Voices For Change: Students Speak Up!

<p>The textbook definition of college defines it as an educational institution, in particular one providing higher education. How many of you are going to college? That’s most of you, okay. We’re very privileged to be able to have all these resources to go to college. Did you know not everybody does? Only around 60% of the nation goes to college after high school (U.S. BLS, 2023). College should not be a privilege. In the current state of the country, you need a bachelor’s degree at the very least to be able to land a decent paying job. Without a decent paying job, how is anyone supposed to live? Something of that great importance should not be so locked away. Higher education needs to be more accessible. Accessible higher education promotes work/life balance, improves the economy, and encourages individuals to productively contribute to society.</p> <p>We’re all familiar with senioritis, right? 78% of the seniors across the nation say they get senioritis (Omniscient, 2012). Isn’t it funny how senioritis is such a widespread concept all across the nation? Senioritis is not the product of four years of high school, though, it’s the product of four years of high school plus four years of community service plus four years of intense studying to maintain a high GPA plus four years of taking intense AP classes or dual enrollment classes plus four years of joining programs or internships or landing jobs or doing anything that looks good on a college application. The college application process is insanely competitive and every student out there has the same goal of going to a good school. Once the applications are done, though, the senioritis right away kicks in. We’re burnt out. If the application process had been less competitive, high school students wouldn’t have felt the need to put in an insane amount of effort since 9th grade and then burn out. All 4 years would have been a nice balance of working hard and relaxing. Higher education being more accessible means students develop productive work/life balance habits in high school. Having a good work/life balance makes a person way healthier and more willing to get things done, but in this current work-heavy state, nobody will get to figure out that balance.</p> <p>Some believe that a solution to this problem would be to simply choose to go to a school with a high acceptance rate. But what about the costs of those high acceptance rate schools? The Education Data Initiative reported a compound annual growth rate of 4.04% for tuition, more than doubling in the 21st century with the average cost being $38,270 per student per year (Education Data Initiative, 2025). $38,270 times 4, that’s $153,080 just to get a bachelor’s degree. Even if a student chooses to relax in high school and go to a high acceptance rate school, the idea of tuition still lingers in their head. Scholarships are extremely hard to get with millions of students competing for that money. FAFSA exists, yes, CSS exists, yes, but those programs can only give students so much money. And what about the kids who aren’t poor but aren’t rich? They don’t get much from these programs. Higher education should be affordable for everyone, regardless of financial status. Americans owe about 1.6 trillion dollars in student loans (Pew Research Center, 2024). The feeling of never being free from any debts, to never be able to spend your money the way you want, that’s scary, and no one wants that. So what do people do instead? They risk their lives going to harmful jobs that don’t require degrees. They exploit themselves and lose their dignity for money. Or, they go to college and accept the hundreds of thousands of debts. Either way, it puts people into a poverty trap. Poverty is increasing in America. People come to America for financial security, for better opportunities, but no one tells them that these opportunities are locked and can only be accessed through the tons of money they don’t have. Truly, the only way people can find that financial security and better opportunities is if they have more access to higher education.</p> <p>America values life and liberty, but there’s no life or liberty when the gate to life and liberty is locked away. Higher education needs to be more accessible. With higher education, people will have less stress, the economy will improve since there will be less debts, and the productivity of individuals and their will to contribute back to society will increase. Education shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be a right.</p> <p>https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/61-4-percent-of-recent-high-school-graduates-enrolled-in-college-in-october-2023.htm</p> <p>https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college#:~:text=Average%20Cost%20of%20College%20%26%20Tuition&#038;text=Report%20Highlights.,CAGR</p> <p>https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/18/facts-about-student-loans/</p>

<p><strong>The Rise of Repression of Freedom of Speech in America</strong><br /> Imagine this: You&#8217;re in a room, surrounded by people you trust, yet every word you say could come back to haunt you. In some parts of the world, speaking your mind can land you in prison, lead to torture, or even cost you your life. And yet, here in America—the so-called land of the free—we’re starting to experience a quiet, creeping erosion of our freedom to speak, especially when our views challenge the status quo.</p> <p>Lately, I’ve felt this firsthand.</p> <p>A few months ago, I posted on social media expressing solidarity with Palestine—calling for a ceasefire and the protection of innocent lives. Nothing extreme, just a plea for human dignity and peace. Almost overnight, I noticed my posts weren’t reaching anyone. No likes. No shares. No views. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but it became clear: I was being shadow-banned. Silenced most subtly—my voice buried not because it was violent or hateful, but because it was inconvenient.</p> <p>And what’s worse? I’m not alone. Across college campuses in the U.S., pro-Palestine protesters—many of them students—are being arrested, harassed, and silenced for speaking up. For demanding an end to violence. For caring. This is not the America we say we are. When peaceful protest becomes grounds for punishment, we are no longer protecting free speech—we’re selectively allowing it. And that is dangerous.</p> <p><strong>The Chilling Effect in Our Classrooms</strong><br /> But it’s not just social media or protests. The fear of speaking out is infecting our classrooms, too.</p> <p>My high school government teacher. He told me that during a unit on political ideologies and global crises, he avoided discussing the current situation in Gaza—not because he didn’t care, but because he was afraid. Afraid of angry parents, of being reported, of losing his job. Imagine being an educator, trained to encourage critical thinking, and feeling too scared even to start a conversation about justice and human rights.</p> <p>And this fear is growing. Books are being banned. Educators are being censored. Ideas are being labeled as “dangerous” just because they challenge the norm. How can we claim to be a free society if teachers have to tiptoe around truth?</p> <p><strong>Counterargument and Rebuttal</strong><br /> Some argue that censorship is necessary—to stop misinformation, to keep things “appropriate.” But censorship doesn&#8217;t eliminate ignorance; it multiplies it. When we block voices, we don’t erase the issues—they just go underground. People become more radicalized, more isolated, and less informed.</p> <p>The solution is not silencing dissent. It’s creating space for dialogue—for nuance. Real progress doesn’t come from avoiding uncomfortable truths; it comes from wrestling with them.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong><br /> As I stand here today, I think about how much we stand to lose if we allow this culture of silence to keep spreading. The repression of free speech isn’t just something that happens &#8220;out there.&#8221; It’s happening here. To students. To teachers. To anyone who dares to speak up for what they believe in.</p> <p>The atrocities happening in Gaza. The book bans in our schools. The quiet censorship of social media. All of it sends the same chilling message: “Be quiet. Stay in line.”</p> <p>But I won’t be quiet. We can’t be quiet.</p> <p>Because our voices matter. And if we let them be silenced, we betray not just ourselves—but everyone who has ever been silenced before us. Everyone is fighting for justice, for peace, for truth.</p> <p>We must protect our right to speak. To express. To challenge. To demand better. Not just for us—but for every voice that’s been buried beneath fear.</p> <p>Let’s not wait until it’s too late. Let’s speak now. Loudly. Bravely. Unapologetically.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Ansari, Zainab_Voices from the Pages" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076258809?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Love is beautiful. From the powerful award acceptance speech by 2018 Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda after a shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida: “Love is love is love is love…”. This quote has become symbolism for the LGBTQ+ community, a community I am part of today. And even though things are getting better, discrimination against the gay community is still alive and well, especially between my generation and the generation before mine. In 2023, the Public Religion Research Institute reported that about “76% of Americans supported laws protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations”. Though this number may seem like a lot, it feels as if there are more people against us than with us. I never realized it though, until it happened to me.</p> <p>Let me set the scene. I’m a sophomore at Central. The year is 2022. I meet this boy in my Physics class. I am immediately drawn to his aloof nature. He is stand-off-ish and has black hair that covers his eyes. He doesn&#8217;t look at anything except this red sketchbook that has SpiderPunk’s logo drawn in black Sharpie on it. I don’t know what I find so fascinating about him but I know I want to know more. Later, when we started to date, I created some of my best-lived memories with him. One day, Nico picked up dandelions sprouting between the cracks in our city blocks and made an improvised bouquet for me. Another day, we made a mini house on Minecraft including a garden and a sheep pen. We would live there together, in our imaginations. We have two cats: Sol and Luna.</p> <p>One day, however, my mom finds out that I’m dating him. She is livid. Not like: “Omg, I can’t believe you lied to me…”, her anger was more like: “Either break up with him or get out of my house.” You may be thinking to yourself: “It’s not <em>that </em>serious” or “What was so horrible about making sure they’re the “right one” to meet your family?” I get it! This boy was perfect. But there’s one part of him that my mom can’t see past: Nico is transgender. And that leads me to question: How can someone I view as an angel be seen as evil by someone else? Especially someone I was raised by?</p> <p>I had never seen the tragedy of transphobia face-to-face and I didn’t know how painful and devastating it could in fact be. I mean, of course, not being accepted is painful, but I assumed that having confidence in who I was would be enough to fight back against the opinion of my mom, who I simply didn’t agree with. But it wasn’t. And it hurt more to look at this boy in the face and know I had to say goodbye to him just to gain my mother’s acceptance.</p> <p>I shouldn’t <em>have </em>to choose between two people I admire; I should be who I am and my family should love me for choosing who to love. We need change. No, we need change <strong><em>and </em></strong><strong>acceptance</strong>. According to a report released by the Human Rights Campaign in partnership with the University of Connecticut, about 57.4% of LGBTQ+ youth have experienced a form of parental rejection and 60% of transgender youth screened positive for depression. As if these numbers weren’t looming enough, the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that 81% of transgender adults have had suicidal ideation. We shouldn’t be killing each other just because we can’t figure out how to love the differences among us.</p> <p>We need a world where we can uplift our neighbors <em>as they are</em>. We should not pick apart a person to find the “ideal” attributes. We should watch and learn from our peers experiencing a different problem that some of us cannot relate to. Though I’m still working on the confidence to tell my parents and family, I am happily dating Nico and I have been the happiest person to walk this Earth. He has provided me with light in such a dark world. With that, transgender people will always be people, and some of them, dare I say it, like Nico, are <strong>great </strong>people at that (!!) It’s finally time to realize that we are bigger than the differences that divide us. Thank you.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 80%; height: 80%;" title="Aviles, Kristen_My Light in the Dark" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076784143?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Going into this speech, I had no idea what to write. There are so many ways to go about a topic of injustice, so I&#8217;m going to start off with myself as an example, someone who has dealt with this injustice for pretty much my whole life, but this speech isn&#8217;t about me, I am a mere reflection of the true horrors that come with mental health struggles. So I&#8217;m gonna stay true to who I am and tell you about said struggles. To start off, when I was younger, I used to think that mental health didn’t matter. I grew up with a grandparent who was raised in the 1960s, when it only mattered if you were fed, had a bed to sleep in at night, and stayed out of danger. This heavily influenced the way I viewed my mental health and others. That inherited belief that mental health didn’t matter made it difficult for me to be able to open up and express myself, and, when I did, I was often shut down and had to repress my feelings. To this day, I&#8217;m still affected by this mindset. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to open myself to other people and learn more about not only my mental health but others’ as well.</p> <p>Now you&#8217;re probably thinking: Why is mental health such an important topic related to teens? Well, recognizing mental health helps us avoid severe disorders later in life, helps us develop coping skills, and reduces our chances of engaging in harmful behaviors. When I was younger, since it was so hard for me to express myself, I had trouble dealing with my emotions, and I still struggle trying to open up to people. Due to bouncing around from school to school as a kid because of extreme family problems, which also have played a big role in my mental health journey, I was barely ever exposed to kids my age, “normal” ones at least. I was afraid of others, and my isolation caused me to struggle and develop my own maladaptive coping mechanisms.</p> <p>Having substandard coping skills can lead to substance abuse, violence, self-harm, and other serious issues. Having said that, both of my parents have manic bipolar disorder caused by constant trauma in their early lives: they resorted to unhealthy ways of dealing with their mental health like the examples stated above. This path was modelled for me as a way to cope with my own mental struggles. I’ve done things that I am too ashamed to mention in this speech, but the good news is that I’ve learned and grown. Now, with perspective and education around mental health, I understand how my actions have affected my life and the lives of others I love, such as close friends and family members. I have to live with my actions for the rest of my life.</p> <p>As said by the Sedonasky blog, a blog that focuses on topics related to teen mental health, therapy, and life coaching, “Developing coping skills is essential for people to manage and navigate these challenges effectively. Coping skills empower people to develop resilience, maintain emotional well-being, and healthily handle stress. By cultivating these skills, teens can enhance their overall mental health and build a strong foundation for a successful future.” (Sedonasky Blog) To recognize mental health issues and have coping strategies is to prevent challenges that I know from personal experience. Another reason why recognizing mental health is so important is that it helps avoid the development of severe disorders later in teens&#8217; lives. I now know that being raised by my two biological parents, both of whom have mental health disorders such as depression and manic bipolar disorder increases my risk with developing them later in my life. That&#8217;s why now I understand how much I need to make sure I maintain a healthy state of mind. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a widely trusted resource that is the primary federal agency responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and essential human services says that “Many adolescents experience positive mental health, but an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents have had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. The good news is that …early intervention and treatment can help lessen the impact on their lives” (World Health Organization). Although The World Health Organization says that there are a lot of teens who have strong mental health, think about the other 49.5% of teens who don’t and that&#8217;s almost half of the teens around the world. Now this is a problem. Just imagine being a parent that could have a teen that is struggling with mental heath and not doing anything about it, especially now that you know that many that many of us we teens live every day feeling worthless, unloved, and so alone in our heads that we start to develop mental health disorders just like the ones both of which my parents have. This was exactly the case for me. It is super important to recognize teens’ mental health and make sure that we are safe inside.</p> <p>The World Health Organization, which is also dedicated to global health and safety, says, “Many risk-taking behaviours for health, such as substance use or self-harm harm start during adolescence. Risk-taking behaviours can be an unhelpful strategy to cope with emotional difficulties and can severely impact an adolescent’s mental and physical well-being.” (World Health Organization)</p> <p>The World Health Organization also says, “Many factors contribute to recovery, including having a good support system of people that you like, respect, and trust. They can be family members, friends, teachers, faith leaders, neighbors or peers — what’s important is that you have people you feel comfortable talking to about what you’re experiencing and support you may need.” (World Health Organization) We can all say that it feels good knowing that there are people by your side when you&#8217;re in a dark place, so when you help others, it makes them feel better and hopefully helps them with their mental health as well as yours.</p> <p>So sitting here at 3:57 am, 3 days after this speech was supposed to be done, has shown me so much about my mental health and how I hope everyone listening to this speech will learn something or two about theirs as well. After all, we know bad coping skills can impact academics as well. Now after hearing my story and everything I need to say, my message to you all is this, simply stand up, stop ignoring the signs that teens aren&#8217;t ok, show them that they aren&#8217;t alone, be the mature and morally good person out of a room of people who wouldn&#8217;t do anything.</p> <p>We can be a part of the solution to this injustice that we all see and choose to ignore every day, we can stop all of these issues, we can put an end to all of this. Don’t be the person that ignored the signs of your child until you see their name at the top of a tombstone. So next time you notice a teenager who has been a bit quieter lately, or maybe a bit sleep deprived, stop for a second and ask if they are OK. There is a better future and hope for when struggling teens wake up tomorrow, but it comes down to your choice, if you want to make the world a better place.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Bieler, Ashley_&quot;It's Their Problem Not Mine&quot;" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076259589?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Financing Higher Education</p> <p>Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine you’ve spent the last 12 years of your life participating in extracurriculars, doing community service, studying day and night to ensure your spot in the most prestigious institutions– only to realize that no matter where you turn for help, the cost is simply too great.</p> <p>Now you face an important decision to make: attend said prestigious institution and subject yourself to a lifetime of debt, or choose the affordable institution, one that may not reflect the years of work and effort you’ve invested into your schooling. How is either option fair to a 17 year old with big dreams who&#8217;s been sold on the idea of a meritocracy and of America as the land of opportunity? Indeed, many of my peers are facing an impossibly unfair decision like this one. They are then unable to major in what they love due to the pressure of having to pay back debt.</p> <p>This is the problem facing American teens. Young people fresh out of high school– most of them just 17 years old– are forced into life-altering decisions that are now completely limited. They work their entire life to the moment they can walk across this stage, only to be let down by the unaffordable price of college. Many students aren’t granted funding due to their parents’ income, yet these forms of aid fail to consider that most parents in America don’t support their children financially in college at all. Think about that for a minute. The young person suffers from the income of their parents, which has nothing to do with college. College kids need support financially but are not getting it, which makes the fact that they are saddled with debt even worse. If FAFSA won’t offer college students any help and parents are not supporting them, then who is?</p> <p>Let me share a personal story– one I’m living through right now, alongside hundreds of thousands of students across America. I faced a difficult choice between two schools: Temple University or the University of Pittsburgh. I was struck with the same choice: live at home, save money, and take advantage of the scholarship I had been granted to attend Temple. Or attend my dream school, University of Pittsburgh, but pay full tuition which amounts to almost $50,000. I, like many students, chose to deal with the debt later, deciding on Pitt, but daily, the weight of that financial burden stresses me out. I will be forced to scramble to pay it back after my six years and even then will probably only chip away at it incrementally.</p> <p>According to Melanie Hanson from educationdata.org “The average cost of tuition &amp; fees at private 4-year institutions has risen 181.3% over the last 20 years for an average annual increase of 5.5%.” How are students expected to keep up with these price increases? No amount of high school jobs or small scholarships will ever amount to that kind of growth.</p> <p>This isn’t a financial crisis anymore–this is a crisis of values. The burden on students is forcing them to abandon their passions in favor of careers that simply pay enough to repay the loans. But at what cost? Why are students being pressured into careers they have no interest in, just because they want to attend a college of their choice? Worse yet, why are they being priced out altogether? This is a repetitive cycle that must be broken–not just for us, but for our future children, grandchildren and generations to come.</p> <p>Citations</p> <p>Hanson, Melanie. “Average Cost of College by Year” EducationData.org, September 9, 2024</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Bogomolnikov, Loren_A Dream Always Comes With a Bill" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076260114?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>School Shootings</p> <p>How long until you or your child will be in a school shooting? What will you do? How will you react? School shootings are one of the most tragic and social injustices in the United States. The fact that students and teachers have to live in fear of violence in what should be a safe learning environment is truly unacceptable. The root of this crisis is highly intertwined with the issue of gun violence and without serious steps set in stone in the right direction countless lives in which innocent will continue to be lost.</p> <p>Shootings have taken the lives of thousands of educators just this year 2025, as of March there have been about 28 school shootings resulting in 10 deaths already and many more injuries.* Since the Columbine shooting in 1999 there have been at least 185 recorded deaths from these shootings and in the past five years there have been almost 255 people directly affected and injured, as well as an average of 80 incidents a year.** Although it may seem that way, this isn’t just a statistic, it is a terrifying reality that too many families have to go through and yours could be next. Such shootings are bound to leave behind a mark that will never be erased, providing long lasting psychological trauma on all of the victims and the victim’s families. There is no reason that any child should have fear for life while in school. The seemingly easily preventable loss of youth lives due to gun violence is a grave mistake and failure demanding urgent action. Even students who haven&#8217;t personally experienced a school shooting will suffer from the anxiety and fear from how frequent these events are becoming. There are many lockdown drills that are in place because the constant threat of violence among schools will create a culture of fear inside of them. Teachers also face the burden on an emotional level of protecting themselves and their students during a crisis which can take a huge toll on their mental health. When I was in second grade there was an active shooter outside of my school and we had to take classes on the floor. When I was in fourth grade there was a time that my school was on lockdown for four hours not including the two hours that we had to stay after school. Two years ago when I was in eighth grade we had a scare that there was an active shooter inside of the building as they found live rounds on the ground inside of a classroom. This school year as a tenth grader I’ve had two lockdowns because of active shooters outside of my school. Moments like these are becoming normalized because they happen so much, leaving impacts on student’s and teacher’s lives. There are steps that can be taken to avoid such events but the root of these problems are being looked over.</p> <p>One of the biggest reasons for school shootings around the United States is because of the availability of firearms including military style weapons. In a lot of states it is even easier to buy a gun than to get a drivers license.*** It is because of these gun control laws people are allowed to get firearms and they happen to fall into the wrong hands of people who shouldn&#8217;t have access to them like minors or people with a history of violence. Many countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom have stricter gun laws and have seen a drastic decrease in mass shootings.**** However the United States continues to allow loopholes in background checks and licenses to carry high powered weapons which are also often used in school shootings. We need universal background checks. We need wait periods. We need to put a ban on assault weapons. We need to hold gun manufacturers responsible.***** We need to say enough is enough and mean it. We need to step up and do something about it.</p> <p>However, with such a major issue there are bound to be forces that would resist. For instance the National Rifle Association and other corporations that are pro-gun will spend millions of dollars seeking to go against common sense gun reforms.****** But instead of prioritizing public safety these certain groups decide to push policies that will make firearms even more accessible. This influence prevents change that is meaningful no matter how much overwhelming support from the public for stricter gun laws is received. School should be a place for growth, creativity and education however the fear of gun violence takes this away. Students are not able to focus on learning when they&#8217;re worried about their safety. In the long-term this will prove to be harmful for students resulting in lower performance during academics, more dropouts, and young people growing up in fear.</p> <p>The United States should take an immediate action to face gun violence and prevent school shootings from happening. They can do things like implementing stronger background checks or stricter gun laws, banning military weapons, increasing mental health support for students and communities, holding manufacturers accountable for distribution in inappropriate ways and by strengthening school security, without making it seem like a jail or a military.******* Until some of these serious changes are made school shootings will continue to run rampant and stay a national priority. Without taking this into account and taking the time to act it would be serving a direct injustice to the future of not just this country but this country&#8217;s future leaders.</p> <p>Citations<br /> * Maxwell, Lesli. “School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where.” Education Week, 5 Mar. 2025</p> <p>**School, Sandy Hook. “17 Facts about Gun Violence and School Shootings.” Sandy Hook Promise, 10 Mar. 2025</p> <p>***Tupponce, Joan. “Why Do School Shootings Keep Happening in the United States?” VCU News, 17 June 2022</p> <p>****Fisher, Max. “Other Countries Had Mass Shootings. Then They Changed Their Gun Laws.” The New York Times, 25 May 2022</p> <p>*****Morelle, Joseph. “Enacting Common Sense Gun Reform.” Representative Morelle, 11 Jan. 2023, morelle.house.gov/issues/enacting-common-sense-gun-reform. Accessed 07 Apr. 2025. ******Law Center, Giffords. “The NRA Is in Disarray: Here’s What You Need to Know.” GIFFORDS, 21 Jan. 2025</p> <p>*******Rozel, John S, and Edward P Mulvey. “The Link between Mental Illness and Firearm Violence: Implications for Social Policy and Clinical Practice.” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 May 2017</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Brokenborough, Peyton_School: Where Fear Shares a Desk with Me" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1077281915?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Have you ever listened to jazz? I mean really listen to it. It is a combination of strong and loud brass instruments such as trombones and a beautiful-sounding instrument such as the piano in the back. Many people have no idea what I’m talking about, and that is because they have never listened to great jazz, especially from local Philadelphians. Jazz bands in Philadelphia are highly under-watched, and this causes bands to be funded less and not even want to perform. The lack of an audience puts a hole in every performer&#8217;s stomach because it shows that you are performing for nobody. High school and middle school jazz bands inside the city of Philadelphia are also highly un-funded and this causes schools to get rid of their bands entirely because they do not have the right equipment for the children in the bands. All of this causes bands to lack concerts and performances, which means that jazz is dying in Philadelphia, and once it is gone we may never get it back.</p> <p>To start, when a performer walks onto a stage, ready to perform, the first thing they do is look out into the audience. They do this to either look for familiar faces or look for a big turnout. When they walk onto the stage and see neither of these things, it makes the performer not want to play. I’ve experienced this firsthand at my jazz performances. Around this time last year, I had a jazz performance at Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia, and it had a very small attendance. When I walked out onto the stage, I felt that all of the work I had put in to master this music was all for nothing except the fact that I could play it now. Afterward, my parents congratulated me on the great performance, but there weren’t nearly enough people there to come close to filling the area with applause after the performance. Not only are performances in Philadelphia under-watched, but they are also underfunded. Throughout the School District of Philadelphia, many kids never get the chance to experience the joy of being part of a band because there simply aren’t enough resources. Instruments are old or broken, and there aren&#8217;t enough music teachers to go around. For some students, music could be a life-changing outlet or even a future career, but they’ll never know unless we invest in these programs and show up to support them.</p> <p>Some people argue that funding should go toward more “essential” academic subjects like math, science, and reading, especially in struggling school districts. They believe the arts are a luxury that can be cut when budgets are tight. While it’s true that core subjects are important, this mindset overlooks the many benefits of music education. Studies show that students involved in music tend to do better in school overall, and band programs teach teamwork, discipline, and creativity. Cutting music not only hurts students artistically, it also affects their overall growth and potential.</p> <p>Jazz is more than just music–it’s history, culture, and a powerful form of expression. It deserves to be heard, and young musicians in Philadelphia deserve to be supported. If we continue to let jazz fade away due to lack of funding and support, we are losing a vital part of our city’s identity. We need to show up, speak out, and make sure that music programs in the city of Philadelphia get the recognition and resources they deserve. Only then can we ensure that the next generation of jazz musicians has a stage to stand on and an audience to inspire. Thank you.</p>

<p>Curating Creativity</p> <p>Up until I began my research for this project, I never labeled myself as creative. To me, creativity meant being someone who made music, did photography, painted, or sculpted,</p> <p>you know, the people who pursued life’s arts. However, I now argue that this definition of creativity is too narrow, and today I want to broaden the spectrum of creativity so that our youth can not only better understand the world we live in but also change it. So, even if just for today, creativity will be defined as anything that involves showcasing emotion or learned skills to solve a problem. Creativity is undeniably essential for societal change and crucial for solving world problems because creativity offers a wide range of vocalizing issues, promotes boldness, and strengthens mental health. By granting accessibility to creative outlets through more school funding in recreation for our youth, <em>everyone</em> will reap the benefits of understanding the burning issues that concern you and me.</p> <p>Creativity is the key to vocalizing an issue that a person may have, being articulate is a form of creative expression, and so it’s necessary for emotional vulnerability.  A study done in 2018 by The New York Academy of Sciences defines creativity as” imagination in undertaking activities, such as free writing, telling a story, crafts, painting, drawing, or drama”. This same study found that kids who showed “some or marked creativity at age 7 [were] associated with a lower risk of [four symptomatic variables] [the], instability for depression, unforthcomingness, and a tendency to write off adults, but not for withdrawal” (Fancourt, D., &amp; Steptoe, A., 2019). Although all of these findings are remarkable, indicating that children who showed creativity had better mental stability, I want to highlight that this study also shows that children who are creative by definition showed forthcomingness and a tendency to write off adults.</p> <p>Now, this may sound threatening, but how many times have you heard a kid be told to “shut up and listen”, or heard the remark “because I told you so” as a response to a child’s question? Some of you may even be the ones who’ve made these remarks but understand that this is destructive. These comments become internalized in young minds, especially from figures like parents and teachers, and cause children to become passive. Passivity in a constantly changing society is detrimental, not to mention the lack of empathy shown for children’s curiosity. Both are burning issues; which makes children’s ability to express their feelings more important every day. We live in a society that dismisses questioning, and as a result, it’s becoming increasingly important that kids have resources for creative outlets. God knows where we would be without children who did question, or even vocalize how they felt. Note that those same children who dared– are recognized as today’s societal leaders.</p> <p>This is exactly why schools should implement more funding into recreational programs that allow their students to explore their artistic interests. In 2023, Chicago Public Schools proposed a budget of $9.5 billion, of which less than $240 million went toward the arts. To put it in perspective, only 2.5% of the funding was spent on the arts. (The Trapeze,2023). Obviously, there is a complex disparity within our communities. The arts are continuously undermined, and people fail to realize that artistic expression functions as the backbone of pursuing greatness, if not the greatness itself. Creative expression is like the strong roots of a tree, it fosters one’s chance of effective social change because one&#8217;s idea of change was built on a firm foundation. How are we to heal our society if we neglect the means of articulating the very issues that are burning a hole in us? It starts here, with choosing innovation, creation, and building a foundation.</p> <p>Some may argue that the arts are a waste of time and that schools should prioritize STEM instead. This argument is respectable because science and math are deeply rooted in society and nonetheless are necessary for understanding how our world works. However, “according to The Conversation, creative skills and knowledge of the arts, such as design, writing, and history, help STEM employees solve problems in more innovative ways”. And, “57 percent of senior leaders value soft skills more than hard skills, according to a 2018 LinkedIn report.” (UCF.edu) Clearly, creativity is necessary for the professional world as well as for navigating the social world. This is not to say that one or the other is more beneficial, but it is to say that the latter is too often overlooked. It is our responsibility to nourish the minds of our future, and evidently, something is not right within our society. In due time, if we were to look back and realize that the problem in our society was that we did not water the minds of our youth with care and intention, I wholeheartedly believe that it would be devastating.</p> <p>So why not start now, as a new creative, I want to ask you to dig deep into your mind. Many studies I&#8217;ve read define creativity as something that has to remain artistically tangible. But I believe that creativity is like faith, it’s not just an art form, but is also a mindset and lifestyle that requires work. Every one of us has unique thoughts every day, creativity is just the act of executing our imagination. When we allow kids to express their creative minds, they can change the world, so with that, I ask that you imagine a future where educators can help build an innovative youth; but do not just visualize that future, take the next step, be creative, and act.</p> <p>Thank you.</p>

