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I was listening in on an adolescent conversation as I awaited my bus this morning. The topic was divorce, or perhaps marriage? But the discussion consisted of reasons why couples should not marry; ever. This was a conversation that took my thought took my thoughts into overdrive. I could not fathom how this group, of no older than thirteen years, could even begin to understand the odds and ends of a obtaining a successful marriage.  They shared ideas such as “why would you want to spend money on an expensive ring, when it’s just for show”, and “there’s no point in wasting time getting married, just stay with that person for a while and have kids because if you piss of your lady she can take half of everything”. In these types of situations the question is no longer where do these children get this, because society has established that the fault is due partially to the media, but the new issue at hand becomes: where are the parents and what are they doing about it?

What do teens know vs. what they think the know? There are a bunch arguments being made today based on media and the information that is being fed to the youth. I personally suggest that the problem has emerged elsewhere. The attention should be drawn closer to the ‘parental controls’ from which these medias are distributed around or even to their kids; t.v. shows, movies, magazines, internet, newspapers and etc.

For example, a survey done through the New York Times newspaper had revealed that 50% of kids enrolled in United State Schooling System have televisions in their bedrooms, and 70% of our populations third graders in this country have televisions in their bedrooms. This same study had also revealed that students without bedroom televisions perform substantially better on school administrated tests and exams. Imagine what these kids are watching on late-night t.v., and do these kids have accessibility to the parental controlled programs after hours that they wouldn’t normally have access to otherwise? The amount of media usage has drastically increased from 2004 to today. In 2009, children between the ages of 8-18 had acquired 1 hour and 17 minutes more then they had in 2004.

As active parents, institution faculty, and leaders of this media frenzied country it is our new responsibility to modify the amount and explicitness of the media reaching our children.

“Dirty dancing” seems to have been taking over high schools all over the district of Pennsylvania, as well as other states across the country, over the past four to five years. School districts such as Lampeter Strasburg, Manheim Township, JP McCaskey, and Donegal have started taking measures like flashing down the “dirty dancers” with bright lights, sending kids to time-out or even home, only permitting face-to-face dancing, checking inappropriate dress, and in extreme cases canceling the dances altogether.

The reoccurring issue between students, teachers, and dance chaperons regarding the modern style of dancing known as “grinding” has mostly been under wraps. This fall the Lampeter Strasburg Administration reconsidered the opportunity for their high school students to have a homecoming dance.

This years homecoming dance for Lampeter Strasburg seemed to be a lot less than possible to have, partially due to a lack of volunteer chaperons willing to deal with the teens and their “dirty dancing”. Apparently it takes more then simply asking the students to stop the inappropriate jirading. The students seem to be forming tight circles around the naughty dancers prohibiting the chaperons to get through. Not only do students refuse to stop dancing in the ways hat they choose, but the previous Lampeter Strasburg event planner had quit her job because she claimed that the girls bending over an rubbing their torsos against members of the opposite sex was just too offensive for her liking. Multiple members of this event planning committee believe that this is the reason why teachers and parents refuse to put up with the responsibilities that go along with volunteering to chaperon high school dancing events.

At Manheim Township High School their principal, Ms. Mitchell, has demonstrated no tolerance what-so-ever for the crude grinding amongst her high school students. Her opinion and has been made public in the Blue Streak News channel and newspaper at the school.She has reportedly taken away the music that promotes grinding (hip-hop & rap) from the campus dances. With statements like these, students are sure to rebel. Refusing to allow certain types of music that may or may not ‘promote’ this new dance fad may not be a successful resolution in hopes to end the inappropriate dance style. If students wish to grind, then they will with any style of music that may be playing.

Recently in the J.P McCaskey high school buildings their principal has made a public announcement about their ‘no grinding policy’. He has stated that there will be absolutely NO grinding permitted and students that do not abide by the new dancing rules will be kicked out of the dance without warning. Not only has the new rules been announced over the high school’s loud speaker, but apparently informational letters are being sent home with the students one week prior to the homecoming dance.

At J.P McCaskey this years chaperons will also be equipped with flashlights and the regulations for the ideal homecoming attire. Their dress code consists of males wearing socks and closed toed shoes, while females dresses have an appropriate length and not too much skin being shown weather it be below the dress, or back and cleavage. This type of dress will not be permitted and will also result in an immediate exit. Their has not yet been anything determined on weather these students will be disciplined in school after the dances, but it would not be surprising if the schools would.

Warwick High School is requiring their students to dance face-to-face on the dance floor of the homecoming event. On the back of every homecoming ticket sold at Warwick, a list of the rules and regulations are attached. Similar to Donegal High School, these two schools will be sending kids on time-out of the posted rules are broken. It seems as though Ephrata High School has been attempting to enforce these same rules for several years now, and because of their student population refusing to abide, they have limited their usual dance events from three to two.

It is not surprising that all of the schools in the Lancaster area are fed up with the styles of high school dancing, hopefully the fact they they are rallying together will show the student bodies how serious the problem really is. The uproar between students and chaperons could go either way. Students may begin to realize that the new policies are not a joke, or they can continue to dance as they please while they argue that “it really is just the way we dance”!

The endless battle seems like it’ll never end. If it’s not about oil, land or money then it’s religion, foreign policy, or human rights. This particular issue happens to boil down to religion and faith. What’s wrong versus what’s right; but who goes to say which is which? This September 11th anniversary should have been devoted to the remembrance of the original mark that the September 11th of 2001 has made on our country. Instead, it seems as though plenty of Americans are far more interested in revenge of the Islamic people for the terror that they had once bestowed us and our country. To these angry Americans it looks like the problem is to whom do we due the punishment, as well as what do we owe them. The latest issue is that our country is attempting to hold someone accountable for our pain and grief. It seems that it has been decided by the people of the United States that instead of a country being held responsible for  the terror that once reined in New York City, it would be a type of people.. Muslims. Although the noise of ‘the burning of the Quran’ has gone on for quite a while, there hasnot yet been any report of the actual act. The American pastor that had elegidly come up with this rechid idea has obviously come to his senses as to not burn the Quran, which is an important symbol to the Islamic race. In the end, the burning of the Quran could have simply been an anniversary of relief for ourselves as American citizens, or mistaken for a minor act of terror toward another culture or religious piece.