Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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Editor’s note: About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 62nd annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 29. The students were divided into groups to discuss a variety of topics. A representative was chosen from each group to write a column about the students’ findings. This essay addresses the issues covered by the School Days group.
Student representative Jacob Caldwell, of Desert Oasis High School, poses during the 62nd annual Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum at the Las Vegas Convention Center Thursday Nov. 29, 2018.
When I walked into the room full of fellow students at the Sun Youth Forum, it was so quiet that I could hear the scratching of pens on notepads and a girl's fingers pat against her phone as she typed. It was clear we were all nervous.
But once the event got underway, we would have much to say about such topics as block scheduling and class options, school safety and gun control.
We opened by addressing the question, “Do you believe high school has adequately prepared you for college?” Our collective answer: “No.”
Students argued that as they approached adulthood, there were no lessons on vital information such as filing taxes and budgeting money.
Another concern is that not all students have access to the resources and funding that other schools and students receive, particularly in the assistance they’re given with college applications.
At some schools, entire departments are dedicated to helping prepare students for college. These students have teams that guide them through college application essay questions, letters of recommendation and scholarship opportunities. These programs are undeniably beneficial to the student body.
As a group, we agreed that high schools needed to do a better job of preparing all students for further education, not just the lucky ones. If more funding were allocated to schools, the helping hand would extend to far more students around the valley and better prepare them for the real world.
On school safety and gun control, there wasn’t as much debate as one might expect given the passions that surround gun issues. Regardless of political affiliation, we agreed that this was a bipartisan issue.
Students should not be learning lockdown drills at the same time they are figuring out how to tie their shoes. Our room was one collective voice when we agreed school safety was a right, not a privilege.
We suggested such possible solutions such as increased use of metal detectors and making it mandatory for backpacks to be made of clear material. We talked about the steps the district has already taken, including random searches and the new fire drill routine to ensure that fire alarms are not being used as a ploy for shooters to have greater access to students.
We also discussed solutions that are not as easily implemented, such as expanded background checks and stricter gun laws.
As much as I would have loved to say that, as a group of students, we have solved these relevant issues, we cannot truthfully say that. However, we can say that we are dedicated to making school a safe place for all generations to come.
At the Sun Youth Forum, we learned that we cannot hold our breath out of fear to speak. Only when we take the chance to open our minds and say our truth can we unite.
Jacob Caldwell is a senior at Desert Oasis High School.
