Unfortunately, as unfair as it may be, teachers who teach the same classes often teach completely differently, giving some students advantages and others disadvantages.

 This is not to say that all teachers are easy, hard or teach differently compared to their counterparts. Most teachers who teach the same class as others have uniform assignments, quizzes, projects and tests.

 According to social studies resource teacher Rodney Van Tassell, within each department teachers are further subdivided into professional learning communities (PLCs) based on what classes they teach.

 Within PLCs, teachers then create lesson plans and assessments. Although tests do not have to be exactly the same, they must be based off common material, carry the same weight and be worth equal points.

 All teachers should be required to give out the same tests. If teachers are teaching the same material, the tests on this material should be identical.

 According to Principal Joan Benz, teachers do not have to give out the same tests in order to give teachers flexibility.

 However, flexibility should be limited to lesson plans and styles, not assessments. When assessments are different, one is usually inadvertently harder.

 According to Van Tassell, although tests should be given out on the same date, there is flexibility over when to give out quizzes.

 Although some flexibility is needed, this can be especially frustrating when students feel unprepared for a quiz and see that their peers have the same quiz on a later date.

 According to Benz, if the administration notices that a teacher is teaching differently, they will work with resource teachers and PLCs to figure out why and correct the problem. However, Benz does acknowledge that certain teachers receive more complaints of being hard or easy than others.

 Although all teachers are different and have their own teaching style, there must be a balance between allowing a teacher to teach the way he or she wishes and keeping the difficulty level the same.

 If students feel that their teacher is teaching differently than the rest, Benz advises them to anonymously drop a note in her mailbox.

 Classes must be taught equally. In many cases, earning an A is easier with some teachers than others, and that is simply not right.

  You had me worried for a second. I thought our country was in shambles, but apparently it’s not. If you could take the time out of your busy schedule to declare pizza a vegetable, then we must be in fantastic shape. If both Republicans and Democrats were able to come together and declare that one of America’s favorite foods is now a healthy and nutritious treat, then we must be in a state of perfect health.

 Please ignore the fact that my parent’s tax bill is more expensive than my college tuition will be. Also, don’t mind the fact that I might not be able to pay off my student loans, because of the wonderful debt that our country is in. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t know that pizza is now on the food pyramid as a healthy source of vegetables that will enable me to flourish and develop into the young lady my parents want me to be.

 It’s truly inspiring to know that you declared pizza a vegetable after Mrs. Obama mentioned that she wanted to make school lunches healthier. I don’t know what I would do without you. The thought of not consuming pizza really made me cringe. But now, not only can I eat pizza at school, but I can also tell my mom I ate my vegetables.

 I’m sure Mrs. Obama is just giddy about this new law of yours. Now instead of worrying that we’re going to explode because we eat too many hamburgers and too much fried chicken, she can be sure that if we eat 3,040 calories of one plain cheese pizza we will only see positive effects, because we’re eating vegetables, which means that we’re overdosing on healthy nutrients.

 And by the way, I always thought that tomatoes were fruit. When I was in elementary school, my fourth grade teacher noticed I had difficulty spelling the word “vegetable.” She wrote it out on the board multiple times, broke it down into syllables and defined the meaning of fruits and of vegetables. She made it abundantly clear that fruits are items of food that grow seeds. For instance, an apple is fruit, an avocado is a fruit, peppers are fruit and most importantly tomatoes are fruit. She taught me, on the other hand, that vegetables are parts of plants that are edible. These vegetables do not include any seeds. So brussel sprouts, asparagus and spinach are all vegetables. So, sorry Ms. Varno, all of your years teaching about the major differences in produce have now been proven illegitimate by a misinformed Congress.

 I came here to let you know that I am proud to live in a nation that cares about its citizens, a nation that will go to great lengths to defend food agencies and ultimately look out for its citizens. I, along with most children in this country, want to thank you for defending our livelihood. Our pizza-eating days will never be over thanks to you. Maybe diabetes rates will rise immensely, but it won’t matter because we’ll be eating vegetables and vegetables are good for you. Just one suggestion. Next time, when you’re passing a bill that is meant to impact schools and children all over the country, please look at a dictionary. Even my kid brother knows that tomatoes are fruit.

