I am pretty sure that if I asked any college students what they learned in high school, they would tell me that they learned that “The Mitochondria is the Powerhouse of the Cell” or how to solve a crazy math scenario about Peter who decided to by 5632 bags of Cheetos. Both these topics might be interesting, but how are they relevant? Now I am not saying that everything we learned at school is irrelevant. It’s important for us to know how to do simple math problems and know a bit of science. It’s also important for us to learn proper grammar and how to properly formulate our thoughts. It’s also important for us to know our history as well. However, many of the topics we learned throughout grade school are not necessary, and many of us are not taught what is useful. 

For instance, many college students know nothing about finances. Finance, proper budgeting, loans, mortgages and many other topics need to be mastered when becoming an adult. Instead, we learn how to solve lengthy word problems, which have no real-world application.  

So, what can schools do to help students adjust to college and the real world? Now, scraping the while curriculum is not necessary, and would be detrimental, since some of the topics we learn are actually necessary. However, these real-world topics could be incorporated into classes. Math teachers can include a topic on finances, and history teacher can include a topic on civic duty. 

Another way of addressing this problem is to imbed a new course into the curriculum. Like how many of us had to take health class for one year, an adulting 101 class could be added, which only needs to be taken once during senior year. Some schools have already incorporated this idea. My friend’s school has a course called senior study, which is mandatory for all seniors, and they work on college applications and teach students “how to navigate the real world.” 

An example of a topic relevant, but not addressed in high school.

Some argue against this because they believe that these topics should be taught by one’s parents or the student should learn themselves, since that is the adult thing to do. However, for some people, they might not have the resources or a guardian to teach them properly. For instance, my parents are immigrants, so I had to figure out FAFSA and college applications all on my own.  

All in all, there is a lot wrong with the American school curriculum, which I won’t really get into detail because there would never be an end, however a slight change in the curriculum will be a step in the right direction.  

Ways to improve the math curriculum.

The coronavirus has taken this world by storm. I mean look at us right now, all of us were forced to go home and participate in online school for our spring semester as freshman because of the coronavirus. I know the change can be very stressful especially for us because we are literally going from learning in a classroom setting to online school in the span of a week. So, is this online school system working? 

Now I know many of us are a bit fearful about what’s going on and how the transition is going to happen. I interviewed a few people in my African American studies course, and many of them expressed concern. Many of them agreed that there is a difference between online class and an in-class environment. They all agreed that there is a special connection that you lose in online classes. We also lost access to different on campus resources. For instance, we had high tech computers, printers, advisers, writing workshops and TAs, that we no longer have access too. This has left many students fearful for their quality of education. 

Now these are some valid concerns that many of us, including myself, have. However, Penn State has done a great job at trying to make this switch from in person to online class. There is canvas, ZOOM and piazza to keep discussions going. Many professors, TAs, LAs and advisers are now holding meeting with students via ZOOM. As Penn State students, we are definitely lucky compared to other schools, who do not have the infrastructure for online school.  Some colleges extended their spring breaks for two weeks to set up online learning. Many public schools do not have the resources to offer online school, so they gave their students a two-week break instead of online school.  

Zoom, which offers video calls and messaging. Available on computer as well as phone.

So, these next few days might be a bit stressful and many of us are worried about our quality of education. Thankfully, even the Penn State administration agrees about the stress and now the University has also offered a pass/fail option. So, now students can focus on learning rather than maintaining grades. So, all in all, Penn State has done a decent job at transitioning to online school. However, not everyone is lucky, especially students who are in Labs or Studio classes. This has led to fear, but the University has put in effort to reduce our fear. As of now, there is not much we can do, and we cannot tell how online school is going to affect our education. So, rather than stressing about school, stay safe. We will all get through this somehow.  

An example of a typical zoom class.

