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Job Opportunity: News Reporter

Job Position:  News Reporter   Primary Job Responsibilities: - Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members. - Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information. - Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience. - Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats. - Report news stories for publication describing the background and details of events. - Write columns, editorials, commentaries, or reviews that interpret events or offer opinions.   Position Requirements:  BA of Communication, or related field   How to Apply:  By mail to below address Joongangilbo USA, Inc. 690 Wilshire Place, Los Angeles, CA 90005 Attn: H/R Dept.opportunity reporter news reporter job opportunity news subjects

2025-03-10

[Student Reporters] NHS's Big Brother/Sister Program

This year the National Honors Society (NHS) for high schoolers came to Burbank High School (BHS) for its very first year. The NHS is an organization whose members honor and emulate those in the community who demonstrate excellence in scholarship leadership service and character. Members are encouraged towards self development through involvement in school activities and within the community and encourage the qualities of NHS membership in other students as well. Today an estimated one million students participate in NHS within and outside of the U.S. What finally brought NHS to BHS is its first and current president Sally Noh. Sally current Junior who transferred into BHS after freshman year brought her experiences planting its seed by opening the club for the new Spring 2010 semester. With a total of over forty members in its first semester the club is currently fleshing out ideas and programs to get its members involved within the school. One such program brought by Sally from her previous high school is the Big Brothers/Sisters program which involves older NHS members acting as individual mentors for the entire freshman class. "It's a buddy thing" says Sally. "You guide them and give them advice from what you've experienced." The goal is to encourage them to persevere through high school and to provide freshman students who otherwise are lost in a new environment with a guide who will teach them the ropes of high school. Unless they have an older brother or sister many freshman students can be left at a loss and on their own when entering high school for the first time. Hana Park a freshman says "If I didn't already have friends in grades older than me it would've been nice to have an older student help me since they know better than I do." BHS is a very large school; with about 2500 students and around 600 to 700 students per grade lower grades and higher grades can easily become estranged. With one NHS member tied to every single incoming Freshman it eases the distance between the grade levels. Because the club is new to BHS and the program requires meetings with counselors advisors teachers and a lengthy amount of time if the program is to begin it will not do so until the fall semester of 2010. And when it does it will not be an easy task. NHS currently has about forty members with an average of 600 to 700 freshmen coming in every year giving each member about fifteen or seventeen freshmen to be responsible for. However such a program will provide new incoming students with a source to ask questions and receive answers and someone to welcome them into high school life. We anticipate the Big Brother/Sister program to help strengthen the bond between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen and to help younger students be welcomed into high school life.

2010-02-28

[Student Reporters] Global Awareness Week

On February 18th Flintridge Preparatory School held its first ever Global Awareness Week featuring spokespersons of different organizations to share injustices of the world and their efforts to absolve them. The main presentation was conducted in the school auditorium by the organization Invisible Children. Invisible Children helps to alleviate the negative effects of a rebel group in Uganda. Joseph Kony of the Lord's Resistance Army has been in rebellion of the Government of Uganda for the last 23 years. Due to a lack of popularity for their movement the Lord's Resistance Army has been kidnapping young children and using them as children soldiers. The eventual generations of innocent people between the violence are born to a turbulent world. However Invisible Children aims to help these children by rebuilding schools educating future leaders and providing jobs in Northern Uganda. Invisible Children makes documentaries of the war-inflicted children and shows the videos across the world. At the school presentation the organization featured a documentary about a young girl named Rosaline afflicted with AIDS. The film showed her deep enjoyment for life as well as the struggle to obtain enough medication for all people with the disease. Through Invisible Children she is able to continually get the medication she needs and now aims to become a doctor. In their Legacy Tour Invisible Children brings young Ugandans afflicted by the war who have recovered their lives through the organization to come to America and tell their story. Ronald who barely escaped becoming a child soldier told his story to the student body. He described seeing his uncle die in front of him when he was just a small child due to the Lord's Resistance Army. However he obtained a new life and renewed hope through Invisible Children. He now aims to become a filmmaker to give people the same inspiring experience that he receives from film. Directly after the performance and throughout the day the members of Invisible Children sold bracelets made by Ugandans t-shirts made with cotton from Ugandan farmers and other products. The money they raise will help children like Rosaline and Ronald and the entire Flintridge Community was happy to oblige them. The rest of the allotted time was given to more personal presentations by other organizations to raise other issues like hunger and food availability.

