reserve early.

Mid-March: Ask out a date or decide which friends you will go with. Once you have this decided, you and your friends can start thinking about splitting the limousine costs. If you’re going with a date, then you two can decide the color scheme of the tie and dress.

March 27: Enjoy and make the best out of this memorable day! Don’t forget to bring a personal camera to take pictures.

Senior Jason Liu asked senior Htoo Htoo Lu to junior prom last year. Liu placed flowers in Lu’s locker and asked her to prom at lunch.

“It’s the tradition [which guys ask girls to prom],” Liu said.

Liu also said being nice is the key to ask a girl to prom.

Senior Angela Chu didn’t initially plan to go to junior prom last year, but her best friend senior Alex Gilham planned a surprise for her in math teacher Mark Clevenger’s room. Gilham initially asked Chu on the phone and after receiving a “green light” from Chu, Gilham proceeded to surprise Chu with red roses in Clevenger’s room. Chu was surprised when she went into the classroom and saw Gilham in the front of the classroom asking her to prom.

“I thought it was cute at the time. I pulled him out [of the room] and hugged him,” Chu said.

A “green light” from your prospective date will be different from person to person. It may range from a “yes” to a small hint like “maybe,” or even a smile from her or his face. Once you get a “green light” you should plan something big to ask her or him. It is important to make your date feel special and surprised.

Too many suspicious actions, such as walking in a really slow phase or having your friends leading your prospective date to a different route around school, can blow the surprise.

If you haven’t received a “green light” from your prospective date, you might want to ask her or him privately. It gives the girl a chance to reject you privately. It might be embarrassing, but it’s not as bad as getting rejected in public or going to prom with a girl who doesn’t want to go with you.

“If I don’t really know the guy, I’d probably want him to ask me privately,” Chu said.

It might be a tradition for a guy to ask a girl to prom, but it is certainly fine for a girl to ask a guy. Guys like to be asked by a girl to prom because it is special; not many girls have the guts to do that.

“Not many girls would [ask a guy to prom],” senior Alexander Kerelsky said.

Even though it is customary for a guy to ask the girl, it would definitely makes his job easier if a girl asked.