<p>Do you know what it’s like to have the freedom of choice taken away from you? What if that choice was the difference between life and death? This is the reality for women all across America and it is unacceptable. Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, millions of women have lost the right to legal, safe abortion care. As we may know, abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. It is a crucial part of healthcare for countless women. The Pew Research Center released a study that shows legal abortions have a 99% safety rate when performed in the first trimester, as 86% of abortions are. The bottom line is that abortions are a medical procedure that saves lives and should never be restricted. Many women face health complications during pregnancy that puts their lives in danger. These women have the right to choose the path of healthcare for their own bodies. It’s not always the mother’s life that is in danger either&#8211;some infants are born with life-threatening illness. This is very scary, traumatic, and painful for the entire family. The mother should always be able to choose what is best. There should always be access to abortions in America.</p> <p>Medical needs are not the only reason women need, or should be able to have, abortions. According to a study done by the Guttmacher Institute, 75% of women say that they do not have the financial means to support a child, while 60% of women who have abortions are already mothers who need to take care of their other children according to Forbes Magazine. These reasons are just as important as any other. Having a child changes a mother’s life forever, for better or for worse. It is inhumane that women in some states do not have the right to choose what is best for their wellbeing. Imagine being a 16-year-old girl, terrified, sitting in a hospital room, being told that she must carry a child to term and have the rest of her future pulled out from under her. Tell me, who should decide her fate?</p> <p>People wish to restrict women’s rights based on their own religious, moral, and political beliefs. As Republican, Christian Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene once said, “Abortion is the slaughter of God’s children. It’s not healthcare- it’s murder, plain and simple. And God’s Word couldn’t be clearer: ‘Thou shall not kill.’ There’s a special place in hell for a nation that celebrates the killing of babies”. So, according to the religious right, God wants women who need abortions to suffer and not receive proper medical treatment. Turning abortion into this emotional issue where “babies are being murdered” is so incredibly harmful. Women are not monsters for needing medical care. Everyone is entitled to the freedom of religion, but our Founding Fathers never intended for the government to favor any religion at all. Our nation is a democracy, not a theocracy. This means that we are to have a clear separation of church and state. The religious views that dictate the morality and politics of some should never control the rights of half our nation.</p> <p>We should really be asking ourselves why this is the reality of our situation. Do we spend our time arguing over the rights of men? Are men’s rights being threatened and landmark cases being overturned? No, definitely not. At the end of the day, we need to look in the mirror. Why do we want to oppress women? Why do your “religious,” or “moral,&#8221; or “political” beliefs go against the wellbeing of women? I hope one day we can all agree that women deserve dignity, safety, and the freedom to make their own decision without fear.</p> <p>Overall, this issue is clearly about the patriarchal society we live in. We leave decisions about women’s bodies in the hands of far away men in Washington. Does that sit right with you?</p> <p>Would it sit right with you if your daughter’s rights were in the hands of politicians? Women have been fighting for equal rights for centuries now and it does not end here. Join the fight for abortion access in the United States, if not for yourself, then for your daughter, sister, friend, teacher, bus driver, neighbor etc. Join our fight to protect women. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a right. Every woman deserves both.</p> <p>Works Cited</p> <p>Heather D. Boonstra, et al. “Abortion in the Lives of Women Struggling Financially: Why Insurance Coverage Matters.” Guttmacher Institute, 2 July 2024</p> <p>Diamant, Jeff. “What the Data Says about Abortion in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 25 Mar. 2024</p> <p>Ghilarducci, Teresa. “59% of Women Seeking Abortions Are Mothers Facing High Poverty Risk.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 Nov. 2022</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Cannon, Kylie_Not Her Choice" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076260462?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>I work part-time as a cashier at ShopRite. Almost every shift, I hear people say: “Why is everything so expensive now?” “This used to be cheaper last year.” “I’ll have to put some of it back, I can’t afford all of it.&#8221; I remember this one customer, who had to put their eggs back because they were almost $20 for a dozen. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but then it kept happening–and I realized this wasn&#8217;t just about high prices. It was about power. Who has it, and who’s paying the price for it.</p> <p>The concentration of power in the government is making life harder for everyday people, especially when it comes to rising prices. When a small group of people at the top controls major policies, and they prioritize corporations and big donations, regular people get left behind. As a result stores raise their prices to stay running and hard working families have to pay the price.</p> <p>Now, some people might argue that “We need a strong centralized government to run the economy.” And yes, structure and leadership are important. But when power gets too focused at the top, it stops being “for the people”. It becomes disconnected–making decisions far removed from the lives they impact.</p> <p>According to a Princeton study by B. Rose Huber, the opinions of average Americans have “near zero” impact on government decisions. Your vote, your voice, your needs barely make a difference. That&#8217;s not good ol’ democracy, that&#8217;s an oligarchy. We need to show up, not just at the polls but in local meetings, town halls, and in the way we support candidates who actually fight for us, not for millionaires and billionaires.</p> <p>I may just be a cashier, but I see the impacts of these choices every day. Change doesn’t start with politicians, it starts with people. And if enough of us speak up, vote smart, and support each other, we can shift the power back to where it belongs, “We the People.”</p>

<p>Would you be okay with our children and our grandchildren living in debt for decades?</p> <p>What am I even talking about in the first place? What am I even bringing up? I am bringing up financial education. You may ask, What is Financial Education? Why does America’s youth even need it in their life? Why do any of us need it in the first place?</p> <p>Financial education is the journey of gaining financial literacy to make better financial decisions and be financially responsible. Financial literacy is the ability to be capable of making good and informed financial decisions in life. While it shouldn’t be mandatory, schools should make Financial Education Mandatory for American Youth/Teenagers because it will help them manage their finances, give them the necessary tools to make informed and educated financial decisions, and show potential employers that they are responsible financially, and reduce the stress they experience in the process.</p> <p>Financial education is vital for high school students to be provided with for future adult success. Young Americans owe over a trillion USD in debt, and 70% of millennials live paycheck to paycheck.[9] This number seems to only grow larger and larger, necessitating the need for financial education in American teenagers to prevent the further rise of this debt. Many American teenagers will graduate with significant student loan debt, which can be crippling if not managed properly. Understanding concepts like interest rates, repayment options, and debt consolidation can help them make informed decisions.</p> <p>Students need to be taught this in high school as it helps in day-to-day living expenses, living within their means, short-term borrowing, and long-term budget forecasting. It is important to plan and save enough to provide adequate income in retirement while avoiding high levels of debt that might result in bankruptcy, defaults, and foreclosures, which will greatly help American teenagers from replicating millennials, who more than half are unable to bring an emergency fund that covers 3 months of expenses.</p> <p>American High schools lack financial education courses for the majority of high school students. Currently, 26.3% of U.S. public high school students are guaranteed to take a Personal Finance course. And only 25 states even provide full courses for high school students. There is a clear lack of resources for financial education for high school students.</p> <p>I would like to ask, “Why is financial education so important?” “Why does the lack of it perpetuate the cycles of economic inequality we have observed among my peers and others?” “How will it assist the teens who might receive this education?”</p> <p>Firstly, financial literacy reduces financial stress and anxiety. Some may argue that there is no evidence suggesting students and young adults require financial education; however, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), financial education provides students with essential skills for managing finances, making informed decisions, and avoiding debt [1]. This, in turn, can help alleviate financial stress and anxiety, which can severely impact mental health, including conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders, as noted by the American Psychological Association (APA) [6]. I have personally witnessed anxiety and depression arise among my peers due to the financial struggles they faced at the time. By fostering healthy financial habits, students, such as peers and even myself, can navigate financial challenges with confidence. Financial literacy through high school education will make students more responsible and better prepared for adult life financially, equipping them with the tools to save and maximize the money they earn.</p> <p>Secondly, while many people believe that financial education offers no benefits to students in poorer families, mandatory financial education promotes economic mobility and equality. The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) emphasizes that financial education can bridge the economic gap by providing equal access to financial knowledge. [2] This can help low-income students break the cycle of poverty and foster economic mobility by equipping them with the skills to invest, save, and budget. Financial education would enable those on the lower side of the income spectrum, including my peers who struggle from being in lower income classes, to bridge the gap between the socio-economic classes. According to a report by the Federal Reserve, financial education can help reduce the wealth gap by giving individuals the knowledge and skills to manage their finances effectively. This will help bridge the gap I identified when I first entered Central and engaged with its diverse demographic of families.</p> <p>Thirdly, I believe that financial education enhances career readiness and employability. Others will disagree that there is no correlation between the two ideas, but the Council for Economic Education (CEE) notes that financial education provides students with essential life skills, making them more attractive to employers [3]. By demonstrating responsibility, accountability, and practical skills, students with financial education can increase their employability in America’s workforce, which will help all of my peers who are seeking employment. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that employers value employees with basic financial knowledge, including budgeting, saving, and investing [7]. Financial literacy and education will help my peers who are just starting in America’s workforce, Financial education will show employers that even while young, my peers are capable of being reliable and responsible.</p> <p>Fourthly, some think that schools shouldn’t make financial high school education mandatory as it provides no long-term benefits; however, according to Investopedia, financial education provides a strong foundation of financial literacy can help support various life goals, such as saving for education or retirement, using debt responsibly, and running a business. [4]. If my peers were allowed to learn this through financial education programs in high school, many would not be struggling financially as adults. A study by the Charles Schwab Foundation found that financial education can lead to improved financial decision-making, including increased saving and investing and reduced debt [8]. Financial education in High school will provide students and young adults with the ability to prevent overspending and make educated and informed financial decisions, which will help even my peers.</p> <p>Lastly, mandatory financial education prepares students for real-world challenges. Some will likely expound on how financial education fails to prepare students for the real world, but research suggests otherwise. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) highlights that financial education prepares students for the financial responsibilities of adulthood, covering essential topics like taxes, credit scores, and insurance [5]. By navigating complex financial systems, students can make informed decisions about their financial resources. I have my personal experience to vouch for this; my parents fostered an ability in me to navigate financial systems that, if implemented in schools, would allow my peers to get a leg up in the finance game. Incorporating financial education will prevent America’s youth, such as my peers who are going to head into adulthood, from falling in financial security from the challenges and forces of real world economics, providing them with the appropriate tools to not fall on hard times.</p> <p>Why must we make financial education mandatory for the youth and teens of America? To empower them financially, to lift them out of generational poverty, to enhance their ability to be independent, to improve their capacity to make informed financial decisions, to raise their education standards, to bolster their financial security, and to lower the stress they experience!</p> <p>OECD. “Financial Education | OECD.” OECD. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/financial-education.html</p> <p>NEFE. “Financial Well-Being in America: A Trend Analysis.” NEFE. Accessed April 6, 2025.</p> <p>Cee. “Why Is Economic Education Important?” Council for Economic Education, May 22, 2023.</p> <p>Fernando, Jason. “Financial Literacy: What It Is, and Why It Is so Important to Teach Teens.” Investopedia, June 29, 2024.</p> <p>Iosco. Iosco, 2020. https://www.iosco.org/library/pubdocs/pdf/IOSCOPD649.pdf.</p> <p>APA. “APA.” Stress in the Time of Covid, May 2020.</p> <p>SHRM. “Employee Benefits Survey.” Employee Benefits Survey. Accessed April 6, 2025.</p> <p>Schwab.com. “What Is Financial Literacy and Why Does It Matter?” Schwab Brokerage, 2025.</p> <p>NCA, United Way. “Youth Financial Literacy: Why Is It Important?” United Way NCA, February 14, 2024.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Chin, Jacob_Financial Education" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076260803?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p><strong>Introduction</strong><br /> Start by opening up your phone, going to settings, and viewing your screen time. I wonder what number you see? The average person is awake for 16-17 hours a day, The average screen time for a teen is 8 hours and 39 minutes daily (Average Screen Time for Teens, 2025). So the majority of the time during the day, a teenager is spending their time watching a screen, and that’s not including other sources of technology. I am someone who brings my phone with me 24/7 so shocker, I’m way above the average. I use my phone daily, like putting on a show when eating, doom scrolling on TikTok for hours rather than doing homework, or just carrying it to the next room for “comfort”, my phone is practically an extension of me. I hate to say it, I’m addicted to it, as are most of you. With this addiction and growing up, I have realized how negatively it affected my development and the things I experienced because of my easy access to social media. But, I don’t want you to think I don’t enjoy all of the benefits a phone brings, trust me, I do, and I actually love being in a generation with phones to a certain extent. But, I am here to show the other side. With over 276 million smartphone users in the U.S. as of 2024 (How Many People Own Smartphones in the World?,2025), phones are everywhere. While they offer connection, they’re also taking something crucial from us, our mental health and social connection. The widespread use of smartphones has led to increasing social isolation and rising mental health issues by replacing real world interaction, fostering addictive habits, and exposing younger audiences to harmful content.</p> <p><strong>Smartphones and Social Isolation</strong><br /> As someone who finds it hard to open up, I use my phone to avoid situations rather than engaging in what could be awkward conversations. Not realizing how detrimental this is for myself and how it can further hinder my way in speaking to others. It can harm one&#8217;s communication skills and actually make them more anxious. I know, being 17, that I come from what is most likely the last generation of kids to not rely on phones as entertainment growing up. We would be outside and interact with the kids on our block, play tag, go to the park on hot days, and stay out till the street lights went out. While personal experiences highlight the emotional toll of smartphones, this issue extends far beyond just me, it’s affecting an entire generation. I look at these young children growing up. I often fear for them. I see kids with phones at the ripe age of 6 or even 7 and wonder the damage it does to their minds. Seeing kids just glued to their tablets or phones and not even wanting to get up or play. But, it isn’t just kids, it’s teenagers and adults too. We are just as bad, maybe even worse. My mom often tells me how addicted I am to my phone and how it’s affecting my school work and interacting with people. But, I have trouble even listening to her because she’s the same person scrolling on Instagram reels for hours and hours or making a new Facebook post. She doesn’t even realize, but she’s addicted too. That’s the thing, phones are so normalized that we can’t even see how addictive they really are for everyone. The real developmental shifts are happening and and it’s replacing authentic connection with screen time. We need to recognize how screen time is changing the way we form relationships. This isolation proves how smartphones disrupt essential social development and replace valuable human interaction.</p> <p><strong>Mental Health Impacts of Social Media</strong><br /> For many of us, social media apps dominate our screen time. According to a 2025 study by Columbia University, it claims that constant notifications and updates from phones can create a sense of urgency and a fear of missing out, leading to increased anxiety and stress. Also, an excessive use of phones can interfere with sleep, which is crucial for mental health. Studies have shown a correlation between heavy social media use and depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts. The platforms are designed to be addictive, using algorithms that feed users content based on their preferences and interactions, keeping them engaged for longer periods. I, living during this time have fallen into this trap as many of you have as well. This gave me perspective on how negative phones have become for this generation and it will only lead to worse if we keep feeding into it. We need to stop thinking it’s just “harmful scrolling” when the consequences can be so deep. Now imagine all of this being brought onto a 6-year-old? How damaging could that possibly be? Growing up, kids mimic things around them, so who&#8217;s to say they won’t mimic what they see on social media as well? The addiction to phones is a stepping stone that leads to mental health crisis among youth.</p> <p><strong>Harm to Youth Development &amp; Safety</strong><br /> Let’s now talk about how early exposure to smartphones affects children and teens. For young girls, I worry about the negative posts that will later cause insecurities in them. Videos and pictures on social media platforms of other people that can trigger intense episodes of self-comparison in preteens or teen girls. Because of their still developing brains, they may process this self-comparison in ways that can pose real risks to their mental health and lives. False narratives and unrealistic beauty standards are causing them to think they should have a bbl at 16. Or look like a 21-year-old model when their bodies aren’t even fully developed. According to the Dove self esteem project, 80% of girls feel worse about their appearance after scrolling on social media. Boys are being influenced too. The stuff posted on the media, one could argue it’s causing young boys to develop toxic masculinity morals and or ideas. A prime example is Andrew Tate, who built his entire brand around hating women, misogyny, and harmful gender norms. A majority of his audience are teenage boys. How would you feel if your son were listening to a man who stated, “Women should bear responsibility for being sexually assaulted”? Young boys will hear such things and agree because they see Tate as a figure to look up to, because of his huge following. With young children having easy access to social media, who’s to say older, preying adults don’t as well? It opens doors for online predators, reports estimate 500,000 online predators active each day, and over 50% of those victims are between the ages of 12-16 (Children and Grooming/Online Predators, 2024). I have experienced older men trying to contact me online, and often didn’t know what to do in these cases. Children are naive and don’t have enough guidance to understand it’s wrong. It’s also just a harmful situation to be in for someone who is a minor, but not being in control of phones has led to this. These kids shouldn’t wait to grow up and learn from themselves how detrimental it was to experience such things. We need to warn them and not allow for these situations to happen, or else it will be a reality for all children. I know if most parents decided right now to go through their children&#8217;s phones, they’d be scared of all the scary things they’d find or even how many dangerous things they can access. We aren’t just talking about screen time anymore. We’re talking about the psychological and even physical safety of children. And yet, phones are handed over with barely any limit. Proving how unregulated phones expose young users to emotional harm.</p> <p><strong>Smartphones can also help, if used right</strong><br /> While it&#8217;s been a belief that smartphones contribute to isolation and mental illness, they can also be a positive thing, if anything, that’s what they were meant for. It can reduce feelings of loneliness and improve mental well being when used mindfully. Smartphones can also offer instant access to support networks, allowing people to stay connected with family and friends regardless of distance. For individuals who may struggle with in person interaction, like those with social anxiety or physical disabilities, smartphones can provide a vital means of communication and community. Moreover, smartphones give users access to mental health resources like therapy apps, meditation guides, and crisis support hotlines. These tools can empower users to manage their mental health more proactively.<br /> Ocverall, it&#8217;s not just the smartphone itself that causes harm, it&#8217;s how it&#8217;s used. With healthy habits and intentional usage, smartphones can be a powerful tool for connection and mental health support rather than a source of harm. That is, if parents manage the use of smartphones wisely, they can be used as a powerful tool rather than allowing them full access to toxic information, or for addictive habits to occur if screen time isn’t managed. Whether we allow it to dominate or support our lives.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong><br /> The rise of smartphones has contributed significantly to increasing isolation and mental illness in modern society. While technology was meant to connect people, it has instead often replaced genuine human interaction with screen time, developing addictive behaviors and unhealthy social media use.<br /> Smartphones are the reason we humans have access to social media, which is also a problem due to the harmful effects of the things shared online. As we continue to rely on smartphones, it becomes increasingly important to recognize and address these negative impacts to protect our ownself and the future generations mental well being and rebuild meaningful, real world connections. Now, if you have children, young siblings, or cousins, watch them carefully, make sure they are a person outside of their phone, and don’t allow the toxicity phones can bring to take over them. Limit screen time for young children, encourage face to face interactions, and talk to the children in your life about the dangers of unchecked phone use. Hopefully, we will see a shift in smartphones and create a future where smartphones serve us and don’t control us.</p> <p>Works Cited</p> <p>Duarte, Fabio. “Average Screen Time for Teens”, 4 Apr. 2025,<br /> https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-for-teens.</p> <p>Sunil, Gill. “How Many People Own Smartphones in the World?”, 1 Jan. 2025, https://prioridata.com/data/smartphone-stats/</p> <p>Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. “Smartphones, Social Media, and Their Impact on Mental Health”, 2025,<br /> https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/research/research-areas/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/sultan-lab- mental-health-informatics/research-areas/smartphones-soci</p> <p>Michael, E. Kraut. “Children and Grooming/Online Predators”, 2024, https://childsafety.losangelescriminallawyer.pro/children-and-grooming-online-predators.html</p> <p>BBC, “Who is Andrew Tate? The self-proclaimed misogynist influencer”, 27 Feb, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64125045</p> <p>Trista S. “How Your Smartphone Can Help and Hurt Your Mental Wellness”, 14 Feb, 2023, https://peakbehavioral.com/how-your-smartphone-can-help-and-hurt-your-mental-wellness/<br /> Dove Self Esteem Project. “Impact of Social Media on Teen Girls, Body Image” 2023,</p>

<p>Abortion Access</p> <p>Who here likes when people tell them what to do? No one, right? Then why is it that people feel comfortable telling a woman that she can’t have an abortion? Abortion access has always been a controversial debate, but this is especially the case since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, which ruled that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion (Center for Reproductive Rights). Abortion is already illegal in 12 states, and as a young woman, I am fearful that number will increase due to today’s government. People who are pro-life argue that abortion is murder, and there is no justification for such an act, in any given scenario. They might even say that life begins at conception, or the bible strongly opposes abortion. On the other hand, people who are pro-choice typically believe that it’s a fetus, not a fully developed baby, or that a woman has a right to choose what’s best for her body. I strongly believe in a woman’s right to choose. I am not here to put down the other side or shame those who think differently than I do, instead I’m here offering another perspective to the heavy topic that is abortion. Abortion should be accessible to all because it protects women’s mental and emotional well-being, prevents medical complications, and supports and creates economic/financial stability.</p> <p>Unfortunately, rape and sexual assault are very prevelant in today’s society. Statistics show that on average, there are 463,634 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States (rainn.org). Statistics also show that 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted) (rainn.org). Rape and sexual assault can leave emotional scars that can haunt a woman for the rest of her life as 94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape (rainn.org). Rape can also result in pregnancies. In a study published in “The Journal of the American Medical Association”, there have been more than 64,000 rape-related pregnancies from the states that have abortion bans. It baffles me that people believe a woman should have the baby that was a result of such a vicious and horrifying act. What about the young girls who become pregnant after being raped? There are girls who become pregnant and aren’t even teenagers themselves yet, but people are insisting that they are prepared for motherhood? Or how about the women who experienced rape from a family member? Should they be forced to birth that child who may have birth defects due to incest? While abortions don’t protect women from rape or relieve the pain they suffered, it gives women the option not to carry and raise a child that was conceived through such a horrible act. Pregnancy in general is hard on a woman, as it causes stress, anxiety, physical pain, and so much more. Abortions allow women to put their mental health and physical needs first instead of having to go through 9 months of unwanted and difficult pain.</p> <p>Pregnancy can come with complications. These complications can happen at any point in a woman’s pregnancy, and can affect the woman or fetus. Some early complications are miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy which is when the fertilized egg implants outside a woman’s uterus, Hyperemesis gravidarum which is severe vomiting, or other congenital disorders (Cleveland Clinic). Some later complications are preterm labor, infections, gestational diabetes which is when a woman develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, or preeclampsia which is a blood pressure problem. While complications aren’t extremely common, 8% of compilations that are left untreated may harm the mother or the baby (Hopkins Medicine). Some women have existing medical problems that will either make their pregnancy harder on them or put them at risk for more threatening complications. Abortions can save women or the fetus from even near death situations. Depending on the state’s regulations, there are situations where an abortion is allowed even after the time frame if the mother or child is at risk. Even though these abortions can occur in the later part of a woman’ pregnancies, they are necessary in cases where the mother’s life is on the line. It’s moments like this where abortion is needed because it can save someone’s life.</p> <p>Not only is it expensive to raise a child, it’s expensive to birth a child. The average cost of having a baby in the United States is a staggering $18,865 with health insurance (investopedia). Some women just don’t have the financial ability to raise a child whether they are low income or even homeless. A homeless woman doesn’t have the resources like food, water, shelter, or money to care for herself, so how do people expect her to care for another human? It’s already extremely dangerous for a woman to live outside on the streets, and adding a child to that situation makes it even more dangerous. Women can become pregnant in college, which is already expensive, and having to raise a child while simultaneously being a student is both financially draining and mentally draining. As a soon to be freshman in college, I couldn’t imagine having to juggle learning how to take care of myself truly for the first time while also taking care of a baby. That is a lot of pressure to put on a young woman who is navigating being on her own. It’s a lot of stress to put on a woman who is either struggling to make ends meet or can’t afford it because of other circumstances, so having an abortion allows for the woman to take care of herself before she takes care of another person.</p> <p>However, some argue that a fetus has value and the right to live, and therefore abortion cannot be justified in any situation. It doesn’t matter the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, there is no excuse for getting rid of another life as every life is important. While the intent of this view is to protect human life, it prioritizes an unborn fetus instead of protecting the life of a woman. It ignores the complicated situation a woman could be in due to her pregnancy, and only focuses on a not yet fully developed life.</p> <p>Abortion access is essential for preserving women’s mental and emotional health, preventing medical complications, and ensuring financial and economic stability. Abortions allow women to put their own mental health first by not having to deal with a pregnancy that will cause them emotional distress or PTSD. They reduce the risk of serious health problems and allow women to get back on their feet and offer economic independence. Maybe I have given you a new way of thinking, or maybe I helped you understand something. Maybe I didn’t change your mind at all and instead made you feel stronger about your existing beliefs. Whatever may be the case, I hope you can take away the importance of remaining self aware and sympathetic to women&#8217;s situations because you truly never know what someone is going through. Try not to let your opinion get the best of you or force your beliefs onto someone else as everyone is entitled to their own opinions. For those who have opposite beliefs as me, I hope that you can recognize that there are situations when abortion is needed and are more understanding of my side.</p>

<p>Gun Reform in America</p> <p>Hello everyone,</p> <p>I am here today to speak about something that impacts our communities on a daily basis gun violence and the necessity for sensible and sensible gun reform.</p> <p>You may have read about gruesome school shootings like Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Uvalde. They altered lives irretrievably. They were not just headlines news those were real situations where students and teachers died. Gun violence in America is climbing higher and higher. It&#8217;s occurring in schools, homes, communities, and even places of worship. That is why this issue needs to grab our attention fully.</p> <p>Attending Central High School in Philadelphia has opened my eyes to the harsh reality of gun violence in our community. Every day, there’s a lingering fear not just for myself, but for my friends and classmates. We’ve had moments when we couldn&#8217;t leave the building because of nearby shootings, and the sound of sirens has become just another part of our daily background noise. It’s unsettling to know that just walking to or from school can feel like a risk. I remember a time when we were all forced to shelter in place because of an armed incident a few blocks away. That moment made it real for me gun violence isn’t just something I see on the news; it’s happening right outside our doors. As students, we shouldn&#8217;t have to worry about our safety while trying to focus on our education. This issue isn’t just about statistics it’s personal, and it’s something I live with every day.</p> <p>Gun violence is one of the most important issues of public safety in America. Contributing to the problem is access to firearms specifically, illegal firearms. New technology like 3D-printed triggers allows people to modify firearms to fire more rapidly, making even legal firearms much more lethal. As it becomes more prevalent in growing numbers, it makes the problem that much harder to control.</p> <p>Which is why we need real reform. Using smarter, not tougher, laws that promote our safety and also preserve human rights. The problem of gun violence demands balanced reforms to meet public safety and constitutional rights.</p> <p>Let us begin with Gun Control and Public Safety.</p> <p>One of the most potent arguments in the gun reform debate is whether stricter gun laws ever really make us safer. There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that they do. There is research to show that those states with very strict gun controls and lower availability of guns have lower gun related deaths. Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New Jersey, for example, have among the lowest gun death rates in the country (World Population Review, 2024). Such states prove stricter laws can be achieved.</p> <p>We also learn from overseas. Australia and Japan have two of the strongest gun control on earth. In 1996, after a mass shooting, Australia implemented strong gun laws. The result? Firearm deaths dropped like a stone (Independent, 2024). In Japan, gun ownership is strictly regulated and highly restricted, gun fatalities are virtually nil. These countries show us that gun control does work to significantly improve public safety.</p> <p>Of course, not everyone agrees. Some believe that stricter laws won&#8217;t make criminals any less likely to commit crimes. Criminals, they assert, will simply not listen to the law in the first instance. If that is true, then gun regulations would punish the law abiding but not the criminals. That is something we need to take seriously.</p> <p>Which brings us to our second topic: The Second Amendment Debate.</p> <p>The Second Amendment grants Americans the right to bear arms. The U.S. Supreme Court, in 2008, reminded us that the right to bear arms includes using firearms in protecting one&#8217;s home (District of Columbia v. Heller, 2008). For many of us, the right to bear arms has little to do with safety it is about freedom and personal responsibility.</p> <p>There are also some reform supporters against prohibiting assault guns and limiting ammunition clip capacity. These are the sole changes they will embrace. In their view, these alone can halt mass killing deaths. But critics hold a different view and think that they go too far. It is unjust, they say, to leave law abiding citizens high and dry when it is not their fault.</p> <p>This is the truth: both sides do have a point. We should be able to make individuals secure and respect the rights of lawful gun owners. Gun reform isn&#8217;t an end to guns completely. It could be more robust background checks, more mental illness treatment, and making sure those who are danger signs don&#8217;t easily find themselves in possession of deadly weapons.</p> <p>Personally, I believe that balance is the key. We don&#8217;t need to have either or. We can do both. We just need to have smart laws that save lives and protect rights.</p> <p>To put it all in perspective: gun reform is about fine tuning between public safety, constitutional rights, and practical solutions. The arguments are whether gun control works at all, and what the Second Amendment actually does allow. Both sides have merit, and the best solutions will arise from understanding of them—not evasion of them.</p> <p>If we&#8217;re committed to progress, we require honest conversation. We require better background checks, more mental health care, and sensible restrictions on lethal weapons, And at the same time, we must protect the rights of law-abiding citizens. That&#8217;s how we continue to move forward. Change is not going to happen overnight, and it isn&#8217;t going to happen because of shouting back and forth. It will be the result of compromise and civilized discussion. We must put aside the politics of the sides to take and begin to work together. Because ultimately we all want the same thing: to be safe in our schools, our homes, and our communities.</p> <p>Thank you.</p> <p>References:</p> <p>Independent. (2024). How Japan and Australia eliminated gun deaths.<br /> https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/gun-deaths-eliminated-america-learn-japan -australia-uk-norway-florida-shooting-latest-news-a8216301.html</p> <p>U.S. Supreme Court. (2008). District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570.</p> <p>World Population Review. (2024). Strictest gun laws by state.</p>

<p>Close your eyes and imagine this: you wake up, reach for your phone (of course), and start scrolling. You see people living their “best lives”—vacations, perfect selfies, aesthetic breakfasts, and gym pics with inspirational captions. And then it hits you—that sinking feeling like you’re falling behind, like everyone else has it all figured out and you’re just… stuck. Drifting. That feeling? Yeah, I know it too well.</p> <p>Smartphones have completely changed how we live—sure, they’ve made communication easier, but they’ve also brought along some serious baggage. Research shows that social media can increase anxiety, depression, and loneliness. I’m not just quoting a study—I’ve lived this.</p> <p>There was a time when I used to be more outgoing, more open to just being myself. But the more time I spent glued to my phone, the more I started to retreat into my own bubble. I compared myself constantly—my looks, my achievements, my life—to people I didn’t even know. I started feeling like I wasn’t enough. I’d overthink everything I said, scared I’d come off as weird or awkward. Eventually, I just stopped trying to connect altogether. Social interactions started to feel like a performance I wasn’t rehearsed for. And so, I pulled back.</p> <p>It’s more than just feeling left out—it messes with your mind. Your emotions. Your relationships. I found myself struggling to hold real conversations, second-guessing every word. I was there physically, but mentally I was somewhere else, caught up in a feed full of people who seemed like they were living life better than me.</p> <p>This is the real issue: smartphones and social media are reshaping how we think, how we feel, and how we interact. And not always for the better.</p> <p>But here’s the thing—it doesn’t have to stay that way.</p> <p>It starts with awareness. I had to really look at how much time I was spending online and what it was doing to me. I started setting small boundaries—putting my phone down an hour before bed, taking walks without music or scrolling, just being present. At first, it was weird. Uncomfortable. But slowly, I started feeling more like myself again.</p> <p>I also realized how important it is to talk about mental health. Not just in a vague “take care of yourself” kind of way, but really talk. We should be learning how to manage our emotions, how to support each other, and how to be okay with being vulnerable.</p> <p>And we need a community—one that uplifts instead of compares. One where we celebrate real moments, not just filtered highlights. I’ve started to open up more, little by little. It’s still hard. I still feel awkward sometimes. But I’m learning that it’s okay to be a work in progress.</p> <p>Smartphones and social media aren’t evil. But if we’re not careful, they start living our lives for us. We deserve better. We deserve to feel connected, seen, and real—not just online, but in life.</p> <p>So let’s take back our time, our minds, and our peace. One scroll-less hour, one honest conversation, one brave step at a time.</p>