2010-02-28

[Student Reporters] If Everyone Dreams, It Becomes True

On February 6th National Schools Debating Championship began and lasted two days. Apart from the fierce competition among the teams Chairman Youngjun Kim stood in the back watching the whole event. - What responsibilities do you hold as a chairman? ▷ I would like to say I am a captain on a voyage to set destination that is meaningful and valuable and provide correct paths so as to avoid any snags. - What was the motive for the foundation of NSDC? ▷ Students especially those residing in Korea have relatively less chance to engage in various experiences. Most middle and high school students are busy going to institutes and only focusing on university admissions. I wanted to provide an opportunity to recognize the potential of becoming a global leader and materializing it in today's international communities. - What do you think is the most difficult task of carrying out NSDC? ▷ The reality in Korean education system is too focused on university admissions. Most teams participating are from Foreign Language High Schools or Global High Schools. But I really do hope that anyone regardless of their records what schools they are from can participate. So balancing the world of idealist and realist just like in any debate is the biggest obstacle. - When do you feel most rewarded? ▷ It is too early to be satisfied and stop at where we stand. However I feel the most rewarded when students steadily develop their skills and watching these participants grow I feel very fruitful. - Is there anything you want to say to the students in Korea? ▷ If only one dreams it stays a dream. But if everyone dreams it becomes true. This statement is a famous quote of Genghis Khan. Even though the reality is difficult I really want to make every student to participate. This is a responsibility that holds for not only the parents and managers alike but also for the students. I want all of Korean students to take the challenges. I hope the students can be the leader of their own life and be active. Chan Mi Lee / 10th Daewon Foreign Language High School

2010-02-28

[Student Reporters] What? An SAT Prep Class Under $100?

Through a generous donation by Tier One Tutors Inc. Cypress High School is offering 11th grade students SAT preparation classes for the coming SAT exam on March 13. This is a new program called "SAT prep for all" that works with 1000 high school students from Los Angeles and Orange County. Students take the two-hour class every Wednesday for a period of seven weeks. As more students become interested in applying to colleges SAT preparation classes are becoming increasingly popular in society. The costs usually range well into the thousands burdening students from low-income families but these classes do not even break a hundred. Students are required to pay $75 solely for the material cost of the SAT preparation books and tests. Steve Dorfman the CEO of Tier One Tutors states "We thought this was a great way to allow students that could not afford private tutoring or expensive prep classes to still get the help they need to be competitive for college. Plus as we looked around at the other major companies in our industry we did not see any evidence that someone else was willing to step up and help public school students." The program was an immediate success with over 100 juniors signing up almost 20% of the junior class."I've been to Elite and it was much more expensive. So most of my friends are taking this class." says Lina Hong junior. The program uses practice tests and problems from the College Board to give students realistic practice and focuses on methodology and thinking skills. "So far it's pretty helpful. I've gotten a lot of tips to deduce what answer is the best answer for the language arts section." says Stacey Sanchez junior. "My teacher is very fun and carefree. She goes through it easily." It is refreshing to see an agency out there willing to do community service to further education for students with a tight budget. Especially in these economic times the program has given great relief and hope to many who cannot afford expensive classes. In regards to future classes Ken Gompert the head counselor says "They are very professional and we are open to a partnership but there are no promises."

2010-02-28

[Student Reporters] Former Disney CEO Receives Standing Ovation at Lawrenceville Community

"My strength is coming up with two outs in the last of the ninth" the former Chief Executive Officer of Disney quoted. On January 14th Michael Eisner former CEO of Disney and also member of the Lawrenceville class of 1960 presided over the podium to share his impressive career and also his surprisingly less-than-impressive record as a Lawrenceville School student to the Lawrenceville School community in New Jersey. Michael Eisner is the former CEO of Disney where during his 20-year tenure he transformed Disney into world's leading entertainment and media enterprise. He successfully purchased ABC ESPN the Muppets and other profitable properties and had reanimated the animation department. Eisner is known for his "magic touch" for turning a company going down hill into a great company. Prior to his position as a Chief Executive Officer at Disney it was Eisner who directed the box office hits such as Saturday Night Fever Grease Raiders of the Lost Ark Beverly Hills Cop and Airplane as a Senior Vice President in the Paramount Pictures. Despite his majestic performances Eisner revealed to the thrilled crowd that undoubtedly he was a late bloomer. In fact during his times as a student at Lawrenceville he was neither a genius nor a bright student. The headmaster of the Lawrenceville Bruce McClellan quoted Michael as "[someone who] plays the angles to get away with what he can" and broke rules. After graduating from Lawrenceville he pursued to Denison College a small liberal arts school and began his career as working as a page of NBC. Remarkably upon his graduation he worked steadily up the ranks to become a senior vice president of NBC being in charge of programming and development. Eisner explained his secret recipe behind his success was allowing himself to be courageous by taking the initiative and to be present at locations. He said "Showing up is half the battle." He justified that once one is present one does not have to fret because what really matters is one's courage that has already allowed one to "show up." Furthermore Eisner inspired each student to take the chance to be ambitious in showing-up to places. Toward the closing of his speech the Lawrenceville Community cheered and applauded for Eisner being granted of the highest honor by the School and Alumni Association the Aldo Leopold Award which is presented to an alumnus who has demonstrated "brilliant life-long work in a specific field of endeavor." As an advice for students Eisner said. "Anything you do do it with excellence. How could you make every moment excellent?" The ceremony was undoubtedly an "excellent moment" in that sense of the word and it was an unforgettable moment for all to be converged as a Lawrenceville community and to take part in this remarkable milestone in Lawrenceville's history.

