Category archive

Editorial - page 12

Editorials represent the opinion of the individual writer. The "Green and Gold" welcomes letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and content. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail our staff at greenandgold@wesleyanschool.org .

Learn to Love Yourself

in Editorial by
  • jk.jpg
    flickr

Valentine’s Day…for some, the year’s best holiday of the year and for others a day that is commonly dreaded. We have been conditioned to believe that this is a day set aside for significant others to spend the day together and for everyone to shower their families with boxes of chocolates and bouquets of flowers. We feel like we are not worthy if we don’t have a “valentine” but that is just simply not true.
Keep Reading

He Said; She Said

in Editorial by
  • IMG_1274-e1453903338838.jpg
    Baseball vs Soccer Photo: Hodges

Baseball – Will Harper

Babe Ruth once said, “I swing with everything I’ve got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.” I too like to live as big as I can, Babe. That is why I love baseball and hate soccer. Baseball is the greatest game of all time, but it is so much more than that. Baseball is one of the three major facets of American culture. The other two are hot dogs and beer, both of which are essential parts of baseball. Everything about baseball just oozes greatness. Comparing baseball to soccer is like comparing Tupac to Al Yankovic. Baseball is widely considered the greatest of all time, while soccer is just silly.

Conceptually, soccer is easily the least sophisticated sport ever. Kick the ball into the goal; that’s pretty much it. Some would say that simplicity is what makes soccer beautiful. I say that is bologna. Soccer is boring and easy. Perhaps you’re reading this thinking, “Wow, Will is really offending a lot of soccer players and fans right now.” That is probably true, but I’m totally ok with that because I wouldn’t want to be friends with a lame soccer player or fan anyway. I want my friends to like real sports, like baseball. It is also irritating that people try and call soccer football. Football is the name of a real sport involving real athletes who play with a leather prolate spheroid. In case you are an unsophisticated soccer player, prolate spheroid refers to the shape of an American football.

That’s enough about soccer. Time to talk about something worthwhile. Baseball’s value extends far beyond entertainment. Of course it is fun to play and watch, and that will always be the most important thing, but baseball is significant in so many other ways. The world’s greatest game is beneficial economically, politically, socially, spiritually, militarily and any other ily or ally you can think of. Doctors say that watching baseball makes everyone happier no matter what. There’s nothing better than sunflower seeds, peanuts and frozen lemonade in a stadium packed with all kinds of different people all united by the common bond of baseball. Even without the wonderful intricacies of the game, baseball reigns supreme over all other athletic endeavors. Ellie will probably be talking a lot of trash about me in her article. That is just a clear indicator that she doesn’t have enough to say about why soccer is superior, so she had to turn to bashing a fellow writer just to produce adequate content. The bottom line is that baseball is, always has been and always will be king, and soccer is just what four-year-olds play at the YMCA until they turn five and realize how dumb it is. Thank you.

 

 

 

Soccer – Ellie Hall

The difference between soccer and baseball is that soccer is “the beautiful game” and baseball is just the game, if that. I respect baseball and the skill it takes to be successful in the game, but let’s be honest, it is rather boring. Baseball is entertaining for maybe 45 minutes, but the average game lasts around two hours; the only entertaining part is at the end, so you have to sit through the whole game to get to the good part. Also, for stir-crazy people, like me, baseball can be somewhat tortuous because there is little excitement involved in the sport. In addition, the most annoying thing about baseball is the players are almost always super boastful about it when most all of the other spring sports are much more physically demanding. Baseball is just a “sport” for a bunch of ninnies who are too lazy to play an actual sport that requires you to be in shape. Baseball players only have to run 90 feet to each base where they then get to rest until they have to run again. Wow, how interesting! That was sarcasm, if you couldn’t already tell. Senior, Grant Sauer used to play baseball but quit to play soccer. When asked why he did this he said, “Because I wanted to be an athlete.” That pretty much sums it up. I could say more about baseball, but I know all of the baseball players will not too happy about this, so I will move on to explain how truly amazing soccer is.

Soccer is no doubt the best sport ever created. There is a reason why it is the most popular sport in the world. It is fun to play, fun to watch, and fun to coach. It may not be a high-scoring game, but for that reason, it keeps you engaged and gets you hyped every time a goal is scored. In addition, many uneducated people, like Will Harper, claim that soccer does not require any thinking and that it is boring to watch. These people clearly just do not understand the game because if they did, they would know that soccer players must always be aware of their surroundings and be able to react to any situation that could occur. Also, people who say this clearly just have not gotten off the couch long enough to play a game of soccer, and that is why they do not understand it. Also, I think it is important to take into consideration some of the famous soccer players that the world loves. For example, there is David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Morgan, Mia Hamm, etc. I would also like to add that many people who claim that they do not like to watch soccer, sure did hop on the bandwagon during the 2014 Men’s World Cup. Also, it would not be wise of you readers to listen to whatever rubbish Mr. Harper has to say because he has never played high school soccer or baseball, so he obviously does not know what he is talking about. In addition, he calls soccer boring, but he plays golf. Enough said.