<p>How Many More Names?</p> <p>Growing up, I had to face the brutal reality of the insignificance of promises because of people constantly breaking them. The biggest promise that was broken, was the justice system. Our founding fathers created the justice system, which is aimed at making sure everyone has the same rights and opportunities. However, I’ve recently started to question this so-called system. If justice is meant to be equal, why did it take numerous petitions, protests, testimonies, and social media platforms for a black man’s family to receive justice after he died due to a police officer’s knee being pressed on his neck for over nine minutes? Say his name: George Floyd. If justice is meant to be equal, why was a 36-year-old Black woman fatally shot by a police officer in her house last summer after she called the police for help and social media shares were the only reason why her story received attention and gained justice? Say her name: Sonya Massey. If justice is meant to be equal, why am I scared that I will be next? Say <em>my </em>name: Wan-. I’m scared that if I have an encounter with the police, am face to face with a judge, my word will not mean a damn thing. A system that is designed to keep my family and me safe, but yet discriminates against us.</p> <p>Through this so-called “justice” system, Black and Hispanic individuals are more frequently arrested, given harsher sentences, and punished more severely than white people. To achieve real justice, we need to recognize the issues at hand and advocate for meaningful change. While the system has its flaws, it’s not too late to repair it. That’s why I did not finish saying my name. I refuse to give up on a system that was made for me and the people that I love.</p> <p>I want to discuss the major challenges in our criminal justice system and explore ways we can work towards a more just and equitable future.</p> <p><strong>Racial Inequalities in Law enforcement </strong><br /> Let’s first speak on the major root of the social justice issue: racial bias and discrimination. Black and Hispanic individuals often face a higher chance of being stopped, searched, arrested, and given tougher sentences than white individuals for the same offenses. I want to put a spotlight on a viral case that you may have heard of, The Central Park Five case. The year was 1989. That was the year five innocent young boys were robbed of their childhood forever just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. A white woman who had been out for a jog was brutally assaulted and her body was later found the next morning. She was attacked so badly that she had no memory of what happened and who did such a thing to her. Shortly after she was found, magically, they found the boys that did that to her and arrested them. It was five black and latino boys. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise. They were playing in the park and police officers randomly chose them. Even though there were no DNA matches with any of them, they were interrogated for hours without their parents present, eventually pressured to give false confessions.</p> <p>These young black boys served sentences from seven to thirteen years. Seven to thirteen years for playing at the park. I remember learning about this case and bawling my eyes out because of how much they suffered. Korey Wise, who had to go to adult prison because he was seventeen, was raped there. “We were just Baby boys,” said Yussef.</p> <p>A student from the 2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) found that “Black students are 2.2 times as likely to receive a referral to law enforcement or be subject to a school-related arrest as white students.”(American Bar Association, 2023). Rather than actually helping students, some schools use strict punishments that drive kids, particularly those from minority backgrounds, into the criminal justice system. I’ve seen this with my own two eyes.</p> <p>In conclusion, I believe that justice is not a privilege, it’s a promise. This means that every person, regardless of their race, background, deserves to be treated fairly. Prison is usually thought to be the default punishment for crimes. Yes, it’s true that people should face consequences for engaging in criminal activity. But what about those who commit offenses because they’re desperate? Like stealing for survival? Or crimes that they committed when they were extremely young? Or crimes that other people got away with simply because they weren’t black? We have options. Community service, mental health and addiction treatment, and probation with counseling are just a few. These alternatives promote change, allow room for growth and one step closer to a better world. How many more crying mothers have to go on the internet for help before we realize that our system is not working? Am I next? We need to push for a system that helps people instead of hurting them, that supports people rather than locking them up.</p>

<p>Good morning, my name is Mohamed Eldib for those of you who do not know me. I’m a student at Central High School, a blue ribbon college preparatory school in Philadelphia, PA. I have a quick question for you guys. How many of you have ever asked Siri or one of those Alexa bots for help? Or maybe even typed something into google, or asked a chatbot like Chapgpt, Deepai or those websites. Come on, don&#8217;t be shy, let&#8217;s see a show of hands now, this is a safe place I promise I’m not telling. Looks like most of us are well-versed in the world of AI.</p> <p>Now before you start getting nervous, I am not here to tell you robots are going to take over the world, well, at least not today I don’t think. But I will be talking about something a little more subtle. Something that you may not have noticed but has already changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we think. That something is AI. While AI originally seemed like a convenient tool, it has gradually become something problematic in today’s society.</p> <p>Let’s be honest, we all love the ease of chatting with a bot to get quick answers, but what happens when AI starts shaping the way we think, what happens when AI starts affecting our decision making, what happens when AI starts affecting the way we are able to relate to one another. Let’s take a deeper dive as to why the growing reliance of AI could be setting us up for failure in the future.</p> <p>So, how did we get here? To a place where AI has become such a big part of our lives, from shopping recommendations to why we search for answers. Well, it started with convenience. AI works 24/7, it can solve all your problems with a little search. It has 100% consistency.</p> <p>Let’s talk about something more crucial though. The impact AI could have on our job economy. A report from Mckinsey Global institute suggests that by the year 2030, as many as 800 million jobs worldwide could be displaced by automation, AI, and other technological advances. A close percentage of 25% of our workforce. And those aren’t just factory jobs by the way. Just think about it, AI is now capable of writing news articles, diagnosing medical conditions, and even conducting legal research. This raises the question, what’s gonna happen to<br /> the people who used to do these jobs?</p> <p>This is a major problem that cannot be left unaddressed. So what is the solution? We need to embrace retraining and education for those who might be left behind. If we continue to let AI dominate without seriously addressing this problem, we could end up in a situation where society itself becomes less capable, less skilled, and more dependent on technology. That&#8217;s a world where AI makes us less intelligent and more passive in our thinking.</p> <p>Another study conducted by the World Economic Forum found that 42% of tasks in the workforce could be conducted by using current technology. Everything from customer service to retail jobs.</p> <p>On a more personal level, I have seen first hand what the effects of AI has on students in my school. Mainly within standardized tests. Many many students use AI for their homework, for their classwork, and it takes away the studying part of homework and practice. So when it came time for testing and assessments, I watched their scores and grades tank.</p> <p>And this is the future we are looking at, where we lose our ability to think for ourselves and depend on AI to do the heavy lifting. The more we allow AI in our lives, the more we risk our own capabilities and the aspects of humanity that technology cannot replicate.</p> <p>AI, despite it&#8217;s undeniable conveniences poses a real threat to our workforce, our critical thinking, and even our human connections. The future that many of us think we&#8217;re walking into is one where we are more disconnected, more passive, and less capable of solving problems on our own.</p> <p>But it doesn’t have to be this way. The solution? To find a balance. Use AI, but don’t let it take over. Let us be mindful in the way it shapes our world and make sure we&#8217;re teaching our kids not to rely on it for everything. Teach them to think critically, to ask questions, and to actually learn the skills that matter.</p> <p>So next time you&#8217;re about to ask an AI to do your lazy thinking for you, pause and ask yourself, is this really helping me grow, or am I just letting technology make me lazy? Do that, so we don’t have to live in a world where you don’t know if this speech was AI generated or not.</p> <p>Thank you.</p>

<p>Good morning, everyone. My name is Kaydah Fields. Today, I want to talk about a topic that hits close to home for all of us, the increasing isolation and mental illness that stems from our smartphones. Think about it for a second. Do you believe a 10-year-old should have a device that enables them to post pictures on social media and get rated by others? And what about teenage girls? We know they have been objectified based on their looks for centuries. With the rise of social media, young girls are trying to build their confidence through likes and comments but they are also exposing themselves to harsh criticism and learning to rely on other people’s opinions to gain self worth. This cycle can lead to depression and insecurity at an early age. That’s why it’s crucial for us to consider limiting phone time for young adults and teens, not just for their wellbeing, but for their mental health.</p> <p>When we look back to the early 2000s, smartphones didn’t seem as harmful. They were simpler and didn’t include social media access or the AI elements that drive content and feed algorithms like they do now. Fast forward to today, and it&#8217;s alarming how many young adults and teens have lives that revolve around their phones. Studies have shown that excessive phone usage can lead to mental health issues like depression, sleep disorders, and eating disorders. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Adolescence, individuals who spend more than three hours a day on social media are at a higher risk for experiencing mental health problems. Furthermore, as we spend more time on screens, we engage less face-to-face, which limits our ability to form strong, meaningful relationships.</p> <p>So, what do we mean by &#8220;excessive phone usage&#8221;? Experts estimate that spending over two hours a day on social media can classify as excessive (CITE). This doesn&#8217;t just include scrolling through feeds but also involves engaging with various platforms that promote comparison and validation. The danger here is that, for many, their self-worth begins to hinge on how many likes or comments they receive, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and isolation.</p> <p>I myself, had excessive phone use in 8th grade, I always wanted to be a social media influencer and I was always making tiktoks on my phone and always on my phone which caused me to miss out on my 8th grade dance because my grades weren&#8217;t good due to me being on my phone and not focusing on school anymore. I became self-centered and lost a lot of face-to-face interactions.</p> <p>In conclusion, it&#8217;s clear that smartphones and social media take a significant toll on young adults and teens today. The addiction to these devices can lead to serious issues such as depression, disrupted sleep, and a decline in face-to-face interactions. Therefore, it is essential that we advocate for limitations on phone usage to protect our mental health and ensure that the younger generation can develop healthy relationships with themselves and those around them. Thank you for taking the time to listen. I hope we can all reflect on our phone habits and support each other in creating a healthier balance in our lives.</p>

<p>In today&#8217;s world, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are a big part of our lives, offering new ways to connect and express ourselves. But while they bring us together, they can also create unrealistic standards that harm our mental health.</p> <p>**Unrealistic Expectations**<br /> On social media, people often share only the highlights of their lives—those carefully curated moments of success and happiness. This selective sharing can make us feel pressured to portray a perfect life, leading us to believe that everyone&#8217;s life is flawless. Edited photos and filters set beauty standards that feel impossible to meet.</p> <p>**The Comparison Trap**<br /> The urge to compare ourselves to others grows stronger on these platforms. Seeing constant images of perfection can make us question our self-worth. Many studies have shown that this kind of comparison can lead to lower self-esteem and even depression, especially in teens. It can leave young people feeling isolated and unworthy.</p> <p>**A Personal Story**<br /> I remember a time in high school when I spent hours scrolling through my feeds, feeling like everyone else was living a better life. I’d see friends posting about their vacations or perfect makeup days, and it left me feeling pretty down about myself. One day, I decided to take a break from scrolling and focus on the things I loved about my own life. I picked up my camera and started taking pictures of my own moments, the good and the not-so-good. It helped me realize that everyone has struggles, and I didn&#8217;t need to measure my life against anyone else’s highlight reel.</p> <p>**Taking Action for Better Mental Health**<br /> Social media is here to stay, but we can take steps to reduce its negative effects:</p> <p>1. **Mindful Consumption:** Notice how certain accounts make you feel. If they bring you down, unfollow them and seek out positive content that reflects real life.</p> <p>2. **Set Time Limits:** Limiting your social media time can improve your mental well-being. Set daily caps or designate specific times to check your feeds.<br /> 3. **Practice Gratitude:** Taking a moment to appreciate your strengths and accomplishments can help you combat feelings of inadequacy.</p> <p>4. **Seek Support:** If social media is heavily impacting your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for guidance.</p> <p>In conclusion, while social media can be a powerful tool for connection, it’s important to use it mindfully. By recognizing its downsides and taking care of our mental health, we can create a balanced relationship with these platforms that uplifts us instead of pulling us down. Let’s work together to make social media a space that encourages authenticity and support.</p>

<p>Hello, I&#8217;m sure everyone has heard about environmental and climate change before but have you ever really thought about it and its impact? Think back to 2017 or any time during your childhood, do you remember snow days and snow angels? Now think about the last time you saw snow and compare those times. Did you go out of state or did you see it in your own neighborhood? How much snow was there compared to before? Back when I was in elementary school, there were snow covered grounds from October to December. But now, there are only 1-2 days every year where I get to see snow.</p> <p>There are differences between environmental and climate change. Environmental change is the altering of a natural environment no matter the cause, while climate change is long-term shifts in climate patterns. Though they are different, they still have serious impacts on our lives. We must take action against Environmental and climate change because our children will inherit an unlivable world if we don’t!</p> <p>As I am also sure many of you are also already aware of, the sea levels are rising. In an article about climate change by NOAA, it is said “extra heat is driving regional and seasonal temperature extremes, reducing snow cover and sea ice.” Like I said in the beginning, the Earth is warming up and we are seeing how this change is affecting us now. Overall, we are seeing less snow and places actively turning inhabitable from the rising heat. From the same article, it&#8217;s said, “Earth’s temperature has risen by an average of 0.11° Fahrenheit (0.06° Celsius) per decade since 1850, or about 2° F”(NOAA). This might not seem like a big number but if you think about it, by the time I’m 80 and two generations have come to pass, the earth will have warmed up around 13 degrees fahrenheit. This is a dramatic change in temperatures, it means people that are not used to curtain temperatures and weather patterns will be experiencing it in the near future. This unnatural rise in heat not only will affect our way of life, but affect our needs too.</p> <p>The change in temperature and weather impacts us too. When we change the environment that we get our food from, we put ourselves at risk of getting sick. In an article on climate impacts on human health, it is said that extreme weather conditions that follow “threaten our health by affecting the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe”(Climate Impacts on Human Health). This means that as we continue to change the environment without care, we are threatening our overall health. And this isn&#8217;t just happening in the US, with increased heat globally, many places are left without water and are forced to experience drought. Everyone contributes to the changing of the Earth and because of it, we are all affected by it. Across the world, people will suffer, developing countries, people without access to clean water, and people already in an incredibly hot area. But we are not the only ones on this planet that will have our lives changed drastically.</p> <p>Weather and climate changes do not only affect us, it also affects our ecosystems. Indeed, “climate change can alter where species live, how they interact, and the timing of biological events, which could fundamentally transform current ecosystems and food webs” (EPA). The shifting of these ecosystems and food webs would eventually lead to the destruction of the natural world. Now you all must be thinking why is this important or why should you care? It&#8217;s because we are next (to die). With rising sea levels and global warming, climate change is affecting us directly. We are not immune to its effects and the effects are not minor inconveniences.</p> <p>Close your eyes and think about the future world you want you and future generations to live in. Now think of the world will you be giving or letting them inherit now. The world we are currently passing on to future generations gets worse and worse, economy wise or otherwise. However, the future doesn&#8217;t have to only hold bad fortune for those in the future. That is why if there is not something done about environmental and climate change, we may never have the chance to do something about it again. Environmental and climate change endangers you and all that live on this planet we call our home. Helping the environment may seem like a daunting task, but that just goes to prove how important it is that we do something about it now. So what can you do? From taking public transport instead of driving to minimizing waste. The biggest driving factor of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels which releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. One person may not cause much change, but if we all work together, do our part, even a little bit, we can make a difference in lowering greenhouse gas emissions.</p>

<p>Imagine being told by everybody around you that college is the only way out and that you will ultimately fail in life without a degree. I disagree with this. I don’t see myself going to college and making a career out of it. I am doing multiple things that don’t require college, such as trading, ecom, YouTube, etc. College can get costly and doesn’t suit everyone’s goals (Davies, 2023). Not everyone needs college to succeed. Everyone has their own opinion on what success looks like, and they shouldn’t be forced to go off to college because it’s viewed as the “safe” way (Davies, 2023; Tan, 2023).</p> <p>First of all, the financial burden of college creates challenges for people who aren’t financially stable, especially with high tuition and student debt (Davies, 2023). While it is possible to have a high salary from college, many college graduates face underemployment, making the cost hard to justify (Tan, 2023). More affordable options, such as vocational training, also provide practical skills without the financial stress of college (Davies, 2023; Tan, 2023). With options like these, college isn’t the only path to success.</p> <p>Second, not everybody wants to go to college. Many students are pressured into pursuing degrees they have no passion for simply because of the high salary (Davies, 2023). On top of that, they have to deal with oversaturated job markets in certain fields, which makes matters even worse (Tan, 2023). On the other hand, vocational training and certifications allow students to focus on practical skills and careers that they are passionate about (Lopez, 2023). These options allow people to find fulfillment and also success.</p> <p>Finally, the expectations from society only make matters work. From a young age, students are pressured to prioritize their academics, causing them to ignore other talents, such as trades or creative careers (Davies, 2023; Tan, 2023). This pressure on a kid usually leads to unhappiness when degrees don’t match personal goals. Allowing students to choose their path, like vocational programs, allows students to define success in their way.</p> <p>College is not the only route to success, its financial stress isn’t for everybody and doesn’t always match someone’s personal goals. There are other options such as hands-on careers that provide students with opportunities to do something they love and make a career out of it. If we start to embrace these paths, we can start to move away from outdated narratives and encourage people to define success on their own as there are countless paths to achieving success and fulfillment in life.</p>

<p>The Truth About Fake News</p> <p>Have you ever seen a shocking news story online, only to find out later it was completely fake? Fake news is everywhere, and it affects all of us. Fake news is false or misleading information that spreads really fast. So many people believe it before they check if it&#8217;s even true. A study by MIT found that fake news spreads six times faster on Twitter than real news (Vosoughi et al., 2018). Fake news is a huge problem because it spreads quickly, tricks people into believing lies, and can cause serious harm to people.</p> <p>One of the biggest problems with fake news is how fast it spreads. Social media makes it easy for fake news to move from one person to another faster than real news. Algorithms on platforms like Facebook and TikTok push content that gets more attention even if it isn’t true. A study by Pew Research Center found that 64% of Americans think fake news causes confusion about important events (Pew Research, 2019). Because people believe what they see online so quickly, fake news can change people&#8217;s opinions before the truth has a chance to come out. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s so dangerous.</p> <p>Another major problem is that fake news is often spread on purpose. Some people do it to make money, gain power, or get attention. Politicians have used fake news to get more votes or to damage their opponents (Allcott &amp; Gentzkow, 2017). Companies sometimes post fake reviews or misleading ads to make themselves look better. Online bullies and trolls even spread fake stories just to hurt others or start rumors. Fake news isn’t always a random mistake. The majority of the time, it is created to manipulate people and control how they think. Knowing who spreads fake news and why helps us understand how serious the issue really is.</p> <p>While fake news can fool anyone, some people are more likely to fall for it than others. Teenagers and young adults who get most of their views from social media often don&#8217;t take time to act and check what they see (Guess et al., 2019). At the same time, older adults may also struggle with fake news because they might not know how to spot it online. If people don’t know how to tell the difference between real and fake news, they can be easily manipulated. Fake news is such a big problem because so many people are vulnerable to it without even knowing.</p> <p>Fake news doesn’t just stay online,it can cause serious real-world problems. For example, fake health news has made people afraid of getting important medical treatments like vaccines (World Health Organization, 2020). Many people refused life-saving vaccines because of fake stories they read online; some of them didn’t survive. Fake stories about politics have caused protests and violence, like the U.S. Capitol riot in 2021. People believed false claims about the election and acted on those lies. This shows that fake news isn&#8217;t just annoying, it can lead to real harm.</p> <p>Luckily, there are ways to stop the spread of fake news. Everyone can help by taking simple steps. Before sharing something online, people should double-check the source. Fact-checking websites like “Snopes” or “FactCheck.org” can help. Also, people should watch out for stories that use dramatic or emotional language, because fake news often tries to make readers feel angry or shocked. If everyone took just a few seconds to verify information before spreading it, we could slow fake news down.</p> <p>Some people argue that trying to stop fake news could go against free speech. They believe everyone should have the right to say what they think, even if it&#8217;s not true. It&#8217;s true that freedom of speech is important. But stopping fake news isn’t about silencing opinions, it’s about stopping harmful lies. Telling people to check their facts before sharing something doesn’t take away their freedom, it makes sure the information they share is accurate. Fighting fake news helps protect people from being misled, not stop them from speaking freely.</p> <p>In conclusion, fake news is a serious problem because it spreads fast, fools people, and can even cause real-life harm. We talked about how fake news spreads, who spreads it, who believes it, what it leads to, and how we can stop it. But the fight against fake news starts with us. The next time you’re about to share a post, stop. Think. Check the facts. Because truth matters, and it starts with you.</p>

<p>Imagine yourself, for a moment, to be in a room. There are, let&#8217;s say 30 people in the room. Let’s say that 6 of them have some sort of implicit bias against you. Those 6 people may seem insignificant, but when placed in a room, with all of that hateful rhetoric spewed at you will have an effect. This is the effect of the hateful, targeted crimes towards queer people that have been considered “Acceptable”.</p> <p>Over the past year, queer based hate crimes have raised 16% from the already high totals, to the point where ⅕ of total hate crimes are linked to sexual orientation and gender identity (Human Rights Campaign). Not only that, but queerphobia rates have been spiking as well, already starting to change our societal expectation of what we consider to be queerphobia and hate crimes. This change of social and societal norms will affect all of us by limiting our rights to self expression.</p> <p>Now, I’ve probably been talking about this for- what, a minute now? Well, a statistic from the Trevor Project stats that in the time I have been talking, about 2 queer people have attempted suicide. We have been prosecuted forever, but let me ask you when was the last time you saw a news article, a real news article about queer rights? Not some bar graph, but a real story, from actual sources? It’s probably been a while hasn’t it?</p> <p>In my personal life I have even been subject to this. I used to go to a school called Bridesburg elementary, which is in a very pro conservative neighborhood. As a neurodivergent girl it was hard, having that difference which I was already bullied for, just because I thought differently and had issues with sound sometimes. It became downright hostile after the second week when they figured out that I was queer. I was called slurs, threatened, videos filmed of extreme bullying, but nothing ever changed. I would have children walk up to me and call me slurs, but I was the overdramatic one if I responded. I was called slurs if I got overstimulated, if I was seen with my girlfriend on my block. The list goes on.</p> <p>I was one of the people that the Trevor Project speaks of, I was almost a statistic, a sad line on a bar graph, all because I was considered one of the “Acceptable” groups to commit hate crimes against.</p> <p>I have a friend, who I’ll call Bella. Bella goes to a private catholic school in Philadelphia, and is, like me, openly queer. There is a girl in one of the clubs she’s in who consistently calls her slurs, bullies her, and this is a consistent thing. She will consistently come up to Bella and say hateful things, provoke her, threaten her. And she gets off scot free. But Bella suffers the consequences. She has the long lasting depression, the suicidal tendencies, she’s the one who has to see a therapist, who has to suffer. Even her administration won’t help her.</p> <p>There are many, many Bella’s in this world. I was Bella, most of my friends have been. All because we were born different.</p> <p>People all sit in their chairs, ignore the articles about raising queer suicide rates, ignore activism, ignore it when we put bigoted institutions in place that limit queer rights because to you it “Doesn’t apply because you’re not queer.” But it does. It applies to all of us, because they only come for us first because we are the easiest targets, not because we are the only ones.</p> <p>If we were the only ones, there wouldn’t be rising femicide rates, rising religion based hate crimes, rising islamophobia and antisemitism all across America. We must all stand, as one and fight the oncoming threat.</p> <p>And I know that as I stand here, there are some of you up here who simply won’t believe me. That’s ok, because you can still learn how to help. Join a local GSA, do volunteer work for your local branch of charity, join protests, and stand beside us, so that we can all make a difference. You don’t have to be queer to be an ally. You just have to be able to stand up to hate.</p> <p>As we have sat in this room today, listening to these speeches, there is a world around us in which people are afraid to speak out and express themselves for fear of prosecution. Don’t let yourself contribute to it.</p>

<p>Addressing America’s Literacy Crisis</p> <p>Do you enjoy reading in your free time? Do you own at least ten books? If you answered no to either of these questions, you may be interested in what I’d like to discuss. Personally, I love reading and own over five hundred books, so I am very passionate about raising awareness about literacy and encouraging people to read. My passion for reading makes me feel obligated to address the fact that the United States is going through a literacy crisis right now, in both children and adults.</p> <p>For at least the past ten years, the literacy rates of children have noticeably been declining. Students are becoming much less engaged in reading. In fact, literacy rates have been declining so much that as of 2023, only 46% of students were proficient in reading on a national level, according to an article from Western Oregon University. Furthermore, the National Literacy Institute found that only 79% of adults in the United States are literate, as of 2024. Based on these two statistics, it’s clear that the people of America are facing challenges regarding reading comprehension, which is why more people need to be aware. People like you and I need to spark discussions about the factors causing literacy rates to decrease in students, as well as how poor literacy rates can be prevented in order to confront the evolving problem of childhood illiteracy.</p> <p>Before I talk about how we can fix America’s literacy crisis, I think it’s important to start with the factors that are contributing. I believe that outdated and “boring” books that students have very minimal interest in are being taught in schools. As a senior in high school, I’ve read a variety of books in my English classes. However, I would say only one or two of them actually engaged me while reading. All of the other ones were books that I had trouble understanding or focusing on. This leads to students, including myself, not being engaged or interested in the story. Due to school being the main place that students interact with books, some may begin to feel like all books are the same as those taught in school. This is shown in research conducted by the National Education Association, where they found that only 17% of students enjoyed reading during their free time. It’s not common for students to read on their own and that stems from the poor selection of books taught in schools.</p> <p>Parents have also become less involved in their children’s education. Many parents are only concerned with their child’s grades, and don’t put in the effort to establish good educational habits and practices. According to the Literacy Project Foundation, only about 48% of parents read to their children ages five and under. This is a major problem. Reading is one of the most foundational skills to have, especially for children. Not incorporating reading into the life of a young child doesn’t set the standards for them to do it on their own as they get older. As a young child, my mom always used to read to me every night, allowing me to choose three or four books from my collection. That’s not only one of my favorite things I used to do with my mom, but it also established that reading was fun for me and reading is still one of my favorite things to do today.</p> <p>According to the United Way NCA, about 12.4% of students in America live in poverty. Do you know what students may have a hard time accessing if they live in poverty? Books. In times of need, any money that a family may have most likely will not go towards books, which is understandable. Because of that, we as a country need to find more ways to get books into the hands of students living in poverty. More free libraries, more donations, more funding to schools could all help prevent students from being illiterate.</p> <p>As this is a rising problem in American society, it is imperative that we find solutions that will help the children of America meet their educational goals and needs. One way that reading levels can be improved is by incorporating interesting and modern novels into school curriculums. Instead of teaching Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, teachers could find modern books that teach important lessons while also engaging students. Maybe The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, or Dry by Neil Shusterman. Although the former books teach important lessons, it’s important to include books that have relatable themes and characters, as well as fantastical or interesting storylines that could grasp the attention of students and help them enjoy the reading experience.</p> <p>Schools can also find other ways to encourage students to read at home. Schools could host reading contests, teachers could provide reading incentives, or teachers could make fun projects for students to complete after reading books. In the eighth grade, I had a teacher who noticed that I loved reading, and to encourage me further, she asked me to write book reports on my own in exchange for extra credit. Now, all students may not be like me and want to do that, however, it doesn’t take much effort for teachers to encourage reading outside of the classroom environment.</p> <p>By providing resources in and out of the classroom, students gain more opportunities to access books on their own. If students don’t have money to buy books or the option to go to a school or neighborhood library, it leaves very little chances for them to obtain books on their own. According to the United States Department of Education, about 2.5 million students enrolled in school don’t have access to a school library. This further proves the point that we need to take action now and find ways to help students get opportunities to find books that they’re interested in.</p> <p>The literacy crisis going on in America has only gotten worse within the last five years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is time to start addressing this problem, as the students struggling in school will soon reach adulthood and need the necessary skill to read to progress through life. Now is the time to start discussing why students are struggling and how we can prevent it as a society. It is imperative that schools find ways to engage students in reading, parents become more involved in their child’s education, and for how books can be provided to students in a multitude of ways.</p> <p>Before I finish, I would like to ask you to encourage the youth around you to read and find books that are interesting to them. People like you and I have the upper hand when it comes to influencing them to establish good habits in their lives that bring them joy and intelligence. So give them book suggestions. Find a way to give them access to books they’re interested in. And please, please, please, tell them that there are so many more books to read other than the ones taught in school. Reading can be fun! Thank you.</p> <p>Sources:<br /> www.literacyproj.org/2019/02/14/30-key-child-literacy-stats-parents-need-to-be-aware-of/#:~:text=Nationally%2C%20about%20half%20of%20children,parents%20or%20other%20family%20members</p> <p>https://www.ala.org/news/2020/01/ala-applauds-new-school-library-legislation-widen-access-students-nationwide</p>