Sincerely,

Natalia Derechin

 The only sounds one should find in a media center should come from the rustling of flipped pages, muted footsteps, and the occasional whispered question to a media center specialist or friend. However, studiers in our school media center will instead find loud iPhone versus Droid debates and tedious monologues detailing the lame sophomore party that happened last weekend. These pointless conversations are distracting and inhibit successful studying. The media center is not meant for this much social interaction.

 According to media specialist Paige Pagley, the media center staff counted over 500 students walking in to the media center in one lunch period. This means that in one lunch period, one fourth of the CHS student population ambled into the media center, and probably most of those kids were going in to study.

 Some members of the media center staff will go over to individuals to tell them to quiet down and enforce cell phone etiquette (talking on cell phones is not allowed in the library). These actions are a good start, but more needs to be done because the effect is only temporary since other students will quickly come in and keep up the noise level.

 The school is not designed for quiet, private spaces, but rather a collaborative work environment. The back of the media center is evidence of that as the tables promote groups, and these tables are where some of the noise is coming from. This noise is not productive when working together has nothing to do with schoolwork. These conversations can take place outside of the media center. According to Pagley, the purpose of a school media center is to provide a place for students to study, collaborate and work on projects.

 A proper library is quiet. Go to a public library and any conversation one would hear would be in soft, hushed tones. If those are too distracting, the library has the option of quiet study rooms. However, CHS should not have to build a new library with quiet study rooms or even implement a stricter noise policy.

 Some students say that there are other places in the school to study and get work done, like a quiet classroom. However, students who want to get work done should have one place in the school that they can go to escape the distractions of other students. None of the classrooms can top the media center’s valuable resources of books, computers and media center staff to answer questions.

 Students go into the media center to socialize with friends because of convenience. It is a steady meeting place that can become your high school niche. Do not let this happen. Instead of looking for your friends in the media center, try finding a nice locker cubby or table in the cafeteria to claim as your turf and daily lunch meeting place. Downstairs hallway floors are an ideal place to sit down, eat lunch and catch up with friends.

 These very same hallway floors are not ideal for studying or completing last night’s homework. These floors are uncomfortable for studying positions and have many distractions. Students do not need a table to lay out their lunch (or if they do, they have the cafeteria), but most students need a table to lay out their notes to study for tomorrow’s math quiz.

 To all CHS socialites, please leave the media center. Please take your conversations elsewhere so the library can be used for its actual purpose. Please find another spot to talk about last night’s Glee episode or the new Muppets movie, and let me study my appendicular skeleton notes in peace.

 Miley’s successful teen pop star story happens far too often, meaning something isn’t right. I am not convinced that 4 million album sales directly translate to 4 million fans ready and willing to pay to hear this girl sing.

 It seems to me, instead, that teens prefer to follow social trends in music rather than the music itself. Teen music trends range anywhere from the shrill shrieking of Justin Bieber to the club-pounding bass that electronic artists such as Avicii produce.

 This got me thinking. Teen music trends are caused by the typical teenager’s fear of social rejection and not an actual and valid appreciation of the music.

 Everything is a business, including the music industry. If all record labels have to do to sell albums is get teens to follow their new trend instead of actually creating good music, then that’s all they will do. We could be at the end of an era in good music.

 Furthermore, although every music genre will have its devout followers, seemingly half of every fan base is composed of the average teen just following his or her friends. What posers.

 A prime example of the disastrous effects of these mass music trends is the result of a huge emergence of a musical technique known as auto-tune. Whether you hear it from artists as “rebellious” as Ke$ha or the rappers like the high-pitched T-Pain, almost every artist nowadays has taken his or her shot at an auto-tune song at least once.

 I say this with complete honesty: every auto-tuned voice sounds the same. I don’t know if it’s due to the fact that all of Kesha’s songs are about how much she loves her absurd lifestyle of partying and drinking, or that she sings in the almost exact same auto-tuned melody in each track, but telling the difference between that woman’s songs is more difficult than the taking SAT.