2010-02-28

[Student Reporters] Irvine Student Takes Big Steps to Aid Haiti

On Friday February 12 Shibani Dhume president of the Project: Haiti club at Woodbridge High School in Irvine called her first meeting to order lighting the fire of assistance for earthquake-shattered Haiti. Junior Dhume created the club after seeing pictures of the damage in Time magazine and it has gathered almost two hundred supporters at the school in two week's time. "I realized that there were so many other people out there who had bigger problems than me" she said. "I felt like I needed to do something to help them." With her new club Dhume and members have organized a shoe drive to provide Haitians with the necessity of safe clean feet amidst the rubble of their devastated nation. Project: Haiti members will hold a school-wide weeklong drive to collect mildly used shoes starting Monday February 23rd to March 5th. "Our ultimate goal is to give it our best shot and do everything possible to help the people of Haiti" continued Dhume. "I want to make a difference. We want to make a difference." Project: Haiti is working with the nonprofit organization of Soles4Souls for their drive. Soles4Souls who distributes a pair of shoes to a person in need every 9 seconds will provide the collection bins which will be stationed in the on-campus cafeteria quad. "I think it is great that students are actually taking time to help others" said science teacher and Project: Haiti advisor Bruno Dworzak. After the shoe drive the club plans on holding a T-shirt sale with brands like Stussy Billabong and Hurley at school sporting events as well as setting up after school bake sales. "I hope the shoes will put smiles on the Haitians' faces despite the tragedy they experienced" said junior and Project: Haiti vice president Jamie Castelar. "We will start with shoes and keep helping them as much as possible. This is only the beginning." For more information on Woodbridge High School's Project: Haiti club contact whs_project_haiti@yahoo.com. For more information on how to start a shoe drive at a school like Shibani and her club visit http://www.soles4souls.org.

2010-02-28

See You at the Pole

More than 3 million students gathered around their school flagpoles to pray on Wednesday September 23 at 7am participating in the annual See You at the Pole event (SYATP). This year celebrated its 20th anniversary and the theme was "ENGAGE: Go and Pray". SYATP started in the early 1990s with a small group of teenagers in Burleson TX. After being blessed at a Christian meeting the teenagers prayed at the flagpoles of three local schools. This idea grew into a vision and the event now takes place every year on the fourth Wednesday of September in the United States Canada Ecuador Germany Japan Korea Portugal South Africa and about fifteen other countries. As SYATP is a student-initiated student-organized and student-led event students lead the way in planning and publicizing. At Cypress High School the co-presidents of the Christian Club Sean Han and Justin Lee took charge. They posted small cards about the event around campus and also included a bulletin on the daily announcements. "I was so nervous at first. I thought no one would come because it was so early" Justin Lee let out. Sean Han said that he would have been thankful if even ten people showed up. Only a handful of students and one teacher were gathered at the flagpole when the co-presidents began the opening prayer. But by the end approximately thirty students encircled the flag. Students on campus did stare at the group at times in either awe or confusion but students in the circle voiced that the event was still a cool experience. "No one was shy and it didn't seem awkward at all" noted Tim Magada a Senior participant. He mentioned that the rest of his Wednesday was more optimistic and happier than usual after praying publically at school. Students sang and read verses from the Bible. The highlight of the event was when all the students held hands around the pole to pray for five specific prayer topics. The students prayed aloud for their hearts to be ready as Christians to rely on God even through the stresses of school life for their families and friends for the non-Christians and struggling Christians on campus and for the Christian Club and its leaders. The next SYATP event will take place on Wednesday September 22 2010 but this year's gathering was such an uplifting moment for Christians at Cypress High School that the Christian Club hopes to hold similar meetings on a monthly basis. They hope to provide a great way for Christians to identify with themselves and also to witness to others at their school.