<p>Representation Shapes Perception</p> <p>When you hear the words suspicious or suspect, what do you picture? Is it a Black man dressed in a black hoodie? Or maybe a Latino man with several tattoos? If so, trust me you are not the only one who thought this. You may be wondering why our minds make these stereotypical connections. The truth is our mind has been influenced by what we have seen and heard in the media. Media depiction of racial profiling plays a critical role in shaping public perception of racial profiling, often supporting stereotypes that justify discrimination.</p> <p>To begin, oftentimes the media portrays specific groups as more dangerous, leading to increased fear and encouragement of discrimination. A report, “Innocent Until Proven Guilty? A look at media coverage of criminal defendants in the U.S”, has taken data from 10 different criminal cases to examine the differences in the portrayal of white and Black defendants. The report found that about 45% of cases, where Black people were accused, featured mugshots during the news reports, while only about 8% of those cases involving white defendants had mugshots in the reports. The data found in this report has shown that while watching the news, we are more likely to be exposed to mugshots involving Black defendants than mugshots involving white defendants. Additionally, Pew conducted research on Black adults’ perceptions of the media. The survey found that 63% feel that news about Black people is more negative than other groups, while 28% said that it is equal. These statistics not only prove but also exemplify the harsh and sad truth of the media’s role in racial profiling. The media has used and continues to use their coverage to promote Black people in villains and white people as the victims. This negative portrayal by the media of Black people is harmful to the public as a whole, as it causes us to begin believing these stereotypes that Black people are “dangerous” or that they are more likely to be criminals.</p> <p>Next, the media also uses certain types of imagery or language in its entertainment to build racial stereotypes in the viewers’ minds. In her article, Nancy Wang Yuen, an American sociologist, wrote about the impact that racial stereotypes in the media has on the public. She says, “Popular media can have a negative impact on whites’ perceptions of people of color and racial stereotypes in film and television can exacerbate preexisting racist fears” (Yuen). Yuen points out that discriminatory fears that exist in viewers&#8217; minds can be wrongly confirmed and enhanced while viewing various types of television and films. She also says, “One study finds that popular media depictions of nonverbal features of people of color, including facial expressions and body language, influence racial biases for white viewers” (Yuen). The study shows that entertainment portrays characters in a way that creates stereotypes about specific races. The media uses its power in the form of entertainment to build and strengthen these racial biases in our minds, causing and promoting discrimination.</p> <p>Now, some people may argue that the media actually uses its power in a positive way. It is true that several people have used their social media platforms specifically to raise awareness for various issues including racial stereotypes and biases. Often, doing something as simple as opening Instagram, can expose you to many issues that are occurring in our society. While I acknowledge that some people do use media for good, too often the media is used to create these harmful stereotypes which negatively impacts several people across the world.</p> <p>To conclude, the media has played a large role in creating racial stereotypes, as it makes descriptions in news reports to paint certain race groups in a negative manner and it uses its imagery and language in the entertainment industry to create racial stereotypes and bias. We can all agree that we have been exposed to racial stereotypes one way or another, whether it was something that we said or heard, however, my hope is my speech has made you aware of the influence the media can have on each of us. Lastly, I hope that you will not only be aware of what you see and hear from the media but also that you take the initiative to spread awareness that those stereotypes are false and use your voice to stop them from spreading.</p> <p>Works Cited<br /> Equal Justice Initiative. “Report Documents Racial Bias in Coverage of Crime by Media.” Equal Justice Initiative, 16 Dec. 2021, http://eji.org/news/report-documents-racial-bias-in-coverage-of-crime-by-media/.Accessed 4 April 2025. Accessed 4 April 2025</p> <p>Bauder, David. “Majority of Black Americans See Racist or Negative Depictions in News Media, New Study Finds.” PBS NewsHour, PBS, 27 Sept. 2023</p> <p>Wang Yuen, Nancy. “How Racial Stereotypes in Popular Media Affect People — and What Hollywood Can Do to Become More Inclusive.” Scholars Strategy Network, 4 June 2019</p>

<p>Have you ever used something that helped you with homework, school projects, or maybe even writing a speech? Well you probably have because this helpful tool called AI is everywhere. Now I know what you’re probably thinking: “But AI is helpful. It’s smart. Don’t you use it all the time?” And yeah, I do. But that’s the thing. While AI can be super useful, it’s also causing a lot of problems. And those problems are making the world more unfair.</p> <p>AI is being used in many ways. It helps decide who gets a job, how police track people, and who gets a loan from a bank. That’s serious stuff. But here’s the problem, AI isn’t always fair. In fact, it can be pretty biased. And that means people are being treated badly because of decisions made by a computer.</p> <p>AI learns from data. And that data comes from the real world. But let’s be honest, the world hasn’t treated everyone equally. So if the data is unfair, the AI learns those unfair patterns and keeps repeating them.</p> <p>And I’ve seen how AI can backfire firsthand. A few months ago in my AP Lang class, I used AI to help with an assignment. I was running late, stressed, and just trying to get it done. It gave me a pretty good essay, at least I thought so. But when I turned it in, my teacher flagged it immediately. She said it didn’t sound like me, and after checking it with some tools, she gave me a zero. I didn’t even get a chance to explain. That one decision tanked my grade for the quarter. In that moment, AI didn’t help me, it seriously hurt me. And honestly, it made me feel kind of ashamed.</p> <p>Here’s an example. Amazon had to get rid of an AI hiring tool because it was rejecting resumes from women. Why? Because it learned from past hiring data that mostly chose men. So it copied that same behavior.</p> <p>In policing, facial recognition is used to track people. But it works a lot worse for people with darker skin. A study from MIT found that it was way less accurate for Black women than for white men. That kind of mistake has led to people being arrested even when they did nothing wrong.</p> <p>In banking, AI has also been shown to approve fewer loans for Black and Latino people compared to white people, even when they had the same money history. A study from UC Berkeley found that people of color were even charged higher interest rates just because of their race.</p> <p>So no, AI isn’t fair. It’s not neutral. And when we don’t watch it carefully, it can hurt real people.</p> <p>There’s another problem too. AI is being used to spy on people.</p> <p>Facial recognition lets police and companies track where people go and what they do. A lot of the time, people don’t even know they’re being watched. And like I said before, the tech isn’t always right. Robert Williams, a Black man in Michigan, was arrested in front of his kids because an AI thought he was someone else. He wasn&#8217;t the person they were looking for.</p> <p>Also, AI is used to track what we search, what we say, and where we are. It collects tons of personal info without asking. That’s creepy. And it takes away our right to privacy—something we’re supposed to have. The Constitution even protects us from stuff like that. But AI is making it easier to break that rule.</p> <p>Now, to be fair, AI isn’t all bad. It can do some really good things. Like in hospitals, it helps find diseases early. It helps firefighters spot wildfires before they spread. It can even help teachers figure out better ways to help students learn. That’s amazing.</p> <p>But just because AI can do good doesn’t mean it always will. If we don’t fix the problems, it’s going to do more harm than good.</p> <p>Right now, AI is making things worse for a lot of people because of bias, bad surveillance, and no real rules. But it doesn’t have to be this way.</p> <p>We need rules that make sure AI is fair. We need ways to check how it works. People should be able to question AI decisions. And companies should not be allowed to take our info without asking.</p> <p>The future of AI is up to us. If we want it to be fair, safe, and helpful, we have to speak up. We have to ask questions. And we have to push for better.</p> <p>Because in the end, technology should help people—not hurt them.</p> <p>Thank you.</p>

<p>Household Expectations of Women</p> <p>Hello everyone. I am Ketevan Kobakhidze, and I want to start with a few questions for you. How many of you know how to cook at least four meals? How to get stains out of a shirt? Or how to clean a stove? Don&#8217;t feel bad, I ALSO don&#8217;t know how you&#8217;re meant to clean a stove, but that&#8217;s because my mom does. It&#8217;s probably the same for many of you. Your mom does the bulk of the household chores, and you&#8217;ve believed this is just normal or the way things are done. But that&#8217;s the thing, these are all just small household tasks, something a person can learn over time, but in our society, they are the tasks primarily done by, and expected of, women. Our society is becoming more equal in the workforce and leaning towards living independently. To thrive with these developments in our world, we must adapt and move away from the skewed, sometimes silent expectations of who manages the household.</p> <p>A common argument is that men are the breadwinners in a traditional nuclear family, so if they provide financial assistance, the women are expected to deal with the house. This might have been true in the 1900s, but in our modern world, &#8220;[t]here are 74.6 million women in the civilian labor force. Almost 47 percent of U.S. workers are women&#8221; (bls.gov). These statistics go to show that women, single or not, make up a substantial portion of the workforce as we know it, so why do we use it as an excuse for any other individual to get out of caring for the home? My mom works and even earns more money than my dad, but she is the one expected to do all the cleaning and cooking in the house. You could say this expectation only affects women who have children, as they are primarily meant to be rearing children in this typical family and not working, but &#8220;[s]eventy percent of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force, with over 75 percent employed full-time&#8221; (bls.gov). This is all without the added responsibility and work that comes with children. Whenever I&#8217;ve been a bit too lazy to help with chores, my mom has asked me multiple times if my sister and I are animals or girls, as she could understand if it were from a boy but not a girl. I&#8217;m not even responsible for a household, and I help with the chores whenever I can, but I want that to be expected of me because I want to help my mom, not because I&#8217;m a girl. My dad or male cousins, you ask? Never asked a thing.</p> <p>If not for equality, we should at least teach life skills to the next generation as they grow more independent. Living alone is more common now—“[o]ver a quarter (27.6%) of all U.S. occupied households were one-person households in 2020, up from just 7.7% in 1940” (census.gov). Everyone should know how to cook, clean, and care for themselves, yet these expectations still fall mostly on women. I’m starting college soon, and I know people who constantly call their moms for help with basic tasks. Some say men and women living alone share chores equally, but “&#8230;among all single people without children, women do nearly twice as much household work as men, spending 9.7 hours per week on household tasks compared to 5 hours for men” (thegepi.org). What used to be expected of mothers has unfairly shifted to all women, hurting both those doing the labor and those never taught how.</p> <p>In a society that is becoming increasingly expected to be equal outside of the household, we should expect the same in the home. To truly develop in the way that our society is headed, we need to get rid of this expectation. It is everyone&#8217;s responsibility to be able to sustain themselves to the highest standard that they are capable of achieving. So, learn to cook a meal, clean the oven, and help another person lean on you to do your part.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Kobakhidze, Ketevan_Mother's Bloom" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076260998?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Two simple questions, both with pretty straightforward answers. 1) Do you believe that all human beings are entitled to make decisions about their own bodies? Have an answer? Ok, great. 2) Do you believe human beings should have the right to make decisions about their futures? Got it? Ok, here&#8217;s a more specific question: Do you believe a person should have to put their life at risk because their doctor is forced to deny them the healthcare they need?</p> <p>Bodily autonomy is defined as “the right of an individual to make informed decisions about their own body, including their physical and sexual health, without coercion or interference.” So, if you answered yes to my first two questions, and no to the last one, then you support it. Now, crazy opinion, but women are people, right? Ok, thought so. So that means that women should also have bodily autonomy, right? Ok great, love that we agree. A part of women’s bodily autonomy is the right to an abortion, and it is a crucial part.</p> <p>Abortion has been a controversial topic for the last century. For anyone who doesn’t know the specifics, on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, establishing the constitutional right to have an abortion. This law did not make abortion mandatory, nor did it make it accessible for some and not others. It simply made it so that every woman could make decisions about her own body and her own life. Seems pretty reasonable if you ask me. Women had gained the right that they had been fighting for, that they deserved, and it was great, until it was taken away.</p> <p>On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court made its ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and overturned Roe v. Wade. This decision allowed the individual states to decide whether to legalize the procedure and how far along a woman can be before no longer being able to receive treatment. Currently, 41 states have abortion bans with limited exceptions. 12 of those 41 states have total bans on abortion. This means that in 41 of the 50 states in our country, women are losing access to essential healthcare as well as their fundamental human rights. That&#8217;s 82% of the nation. Women need to have the right to have access to abortion. Without it, their lives are at risk. Without it, they lose the ability to have control over their own lives. Without it, women lose what they have been working for centuries to have, basic rights.</p> <p>The 14th Amendment states that no state has the right to &#8220;deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” There are no laws in place to control the male body, because such laws would be found unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. So, why should there be laws intended to control women’s bodies and women’s choices? Americans pride themselves on living in a free country where everyone has equal rights, but is that really the reality of our country? Women are living in a time where our grandmothers had more rights than we do. Bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right. Without it, the foundations of our country begin to crumble.</p> <p>We are losing access to our rights, including the healthcare needed to ensure the safety of countless women. Not only is abortion healthcare, it is a vital part of it. But, you shouldn&#8217;t only listen to me. You should listen to the countless families that this has hurt. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, women’s lives have been put at risk as many have been unable to access the procedure when it is most desperately needed. Instead of providing necessary medical care, doctors are forced to find other, often less beneficial or safe, options simply to avoid prosecution. Women are dying because they are unable to go through the necessary procedures needed to save their lives, simply due to their state’s ambiguous laws.</p> <p>Josseli Barnica, a 28-year-old mother from Texas, went to the hospital for what she believed to be cramps one day during her pregnancy. It was discovered that the cramps were more than that; she was having a miscarriage. Her doctors concluded that it was too late and that her miscarriage had become inevitable and was beginning to make her more vulnerable to fast-acting infections. The best option was to go through a procedure to empty the uterus, but the fetus still had a heartbeat. Due to Texas’s oppressive policies on abortion, the doctors legally could not perform the procedure. Josseli’s life was in jeopardy. She was in avoidable pain, but there was nothing the doctors could do, simply because of the state they were in. 40 hours later, once the fetus no longer had a heartbeat, she was able to receive the health care that she needed.</p> <p>Within days, due to the delay of the procedure, Barnica&#8217;s condition got much worse. She passed away due to “sepsis involving ‘products of conception’.”</p> <p>Multiple experts in the medical field testified that “delaying Barnica’s care ran against the medical standard of care due to the risk of infection” and that if she had been given the option of abortion sooner, “Barnica might have survived.” A mother was denied the healthcare she needed to survive because of a law made to be against her well-being and a right to necessary life-saving care. And now, a child is left without a mother because of it.</p> <p>And, believe me, she is not the only one. She is just one of the many women who have been killed by this legal decision. What about the women forced to find an abortion in other, less safe locations? What about the women who don’t have the financial means to go somewhere else to receive their needed treatment? In Texas, the rate of maternal deaths has increased by 56% from 2019 to only three years later in 2022. These are real people, real families, real mothers, real daughters, real women, going through the unimaginable simply because their government wants to control them. Imagine that it was your sister, or your daughter, and then tell me if you feel differently. That is our reality. This is what we are living. And we are the only people who can fix it, no one else. We need to stop acting like this is normal, that this is fine, because it&#8217;s not. Abortion is healthcare, it&#8217;s a human right. Plain and simple. If this is what&#8217;s being taken away now, just think about what else is on the line. I&#8217;m tired of our government trying to control us, and you should be too.</p> <p>So, speak up, call your senators, donate to those in need, protest, boycott, do whatever you can. Don’t stand by and watch women’s rights be taken. Fight for us while there still is an us to fight for.</p> <p>Thank You.</p> <p>Works Cited</p> <p>WIKIPEDIA. 2018. “Roe v. Wade.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. December 18, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade.</p> <p>Guttmacher Institute. 2024. “State Bans on Abortion throughout Pregnancy.” Www.guttmacher.org. Guttmacher Institute. December 5, 2024. https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/state-policies-abortion-bans.</p> <p>Sherman, Carter. 2024. “Texas Woman Died after Being Denied Miscarriage Care due to Abortion Ban, Report Finds.” The Guardian. The Guardian. October 30, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/30/texas-woman-death-abortion-ban-miscarriage</p> <p>Congress. 1868. “U.S. Constitution &#8211; Fourteenth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress.” Congress.gov. July 9, 1868. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/.</p> <p>Edwards, Erika, Zinhle Essamuah, and Jason Kane. 2024. “A Dramatic Rise in Pregnant Women Dying in Texas after Abortion Ban.” NBC News. NBC News. September 20, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/texas-abortion-ban-deaths-pregnant-women-sb8-analysis-rcna171631.</p>

<p>Native bees have long been the main pollinators on the North American continent. The vegetables you and I eat, many of which would’ve been pollinated by the Native bees specializing in this. However, this changed when European Honeybees were brought to North America in 1622 to produce honey. This resulted in competition between large European Honeybee hives and Native bee species, many of which are solitary and don’t live in large hives like the European Honeybees do. And following that, it results in them outcompeting Native bee species and spreading diseases due to their larger population. Pollinators such as bees are responsible for spreading seeds and pollen to different plants and flowers in order to fertilize them, after which they produce fruits and further develop. We need to protect our pollinators in America by eliminating European honeybees, which cause problems for Native bee species due to outcompeting them for resources and spreading diseases.</p> <p>European honeybees tend to compete with Native bee species for the best nectar and pollen source, which would leave Native bee species struggling to find their own sources. This competition was caused by the European honeybees&#8217; need for a large amount of nectar to sustain a massive hive, which resulted in European honeybees taking over the best locations in which nectar and other resources could be gathered. According to the source, “A single honey bee colony requires substantial resources to survive. Estimates of single hive consumption vary from 20-130 lbs/year for pollen and 45-330 lbs/year of honey—representing 120-900 lbs/year of nectar (Goulson 2003, and references therein).” (https://naturalareas.org/docs/16-067_02_Overview-of-the-Potential-Impacts-of-Honey-Bees_web.pdf) This means competition from honeybees can make it difficult for Native bees to survive, which means they would struggle to maintain their population as they get outcompeted by honeybees. While I didn’t have any contact with bees due to myself living in a city, I’ve known that food prices can rise and fall with the effect of pollination depending on whether there is enough supply and the decline in pollination is increasing price during a time when inflation and economic disparity is already so great. Although some may see European Honeybees as necessary for pollination, the reality is that they’re effectiveness at pollination varies depending on flowers and plants and being less effective at pollinating specialized plants and flowers while contributing to the decline of the Native bee population makes it clear that the European Honeybees are causing more harm than good. As a result this shows that European honeybees are contributing to the decline of Native bee populations by competition, which the larger hive brings due to the need to feed more eggs and bees.</p> <p>If you’re wondering about the effects of large hives, well, due to European honeybees making large hives with massive populations, the European honeybees are contributing to the spread of bee diseases and the decline of Native bees. Diseases brought by the larger hives that European Honeybees live in results in higher transmission of diseases when they land on flowers and contaminate them or the nectar which then is picked up by Native bees spreading to them. According to the source, “Of particular concern: bumble bees, which are better studied than most natives because they are commercially valuable pollinators of crops such as tomatoes. According to a 2015 analysis by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Bumblebee Specialist Group, 28 percent of North America’s 47 bumble bee species ‘face some level of extinction risk.’” (https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2021/June-July/Gardening/Honey-Bees) This is happening from diseases that spread among bees from European Honeybees which contributed to the decline of Native bee population. As a result, European honeybees are contributing to the decline of Native bee populations due to the diseases that larger hives bring.</p> <p>The diminishing Native bee population resulting from the mentioned competition and diseases means that specialized plants and flowers requiring specialized bees with skills and abilities that European honeybees don’t have will not be able to be pollinated, therefore disrupting agriculture and leading to reduction of pollination of the more difficult to pollinate plants and followers. With competition and diseases hurting the Native bee population, there would be fewer Native bees with the skills to pollinate difficult-to-pollinate flowers, which would lead to less pollination of those flowers and result in fewer of those fruits that grow from those flowers. According to the source, “The impact of A. mellifera on native insect pollinators can depend on broad community context, as can the relative effectiveness of A. mellifera in pollination of both native and nonnative plant species outside of agricultural systems. Apis mellifera is highly generalist and able to interact with hundreds of native plant species following its naturalization. It is unlikely to wholly replace native pollinators as visitors of specialized plant species, and its behavioral characteristics tend to reduce A. mellifera’s per-visit efficiency, even when its overall effectiveness is high.” (https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/liang/psw_2016_liang001_aslan.pdf) This shows that European honeybees can still pollinate plants and flowers, but they’re less effective when pollinating more specialized plants and flowers. As a result, this shows that the impact of European Honeybees on pollination is important, but Native bees are more effective at pollinating specialized plants and flowers.</p> <p>As a result of the things mentioned a moment ago, European Honeybees require a significant amount of resources to survive. This, in turn, leads to competition with Native bee species for the best sources of nectar and other resources. The size of the honeybee population also means that diseases are more likely to spread to Native bee species, which also adds to the decline of the Native bee population. Take action to save Native bees so we can continue having our favorite fruits and vegetables.</p>

<p>What would the world look like without the books and texts that shaped your identity, values and even history itself-if they were erased from shelves. What would America feel like without the right to read, speak and write freely?</p> <p>Around the time when school became less of a social activity and more of a serious manner, I discovered my love for history. Whether it was social studies, world, women’s or some form of African American history, the only way my teachers could get me to read was if it offered a trip to the past. I strongly believe that you have to learn about the past to prevent the same mistakes in the future.This realization put me into countless history classes from middle school to college level.</p> <p>Now imagine if everything I had learned was fabricated and twisted from its original form. This is what the world looks like when book banning is enforced. Imagine Snow White was now The Poison Apple Princess or if 1984 was banned far before it connected to our reality,76 years later. Books contain lessons, whether it’s history textbooks, preserved passages or made up fairytales, the lessons these books contain can not be censored.</p> <p>Censoring what I take from a book will only force us to go backwards in time. Back to when black people were banned from certain texts because it would teach them that slavery was wrong. Back to when women couldn’t read about the world because they may rebel against the patriarchy. Even back to Spaniard missionaries, if the bible had been banned, the lessons we take from it even today wouldn’t have its impact.</p> <p>For the all american traditionalists who believe that slavery, native american assassinations and even black history shouldn’t be taught in schools. Imagine your life without your ancestor’s plantation money, all of the land that you now own and the culture that you steal from. If all of that was banned due to its “controversy” you wouldn&#8217;t even be the person you are today.</p> <p>For all of America, as you know the constitution has always been the most closely guarded and followed piece of paper. If someone had decided, let’s say anti-federalists, that the constitution and its amendments had no place in the world. Then they proceeded to remove everyone involved and erase the document completely, leaving no trace, no impact, leaving no foundation to America. We would be nothing.</p> <p>Now of course that did not happen and thankfully we do have the constitution and amendments to protect us. But people who were granted an immense and unnecessary privilege are slowly banning the constitution. You may say to yourself, “you can’t ban the constitution”, “they would never get rid of something that even protects yourself”, well explain the limitations on freedom of speech that it brings. Books referring to women’s suffrage, realities where the government gains full control and even topics discussing domestic violence. Real world problems are being banned all over America.</p> <p>Throughout generations, books have been an outlet for women, people of color and any civilian who decides to share something in the form of literature. But in the eyes of a parent or anyone who worries for their children’s growing brains, this may be a concern. Book banning has its perks. It allows a limit on overly concerning topics and prevents personal information from being put out in the world. For example, did you know, Anne Frank&#8217;s journal was actually rewritten in some parts and censored in others to prevent parts of her teenage journey through life from being exploited? When the intention of censoring is to keep the author or character safe, this is acceptable. Not when it shields the world from its flaws.</p>

<p>Imagine a world where everyone regardless of background can receive equal Healthcare. Sadly we are far from that reality Healthcare problems exist due to socioeconomic factors very and income affecting the quality of life, according to Healthline.  Equality and Health Care mean ensuring that everyone receives care to tell her to their needs and not changing that treatment based off their race or anything that could be seen as a “negative.” Achieving quality in healthcare is important for creating an equal society where people do not have to worry about discrimination based on wealth or background.</p> <p>Health Equity is crucial for improving social health outcomes, for example those who prioritize Health Equity ways to Better Health for all and lower disease rates, according to 2014 WHO. These things show that proper tours and Health Equity is not just for individuals but for society as a whole so we all can get healthier. A 2020 study found that 930,000 people in the United States and that 610,000 people lacked basic water access. If we were more inclusive we could probably cut that number down by about %90.</p> <p>These challenges are sadly very prominent, according to the HHST. Minorities frequently face discrimination when seeking Healthcare. Recognizing these barriers we need some change to protect everyone. Implementing inclusive community health programs can educate huge populations about available Services, improve outcomes, and advocate for policies to ensure affordable access to essential medication such as insulin and vaccines. These solutions empower communities, promote healthier and more inclusive Health Care. According to the American Hospital Association, we should build grocery stores in food deserts, invest in affordable housing, support higher wages or equal pay, invest in early childhood education, and provide transportation services. These have nothing to do with health but can improve the quality of many lives by making everyone safer.</p> <p>You could believe that it is not essential because health equity is not affecting you and you could be right, you probably have no healthcare problems and think it should not change. I understand what you are saying but if for the people who do not have that privilege could get sick and therefore you could also.</p> <p>There are still some of you out there who could think that equity is unfair and that it could favor the poor because they don&#8217;t have any money and would give them better treatment. And my response to that is that you&#8217;re misguided because Health equality is not supposed to bring up one side more than the other side, it is supposed to make everybody equal and shouldn&#8217;t have to worry about getting different treatment because they look differently or receive less money or even more money.</p> <p>Implementing these strategies shows that achieving healthy quality is not only possible but essential for justice.</p>

<p>Hello, people of the Weitzman Museum. I am Andre Martinez, a senior at Central High School. I am here speaking to you from a voice on the wall, asking for your help with something I fear can end my future any day now–gun violence. Indeed, it is too often that we hear about tragic shootings in our neighborhoods or schools that permanently impact our families, kids, and communities. In what world is it normal, for example, for first graders to be trained on measures to take if a gunman enters their school? It’s not. But because of school shootings happening at an alarming rate, and at which the number increases each year, it has to be. “Mom, why do we have to sit quietly in the dark under our desk at school?” was a question asked to my Public Speaking teacher, Mrs. Swerdloff, by her 7-year-old child. What a shameful thing our generation has to go through. Although, despite the complexity of the problem we face here in America, we actually have a simple and straightforward solution should we choose to pursue it: stricter gun laws.</p> <p>For starters, gun laws around safe storage could dramatically reduce the number of accidental deaths caused by guns. A scary fact is that “nearly 40% of all unintentional shooting deaths among children 11-14 years of age occur in the home of a friend.” Now, yes, we can blame the parents for leaving their kids alone with a gun or cover it up with the same old refrain of “accidents happen”. But I say we blame our weak gun laws. There is no reason why a kid should have access to a firearm– stricter gun laws around proper firearm safety training and enforcing safe storage rules would keep that from happening.</p> <p>Well, what about all the gun casualties that aren’t accidents? That issue is bigger than just a political issue, it is a human rights issue. Gun violence doesn’t affect everyone the same, as it isn’t seen in everyone&#8217;s everyday life. It strikes the hardest in marginalized communities like low-income areas and places where the opportunity for a standard life is uncommon. This is why we as a people cannot allow weak gun laws to continue to allow for these inequalities to thrive.</p> <p>Stricter gun laws and background checks are what can stop the biggest threat in our society today. What threat is that? It is guns in the hands of young men and women. An article on gun violence around the world tells us that, “Up to 71% of all homicides globally involve gun violence. The majority of victims and perpetrators are young men…&#8221;</p> <p>I understand the right to protect yourself. I understand the importance of protecting your family. And I understand the closure having a gun on you brings. I am not here with the intent to try and take your gun rights away. I am here to protect our lives. My future.</p> <p>I’m sure that, whether through a personal experience or social media, you have heard stories of young people murdering each other. Athletes dying at the hands of other athletes. Or Classmates dying at the hands of other classmates. And you may find yourself asking, How can so many young people even have a chance to do such harm to one another? Well, that is all rooted within our weak gun laws! This is the problem we need to address and fix.</p> <p>Now I know creating stronger gun laws won’t stop gun violence. Because I know that gun violence is inevitable. But what I also know is that it isn’t preventable. Not if we join together, use our voices to create change, and demand stronger gun laws from our leaders. When does this change need to happen? It needs to happen now! The quicker we act, the less likely parents are to get a call about losing their kid. And for you young adults, it can save you from the dangers this world offers. Please, help save our future! Thank you.</p> <p>https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research/areas-of-research/center-for-injury-research-and-policy/injury-topics/general/gun-safety</p> <p>www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/gun-violence/</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Martinez, Andre_Young Men Failed by the System" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076261220?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Deny, Defend, and Depose. These are the biggest tactics used by insurance companies in the United States. Take a guess on the percent of Americans that can access and afford good health care when they need it. It is 55 percent. Health care is a human right. Imagine a world where only the rich can access health care that they can afford&#8211; where your loved one, your mother, for example, suffered the only because she was simply middle-class. Where our veterans are unable to get mental health treatment, and live out on the street because they cannot afford it. This system is fundamentally wrong as the health industry uses those three words to make sure that only the companies benefit. The Healthcare insurance system in the United States is deeply flawed as it continuously makes money off of the misfortune of others, doesn’t follow through on the promises it makes, and pushes the wealth inequality gap in the United States.</p> <p>United Healthcare, a health insurance company was ranked 19th on the worlds biggest companies last year. In 2023 the company profited over 371 billion dollars, according to their own website. That is more than 155 countries GDP just to put that into perspective, and that is just one of many for profit health insurance companies. These companies make this much money by continuously profiting off the misfortune of people. First these companies overcharge, and leave large co-pays for customers before the insurance even starts to kick in, and these Co-Pays are on basic needs like check ups, or dental cleanings. They use things like premiums on healthy customers to drive up prices, because they know that they have a monopoly on health insurance and customers have no choice but to pay. Now, you would think that with all of these things that the companies would at very least do what they promise to do when their patients do get life changing diagnoses, or life changing accidents that require high hospital bills most are unable to pay. Right?</p> <p>Wrong, denying claims is a huge part of the way that Health insurance companies don’t keep their promises and profit. The biggest companies have Denial rates closing in on 30%, These broken promises force patients to either pay for the treatments themselves which can lead to crippling debt or going without treatment which can lead to much worse consequences. Insurance companies deny these claims in many different ways, but the worst is by tying people up in tons of litigation, paper work, and legal fees that most people would be completely unable to afford. These companies will often also change policies or reclassify drug so that the company will no longer offer payment. This is often for medication that is needed by patients that now has to be paid out of pocket.</p> <p>The insurance industry also greatly adds to the growing wealth gap in the United States. These policies that I have laid out that truly help to deny healthcare coverage to individuals have a much greater effect on the lower and middle class. These are the working class of people who don’t have the time or money to go through the long legal processes that the industry uses to take away their care. These are the people that when they get higher hospital bills are unable to pay them, setting them back while the upper class is able to pay the bill or the lawyer to save themself money.</p> <p>This is an issue that we all must fight for, it is impossible for a for profit healthcare system to be ethical. We as people must continuously fight for a system that values the people it is supposed to protect.</p>