I think almost all of us can agree that college is a completely different environment compared to high school. Back in high school most of our classes consisted of 20 or 30 people, but now we attend lectures with more than 200 or 300 other students. So, how do we get the most out of our education? Well, universities have done a great job at trying give students a more individualized education. They have hired Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Learning Assistants (LAs). Recitations and other concurring courses can also be taken that will help break up large lectures. This gives students more individual time with TAs.  

An average lecture at Penn State.

In reality what I have learned at Penn State so far is that in lecture classes, the professor really only goes over the material once and introduces you to the topic. The TAs and the LAs are the ones who actually help you comprehend and learn the material.  For instance, in my chemistry lab there is one professor who runs the chem labs, but TAs are the ones who teach the class. So, my TA explains all the experiments we do and grades us.  

Obviously professors are doing a lot to help with our education, and we should not devalue them. However, we also have to value our TAs and LAs. A lot of people, including myself, would not be doing as well in certain classes without the TAs and LAs. However, even though TAs and LAs are so important, why are they not earning more money? 

An example of a more individualized TA session.

On average TAs make around 15k to 20k, compared to some professors that make more than 100k. TAs and LAs are vital to our education, but they do not get the money that they deserve. Some believe TAs deserve the pay they get because they are not as educated as professors. Others argue that it is expected, since TAs are still students, so they should focus on their education rather than earning a salary. 

Others argue that TAs deserve a higher salary because they are doing the actual teaching in some situations. They can determine your success in a course. Other will argue that TAs should not make as much money as professors, since they do not have the proper education, but they should get paid more than they do now, since they are doing most of the grunt work.  

Now the obvious solution to this problem could be to just increase TA salaries, but that could also lead to a raise in tuition costs, which some students are not willing to pay. In the end TAs and LAs are very important to our education. So, next time you’re in class, try to be a little nicer to them. Hopefully, in the near future, TAs and LAs are properly compensated. 

Almost everyone that is reading this right now has probably dealt an immense amount of stress caused by school. I mean we get assigned so much work and right when you think you are just about caught up; you get assigned even more work. It can also be tough trying to balance school with your personal life. This can really affect not only the physical health of students, but also mental health.  

Stress, especially in college students is at an all-time high. According to a research study done by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 50% of students suffer from anxiety caused by school, 50% reported that their mental health is below average or poor and 44% of college students have depressive symptoms, including suicidal thoughts.  

Some might argue that college should be stressful, because then you’ll be prepared for the real world. That’s true, some stress is good for you, but too much of anything is unhealthy, especially too much stress. School is not supposed to be completely stress free; however, student shouldn’t be stressed all the time. What can schools do to help their students? 

Well, they could offer mental health resources. Many colleges have mental health offices, where you can get more information as well as help for those with mental illnesses. Here at Penn State, we have Counseling and Psychological services (CAPS). They offer group counseling, individual counseling and will also help make sure you are not overloaded with work to the point where you are starting to struggle in school. We even get five free CAPS sessions.  

However, it’s sometimes difficult to make an appointment because of the high demand and shortage of employees. Also, after the five free sessions, you have to start paying, which some sadly cannot afford. But at least Penn State offers some mental health aid. 

Schools with less funding tend to have worse mental health resources. Public high schools especially have this problem, where an entire school of 400 students might have to rely on just one counselor. So, what can be done to provide better mental health services to students? 

Well, the government could increase in funding for schools, which in turn can go into mental health resources. However, that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Another way to help is to educate people. Schools could teach their students to detect the common signs of mental illness, so it can be detected before it becomes a major problem.  

Another solution is to also teach students how to cope with stress early. Many are not used to the sudden increase in workload when they entire college. That coupled with the sudden change in environment and increase in responsibility can lead to disaster. So, if students are eased into it, then it will be easier for them to cope with.  

All in all, mental illness is a hot topic that will continue to be revisited. Hopefully getting help will be easier in the near future.  

