Paying Attention? Student Council Conducts Distracted Driving Initiative

CENTRAL How are coaches compensated? Page 11 Feb. 6, 2015 Vol. 21, Issue 4 centralstampede.com @CentralStampede StampedePortage Central H.S. l 8135 S. Westnedge Ave. l Portage, MI 49002 Oct. 4, 2013 What’s Inside... Paying attention? Student Council conducts distracted driving initiative BY MADISON JAQUA Editor-in-Chief Teachers begin According to the American Academy to enforce phone of Pediatrics, in 2013, 43 percent of teens admitted to having used their phones at policy least once while driving in the 30 days pri- or to the survey. Junior Nikki Mason said she often sees drivers on the road, parents included, using their phones. “It scares me when I’m riding with page my friends, and they look down to check a message on their phone,” Mason said. 2 “They sometimes swerve out of their lane and come really close to other cars.” This year, the idea of distracted driving has taken center stage, becoming a focal point for the administration and Student Council. Every year, administrators pursue one overarching campaign or program, such as the “Be the Change” initiative, a presentation by Jim Tuman called “People first, things second”, and a presentation about the use of social media. But this year, the main focus is distracted driving. “We just try to find something to focus Brian shares his on for the year that we feel our students could benefit from and is a teachable mo- new scholarship ment outside of the classroom,” Assistant Principal Kim Lummis said. The kickoff for the campaign was this idea Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE week, as students were asked to sign pledges and received bracelets to remind themselves to avoid distracted driving. DRIVING SAFELY: Freshman Hayden Bernardine mock-texts during a distracted driving simulation. Student Council kicked As well, Student Coucil has created Re- off its campaign to end distracted driving during both lunches on uesday.T page mind101 accounts for each class to re- 5 ceive weekly texts about staying off their S4SD grant requires that the campaign be conversation,” White said. “We just kind of phones while driving. This year, instead of student-run which is why Student Council started saying ‘Well, it would be better if What do students Movies that the Penny War, each class gets one point was brought into the planning and deci- we did this’ and ‘it would be better if they think? for every student that signs up for the ac- sion making. As well, Lummis received an did that,’ ‘we could do this’, and it just kind have been in a car with students need count. The class that gets the most kids to e-mail about a distracted driving program of turned into, ‘we think that we can do someone using their sign up, wins. that the administration would be able to this on our own.’” 98% phone while driving to see The U.S. government’s official website preview at a high school in Grand Rapids. Ehlert hopes that with this focus on for distracted driving defines it as any Senior Student Council member Rob- distracted driving, new drivers can be- admitted to using their activity that could divert a person’s atten- bie Overlander, Lummis, Activities Direc- come aware of the laws regarding phone phones while driving tion away from the primary task of driv- tor Kent White and Ehlert traveled to Jeni- use in the car. One law in particular that 50% ing. Although cell phone use is the main son High School to preview the program. she points out is Kelsey’s Law. Under this distraction, they also include eating, us- According to Overlander, once there, they state law, any teen driver with their Level believe it is easy to ing a GPS and having passengers in your watched a speaker present and then were 1 or Level 2 Graduated Driver License can- use their phone while 45% driving car. allowed to use the distracted driving not initiate or answer a phone call. Basi- --Survey of 80 students “That’s the number one teen killer,” simulators. Lummis said that although cally, if a driver with either of these two school liaison officer Andrea Ehlert said. the presentation was informational and licenses has the phone out in the car, they that this is a topic that affects everybody, “It’s distracted driving accidents.” helpful, the decision was made that the run the risk of receiving up to $295 in as just one driver on the road taking out The decision to pursue a distracted program wasn’t worth the money. And so fines. As well, there are laws against tex- their phone puts everyone at risk. driving campaign came out of a culmina- the group brainstormed ideas on the car ting and driving. “I’m excited that we’re doing a cam- tion of many things. First, Ehlert brought ride home and created their own form of “If you are caught texting and driving, paign for something that has such a page to the administration’s attention a grant campaign. even for adults, it’s a $100 fine,” Ehlert said. worthwhile message to send,” Lummis 9 called Strive for a Safer Drive (S4SD). The “[This campaign] really evolved out of White wants students to remember added. 2 news Feb. 6, 2015 Modified SAT to replace ACT Class of 2017 will be the first to take new standarized test in brief BY SHAWNA HUANG style and format of tests and then teach students toward applying science knowledge to reading pas- “The Poems that Ate Staff Writer testing strategies that match the types of tests that sages rather than analyzing data. they’re going to face,” social studies teacher Tama “So much of what schools do has been geared Our Ears” contest In a surprise announcement last month, the state Salisbury said. “It’ll be interesting to see how they toward preparing kids to do well on the ACT,” Albur- The Friends of Poetry organization is giving of Michigan revealed that juniors throughout the change the SAT.” tus said. “The SAT is a very different assessment than students the opportunity to publish their poems. state will be taking the SAT rather than the ACT as the The College Board will provide students with free the ACT. On top of that, it’s going to be different next Students are to submit their poem to “The Poems state-administered college assessment exam. This test prep and online practice tests through a partner- year [due to the redesign]. We’re going to be prepar- that Ate Our Ears” contest. This contest is divided change will take effect beginning in spring 2016. ship with Khan Academy. It will also ing students for a test [when] we have no idea what into four different age groups. Group three hold The College Board, which runs the SAT, won the offer profes- the test is going to look like.” 7th-9th grade students and group four holds 10th- bid for the three-year contract for $17.1 million. “What we’re doing [to prep students] prob- 12th grade students. Those interested must mail According to Principal Eric Alburtus, the College ably won’t help on the SAT,” sci- their poem to Poems that Ate Our Ears, 2423 Russet Board’s proposal offers more to students than any SAT vs. ACT ence teacher Aja Kaylor added. “I drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. Students are allowed to other vendor’s proposal and saves the state $15 don’t know what to do.” submit up to three poems of any style but must be million. However, ACT, Inc. has appealed the Col- Essay Section - 50 This switch also affects how no longer than 20 lines. On the back of each poem, lege Board’s win of the contract bid, which may minutes Essay Section - 30 min students will prepare for the test there must be the author’s name, grade, name of lead to legal conflict utes - and apply to college. While most school, home address, and home phone number. “I was shocked,” Alburtus said. “To have that Two sections: Evi major colleges, such as the Uni- Poems must be sent by April 1. The winning authors - big of a change happen that quickly without dence-based reading/ Four sections: English, versity of Michigan and Michigan will be invited to an award ceremony on June 6 at knowing much ahead of time…I think all [of us] writing, Math. Math, Reading, Science. State University, accept both the the Kalamazoo Public Library. are a little taken aback.” ACT and the SAT, some students The Class of 2017 will be the first class to 3 hours and 50 min perform better on one or the other take the SAT in school, and they will be taking utes - 3 hours and 25 minutes due to the differences between the Next week, parent a redesigned version of the test. The College two tests. Sophomore Lily Kitagawa Board has made several changes to the test Composite Score 400- says that the SAT is a test of endur- teacher conferences format. The test will be scored out of 1600 1600 Composite score 1-36 ance, whereas the ACT is more a test Parent-teacher conferences for the second se- rather than 2400, and there will no longer of skill. Students who still wish to take mester are scheduled for next week, on Wednesday be a quarter-point deduction for incorrect the ACT will now have to pay to take it and Thursday evenings. Teachers will host parents answers. It will now be divided into two outside of school. from 3:30 to 7:15 p.m.

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