Banned Books Shield Students From The Most Important Lessons

Anushri Venkatesh

Every year, hundreds of more books make it onto the Banned Books List. In fact, just in 2020, more than two hundred and seventy books were added to the list; most of them for use of offensive language and sensitive topics. 

When a book is banned by a certain organization, it is prohibited in school reading lists, libraries, and bookstores in that area. Even though it is not illegal to read a banned book, access to the book in that certain area is very limited, which makes it almost impossible to read. 

Opinion: Leigh Shouldn’t Be Ranking Students

Neve Apte

Every so often, a student logs into Aeries and sees a statistic perhaps even more ominous than their GPA or letter grades – their class rank. As of right now, Leigh still still ranks their students,  even though many other high schools have stopped,due to the undue stress and unhealthy competition that stems from it. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 40% of high schools stopped ranking students, or at least didn’t share the information with colleges. While class rankings are potentially more beneficial for college applications, many students at Leigh agree that it should not be kept due to the unnecessary risks it brings with it.

Opinion: Distance Learning Technology Is Not Intuitive

Anonymous

As the fall semester comes to an end, students and staff review the two new distance learning platforms we have adopted for this school year— Canvas and Zoom. Based on an anonymous survey sent out to the school, the responses were generally positive, but not without criticism. 

Opinion: Cultural Appropriation Trends

Dhwani Maroo

From Kim Kardashian and Rihanna to Halloween, cultural appropriation has been playing a big factor in all present-day events. The whole modern pop industry is being influenced by taking specific factors from a culture in such a way which doesn’t honor their actual meaning, strengthening stereotypes and marginalization of minorities in society. 2020 has been the year of fighting against inequality, so where can you see these cultural appropriation trends?