I think that we can almost all agree that college is extremely expensive. The average in state tuition is a little less than $10,000 per year and the average out of state tuition is a little less than $26,000. This does not even include supplies, housing, food and other expenses. All these other expenses can quickly add up, and as Penn State students, many of us know first-hand how expensive college is. The average cost of attendance for an in state student at Penn State is $35,758 per year, and the average cost for an out of state student at Penn State is $50,240 per year.  

With college being this expensive, many cannot afford it without taking a loan. On average, college graduates owe around $30,000 when they graduate from a four year college. With many also going to get their masters, Ph D or other forms of higher education, the cost and debt continue to increase. College has only been getting more expensive, with it increasing in price seven times more than wages. 

With wages still staying the same and college prices continuing to increase, many are left with a difficult choice. Some might decide not to go to college, but with so many jobs requiring a college degree as a prerequisite, some are forced to go to college even if they cannot afford it.  

Why is college so expensive? Well, this is due to the high demand in recent years. Universities know that people will go to college even if they cannot afford, so they charge more to make more profit. In the United States especially, college is extremely expensive because the government does not invest as much money in the education system compared to other European nations, where college is free for some citizens.  

Due to the immense cost of college, there are many that are pushing to make college free in the United States, like it is in other countries. So, should college be free? 

Well the common arguments that college should be free is so that it will not be a burden on the people. People who could not initially afford college could then afford it, and the money that they will earn in the future will help increase the United States GDP. It will also increase the quality of life in the United States. 

The common argument for those who do not think college should be free is that it would be expensive too expensive to make free. Making college free would increase the United States debt, and it would make college degree lose their value because more people would have a degree. They also argue that the United States spend enough money of college education through grants, scholarships and funding.  

All in all, college is a very hot topic right now, and it looks as though it will still take much time for there to be a solution. What do you guys think?  

We are Penn State! 

Penn State is known for many things, like its great academic programs and iconic chant. However, most of the country knows us as the sports school. Football, basketball, hockey, soccer, volleyball and so many other sports as offered here at Penn State.  

Penn State is probably most known for its football program, and it shows. With the multitude of games comes various sources of revenue, such as tickets, merchandise and food sales. Overall, last year, Penn State football made enough revenue to cover the cost of the football program, as well as every other sports program offered at Penn State. Even after all those expenditures, it still made enough profit to help build various education buildings and provide for some other campus expenses not related to sports.  

The typical crowd at a Penn State game. Penn State can make over $100 million is just ticket sales.

Penn State is making millions from its football program, but what about those who are doing most of the work? What about the players? 

Sports, especially college sports, are extremely time consuming. Some athletes spend up to 20 hours a week practicing their sport. This not only puts physical stress on the player, but this can also affect their grades negatively. Due to the difficulty of maintaining balance, many student athletes have lower GPAs compared to non-student athletes. On average, a student athlete’s GPA is .025 lower than the national average.  

The sport is also extremely dangerous. It can lead to many careers ending and life-threatening injuries. In some cases, student athletes’ careers can end before they even started. Some injuries are so severe that they can leave someone physically handicapped.  

Graph showing the average number of student athletes who have been injured.

Football is one of the most dangerous sports, and it can be life–threatening. On average, two NCAA football players die every season. So, should student athletes, who put their literal lives on the line, get compensation? Well some agree and some disagree.  

Many agree that student athletes should get paid because of their hard work, and some think they deserve the money, since they are the ones who are earning it.  

On the other hand, some people do not agree that student athletes should get paid. This is because many student athletes already get compensated through financial aid, such as tuition, room, board, meals and books paid. Some even get stipends with spending money for each month. With this much financial aid already given, some think it is not necessary to provide even more compensation to players.  

This topic is still very controversial and has become extremely relevant in recent years. Hopefully in the future, a healthy balance will be found.  

School is an integral part of our life. Many of us spent more time in school than we did with our family. Even the United States government thinks school is important. It is so important that in most places it is mandatory to go to school from Kindergarten to 12th grade. However, even though all of us go to school, not everyone has the same resources and opportunities.  