<p>Do you think a world in which childhood is spent glued to screens is a world we want to move towards? Do you think 10 year olds should be exposed to online media that we don’t yet have the ability to control? My inspiration for this speech came from my little brother. We live in different homes so I don’t see him often. A few months back, I remember going to visit him, and he was referencing the same internet slogans and trends that I am familiar with. The issue is that I am a seventeen year old, and he is seven. This left me feeling really uneasy. He was quoting vulgar memes that have an adult message behind them that he was completely oblivious to. This is a prime indicator why children should not be exposed to social media at such a young age, and there must be limitations. Limitations are important for teenagers as well. Roughly 60.5% of the global population own a smartphone and 64% of the world’s population are social media users (Gill, 2025)(Statistia,2025). Social media’s purpose is to connect people through communication, develop hobbies and interests, and entertain (University of South Florida). However, the rise of smartphones and social media isn’t all that is painted out to be in the younger generation. The constant use of social media and smartphones causes more harm than good by isolating teens and causing mental illnesses such as envy and anxiety.</p> <p>My ability to focus has taken a major hit due to my addiction to the phone. I have noticed this in my peers as well. I am a current junior at Central High School. Before attending, I heard that I would have my work cut out for me, but I truly didn’t understand that until my freshman year. I vividly remember the feeling of just wanting to relax on my phone and blow off steam after school. However, this would result in me staying up late every night to do my homework, and therefore not being able to spend time with my family after a long day.  In order for me to remain sane, I would have someone in my house take my phone while doing work so I could work most efficiently, otherwise I would not get to see my family. Not only in myself, but I see lack of attention within my friends as well. My best friend is a loving, hilarious girl, but she needs constant stimulation by her phone. I recognize this in the downtimes of our hangouts. Rather than allow for a conversation to start, she fills the space by checking her phone and scrolling. I want you to think for a second if this is something you are guilty of as well. I’m sure it is! It is a normal thing, yet the distraction of the phone causes a lack of communication and isolation, which we need to work towards denormalizing. Relating to this experience, an article from Paderborn University discusses the The Cognitive Load theory, which states how different tasks have different requirements and complexity levels (Skowronek, 2023). In order for the brain to function smoothly, the natural load that our mind can contain for each different task has its own limit, which can be exceeded. When the natural load is exceeded by an unrelated load on top of the task, our cognitive functions behave poorly. Therefore, when in the presence of a smartphone, the smartphone acts as an extraneous load and causes us to function less efficiently. This shows that there is sound reasoning behind why phones are so distracting in the presence of another person and while trying to do work. The pull from our phones creates poor communication over time and overall weakens cherished relationships. This causes a sense of gradual isolation, which takes place directly in effect to the load of the smart phone. While social media provides us an easy opportunity to communicate, it simultaneously takes away from our attention to important work and our face to face connections.</p> <p>The constant state of comparison is another detrimental effect of social media. When I first got Instagram in seventh grade, I didn’t understand why I heard so much talk about “don’t make comparisons” or things such as “you’re enough, never change.” These corny statements didn’t resonate with me. Why do I need people to tell me I’m good enough? That was never a concern of mine. It felt like artificial, weightless statements. But overtime I started to understand why those little phrases were popularized. It is because gradually, without noticing a shift, comparison had creeped in by the mere action of scrolling on social media. In my freshman year—disclaimer freshman year was a rough transition year for me—I remember viewing different posts of my classmates, and analyzing why I wasn’t good enough to have a solid friend group at a new school as they were so naturally. This is a common comparison that is made; as stated in a study by Newport Academy, “social media magnifies the negative impact of social comparison for teens. That’s because they compare themselves to carefully curated images of their peers.” Now, social media isn’t completely negative by any means. I personally love seeing my friends&#8217; posts. I love to see what they are up to, and it brings me joy to see them happy. However, it’s in my closest friend&#8217;s post where I see this exact statement to hold true. I know, better than anyone, that my best friend&#8217;s posts have been chosen carefully to portray the most ideal reality of the moment they were posting about. Moreover, the sole reason for posting is to be seen, and therefore perform. This is where the negative comparison comes in subconsciously in the viewer. Even in the simplest posts, there is a performance being thought through, and therefore creating the viewers a sense of desire to that perfect reality too. Whether it be vacation photos, a fun concert, or a party, those carefully chosen images create a desire. This doesn’t hold true for everyone, which is an important thing to recognize. Within the same study, that comparison is a result of one’s own low self esteem, but these comparisons make it harder for said people. This is why overall, social media is more detrimental than beneficial to teens because it creates a false reality that is there to be seen by the public and compared to your own, which creates levels of stress and envy that would otherwise not be there.</p> <p>The last major point that I have observed from being a teenager in the rise of social media and smartphones is the feeling of anxiety regarding FOMO. Anxiety is the feeling of worry or tension regarding future-oriented topics. When everything is constantly being thrown in your face on social media about what a great time others are having, it causes an intense feeling of missing out on said fun. I clearly remember a conversation I had with my friend that depicted this. She described a party that she did not attend because it had people that she was not fond of, however even though it wouldn’t have been an enjoyable experience for her, she felt left out anyway. This is not because she wishes she was with the people, but rather she wishes she was able to experience that fun that she was seeing them having on social media. In a study that discusses how FOMO affects your mental health, they describe how it can lead to anxiety symptoms such as stomach tension, nausea, and headaches (Clinic, 2024). This is the clear line we need to draw, and that was the message I relayed to my friend. When our bodies are feeling physically unwell due to the stressors of our phone, it is time to recognize the bad behind the good. I’m sure many of you can relate to the feeling of FOMO, whether or not it be from the cause of social media. No one likes to be left out. No one likes to be dismayed, so when it is shoved in your face on social media through posts, it amplifies that feeling.</p> <p>The overall rise in technology has made more of a negative impact on the general public of teens’ mental health than a positive one. Isolation from loved ones, envy of others’ experiences, and the rise of anxiety all contribute to this claim. I am not saying that we should all throw out our smartphones and go back to using flip phones. For our generation that would be truly unrealistic, and not the point I am making. But, it is important to set boundaries with the phone. Whether that be screentime boundaries, or overall deleting certain apps.  I urge you to think about your loved ones in my generation, and realize we are living in a different time of technology and may need support that we don’t know how to ask for.  Continue to create face to face interactions with the youth and be aware when you see the cell phone becoming an issue in your life as well as others. If we hold each other accountable, we can all have a much healthier relationship with the digital world.</p> <p>Work Cited</p> <p>Gill, Sunil. “How Many People Own Smartphones in the World? (2024-2029).” <em>Priori Data</em>, 2 Jan. 2025, prioridata.com/data/smartphone-stats/#:~:text=As%20of%202024%2C%20there%20are,globally%20is%20around%207.21%20billion.</p> <p>Statista. “Worldwide Digital Population 2025.” <em>Statista</em>, 1 Apr. 2025, www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/#:~:text=As%20of%20February%202025%2C%205.56,population%2C%20were%20social%20media%20users.</p> <p>University of South Florida &#8211; UCM. <em>Introduction to Social Media | University Communications and Marketing</em>. www.usf.edu/ucm/social-media/intro-social-media.aspx#:~:text=Billions%20of%20people%20around%20the,your%20interests%2C%20and%20be%20entertained.</p> <p>Skowronek, Jeanette, et al. “The Mere Presence of a Smartphone Reduces Basal Attentional Performance.” <em>Nature News</em>, Nature Publishing Group, 8 June 2023, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36256-4.</p> <p>Staff, Newport Academy. “Social Media Comparison and Teen Mental Health.” <em>Newport Academy</em>, 16 Apr. 2024, www.newportacademy.com/resources/empowering-teens/theory-of-social-comparison.</p> <p>Clinic, Cleveland. “FOMO Is Real: How the Fear of Missing Out Affects Your Health.” <em>Cleveland Clinic</em>, 27 June 2024, health.clevelandclinic.org/understanding-fomo.</p>

<p>Harm to Society</p> <p>Throughout my life, I was always the “Number 1 student,” but things changed throughout high school. I used to think that I had to stay focused in school and that homework was the number one priority. For example graduating top of my class in middle school. After the creation of ChatGPT while in high school, I had my temptation to use it to give me ideas when I was stuck and needed help. Senioritis is real. I never used it to do work for me, but instead just for ideas and a head start to assignments. But is that the case for everyone? You see, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a rapidly evolving technology that is being used in daily life. From simple systems that have been around like Apple’s Siri to now ChatGPT, it was created to enhance our lives. AI was created to replace some of the basic tools used in daily human life, intended to speed up processes to improve the flow of human life. They were made to help improve simple aspects of life and give the world a better chance at succeeding with new software that could help in seconds. With its rapid growth it has impacted areas such as education, the work force, social dynamics, and many other things. Although Artificial Intelligence has brought many positive benefits into the world, the consequences that arise with it are more harmful than all its benefits could ever be.</p> <p>One of the most significant and severe consequences of Artificial Intelligence is that more and more jobs will be taken over by AI. Personally, as a senior who is graduating this year, it&#8217;s kind of scary. What if I go to school for the next four years to study for my career, but instead when I graduate, there is no job waiting for me? For example, any daily jobs that don&#8217;t require any manual labor, will most likely be replaced by AI in the coming future, such as front desk associates, analytics teams, etc. According to the University of Michigan “Since these jobs are no longer required, people who used to work in these jobs need to obtain new training for other jobs in order to fit in the economic landscape” (Sun, Tianqi. Michigan.). If Artificial Intelligence continues to grow more people will be jobless in the world which is already hard to get a job. How about if you get laid off from your job because they don&#8217;t need you anymore? If AI saves them money and they don&#8217;t need you? Now you need to go look for a new job, but who says you&#8217;ll be able to get one if the market crashes.</p> <p>Another area where AI is taking over is in the classroom. Personally I feel that this is where AI has impacted the most. Students have begun to rely on AI to do all of their work when they do not feel like doing it. By doing so they will begin to perform poorly when they can not use it such as on tests. Personally, I have had the urge to use AI throughout high school, to get by assignments I had no energy to do. I did not let it affect my attention in the classroom. Students are becoming disconnected from the classroom material and their performance will tank. They also will not learn anything and their attention span will decrease because their homework is being done by AI. Since students have AI do their work, they don&#8217;t need to pay attention to class and can just submit a picture to any AI tool and it&#8217;s done in seconds. Lastly, students will have no discipline and will constantly use it as an outlet to give them all the answers. They will lose social skills that they gain in the classroom from interacting with other students and teachers when they are working on assignments. Their ability to collaborate will diminish as AI will always get the job done for them.</p> <p>AI is also a tool that can be used positively in the workplace and education system, but what good if it is leaving many issues. For example, it can be used to analyze data and statistics, instead of having humans do tedious work. If AI is brought to the workplace, but it is used thoughtfully and is implemented in a smart manner, it is not a harmful weapon, but it is a tool to all.</p> <p>The consequences of AI are trending in a negative direction for the future of the world, and if it is not stopped it will take over and the world will become solely AI based. The current state of the world is already beginning to see the consequences of AI. For example, school students are relying heavily on AI to do their work for them which not only affects their grades and hunger, but it also diminishes their social skills. Along with students, it is also affecting the job market. More and more jobs are becoming unavailable due to the knowledge of AI. So why? AI is proving that it can work on its own and it is capable of taking over. What is the point of living if you&#8217;re doing nothing and AI is doing everything for you. You will have no way of income and no way to live alone. Everyone will grow lonely. It&#8217;s time to push for change.</p>

<p>In 2024, less than one-third of high school students in Philadelphia passed the state-wide math exam (Graham, <em>Philadelphia Inquirer</em>). Less than one-third of students. While Philly students have been performing better post covid, they are still largely lagging behind.</p> <p>I have attended Philadelphia public schools my whole life. Even now attending one of the ‘best’ high schools in the city I have witnessed how inequitable education affects students.</p> <p>On a statewide and national level Philadelphia students are falling behind, largely due to lack of funding. In the current system a majority of funding from public schools comes from local income tax, which means that lower income, often inner city areas are receiving far less funding than their suburban counterparts. This disproportionately affects students of color, especially in the Philadelphia area. Pennsylvania, when compared to other states around the country, has some of the worst opportunity gaps in the country (Mezzacappa, <em>Chalkbeat</em>). The disparity in performance between white students and their black and hispanic counterparts as well as richer students and their poorer counterparts are nearly the largest in the country (Mezzacappa). Just three miles outside of Philadelphia, however, in the richer Philly suburbs like Lower Merion, with an 80% white student base, consistently scores in the 80th and 90th percentiles on standardized tests.</p> <p>So what does funding have to do with test scores?</p> <p>Lack of funding means lack of basic resources. Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia has said that his job has largely been “trying to educate children without the sufficient resources and supports that are needed.” (Jones, <em>Chalkbeat</em>).</p> <p>Students don’t have access to updated books and other essential learning materials.<br /> Bathrooms are closed and not usable.<br /> Many schools across the district don’t have working heat and/or air conditioning.<br /> Some school buildings are falling apart, or are full of asbestos because they are so old and have never been renovated.<br /> Lack of funding also has a direct correlation to violence in schools.<br /> And lack of funding means that schools cannot afford to support clubs or sports teams.</p> <p>All of these factors take students away from what they are in school for, which is of course, to learn.</p> <p>On the national level there are threats being made to cut the Department of Education, where vital funding for public schools comes from. Although national funding only represents a small portion of the School District of Philadelphia’s budget, every dollar counts when schools are already doing more with less.</p> <p>As the Supreme Court said in Brown v. Board, education “is the very foundation of good citizenship”. A quality education promotes social cohesion and mobility, and prepares students for college and working life as professionals. Education is an incredibly powerful tool that can combat inequality and promote innovation and growth.</p> <p>In order for students to find this success, schools need to be funded equitably, not equally. What’s the difference?</p> <p>Equity in education means that every student is treated exactly the same, each student gets the same resources. Equity means that students get the resources they need, resources that match their individual needs based on specific situations. Equitable funding would allow students in districts like Philadelphia to catch up to their counterparts in other districts in Pennsylvania and across the country.</p>

<p>Cancel Culture: When Accountability Becomes Toxic</p> <p>Good evening, everyone. I want you to think about a time when you made a mistake. What happened following that mistake? Was somebody there to help you? Did you receive support to help you do better next time? Or were you on the other side of the spectrum? Did people turn against you? Did they make you out to be something worse than you are? Did they attack your character or threaten your reputation with your family? If you said yes to any of the latter questions, you may have fallen victim to a form of cancel culture. Cancel culture refers to the practice of withdrawing support for or publicly shaming individuals or organizations after they have said or done something considered offensive or objectionable, often through social media. We see this all the time with celebrities, companies, teachers, and professionals. If one of these figures makes a public mistake that is deemed immoral, unethical, or disreputable, the public eye often attempts to “cancel” them.</p> <p>At first glance, it is good that the public is not letting these figures get away with wrongdoing, holding them accountable to the high standard they have already set for themselves, but in the current world of cancel culture, this accountability can quickly explode into a toxic mess. Cancel culture has become a dangerous aspect of American culture, and it has wrongly destroyed reputations, damaged careers, and struck fear into people around speaking freely. Put simply, cancel culture does more harm than good.</p> <p>First of all, cancel culture just doesn’t work. Studies reveal that individuals who experience cancellation face prolonged reputational harm, sometimes resulting in job loss and social isolation (Pew Research Center). This can be seen firsthand in our schools. I’m currently a senior at Central High School. I have seen many forms of cancel culture displayed throughout middle and high school, and I know exactly how negative these effects can be. Teenagers can say a lot of things that they don’t mean because they haven’t yet mastered impulse control. For example, I’ve witnessed how a seemingly small mistake is reacted to explosively and then turned into an online smear campaign that creates a cycle of fear and even depression for the teen victim. How would you feel if you saw your 14-year-old child, who used to go to school with a smile on their face, never show that same happiness again because of one thing they said? I have had many friends over the years become completely different people because they suffered the effects of cancel culture.</p> <p>There are countless examples of celebrities falling victim to cancel culture and experiencing dreadful effects, but what about professionals in other fields who don’t receive the same kind of media attention but suffer from the same abuses? Teachers are one of the most important groups of professionals this country has, and they, too, fall victim to cancel culture. Teachers have to be careful of everything they say, teach, and demonstrate when speaking to a group of young people who come from all different types of backgrounds and therefore bring all sorts of biases, worldviews, and even traumas. In today’s world, the language we use is more scrutinized than ever, creating a situation where English teachers have to walk a minefield of potential barriers that, if crossed, can lead to their public demise and destroy their families. At my school, teachers are required to have meetings to break down the correct type of language they must use to make sure no one is offended. Even then, it seems almost impossible not to offend anyone ever. They are on a constant tightrope where any little mistake can lead them to freefall. When teachers live in fear. When they can’t say what they want because of what might happen to them. When they can’t teach our children to the best of their ability because of the restrictions and guidelines that they are forced to follow. Cancel culture is destroying mindsets all across the country, and these mindsets are exactly what creates division and isolation in our society.</p> <p>Accountability is the foundation of cancel culture. It was created to take necessary action against someone or something that violated the moral standards of our society. Instead, cancel culture has focused on dividing our society into a strict right-or-wrong mentality. We are in one of the most divided periods in American history, and cancel culture is at the forefront of it. Rather than being a nation where growth is available and mistakes are encouraged to be fixed, cancel culture has suppressed open and honest feedback. It hurts when I see one of my favorite athletes or teachers get their reputation destroyed just because of one little mistake. A culture where individuals are afraid to voice their thoughts is detrimental to progress, as it stifles critical thinking and the exchange of ideas, and we have only cancel culture to thank for that.</p> <p>Instead of engaging in cancel culture, we should advocate for constructive discussions, education, and opportunities for redemption. We should strive to protect one another and give people the benefit of the doubt and the chance to grow. Let&#8217;s strive for a society where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than as irreversible condemnations. The next time you see the public cancelling someone or something, do a double-take, and, before reacting, think to yourself, is this really what we want going forward?</p> <div style="padding: 75% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 80%; height: 80%;" title="Misko, Christopher_Light Within the Division" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076784804?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Do you want to get nuked? If so, then I have the speech for you today. Prior to February 24, 2022, I’ve never thought of a nuclear war, or World War 3 arriving soon. February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. As a Ukrainian-American, that’s a day I’ll never forget. You know, I always knew that war is bad, but when you hear how it affects people close to you, then that’s how you know things are serious. From hearing air raid sirens, to the sound of Shahed drones, to hearing missiles explode in the distance, this shows that we are coming closer to a potential World War 3. War is prevalent around the world, but with war in Europe and in the Middle East, we must be realizing that a potential nuclear war is imminent, and that the United States needs to support their allies more than ever before.</p> <p>According to the Pew Research Center, “Across the 23 countries surveyed, a median of 61% say the U.S. contributes to peace and stability around the world…”. The United States leaves a positive influence around the world, despite the U.S. having intervened in other countries&#8217; affairs. With a lot of uncertainty around a new war arising, this could be a good opportunity for the U.S. to support their allies by offering peace to other countries. However, this doesn’t mean that the U.S. should stop supporting their allies, if anything I believe support needs to increase, without U.S. support, there will be more problems abroad, and that won’t be good when it comes to fighting another war.</p> <p>A poll from Ipsos talks about how many people think a World War 3 may happen, with it saying, “&#8230;shows the proportion of people across 30 countries who expect in the next 25 years we could see another world conflict involving superpowers similar to World Wars I &amp; II dropped seven percentage points to 63%”. The war between Russia and Ukraine made a lot of people realize that this isn’t a polarizing issue, and that there needs to be more attention to what is going on in the world and how this affects day-to-day life. A lot of people woke up, just like me after realizing what Russia did to Ukraine by invading. The thing that makes my issue different compared to the others out there is that well this is an issue that would affect everyone globally. One country launches a nuke at another one, and a lot of people will be screwed.</p> <p>Well, I found out the hard way about how serious this issue is. All it took was for my family’s country to get invaded to find out that we aren’t too far away from World War 3. Many people across the world also have similar sentiments towards the issue like I do. Last year, I went to the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio and I saw the plane, and also the replica of the Fat Man nuclear bomb, the same one that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. As I’m writing this, I’m glad I took a picture of it, since we don’t want history to be repeated again, but there’s also the reminder that if we’re not cautious enough, things can be a lot worse for everyone all over the world with nuclear war.</p> <p>https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/halifax-report-2024-conflicts</p> <p>https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2024/06/11/views-of-the-u-s</p>

<p>My dad is an alcoholic. He began drinking as a young teenager at parties, continued binge drinking and getting blackout drunk through his twenties, got into a car accident that nearly killed him, and only swore off alcohol after I was born because he didn’t want to be an alcoholic parent. That was in the 1990s. Teen drinking patterns have gone down in recent years, but many people still have similar journeys as my father, and not all of their stories have happy endings like his does. Most of these individuals start drinking young to cope with their issues (for my father it was his emotionally distant parents). Yet, teen drinking is a subject that most people acknowledge and choose to ignore. Most parents just tell their children not to drink, and then send them off into the world with no further information. However, this lack of information can lead to harmful alcohol behaviors in teens, such as alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, and alcoholism. Alcohol abuse and addiction is characterized as a disorder in which people have trouble containing their level of drinking, and experience significant preoccupation with drinking and physical withdrawal when not drinking (<em>Alcohol Use Disorder &#8211; Symptoms and Causes</em>, n.d.). Teen alcohol abuse is still a prevalent issue, and can have a multitude of harmful effects on the development and physical health of teens and the safety of our communities. But, teen alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be prevented and limited by parental education of the harms of alcohol and parental exemplification of healthy alcohol behaviors.</p> <p>When thinking about teen drinking consequences, most people think about hangovers and groundings, but most don’t know the harmful physical and mental effects alcohol can have on teens. Studies show that “[a]bout 4,000 young people (under 21) die from excessive alcohol use each year” (<em>About Underage Drinking</em>, 2025). Additionally, alcohol abuse by teens can lead to significant learning and memory deficiencies, including disrupting “improvements in decision-making functions and associated connections with the memory center” which can cause lifetime damages to individuals’ cognitive mental abilities (<em>Just How Does Drinking Affect the Teenage Brain?</em>, 2024). When attending school, and being an active member of class, alcohol abuse can make it harder for students to focus on lessons and cause grades to go into a downturn. In essence, teens&#8217; brains can develop less into complex thinking machines, and more into leftover mush, much like the brain of our current president. Teen alcohol abuse is also attributed to “many other mental and physical disorders” such as “depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorders, and personality disorder” (<em>Teens and Alcohol</em>, 2023). Many schools and individuals have begun to increasingly focus on mental health issues. My school is particularly focused on mental health, as we have SEL (Social Emotional Learning) days where we are supposed to catch up on missing classwork, and rest from overstimulation. In a time period increasingly focused on teen mental health, and the mental wellbeing of all people, shouldn’t teens be better informed of dangerous behaviors that could potentially majorly impact their mental wellbeing far into the future?</p> <p>All of this is not to mention the massive physical effects of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, especially when starting at a young age. Alcohol abuse as an adolescent can lead to long term physical defects such as “liver disease, heart disease, sexually transmitted infections, gastrointestinal bleeds, sleep disorders, stroke, and several types of cancer” (<em>Teens and Alcohol</em>, 2023). Additionally teen alcohol abuse can cause osteoporosis, or the inability to create new bone tissue and the thinning of the bone tissue existing, making individuals more susceptible to fractures and breakage damage and damage to bone marrow, which can cause bruising and bleeding (<em>Alcohol Use Disorder &#8211; Symptoms and Causes</em>, n.d.). America is already suffering from health crises and food issues, so why should we not protect them from harmful behaviors that can make health worse? Especially when so many teenagers today want to make a career out of physicality, or are better suited to learning things through physical touch-based means. Frat boys beware, massive keggers and blowout drinking can majorly hurt your sports career, dude, so make careful and conscious choices when drinking.</p> <p>Most of these harmful effects of adolescent alcohol abuse are life-long issues. That could mean a lifetime of struggling with addiction problems, and physical and mental issues, needing thousands of dollars to help fix the effects of alcohol abuse from individuals in their teens and twenties, and that&#8217;s only if they are able to first solve the problem of addiction. When my health class in junior year was taught about the effects of alcohol abuse and use, even later in life, we were disgusted. I remember one classmate swearing off the use of any substance whatsoever. Most of these alcoholic risk taking behaviors could be prevented with better parental education about the dangers of drinking and alcohol abuse. While schools do provide limited education on the effects of abuse, there is often not enough time or specific attention granted to each individuals’ questions or the topic at hand, and most teens are able to brush off these warnings. However, direct parental education can help solve some of these issues, as teens would be more likely to listen to parental concerns, and even if they don’t abide by them, the parental advice might plant a seed in their mind that might make them at least think twice before getting blackout drunk at a party.</p> <p>Teen alcohol abuse can also have massive societal impacts on teens, their parents, and their communities. A CDC study has shown that “[u]nderage drinking cost the United States $24 billion in 2010” (<em>About Underage Drinking</em>, 2025). Additionally, “[m]otor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults in the US” and “[a]ccording to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), 16.7 percent of students had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol and 5.4 percent had drove when they had been drinking” (<em>Teens and Alcohol</em>, 2023). Motor vehicle accidents resulting from alcohol abuse can be especially damaging to both teens and parents. Keep in mind that that individual is someone’s child, grandchild, student, best friend, or partner. While the news may undermine the effects of car accidents, no parent wants to have to go to the funeral of their own child, especially when their death could’ve been prevented by non-drunk driving. Additionally, the majority of underage drinkers are women and girls, who can be susceptible to date rape drugs and sexual assault under the influence of alcohol (<em>About Underage Drinking</em>, 2025). Such assaults under the influence can have devastating effects on the mental wellbeing of women and girls, and their families and support systems.</p> <p>If we want to protect our communities, and our youth, we have to encourage education on these effects and exhibit responsible alcohol behaviors around impressionable youth. Behaviors are learned, not intrinsic, so if parents exhibit healthy behaviors, and explain what healthy behaviors surrounding alcohol are, teens are less likely to be susceptible to abuse, families are less likely to be affected by tragedies resulting from alcohol use. However, education does not mean supervision, as exposing teens to alcohol at younger ages can encourage addiction, not prevent it (<em>Just How Does Drinking Affect the Teenage Brain?</em>, 2024). For example, “underage drinking in Europe, where consuming wine and other alcoholic beverages is permitted at younger ages than in the U.S. and assumed to be more ingrained in the culture, is just as dangerous as it is in the U.S. In fact, rates of binge drinking and alcohol misuse problems in youth are higher than rates in the U.S.” (<em>Just How Does Drinking Affect the Teenage Brain?</em>, 2024). If we want to teach teens safe behaviors around substances such as alcohol, education not exposure must be prioritized.</p> <p>While teen alcohol abuse can have substantial physical and mental effects on teens and their communities, education can ultimately help prevent said harmful effects and aid in further preventing teen alcohol abuse and alcoholism. As a child, the most important thing my parents ever told me was that if I ever needed help, or I was in a dangerous situation, they would come and help me out of it, no questions asked. Teen alcohol abuse is a pretty dangerous situation some teens need help out of, and to treat the source of the issue, parents need to better educate their children to enable them to grow, and not get stunted by stupid substance related mistakes made as young adults. After all, we have to protect education in a society that seems ever increasingly focused on dismantling systems of education, as education is the one way parents can ensure lifetime protection of their children.</p> <p>Works Cited</p> <p><em>About underage drinking</em>. (2025, January 14). Alcohol Use.</p> <p><em>Alcohol use disorder &#8211; Symptoms and causes</em>. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20369243</p> <p><em>Just How Does Drinking Affect the Teenage Brain?</em> (2024, May 11). Retrieved April 8, 2025, from</p> <p><em>Teens and Alcohol</em>. (2023, March). Retrieved April 8, 2025, from https://www.mottchildren.org/posts/your-child/teens-alcohol</p>

<p>Have you ever worried about what others thought of you? Not so long ago, I allowed my insecurities to dictate my life. I was so consumed by how others perceived me that I skipped classes, avoided people, and refused to go out with my friends. My self-esteem plummeted, and I went into a deep depression. I cared so much about what people thought of me that I stopped caring about school, my relationships, and even myself. Every morning felt like a battle. I would lay in bed for hours, unable to get up and go through the day. My mother would scold me for “being lazy,” calling my depression an excuse to not have to deal with any responsibilities. </p> <p>This experience taught me firsthand how much mental health is looked down upon, especially by adults who see conditions like anxiety and depression as signs of weakness. According to the American Psychiatric Association, public stigma involves negative or discriminatory attitudes toward people with mental illnesses.</p> <p>Mental health stigma is detrimental, especially to teens. According to the CDC on Suicide Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people from ages 10–24 in the U.S., with 7,126 lives lost in 2021. Between 2007 and 2021, the suicide rate for this age group rose by 62%, showing an increase over the past two decades. Globally, over 720,000 people die by suicide each year, and it is the third leading cause of death for people ages 15–29. Experts on the World Health Organization on suicide prevention estimate that for every death by suicide, there are about 20 attempts. </p> <p>How do we work to change these awful statistics? One way is by simply talking. Open conversations about mental health can lead to increased support and understanding. The Mayo Clinic says that speaking out against stigma such as educating yourself, seeking treatment, and connecting with others who have faced similar challenges can instill courage in those suffering and help get rid of destructive self-judgment. When we normalize talking about mental health, we empower people to seek help without fear. Mass.gov highlights that normalizing these discussions makes mental health just as essential as physical health and encourages people to reach out for the support they need. </p> <p>Reflecting on my journey, I realize that speaking out would have been a way better course of action than to simply try to “thug it out”. If I simply talked to someone I know for a fact that I would not have been in such a low place .</p> <p>If you are going through anything please speak out because talking to someone about your problems is way better than just bottling them to yourself. And if you see someone who seems down, approach them, ask how they’re doing and what&#8217;s wrong, because simply showing that you care can make a world of difference. By challenging misconceptions, engaging in conversations, and offering compassionate support, we can get rid of mental health stigma. Just as this lone streetlamp pushes back the night, a single conversation can cut through the isolation of depression. Don’t wait for every branch to clear, speak out now and light the way for yourself and others. </p>

