Girls Avoid Taking Engineering Classes by Lauren Hesse ‘19 PLTW Program
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41st Year, Issue No. 2 January 18, 2019 the Sherwood High School: 300 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 Warriorwww.thewarrioronline.com Why Is Junior Year So Hard? Girls Avoid Taking Engineering Classes by Lauren Hesse ‘19 PLTW program. The type of reward many girls are look- by Kara Thompson ‘20 portant than other classes. “I’d ing for when they take difficult classes differs from most say I spend about four-five hours Of 24 students enrolled in Aerospace En- of their male classmates. Junior year is notorious for on homework [a night], maybe gineering, three are female. Seventeen students Brendan Lees, a PLTW teacher, explained that being the hardest year of high more,” said Malone. “But com- are enrolled in Civil Engineering, but just two “when surveyed, more females than males say they want school. Many students who plan bined with after-school activities are female. Only eight of the students enrolled in to make a difference with their career choices.” This to attend a four-year college and just taking a little bit of time Digital Electronics (a class focusing on electrical is clearly demonstrated by the overwhelming majority balance three or more AP class- to myself, I still end up staying engineering) are female. Yet, the ratio of females of girls enrolled in the Academy of Health Professions es, honors courses, and the ap- up pretty late doing work.” to males enrolled in other advanced STEM class- (medicine) and Early Child Development (teaching) ca- proaching SAT and ACT. There Shelley Jackson, English es like Honors Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and AP reer pathways. However, “for some reason, they don’t are also outside stressors such Department head, says that in Calculus BC is closer to 50-50. Girls are inter- think this includes engineering” added Lees. as getting a driver’s license and general Lang teachers give the ested in math and science; however, this interest Engineering is problem solving. At its most basic participating in sports and extra- same major assignments with apparently does not extend to engineering. level, it is designing solutions that improve the world or curriculars. Students seem to ac- a similar amount of time. They One possible reason for this discrepancy is humanity’s quality of life. Whether it is a biomedical en- cept that the workload is just the also try to give deadlines enough that there are misconceptions about what engi- gineer creating a new, inexpensive way to deliver a life way it goes during junior year, in advance that it is manageable neering really is. “I think girls don’t enroll in the saving drug, a materials scientist and engineer creating and that there’s nothing that can for students. Jackson believes Project Lead the Way (PLTW) pathway because an everything-proof coating that repels just about every diminish the stress. the main problem is that students they don’t know enough about engineering or known liquid to keep surfaces clean, or a civil engineer “The stress is mostly evident don’t typically look at their ju- what you actually do in the classes,” explained designing environmentally friendly buildings, engineers in like subconscious thoughts. I nior year overall when picking Deesha Ajmera, a senior in the program. It is pre- make a difference. spent so much of my time think- classes and end up overestimat- cisely this lack of accurate information that leads Aside from a misunderstanding of what engineer- ing about assignments and tests ing their ability to complete the to incorrect assumptions. ing is, some female students may not to pursue the field that have happened, that I’m work efficiently. “A lot of girls think the classes are going because they lack confidence in their abilities and take working on, or that are coming The other heads of depart- to be too boring or hard, but when they actually failures and mistakes much more personally than male up that my mind can’t focus on ments and the administrators take them, they realize how rewarding they really anything else,” explained junior for 11th and 12th grade did not are,” added Fatima Koroma, another senior in the see DISPARITY, pg. 2 Carlee Malone. respond to the questions about The level of rigor and the prevalence of overstressed Juul Stops Selling Flavored Pods in Retail Stores amount of homework are notice- students. The departments do not birth in order to confirm that they ably different in the jump from coordinate with each other to see are of age to buy Juul’s products. sophomore to junior year. Hon- when assignments and tests are With this age verification system, ors Precalculus, AP Lang, AP due, nor has the