Rockridge High School
Teacher: Barbara Downey
Rites of Passage
By Todd Winter
Grade 12
"Grandpa, when did you realize that you were a man?
" Well, after helping our father out on the farm since we were about five, my brother and I finally realized that our father trusted us when he let us harness the horses and work the fields alone."
Since the days when adolescents were active in the family business and becoming a man actually meant something to young boys, rites of passage have all but vanished. In the 1940’s the work that was done by adolescents was a major contribution to the productivity of the season. In the modern world, however, teens are shunned from such responsibility. Adolescents now lack a way of proving to the community that they are ready to move into the realm of the adult. Schools offer no classes that are related directly to the outside world. Teens need to be a larger contributor to society. Adolescents need to prove their ability to move on to the next level through a community service program offered by the schools.
Other than bar mitzvahs and confirmation, American culture has no way of telling its youth that they are ready for the real world. Due to this lack of authority, teens are substituting the use of alcohol and drugs as ways of becoming more mature. Adolescents, who also feel isolated, find a sense of security in gangs. The gang offers them some voice in the activities they partake in. Still, other teens find that by getting tattoos or body piercing they have rid themselves of the title of adolescent.
Many kids who take these routes do so because they feel that they are invisible to the community. They believe that society ignores them completely. Schools can offer a positive substitute to all the wrong doing, though. A community service program that involves students directly with their community would provide for an excellent chance for the youth to get recognized throughout the local area. Most kids who are involved in their community are involved in student council or other prestigious clubs, but the schools need to require a set number of hours of community service that are mandatory to graduate. The community service does not mean picking up trash, but instead activities such as helping out at the hospital or nursing home. The students could, for example, talk to the residents of the nursing home. The residents would certainly enjoy their visit; it would certainly be a change in their normally routine schedule. The elderly would observe how mature the adolescents were and would consider them able enough to be adults. At the hospital the participants could spend time playing games and talking to sick children. The unfortunate children in the hospital would see these students as positive role models. Such activities would certainly prove to the adults of the area that the students are more than ready to enter to real world. If every student participated, the community could see a drastic change in the lifestyle of its residents. This would not only make the adults proud of the youth, but it would make the youth proud of themselves.
Although several teens would see the idea of a mandatory community service program as a burden, I believe they will achieve great personal fulfillment. The students would see how much their work means to others and they would want to help more, willingly. The students’ parents would approve of the plan, obviously. Their children would be attracting attention for all the right reasons. Their kids would also have a healthy substitute to drugs and alcohol. The plan would have to be mandatory because, otherwise, most students would not even give it a chance. This way they will be forced to give it a chance. One chance is all they need to see how much of a difference they can make not only in other people’s lives, but also in their own. The kids would also have the influence of positive adult role models who also help in the program. Hopefully, this would help kids relate with adults more, closing the generation gap.
The plan for a mandatory community service program for our high school students would help American society get back to the land of opportunity slogan that this country was based upon. When my grandpa was growing up, the help he did on the farm was a major factor to the family’s lifestyle. He did his work without pay. American culture needs to reverse itself about fifty years. Adolescents are lacking a way to prove themselves to the community and causing trouble because of it. Letting the students lend a hand to help the needs of the community would better the lives of all who live in the area. The people in the community would recognize their efforts and reward them kindly. Even without such recognition students who took part in theactivity would carry the experience with them forever. An experience like that cannot be taught in the classroom.
1) In her preface to Coming of Age in Somoa, Margaret Mead’s purpose is very reminiscent of a current Army recruiting commercial. It seems that she is saying to "be all that you can be." Rather than being all we can be individually, Mead is saying that, as a whole, humans can change culture. The human race cannot be afraid of change, but willing to make our American culture more satisfying.
2) Margaret Mead states many issues that were very prominent in the 1920’s. Although some are still issues today, many are not. The effects of artificially separating children from a knowledge of birth, love, and hate is no longer an issue in modern America. Children will learn of such things through the television, friends, books, or by witnessing it with their own eyes. Parents may try to regulate their involvement in the said activities, but the children will hear at school or other events.
3) I agree that "culture is man-made and that man is free to design it closer to the desires of his own heart." The dictionary defines culture as the sum total ways of living built up by a group of humans, which is transmitted from one generation to the next. Humans create culture, but it cannot be created individually. Many have tried, but all have failed. It takes a group of people to start it and the traditions passed down through each generation.
4) In her writings Margaret Mead was advocating an integration of the "primitive" and the "civilized." The "primitive" was "natural and delightful", but the "civilized" was "unnatural and repressive." I believe that she was pressing for a combination of the two cultures. She believes that by combining the "primitive" ways with the technological craze of today our culture would be more natural and satisfying.
5) In her speech, Susan was pleading parents to be more aware of what their children are doing. I believe that parents know quite well what is going on. They were young once too. Parents are very naïve for a purpose. They do not want to know exactly what their children are doing socially. Most parents are fine as long as their offspring are staying out of trouble. As for "boundaries and structure", I believe that most teens want to have rules set for them. They are not asking for anarchy. The rules that are set show the kids that their parents are somewhat involved in their life.
6) I, personally, have "absolutely, positively know, saw or experienced concerning drugs and alcohol" a plethora of activities in my high school. To narrow it down to three dramatic accounts, I have seen marijuana being packed into a pipe to smoke, witnessed the purchase of alcohol by a minor, and I would know exactly who to ask if I wanted to purchase drugs and/or alcohol.
7) I believe that there is no complete solution for the "plight of the black teenager." There are many ways to lessen the black teenager’s difficulties, though. Education is a major factor in most prejudices. Most educated people are not bias. Usually, the bad reputation comes from the ignorant people who are not taught correctly. Another way to decrease the racism is to break the inheritance of hate. Most people are racist because their parents are. They grew up thinking that all black people were the same and never questioned their parent’s beliefs. They probably were never involved in a situation with a black person.
8) No, I do not believe it would be a relief if all I had to do were go to classes and learn. I think that the involvement with fellow classmates teach teens valuable social skills that are necessary later in life. This is one reason why I believe that home schooling is not right. Kids need to be involved with peers to provide competition and friendship. I would not be happy in a home-school or private school environment.
9) I agree, to an extent, with Pete Seeger’s quotes. Schools do not prepare students for the real world as well as is necessary, but they do put students in situations with peers that are valuable in all jobs. Schools do not offer courses that relate directly to the real world. Students need to have courses where they can get a hands-on experience with everyday adult life.
10) Adolescents do need direction and motivation in their life. I agree that parents need to be involved directly in their kid’s lives. Kids do not listen to adults they do not respect. Many students will behave perfectly in one class, but are out of control in the next. The reason for this behavior is the respect they have for the specific teacher. Stern teachers may not always be "cool", but the kids always listen to what they have to say. Adolescents need a positive role model in their life to succeed.