High School According to de Tocqueville

in Editorial by

In “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville explicates the ills of the American dream, describing citizens of abundant democracies (Americans in particular) as melancholy slaves to success. My studies of de Tocqueville’s work in Jonathan Koch’s 10th grade English class turned out to be some of the most compelling and impactful curriculum I have engaged in at Wesleyan, and “Democracy in America” applies even to my high school career more than I ever thought it would.

Looking back on this captivating slice of my American Literature class, I’ve come to realize that my fascination with de Tocqueville’s writing is the result of relatable, applicable content that transcends the capricious fluctuations of American Culture. What de Tocqueville had to say will always be relevant, and it applies all too well to the life of a Wesleyan student.

De Tocqueville observed the irony of the American Dream; ambitious capitalists of the early 19th century worked so tirelessly to achieve an archetypal model of success that by the time they got what they wanted, they were dead. Here we are in the early 21st century, and nothing has changed. Americans have glorified the ideal lifestyle profusely, and our efforts to achieve this societal standard often dominate our existence so much that we never taste the fruits of our labor. At some point, the American Dream gets in the way of experiencing the American Dream, and if we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves caught in a similar paradox as high school students.

Simply put, the American Dream goes something like this: graduate high school with a 4.0, relish in the “college experience,” establish a successful career, get married, start a family, make lots of money and then retire in Florida. This “dream” has evolved into a mundane list of achievements and milestones. We tenaciously strive to fit one mold after another until the American Dream is complete. Then, when we are finally retired at the ripe old age of 60, as we kick back in our rocking chairs and reflect on our success, we’ll realize that we’ve been so busy doing everything that we haven’t really done anything. We were so busy being successful that we forgot to make an impact or serve a purpose. We forgot to do something that actually matters, and we’ll feel empty. Most importantly, we’ll have forgotten to have fun.

Perhaps as a high school student at Wesleyan, you’re working to figure out where you fit in as a freshman, and by the time you do that, you’ll already be a sophomore. Then you might work so hard as a sophomore to accomplish something significant athletically that by the time you finish that, you’ll already be a junior. Then as a junior you’ll turn your focus toward academics, and as a senior, you’ll try to get into college. All the while, trying to fit in socially and portray a perfect Wesleyan student. No matter what endeavors you pursue in high school, don’t let them consume these four years of your life. Look around once in a while to enjoy where you are.

editorial photo

He Said; She Said: Christmas vs. Thanksgiving

in Editorial by
  • 3-HSSS.jpg

He Said:

by Will Harper

Christmas is widely referred to as the most wonderful time of the year for a reason. For those of you who are not familiar with superlatives, this means that it is the absolute best part of the year, and no other time is better. Therefore, Christmas is better than Thanksgiving, and that’s all there is to it.

Well… I suppose I can expound a little bit. Barring the resurrection, Christmas represents the most miraculous and joyful event in the history of the world. Never mind the fact that Christmas is ridden with historical inaccuracy, superficiality and greed. It really is a beautiful occasion. Though I am a firm believer that this glorious holiday is in need of a little reform, I am still confident that Christmas is a truly wonderful thing. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. Though we often lose sight of this among the wrapping paper, it is amazing when we slow down to recognize the original purpose of our favorite holiday. Christmas brings unity unlike any other occurrence in so many ways. Christmas brings families together from across the country. It unites strangers in public with the simple phrase “Merry Christmas.” Christmas brings together the Church and encourages generosity. On top of the more meaningful benefits of Christmas, it also provides familiar festivities that fill people of all ages with excitement. Christmas trees, hot chocolate, mall Santa, Christmas movies, stockings, reindeer, lights, music and more create an atmosphere at Christmas time that cannot be beat.

Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is a real bummy holiday. Who cares about the pilgrims and Native Americans? All that Thanksgiving really has to offer is a good meal. Christmas is so much more. Christmas completely transforms the entire month of December. Turkey Day has a cute parade and some cranberry sauce. I’m not knocking Thanksgiving, and in fact, I thoroughly enjoy the food, football and naps. That being said, it is absolutely ridiculous to compare any holiday to the wonders of Christmas.

