Public Schools... Evolution or Creation?

From the beginning of Time, people have believed in gods. Starting from the Tribal Stages of Human life, all the way through the Romans, people have believed in gods, and that never interfered with the study of the sciences. However, today, to put it simply, “God is dead”. People went beyond theism, and, under the assumption that there is no God, tried to figure out how the world began.

This is an every-growing controversy, as the once popular Darwinism has failed to show any proof of the slow, gradual evolution of life. There have been no fossils found to prove the “slow change” that supposedly happened. There have been other ideas about evolution, like punctuated evolution, which states that evolution happened quickly, in shorts “bursts” that caused nothing to die, explaining the fact that no fossils have been found proving evolution. To counter-argument this argument, people have asked them “what is the probability that two organisms, both with no calculated direction of evolution, changed into the same species and reproduced? Since there was no direction of evolution, the chance that any random organism evolved into a complex one, and two of them met to reproduce, is very low.

The main question is “what should be taught in public schools?” A study shows that 61 percent of all US schools teach evolution, while only 12% of all US schools teach creationism. I believe that both should be taught I public schools. My main reason for thinking this is because otherwise it would be bigotry: choosing to only tell one side of a story. It would better prepare the students to face the world if they learn both sides of the argument, and are allowed to choose for themselves.

Public schools are legally obliged to give a “liberal education”. This, by definition, means education with an open or broad background. Creationism was held as “unconstitutional” in court when only creationism was taught. However, times have changed, and evolution is the only theory taught in public schools. This should also be labeled as “unconstitutional”.

Also in the case of US schools, evolution goes against the constitution formed by the “founding fathers” as they stated that “all men were created equal”. However, evolution states that the strongest survive to become better.

I think that it is crucial that the students learn all they can, and in time, choose what they want to stand by, rather than being forced into believing that evolution is the only way to describe the origins of life.

Dear Uncle Eungho...

"Dear Uncle Eungho,

I complained about the way my SAT Prep teacher grades our homework and tests. Somehow, the teacher found out it was me who complained and she treats me very coolly and angrily. What can I do to get in her good graces again—without “sucking up to her” or being a “brown-noser”?"

--Sad in Selimiye

Dear Sad,

The fact that your SAT Prep teacher's grading annoys you is very unfortunate. It's never nice to talk badly about someone that's really close to you, especially if they can fail you for a class. However, since you need to get back in her good graces, I advise you to use two things: First, a simple apology, and second, showing that you are sorry through your actions.

The things that appeal to people, especially teachers, are hardworking students. I advise you to, instead of complaining about the way she grades, change yourself. Make yourself an excellent student, be active in class discussions, and improve on your work, which will lead eventually lead your teacher to think better of you.

Sincerely,

Uncle Eungho

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" Dear uncle Eungho,

I have a lot of homework every night. At the same time, I want to spend time with my friends, participate in extra-curricular activities, and use Facebook. If I don’t get on Facebook every night, I feel left out. At the same time, I think I’m wasting a lot of time and it is one way I could make better use of my time. What do you suggest?"

-- Lonely in Libadiye

Dear Lonely,

Time management is never easy. It's just one of those things that we have to do. I suggest that you not make Facebook your priority. Although it may be nice to use Facebook, it can very easily become annoying. It's hard to stop once you start, and can consume a huge part of your day. So the best thing to do, is set a limit. TIme yourself, and see how much you spend of Facebook. Then you can set a limit, spending only the amount of time necessary to use Facebook.

Another thing to consider is dropping your extra-curricular activities, or split them up, so that you can use your time wisely. You need to remember that you don't have to do ALL the extra-curricular activities; you have a choice.

Sincerely,

Uncle Eungho

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"Dear Uncle Eungho,

I recently moved to Turkey. I feel isolated because there are few American families here, and I do not speak Turkish. I home-school my kids, so we don’t have many opportunities to meet other foreigners. It has been five months, and I still can't get over the culture shock. I spend my days cooped up with my kids, unable to do the simplest things. I can't seem to live up to my husband's expectations, and he has become quite critical. This is hurting our marriage. Please help me before I go crazy.”

— Agonizing in Ankara

Dear Agonizing,

I’m sorry that you’re feeling so stressed out. It’s never easy to move, especially into a different culture, where you get culture shock, and can’t speak the language well either. Don’t fret though, there are many ways to solve this.

First, you could speek to your husband about this. You need to remember that he is there to support you. Talk to him, especially think about sending kids to school, instead of homeschooling them (there’s an international school in Ankara called Oasis).

Take a few days off to relax. You probably feel overwhelmed because you need to do the housework and teach the kids. Go relax. A hotel is probably a good idea, just to have someone else cook for you for a day, clean for you. You can even hire a maid to help you around the house.

And finally, find people you can relate to. Being Ankara, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of international people, from the school, from parent groups, or even from church. Get to know them, and let them help you out, especially while you adjust to Turkey.

Sincerely,

Uncle Eungho

"Political Cartoon"

Facebook: Killing Verbal Communication

Facebook, like the popular Nokia ad, “Nokia: Connecting People”, helps you connect with your family and friends quickly and easily. However, does this kill our once very socializing face-to-face communication? Is this a start of a new era where non-verbal communication is “king”?

Facebook is known best for its most commonly used feature, the “wall” (where people can write to others that can be seen by others too), and the photo-sharing experience it creates. People could easily view photos, catch up with people by walling, and game, leading to a sudden outburst of users.

Some would say that “quick and easy” is the future, especially in communication. And that seems true, but this discourages face-to-face contact, or taking time to write letters or emails to loved ones. When more than 80% of the school population has a Facebook account, getting “sucked in” is very easy. A recent survey showed that over 60% of the students/teachers at International Gateway Academy were more likely to write on peoples’ walls rather than call them.

Information can “easily” be shared to everyone who is your “contact” on Facebook. However, it leads to a great security issue, and most people seem unaware of possible measures that can be taken against it.

There is also the problem of “e-personalities” (personalities that are online, on the computer, that differs from the actual personality), that allows people to say things that they could not say in person. A study online shows us that about every 9 of 10 people have such e-personalities, meaning that most of the people are more “talkative” in front of their computers than they are in real-life.

Facebook is just a peace of the picture that future communications will paint. It fixed flaws of previous generation social-networks (e.g. Xanga, Myspace), but it too has many flaws. It demeans the value of taking time to communicate with people, making “quick and easy” the new “social fling”. Although it may be true that Facebook does offer many advantages, and can be used internationally, it “strays us away” from verbal communication. It is important to remember that in the end, verbal communication is the thing that keeps relationships, whether it be with family or friends, continuing.