Mandatory Service

I do not believe that it should be mandatory for 18 year olds to serve in the Military or Peace Corps. I think that both the Military and the Peace Corps are groups that people should want to join, not be forced into. If all 18 year olds had to serve, these groups would be full of un happy teens, leaving out others who could actually provide a meaningful service. I believe that as soon as somebody becomes an adult, they should want to be involved in their community. Also serve their country in some way. Even if they do not agree with the current Government, they should still help out because they are a part of this country and together we can accomplish enormous goals. By forcing adults to serve two years, you would then interfere with the start of their life as an adult. Teens graduating from high school would have a busy schedule with going to college. Some might even have to put off their college career for those two years. It would be extremely difficult to serve in the Peace Corps or the Military while being a full time student. Also, if the student had plans of traveling right out of high school, they would not be able to do it! It would interfere with any plans that the student chose to pursue after high school. Also, many high school students turn 18 while they are still in school. This would mean that they would have to be a high school student while serving? I believe this would be difficult and might even get in the way of the students high school life. Forcing someone to perform a meaningful service is of no use. Whenever somebody does not want to do something, they will perform the duty half way and not really take it seriously. Volunteer groups and organizations that were established to benefit the community are not the right places to stick 18 year olds to teach them a lesson or moral charecter. These groups need people who are willing to perform the duties to the best of their ability.

VOTE!!

If my fried told me that he or she was not going to vote in the elections, I would not try to convince them to vote. I would simply fill them in on the pros and cons of not voting. In my opinion, voting is a right not a mandatory thing. Even though i would tell them it is their choice, i would also explain to them that if they do not vote, then they do not have a right to complain about anything that happens in the U.S. if they don't like something, then they are just going to have to sit back and do absolutely nothing. A person who votes is entitled to all the benefits of complaining and dissagreeing with what the president does, but if they did not vote then they have no right because they chose not to care. I would also tell my friend that voting is a privilidge, you get to choose someone who is going to make desicions for you. I would tell him that not voting would defeat the purpose of democracy in our nation. The political system gives power to the citizens to elect the best candidate to represent them. I would also tell my friend that voting is very important, even if he or she does not like the government, they still have to follow the laws, so they might as well do something good for themselves and vote for someone who could pottentially do something that benefits society.

Health Care

I believe that Health Care is a priviledge, not a right. Health care costs the United States so mutch money because there is no way to track down the many people who can not show documentation, and it is illegal to deny them emergency medical services. I am not saying that anyone should be denied health care, I think everyone should be entitled to it but there are certain things that need to be done in order to receive the priviledge. There are so many countries with little or no health care services, and so many people diying from illnesses all over the world. And as Americans, here we are taking our health care for granted. There are many programs through out the United States to aid low income families, aswell as provide services for countries in need. I think that foreigh people in need through out the world, appreciate the scraps of health care they are provided, more than we apreciate our own. I hear many people complaining about having to go to the dentist, or to the doctor for a check up. They never stop to think, and realize that they are lucky to have the opportunity to receive these services, even if they have to pay for them. I also see many people complain about free and reduced price clinics. They complain about the long wait and they even show up late to their free appointments. This is a perfect example of ungrateful people. They expect everything to be handed to them, and in return bite the hand that feeds them. The sole purpose of the medical aid programs that are established by the government, is to aid those in need. Many people love to abuse the system even though they are not really in need. In result, those who really need the help never get it.

Q:Why are the rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmited diseases in the U.S. astronomical?
A: Because we take our health for granted!!!

The government as well as many non profit organizations and charities publicize and provide free information and health care services for prevention, but we take things for granted. There are many clinics in San Diego like: Planned Parenthood, and the Teen health clinic that provide FREE services like STD testing, and Birth control methods. And still, we see un happy pregnant teenagers, and many people with STD's who thought it would never happen to them.

Effective communicator

Discussions during class are really fun. In Ms.Ducat's English class last year, i really enjoyed being part of them. I am a very opinionated person and during class discussions i tend to share a lot of my oppinions about a subject. I have been a an effective communicator not only when talking about my opinions, but also during class presentations aswell. Through out my high school courses i have had to do many presentations to both the class and teachers. I have done the most presentations during my leadership course. Every year, i have done presentations on subjects like, Dining Etiquette for our formal Cadet Ball and First Aid. I have also been an effective communicator as an instructor for after school practices in JROTC. I have communicated with the cadets, teaching them JROTC knowledge and drill. Also, during the summer, the upper level cadets plan and execute a program called Train the Trainer. In this program, we teach the second year and above cadets things like propperly filling out forms and documents, conducting drill and conducting physical training. I was the instructor for forms and documents. I had to present to the cadets and teach them how to propperly fill out JROTC forms. Through out my career in JROTC, i have been interviewed by KUSI and the Union Tribune for different reasons. In ninth grade, i was interviewed in an article called "Aiming High" in this interview, i talked about the JROTC marksmanship team and our accomplishments in winning the California Junior Olympics and being awarded the Gold Medal. I was also interviewed by kusi for the same reason. Along with one of my teemates, I spoke in front of the school board several times to defend the marksmanship team when the topic of terminating the program arised. On December 18, 2009 I was interviewed by Kusi about the Annual Joint Brigade Food Drive we hold every year. I talked about our meaningful service learning project and our accomplishments during the food drive.