For instance, imagine a school in an upper middle class suburban community, and compare that to a school in the inner city. See a difference? 

The reason you see this difference around the country is because of wealth. Wealthier communities tend to have better public schools and better resources for students. On the downside, underprivileged communities tend to have public schools lacking certain amenities.  

For example, I grew up in Pittsburgh. Just like any other city, parts of Pittsburgh are wealthy while others are struggling with poverty. I grew up in a nice community with great resources. The school I went to was relatively new with state-of-the-art technology, a spectacular music program and a wonderful sports program. We also had a multi-million-dollar football stadium and recreational sports hall.   

However, just ten-minutes from my school, in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh, there are schools that do not have the same resources. They are under-staffed and under-resourced. One school I visited had a black mold problem and a cockroach problem. 

How much money is spent on each student.

Though just ten minutes apart, these schools seemed worlds apart. This is common all around the country. Cities like Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles are notorious for this problem.  

This problem with the public school system impacts students the most. Students from underfunded schools are more likely to have a curriculum lacking in certain departments due to the lack of proper teachers and are also more likely to not graduate. They also tend to struggle when moving onto higher education due to the lack in a solid foundation.  

This problem has been around for years, and not much has been done by the United States government to fix it. Some have decided to take the problem into their own hands. Many non-profit organizations, such as Jumpstart, The Education Trust and even Khan Academy have started to bridge the gap between underfunded public schools and well-funded public schools. Famous celebrates have also pitched in. One notable example is LeBron James, who opened the “I Promise School” for at-risk children in Akron.  

LeBron James at the opening of his new public school.

These small steps have helped improve public schools around the country, however, the problem is still there. These actions only fix the problem temporarily. There is no right answer on what needs to be done, but hopefully in the future, the government takes notice, and these underserved communities will get the proper education they deserve.  

History class is an integral part of the K-12 curriculum. It is deemed so important that most colleges will not take students if they have not taken at least three history classes in high school. However, is this really enough? 

History is such a broad topic. For instance, even though the United States is a relatively new country, it will still take years of schooling to get somewhat of an understanding of United States’ history. Since the topic is so broad, teachers pick and choose what they put in the curriculum.  

This all makes sense; however, this leads to a dilemma. How do we determine what gets to be taught and what is ignored? What if something important is left out of the curriculum?  

Due to the short length of courses, only specific events and people are talked about. The lessons are also taught in only one point of view and most of the time the stories shared glorify United States history. We learn about “the United States, land of the free and home of the brave” rather than “America, the country where minorities were not considered equal until the 20th century.”  

Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s Plantation

A great example of this is how we are taught about United States’ presidents. For instance, Thomas Jefferson is known as a diplomat, benevolent president and one of the founding fathers of the United States. However, he was also a slave owner who owned a plantation with more than 130 slaves, and he also had a long-term relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Heming, with whom he had six children.  

A portrait of Sally Hemings

History classes tend to stay away from these dark topics that could defame the United States and instead only teach the glorifying topics. Many of these topics that are shied away from are related to the histories of people of color, especially in the United States. Native American, African American, Chinese American, Mexican American and all other minorities’ history in America are only briefly mentions. Not only are they briefly mentioned, but also downplayed.  

This is a picture of Native American children that were forcibly taken from homes and made to assimilate into white society. This is another example of a dark topic that is avoided.

Due to the increase in demand in wanting to know about the history of minorities, classes, such as Native American Studies or African American Studies are now offered in colleges. However, not everyone has the opportunity to take these classes. So, some of these darker topics need to be widely accessible and added to the current curriculum. It cannot be ignored, because African American history is American History and Native American History is American History. In general, American History, includes all the good and the bad, whether we like it or not. It is better to teach it than ignore it, because like the saying goes, “Those who cannot remember their history are condemned to repeat it.”