 Kesha’s auto-tune “music” is living proof not only that most of today’s artists lack originality, but that teens will still follow their music, regardless of their all too apparent lack of talent.

 Maybe our current situation in music means that our parents aren’t completely wrong when they call our music senseless garbage.

 Next time you are listening to pop music on the radio, or are blasting a bass filled rap song through your ear bud headphones, stop and ask yourself, do I really enjoy this music, or am I just listening to it because everyone else is? Conformity is never the answer. Rebel against the system, CHS.

 Even just a decade ago, when we were still little kids, toys were less complex. Simple pleasures like LEGOs, action figures, stuffed animals and blocks were satisfying. While kids today still play with these kinds of toys, they are declining in popularity. Of course, when we were younger we played with electronic toys too, but these toys, like Ferbie and Pokémon, were relatively simple.

 A recent stroll through Toys “R” Us revealed noticeable changes in the environment of the store from how we might remember it. Stuffed animals are stiff, mechanical, and recycle one of five catchphrases if squeezed. “Rock Star Mickey” will sing songs to toddlers, but cannot be played with. The “Dunk and Cheer” basketball hoop will simulate cheering on behalf of the parent when toddlers score a basket. “Dance with Me Baby” will dance to any song on an mp3 player connected to it. The once small electronics aisle of the store has expanded into a dominant and growing corner that shoppers feel obligated to visit before they exit.

 The toys we played with as children seemed to have fewer instructions and were used to foster the imagination, encouraging kids to play for hours on end. Now, toys rely on keeping kids’ attentions with lights and sounds. The most obnoxious example of this is iPhone apps for young children. With action figures, dolls and simple stuffed animals, kids were once in control of playtime. Now, toys are in control; when the batteries are dead, playtime is over.

 At Toys “R” Us, Beanie Babies have been replaced by Webkinz. While Beanie Babies allowed kids to develop a story line and personality for the toy, Webkinz requires a child to go on a computer to learn about the toy’s character, and the actions are limited by the online environment and options.

 Toys “R” Us has an entire section of the store known as the “Imaginarium Learning Center” devoted to educational products. And then there’s the “Smart Screen Laptop” (advertised for children ages six months and older) and the “Developmental Activity Gym” (appropriate for children starting at age 0+ according to the box). This trend puts unnecessary pressure on parents that all toys must be supporting educational development or their children will fall behind. If you think you feel pressured, picture the class of 2022 that will have experienced a childhood dominated by educational “toys.” It is a scary thought.

 This holiday season, go out and get a traditional toy—whether it is a LEGO, a Barbie, or a G.I. Joe—they may not be around much longer. If you are buying a toy for a younger sibling or child, try to get something that requires the use of imagination instead of electricity. Do it for the lonely stuffed bear you know you have in the back of your closet. Do it for your childhood.

When everyone else in the class would ask, “When are we ever going to need this in life?” I took expansive notes on “real politik” and the rises and falls of the empires in history. Their ignorance was my bliss.

My system of “moneyball,” the name creatively taken from the recent Brad Pitt film, revolved around using the “real politik” strategies of famous statesmen, such as Otto Von Bismarck, as well as the Roman and Ottoman Empire’s rise to prominence.

In the mid-19th Century, Bismarck made it his goal to unite the Germanic states into a unified German republic. He allied with Austria to wage war on Denmark in order to win back land and then did a complete 180 and waged war on Austria. He was all about uniting his country through political actions that may have gone against his personal beliefs.

Idealism is for losers. Any good fantasy football player can tell you this. While it’s admirable to stockpile players from your favorite team while avoiding any players from your rival team, Bismarck would not approve.

As a Saints fan, I always used to have Drew Brees on my team, even if this meant a mid season trade that cost me many valuable players. It was about pride to me, but as Marcellus Wallace told Butch in Pulp Fiction, “The night of the fight you might feel a slight sting. That’s pride [expletive-ing] with you. [Expletive] pride.”

