"Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don't." - Earl Wilson

How old are you?

I think that question can be answered in several different ways. You have a chronological age, which is just a number based on the calendar days between your birth and the present. But it's just a number.

There must be something like what I'll call one's functional age. If we took all the people in the U.S. with the same calendar age and came up with a way to measure their function we'd rate them on things like physical strength, flexibility, cardio-vascular health, BMI, and the like. Then we could measure ourselves against that average (or would it be the mean?) and conclude a person of a specific chronological age is functionally older or younger than that number with re. to their functional age.

It seems like we could do the same thing with mental age. It would be harder and it wouldn't have any relationship to IQ. We'd measure memory, mental dexterity, critical thinking skills, the ability to do Sudoku puzzles....

Is there a cultural age? Could we find a way to quantify things like familiarity with smart phones, current events, key figures on the world scene, and this week's boy band?

All of this should be done with at least some empirical basis, not like those Facebook self-tests that ask, "What dog are you?" And agreeing on the standards in each category would keep the experts busy until their chronological age had hit "terminus." But if we were to do a thumbnail and rather unscientific measurement of your age in each of these categories and collate them, how old are you?

And the point of all this: could you / should you be younger than you are? A year is a terrible thing to waste, and as they say, it's not about the years in your life but the life in your years. Pam and I live in a community full of chronologically old people, many of whom are also old in preventable ways. They're missing out on life IMO, and aren't a lot of fun to be around. Others belie their chronological age and are as active physically, mentally, and socially as they can be. Noel's body is suffering from the effects of ALS but he stays young and engaged mentally, culturally, and socially.

I want to die young. I have limited control over my body (melanoma shows up and I gotta deal with it), my mind is going to deteriorate (further) as I age, and I'm still thinking Boyz ii Men. But to the extent I can I want to stay young. It seems like good stewardship of what God has given me - body, mind and soul. Besides, it's more fun than the erosion of disuse.

What's the difference between *W.P.H.S. and yogurt?

(an editorial by Josh MacDonald, senior)

The difference between WPHS and yogurt is that yogurt has an active culture. 
Every student to pass through this school is exposed to a minimal amount of fine literature. Whether a student goes through Honors English classes or just the basic courses, all students are required to read at least four classic literary works.
Is this really enough? This doesn't even cover all of the best known authors.
All English teachers would agree that fine literature is an important part of a good education. In order to appreciate it a certain amount of time and effort must be given to the work. It has value in that it produces thinking, reflective individuals. Good literature has a way of broadening the reader's pattern of thinking. It forces the reader to venture out of their normal routine. Yet students are only required to read a very small amount of this kind of literature.
The other fine arts (visual and performing) are equally necessary for personal advancement. Each of these make a unique contribution to personal development. Each one speaks to us in a different way.
Visual arts (painting and sculpture) offer a way for the artist to convey his message differently to each person without saying anything. The viewer must travel into the world of the artist in order to fully understand the art. The performing arts (theatre and music), on the other hand, let the performers interpret the piece however they wish. The piece still has the same central meaning, but the person presenting it can add to the effect in his own individual way. The spectator then applies it to himself and is force to deliberate in the possibilities.
Since all of these forms of fine art are equal, why don't we require a class in which all aspects are explored? Our school's mission statement says that students should be "prepared to live in and contribute to a rapidly changing world." Our entire education is based on outcome and mastering basic skills. Why don't we teach students to understand and enjoy the works of previous societies?
If we do not start teaching people how to enjoy the fine arts, these arts will eventually become extinct. Our world will be full of people who don't know the difference between Handel and handle. In order to fully, "contribute to a rapidly changing world," one must first comprehend how previous people have valuably contributed to our world. 
Use the Culture Quiz below to test yourself.
 - Josh MacDonald

*Wyoming Park High School