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  • A

    Andre RothNov 13, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    I agree with Kelly.

    Reply
  • T

    Tyler MalbreauxNov 12, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    Concerning Tom Lyle’s response,

    I would like to make something very clear. I am NOT an atheist. The tone of your comment seems to convey the underlying assumption that just because I wrote an article on why chapel at AES is hated by nearly everyone implies that I do not believe in God. I do not understand how you can draw that conclusion, but your response serves as a perfect example of how uniformed people draw such hasty generalizations.

    Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I would like to address some of the biggest flaws with your argument. You talk about how break is not necessary for one to develop intellectually, morally, etc. and how you did not have recess during school, which resulted in you becoming the person you are today. I understand the absence of a break does not hinder a person from growing in such arbitrary aspects. However, once the privilege of break is established and becomes part of the normal routine, students began to adapt to having it everyday. This is why when chapel extends past its time limit, students react to it harshly. Again, I am only stating a fact in my article and I am reiterating it here. Students do NOT like it when they are deprived of their anticipated break just because a lector is giving a speech that almost no one is actually listening to. Sorry for the harsh dose of reality, but it’s true.

    Secondly, I think Jake Harper did an excellent job of refuting your comparison of dinner and Eucharist. You state how they are “analogous” to each other, when in fact you are merely comparing apples to oranges. Why? Because I CHOSE ( keyword ‘chose’) to go to a friend’s house and partake in eating dinner with that family. I do not CHOOSE to go to Eucharist, and therefore, it is not rude to decline receiving the bread and wine especially if a person is of a different religious belief. I do not think it is of the Christian nature to forcefully impose a religious belief onto someone else who clearly is a non- believer. Again, I am not saying this as an atheist, but as someone who simply disagrees with a group of people that just so happen to be Christian.

    Clearly, Mr. Lyles, you make some very fallacious points in your argument. But what I find to be the most disturbing aspect, is that you directed your entire response to me. The amount of times the word “you” appears in your comment is obscene. Like when you say, “you may, as an individual, not care at all about having a Christian environment, but as an intelligent young man, you should be able to recognize where you are…”

    Are you trying to address me directly in your entire response? As I have stated three times already, my article points to problems that exist and that I have noticed with the student body’s attitude towards chapel. That is, the student body excluding myself. You see, the key difference between my article and your response is that my article was written with 200 something people in mind, while your comment was written with just your own personal experiences to revolve around. Not only that, but the fact that you only address me in your entire comment, denotes that you think I am wrong for writing the article in the first place. This article, just like the rest of my editorials, are simply an expression of an idea. And just because the student body feels this way, it does not make it more “childish”, like what you try to insinuate in your comment.

    Hopefully, you do not take this the wrong way. I am not trying to be derogatory by any means. I am only clarifying a topic that obviously you and Mr. Ducote have very strong feelings for (by the way, Mr. Ducote, calling Leighton’s statement ‘laughable’ is mildly ill mannered).
    Nevertheless, hopefully everyone (teachers and students) can take away something from the article and the 9 comments that followed.

    Sincerely, Tyler

    Reply
  • C

    Carson SandersNov 11, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    It just kills me that what last year was considered an enjoyable assembly of the student body to praise God is now considered the worst part of the day. Obviously chapel was not perfect last year, as seen by all the changes. It was not long enough or formal enough, but I feel we’ve taken it from one extreme to another. I miss the enrichment of teacher and student evolvement in telling us their interesting and personal stories of their experiences with Jesus, and the Friday religious music videos.

    I personally just feel that we’re all bored. We’re craving real conversations about the message, instead of an additional lecture to the many we receive in a day.

    And frankly, I don’t think the student body would be so sore about missing break time if we were engaged in the message we are being preached.

    Maybe that’s justified and maybe not.