<p>Over the past year since the introduction of Chat GPT-3 the use of generative AI has become more and more prevalent in our daily lives. Google has an automated AI summary for searches alongside a myriad of AI images flooding search results, every website as an AI chatbot more useless than the next, advertising campaigns are being done through AI art and even social media accounts are fully run through AI scripts, it is simply inescapable. Generative AI is a tool that through compiling information from the internet generates brand new content rather than regurgitating other resources like AI of the past, this in turn means that generative AI has a much more broad use case and is much more easily implemented into all aspects of our lives. Now I want to be clear that AI itself is not inherently bad, there are many cases where AI saves a ton of time like data compilation and analysis and tools like spam filters, the real issue lies specifically in generative AI and the unethical way it sources information along with the extreme amount of natural resources it destroys. Generative AI is a deeply flawed system that if allowed to continue will only be abused more and more to spread misinformations and harm the planet and if we are going to continue integrating it we need regulations to limit its abuse.</p> <p>Through AI tools and the ease of creating AI images it has become easier than ever to spread convincing misinformation. Imagine it&#8217;s election season and your grandma who has been scrolling through her facebook is telling you about how awesome one of the candidates is, how they&#8217;ve been on the front lines of a natural disaster saving people&#8217;s kittens because it simply has to be true they even saw pictures. They hand you the phone and you see an AI generated image from a bot account, an innocent person was just taken advantage of through the use of AI, a fake story and a picture to back it up created in mere minutes has just changed someone&#8217;s perspective. This is a story that is all too familiar to me as I faced this exact situation this past election and I&#8217;m sure other people have too. An image generator that is also being used in conjunction with ai ran accounts to spread misinformation that favors those in control of the platform (Chris Westfall Jan 02-25 and Angela Yang May 29-24). People who unfortunately don&#8217;t look deep enough into what they read on the internet are being fooled on a massive scale and generative AI actively encourages it with more realistic imaging and text and even voices coming out day by day. Even on a smaller scale AI is being used to trick consumers such as in the infamous Glasgow Willy Wonka experience which lured guests in with false advertising spit out from an image generator. Massive corporations like Nike and Coca Cola that can afford to pay real people for the production of ads are turning to AI generation which misleads consumers and tricks them into buying into a fake product. The ease of spreading misinformation shows a deep flaw in these AI models as there is nothing stopping people from misusing it.</p> <p>Then on top of all of that each time you generate an image you are wasting an immense amount of resources. AI generators use an extreme amount of electricity and water almost to the level of annual use of one hundred homes. On top of that AI models are emitting hundreds of tons of carbon per year just to keep its servers running. AI models while providing a shortcut to countries are simply too environmentally unstable to be worth it (Shaolei Ren and Adam Weirman July 15-24). In an era where Climate Change is one of our biggest fears it is just unreasonable to keep these AI models around and keep them evolving. The world is falling apart and I have to sit around and watch as the use of Ai ramps up and so does the destruction of our planet, something I and many others fear, climate change is now something that can be severely impacted by just one person generating images. This however is not a permanent issue as change can happen and things can be done to regulate these companies as some places have already started reducing emissions. Even outside of all of generative AIs inherent problems it is a simple matter of protecting the Earth as the AI and their data centers ravage the environment.</p> <p>Some may say that AI generation is beneficial to us especially for art as creating detailed art is now a matter of typing the right prompt taking mere moments rather than being a talent born from years of training. If graphics can be made in minutes, why bother with hiring a graphic designer, an artist? Irrelevant. AI can be used to save corporations money and hopefully allow them to pass these savings onto the customers. While these points are valid and could potentially breathe some positive life into AI, I disagree as while it does technically make art easier it does so through compiling stolen art just to then use that art to take people&#8217;s jobs still overall being a net negative for generative AI.</p> <p>Generative AI is currently running rampant on the internet as the next big thing in technology yet is only showing real use cases in spreading misinformation all the while killing the planet. Generative AI is being used to create fake accounts that parrot whatever information their owners want to spread while AI image generation is being used to spread fake images to show people in both positive and negative lights. Alongside that while doing all these dangerous things the AI is emitting an alarming amount of carbon and evaporating a huge amount of water slowly killing the planet even more. We as a people need to make our voices heard and need to make it clear that we will not stand for the continued use of Generative AI without limitations. It is imperative that we put regulations in place now before things get even worse as once AI image generation and text becomes almost indistinguishable from reality it may be too late to do something. It is also a simple matter of protecting the environment amidst fears of climate change. Overall we need to speak out and make an effort to protest for change for the betterment of our lives and all of those who come after us to create a world with even a little bit more truth.</p>

<p>Not Your Body, Not Your Choice: The Return of Reproductive Oppression</p> <p>What would you do if you or someone you deeply loved needed an abortion to save their life, but the nearest abortion clinic was hundreds of miles away and the law states that it was too late? Can you imagine the fear and helplessness? If you can’t ever imagine yourself in this situation, then consider yourself lucky. Unfortunately, many women across America are losing access to their right to choose how, when, and if to become a mother. I believe that the assault on women’s rights must stop.</p> <p>Before the 1800s, reproductive care was unregulated and abortion was not yet politicized &#8211; it was healthcare. Today, there are two sides to the views of abortion: pro-choice, people who believe that women should be able to choose whether or not they want an abortion, and pro-life, people who do not believe in abortion under any circumstance.</p> <p>In 1973, women won a huge victory when Roe v. Wade passed. This case granted women the right to have an abortion based on the right to privacy, which the 14th Amendment protects. Women were finally given rights! But in 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the court case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization, which was a step back into the past. This case left the decision up to states to regulate abortion and has significantly impacted women’s rights.</p> <p>So how did we get here? I believe that religion is guiding our politics; we do not live in a theocracy. We can’t live in a place where religion is driving our politics. That is why the separation of church and state exists under the Constitution. Politicians are denying access to safe and legal abortion practices because of their beliefs, which are sometimes solely based on religion. Chloe Thurston, an IPR political scientist from Northwestern University, states that “legislators in California, one of the first states to pass legislation dealing with abortion, shifted from voting on abortion issues based on their religious beliefs to aligning with the emerging views of their political parties.”</p> <p>There are two main reasons why reducing access is bad. It forces people to have unsafe abortions and also makes abortion an issue of geography as opposed to a human right. Why does someone in Massachusetts have access to a right that someone in Alabama does not? It’s illogical. There are many reasons why women feel the need for abortions. Some pregnancies are high risk; other times, women are not in the right economic situation to afford a baby or even mentally stable to take care of a baby.</p> <p>Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas are all states that have no exception for an abortion for cases of rape or incest. This is extremely harmful, especially for younger girls. Let me share a story. A “12-year-old girl from Clarksdale, Mississippi, was raped by a stranger and became pregnant. Her only option was to drive nine hours to Chicago for an abortion, something her impoverished family could not afford. Republican policy forced a seventh grader to bear and give birth to a baby conceived through rape.” This is just one of countless stories that disproportionately harm young girls and part of the reality that is not often publicized.</p> <p>From the pro-life perspective, life begins at conception, and having an abortion is ending an innocent life. Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech states, “The bills’ GOP sponsors have argued that fetuses are &#8216;as human as we are&#8217; and should be legally treated as such”. How does it make sense for an unborn baby to have rights? It doesn&#8217;t. Also, it is argued that there is the option to put the baby up for adoption. Yes, these options both preserve the life of the baby, but fail to account for the health of the woman who will be carrying the baby. Forcing a pregnancy can be very traumatic, especially if a woman is not in the right mental state. Carrying a baby to full term, especially if it’s an unwanted one, has physical and financial impacts. Is keeping the so-called “life of a potential baby” more important than caring for a woman who is already alive?</p> <p>Today, we live in a world where other people decide what women get to do with their bodies. This is not just a political issue, it is a human rights issue. If this nation claims to value freedom and equality, then we have to ensure that women’s rights are protected. The bad parts of history may be repeating, but change begins with us. Thank you.</p> <p>Works Cited</p> <p>“Abortion in U.S. History.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund, www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/abortion-central-history-reproductive-health-care-america.</p> <p>Cooper, Ryan. “Republicans Want to Ban All Abortions, Even if It Kills Mothers.” The American Prospect, 12 Dec. 2023, prospect.org/health/2023-12-13-republicans-would-ban-all-abortions.</p> <p>Felix, Mabel, et al. “A Closer Look at Rape and Incest Exceptions in States With Abortion Bans and Early Gestational Restrictions | KFF.” KFF, 6 Aug. 2024, www.kff.org/policy-watch/rape-incest-exceptions-abortion-bans-restrictions.</p> <p>O’Connell-Domenech, Alejandra. “GOP lawmakers in 10 states introduce bills to treat abortion as homicide.” The Hill, 28 Mar. 2025, thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5217297-republican-state-lawmakers-abortion-homicide-bills.</p> <p>Paulson, Richard J. “It Is Worth Repeating: ‘Life Begins at Conception’ Is a Religious, Not Scientific, Concept.” Reports, vol. 3, no. 3, Aug. 2022, p. 177, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xfre.2022.08.005.</p> <p>The Pro-Life View on Abortion | Pro-Life Advocacy.” Americans United for Life, 17 Apr. 2023, aul.org/abortion.</p> <p>Thurston, Chloe. The History of Abortion Politics : Institute for Policy Research &#8211; Northwestern University. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2022/the-history-of-abortion-politics.html.</p>

<p>Have you ever been to a store to buy something and realize they don’t sell it anymore, and felt the realization that you didn’t even know your last time experiencing it would be your last. Why should we ban the right to make our opinions and experiences heard. The topic of book banning is as important as ever. More and more books are being banned every year and almost all are important or good to have. The confinement this places on people is huge and we need to act on it. All this to say book banning is harmful and needs to be stopped.</p> <p>I won’t deny that we need censorship in specific situations. Little kids don&#8217;t need to be reading novels about gore and things like that and these bans wouldn’t be a problem if they were the only books being targeted. They are targeting books about racism or individuals of color in general and also books on LGBTQ+ topics as well those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual violence. Another thing they censor is anything that challenges the government. Not only is this limiting the perspective on things but it restricts our freedom of expression. A quote from the webseite is very well said, it said “unconstitutional censorship that violates students’ First Amendment rights”</p> <p>It&#8217;s not just us it&#8217;ll affect though. This is bad for future generations. They will grow up without useful knowledge and experiences, they´ll end up worse off than us right now. This will only hold them back. People have the right to know things because we need to not make the same mistakes as others in the past. We have books like Animal Farm that if you really digested it you gained a lot from it but my sister, a newborn baby, might not even know what that is when she grows up. This is true for many others if these bans continue with many other books. “Everyone, everywhere, regardless of their age, background, or political views, deserves access to information from a wide range of perspectives and books that reflect their lived experiences” In order to fight to stop this from happening to us we need to band together and stop it. It was well said in the article that “Americans must reject threats to our right to read”. They already banned kinder surprise eggs. Do we really want them to go after our freedom next?</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 80%; height: 80%;" title="Reyes, Elijah_Influential Books Being Banned" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076759067?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Speech on Deportation</p> <p>Hello everybody!! I hope everyone is well. Is everybody well? Okay, alright. Now that I have got you guys engaged, brace yourselves because I have a loaded question. It is not a question you have to answer to me now but really sit a reflect on it, ready? Here’s the question: What exactly does it mean to belong, and who do you think gets to decide? We all want to belong somewhere, right? Have our own community and a place where we call home. But, in the current state we live in right now it is all about having papers, or having permission. For many immigrants who face deportation today, it isn’t a question on whether they belong, but more about if they’re allowed to stay.</p> <p>This topic is important to me because I know that once my grandparents were immigrants, and I know many immigrants currently. Speaking of, let me tell you the story about an immigrant I used to work with. I won’t say his name, but for a little context he is a dad of one baby and he has a wife. He came to Philadelphia around four years ago, and him and his wife have been working ever since they got here. I knew him since he used to work where I do now, but when the situation happened that I’m about to tell you about he was working somewhere else. While he was working, about a month ago this happened, ICE approached him and detained him. They rode him down all the way to the city, while he had no clue what was happening since he doesn’t speak very good english, all he knew was he was detained by ICE. Once he was able to call his wife he told her there were so many other people in there, all scared just like he was. His friends were able to get him a good lawyer so now he is stationed at his house with an ankle monitor on. Everything is still in motion so we don’t know exactly what is going to happen. As you can imagine, this was a scary situation for him and his family. He came here from Colombia to make a better living for himself and for his family back in Colombia, he was NOT a criminal either.</p> <p>Many other immigrants have different stories with ICE. There are many different situations that did happen just because of deportation. According to aclu.org (https://www.aclu.org/dreamers-of-america), many are at risk for deportation who were brought here as babies and have grown up in the U.S. There are reports of errors in the immigration system that led a U.S. citizen being wrongfully deported, this supported by newyorker.com (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/29/the-deportation-machine).</p> <p>Many might argue that immigrants strain on public resources like healthcare, education, and other services. While this may be true, it is even more true that they do more contributing than a strain. Most immigrants do not have access to these things anyway! From my source on epi.org (https://www.epi.org/blog/immigrant-workers-help-grow-the-u-s-economy-new-state-fact-sheets-illustrate-the-economic-benefits-of-immigration/), it states that immigrants boosts overall economic growth by expanding the force in labor and an increase in consumer spending. Even doing jobs where there are shortages because people U.S. born don’t want to do the difficult labor.  Currently, deportation is a major issue. It is a system put in place that does more harm than good. This goes back to my question from the very beginning, who gets to determine whether or not a person belongs, and what do they base their judgement off of? Too often this is answered based off of race or class.</p> <p>If our country believes in equality and human rights, then why shouldn’t this apply to absolutely everyone? We must do better and fight for more humane immigrant policies because belonging shouldn’t be a privilege, it should just be what it is. You can help this issue by educating your peers on this issue, using social media, uplift other students or people you know who may be affected by this. Thank you for listening.</p>

<p>I want you to picture this: imagine being forced to carry a pregnancy term under unsafe, traumatic, or impossible conditions. For millions of women, this isn’t a mere scenario, but their reality. By definition, abortion is a medical procedure that terminates a pregnancy. The most notable law regarding abortion was <em>Roe v. Wade </em>in 1973, and this protected not only the right to abortion, but the right of bodily autonomy, the right to privacy, and created a pathway to access things like reproductive healthcare. Unfortunately in 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by <em>Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</em>, and access is no longer guaranteed. However, that doesn’t mean abortions stop happening altogether.</p> <p><em> </em>History shows that banning abortion doesn’t prevent people from seeking them, rather it forces them to turn to the unregulated methods that are available. As a result of these unregulated procedures, the risk of maternal death increases significantly. The WHO states that these unsafe abortions are the “leading cause of maternal deaths globally” (WHO, 2021). This highlights that the solution shouldn’t be restriction, but rather regulation, because if it is going to happen regardless, it should be performed safely under proper medical supervision.</p> <p>Not only does banning abortions negatively affect the women carrying these pregnancies to term, but it leads more children to grow up with a lack of resources and stability. According to a JAMA Pediatrics study in 2023, more abortion restrictions saw an 11% increase in children entering the foster system. These aren’t just numbers, these are real children in this oversaturated system. If we are not prepared to take care of them, why should we force them into these situations?</p> <p>To put this danger into perspective, putting a ban on abortion would directly affect more women dying, more specifically black women. On a personal level, as a young black woman, the overturning of<em> Roe v. Wade </em>was a deeply unsettling moment. It felt like a safety net was pulled from under me, leaving me uncertain about my own security. The idea that my access to healthcare could be restricted isn’t <em>just</em> an academic or political issue for me, it&#8217;s a matter of life and death. Statistics like those from Tulane University show that Black women are disproportionately affected by this with the maternal mortality increasing by 39% for Black women(2023) after banning abortion. For me, this isn’t just about the right to choose,but about my fundamental right to feel safe and protected in a world that often fails​​ to acknowledge and prioritize the health of marginalized communities.</p> <p>Just as access to abortion safeguards bodily autonomy, it also upholds constitution freedoms, particularly the First Amendment. Abortion bans not only infringe on personal rights, but also violate the constitutional protections of freedom of speech and expression. Legal scholars argue that the government has no right to force someone to remain pregnant against their will (Thomas, 1971; Center for Reproductive Rights, 2023), so with that being said, being able to make decisions about one’s body is a basic human right. Taking that right away is an act of control, which directly contradicts the Pro-Life Movement idea of “protecting life.” Another example of a contradiction within Pro-Life ideals is the fact that through their stance on this matter, they impose their beliefs onto everyone. In Cardozo Law Review(2023), legal scholars argue that banning abortion infringe on the right to act on and express deeply held beliefs. Therefore, forcing someone into motherhood isn’t  just a personal violation, it&#8217;s a legal contradiction.</p> <p>Banning abortions doesn’t just endanger lives; it undermines freedom and puts a burden on our society. This so-called “solution” is nothing short of <strong>injustice</strong>! It&#8217;s time to demand better, we must protect and fight for reproductive freedom. Make sure you go out and vote– support candidates and policies that respect public health and bodily autonomy. Use your voice and your power to choose!</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Riley, Matana_Save Our Safety Net" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076759490?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>When I first started this project I couldn’t figure out which one of the many topics to pick. I decided to look for the one that affected me the most and immediately realized the obvious choice was gun reform. As a teenage girl living in Philadelphia I feel as if I&#8217;m constantly looking over my shoulder. Always worried about myself, my family, my classmates, even the random strangers I see on the street. Especially going to a school like Central where we have lockdowns every other week due to accidents happening around our school. Just the other day I knew multiple kids who weren’t sure how they would get home because the subway station near our school was shut down because of a death on the tracks. Shootings happen so often that we as citizens of Philadelphia have become so desensitized to them. We feel bad for the victims for a total of five seconds before moving on with our day because we think since it didn’t happen to us  and is so far away that we are untouchable and will never be affected by it but what people fail to realize that any day it could be us, a family member, or even a friend that we see on the news and for most people they won’t care about this issue until it affects them directly. I  thought this would be a great way to address the problem that surrounds us all while raising awareness to the current violence epidemic that is creating a culture of fear within our city. I think one of the most efficient ways to combat this problem would be to put more money into our communities and rec centers. Most of the time when a young person reaches for a gun it is because they feel helpless and scared. If we could give these kids more safe spaces, people they can reach out to and depend on, and places they know they can always turn to when in need, it would help them feel more empowered and less likely to depend on a firearm as a source of power. I know that it wouldn’t be realistic to say that through this speech I’m ending gun violence in our city as a whole but what I can do is spread awareness and make sure we all realize that we are all responsible for making change in our community.</p>

<p>Imagine walking into a library excited to read, only to find that the books you need are gone—not because they were lost, but because someone decided you shouldn’t be allowed to read them. Worse yet, imagine entering an English class where you expect to be taught the truth about your history, only to find instead that you hear stories that don’t even include your kind. Book banning limits education, silences important voices, and violates our right to free speech. Books are often banned for discussing race, gender, or identity—topics that make some people uncomfortable but are essential to building a more empathic world.</p> <p>First, banning books erases diverse perspectives, making it harder for students to understand different experiences. Most banned books feature LGBTQ+ characters or address issues of race and racism. According to the American Library Association, 6 of the top 10 most challenged books in 2022 were challenged due to LGBTQIA+ content, and many others for addressing race (ALA, 2023). The Hate U Give was banned in some districts for promoting an “anti-police message” and using “profanity” (ALA, 2023). However, as Whiley, a community member, mentioned, The Hate U Give is an essential tool for teaching about police brutality and the Black experience: “ I think this book is a great tool to teach about police brutality and different things that Black people go through” (Information Morning, 2023). Though some might find the topics uncomfortable, Whiley emphasized that discomfort is a part of the growth process: “We have to grow within our uncomfort and we still have to discuss it. Even if it’s uncomfortable, we still have to discuss it” (Information Morning, 2023). Her words highlight how real understanding begins with discomfort. If we avoided every uncomfortable or controversial topic, we’d be left with ignorance, not protection. This leaves so many uncertainties and prevents us from learning and growing from different perspectives. Banning books like The Hate U Give doesn’t make these important issues disappear; it simply stops students from engaging in meaningful conversations that could foster understanding and empathy. Silencing these voices does not protect students; it limits their ability to engage with the world around them and to process issues that they know full well exist.</p> <p>Book bans do not protect students—they prevent them from engaging with challenging ideas, especially those that differ from their own. According to Diana Hess, former Dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education, and Paula McAvoy, an Assistant Professor at Illinois State University, “high school students who engaged in rigorous political discussions in their social studies classes were more likely after graduating to be politically engaged, listen to those with different perspectives than them, and also pay attention to the news than students who did not have these discussions” (Hess &amp; McAvoy, 2015). In other words, avoiding these conversations doesn’t shield students—it stunts their growth.</p> <p>Reading banned books like To Kill a Mockingbird can spark crucial conversations. Elizabeth Heubeck recalls, “I read To Kill a Mockingbird in school as a teen…I recall everyone in my class being overwhelmingly upset with the injustice of it all. That prompted…conversations about that injustice. It also inspired conversation about compassion and empathy–specifically, feeling compassion and not being afraid of those who are different than us, including those with mental disabilities or those who have a different skin color” (Heubeck, 2023). I also remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird in my 8th-grade year. My teacher, an African American woman from Texas, guided us through the book with a smooth voice that added a layer of character to the story in a way that no one else could. We delved into topics about the moral standing of Atticus Finch and whether or not we agreed with his actions. Although 100% of the students in the class were African American, there was a vast range of differing opinions. Instead of debating, we accepted each other’s viewpoints and had conversations about them. Those discussions about empathy, justice, and moral standing are lessons that I still carry with me today.</p> <p>When we remove books that encourage empathy, we miss the opportunity to build students into thoughtful, caring people who are not scared to act in the face of injustice. Education is not meant to be comfortable—it’s meant to challenge, stretch, and grow us. Encouraging open discussion, rather than banning books, prepares students to analyze ideas and form their own opinions.</p> <p>Some argue that banning books can be justified in the interest of protecting students from content they believe is harmful or inappropriate. For instance, one librarian who temporarily banned a book stated that this action was intended to highlight the “arbitrary and capricious nature of censorship” and show how easily any book could be targeted (Mansfield, 2023). From this perspective, banned books can seem like a way to shield students from challenging or uncomfortable material. While it’s important to shield students from truly harmful content, banning books isn’t the solution. Education is about equipping students with the tools to navigate difficult topics—not erasing them. It limits access to diverse perspectives and stifles the open discussion of difficult issues, which are crucial for developing critical thinking skills. Additionally, once we start banning books, we set a dangerous precedent for future censorship, where any book could be removed simply because someone disagrees with its content. In this case, the temporary ban on the book ultimately sparked more dialogue about censorship, revealing how restrictions on free expression can hinder learning.</p> <p>Book bans do not protect students; they limit education, encourage a monolith of American society, and violate fundamental rights. Removing books on race, gender, or social issues discourages critical thinking and free speech, ultimately harming students. So what can you do? Speak up. Read the books they try to ban. Defend the right to learn. Defend the chance to choose. Because once we start silencing voices, we lose the ability to think freely.</p>

<p>When was the last time you looked up from your phone and noticed what was happening in the world around you? How many of your meaningful conversations were disrupted by a phone call or text message? Have you ever stopped to think about how much of your life is being lived through a small handheld device? I hope these questions allowed you to reflect on how so much of our lives revolve around our phones, yet we fail to see the outcomes of what cell phone overuse can do to a person. As we know, technology has advanced tremendously over the years; however, this does come with its adverse effects. The concept of cell phone overuse, also known as problematic smartphone use, can be defined as a behavioral disorder resulting from compulsive and excessive phone use, even when it negatively impacts the individual. (Hanna) Spending long hours on your cell phone results in negative impacts on the brain, increased depression and anxiety, and long-term health effects; therefore, it should be regulated by prioritizing other parts of our lives.</p> <p>We all rely on our phones for most things, and while they can be helpful, misusing these resources can be very harmful. For one, cell phones are extremely harmful to our brains as they disrupt sleep and damage the natural routine of our bodies. When we use smartphones at night, the light mimics daytime and suppresses melatonin (Potsdam). This illustrates how using our phones at the end of the day results in a struggle to fall asleep at night. Also, many individuals spend most of their time on social media specifically. Mastermind Behavior Services created a table of social media addiction statistics. It states that 210 million individuals are affected by social media globally (Mastermind). This shows how many teens rely on social media and depend on these digital spaces for comfort instead of the real world. Overusing your cellphones can be detrimental to the safety and development of your brain, which ultimately proves why cellphones can be dangerous when misused.</p> <p>Our cellphones are used so often throughout the day that we barely realize how often we reach for them. That being said, we also don’t ever realize how they also increase mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Many people believe that cellphones are useful for increasing communication and growing responsibility among teenagers. What this argument fails to consider is how many barriers smartphones put up. Communicating with smartphones is not the same as face-to-face interactions and will cause social anxiety in the future, especially for adolescents. I, for one, have been victim to depression that I only later learned was an outcome of cell phone overuse. During my freshman year of high school, I often found myself drowning in schoolwork and shunning my social life. I stopped talking to my friends and family and resorted to my phone for comfort. I dug myself into such a deep hole without realizing it. My phone was slowly turning me into an outcast and lowering my self-esteem. Overall, it all comes down to how you choose to spend your free time with the knowledge of the side effects of deteriorating mental health risks.</p> <p>Most of the new generation has been introduced to smartphones at a very young age, this can come with serious health risks later on in their lives. Young children, adolescents, and even many adults fail to see the grave outcomes of severe smartphone use. Vision is just one of many things that are deeply affected by cellphone addiction. Extreme eye strain, blurred vision, and dry eyes are just some negative effects of not allowing your eyes to rest (Care CHL Hospitals). To prevent this from happening, you can limit the amount of time you spend on a screen by setting time limits and using the time to rest your eyes and remove all eye strain. Also, many physical health problems can arise from smartphone addiction. Even though they are not apparent, many musculoskeletal complications can affect your mobility and ability to function properly (Eitivipart). Muscular damage can severely damage one&#8217;s quality of life. Therefore, it is important to spend time outdoors and go on walks to keep your body healthy and moving.</p> <p>Negative impacts on the brain, increased depression and anxiety, and long-term health effects are all factors that further prove the negative outcomes of smartphone overuse. Deteriorating mental health, increasing health risks, and hindering brain development are just some ways our lives have been affected by our devices. All in all, it is important to note that the time you spend away from your phone is extremely valuable and should be increased. The more you disconnect from technology, the more improvement you&#8217;ll see in the quality of your life.</p>

<p>Healthcare is a Human Right: Why America Needs Healthcare Reform</p> <p>Imagine waking up with chest pain and thinking twice before going to the ER because you’re not sure if you can afford it. This is not just someone’s nightmare—this is real life for millions of Americans. We live in one of the richest nations in the world, yet we don’t guarantee healthcare for everyone.</p> <p>The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t offer universal healthcare. Over 27 million Americans remain uninsured (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023), and many more are underinsured, struggling with high deductibles and medical debt. Meanwhile, a trip to the doctor or a hospital stay can lead to bankruptcy.</p> <p>Healthcare is a social justice issue because access to it often depends on your income, your race, and where you live. Today, I want to talk about how the U.S. healthcare system fails its people, and why reform is urgently needed to ensure everyone—not just the wealthy—can live a healthy life.</p> <p>The American healthcare system must be reformed to ensure affordable access, eliminate racial and economic disparities, and prioritize people over profit.</p> <p>The High Cost of Healthcare Hurts Working Americans<br /> Let’s start with affordability. The U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country—over $4.5 trillion annually—yet millions of Americans delay or skip care because they can’t afford it (Commonwealth Fund, 2023). Medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., affecting around 60% of Americans (American Journal of Public Health, 2022). People shouldn’t have to choose between paying rent and getting chemotherapy, or rationing insulin because it costs hundreds of dollars a month, even though it only costs a few dollars to make (American Diabetes Association, 2023). This isn’t just a financial problem—it’s a moral one. No one should suffer or die because they’re poor.</p> <p>Racial and Economic Inequities Are Built into the System<br /> Next, let’s talk about inequality. Black and Latino communities are significantly more likely to be uninsured or underinsured. For example, 11% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans lack health insurance, compared to 7% of white Americans (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023).</p> <p>These disparities lead to devastating health outcomes. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and often receive lower-quality care (CDC, 2023).</p> <p>Healthcare should not be dependent on the color of your skin or your zip code. These inequities are unacceptable in a just society, and they demand action.</p> <p>Corporate Greed Is Undermining Public Health</p> <p>Lastly, the system is driven by profit, not by compassion. Health insurance companies and pharmaceutical corporations make billions in profit each year. In 2022 alone, the top five U.S. health insurers made over $60 billion (Forbes, 2023). That’s money that could have gone toward lowering costs, expanding access, or improving care. At the same time, Americans pay two to three times more for prescription drugs than people in other countries. Why? Because our system lets corporations set prices with little regulation. Our healthcare system should serve patients, not shareholders. When profit is the priority, people suffer.</p> <p>So what can we do? The American healthcare system must be transformed to guarantee access, address injustice, and put human lives over corporate profits. We need to push for policies like universal healthcare, cost regulation, and investment in underserved communities. Healthcare is a human right—not a luxury. Every person, regardless of race, income, or background, deserves the chance to live a healthy life. Let’s stop treating healthcare like a privilege. Let’s fight to make it right.</p>

