.
March 8, 2010
Joshua Das
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines mental retardation as a “sub average intellectual ability equivalent to or less than an IQ of 70 that is accompanied by significant deficits in abilities (as in communication or self-care) necessary for independent daily functioning, is present from birth or infancy, and is manifested especially by delayed or abnormal development, by learning difficulties, and by problems in social adjustment.”
You hear it at school and on the streets. It’s seen on TV, it’s seen in the movies. It’s heard on the radio, and it’s read in books.
The word “retarded” was meant to describe people with the conditions Webster lists; however, it seems to have lost its meaning. Now for anything that can be described as ridiculous or unpleasant, we label it as “retarded.”
Although it might not seem like much, since it is used constantly, this is merely a gateway for the evolution of hateful speech, not to mention the insensitivity towards those who are mentally impaired.
The word “retard” has even spawned many spin-offs such as “celebutard” (famous stupid person), “debutard” (famous rich person who can’t handle money) and “e-tard” (someone not familiar with computers or technology).
Most people know individuals who are challenged. They may have a mental or physical illness. They may be injured, or they suffer from the many different problems of today. We should do our best to help them and not mock them.
“I think the word ‘retard’ should be used to emphasize a point, but people use it too leisurely,” senior Alfonso Bonilla said.
The word “retard” completely undermines the efforts made to prevent discrimination against those who suffer from mental illnesses. This word has such a strong negative connotation, that it gives a poor impression to those mentally disabled, who have little to no control over the situation.
Very few would actually use the word “retard” to label someone with a handicap. It’s unfitting as a noun and seems to be more of a term used betwixt friends. Try to remove this expression from your daily use, and be conscious of who you might offend.
.
December 17, 2009
Anterpreet Kaur
Link crew hosted its third academic follow-up, Dec. 9. Link Crew is a group of upperclassmen dedicated in guiding the freshmen class through their first year of high school. Link Crew leader senior Alfonso Bonilla coordinated the event after participating in the past.
“It was actually quite stressful trying to make sure everything turns out right. [However] the end result is always worth it,” Bonilla said. “Just like last spring, many freshmen, along with the teachers, enjoyed the games a lot. The link crew members also had a great time.”
This year the members improved the event by involving more classes so fewer freshmen were left out. In the Academic Follow-up, the freshmen class learned high school skills through games and lectures.
“I especially liked the beneficial advice that the senior link crew members gave to the class,” freshmen Shubreen Kaur said.
One game that freshmen played was human tic-tac-toe.
“It emphasizes competition and cooperation for them to succeed in high school,” said Bonilla.
The ultimate goal of the tic-tac-toe game was to teach important success skills for high school. Link Crew members also focused on some other common high school survival techniques, such as time management.
“All the stuff that it took upperclassmen a little while to learn, we want it to be available for them now,” Bonilla said.