    Thanks,
    Carson Sanders

    Reply
  • K

    Kelly jonesNov 11, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Straight up the people above me some serious article writing game

    Reply
  • T

    Taylor DucoteNov 11, 2014 at 1:59 am

    It is difficult to read some of these complaints about a shortened break and not find it humorous. And Leighton’s point about school being more difficult today than when Mr. Lyles went to school is just plain laughable. Firstly, this is a comparison of two experiences when the individual making the comparison knows little to nothing about one of the experiences. You seem to be completely unaware of the school that he attended and highly unsure of the time-frame in which he attended it.
    I can’t speak for Mr. Lyles, but I can provide my own experience. I graduated high school in 2008, so I believe that makes me the teacher who was most recently a high school student himself. Believe me, the workload that the average student at Ascension experiences is very similar to (if not slightly less than) that which I experienced in my high school career. At my high school, I attended 7 academic classes per day, every day of the week, with extracurricular activities meeting after school. There was no “break” in between classes other than the one for lunch, and we started classes substantially earlier. And the material certainly isn’t any more difficult today. (Spoiler alert: not much has changed in the areas of elementary mathematics, for example, in a few hundred years.) Oh, and by the way, Mr. Menard, I too attended a “college prep” school.

    Let me preface the rest of my remarks with a disclaimer: This is, in fact, my first year at Ascension Episcopal School, so my remarks about the school and it’s culture come from my limited experience thus far. Furthermore, I am not of the Episcopal faith, and so I most certainly do not speak on behalf of the school or the church in matters of the faith here. I can only provide my own personal take.
    It may be true that many parents and students decide on Ascension because of reasons other than religious ones. That doesn’t mean that the school is then somehow obligated to change its core and the principles of its founding (all of which were details known to the parents and students when making their decision to attend the school). That would be like going into a Chinese food restaurant because you like the decorations, and then making an uproar about the fact that they don’t serve hamburgers. Daily Chapel services are part of the Christian education that you get when attending the school. It is all part of the package. If a student and his or her parents have such a strong opinion against such practices, why on earth would they pick a school that has as its mission a statement of an intentional Christian environment and education, when there are other “small schools” with “academic privileges one could not receive at a public school” in the area? Freedom of religion, as Mr. Harper so excitedly brings up, includes the freedom to chose which parochial school you want to attend.

    Let’s be clear: I am not saying that the input of the student body should be ignored. However, I don’t believe that such input would be ignored, especially if it were brought to the appropriate people in a respectful manner. In the few months I’ve been at this school, one of the things that has been very interesting and exciting to see is the way the administration eagerly listens to the concerns of students and teachers who have the school’s best interests in mind. If a well-organized, student-backed proposal with some concrete suggestions for change were brought to Fr. Montgomery or Mr. Johnston by a level-headed student who was also willing to listen, I am confident that such a proposal would be carefully considered. That doesn’t mean, of course, that such changes would be accepted, especially not without some seriously convincing arguments. It could, however, serve as a bridge between the student body and those in charge of these types of decisions, potentially leading to a healthy long-term dialogue regarding this and similar matters.

    I’ll end with a quote from Mr. Mick Jagger: “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, well you just might find you get what you need.”

    Sincerely,
    Taylor Ducote

    Reply
  • A

    Abbey BakoNov 10, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    The Spiritual Life of the Ascension SMP campus, as it is a high school, will always waiver. The problem that I have is that if you do in fact have time each day where students are required to sit and listen to teach “children” about God, do it right. We are a part of a generation that is by far a liberal-minded one, and creativity and discovery drives us. The conservative, old-fashioned things are old for a reason, are they not? They are ineffective for our purposes. We are speaking to a generation that stares at a screen and uses abbreviations for abbreviations that carry into our everyday conversations. Yet we now have a perception that when we speak of God we must speak properly and use words such as “art” and “thou”– both vastly outdated.

    If this institution truly did inspire each of us to discover our inner faith (and personality), it would teach us WHO God is, not how to praise a being that many are not sure exist, largely due to the dramatic reality-check received upon entering high school. As a side note: Students are not given the option to attend either Eucharist or chapel. So yes, the Episcopalian tradition is being forced upon students.

