Math, Science, History and the Voice

As I learn more about the structure of the United States government, I begin to understand the reason why America has become America. It’s mindboggling to even consider the massive amount of thought (a virtue I greatly revere) and political philosophy that went into such an impeccable design. It has been developed in such a way that every branch of government checks each other; yet, the most impressive part of it all is that the key to the whole system is The People. We vote our leaders into office and therefore, the government is Our Government. However, officials are only elected once every handful of years. During the interim, we have only one weapon and one shield: the letter.

The letter has such a tremendous amount of power, it is impossible to define the limits of its reach. It can be written, it can be spoken, and it can be acted, whether upon the stage of theater, or the theater of war (after all, the world is a stage).

Most importantly, it is our check on the government. It is our way to make sure the government is both for the people and by the people. Perhaps the most precious and necessary aspect of the entire American government is the First Amendment. With it, we are guaranteed freedom; without it, we are no less vulnerable than a child in the face of a monster.

Public schools are one of the most important political socializers. Although the word “socialization” is dirty to some, it simply means one of the goals of the public education system is to instill upon the students the values America revolves around; it means public schools teach students to become American citizens. However, values mean little if one has no way to express them. This is why journalism and writing in general is one of the most crucial components to a successful education. The great thing about words is they are available for everyone to use, assuming they know how. Without this knowledge, students enter society unprepared to take control of their own government, their greatest asset. Writing and journalism teaches students how to use the First Amendment, the key to America’s political system.

Yes, athletics are important. Yes, the fine arts are important (that is another argument for another day). But writing and journalism, I believe, trump both of these and should be put at the top of any school’s priority list.

I am extremely lucky to have received a Brookfield Central education in writing, for, in my observation, it is far more in-depth and thorough than most other high school English programs. The sheer number of BC alumni who have found they are several steps ahead of their peers in college is astounding.

However, it is unsettling to see the school newspaper struggle finding funds for its publications. Indeed, the school and district are running low on money. However, dramatic cuts should not be made to the only resource students have to exercise their First Amendment rights in the school setting (there’s a reason the Stamp Act prompted an outcry from the colonists even before the dawn of this nation). Such programs should be coveted since they teach students to have a voice: something I have found difficult, yet crucial, to learn.

Corruption and inefficiency in politics, whether it be here in the United States or in antithetically oppressive nations like North Korea, has always been a problem and always will be a problem. Aside from getting out there and voting, there is only one palliative to this chronic disease: the People’s Voice. It is without doubt that without a voice, the people are lost. To have a voice, writing must be nurtured in school, and what better way to learn how to voice an opinion than to actually voice an opinion. Cutting the only program that allows students to do this would be an immense disservice to both the students of BC and to the future of the American people.

School teaches math; it teaches science; it teaches history; it teaches English; most importantly, school teaches teenagers to become adults by instilling positive traits like hard work, critical thinking and responsibility. A part of responsibility is one’s responsibility to his or her country. The newspaper, as a completely student run publication, is a vital tool to teach this kind of responsibility: something America cannot afford to lose.