the wayland high press - My High School Journalism

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Even faculty
members doing
their part to add
to the birth rate!
Teachers who had
babies in the last
year...
Disclaimer:
The Second
The PawPrint Press
From front page...
FIVE ON FIVE-
The National Campaign
To Prevent Teen Pregnancy
took this as a real concern.
“Any increase in a teen pregnancy and teen births is
significant and a cause for real concern,” said Bill Albert, the deputy
director of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy. “I
wouldn’t call it a trend, but it’s an amazing wake up call,” added Albert.
The birth rate for girls 15 to 19 rose three percent, from 40.5
births per 1,000 in 2005 to 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006. This is still a
drop from 1991 when there was a peak of 61.8
births per 1,000. There was also an increase of
births from unmarried women from 47.5 births
per 1,000 in 2005 to 50.6 per 1,000 in 2006.
“This increase is very concerning,”
said Sloan. “We haven’t had that kind of
increase here at Wayland yet,” added Gulch.
The National Campaign To Prevent Teen
Pregnancy published a survey called “With One
Voice 2007”. It is the fifth in a series of periodic
national surveys dated back from 2001 that has asked American adults
and teens a consistent, core set of questions about teen pregnancy.
This survey helps adults and teens come up with what influences why
teens are getting pregnant and not taking the proper precautions.
The survey that the National Campaign To Prevent
Teen Pregnancy shows what influences a teen to have sex.
The number one influence was a student’s parents with 47
percent and then their friends were next with a mere 18 percent.
“Parents tell you not to do it because you’re
too young and then friends say its okay if you are
in love with someone,” said senior Kortney Herblet.
There was an overwhelming majority of adults (93 percent)
and teens (90 percent) that believed young people need to be
provided a strong abstinence message. On the contrary, 73 percent
of adults and 56 percent of teens said that young people need more
information about abstinence and contraception, rather than either/or.
“Sometimes teen pregnancy just happens but I think the
guidance office should give information about contraceptives and
free clinics like Planned Parenthood,” said senior Erica Holloway.
Sometimes teenagers are even sent mixed messages
The “Five on Five” below represents the views of the five people
that were interviewed. It does not in any way the views of our staff,
teachers, and administrators. It also doesn’t represent the views of the school, the district,
or the Wayland community. The “Five of Five” is used to include humor to our newspaper
which is a growing trend for newspapers. Our version of the “Five on Five” will
F
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Mrs. Allen
Mr. Stanton
Mr. Howard
Mr. Cutler
Mr. Youngblood
Mrs. Lazawski
Mrs. Ernstes
Teachers who are
expecting...
Mrs. Cardosa (7/08)
Mrs. Robinson (3/08)
Mrs. Corcoran (08)
Mr. Kniaz (7/08)
Media Credit:
Office Records
Question 1: What do you think about the teen pregnancy rate increasing?
I think it should go down
and you shouldn’t be
pregnant in high school.
Question 2: What do you think should be done to stop the increase?
To give away free condoms
and and have more
classes on how bad being
pregnant is.
Page Editor:
Allison Totten
about sex, which could or could not encourage a student to
have sex. When the teen and adults were asked, “Don’t have
sex, but if you do, you should use birth control or protection”,
53 percent of teens and 50 percent of adults said that did
not encourage teens but the other 44 percent of teens and
46 percent of adults said it did encourage teens to have sex.
“Adults tell us no -a forbidden fruit- yet we hear “how great
it is” from the media and friends,” said junior Brandi Mieras on how
teens are being sent mixed messages on sex and teen pregnancy.
Another big reason teenagers may be
getting pregnant is that the social norms are different
than they used to be. About 25 percent of adults
and 29 percent of teens said that teen pregnancy
and parenthood was now considered “No big deal.”
As the social norms may have changed,
the amount of media teens are ingesting
is increasing steadily. Few would disagree
that media helps shape the social script of
teenagers’ lives- what’s hot, what’s not, and
what behavior seems “normal.” Teens seem to spend plenty of
time, consuming media that is helping shape their social script.
“It influences people to do what everyone else
is doing and what the media is saying and I personally
don’t believe its right,” said senior Kendra Evers.
Research from the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests
that adolescents aged eight to 18 spend more than forty hours
each week consuming media. Even so, how the media sets the
social script for teens may be more nuance than many realize.
If a student happens to get pregnant while still
in school, they can talk to their guidance counselors.
Sloan and Gulch also agreed that the school provides a
“safe place to land”. They also provide information on agencies
that provide assistance. There is a Pregnancy Group, that
Gulch and Mrs. Hulbert, giving girls an opportunity to talk about
concerns, fears, etc. and to share with others in the same boat.
Lastly, they say that young men and young women need to
make better choices and decision about sex. Their actions will not
only affect their lives, but more importantly, the life of a child they
may be creating.
have different people each issue and also different questions. The questions will range
from different topics, examples of that the question topics could be related to sports to
music or to school. If you have any concerns with this “Five on Five” please contact the
newspaper by e-mail at journalism@wayland.k12.mi.us or by phone at 269-792- 2254.
One person does it and
then everyone else does it.
They need to learn by
experience.
People should use
contraceptives.
Question 3: What do you think is the biggest reason teens do not use contraception?
Don’t have it or don’t have
money to buy it.
Don’t think they have to
and they don’t think it could
happen to them.
Question 4: Do you think the media should show more consequences of sex and pregnancy?
Yeah.
Question 5: Do you think teens should be given a strong message to not have sex until they are least out of high school?
Yeah, they would know it’s
wrong and to finish
education before doing
anything.
S
o
p
h
m
o
r
e
Because people aren’t
being safe.
More education.
Because they don’t have it
or they think it’s stupid.
Yeah.
Yeah,
doesn’t affect as much.
J
u
n
i
o
r
“It influences people to do
what everyone else is doing
and what the media is saying
and I personally don’t believe
its right,”
-senior Kendra Evers.
Alana Cole Sarah Gulch Shelby Baker Amanda Weaver
I feel that more people are
having sex because it’s no
big deal.
More contraception
instead of abstinence.
Because they don’t think
they can get them or
they don’t think its a big
deal.
Yes.
I think so,
or if you’re going to do it
then have safe sex.
S
e
n
i
o
r
Yes.
Yes for sure. They don’t
realize the responsibilities.
T
e
a
c
h
e
r
Mrs. Martus
It’s sad because teens
need to be teens, not
parents.
Abstinence has to be the
reality. There also has to
be better parent
communications.
Teens are smart but they
just don’t think.
They need to show more
downside of teens having
babies.
Yes, so young and so
much more to do in life
than being a young
parent.