    In response to the break, studies have recently shown that the brain cannot process large amounts of information without taking a break, which leads to difficulty with memory and long-term understanding of particular topics. That is great that you did not have a break, but we always have. It is a crucial part of our day. It is a good time to work on school work (because there is definitely a lot) in order to have the possibility of eating dinner with family, see friends, or have a general life outside of school. Times have greatly changed since you were in school, as you can see through social media, or even through a quick glance around one of your classes.

    That is great if it is up to us to interpret Scripture!! Then please teach us how to do that. Teach us who God is. Teach us what He can do for you. It pains me to see people turning away from God because they do not understand. I think the participation in chapel is due to a number of things: exhaustion, knowing that we will not have a break after, the language barrier (not understanding what is being said), the repetitive nature of it, and out of respect (if one does not believe, why would he/she say words he/she does not mean?). It is not to be immature or passive aggressive.

    As teenagers, we long to have a place somewhere. Why do you think peer pressure is a major cause of destruction today? Why do you think bullying happens? Teenagers are made to believe that they cannot be enough until they are an adult, or that they are simply a child and their opinions are invalid. How great would it be if we were told that God loves us for who we are NOW– regardless of mistakes, baggage, or literally anything? The message would travel so quickly, and I guarantee that students would be more open to God and Jesus. I know that I have felt as if God could not love me because of things I have done, and the Bible, if not interpreted “correctly”(for lack of a better word), can lead one to believe that you need to strive for perfection. I had a talk with Mr. Quick and he told me: “I do not expect you to be perfect, but I expect you to be perfectible.” To me, this is the message that Jesus wants to be spread. YOU are great the way you are, so you do not have to change!!

    I think that throughout all of this, the real purpose has been forgotten: why we are here. Yes, we go to a Christian institution. This school would not be here without the church, so we must respect that. However, I also see that this is a school, and we are here to learn. Which goes back to my previous point that, to me, points to the ultimate compromise: teach us about God.

    We are not asking to remove chapel or Eucharist, but we ask that the respect we are expected to show towards you be shown to us.

    We just want a break.

    The entire point about the Spiritual Life prefect is invalid on all sides. No matter what, the prefect had no say in any of the events in chapel or Eucharist, so her position was completely obsolete in comparison to previous years.

    Sincerely,
    Abbey Bako (The one who’s position is questionably obsolete)

    PS– Whether you believe in God or not, He loves you. You are enough.

    Reply
  • C

    Cole MenardNov 10, 2014 at 3:36 pm

    Concerning Thomas lyles’ response:

    Our breaks that we are given at Ascension are very necessary to our health, studies have proven that. I agree with Tyler, it does give us an opportunity to eat a snack (or for some people breakfast) before returning to class but the fact that we start school at 8:15 am doesn’t matter. I understand plenty of other schools start much earlier than us and the students are able to eat breakfast then but the point of our school starting later is for us to get a little more sleep which is also a necessity due to the amount of work given to us at this “college prep” school.

    On another note, I am an atheist and I choose to attend Ascension despite the requirements of going to daily chapel and eucharist. These things do conflict with my beliefs and yes I do think there should be an alternative that satisfies both parties but I do not attend Ascension for the spiritual life. I come here because I enjoy the atmosphere of a small school and the academic privileges I could not receive at a public school. It upsets me a bit to see other people talking about how we need this “Christian” environment to flourish into strong, independent, and caring young men and women because this implies that only a Christian environment or something similar can do this for us. Why can’t we just grow in a nice and healthy environment? These adjectives still describe what Christianity is supposed to be like without limiting the students to only one religious preference.

    And also, Mr. Lyles, using that quote really offended me. I am not a child and I don’t think that most of the people who attend Ascension are. We are young adults who understand the effects of our actions, are learning how to manage our time wisely, and already are functioning members of society. To use that quote from the bible makes it seem like you referred to the whole ascension student body as children who do not know what is best for them or what is right. I think I speak for the majority of the student body when I say that we all know that the administration does their best to try and provide us with what THEY think is best for us but some of us already know what we need.