school devoted only those who are 21 years and World, and an AP science class staff training or meetings to the older can order from the compa- can be found on most schedules topic of homework. ny’s secure website. However, in for college-bound juniors. “With AP Biology teacher Rebekah Maryland a person 18 years and the choice of jumping from one Harrison thinks that the late older with a valid ID can pur- AP to three APs and knowing the school year start date quickens chase pods in retail stores. workload would be ridiculous, I the pace of AP classes. “We start The company, which holds wasn’t entirely surprised [at my after Labor Day … and because 75 percent of the e-cigarette mar- increased stress levels],” said AP exams are still in May and Kelly Seganish ‘19 ket in the U.S., has for a long Elizabeth Oliver. the date doesn’t change, we have time explained how its goal was JUUL products are for sale at the Shell gas station on Georgia Avenue. The fact that students like to cram more information into to never attract teens into vaping Oliver knew junior year would shorter amounts of time, which by Christianna Tran ‘20 their roles in allowing youth ac- but instead to provide adults who be very difficult may indicate ... makes our class have to go a cess to e-cigarette products. have been previously addicted that students have internalized lot faster, and makes [students] Juul Labs, the e-cigarette The administration has also to nicotine through cigarettes an messaging that they must take have a lot more homework,.” manufacturer, announced No- gone after misleading e-liquids alternative that allows for fewer the most rigorous courses.“It’s The abundance of home- vember 11 that it will stop sell- resembling kid-friendly items toxins. However, the FDA be- ridiculous [the emphasis MCPS work leaves juniors with little ing many flavored pods in retail such as cookies, candy, and juice lieves that Juul has in fact been puts on kids to take rigorous time to do things they enjoy, stores and put an end to its social boxes, blaming the companies for attracting teens to their products courses],” commented counselor especially if the student plays media promotion. Juul removed targeting youths. FDA commis- through their marketing and ad- Jamii Avery. “I think that MCPS a sport. “Not playing a sport all social media accounts, except sioner Scott Gottlieb explained vertising strategies, teens who really does push way too hard, I would give me more time to do Twitter, in order to stop exposing that the agency cannot “allow a will then develop an addiction to think that parents push kids way my homework and do other rec- and attracting teenagers to the whole new generation to become nicotine. The CEO of the compa- too hard, and I think teachers reational activities, so I would products. The company decided addicted to nicotine.” ny, Kevin Burns, has described sometimes push kids way too probably be less stressed. How- keep Twitter but not use it for As the FDA was investigat- one of the company’s goals to hard.” ever, I think the advantages of product promotion. ing Juul’s sales and marketing develop technology that ensures AP World teacher Joshua being on a team outweigh the The changes by Juul Labs practices, Juul preemptively an- that retailers comply with the Kinnetz agrees. “The best pro- consequence of stress,” said Eli- came a month after the Food and nounced their “action plan,” a necessary age requirements and active way I think [students] can za Averbach, captain of the girls’ Drug Administration (FDA) ex- statement posted online that ex- restrictions. manage is to not get hung up on varsity soccer team. pressed concern for the health of plained its future efforts to end Gottlieb is also accusing Juul how many AP classes they ‘need’ Counselors recommend cut- underage teens who have been il- the outbreak of teen vaping. Juul of not keeping the promises they to take in order to be ready for ting back on stress by being re- legally obtaining the e-cigarettes. intends to stop fulfilling orders have made about keeping e-cig- college,” he advised. “Be realis- alistic when picking your junior According to a study by the FDA, from retailers looking to stock its arettes away from minors. The tic as to what you can handle.” year schedule. “You have to put vaping has increased 80 percent creme, cucumber, fruit and man- FDA views that the company’s It’s not even always the it in perspective [when choos- among high schoolers and 50 go flavored Juul pods. Therefore, recent actions regarding their content material of the classes ing classes]: what else do you percent among middle schoolers only mint, menthol and tobacco partnership with another cigarette themselves--it’s the crushing do outside of school, what else since last year.