2009-10-18

[Student Reporters] Commute is No Easy Subject

Grace Kim a senior at LACES is committed to waking up every morning at five. She leaves the house to walk to the nearby intersection where a school bus picks her up every morning at 6:30. Tired from lack of sleep she finally arrives at school an hour later ready for another day of school. Commute is a huge aspect of school life for LACES students. Because the administration is selective and tries to accept a diverse group of students every year all areas of the county are represented in the school population. However this means that students who live far away must put in the extra effort to travel back and forth daily. "I'm used to it. Unlike most kids who end up pressing the snooze button on their alarms I get up knowing that I need to catch the bus to go to school" Kim said. She has been commuting from her house near Union Station for almost five years now. Simultaneously her dedication to rising early has cut back on the time she has at night. "When I get home and after I eat dinner I get really tired" Kim said. "I sleep at ten which is pretty early compared to other students that stay up later. I can't do that though because my body can't take it." She like many students take advantage of the transportation system that LACES provides for most students. "I somewhat appreciate the transportation system because my parents have to go to work in the morning and they don't have time to drop us off." But the system is not perfect. "We always have to sit three to a seat and there is virtually no space. You get tired of sitting down for a long time which becomes uncomfortable." Some students choose alternatives. Senior Ruben Rodriguez used to ride the school bus until this year. "I prefer to take the [public bus] because the school bus gets too loud and there are too many little kids." Senior Zachary Lew who now drives to school used to carpool with two other LACES families. "I prefer driving because I don't have to worry about keeping up with other people but carpooling worked well and was a cheaper option." So why do these students travel so far to go to school? "LACES is such a great school" said Rodriguez. Kim also thinks that the commute is worth the effort. "The nearby schools are overcrowded. I am fortunate to be at a magnet school that can provide me with good education."

2009-10-18

[Student Reporters] Milton Academy Discusses Nickel and Dimed

Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America chronicles her experience of living on minimum wage and describes the struggles of low-salary workers for daily survival. To write this book Ehrenreich set aside everything and spent several months waitressing cleaning homes and hotel rooms delivering meals nursing home residents and working in Wal-marts. This was the book that the two student leaders Nick Jacob and Assel Tuleubayeva of Milton Academy a private school in MA chose as summer reading for the whole school. A week following the opening day after the long summer break the whole school divided into groups of ten to twelve each with one or two faculty members and a senior leader to discuss the book. "I think this book is relevant to all of us living through global economy crisis whether we are poor or not" said Cameron Parsons one of the senior leaders opening up the discussion. Most of the students appreciated the book for helping them become aware of the hardships of lower class and for making them appreciate their own conditions. "Everybody in Milton Academy is greatly privileged to be able to afford to come here. As privileged people we have the duty to help others. What's the point if we don't do anything to actually contribute to the society?" said Woodruff Hudson a junior. "I agree" complied Sarah Reily a senior "and I think community service is a great way to reach out to the lower class. Milton Academy is a great school in a sense that it provides various community service opportunities." There were some criticisms as well. "Ehrenreich had that condescending attitude towards her fellow workers knowing that she was better educated and wealthier. She was always expecting better treatment and complained when she did not get one" said Steffany Yoon a senior. "I think she always knew that she could always pull out of the low-wage jobs whenever she wanted" replied Becky Li also a senior. "Still I appreciate the book because it actually brought up the issue of poverty. It also motivated me to talk to the school cafeteria staffs and know more about them" she said. "The book was definitely enlightening" agreed Cameron Parsons nodding. Through the 45 minute discussion students were able to look back on the society they live and understand the plight of others who live on different socioeconomic level.

2009-10-18

[Student Reporters] Craving for a Little Taste of Fame

According to a Korean Quiz Game Show "Sebakkee" the most wanted job for Korean teenagers is "idols". Idols include singers dancers actors and entertainers. Being a part of the growing entertainment business in Korea has become a popular dream for many teenagers in both Korea and the United States. The path to fame and fortune begins with auditions. Korean entertainment companies such as SM (SooMan) or JYP (JinYoung Park) have "global" auditions. For example in 2008 SM Entertainment held a Global Audition in Hawaii Los Angeles Washington D.C. Orange County New York San Francisco Toronto and Vancouver from September 19 to October 25. JYP held an audition in Los Angeles (March 15 2008) and in New York (March 9 2009). If one survives to the final round of the audition then he or she will most likely be sent to Korea. The companies will pay for everything including school and voice dancing and acting lessons. For example Tiffany and Jessica from "Girls' Generation" attended Kent Foreign School an English- Korean boarding school in Seoul during their training days. After 1 to 7 years of training he or she will debut in music programs such as Inkigayo Music Core or Music Bank. Although it is a hard process some are willing to pursue their careers in Korea's entertainment business. Hannah Hwang a freshman at Campbell Hall School has experiences in the entertainment business. Scouted at age 10 she trained for four years. When asked why she answered "I love singing and dancing on stage and I feel like it's something I am best at. " Dancing traditional Korean dances for example the drum sword and fan dance she has been dancing "forever" on stages. "I have been surrounded by the entertainment industry since I was about four years old. I want to be popular and famous so I can help my parents and give them support." Dedicated to becoming a famous singer-dancer Hannah is working hard. She is taking auditions dance lessons singing lessons and acting classes. Korean-American idols are popping up more and more in Korea. Tiffany and Jessica from "Girls' Generation" lived in the United States. Nicole from "Kara" was also born in the States as well. There are also Beka from "After School" Taecyeon from "2PM" Tablo from "Epik High" and many more.

