Question of the Week: Driving things out of your life

Mark Borges, Freshman, Hughson High School

Well, where do I begin? Violence, disease, bullying, bad people, homework. ... However, even though there are a lot of things in life I would get rid of, there's a lot I wouldn't change, either.

Annie Mathews, Senior, Gregori High School

I would drive out prejudice. Some people seem to think that racial, sexual and religious prejudice have died out in America's schools. They are wrong; I know, because I see it all the time. It comes in the form of a cruel word shouted out in the hallways. A joke made in the back of the classroom, just loud enough so that the students but not the teacher can hear. We can pass laws that ban hate, but erasing it from people's hearts is another matter entirely. If we can teach ourselves to think before we speak, realize who's listening and who might be hurt by our words, we will be halfway there. It's not the environmentalist on the soap box, but the person who picks up a piece of trash who really makes the world a better place.

Anna Fogarty, Junior, Central Catholic High School

Anyone who could rid the world of mosquitoes would be legendary in my book.

Pauline Cepeda, Junior, Pitman High School

If I could drive anything out of my life, it'd definitely be procrastination. It's any teenager's greatest downfall. Seriously. It starts with an innocent act of putting off work until the very last minute. Then, you stay up until 2 a.m. doing that work. Next, you go to school tired. Then, when you get home, all you do is sleep because you're so tired. But because you slept, you inadvertently put off work until the very last minute again. It's a vicious cycle. If I could, I would definitely drive it out of my life.

Dominique Germann, Senior, Central Valley High School

Besides homework, violence would be a close second.

This question is answered by members of Teens in the Newsroom, a journalism program for area high-school students.