While Drew Brees was available on the day of the draft, I opted instead to take a running back on the rise (LeSean McCoy). I drafted a quarterback in the fifth round nobody would risk taking (Matthew Stafford). And with the top record in the league and trade talks starting for Brees, I said no and stuck with what worked.

Fantasy Football may have ruined my fanhood, but I’ll take a successful Fantasy Football season with a little monetary incentive over minimal bragging rights associated with my favorite team. Bismarck would approve.

The Ottoman and Roman empires expanded greatly because of cutting edge strategies and great leadership. My moneyball and real politik strategies were both cutting edge. I wouldn’t want to boast about me being a leader comparable to Julius Caesar or Sullieman, but my league leading record speaks for itself.

It was in the days of doodling and idolizing Drew Brees that my fantasy football success was minimal. Now my fantasy team, “Charles Mulligan,” looks to wreak havoc on the other teams in my league the same way Germany did over its rivals after it united.

 Students have made groups on Facebook for many classes so that they can ask each other questions and benefit from the collaboration of other classmates. Some students, however, need to be more responsible with their actions on these pages, which are being misused.

 Since teachers do not mediate the activity of the majority of these groups, student discussion can quickly evolve into cheating. When students post the answers to homework assignments to compare with their peers, they are allowing every student who is part of the group to copy their work. In addition, students sometime discuss test problems in the Facebook group after they take it, allowing others who missed the test that day to see the questions in advance.

 Although a student who posted in the group may not have realized that he was giving answers, both the sender and receiver of information are at fault and punishable according to the honor code. Students should be aware of the possible consequences of their actions and should be responsible enough to avoid compromising their academic integrity on a website as easily traceable as Facebook.

 These groups also create an excess of notifications to the point that they are much more distracting than helpful. Even when the posts may be asking legitimate questions, the endless comments from students usually have no relevance to the original topic. In one group for a class for example, there were over 60 notifications that consisted mostly of two students mocking each other.

 Students also waste time on these groups by boasting about their grades. It is okay to be proud of a good grade, but a Facebook group for an AP class is not the place to share it. In some cases, students seem to post their scores just to brag and belittle others. If a student asks the group how much a test will be curved, others somehow think that they should answer with a list of their great grades that do not need to be curved.

 Class groups provide students with an invaluable opportunity to learn, but the nonsense that has taken over these groups limits the possible benefits. Students should stop misusing these groups if they truly want to be productive; otherwise they are just wasting their time.

 Fortunately, these types of jokes and comments can happen because we live in a tolerant society, where we think prejudice is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, this great society is also the place where public opinions on a lot of very complex topics are formed too quickly and without much fact checking.

 Among the complex problems that are typically reduced to brief statements is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The history of the Middle East, its inhabitants, and its animosities is very complex and takes up many volumes. However, because many falsehoods are constantly leveled against Israel to create prejudices, it is important to clarify some of these fallacies.

 First, for all of the people who argue that Israel doesn’t allow the existence of a Palestinian State, the official position of the Israeli and U.S. governments is that a separate homeland for the Palestinian people should exist. President Obama said it during his speech in Cairo on June 4, 2009, and Prime Minister Netanyahu endorsed the creation of a Palestinian State on June 14, 2009 at a speech at Bar Ilan University.

 The real differences between the parties related to this conflict have nothing to do with whether a homeland for the Palestinians should exist. The issue lies in that the Palestinians want their own state, but many also want the right to take over Israel. Not only that, but Palestinian refugees and their millions of descendants are also demanding to be given the right to return to Israel. This official position makes it clear that the Palestinian leaders want their own state but also want to take over Israel so they can make Israel disappear.

 Another incorrect assumption is that the Palestinians were kicked out of their land. This is not true. U.N. Resolution 181, the Partition Resolution passed in November 1947, called for the creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state on land, which at that point was run by the British, where Jews and Arabs had been living for thousands of years. Only the Jewish inhabitants agreed with the plan, while the Palestinians and other Arabs not only opposed the plan, but also threatened war.