    Going back to the chapel discussion, I obviously see that we are an Episcopal school and chapel/eucharist will most likely always be apart of the curriculum but the students do not want “fun” activities or songs. We want them to end as quickly as possible. Short, fast, and to the point, which I think is why so many students complain or choose not to participate besides religious opinions.

    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  • L

    LeightonNov 10, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    Well maybe a break wasn’t needed when Mr. Lyles was in high school. Our curriculum is most likely harder than what Lyle’s was in 1990-whatever. Currently, in 2014, break is needed. We are very privledged, and I know that many students along with myself, are grateful. Our school days consist of lectures and constant note taking for hours at a time. It is great that we have the rotating schedule and the special lunches and a very nice environment overall. However, all these things don’t mean that we want to be here. Our classes are challenging. I know I’m speaking for not only myself, but many other students, when I say that our stress level has never been higher. As a junior, I have 2-4 tests in one week and many, many quizzes. One of my many study techniques, is taking a break every 30-45 minutes. Studies show this helps when you actually want to memorize or learn material. Chapel needs to be shorter, because break is 100% needed.

    Reply
  • T

    The Jake HarperNov 10, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    Numerous studies have proved breaks increase productivity. I have provided a link for those that are skeptical.
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208131529.htm
    If we weren’t supposed to have a break why would it be on the schedule?
    Contrary to popular belief, most students do not come here for religious purposes (shocking, right!?). Many students come here because they like the feel of a small school and because the academics are of higher quality here than at public school. We may come to this school willingly, but we are forced to go to Eucharist and chapel. Mr. Lyles, regarding your comment about being at a friends house and refusing food, were you forced to go their house? Sure you are willingly friends with them, but they did not FORCE you to go to their house. If you were a vegetarian and they made a meat dish, would you eat it just because it took a lot of time for them to prepare? No one should ever break their beliefs to appease others. That is the great thing about America. We have FREEDOM OF RELIGION. Freedom of religion- the right to practice whatever religion one chooses. I added this definition because it seems some people at this school don’t understand it’s meaning. Ascension will never be at its full potential until it actually listens to students opinions and actually makes changes. When I bring up the idea that chapel should be optional, people always say if it was optional no one would go. Does this not show how students feel about chapel?

    Reply
  • B

    Brittany MenardNov 10, 2014 at 1:30 pm

    I am dissatisfied with chapel this year because students get roughly fifteen minutes a day to learn about God. Instead of absorbing the stories from the Bible or truly learning about the endless forgiveness and acceptance from God, most students are not paying attention at all. Chapel is presented in such a way that it seems like a chore, something students are forced to attend daily. The chapel services are very repetitive, the songs are either very childish or too gospel-like to be relatable. Most of the messages given are bland, redundant, and do not grasp the attention of 250 teenagers by any means. Some children are not exposed to learning about God outside of chapel at all, and the approach taken this year to educate the students of Ascension does not seem to be very beneficial. Not everyone’s issue begins with wanting more time to eat, some students wants to learn more about God, no matter what their denomination, or lack thereof, may be. If the lack of participation from those who are not religious at all is an issue, the only possibility of getting them to want to participate and possibly desire to learn more and change their beliefs would be to engage them an interesting and understandable lesson. The disliking of chapel is not ONLY because of the lack of break time, some students are actually passionate about the true MEANING of chapel.

    Reply
  • K

    Katy LeeNov 10, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    Tyler, I am glad to see students using this forum to express school wide issues. You make many excellent points. However, I must defend the Episcopal tradition a bit. Our order of worship may not be entertaining, but it is meaningful. Your notion of free thinking is a bit off. The Episcopal Tradition allows freedom to interpret scripture- you will never hear an Episcopal cleric say that his or her interpretation is the only interpretation. Our clergy represent a communion of believers who welcome ALL to the eucharistic feast. I realize that being berated by a priest is not appropriate. Let me point out that since I have been on this campus (January 2014) I have never heard a cleric speak with anything other than love when inviting students to the table. And like it or not, you or your parents have chosen to send you to a school that is an outreach of The Episcopal Church of the Ascension.

    I encourage those of you who agree with Tyler’s editorial to bring your concerns to Father Montgomery, rather than acting immature and passive aggressive by not participating in chapel.

