Alexander+Q’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2016


 * The Choice of the Teenager **

The end of the school year is approaching fast. Probably a lot faster than most people want it to. And with the end of the each year at Foothill, comes finals. Now sometimes finals week is the week where people stress to bring up their grades, or keep them where they are. Whatever the case may be, it sucks. No one likes to spend a week worrying and struggling about a grade in a subject that may or may not be a part of their future. I started to think about my future and this certain topic a little bit last year. But then it really got stuck in my mind this year before first semester finals. And then I started thinking, I’m plucking a lot of hair out because of this stupid subject. On the outside, I appear to be studying for the final. However, on the inside, I’m sort of crying a little bit. I never once had to worry about passing a class or trying to end it with a C (now keep in mind, I’m not going to name any specific subject. But I’m not really a science guy). But I stare at those notes and think about my future (mainly about the college I’d like to attend). And I start to feel screwed over. I’m taking this class I do not care about. I’m taking this class that will play no role in my planned future. So why am I here? I don’t really know. I’m sure quite a few of you have felt this way before at some point in your high school career. Why am I taking this class? I’m going to be a doctor, not a poet. Or I’m going to own a business, not dissect a leaf. At least for me, when am I going to have to graph the Cosine of 2x+3? Classes like these are distracting individuals from learning more or practicing their future profession. This might be a little bit of an extreme example but say there is a doctor who’s dealing with a tumor, and he says: “I don’t know how to help this person with this tumor. I didn’t get to study about it as much as I wanted because I was too busy finding the domain of that function in high school.” You get the point. Because of some class we’re forced to take, we don’t get to spend as much time with our real interests. And those interests may not play out how you wanted in the future, because of this completely non-relevant class that you received a low grade in. And now that high, prestigious college you always wanted to attend, is denying you. Even though they are the best at what you want your major to be, sorry. They won’t accept that C or D or whatever grade is low to them. So basically, I’m asking, why can’t we choose our classes in high school? Why can’t they offer more classes about business or music? We shouldn’t be stuck with every kid learning about what type of tissue is in this layer of the skin. Not unless they don’t want to. And if they don’t want to, and decide they’ll stop after 2 years of a subject, colleges look at them like “that kid is lazy and boring, we don’t want them”. But he or she wants them, because they have exactly they are looking for in their major and more. But hey, they got that C- that messed up their GPA, in that class that has nothing to do with want they want to do. People may say: “well that’s why they have college, you can choose your classes when you get there!” Not unless the student doesn’t get there. Plus, having the option to choose the classes students want in high school would be less stress on the teachers. No more will amazing teachers have to put up with kids falling asleep, playing on their phones, talking to each other, and just being outright disrespectful. In addition, it eliminates systems like “voluntario o victima” that Senor Sanchez uses to call on people. There will be students who actually raise their hands because they didn’t zone out during a lesson. Teachers will now have students who want to be there. Sort of like Foothill. A majority of students actually want to be here and go to college. That’s what makes us great. But now we can have almost all high schools be like that. There will be students who say, “hey, I don’t actually mind going to my next class”.

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I want to grow old in an America where high school students can choose their classes. I want to grow old in an America where I don’t see my children or grandchildren struggling, crying, and ripping their hair out because some university didn’t accept because of a C or D from a useless class that ruined their GPA and/or future. Just think about a world where we are far more advanced, because we gave some 15 year old years before more time to study his future profession. Thank you. ======


 * Sources: none **