Problem Solver

I have been through so many things during high school. Dealing with problems not only in class or with friends, but also at home and during my extra curricular activities. Being a problem solver as a teenager is not always easy, but i did my best. In JROTC just like in any other team or sport, we have arguments amongst students. We also come across many obstacles. As a cadet, i learned the 8 step problem solving method. The first step is to gather data. Here you inform yourself of every general aspect of the problem. The second step is to diagnose the data you gathered. You really think about the problem in this step, how it happened and why it is a problem. In the third step you elect and prioritize your objectives, this means you look at what you want to positively accomplish to fix the problem and prioritize what needs to be done first. The fourth step is to Create and analyze alternatives. In the fifth step you select one of the alternatives then plan the action steps to carry out that decision. The seventh step is to implement the plan, then study the results. When you study the results you really need to think about the problem and ways to prevent it from happening again. This also gives you reference on how to solve it if something similar happens. I use this problem solving method when my problem is complex. During class i always come across time managing problems. For example, i have a lot of homework in one night. When this happens i prioritize the homework that is of most points and importance. This helps me to get things done with time and at the same time helps me spread out the homework.

Technology Producer

It would be highly ironic if I did not take any science or technology courses during high school, being that I attend the school of Science and Technology. In ninth grade, I completed a course on computer applications with Mr.Kleinstuber where I leaned to use Microsoft programs like Excel, word, power point, and publisher. In this class I also created an avatar that was created like as website. I was also enrolled in the Sci-Tech class with Mrs.Rose. In this class, I created many power point presentations on topics like Down syndrome. As the Special Projects Officer in JROTC for two years now, I have created monthly newsletters on publisher for the cadets in my Battalion. One of my most important duties is updating the SDHS AJROTC webpage. I had no clue how to update a webpage and since a new version of publisher was installed in the computer, this year I started from scratch and used publisher to create a new version of the webpage. This task was very time consuming because I had to explore publisher to learn how to do everything. I work on my computer to create all announcements for upcoming events. I have also been a technology producer by being the JROTC photographer. I take pictures at all events and competitions and I keep them all in an electronic scrapbook on our school’s server. Also, while using blogger.com I am being a technology producer as I type. Technology is a huge part of our society, I feel very lucky to attend this school because I know I have learned things that will highly benefit me later on in life.

Collaborative Worker

Throughout my High School career, I have been a Collaborative Worker in many ways. In the classroom, I have coordinated with my instructors to fully understand things discussed. I often contributed with my personal thoughts and oppinions during discussions. In my four years, I have worked with my peers in numerous group projects. In these projects, I always did my very best to contribute and combine my skills along with my class mates to have an awesome final product. During my Peer Education course last semester, I collaborated with my group members to create meaningful lessons for our peers. We would divide the tasks equally, giving everyone in my group responsibilities. We also had discussions about the lessons we wanted to teach, aswell as incorporating all our ideas. In my JROTC leadership class, I have worked along with other cadets to accomplish different tasks. For example, during the community service events that we participate in, we all work together to run water points, pass out water to the runners, cut fruit, and clean up after the event.
In JROTC, I am the cadet in charge of public affairs. This means that i am the point of contact for special projects. During the past two food drives, I coordinated with Tiffany Alcantara from the San Diego Food Bank to set up our annual food drive. I also worked along with ASB in order to have school involvement. Also, I work with Mr. Robledo and the Yearbook Staff while creating the two JROTC yearbook pages. Being a Collaborative Worker Has been the quality that I have shown the most throughout High School.