<p>Have you ever asked your phone to play a song, or had a video pop up that you just had to watch? That&#8217;s AI at work! It&#8217;s all around us, and it&#8217;s getting smarter every day. We&#8217;re seeing AI in things like self-driving cars, video games, and even in the way websites suggest things you might like. It&#8217;s pretty cool, and a little bit mind-blowing. But, sometimes, when we see how smart AI is getting, it can feel like it&#8217;s taking over. We might wonder, &#8220;Are robots going to control everything?&#8221; That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re going to talk about today. I’m going to tell you how AI is changing our world, and why it&#8217;s important to understand it, so we can make sure it&#8217;s used in a good way. To start, let&#8217;s get some things straight. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is basically computer programs that can learn and solve problems, kind of like how we do. It&#8217;s not about robots with feelings (yet!), but about computers that can get really good at certain tasks. While AI is rapidly advancing and becoming more integrated into our lives, it&#8217;s crucial to understand that it&#8217;s a tool created and controlled by humans, and responsible development and ethical guidelines are essential to ensure its positive impact.</p> <p><strong>AI and Automation</strong>:</p> <p>To begin, AI is amazing at automating tasks that used to take people a long time. For example, AI can analyze huge amounts of data way faster than we can. This is used in things like finding patterns in medical research, or predicting trends in the stock market. AI is changing the nature of work, automating tasks that were previously done by humans, leading to increased efficiency and productivity in various industries. This is really cool, but it also makes us think about jobs. Some jobs might change, or even disappear, as AI gets better at doing them. This means we need to think about how we can learn new skills and adapt to this changing world. Some jobs that AI could take over are data entry clerks, customer service representatives, bookkeepers, and even some roles in marketing and retail. This shows me that it is important to learn to adapt to new technologies, and that we must prepare for the future. This proves that while AI increases efficiency, it also needs to be regulated so that it does not take over all jobs.</p> <p><strong>AI and Enhanced Capabilities</strong>:</p> <p>Furthermore, AI is getting really good at recognizing patterns and solving complex problems. It can do things like help doctors find illnesses faster, or create new forms of art and music. Machine learning algorithms are enabling AI to recognize patterns and make predictions with increasing accuracy, leading to breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare and finance. This is amazing, but it also means we need to be careful about how we use this power. We need to make sure AI is used ethically, and that it doesn&#8217;t make decisions that could hurt people. This shows me that AI can be used to solve very complex problems, and that we must be careful with how we use these abilities. This also proves that with the increased capabilities of AI, there needs to be an increased amount of guidelines.</p> <p><strong>AI and Influence</strong>:</p> <p>Finally, AI is influencing our daily lives in ways we might not even realize. From the apps we use, to the news we see, AI is helping to shape our world. The increasing amount of AI into everyday technology is shaping our behaviors and decisions, raising questions about privacy and autonomy. This means we need to be aware of how AI is being used, and we need to make sure it&#8217;s being used in a way that&#8217;s fair and responsible. We need to think about things like privacy, and making sure AI doesn&#8217;t make unfair decisions. This shows me that AI is integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, and that it is important to understand how it works. This also proves that with the increase of AI in our lives, it is important to increase our understanding of the technology.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p> <p>So, to sum it up, while AI is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our world, it&#8217;s important to remember that it&#8217;s a tool that we create and control. We need to learn about AI, and we need to make sure it&#8217;s used in a way that&#8217;s good for everyone. What I want you to take away from this is that AI isn’t something that you should be afraid to use, but something that you should use responsibly. The future of AI is in our hands, and it&#8217;s up to us to make sure it&#8217;s a good one.</p>

<p>Imagine walking into school every day with a knot in your stomach, dreading the words or actions of others. This is the reality for millions of children and teenagers worldwide, who face bullying. Ladies and gentlemen, today I stand before you to speak on an issue that affects us all, regardless of age, gender, or background bullying. Bullying is the intention of hurting one person or a group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or psychological. It can leave deep scars on its victims, but they aren&#8217;t visible but very painful. Bullying is a harmful behavior that creates lasting emotional and physiological effects, making it essential to address its impact on both individuals and communities.</p> <p>However, not everyone agrees on the severity of bullying, and some argue that what we often label as bullying is simply a natural part of growing up or dealing with challenges in life. They might say that ¨kids will be kids¨ or that experiencing some form of teasing or rough behavior teaches resilience. While it is true that some forms of conflict or disagreement are a normal part of life, there&#8217;s a clear line between teasing and bullying. Teasing may occur between friends, but bullying involves a power of imbalance, where one individual targets another repeatedly intending to cause harm.</p> <p>Bullying is not just a minor occurrence, it&#8217;s a profound violation of human rights. No individual deserves to live with fear. Fear of being mocked for how they look, speak, or who they are. Let us be clear: bullying is not a part of growing up. It is a destructive behavior that perpetuates inequality and reinforces harmful stereotypes. Others who bully people may act out of their hurt or fear. But this does not let them justify their actions. Bullying occurs a lot now and it affects millions of people. Educators have said that 1 in 4 students will be bullied, and 1 in 3 will be cyberbullied. Research shows that in over half of bullying situations (57%).</p> <p>We all know that we have witnessed, experienced, or heard about bullying. Some people might be thinking ¨ what are the psychological effects of bullying of victims?¨ This can lead to victims of bullying experiencing anxiety, depression, and lowered self-esteem. When I was in middle school, transferring into a teenager, I experienced bullying.  It took a big toll on my mental health and my self-esteem. I wanted to stop trying to make myself live up to her expectations. I later realized that I wasn&#8217;t going to let middle schoolers take control of me and tell me how to live my own life. I stood up for myself and what was right. I kept my head up and kept going which led me to the great place that I am in today. ¨A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.¨ (Effects of Bullying. StopBullying.Gov, 3 Feb. 2025) Another example of the psychological effects of bullying is a 16-year-old girl named Stephanie, who was bullied by five boys for three straight years. The boys took advantage of her which later led to her having anorexia. This made the boys bully her even more and later caused police officers to come to her house to talk to her. They later found the boys who had been bullying her and gave them a statement. Stephanie later was in a lot of films to talk about everything that she went through which she later received awards and recognitions. Doesn&#8217;t your heart break when you hear these stories? Doesn&#8217;t it make you want to cause a change in this world where more empathy and respect occurs? When I heard this story, my heart broke for her knowing that this is what people have to deal with when going to school. Bullying can also be terrible because the long-term effects include PTSD and may struggle with a lot of trust issues.</p> <p>Have you ever been bullied and it affected your academic performance? About 22% of kids get bullied during the school year and it causes them issues with their academics. This consists of a lack of concentration and motivation, students skipping school to avoid bullying, and emotional stress can lead to an overall bad attitude. Students often differ from this daily and it is a big cause in their lives. This can lead to all of their grades dropping and not helping for the long run effects on their academic career. Educators have stated, ¨Teenagers who were bullied were nearly twice as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety (29.8%) or depression (28.5%) in the last 2 weeks when compared with teenagers who were not bullied.¨ (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Oct. 2024)  Having bullying taken on somebody&#8217;s academic career is not something that anybody should go through. Nobody should even have a fear of going to school, being scared of what could happen once they walk in. Knowing that people go through this makes me think that I want these changes to happen and we need them to happen fast.</p> <p>Bullying today isn&#8217;t confined to the schoolyard. With the rise of social media, bullying has followed children home, allowing the hurtful words and actions to continue 24/7. The digital word, with its anonymity, often implies the power imbalance that bullying thrives on.</p> <p>There are plenty of strategies that we can use to prevent bullying from occurring. There are anti-bullying programs and policies, we can promote positive school structure, and encourage bystander intervention.</p> <p>We must stand up for justice, and we must all do it together. Every single one of us had a voice and could play a huge role in stopping bullying. It starts with each of us taking responsibility for our actions and the way that we treat others. It means to speak up when we see bullying and not stand in silence. Do you know a lot of very empathic people? If the answer is no, we must change that. We must all work for a world with empathy and compassion.</p> <p>To the victims of bullying. I want you to hear this: You are not by yourself. You are nowhere near alone. Do not think low of yourself because somebody is saying that in your ear. They don&#8217;t know the real amazing person that you are. They are saying these things because they are jealous of you and want to see you down. Do not let them. Do not feed in their actions and let them take advantage of you. Stand up for yourself and keep your head raised. You are stronger than the voices that are trying to silence you. You have a world of allies that will fight for you. To my bystanders, I beg you to take action. Offer a hand to someone that is in need. They will notice your help and the effort you are putting into them. They will appreciate it more than anything. Use your voice and fight for what is right.  And to those who bully: I want you to ask yourself. Why? Why does it satisfy yourself to tear someone else down? Imagine if somebody did this to you. How would you feel? The fight against bullying is a fight for justice. And together we can build a world where nobody has to endure the pain of being bullied again.</p> <p>Together, we can create a world where no child, no person, ever has to fear walking into a room or logging onto a device. The power is in our hands to stop this hurtful cycle. Lets stand up for each other, every day, and show that we are stronger when we lift others up. This time for change is now, and it begins with us.</p>

<p>Today, we don’t understand how much, as well as how many people really depend on government programs. People who have a need for heating, for medicine, for survival. For a person who struggles to survive, live a sustainable life, or even have access to necessities, government programs may be something that they depend on. These programs have been around for decades and are in place to help the young, the disadvantaged, the unemployed and retired, the disabled, the elderly, and the sick.</p> <p>Social Security Administration (SSA), was created to promote the economic security of the nation’s people. It was designed to pay retired workers who are 65 or older a continuing income after retirement. This also allowed for their ability to afford food, utilities, a home, and any other necessities needed to survive. It includes disability insurance, something I depend on, and income to children who may be orphaned or disabled. Social security was designed to help people like me, friends, and family that you know. It exists in most developed nations in one form or another, meaning that it is a need, it is a right.</p> <p>SSI was designed during the Great Depression to avoid a crisis like the Depression from happening again.</p> <p>So quickly, let me put a thought in your head.</p> <p>Imagine this,<br /> You’re a mother with three kids, all depending on you.</p> <p>Your oldest son needs prescription glasses/contacts because at a young age his doctor told him he has drusen, a form of eye disease where vision becomes worse and worse as the person ages.</p> <p>Your daughter has asthma and needs both an inhaler and a nebulizer. Your daughter has issues with her narrowing lungs.</p> <p>Your youngest son was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was just about 4. He went through 3 different hospitals, where he was overdosed in the first hospital he was in. His chemotherapy was mixed up with a boy who was about four times as old as him. The chemotherapy didn’t just attack the cancer cells, they attacked him. After multiple tests, you find out that your son has a learning disability. You also find out that his nerves will be permanently damaged. This would impact him for the rest of his life.</p> <p>I am that boy.</p> <p>Now that you understand this, I&#8217;ve had to make sure that my needs are met, from teachers to work to students and peers, at home, and at the doctors. Really though, why am I telling you about me or my family?</p> <p>It’s because I am under SSI, yeah there’s insurance too, but I am here with my family, without debts, without any obstacles in accessing medical resources, without worrying about running out to the doctor, where even the check-up and appointments can cost us.</p> <p>One out of five people receive the social security benefit. One out of five people who receive social security are disabled. Maybe they’re dependents. They could even be eligible surviving members of our nation.</p> <p>Now, Social Security is under attack. Over 7,000 employees have been let go with many more to come. But, what is most detrimental is that any access to the Social Security offices is not available and even simple things like allocating social security numbers to newborns becomes a problem. SSI dependents cannot get service online or on the phone and if they have no access,then they can’t get to offices to fix any issues. There are people getting wronged and THIS is wrong. There are no benefits and people are struggling to find ways to fix these new problems.</p> <p>So, how much do you think SSI really impacts you?</p> <p>We may not think or even know it, but everything is under attack, everything impacts everyone in one way or another. It’s scary to say, but without this support, without SSI, people will be left alone, abandoned by the very country, people, and leaders who pledge to fight for us. We need to fight even if it&#8217;s not for ourselves. We need to fight, be the leaders that we look up to and vote for.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Shamis, Cole_Social Security Safety: A Personal Story" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1077620012?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>How many students here have taken public transportation in Philadelphia in any way? I am a part of that number of people and we do encounter a lot of people. The saddest sight on those trains, buses, and stations are the homeless people. On my daily commute, I see at least 2 people sleeping on the train because they have nowhere else to go. HUD, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development, reported that in a single night, 771,480 people were experiencing homelessness. This number is the highest it has ever been in our country, and it will only continue to grow. Philadelphia has a high homeless population, and there are two places where it is most concentrated. There are a lot of homeless people in Center City, which is a place that I go through every single day to school. I believe that they are there because of the accessibility to other parts of the city. Another part of the city where they most reside in is Kensington. Kensington is known for its very large, open-air drug market. Alongside addiction, homelessness plagues these individuals, and it keeps them in a loop of spiraling downward. There are not enough resources for these people who are clearly struggling. Whether it&#8217;s to help them with food, supply them with something to drink, or to relieve them from the weather. I know people who carry blankets in the back of their car in order to give it to those who are outside suffering from the extreme cold. That is the love that we need to be giving these people. To not treat them as someone who is below us, But as someone who needs some help.</p>

<p>Hav‎‎e you ever noticed how some neighborhoods have better schools, nicer parks, and mor‎e stores than others? This difference isn&#8217;t just random; it&#8217;s part of a bigger pro‎blem called the economic divide. Today, I want to talk about the economic divide bet‎ween white and Black communities, why it exists, and what we can do to fix it. This is imp‎ortant to me, because I believe everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed, no mat‎ter where they come from.</p> <p>T‎o understand this issue, we need to look at history. For hundreds of years, Black people w‎ere enslaved and faced discrimination. Even after slavery ended, laws and common practices k‎ept them from bu‎ilding wealth. On‎e of these practices was &#8216;redlining,&#8217; where banks w‎ouldn&#8217;t give loans to people in Black neighborhoods.</p> <p>T‎he racial wealth gap is a key concept ‎here.‎ It measures the diffe‎rence in wealth between w‎hite and Black fa‎milies. Wealth isn&#8217;t just money ‎in the bank; it&#8217;s also things like owning ‎a ‎home or having investments. Acc‎ording to‎ the Federal Rese‎rve, in 2019, the median w‎hite family‎ had abou‎t $188,200 in wealth, while the median Black fami‎ly had about $‎24,100. This is a h‎uge differenc‎e. (Source: Fe‎deral Reserve, Survey of Co‎nsumer F‎inances, 2019)</p> <p>It&#8217;s crucial to u‎nderstand that historic‎al injustices have cr‎eated the foundation for today&#8217;s econo‎mic disparities. To begin, the legacy of sl‎avery and Jim Crow laws cre‎ated a system wh‎ere Black indi‎vid‎uals were systematic‎ally denied access t‎o wealth-build‎ing opportuniti‎es.</p> <p>For exa‎mple, the practice of redli‎ning,‎ where ‎banks drew r‎ed lines on maps around ‎predominantly Blac‎k neighbo‎r‎hoods and refused to give o‎ut mortgages, prevent‎ed Black families from owning homes and bu‎ilding equity. This practice was widespread throughout the 20th century. (Source: National Community R‎einves‎tment Coalition, &#8220;H‎OLC Redlining Maps: Q‎uantifying the Effects of Redlinin‎g&#8221;) There are still instances today where redlining takes place to disenfranchise minorities.</p> <p>Addition‎ally, unequal ac‎cess t‎o education has had long‎-lasting effects. Histor‎ically, Black s‎chools were underfu‎nded ‎and un‎der-resourced, limiting the opportunitie‎s for Blac‎k student‎s. This has led to a cycle of ‎poverty and limit‎ed econ‎omic mobility. Th‎is shows u‎s th‎at the current e‎conomic divide is not a res‎ult of individual choices a‎lone, but rather a co‎nsequen‎ce of ‎systemic di‎scriminati‎on that has persis‎ted for generations. We must acknowledge this history to address the problem.</p> <p>Even today, sy‎stemic discrimina‎‎tion ‎co‎ntinues to perpetuat‎e the econo‎mic divide. This disc‎rimina‎tion tak‎es many forms, inc‎luding bia‎s in h‎iring, housin‎g, and lending.‎</p> <p>Studies ‎have shown that job applic‎ants with &#8216;white-so‎unding&#8217; names receive significa‎ntly more callbacks than those with &#8216;Black-‎sounding&#8217; n‎ames, eve‎n when their qu‎alifications ar‎e ide‎ntical. This is called implicit bias. For example,‎ a study by t‎he ‎N‎ational Bure‎au of Economic Res‎earch fou‎nd that resumes with w‎hite-s‎oundin‎g nam‎es‎ recei‎ved 50‎% ‎more callback‎s than res‎umes with Black-s‎o‎undin‎g names. (Source: Nationa‎l Bureau of Economic R‎esearch, &#8220;Are Emily a‎nd Greg More Employable than Laki‎sha and J‎amal? A Field Experiment on Lab‎or Market Discrimination&#8221;)</p> <p>Also, discriminat‎ion in housin‎g c‎ontinues to be a ‎problem. Black in‎dividuals are ‎m‎ore lik‎ely to experience ho‎using dis‎crimination, such as bein‎g outright denied housing or‎ being offered les‎‎s favorable‎ terms. This limits‎ their ‎ability to build wealth th‎rough home‎ownership. Furthermore, access to quality healt‎hcare is not e‎qual. Bl‎ack people, for example, are more lik‎ely to die fr‎om preven‎table diseases. A‎ccording to the‎ CDC, the mort‎ality rate for Black p‎eople is significant‎ly higher th‎an that of white peopl‎e‎ for many diseases. (S‎ource: ‎CDC, He‎alth Equity)</p> <p>T‎his shows‎ that even though we have law‎s again‎st discr‎i‎mination, it s‎till h‎appens, and it has a rea‎l impac‎t on people&#8217;s lives. This ‎ongoing discrim‎ination r‎einforces the economic divide. Systemic‎ di‎scrimination is a s‎ignificant‎ current f‎actor, which m‎‎eans that polic‎y change is neede‎d in order to combat the effects o‎f this discrimination.</p> <p>Inve‎sting in educat‎ion and job tr‎aining programs in underserved communities is a cru‎cial step towa‎rd closing the economic divide. These program‎s can provide i‎ndividuals with the skills a‎nd opportunit‎ies they ne‎ed to succeed.  For exa‎mple, early childhood e‎ducation programs have been show‎n to have long-term positive effects on ch‎ildren&#8217;s a‎cademic and economic‎ outco‎mes. S‎tudies have sh‎own that early ‎c‎hildhood educati‎on programs can inc‎rease high s‎chool graduati‎on rates and col‎lege atten‎dance.</p> <p>J‎ob trai‎ning programs can also h‎elp individuals gain the s‎kills they need to s‎ecure well-pa‎ying jobs.‎ These progra‎ms can focu‎s on in-dem‎and indu‎stries, s‎uch as techno‎logy‎ an‎d healthcare.</p> <p>W‎hen people have better education and job skills, they can earn more money, buy homes, and bui‎ld wealth. This helps break the cycle of poverty and creates str‎onger communities. This proves that inves‎tment in education and job training is ‎not just a cost; it&#8217;s an investment in the future of our com‎munities. Investing in ed‎ucation and job train‎ing creates opportunities that help to prove that these invest‎ments are a solution to the eco‎nomic divide.</p> <p>Fair h‎ousing and lending policies are crucial ‎for addressing the economic divide. Policies that pre‎vent discrimination in housing a‎nd lend‎ing can help ensure that everyone has equal access to housing and cr‎edit.</p> <p>Fo‎r example, strengthe‎ning th‎e Fair Housing Act and increasing enforcement ca‎n help prevent housing discrim‎ination. The Comm‎unity Reinvestment Act, is a law that encourages banks to meet the needs of borrowe‎rs in all segments of their co‎mmunities, including low- and moder‎ate-income neighborho‎ods.</p> <p>Po‎licies that promote affordable housing can also hel‎p address the economic div‎ide. Affordable housing can make it easier for low-income families to find sta‎ble housing and build wealth. Additionally‎, policie‎s that support small bu‎sinesses and entrepreneurship in Bl‎ack communities can help create jobs and ec‎onomic opportunities. These policy ‎change‎s creat‎‎e a more equitable playing field, which helps to prove that polic‎y change is a solution to the economic divide.</p> <p>Su‎pporting Black owned businesses, and investing i‎n Black communities is vital. Black owned businesses create jobs and e‎conomic opportunities in their communities.</p> <p>Investing in Bla‎ck communities means investing in infrastructure, education, and other resource‎s that help communities thrive.</p> <p>When Black co‎mmunities thrive, the whole economy thrives.</p> <p>This pro‎ves that investing in Black owned businesses and Black communities is a vital part of the ‎s‎olution.</p> <p>In con‎clusion, to achieve ‎genuine equa‎lity, we must actively work to disma‎ntle the economic divide that se‎parates white and Black commu‎nities. This requires a comm‎itment to both pol‎icy reform and strategic investment. We&#8217;ve explo‎red the historical root‎s of this di‎vide, the ongoing impact of systemic dis‎crimination, and the potential of ed‎ucation, job trainin‎g, fai‎r housin‎g p‎olicies, and invest‎ment in Black commun‎ities to crea‎te change.</p> <p>N‎ow, it&#8217;s time f‎or ac‎tion. I urg‎e yo‎u t‎o educ‎ate yours‎elves, support polici‎es that p‎romote e‎c‎o‎n‎o‎mic just‎ice, an‎d inv‎est in Black-owne‎d busine‎‎sses and commu‎nity in‎itiatives. Let&#8217;s work t‎ogether to bui‎ld a so‎ciety where everyo‎ne ha‎s the opportuni‎ty to thri‎ve.</p>

<p>The Ban on Books is a Ban on Independence</p> <p>Do you think that America’s youth deserve to learn the truth? Do you think children and students deserve the right to formulate their own opinions, rather than be pushed into a certain way of thinking? If so then you agree that book banning&#8211; especially when it pertains to canonical literature that has shaped America’s voices for centuries&#8211;must be stopped. Book banning on the rise and directly affecting our current and future societies. It must be stopped.</p> <p>Book banning has been around for centuries. The very first record of a book being banned in the United States was documented in 1637 (Harvard Library). According to the online dictionary, Britannica, book banning is the “practice of prohibiting or restricting the reading of certain books by the general public or by members of a local community or religious group” (Volle). It’s common to see that when a book is banned, it is hard to or even illegal to buy/sell specific books and almost impossible to find them in libraries or other book stores. Banning books in the United States of America is an infringement on the 1st amendment in the constitution and setting up our society to be controlled by specific religious and political groups.</p> <p>Firstly, in order to prove banning books is unconstitutional and infringing on a person&#8217;s right to the first amendment, we must acknowledge what the first amendment is. According to the Constitution, the first amendment says that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (U.S. Const. amend. I) The constitution directly states that Congress will not prohibit the free exercise or abridging of the freedom of speech or press. This basically constitutes that people can say or publish what they want. According to Daniel Husdon, an expert and advocate for the first amendment, “Book banning violates the First Amendment when public school or other government officials ban books from a library because they dislike the ideas contained in those books or disagree with the viewpoints conveyed in the books.” (Hudson). When those with the power to ban a book do so, they are committing an unconstitutional act.</p> <p>In my opinion, book banning is just another way for religious groups, schools, and governments to control society and diminish opinions that are unpopular with the powerful majority. What makes it harmful is that the opinions that challenge the status-quo and give voice to the voiceless are therefore further silenced. How will we students hear about the struggles of community members who look like us if their voices are not reflected in the books we are taught? How will we feel like we too are a part of America’s fabric?</p> <p>To illustrate the extent to which this book banning has gone, I’ll show you the example of Charlotte’s Web, a book about talking spiders and pigs is being banned in states because of ‘religious’ reasons due to the fact that the animals can speak which is wrong according to the bible. Also parents feel the topic of death is too mature for children. While this may be true, banning a book from being taught to specific age groups is very different from banning a book from being bought and sold throughout the state. Take another book, Hunger Games for example. A book about a dystopia where the different classes fend for food and fight for money and supplies is being banned because of talk of death, violence, and the killing of children by other children. But, with this, the concern of violence is just a cover for the talk of society and the dystopia part of it all. When the government is called out in a satire book, meaning a book that reflects on the real world through fiction, they get offended, causing them to retaliate. A book about a depressed teen struggling with self esteem, making friends, going to highschool, relationships seems like a book that would be great for older kids to relate to and analyze. This book is being banned because of mention of the LGBTQ community, references to partying, smoking, and drinking, profanity, and ‘anti-family’ referencing the sexual abuse he went through. According to the Top 10 Most Challenged books of 2023, Perks was “claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs, profanity” (“Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023”). My interpretation of this is that people in this world are either open or close minded. Those that are close minded, like those challenging the books shown here, want everyone to think the same as them. This is showing me that the main people having a problem with books are white Christian republicans who want to teach their racist, transphobic, homophobic, and oppressive opinions onto the rest of America. We cannot by any means allow these people to silence our problems which are shown very minimally in books. If they can’t handle our problems in literature, they won’t ever accept these problems as valid in the real world. Banning books is an excuse to limit children from and stop representation for the mentally ill, oppressed, questioning and different opinion having populations in order to keep the oppressed, oppressed.</p> <p>Now that we have learned how book banning is unconstitutional and used to keep certain opinions and topics buried under everything else, we must now understand and analyze why this is harmful for our society and progress. If the government deems positive books on trans folks, homosexual people, and people of color to be dangerous there is a problem. If the government deems books that negatively critique racism and acts of oppression to be dangerous there is a problem. If the government deems books that negatively critique the government in a way, and deem that to be a danger, that is the most serious problem with this. The issue with book banning is that it limits information and creates a world where people no longer care about the freedom of the oppressed but only about the white christian republicans. My interpretation of this is that the government wants to stay as powerful as it is, and only keep growing from there. They cater to the white Christian race that makes them want to vote for them and keep them in power. This is showing me that the government can not be trusted, and we must fight back now before it goes from book banning to banning posts and social media campaigns to banning speaking out to banning having a different opinion altogether.</p> <p>Now, I will say that there are some people that have valid reasons for wanting books to be banned. For example, I would have to agree that the Hunger Games may be a little too mature for young children to read in school. But, that is why curriculums are put into place. Kindergartners are not reading books about children killing one another, but the grades that can, will get a lot out of it and deeper understand levels of poverty, oppression, and toxicity in government. The people that wish to ban books to protect their children are really only guarding them from what is inevitable for them to see within the real world. Books are a way to show children what life is like for others, and maybe even themselves before they have to find out on their own.</p> <p>The book banning crisis has been brought to my attention to be a much bigger deal than we have been making it. Banning books is taking away the right to free speech and a control tactic by the government. In the Constitution, it says that the government will not stop a person from exercising their right to speak about anything, but in 2025, we have a government who wants and has succeeded to do exactly that. They ban books based on what qualifies as “dangerous” which in reality is just a cover for topics they want forgotten as they don’t agree with them. They so badly want to keep the oppressed down. Are we going to sit around and let the government turn our world into a dystopia just like in the Hunger Games? or 1984? or Brave New World? or one of the already banned books that is banned because it’s about a society where books are banned and burned; Fahrenheit 451? We must come together and stop this. As a community: we need to make more noise about this issue. We have to fight back. Not only is banning books immoral, but it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL, meaning it is illegal for the government to be doing this. Together we must raise more awareness about this and have the government checked by Congress and the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Did you know the average cost of a public university in Pennsylvania is $14,510 per year? Now that number might not seem that high but multiply it by 4, the number of years it takes to get a bachelor&#8217;s degree. But now add to that the cost of housing and a meal plan. Taking all this into consideration, it is very expensive to get a quality education and many students end up in debt after graduating. Higher education is often unaffordable for most low- and middle-income students. To make matters worse, programs for helping low to middle income earners afford college, like FAFSA, are woefully broken. The combination of the backbreaking cost of college and the failure of programs like FAFSA to help kids study what they love means that we graduating seniors are forced into majors we may not even like in the name of “making money”, or even worse, we avoid college altogether.</p> <p>First I want to talk about FAFSA. It is the free application for federal student aid and determines their eligibility for federal aid. All students fill this out their senior year of high school and each year they are enrolled in college.</p> <p>The 2024-2025 FAFSA and all subsequent applications were simplified to benefit students. However the simplification was not beneficial for all students. Under this updated application families do not receive the sibling discount. Previously a family would have been able to divide their expected family contribution by the number of kids in college. Another change is that families are how small businesses are treated by financial aid. Before the update small businesses were not counted as an asset to be drawn against for tuition. But now the family is expected to contribute 5% of the value of their businesses. Small business owners are considered part of the middle class and these combined updates will make it harder for middle class families to pay college tuitions. My family is middle class and we received nothing from FAFSA. I have a single mother who takes care of two children and now needs to pay for my tuition.</p> <p>A student&#8217;s only other option for financial aid after FAFSA and scholarships is loans. Therefore many take out loans to attend college and need to pay those loans back after college. But that can be a struggle with interest rates and having to pay for other things after college like housing, food, bills and the other necessities. People start to fall behind on their payments and will ask for extensions on their loans which places financial pressure on the newly graduated student.</p> <p>Collective student loan debt will continue to rise as college costs grow faster than average incomes. Entry level jobs for college graduates are not paying enough for students to live comfortably and pay back student loans. The price of a degree has doubled since the 1980s but according to figures from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the average annual growth in wages was only 0.3% between January 1989 and January 2016. It is ridiculously that the cost of a college degree has increased 6 times the rate of annual income. This decreases the value of a college degree. Many think it would be more beneficial to go to trade school or to choose STEM majors because a humanities degree is “basically worthless”. But not getting a college degree can put workers at a major disadvantage in the job market. However, starting a career with a enormous amount of debt is also a major disadvantage. And let&#8217;s not talk about trying to save for a house while also paying back student loan debt because that&#8217;s a whole other topic.</p> <p>A college education is often unaffordable and inaccessible for most low- and middle-income students. The cost of college is a significant barrier to accessing a degree needed in the job market.</p> <p>FAFSA often gives middle class families nothing and they are left to take out loans that they struggle to pay back. The job market undervalues workers and entry level jobs do not pay enough which makes students feel like getting a college degree is worthless. Many kids get degrees in majors they are not passionate about just because it has “more value” and can get them a better job in the future. Isn&#8217;t college supposed to be fun? Isn&#8217;t it supposed to be about finding yourself and your true passion? Now it&#8217;s just about competing with your classmates for internships and stressing about the future.</p> <p>Some of you might say so what? Or what now? Well obviously you the audience cannot decrease the cost of tuition even though I wish you could. But you can vote for elected officers who aim to make college more affordable. Thank you!</p> <p>Works Cited</p> <p>Kelly, J. (2025, March 10). The biggest issues facing today’s job market and how to overcome them. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2025/03/10/the-biggest-issues-facing-todays-job-market-and-how-to-overcome-them.</p> <p>Pennsylvania colleges 2024 tuition comparison. CollegeTuitionCompare. (n.d.).</p> <p>Bhaskara, V. (2023, June 7). College is about to get a lot more expensive for middle class families. Forbes.</p> <p>Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2025, March 25). Student loan debt. Encyclopædia Britannica.</p>