 The Arabs and the Palestinians fulfilled their promise and launched a war against the Jews to prevent Israel from being realized, against the wishes of the nations of the world. When the Arab countries declared war on the Jewish territory, most of the Arab population left the territory voluntarily in order to avoid being attacked by the powerful armies of six Arab Countries as well as other Arab volunteers. Much to the surprise of the Muslim Arab side, the Jews were able to survive the initial onslaught and eventually win the war.

 The Palestinians have been unwilling to compromise more than once. In the summer of 2000, former President Clinton had Palestinian Leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli Leader Ehud Barak meet to negotiate peace. Even though the Clinton plan required Israel to give in to many unpleasant demands, former Prime Minister Barak accepted Clinton’s plan. Arafat refused, returned home, and launched a new terror campaign against Israeli civilians.

 Israel continued to offer the Palestinians all of Gaza and most of the West Bank and only requested a small Israeli annexation of land around three settlements which would be balanced by Israel giving up a similar sized area of Israeli territory that would have been given to the Palestinians. The Palestinians again refused the offer.

 If the Arabs and the Palestinian leadership had accepted the will of the UN in 1947 instead of attacking Israel, or if the Palestinians had accepted the Clinton Plan in 2000, a Palestinian state would already exist next to Israel, and this issue would be moot.

 Another misleading statement is that Israel is an apartheid state. Israel is not only the only true democracy in the region, but Israel is a country where many Arab ministers take part in Israel’s government institutions. Also, there are Arab Justices in the Israeli Supreme Court, and every Israeli, regardless of religion, is granted state-sponsored education at Israeli universities.

 Compare this to when Maen Arakat, the Palestinian representative to the United States said in an interview to Tablet Magazine, an online Jewish magazine, that any Jew within the borders of a new Palestinian state should “absolutely” be required to leave.

 Only 8 million Israelis, 6 million of whom are Jews, live in Israel while close to 500 million Arabs live in the same area. According to the Guardian, some Arab leaders, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have sworn to “wipe Israel from the map.” Is it any wonder that Israel is demanding the proper security guarantees before agreeing to anything?

 This complex problem rests not on the issue of whether Israel should allow for a Palestinian homeland, but whether the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world will continue to try to destroy Israel or let it thrive in peace. The Israeli government allowing a Palestinian State to exist without the right security guarantees is like playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded pistol.

 According to a Sept. 23 Washington Post article, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas submitted a bid to the UN requesting that Palestine be recognized as an official state. Statehood would give Palestine greater legal and political power, more clout in the international arena, and the ability to try Israeli soldiers in International Criminal Court.

 The US, a member of the Security Council, has veto power, and there is no doubt that President Obama will use it to block Palestinian statehood to ensure he receives the Jewish vote in the upcoming national election.

 This veto will be extremely hypocritical because meanwhile, the US is supporting an “Arab Spring” in the Middle East, and Obama has pushed for Israel and Palestine to resume peace talks.

 According to a Sept. 21 New York Times article, it was Obama who opened the door for Palestine statehood in 2009, yet now he is threatening to veto the bid.

 Why does Israel have the right to be considered a country when Palestine does not? The land belonged to them both at one point. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 took the land from Palestinians and gave it to the Jewish people. Israel has the right to exist, but the reason the people of the Middle East are so frustrated with the US is because the country always seems to favor Israel.

 According to the Times article, Obama stated that peace will not be achieved through U.N. resolutions, but one of the major purposes of the UN is to create and enforce peace.

 Israel’s current government is making negotiations unnecessarily difficult. Its view is that by letting the displaced Palestinian refugees return home, Israel will get eventually overwhelmed by Muslims, yet Israel keeps building settlements the UN has declared illegal on Palestinian land—something the international community has repeatedly asked Israel to stop.

 The peace talks have not produced results, so the Palestinian leaders will try for something else—recognition. According to a Sept. 18 BBC News poll, 49 percent of the world population support Palestinian statehood and 21 percent oppose it, and 45 percent of Americans support it and 36 percent oppose it.