Responsible Learner

In ninth grade, i entered high school as a careless teen. My grades were un important, and i didn't look into what truilly benefited me. Then i joined the JROTC program. In this leadership course, i learned many things including the importance of being a responsible learner. As a leader, not only have i been responsible during my time as a cadet, I have also taken on the challenge of exeeding my academic goals. During my four years in the program, I gained many skills including planning skills. These skills have helped me during school, aswell as at home. These planning skills taught me to prioratize in order to accomplish all of my duties as a student and as a cadet. For example, When assigned home work. I prioratize these tasks by considering the assignment with the greatest importance first. This benefits me greatly because if i ever run out of time when doing homework, i completed the assignments that had the most value. As a leader in JROTC, i have to set the example for other cadets to follow. I also conduct myself to bring credit to the corps of cadets, aswell as my school. I have been a responsible learner throughout high school in numerous ways. I have taken many challenging courses to exeed my own expectations. I have learned many things from being a volunteer at community service events. When working in these events, i have discovered a need in my community and have learned to take on the challenge of helping others withought worrying about my own needs. For example, when i planned and conducted the Annual Food Drive in 2008 and in 2009, i thought about exeeding our goal of collecting 60,000 ounces in 2008 and 65,000 ounces in 2009. This was my goal, not only to win the competition, it was important because the food was going to be donated to feed our community through the San Diego Food Bank. During my Peer Counceling Class last semester, i learned to be a responsible learner through team work. When my group planned lessons, we discussed topics that truily needed to be discussed amongst teenagers. I learned to work together in order to provide a great final project. In JROTC learned to work as a team other than as an individual and i applied this skill when working with my team on the projects. A student who is a responsible learner, will apply the skill during class and it will carry on throughout their life time. I am happy to have the skill of being able to be a responsible learner as a leader in JROTC, as a student in class, as a family member at home, and as a member of our society.

My Civic Responsibilities

As an emerging adult, i believe that my civic responsibilities include the following:

• Being loyal to my country by bearing true faith and alliegence. I believe my opinion as an American counts, but i am tired of Americans dis respecting their own country. When something good happens, they are patriotic, But when a mistake is made, they turn their back on the U.S. pretending to dissagree with the occurance. I believe we should all be patriotic, during both the good and the bad. Like they say, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"

• To fulfill ones obligations. It is my responsability to take responsibility for my obligations. If everyone fulfilled their own obligations, they would be more responsible and no one would have to do it for them. I believe if everyone did their part, others would not have to work as hard to keep our country sane. For example, if everyone disposed of their trash propperly, recycled, saved water, saved energy, paid their taxes, etc. Government money would not have to be spent for others to pick up our trash, our streats would not be as polluted, there would be no water shortages, and others would not have to pay higher taxes!

• To respect the rights and opinions of others. Everyone has equal rights! As young adults we have to voice our opinions in order to function in society and not get crushed. At the same time, we have to be respectful of everyone eltses opinion and treat people as they should be treated.

• To provide a selfless service. I can't deny that our generation is composed of many selfish teens. They worry about their own needs and never think about helping someone, but always want to be helped. Providing a meaningful service for my community has always been important. We always say "why me??" but if everyone took the time to realize that there are others who have it far worse, their problem would not seem as devastating. I believe that what goes around comes around, if you are not sending anything around, than don't expect anything in return.

• To do what is right, legally and morally. Everyone knows rights from wrongs, the problem is that now a days, teens have the WRONG perspective of what makes you "cool". I know i will be happy even if i make a mistake, as long as i did what i thought was right and i can sleep well at night with a clear conscience.

• To live up to your values. Living up to what i believe is right is my civic responsability. Being a push over does not benefit us. Taking a stand and always living up to our values is vital!

• To provide a skill, opinion, and service to our society, instead of being stagnant and unproductive. Many people abuse systems that were initially created to benefit those in real need. For example, welfare. Many rely on the goverment's aid even though they are perfectly capable of working for a living and actually earning their money. I believe it is my civic responsability to provide a skill through a job, aswell as providing a service to society by making my own money and leaving the government money for people who truily need it and are deserving of it.

Initial Post

My oh so interesting question is: Why should marksmanship be allowed in every High School Campus throughout the United States?

Why did i choose this topic? Well it is very simple. I was a member of the Air Rifle Team at SDHS for three years. The sport benefited me in various ways. First of all, being on the team created a sense of teamwork and leadership in me, being that i was the captain. It also influenced me to be a very healthy person. I lost a large amount of weight with the diet and life style. It also instilled amazing values in my life that i will carry after high school.
Schools with JROTC programs throughout the United States have marksmaship teams. Why is it that California is the only state that negates students with the great opportunity to learn a truily challenging sport? Marksmanship not only challenges you physically, but mentally aswell. The sport of marksmanship is 99% mental. The concentration levels necessary to be a successful marksmen, are incredibly high and outstanding. It has been proven that a marksman who is a student, has the ability to concentrate well during classes and intense testing aswell as other activities. A marksman is physically fit and healthy.
My experience as a marksman has changed my life for the better. The School Board decided to terminate our marksmanship program due to the emotions of many community members who believe our program was dangerous. I believe it is a shame that this occured. Football, Soccer, Track, and other sports played in high school are in fact more dangerous than marksmanship. I believe the school board was mal informed, and it was wrong for them to terminate our program because of the oppinions and emotions of others instead of listening to true solid facts. If they knew how challenging and beneficial the sport of marksmanship truily is, they would really want it in every High School Campus. I am blessed to have experienced being a marksman, this is why i believe marksmanship should be allowed in every High School Campus throughout the United States.

-Monica Cedano