2009-10-16

[Student Reporters] Xoxo Gossip Girl

The drama series "Gossip Girl" has been on many Californians' Monday schedules. The unidentified "Gossip Girl" who sends pieces of gossip to the students in the show is a vital character that holds the "juice of the show." Very popular with teenagers Gossip Girl has officially made its way into Harvard-Westlake School. During her fourth period history class Tess Hatch feels her Blackberry buzz once then twice. As the teacher turns around to examine his PowerPoint Hatch unlocks her phone and reads the message that was sent to her. Mimicking a typical character in the Gossip Girl series who receives a message from the anonymous blogger Hatch reads the message in shock and whispers "Oh my God." Class was dismissed and Hatch's classmates gather around her phone to read the message. It read "taken strait from the email: AS broke up with AK but no one knew because she begged him to stay with her.. has he cheated on her?" The gossip is centered on the Senior class at Harvard-Westlake but students of all grades have sent their Twitter request to follow her "tweets." The Twitter page imitates the opening narration of each show as it proclaims that it is "your one and only source into the scandalous lives of H Dub's Elite." Many students even of the senior class cannot accurately identify the "Gossip Girl" of Harvard-Westlake but most claim that she is definitely a female student. Like in the show students can secretly and anonymously send her "tips" to an email address on her twitter account which are then publicly broadcasted by her "tweets." Reaching almost 200 followers on her Twitter page students and even teachers are slowly becoming aware of this new phenomenon that is taking over the student body. The Chronicle which is the school's newspaper has even scrambled over getting more information about this new "Gossip Girl" to write an article about it. The new gossip girl is steadily grasping the attention of the entire student body and although no one has yet claimed the accuracy of her gossip students are nevertheless intrigued and like Hatch many students have her updated "tweets" sent to their phones. Her last "tweet" as of October 9th reads "And that's a wrap. Happy almost Friday upper east siders. Tomorrow's just the start of a gossip worthy weekend. Xoxo Gossip Girl."

2009-10-16

[Student Reporters] Two Weeks of an Unforgettable Journey in Taiwan

His two-week stay in Taiwan gave John Marzo an English and Film Studies teacher at Cerritos High School a truly unforgettable experience shaped by a course of unexpected events. The Global Citizenship Program which Mr. Marzo participated in is established in Ming-Dao High School the second largest high school in Taiwan holding roughly 9000 students. This program allows for Ming-Dao high school students who are planning to pursue further studies in a native English speaking country to benefit from higher standards of education in several subject areas. It also hosts international exchange student and teacher programs between the Ming-Dao High School and schools in the ABC Unified school district. Mr. Marzo visited Ming-Dao High School from August 1-17. He taught English and helped another teacher put together a Model UN conference during the course of two weeks by teaching kids how to write position papers. "It was really nice to see the way students were enjoying the American way of teaching which typically tends to be much more interactive than the Taiwanese way" said Mr. Marzo. His short stay in Taiwan was marked not only by his unique teaching experience but also by several very unexpected events - the breakout of the H1N1 flu at Ming-Dao High School and the strongest typhoon to have hit Taiwan in the last 50 years. Mr. Marzo's trip around Taiwan and a one day tour of Hong Kong additionally gave him a glimpse of the diverse culture and technological innovations present throughout the area. In fact Mr. Marzo had a chance to ride the bullet train which uses magnetic force to run at 250 mph and explored the building in Taipei with the fastest elevator in the world. "What I was most impressed about during the entire trip was what avid readers Taiwanese people are" said Mr. Marzo. "I once went into a bookstore that was six stories tall!" Mr. Marzo states that one of the major reasons why he applied for the program was that he had a lot of students in his class from Asian countries. He left LAX with the mindset of at least getting to see and experience some of the culture in Taiwan which is an international business hub as well as one of the best cross-sections of Asia. "In fact I think it gave me a different perspective" said Mr. Marzo. "I was able to understand why many Asian parents emigrate to the United States to grant more opportunities for their children. I strongly recommend this program to other teachers."