 Recently UNESCO, a U.N. cultural organization, gave Palestine membership in their organization with 107 countries in favor and 14 opposed. The vote was met with “rapturous applause,” according to an Oct. 31 BBC News article. As a result of the membership, the US cut funding to UNESCO. Really? Deprive an organization that benefits everyone around the world just for being democratic. And according to a Nov. 2 article, Israel has accelerated the settlement-building process in the West Bank in response and held Palestinian tax revenues. Even the EU policy chief Catherine Ashton called this “an obstacle to peace.”

 The common argument against recognizing Palestine is that terrorist groups like Hamas will gain power, but Hamas opposes statehood as well.

 According to Wire Update, a pro-Israel news source, Hamas opposes statehood on the principle that it is simply a “tactical” move that does not secure anything. Hamas wants an entirely Arab-Palestine state—which is wrong as well—so giving Palestine statehood alongside Israel would be the first step in centralizing Palestine, organizing it, and taking control from terrorists like Hamas that kill innocent civilians.

 And let’s not forget that Israel is just as responsible for Palestinian civilian deaths.Yes, Jews are outnumbered in the area by Muslims, but that does not mean they are the only victims.

 According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between 1987 and 2000 there have been 6,385 Palestinian civilians killed by Israelis and 1,503 Israeli civilians killed by Palestinians.

 Unnecessary loss of life is painful regardless of the numbers, but it’s frustrating when Israel plays the innocent victim. Terrorism exists on both sides. The Gaza blockade, which according to a May 28, 2008 Reuters article, the UN declared illegal and former President Jimmy Carter called an “atrocity,” proves that.

 Because of the community we live in, it seems taboo to support Palestine, but most people around the world do. They’re not all terrorists, or Muslims for that matter. We will look foolish when Obama says no.

 It comes down to a basic question of human rights. The Zionists wanted a state made up of their own people, and they received one. The Palestinians are asking for the same thing. If it was okay for the Jewish people over 90 years ago, it should be okay for the Palestinians today.

The NFL Thanksgiving Classic has been a tradition since 1967, but professional football has been played on this day since the late 19th Century. The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions are Thanksgiving day staples; both teams have played in almost every game since the Classic’s inception. This is undoubtedly a historically rich event that attracts millions of fans, but it detracts from the whole Thanksgiving spirit.

On Thanksgiving day, generally the women are in the kitchen preparing the feast while the men are loafing on the couch watching the game. If Thanksgiving is all about family and togetherness, then football is the wedge that drives it apart. It causes a gender separation that goes against the entire principle of the gathering. This is obviously not always the case, but it is sadly often true.

If there was only one game, I would not mind. Ideally, there would be an early afternoon game to ease into the rest of the day. Yet for some inexplicable reason, the NFL decides to cram three games into the TV schedule, each craftily throughout the course of the day. My football watching capacity will be more stuffed than the poor turkey roasting away in the oven.

Just when it seemed that football on TV is enough, there is more. The casual Thanksgiving football game amongst friends is long-storied tradition that will not soon die. It is a way to blow off some steam by tackling or two-hand touching your friends and family. However, some people take it too far.

Competition between teams can escalate, resulting in trash-talking and unnecessarily disrespectful celebratory touchdown dances. Nobody likes the guy who actually tried his hardest and bragged about his six rushing touchdowns at dinner.

The most ridiculous part about Thanksgiving football has to be the day’s MVP, known as the Galloping Gobbler. Birthed by the great John Madden, the Galloping Gobbler is awarded to the NFL player whose performance stood head-and-shoulders above the rest. There’s nothing wrong with a little recognition, but the game announcers never fail to mention the award every 20 minutes. Either they are really captivated by who will win this silly hardware or it’s a longstanding joke to see how many times they can say the words “Galloping Gobbler” in one broadcast. My hope is that it is the latter and that these men have some sense of humor.

And if this was not bad enough, an annoying turkey that is supposed to represent the Galloping Gobbler comes on before and after each commercial break with a robotic gobble that sounds like bad dubstep.

This year, the NFL season also coincides with Christmas Day. Usually dominated by NBA basketball, Christmas Day will now be a sports bonanza, leaving very little time to enjoy the real meaning of the holiday.

The NFL should do us all a favor and only play one game on Thanksgiving; don’t steal the pilgrims’ thunder.