Intersections Winter 2026

                                                                                                                          Do Grades Accurately Reflect Student Intelligence? If a student earns straight A’s, does that automatically mean they are more intelligent than everyone else? While many people equate high grades with high intelligence, grades measure more than just intellectual ability. They also reflect participation, memorization skills, effort and classroom behavior. According to psychologist Robert J. Sternburg, his definition of intelligence emphasizes that intelligence involves the ability to adjust to new situations a...

                                     Is the American AAU System still the Best at Developing Talent?  Americans are the best at developing basketball players! Yet the last seven NBA MVPs have all had their game developed outside the USA. The NBA in recent years has seen European players become far better than any previous generation, especially at the very top of the league there is a legitimate argument that the top five best players in the association have all been developed outside of America. In turn there has been a case to be made to argue that European countries have found a recipe to grow their young players into global superstars once they reach the NBA. To provide a quick overview into why this is being said, a couple glaring reasons might supply context. For AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball in the states, the focus is on exposure and experiencing constant ...

  Should Juveniles be Tried as Adults? By D-Keine on Unsplash The American juvenile justice system was established in 1899 to differentiate between the crimes of children under the age of 18 and adults. However, more than a century later, juveniles are still tried and exposed to the adult justice system meant for fully mature offenders. In the 1990s, there were fears that youth violence was on the rise. These fears led to the creation of automatic charging and transfer laws, allowing juveniles charged with serious crimes to be prosecuted as adults. Those who support these laws argue that they increase public safety and deter future crime. However, years of research challenge the belief that trying juveniles as adults is the best thing to do. More recent studies are finding that juvenile minds are still developing and they cannot be fully culpable due to reduced impulse control, decision-making, and risk assessment. Recently, studies show that juveniles tried in adult courts may i...