Voices

November
March
20162012
| Prowler
| Prowler

Racial Roles Defined

by
staff manager
Delilah Rivera

Hes African-American, so he
must be good at basketball. Hes
Mexican, he must play soccer. Shes
Asian, so she must be smart.
Many assumptions about many
cultures are thrown around in
society. Typical stereotypes about
a certain race are expected to
follow through within the different
hierarchies of high school. This
stereotyping comes from not only
students, but even adults. While
the world is said to becoming
more accepting, there is still a
certain prejudice within school.
People need to consider and
realize that a certain race does not
define a students role in school.
Students are able to participate on
many levels within education and
do not always play out a role that
is expected of them.
Due to depictions in pop

culture, every student of every

race is expected to fill a role within
school. We all know the typical
roles. Because of this typical bias,
the stereotype threat comes into
play. Some teachers already expect
certain expectations of students
because of the overall standardized
test scores of a minority group. But
what teachers fail to realize is that
the stereotype is a self-fulfilling
prophecy, meaning students will
perform how they are expected to
perform. Every student deserves
the same chance within school
to receive a proper education.
With all students, guidance is key
to breaking down the stereotype
threat.
Within the media, theres a
certain bias in the way headlines
are written. A young black man
usually causes a negative kneejerk reaction. Research through a
national study on teens between
ages 13-17 from a team of
sociologists show that schools vary

their messaging bases on the race

of a student. Students of color are
generally disciplined more often
than white students. Because of
past history and media portrayal,
black and hispanic students get
treated with more caution and
discipline in schools which can
feed into a bad image. While the
trend may differ based on the
backgrounds of teachers, there
is still a gap that puts a negative
connotation on kids of color.
Contrary to this belief, research
from the Kirwan Institute shows
that the kids who are disciplined
more dont act out anymore than
their white classmates.
Students of every race and
ethnicity all fill different roles
within high school and participate
in a range of activities. In the past
decade, students every year bypass
many academic barriers. However,
some of these accomplishments
can actually go unnoticed.
Through pop culture and ethnic

Discrimination Not Just Skin Deep

art by Izabella Solis

by
staff reporter
Izabella Solis

Gender, race, and classes. Three things that

should never describe someones equality, but
are the only classifications that seem to matter
today. Women are not only discriminated by
gender, but by the very color of their skin.
The gender wage gap according to the 20062007 State of Working America published by
the EPI, stood at 82 percent. Women workers
on average earned 82 cents for every dollar
men earned. Because of this gap, women

were uninsured, 19.4 percent of Blacks, 18.7

percent of Asians and 32.1 percent of Latinos
had no insurance. In that, 43.4 percent of
whites had retirement accounts, compared to
the 18 percent of colored people that didnt. In
November 2007, the national unemployment
rate stood at the average of 4.7 percent, but for
whites, it was 4.2 percent. For Hispanics it was
5.7, for American Indians it was 7.7 and for
blacks it was 8.4. According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the total unemployment was
within the number of 7 million. These statistics
prove obvious inequalities in job security and
benefits, and were beginning to see inequalities
in todays education as well.

Easy Friendship

Lunches For All Students

Socialization, Subjects

When I was a sophmore, I

moved here from Cedar Ridge
High School. At first it was very
hard because I didnt know
anybody from here, but on
my first day the students here
helped me find my classes and
made me feel like I was not
alone. Ever since I have been
here I love how my fellow
tigers are fiendly, trustworthy,
helpful, respectful, and have
so much pride.

I think that everone should

be able to go off and get lunch. I
dont think age nor grade should
determine if you can go off, as long
as you dont cause trouble and
are able to get back in time, and
have a safe way to get off campus.
I dont see why all grade levels are
not allowed to go or be taken off
campus. If theyre not missing class
and its during actual lunch time
there should be no problem.

School is one of the

few places I can socialize.
I dont get out much
otherwise. Without
school I would practically
have no friends and Id
probably be sad. I like
certain subjects because
they help me understand
my surroundings and
how they all fit and work
together.

Letters
Editor
To the

typically lost close to a half million dollars over

the course of their working life due to the pay
and benefits gap. This gap only widened more
when comparing men and women by race.
African American women and Latinas
were more likely to earn in the lowest income
percentiles, between one-third and two fifths
of the average income. In addition, of the 1.3
billion people living in poverty, 70 percent
are women. In which, Black families earned
59 cents, Latino families earned 62 cents, and
American Indian/Alaska Native families made
59 cents for every dollar earned by a white
family.
In 2007, while 10.4 percent of white adults

by senior Seriah Jordan

by senior Madison Jennings

by freshman Austin Jenkins

Want to have
your voice
heard?
Deliver your
message in
written form to
the journalism
room, located
in the upstairs
A-wing, A209 or
leave a comment at
sphsprowler.com
Sincerly,

- Prowler Staff

archetypes, the different hobbies of

students can go unnoticed simply
for not fitting into the normal
ethnic box. According to research
from Vanderbilt University,
African-American students were
much less likely than their white
peers to be referred for Gifted
and Talented Programs, as well as
Hispanics. This bias, which starts
off early, can damper into future
education of students and risk
the threat of stereotypes. This
subconscious push can possibly
lead to fewer recognitions in their
high school career.
Students and teachers can push
past stereotypes and the stereotype
threat if everyone learned to
accept cultural diversity and also
realize that race does not define a
single persons role in school. With
encouragement from teachers and
peers, students can break down
academic barriers and show that
they can do more than what is
expected of them.

Gender, color lead

to harsh discrimination
African American girls were suspended at
higher rates than any other girls in the school
system. American Indian and Native-Alaskan
students represented less than 1 percent of
students, but 3 percent of expulsions. A quarter
of the schools with the highest percentage of
black and Latino students did not offer Algebra
II, and a third didnt even offer chemistry.
Even though some might find womens
inequalities an unimportant problem, its a
major problem which the moden woman faces.
Many women are still fighting against
discrimination of gender and race.Being active
and aware in todays social topics can make a
difference for causing change.

Cheers & Jeers

Voices of the Student Body

Fine Arts Love
I developed a love
towards the fine arts
department. It has exposed
me to great friendships,
dance, and some of the
best memories.
-Oddalys Salcido (12)
Good Competition
One thing I like from
this school is the sports.
In Spain we didnt have
teams. Sports makes
school more fun and
competitive.
-Pablo Serrano (11)

No Music, Youtube
Youtube is censored
to the max and Im no
longer able to chill out
or listen to music when
I work.
-Kahlil Bautista (10)
Dress Code Problems
I dont like the dress
code. I never think of
Nike shorts as distracting
and thats what girls get
dress coded for.
-Gabriella Woodhurst
(12)