    Go Gators!

    Reply
  • M

    MaddieNov 10, 2014 at 11:56 am

    I do agree with the fact that chapel can be boring at times. I do not like how it is sort of the same thing everyday, reciting the same prayers. But I do not agree that chapel should be stopped. Chapel is a good thing and we should have God in our lives everyday. At times it does go on for too long, and that should not be aloud to happen. We do need snacks and a break. Although many people are not Christian here, this is an episcopal school, each person enrolled here knowing that, and they should exept that. If you do not agree with chapel, you should not be forced to say things you do not believe, but you should still go, because chapel is also us coming together as a school. I really enjoyed Mr. Walkers chapel talk and I like singing the more upbeat songs. I think more opinions should be heard, but chapel is definitely a part of our school, in my opinion, that should be continued.

    Reply
  • T

    Thomas LylesNov 10, 2014 at 11:17 am

    Tyler,

    Congrats on a well-written article. I’d like to offer a different perspective…

    “Break” in a high school? When I was a young man, we never had recess in high school, and we did just fine. We went to class, and then to another class, and another, and another, and lunch and so on. Our schedules did not rotate, and the “monotony” did not rob us of the opportunity to advance intellectually, physically, morally, etc. The idea of a break being absolutely necessary to a students’ success, to me, betrays an attitude of entitlement that is crippling our nation through and through. The point – when you grow up, you won’t always get a break when you’re tired – you’ll need to learn to deal with it. Better now than later.

    Also, many of your peers at other area schools begin their school day much earlier than Ascension students (over an hour earlier in some cases). An 8:15am start time leaves plenty of time to grab some breakfast before you hit the door.

    Concerning the theological issues, first, I would have to disagree with your perspective on Fr. Daly’s comments to the student body last year. I do remember the incident you speak of, and at that time I did not view his comments as scathing or punitive. Instead, I saw him reminding students that their behavior was, in fact, rude. It is analogous to going to a friend’s home for dinner. When the host family offers a guest food that took much time and energy to prepare, it is most decidedly rude to refuse, unless there is some explicit concern that keeps one from partaking. (I remember being scolded many times as a young man for going to a friend’s house and not eating a meal that their mother had prepared. It was viewed as an insult, and as I grew to be a man, I had to learn what it meant to be a gracious guest, and how to accept the hospitality of others, putting their feelings before my own).

    Also, to my knowledge, the Spiritual Life Prefect position was not deemed “obsolete” by the administration. Unfortunate events caused the removal of our previous prefect, and as a result, the administration is reviewing the nature of that role, in the hopes that the position may evolve to better suit the needs of our students.

    **This is important for you to know – The mission of Ascension Episcopal School is not ‘tainted’ by strict conservative values. The mission of Ascension IS to provide a quality education in a Christian environment. That means that it is part of our job as teachers, administrators, etc. to build a Christian environment for the betterment of our students. Every action and policy, ideally, should be centered around and built upon that mission. You may, as an individual, not care at all about having a Christian environment, but as an intelligent young man, you should be able to recognize where you are, and understand and accept the mission of the school that you attend, even though you may have personal conflicts therein.

    Also, who said that Ascension isn’t “open to new ideas”? Please explain…
    (Being rooted in a particular perspective does not necessarily make one obstinate. It may mean that intelligent folks have made intelligent decisions about certain issues, thus saying “yes” to some things, and “no” to other things – for the good of the community).

    You are not required to partake of the Eucharist. However, we encourage you to do so, because we want the best for you. You are not required to sing at chapel, but we encourage you to do so, because we truly want the best for you and your future, and we honestly believe that these activities can help mold students into good, responsible, caring, strong young men and women. Believe me – I spent my whole high school career as a staunch atheist, chanting the mantra of nonconformity to my teachers and peers. Only many years later did I realize how much time I wasted fighting those that were trying to help me. It is a childish thing to not see the wisdom that others may be able to offer.

    “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

    thanks for your consideration,
    Tom Lyles

    Reply
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