Teens-eye Views

Lost amid the often strident voices of experts, politicians, religious leaders and the like, are the opinions of the young people who will soon inherit the benefits or consequences resulting from today’s decisions by their elders. To get a better understanding of where area young people stand during these tumultuous times, The Township Journal asked a few local young men and women to share their thoughts on some of the important issues facing our region, the country and the world. Here is what they had to say: What are your thoughts on terrorism? As an eighth grader, my thoughts on terrorism may be the same as adults. I think it’s terrible and terrorism should be stopped. Someone somewhere has to put their foot down and try to approach this. Terrorism must stop happening. I don’t want my baby cousins growing up seeing things like this happening in the world around them. I didn’t begin to understand terrorism until I was in fourth grade, when 9/11 happened. I hope one day all of this comes to an end. Paige Svehla 8th grade Byram Intermediate School What is your opinion on the black bear hunt? I feel the black bear community in N.J. should be actively monitored and not hunted. No aggressive action that harms the bear should be taken. Since the black bear population is significantly increasing in our state, there should be a plan implemented for the female bears, such as sterilization. If female bears were sterilized they would not reproduce. In doing this, no bear would be harmed and the growth population of the black bear would then decrease. Black bears are magnificent animals and should be treated with respect and protected to help ensure their future. I support the preservation and management of the black bear population in N.J. Dan Cohen 10th grade Sparta High School Should prayer be allowed in public schools? In my opinion, school is not a place for prayer. Prayer is something that should take place in a sacred place, such as a church, or in one’s own privacy. I do not feel it is fair to dictate to anyone when to pray because to me, praying should be personal. Over the years I have seen an increase of the lack of participation of my peers in saying the pledge of allegiance. Therefore, I feel if people were told to pray, it would either not be done or not come from the heart. So, I wonder what purpose prayer in school would serve? Denise Radeloff 11th grade Sparta High School What is your opinion on the war in Iraq? As a sophomore in high school I have mixed emotions about the war in Iraq. I support our troops overseas that are fighting to make Iraq — and at the same time America — a better and safer place to live. I don’t know enough about the whole situation over there to form a definite opinion on the war. I do know that our troops are helping the people over there, so at this point, with the little knowledge I do have, I guess I would say that it’s a good thing. Stephanie Hamill sophomore Lenape Valley High School Should intelligent design be taught in schools? People say that evolution and intelligent design should be pulled from the curriculums in schools because it involves too much religion. I believe that is not true. When I was taught the subject in biology it was presented in a scientific view with no religious references. Intelligent design is just another scientific viewpoint. We learned about how organisms adapted to the environment and would survive by being the strongest. There was no involvement with religion with the topic of evolution. Jim Hamill 11th grade Lenape Valley High School Do you think Sparta should have a new HS? Take it from a student who has attended Sparta High School for the past four years: It is not only beneficial to a student’s academics to build a new high school, but also to the student’s health. Being in such close quarters with so many people puts students at risk of getting sick, or feeling anxious or claustrophobic. This work environment is far from what it should be and will not improve in the years to come. More homes are being built in Sparta, increasing the population. It is hard to imagine what the high school environment will be like three years from now if a new high school is not built. For future classes to come, I can only hope that a new high school is built in order to provide a more comfortable setting for faculty and students alike. Nikki Skinner senior Sparta High School What do you think about global warming? Global warming is very scary. It’s pretty tough to think that there is a hole in the atmosphere and that it could one day grow and be over the United States. I would like to know more about how long scientists think it will take until the hole grows to an extreme width, and what effect it will have on the earth. Sarah Granelli 11th grade Lenape Valley High School