2009-10-16

[Student Reporters] Korean-American Students' Reactions to the New Dartmouth President

Dartmouth College recently announced their 17th President Dr. Jim Young Kim 49 to succeed James Wright in July being the first Korean-American and Asian-American President of an Ivy League school. Dr. Kim who graduated from Brown University and received his M.D. and Ph. D from Harvard University as a physician and anthropologist is known for his humanitarian efforts in the field of medicine being active in the World Health Organization and providing effective medical treatment of H.I.V. and AIDS to the poor. This unprecedented news elicited different reactions among Korean-American students who saw it as both a groundbreaking event and a concern. Many Korean-American students hold an optimistic outlook towards Dr.Kim's upcoming leadership as a symbol of hope and societal advancement. Mark J. sophomore believes that doors have opened for other minorities to step in: "Increasingly our society is becoming less and less focused on race and Dr.Kim's story inspires me to strive for higher positions in government and education." In addition he views Dr. Kim's story as a means of motivation to think outside the box. "All my life I've been pushed by my parents to go somewhere like Stanford" states Mark. "Now as I look at Dr.Kim's story of success I realize that where I go for college does not necessarily shape my entire life. Who knows I may end up at Dartmouth!" Similarly many saw Dr.Kim's story as a means of motivation. However other Korean-American students adopted a rather cynical view to Dr.Kim's upcoming presidency seeing it as a concern. "While it seems great that there is a Korean-American partaking in such an important role" says J.C. a junior "I think we're jumping the gun-Dr. Kim has not done any work in office yet and we will have to wait and see what will happen." Students such as J.C. espouse a practical approach to things stating that like all things it is necessary to make judgments based on his future actions and not overemphasize his race too much. Likewise Cindy V. a freshmen agrees: "Why should his race matter at all in relation to his ability to make improvements in education schools and demonstrate effective leadership?" Furthermore the students believe that negative stereotypes of Asian-Americans and possible ineffective leadership would lead to a bad reputation among other Koreans. J.C. states "What if Dr. Kim's well-anticipated leadership ends up being ineffective? Then other Koreans will be indirectly affected into such top positions in society." These preoccupations may end up being simple worries or something far more significant but the consensus among these Korean-American students is that Dr.Kim's upcoming presidency is a revolutionary event that will have larger future influences in education and society.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] College Suicide Rates Targeting Asian American and Asian Race

Suicide is the second leading cause of deaths for college students. Untreated depression is the number one cause for these suicides. "I was never aware that college suicide rates were that high" Ben Kim 18 from Granada Hills Charter High School said. "Maybe it's because I'm still in high school but I honestly don't understand why college students would end their lives after all the hard work they put in to get to college in the first place." Environmental factors such as intense educational competition isolation from family members substance abuse rejection from friends etc. all contribute to the depression and suicide consideration of undergraduate college students. What's even more disturbing about these premature deaths is that a large portion of the students committing suicides are Asian-American or Asian. "It doesn't surprise me at all that most of the college suicides are Asians and or Asian-Americans" Ji Kim 15 from Granada Hills Charter High School remarked. "Asians are stereotyped to be extremely hard working towards a successful educational career so that pressure may push them off the edge." Asian American and Asian students are generally believed to have surplus pressure from their parents to pursue traditional careers such as doctors lawyers and engineers. First generation children may feel an even more burdening pressure because of the stereotypical "sacrifice" the whole family and parents made in order to secure a brighter educational future for them. "The competition at my school is intense. I'm trying my best to focus intently on school but it discourages me to see my other ethnic friends partying and having fun using the excuse "we're in college now"" Alex Jung 19 from Yale University stated. "Although most everyone here is constantly stressed it seems like Asians feel pressure not only from themselves but from countless other outlets like our parents back home." Along with this notable difference of educational aspiration the Asian culture in general is noted for their emphasis on extreme respect towards elders. Thus students find it difficult to communicate with their parents about their issues and problems. They may also refrain from questioning any parental authority. "I do feel restricted against talking to my parents explicitly about my education issues or the pressure I feel from them and even when I attempt to they just end up pushing me again and telling me to keep up my good grades" Soo Kong 16 a first generation immigrant from South Korea explained. With a combination of all these external internal and most importantly cultural factors there has been incessant contribution towards the depression and mental issues that Asian students typically those in college feel. Asian students parents and authorities must collaborate and work together to lessen the cultural pressures placed on students as a preventative measure against future suicides.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] 'Pink-Slipped' Teachers