 

 

She Said:

by Emma Parrish

Turkey, ham, gravy, stuffing, pie, family, friends, these are just some of the few wonderful facets of the greatest American holiday of the year: Thanksgiving. Christmas is one of the last breaks before the long winter sets in and Thanksgiving gets the holiday festivities started.
During Thanksgiving, the leaves are still falling and one can still enjoy the crisp fall air. From as early as five-years-old, you begin to learn about the pilgrims settling on Plymouth Rock and having the first original Thanksgiving. You aren’t taught about Christmas in school, are you now? First of all, on Thanksgiving, you have no pressure to give gifts and are relieved of the stress of buying them and coordinating them for every friend and family member. During Christmas season people spend hours in crowded shopping malls spending thousands on gifts. After Thanksgiving, Black Friday rolls around and all hell breaks loose. We’ve all seen it on the news, people being trampled in Walmart trying to get the latest and greatest electronic, and even some waiting in lines or camping out in front of stores just to ensure they get the gift they need. Now how ridiculous is that? According to Marshall Jones, “Thanksgiving promotes gratitude. Instead of asking people what they want or got for Christmas, you get to ask what people are thankful for. And that, by itself, is a reason to be thankful. And love it.” Most importantly, Thanksgiving is a holiday where you have an excuse to eat as much food as you want for an entire day. There is no shame in feeling guilty about it because everyone else is doing it too. But wait, it gets even better: naps. The endearing food coma you slip into after you have eaten your own weight for both lunch and dinner ends the day on a high note. You have a valid excuse to be as lazy as you want for an entire day. The Christmas excitement ends in the morning once you’ve opened all your gifts. The Thanksgiving excitement lasts you for days on end because you will have more leftovers than you can imagine.

It is clear that Thanksgiving has many more perks than Christmas so you may want to rethink your answer the next time you tell someone Christmas is even somewhat better.

Celebrate Christmas with a Spirit of Generosity

in Editorial by

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. As a child, Christmas means one thing: presents. Of course there are a lot of exciting festivities surrounding the presents, but ripping the paper off a new Xbox is really the main event. Society has taken the holy concept of celebrating our Savior’s birth and reformed it into a celebration of greed laden with irony. At what point did people start to make Christmas less about Jesus and more about us? I’m not here to point fingers, nor will I assert that I am not guilty of going about Christmas the wrong way, but maybe it would be worth-while to rethink one of our favorite holidays.

According to ABC News, each year, Americans spend approximately $465 billion on Christmas. All that money is for Jesus, right? Giving gifts is not intrinsically bad, but it becomes a problem when we take advantage of  one of the most glorious events in human history as an excuse to cultivate our lust for material things. Not only is it wasteful and greedy to make Christmas so focused on ourselves and our free stuff, but it also sends a controversial message.

Scripture is pretty clear on these two things among others. Avarice is bad, and Jesus is good. If this is true, and Christians seek to adhere to the Word of God, then why do Christians see Christmas as a chance to glorify avarice and subdue the gospel. Obviously, no one actually enters the holiday season with such malicious intent, but if someone who had never heard of Christmas saw the way we go about celebrating the birth of Jesus, he or she would likely be overwhelmed and confused.

I am not suggesting that we stop giving gifts or going to sit on Santa’s lap, but perhaps we could consider a more modest holiday. Can you imagine the positive impact that $465 billion could have if it were devoted to charitable causes? If we’re not careful, children will be more enticed by Santa’s offer of a Red Ryder BB gun than Jesus’ offer of salvation.

The importancChristmas Fireplacee of approaching the Christmas season with the right attitude and heart cannot be underestimated, and this is an area where many of us need to reconsider our favorite holiday, but there is still a lot of good left in Christmas. While we often over-do it, gift giving is at its core a very beautiful, selfless thing.

In addition to the generosity we often express toward our family and friends during the holidays, Christmas also encourages a lot of generosity focused towards people in need. I’m not just talking about the Salvation Army guy ringing his bell outside Target. A lot of soup kitchens, shelters and the like make an extra effort to be generous during Christmas. With so much extra joy to go around during the holidays, people are often more willing to seek out opportunities to help others.

Furthermore, Christmas also encourages unparalleled family bonding time. Late December is one of the busiest travelling times of the year for a reason. People are willing to put forth a lot of energy, time and money to be with family during this special time. Families come together from all across the country and even the world to celebrate the birth of a savior with praise and generosity.

Clearly, the concept of Christmas is a beautiful thing, but it is far too easy to twist things around and make the holidays about us. If Christians really made an effort to approach Christmas with a selfless attitude, the impact could be enormous. Christmas is still a season centered around hope, and I have not lost hope for what remains my favorite holiday, but I am confident that Christmas could improve tremendously with a shift in thinking. By turning our focus away from ourselves and towards the real reason for Christmas, we can transform a time of greed into a true celebration of Jesus.

Go to Top