Various teachers have received pink slips this month at Cypress High School. For those who haven't caught on yet these pink slips of paper are the district's warning to teachers that they may be laid off in the imminent future due to the shortage in education funds. In fact this act has added the term "pink-slipped" to the daily colloquial. The Orange County school district has given notice to 2706 employees to reduce their 271 million dollars in spending. This is an issue that many teachers staff members and students are very concerned with. In fact on March 13th Cypress High School's ASB wore pink shirts to show their support along with participation from the whole school. Teachers are the victims of the budget cuts and many worry about their own position their close friends and co-workers. Mrs. Frank-Johnson a health and P.E. teacher at Cypress says "I don't like to see my friends in trouble. I feel bad about what's happening. I don't know how they are going to survive without jobs especially when they have a family to support and a mortgage to pay" As students find that their very own teachers may not return the next year they cannot help but feel sympathy and voice their own opinions as well. "…she's one of the best AP teachers and a big benefit to our school. It's unfair that she might get laid off" says Riddhi Vora sophomore. "They shouldn't fire the new teachers. They need to fire the bad ones!" Not only that but students are also beginning to see the impact of the recession more clearly on a daily basis. "I never really cared about the recession but now that teachers are being fired I'm beginning to realize how important it is" says Hannah Lee a freshman. Rumors of "pink-slipped" teachers spread quickly as teachers are spotted in despair and as co-workers continue wearing pink clothing to support their less fortunate friends. Through these hard times Mrs. Frank-Johnson shares a piece of advice. "Be hopeful because there's still a chance that things will get better" After all last year the district notified 1900 both permanent and temporary teachers but only ended up cutting 100.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] How has the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 affected students?

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 otherwise called NCLB was an act passed by the federal government to increase school proficiency beyond that of the original legislation it was based on - the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Both acts aimed to improve schools yet while the ESEA was oriented towards increasing funding the stated goal of NCLB is to increase academic achievement with the ultimatum of a mandate - 100% proficiency for all students in the subjects of math and reading by the year 2014. The act however has undergone major controversy over its effectiveness and its results and the enactment of the legislation in 2002 sparked major debate. However it does not seem that there is any quantitative data that proves the Act's effectiveness - or it's lack thereof as stated by the Department of Education. The DOE concluded that it cannot yet be determined whether or not No Child Left Behind has worked. Many among the student population do not see the act in a positive light. Evan Gardiner a high school senior says that "[NCLB] teaches isolated facts instead of higher order thinking" stressing that the standardized tests imposed by the act was not the proper course of direction. Other students when asked primarily linked the No Child Left Behind Act towards standardized testing which was the main implementation of assessment that NCLB proposed. Essentially the scores from standardized tests are submitted annually to the federal government and if a school has made a certain amount of progress (based upon the passing rate of these tests) the school gains additional funding. NCLB hoped to increase educators accountability towards students by implementing an incentives-based system. Another student Daniel Steffe explained that the primary reason why he was against NCLB was because of "grade inflation" when student's scores in the tests and the classrooms were raised due to lowering standards - a common accusation against NCLB correlating a wider gap between state test scores compared to national tests such as the NAEP. Essentially critics argue that states lower the standards of the tests and the classrooms in order to show artificial progress that might or might not be accurate. "Teachers are giving A's to kids who shouldn't receive them" says Steffe. However even though views were negative there were some supporters. "I think that NCLB needs reform but it's a necessary evil. Not having standard generally breeds inefficiency and our education system needs to be as stream-lined as possible" says a student who wished to stay anonymous who explained that having the standards set forth by the Act was beneficial towards a well-regulated system of education. While students' opinions on the No Child Left Behind act vary in many aspects students seem to agree that it has impacted their schools in various ways.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] Raising the API

Beverly Hills High School has started a new effort to improve the school's standing among other high schools. The Student Body Action Committee has been created this year for the sole purpose of raising the school's API the academic performance index. This is the almighty list that shows up every once in a while in Korean newspapers for parents to scrutinize for their kids. The scores range from 200 to 1000 and are based on both STAR testing scores and the CAHSEE scores. The significance of the API score is that it measures how difficult it is to earn a good grade in the school thus demonstrating the quality of the offered education. Ashley Chiu a member of the SBAC reveals that in 2008 Beverly dropped 19 points to a score of 805. The average change in other schools in California has been positive 14 points. Beverly which has been reputed to be a fairly good school is suffering immense humiliation from this regression. If its score drops to 800 the state will take over and attempt to solve the problem. The main cause of the decline in API scores at Beverly seems to be that most students do not care how they do on the STAR tests since it does not appear on their transcripts. Vivien a Korean student from Beverly says that she has always tried her best and actually looks forward to the STAR tests. Many of the Korean students are just like Vivien always taking the STAR tests as seriously as any other test and scoring no less than advanced in each category. The ones who do not take the tests seriously but fill in smiley faces and hearts on the answer sheet say that the class environment is less than conducive to the necessary test-taking attitude. They also state that the imminent regular classes and homework after the STAR tests discourage them from even trying on the test. Ashley says that students have been suggesting all sorts of incentives to help them do better on this year's test. Students have proposed starting the test at 9 AM instead of 8AM so that they can sleep in a little more before facing the sleep-inducing reading comprehension and math problems. Free breakfast and elimination of homework during the testing period have also been mentioned. The SBAC cannot make any changes on its own. It can only pass on the students' suggestions to the administration for consideration. Hopefully the new group will successfully help the school raise its API score. The future is looking good as the students seem to finally understand the importance of the number that they once deemed as unimportant.

2009-03-22

[Student Reporters] Foreign Exchange Rate Skyrockets and Number of Student Going Overseas Plummets

The Korean won has reached its lowest value in 11 years-1570 won for 1 U.S. dollar- diminishing the popularity of studying overseas for Korean families. In the last several years the value of the Korean won was increasing allowing Korean parents to send their children to study in the United States. However due to the nose dive of the Korean won the opposite is happening now. In 2007 about 350000 Korean students were going abroad beating China in the number of students that were studying overseas and this was due to the high value of the Korean won. Nevertheless due to the plummeting value of the won many students have given up on studying in the United States. According to the statistics from the Bank of Korea the money used for studying overseas was about 167.7million dollars which is about a 51.5% decrease from the 342.8million dollars that was spent in September of 2007. The Korean government has teamed up with the United States to promote the WEST project but could not hide from the economic crisis. This project was implemented by President Lee with the consent of then-president Bush in August 2008 to allow Korean university students become interns at American companies. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade selected 352 individuals but 135 students decided not to participate in the program. Due to the great drop in the value of the Korean won the life of a student studying abroad has changed. With the rise in tuition rates male students are choosing to serve their time in the military. Many Korean students are trying to find part-time jobs from private tutoring to working in bars so they can help their parents. Parents with children that are studying overseas are going through tough times. Because the amount of money their children need have increased lots of parents are working two jobs or taking on jobs with higher pay. To avoid spending more money than necessary some parents are making spreadsheets to calculate the best time to send money to their child. Despite all these efforts lots of parents cannot keep up with the rising value of the dollar compared to the won. If the exchange rates do not stabilize until June it is projected that many students studying abroad will be coming back home. It will be an unpredictable time for the parents and students who are studying overseas.

2009-03-08

[Student Reporters] Varying Viewpoints on SAT Academis

With the ring of the bell that marks the end of the school day Junior Elis Lee of Crescenta Valley High School hastily packs her schoolbag and hurries off to her mom's car that is heading for downtown Los Angeles. She takes out flashcards of the fifty words she needs to master for this week and starts cramming them into her memory all the while munching down on a small snack for she will not be back home until 9:30 p.m. Lee attends a pricey SAT academy where she takes weekly classes to improve her writing and math skills for the SAT Reasoning Test. Over the past few years the competition for college admission has gotten extremely competitive. With such competition many students are turning to SAT academies to improve their SAT scores which many hope will give them an advantage for college admission. "A generation or two ago test prep was essentially a good night's sleep and a good breakfast. Today it really has become ubiquitous. Students have become much more aware of how effective and how important it is. College admissions has become so much more competitive over the past several years that students' parents are looking at every edge they possibly can get." said Carina Wong spokeswoman for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. SAT academies and test prep classes are raking in enormous sums of money but whether such academies actually improve students' scores is still up for debate. Many individuals point out that the growing number of such academies and the students taking these classes clearly show that the prep classes are indeed helping students improve their score. "SAT classes have really helped me improve my score. When I took the actual SAT test my score jumped quite a lot from my first practice test. I didn't get the best score but I did improve my scores and I am satisfied with my scores" said Lee. While many claim that SAT classes are extremely beneficial others claim that SAT academies do little to help students and students can improve their scores effectively on their own without spending such great sums of money. Many of these students also feel that the SATs are not quite as important as many individuals make them out to be. When going through college applicants colleges and universities base most of their decisions on the student's grade point average and personal statement essay. "I'm not taking any SAT prep classes. The SATs are important but I think that keeping up with my school work and maintaining good grades at school is much more important" said Cody Sibulo a junior at Crescenta Valley High School. "I'm taking the test in March and I am going to prepare by taking a practice test online. I think I'll be able to just fine on my own without taking any classes."

2009-03-08

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