<p>No matter what age you are, how often do you think about your education outside of highschool? Are you planning on going to college? Maybe you already have? Which college did you or are you going to go to? How&#8217;s it been paid? Did your parents have a fund ready for you? Or are you/have you taken out student loans? Sorry for the interrogation, but as a highschooler that’s gonna have to start thinking about the questions very soon, I find myself worried. I honestly have no idea how I’m gonna afford college without taking out tons of student loans. I don’t have any trust funds, and I don’t see a scholarship working its way towards me anytime soon. Sure, I have a summer job, but that’ll take me nowhere in this day and age. And that’s simply because college is just out of the price range of a lot of families in the U.S. Many middle class working families can’t afford to pay upwards of $350,000 for education, it’s just not possible. And that’s not the fault of those families, our families, in lots of cases. It’s the fault of the system, and the income disparity caused by it.</p> <p>The system I’m talking about is the system of a lot of different places around the world. A system that keeps the rich staying rich, and the poor staying poor. College is a staple in the education of young minds, yet the costs are out of reach to many of them. To earn money, you need to have a job. To get a job, in a lot of situations, you want to have a college education. To get a college education, you need money. This system is fundamentally flawed. As time passes, it’s constantly becoming harder and harder to afford college. According to studies, the price of college has gone up 148% since 1970, while the increase in income has only gone up 48%. This is due to inflation going up, but the amount of opportunities being given and money being made not, which causes innumerable more problems. The inequality of income in families across America poses serious threats to our nation. Rates of violence are much higher in countries and even neighborhoods heavily affected by income disparity, as people with little-to-no income have higher rates of turning to crime to earn money.</p> <p>For a while when I was younger, my home situation wasn’t the best. I lived in a neighborhood that wasn’t very well off in the slightest. My house was so tiny and old, and there were times when the lights or water wouldn’t even work for days on end. The streets were dirty, and the only people around were ones that you wouldn’t want to follow after, to say the least. I don’t think that it’s because they’re bad people though, or because the people that built the houses put no effort in. A huge reason that neighborhood is the way that it is is because that it and the people, my people, my family, weren’t given the same opportunities as other people. Not being able to afford things like college, and, partly because of that, not being able to land well-paying jobs that would stop them from turning to the things that they did. The houses and streets aren’t able to be properly taken care of, because it wasn’t affordable enough, or maybe just because people weren’t paying enough attention. But people need to pay attention. This issue has real and heartbreaking effects that I’ve been victim of.</p> <p>People think that this is a problem that can’t be solved, or that trying to solve it would create more problems, but it truly is possible. For example, the common concern about lowering the costs of college is that higher education would lose its economic value, but that isn’t true. Higher education actually significantly improves income, which in turn causes increased revenue in every governmental level from taxation. But even beyond that ,this problem, although not easily, is one that can be solved. In fact, things are already being done about it. Since 1965, America has expanded the social safety net for low-income families, which lowered the poverty rate to 15% instead of 27% in 2015. But more things need to be done. Governments and people in power need to rise up by making things like education, healthcare, and technology more accessible. And these things can be done, it’s well within the realms of reality.</p> <p>The issue of college becoming inaffordable exposes a bigger issue this country faces that is quickly becoming wildly out of scale. Lower-income students unfairly face a multitude of barriers when it comes to the pursuit of higher levels of education. Many people unfairly aren’t able to have these necessities that should be offered to them without a second thought  Now obviously I’m not giving this speech because I think you personally can solve this issue plaguing our nation, but I hope this can give you something to think about, and maybe inspired you to try to help. But at the very least, no matter what situation you&#8217;re in, try to appreciate the small things and be grateful for all that you’re already given. Thank you so much for listening.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Thompson, Bryce_Yesterday's Trash" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076262450?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Do you remember the movie <em>Home Alone</em>? For those who didn’t watch it, in <em>Home Alone</em>: This kid, Kevin Mcallistor, ends up being left home, while his family goes on vacation. While they’re gone, Kevin has to fight off bad guys with elaborate schemes in order to protect his home. Kevin’s brother told him that his neighbor was a murderer, and Kevin began to be so afraid of him, that he would scream and run away when he saw him. In the end, Marley saves Kevin’s life, and they become friends. Plot twist! Aren’t you surprised? Well, nothing about <em>Home Alone</em> is surprising anymore but the point is, we’ve all lived these experiences. We’ve all heard bad stories about people that affected our opinion on them. Today, this is the same lens that many people view Christianity with—through things that people have done using its name, without its core messages.</p> <p>Around the world, many have dealt with churches that haven’t properly, if at all, communicated the love that is meant to be expressed through this faith. Maybe Christianity is like someone we might’ve misunderstood because of outside stories. Love was always Jesus’ core message. And today, I’m going to talk about the distortion of those teachings. If you have given up on the idea of Jesus because of experiences within church, I encourage you to give Him another chance.</p> <p>I would like to mention that the dislike of Jesus isn’t a new thing. Actually, he was often not accepted and misunderstood by many in his own time. During Jesus’ ministry he was constantly judged and plotted against. Notably by the two main religious groups, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. These leaders were held up to high regards, like the political officials. They didn’t like that Jesus&#8217; radical ideas essentially threatened their position of power. For example, in Matthew 22, it’s shown how the leaders tried many times to ‘catch Jesus in a trap’, by asking him to answer questions on political and religious controversies. When Jesus wisely escaped the schemes of the Sadducees, the Pharisees came to ask Jesus what was the greatest commandment. Jesus’ answer points to the importance of love in the gospel: “Love the Lord… And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22:37-40) This could just sound like a good thing to say, but this was not an instruction out of good conscience, it was a radical declaration. He established the fact that love was an action, not just feelings, and that there should be a great measure of love used to develop ALL levels and kinds of relationships. When Jesus said that all the laws were depending on those commandments, he was revealing God’s intention in making the law: Love.</p> <p>Not only with his talk, but Jesus poured out how much He meant his words through His actions. He was a person who promoted helping marginalized groups, loving sinners, and praying for our enemies expounding on the definition of what it means to be this person who loves. With this statement, Jesus had challenged His followers to love others at a level of most importance that was extremely new to the people of that time period.</p> <p>Unfortunately, in some churches there has been a direct opposite of Jesus’ message of love. The religious trauma that has been caused by years of abuse and harmful ideals within the Church can not be ignored. I ask that you explore with me the lack of evidence of biblical values supporting the actions of those who may have hurt others in the name of Christianity.</p> <p>The abuse from within the Church has been exemplified through different forms of negative behaviors, such as, physical violence. “In the United States, attacks on abortion clinics, the killing of abortion clinic staff, and the destructive acts of members of Christian militia movements are chilling examples of assaults…” (Juergensmeyer, 1998). Abortion is a topic that is still very relevant, which has even affected our recent elections. For relevance’s sake, I bring up the topic, but not to argue morality, but to firmly stand against the violence to force beliefs onto others.</p> <p>It’s heartbreaking to see how some factions of Christianity have given people much reason to misinterpret Jesus’ messages. Yet, the actions of some individuals misrepresenting the Christian faith shouldn’t overshadow the teachings of Jesus, which have promoted peace, through continual ideas of love. In the scripture, followers of Jesus are told how to deal with people in the areas of relationships involving individual beliefs. “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.” (Romans 14:1). In this verse, the christian teaching is to do the opposite of our human instinct, which is to avoid or dislike what we don’t agree with. It is made clear that the idea of strife should be avoided altogether.  Even in the middle of conflicting beliefs, the bible taught to exhibit love by accepting people, and not fight over our differences.</p> <p>So, today I encourage you to further explore the true meaning of Jesus’ messages, beyond the pain that you might’ve faced, or that you might’ve heard of. Maybe, next time you’ll have something positive to say about this “person” others have been scared to meet. In the end, there’s been many misinterpretations, but there’s a true example of God, of Christianity that is contrary to what has been normalized. Through the true expression of love conveyed by Jesus let’s build community and heal past traumas. Maybe, we’ll make the world a better place.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Tukes, Tanaya_Unlearning the Myths, Finding the Message" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076262234?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>

<p>Have you noticed recent death incidents from extreme weather and wondered, “why is this happening all of a sudden?” Well, I can tell you one thing and that is, this was all never sudden. Global temperatures have risen about 1.2 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century due to increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions. In 2020, the U.S. experienced 22 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events. So what does this mean for you? In this current moment, the Earth you’re living on is deteriorating. Children are breathing in polluted air and suffering from life-threatening illnesses early on because of our actions. Families are being severely impacted by droughts, floods, heat waves. Yes, that’s why summers have been easily reaching 100 degrees fahrenheit nearly every week and winters don’t last very long anymore. We know politicians are abolishing environmental rights and acting dismissive towards the significance of our environment’s current conditions. And more than likely, <em>you</em> are also consciously acting as a contributor to environmental injustice.</p> <p>Climate change is becoming the new norm. You are losing the rights that were once fought very hard for by your ancestors. Voters, I urge you to educate yourself and be an expert of who you’re voting for. Instead of remaining on one side of the news, the one you bias, be open minded and expose yourself to both sides because, I promise you, this is the only way to ensure that you are successful in bringing the right politician to our board. Another problem we have is the clear environmental racism in our world. Many are treating this issue as a social class standard. Middle class communities, lower class communities, marginalized communities. Imagine the day comes where <em>you </em>will have no choice but to survive off of food and water scarcity. We must reflect and understand that all living things are and will continue to be impacted. That includes me and you. Our generation will be the most affected by climate change. So with this information, I encourage you to go on to donate or fundraise money to struggling areas and purposefully protest for better environmental rights. Climate education amongst younger generations must also be considered. Throughout my life, teachers have always skimmed through the lessons about climate change. The information that I know now came from personal research, which I know most of you guys are putting off. By allowing this type of education into school curriculums, community meetings, and more, we will be consistent and loud with our concerns. This is the only way to get people onto the national problem.</p> <p>The second question I want to address to you all is, why should environmental &amp; climate justice be one of our top priorities? According to the NAACP, “Environmental injustice, including the proliferation of climate change, systematically impacts communities of color and low-income communities in the U.S. and around the world&#8230; Frontline communities are affected the most when it comes to natural disasters&#8230; Environmental and climate justice is a civil rights issue. We all depend on the physical environment and its bounty.”</p> <p>So what does this mean, exactly? I want you to take away from this speech the idea that climate change will impact your moral responsibility and the world’s global stability. Having identified these barriers, I urge you to start small by simply fixing your habits at home. Then, take some time to yourself to learn about all the different aspects of environmental &amp; climate justice. We need to understand both climate science and the way climate change impacts other social, racial and environmental issues in our daily lives. Take bigger initiatives to construct healthy, united communities. And, of course, Utilize media platforms. Do what is in your power to stay engaged. Climate justice leaders need all the support they can get, whether it’s funding, mentorship, or media spotlight.</p> <p>So, will you step up for the sake of our future? Once again, imagine the current world you live in, except, now, imagine specifically the version it can become if you and your community collectively contribute to fostering a more promising environment. Thank you all for listening.</p>

<p>Littering, Cause and Effect</p> <p>When walking down the streets of a busy city, there is nothing more common than seeing trash crowding the streets. As someone who has grown up in Philadelphia since I was a young girl, I have only noticed the epidemic of littering increasing. Trash that belongs in cans, now flooding the once vibrant public parks and sidewalks. The plants decorating houses, dying from the amount of trash and beverages dumped in them. This does not only have an impact on me, this changes the world as we know it. Climate change, water and air pollution, animal harm, and many other global issues can be easily traced back to littering. Putting an end to a habit that many do subconsciously, has the power to create a better, healthier, safer environment for all.</p> <p>I want to first talk about littering on a global scale. It is hard for many to understand, but that little piece of trash you dropped on the ground so innocently, that could now end up in your water, in your vegetables, in the air that you breathe, or wrapped around the neck of a poor helpless animal. All litter and trash that covers the streets, eventually becomes one of these many things: “The waste sector is one of three key methane emitting sectors — following agriculture and oil and gas — and is responsible for about 20% of human-driven methane emissions globally”(Siegel, 22). While some believe trash is the most minor cause of climate change, falling under fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas [accounting] for over 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions) (United Nations, 25), this does not exclude littering from the long list of ways human are negatively affecting the natural environment. To the careless individuals who find it unnecessary to simply walk a couple feet to the nearest trash can, do these statistics please you?</p> <p>I, personally have been affected by the extreme littering in my community and it is time to do something about it. Ever since I was seven years old, I have played for Philadelphia Fairmount’s club softball league and later, the travel softball league. Each year my teammates, coaches, captains, and I get onto the field for our first practice of the season, it is in disarray. Trash everywhere, in the dugouts, on the dirt, even in the outfield. We typically spend at least two practices just maintaining our field, but this needs to stop. While I enjoy bettering my community through cleaning our field, I find it disrespectful that people walk by daily and either make it worse or ignore the horrible condition of it.</p> <p>As soon as one piece of trash appeared on my previously, well kept field, the problem grew exponentially. The Broken Window Theory, created by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling suggests that when crime, graffiti, litter, or broken windows are visible in a neighborhood, individuals are more likely to escalate the amount of destruction in an area, including littering. For my field, this theory was evident, we noticed after an increase in litter, the neighborhood became more dangerous for practices. The fields were covered in illegal substances and objects that could cause us harm if we were to play on the field. Once we cleaned it, we saw huge improvements within the area and especially our safety while playing the game we love. Do not let the Broken Glass Theory control you, work against it to change the way your neighborhood is viewed. One of the main ways individuals are able to help do something about the issue of littering is, Reducing Reusing and Recycling. This concept, created in the 1970’s, “has made a difference, turning old food and yard waste into compost is a help”(Fire and Ice, 23). It is truly the little acts that make such a grand difference when it comes to littering.</p> <p>It is time to get angry about littering and do something about it. After facing countless years of trash coating my once beautiful softball field, I decided to take action. Participating in local cleanup groups across my neighborhood, rebuilding fences to block out trash, getting my hands dirty and I invite you to do the same. Next time you see a piece of trash on the ground, don’t step over it, pick it up and put it where it belongs. Although it&#8217;s not as simple as that, it&#8217;s the first step to a cleaner and better environment.</p> <p>Work cited</p> <p>Siegel, Kait. “How Our Trash Contributes to Climate Change — and What We Can Do about It.” Clean Air Task Force, 30 Sep. 2022.</p> <p>United Nations. “Causes and Effects of Climate Change.” United Nations, United Nations, 2025.</p> <p>“How Litter Harms Humans, Animals, and the Environment.” <em>Fire &amp; Ice</em>, 17 May 2023, http://indoortemp.com/resources/how-litter-harms-humans-animals-environment.</p>

<p>You’ve likely heard the phrase, &#8220;The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.&#8221; It&#8217;s a simple truth that proposes the idea of a widening gap between the rich and poor. This growing divide doesn’t just mean more people living in poverty but also means the slow disappearance of the middle class, the backbone of our economy. In the past owning a home, having a reliable car, accessing healthcare and saving for the future, were the basic standards of living for many people. Now for many of those in the middle class, these necessities are becoming distant luxuries.  As a teenage girl getting ready to go to college, affording tuition and a chocolate bar are starting to scare me. But what does the disappearance of the middle class mean for everyone else? Well, a growing wealth gap and shrinking middle class is detrimental to the world because it causes economic instability, a toll on quality of life, and increase of poverty, whether we are in the middle class or not.</p> <p>The middle class is very crucial to our economy and the deterioration of the middle class can lead to much damage to our economy. One prominent result of a shrinking middle class is economic instability. According to the International Monetary Fund, this type of inequality can lead to significantly lower economic growth because the middle class is a crucial portion of consumer spending (International Monetary Fund). A weakening middle class means less money circulating the economy. Businesses face lower sales, which leads to layoffs, cutbacks, and further reduced activity. The middle class helps provide and bring back to our financial system contradictory to the rich continuing to make themselves richer. Without the middle class, our financial system would slow down significantly and see higher unemployment rates, fewer investments, and ultimately more inequality.</p> <p>Additionally the shrinking middle class causing economic instability, it also affects the quality of life for many people. The shrinking middle class means inequalities of income, fewer opportunities, and access to basic necessities. The  United Nations article points out that, “Inequalities of opportunity affect a person’s life expectancy and access to basic services such as healthcare, education, water, and sanitation. They can curtail a person’s human rights, through discrimination, abuse and lack of access to justice” (United Nations). This type of inequality is leading to a growing population of those struggling to maintain a stable standard of living. Despite the hardships they already have to face they continue to struggle to afford and  worry about basic necessities. Imagine the stress of trying to keep up with this economy where essentials become out of reach. The lower quality of life ties back to work efficiency, economic growth, and a thriving community, which not only is important for the middle class and lower but also for people who are rich that depend on these aspects.</p> <p>It does not stop there. As the middle class shrinks and wealth is focused on the upper class, more people are falling into poverty. The Census Bureau notes that poverty rates stood at 11.4% in 2020 which is very little improvement since the 2008 financial crisis. (Census Bureau). 11.4 may not seem like a lot but that is around 37 million people. Think about the 37 million people living in poverty. What happens when poverty rates increase? Social discontent and unrest rises. The widening gap of wealth and poverty leads to frustration. Those who are in poverty feel unequal and a sense of being left behind. This can trigger protest, political disputes, and struggles to build a cohesive community. As the middle class continues to shrink and the wealth gap widens, the rising poverty rates and social inequality threatens economic stability and social cohesion.</p> <p>Some may argue that the wealthy create a “trickle-down” effect that will eventually benefit the lower socioeconomic classes through investments in new industries, and starting businesses, which will lead to job creation and improved standards of living for everyone. They argue that a shrinking middle class will have no effect on the wealthy. Here&#8217;s the problem, although the “trickle-down” effect may sound possible in theory, the reality is that the shrinking middle class is leading to lower economic growth because they are the key drivers of consumer spending. The rising inequality affects access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and housing which diminishes the quality of life for many people. While the “rich get richer” with money continuing to be concentrated at the top, it makes it difficult for people with lower incomes to compete with the economy and are left behind. How long would it take for the money to eventually “trickle down” to the bottom?  Thus, the “trickle-down” effect would be insufficient in creating an inclusive economy because the growing problem of a shrinking middle class and growing wealth inequality undermine the foundation of economic stability, despite innovations and investments being important.</p> <p>Ultimately, the expanding wealth gap and shrinking middle class are harmful to the world as they lead to economic instability, a decline in quality of life, and a rise in poverty. Without the middle class the world would face the consequences of insufficient economic growth. We can’t thrive together if we are unequal. Without the same opportunities it’s challenging to live a stable life. This does not only affect those of the middle class but all of us. So what can we do about it? With such a cohesive economy we need to build policies that will create financial inclusion, job creation,  and livable wages. It all lies in ensuring everyone has access to opportunities. It&#8217;s time for change. Let’s build a future for our community where opportunity is available to all, where we can live stable and fulfilling lives, because when we all thrive, we all rise together.</p> <p>Sources</p> <p>https://www.un.org/en/un75/inequality-bridging-divide#:~:text=More%20than%20income&#038;text=Inequalities%20of%20opportunity%20affect%20a,lack%20of%20access%20to%20justice</p> <p>https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/Inequality</p> <p>https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html</p> <p>https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/04/20/how-the-american-middle-class-has-changed-in-the-past-five-decades/</p>

<p>Have you ever been racially profiled? Well as for me, yes I have, and it wasn’t the best experience at all. You see, racially profiling a person is something no one in the world wants to go through because of the effects and damage it causes on someone. For example, a time where I was racially profiled was when I walked into a store with my hoodie on, my hair wasn’t done and I didn&#8217;t want to be seen. As I was shopping for snacks I was approached by the owner of the store and I was asked to leave because they thought I was gonna steal from the store. This experience made me feel horrible for a while and I avoided going to the store for this very reason. This is just a taste of the effects and lengths racial profiling can go. People should not be racially profiled because it is unfair and does not accurately represent who a person is based on their race. This practice not only raises significant legal issues but also has profound effects on the individuals who experience it. As someone who identifies as African American, I get afraid when I get pulled over because I don&#8217;t want to be racially profiled and for something bad to happen to me just solely based on the fact that I&#8217;m a Black man in America. I don’t want to be accused of trying to steal because I walked into a store with my hoodie on, it’s just not a fair interpretation of a person. Firstly I would like to talk about the legal issues of racial profiling around the world. In many countries, laws exist to protect individuals from discrimination based on race. These laws would favor people like whites in contrast to people like african americans who these laws would be against. White Americans are also the least likely to be ticketed in traffic stops. However, racial profiling often occurs in violation of these laws. Law enforcement agencies may use racial characteristics as a basis for suspicion, which can lead to unwarranted stops, searches, and arrests. In America 41% of African Americans get stopped and detained because of their race. This percent is insane compared to the amount of white Americans getting stopped and detained which is just under 10%. For example, let&#8217;s say a tall Black man with a red shirt is on the run and the cops are trying to find him. They would stop and question a random high Black person wearing a red shirt saying he fits the description when clearly that’s not the case they just think anyone with dark skin could be suspicious of committing a crime. This not only undermines the legal system but also erodes trust between communities and law enforcement. People who fall victim to racial profiling aren’t comfortable with calling the police when they need help that would rather go without and that’s not a good thing. Racial profiling also happens in the school system. In school, Latino kids when playing roughly often get racially profiled and there is a zero tolerance penalty taken place for them when this occurs but for the other kids of different races it&#8217;s just seen as “child&#8217;s play” and life carries on and no one is punished for their behavior. This isn’t fair especially because they are kids at the end of the day and should be treated like kids not like adults who deserve a “no tolerance” penalty. When people feel that they are judged solely by their appearance, it raises questions about the fairness and integrity of our justice system. In order for this to change, the legal system has to treat everyone equally and don’t no one has better treatment than the other. Legal frameworks must be strengthened to ensure that profiling based on race is addressed and eliminated. Racial profiling has its effects on people in a way that they cannot come back from. For those who are targeted, the emotional and psychological impact can be devastating. Experiencing racial profiling can lead to feelings of anxiety, fear, and frustration. It can create a sense of alienation and mistrust towards law enforcement and society at large. Furthermore, it can perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce systemic racism, leading to a cycle of discrimination and social division. The effects extend beyond the individual as well; they ripple through families and communities, creating an environment of hostility and fear rather than one of safety and unity. Racial profiling is an unfair practice that fails to reflect the true character of individuals. It raises critical legal issues and has damaging effects on those who are targeted. We must work together to challenge and change these practices, ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race.</p>

<p>Whenever you think of the topic of racism, do you ever think of racism against Asians? In my experience, one of the last groups to be considered as a victim of racism is the Asian American community. I want to speak to you today about the experiences I’ve had with anti-Asian hate in an effort to build awareness around this major issue.</p> <p>Many stereotypes can lead to Asian-hate like the “model minority myth” or the stereotype that Asians are unable to speak up for themselves. This one time, while going to the park going to play volleyball, a group of young people approached me while I was alone because they had problems with another East Asian group. Thinking that all East Asians were the same, the young people intimidated me asking me if I was a part of the group just because I was Asian as well. Apparently they thought I would not speak up for myself. They then try to take my stuff, convinced that I was someone I was not. Bringing this scenario up when there is an assignment like this can get emotional but it is an honest story.</p> <p>Many other stories happened to people that count as Asian and society seems to think that we can take jokes easily and play them off. I guess that’s because we are known for being quiet. However, some people like me take it seriously and feel they can’t do anything about it. Honestly going to Central High School as an Asian American means facing a lot of these scenarios. 36% of the school counts as Asian. On a daily basis, there is Asian hate towards the youth and adults and very few incidents get reported. For example, some non-Asian students demand that Asian students explain “where are you from?” or believe that we have the answers for a test just because of the way that we look.</p> <p>One recent example stands out. In November 2021, a group of young girls attacked an Asian teen from Central High School on a SEPTA train. The girls punched and stomped on her to the extent that she was hospitalized and later, they were both charged with ethnic intimidation. (CBS NEWS)</p> <p>Asian racism should not be overlooked because of stereotypes like the “model minority myth” which shows that Asians are successful and have little to no mistakes. Asian people should follow in the footsteps of those in the Black community who have fought against black hate by collectively fighting against injustice. For example, the Asian teen at Central High School chose to go on the news and advocate against anti-Asian hate. Asian people across Philadelphia protested against the construction of the Sixers arena that would cause gentrification in Chinatown.</p> <p>These examples show that Asians have voices too. We as a community need to recognize the issue of racism against Asians, and fight for equal treatment and respect.</p> <p>Sampson, Robert J., and Janet L. Lauritsen. 1997. Racial and ethnic disparities in crime and criminal justice in the United States. Crime and Justice 21: 311-374. Accessed 4/2/25</p> <p>Gao T, Mei S, Li M, Arcy C, Meng X. Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Support in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Perceived Needs for Mental Health Care. J Interpers Violence. 2022 Aug;37(15-16): accessed 4/2/25</p> <p>Prichett, Laura M et al. “Teen Victim Speaks Out For First Time Following Racially Motivated Attack Aboard SEPTA Train” CBS News (2021): https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/christina-lu-septa-train-racially-motivated-attack-rally-calling-for-safety-end-to-violence/ Accesed 4/2/25</p>

<p>How many of you ever dreamed of attending college (or have attended college) looked at the tuition, and went “Yikes?” Well, I’m about to attend one… or more like I&#8217;m looking to choose one. Currently, looking over at the tuition itself has me overwhelmed, as I’m about to enter into an unknown environment in a place that fills me with anxiety. This makes me contemplate whether I want to attend college for those higher life benefits, as the cost itself already outweighs the pros of this evaluation.</p> <p>Most people usually drop out after graduating from high school or college. Why so? Most people consider education the most fundamental and foundational time for personal and social development. However, with the current rising costs of education within the U.S., this has made it completely impossible to access any form of higher education and have practically made it unaffordable for many students in low-income households. Financing education, especially college education, can play a crucial role in reducing students’ financial stress and load, adjusting the affordability of tuition fees to help encourage degree fulfillment, and helping to ensure that all students from every income level can graduate from college.</p> <p>Increased funding is not just about balancing budgets; it’s about transforming students’ lives for the future. When colleges and universities receive resources, they have better opportunities to enroll students who have more potential benefits for a higher level of education. Additionally, expanding the financial aid programs ensures that students from low-income families can afford tuition without sacrificing any necessities such as food, textbooks, transportation, or housing. Not only does this help the student, but it also relieves the financial burden on their families. Furthermore, with financial aid covering the costs, students can instead dedicate and focus more of their time on their studies and extracurricular activities instead of having to work multiple jobs to be able to support themselves through college.</p> <p>Removing financial barriers helps to increase the likelihood that students will complete their degrees, eventually leading to better career opportunities and higher earnings in the long term. Often, critics would question whether increasing the funding would lead to a better education outcome or whether additional funding would help improve graduation rates. Most often think that increasing college funding would simply provide free resources for many students who continue to be unprepared for academic success or to work in the workforce. In “The Effect of State Appropriations on College Graduation Rates of Diverse Students,” a case study done by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, the data displays a clear correlation between the levels of state funding used for higher education, “a 10% increase in appropriations,” leading to an average of 0.59 percentage point increase in graduation rates (3). Although critics may refer to 40% non-completion rates for college, this would only reflect the current underfunding aspects of college. Studies can confirm that higher funding in education can relate to and continue to contribute to better retention rates for future generations.</p> <p>Nationally, education is deeply intertwined with the matters of racial, economic, and social justice. In the past, America has left many minorities and low-income students at a larger disadvantage when pursuing higher education due to various reasons. Through our empowerment, we can hope together to create an ideal scenario for students to be able to achieve their goals through college. As Martin Luther King Jr., an American activist known for his involvement in the American civil rights movement, had once said, “What good is having the right to sit at a lunch counter if you can&#8217;t afford to buy a hamburger?” Similarly, what is the ability to access college when the student can’t even afford tuition or succeed due to a lack of institutional support? Another quote by Martin Luther King Jr. that emphasizes the relationships of justice issues was “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This is especially true in education, as when student debt diversity grows, this can further intensify the income-wealth gap, leading to social tensions and unfairness throughout the country.</p> <p>We must advocate for policies that can help prioritize equitable funding for colleges for underprivileged students. Some steps that policymakers can take would be to expand free college programs that are specifically designed for disadvantaged communities, ensuring that they would be able to address the costs beyond tuition or have federal equity grants for colleges and universities. Some schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League college, have announced that they are initiating a push towards raising the amount of financial aid eligibility for middle-income background families. An article titled “Multiple AAU Universities Expand Free Tuition Programs for Low- and Middle-Income Students”, claimed that this will affect around 46% of its undergraduate students, which is a vast effort in increasing funding for everyone (Agarwal). Eventually, with these ongoing measures being taken, we can help to ensure that every student, regardless of their race, income, or identity, will have access to a better education and future.</p> <p>Investing in higher education for all is not just an investment in institutions. Instead, it’s an investment in our country’s citizens and their dreams, futures, and goals. In this, we say: Let us act boldly. Let us act righteously. Let us act now, for the hope of generations to come will not have to face the overburdening of college tuition on themselves and their families. Thank you.</p>

<p>Hello, everyone! How many of you are left-handed, like me? If you said yes or raised your hand, congratulations! You’re part of an exclusive club, with only 10% of the global population sharing this trait. Being left-handed simply means you naturally prefer your left hand over your right. You might not think being left-handed is that big of a deal. But for those of us who are part of this group, you know all about the struggles that we face in a world designed primarily for right-handed people.</p> <p>To start, let’s examine some historical context. For almost all of history, being left-handed has been negatively viewed. For example, the Ancient Mesopotamians saw left-handedness as a curse from the gods. At the same time, in a different part of the world, the Egyptians often depicted their enemies as left-handed in art (Milenkovic). Now, let’s fast forward to the Middle Ages. The left hand has become a symbol of evil and even the devil. In fact, during the Inquisition, simply being left-handed was sometimes enough to put a woman to death for witchcraft. Did you know that the word <em>sinister</em>, meaning harmful or evil, comes from the Latin word <em>sinistra</em>, meaning left (Rothman)? Even up until the 18th and 19th centuries, children were forced to use their right hands in school. Teachers would often tie a student’s left hand behind their back, which undoubtedly left not only physical, but psychological scars as well (Milenkovic).</p> <p>In modern times, despite left-handedness being generally accepted, left-handed individuals still face various struggles. Even mundane tasks can become frustrating, such as using scissors, handwriting, or simply sitting in a school desk. Musicians and athletes are sometimes forced to adjust when using equipment designed for right-handers. On a more serious note, studies have shown that left-handed people are at greater risk of developing mental health issues such as sleep disorders, schizophrenia, and PTSD (MacMillan). Although we aren’t sure if the two are related, there is an undeniable link.</p> <p>Despite modern society making great strides in accepting and accommodating left-handedness, challenges can make life difficult for left-handed individuals. In conclusion, while the historical negative connotation associated with left-handedness has largely diminished, left-handed people continue to adapt and struggle through a world designed for right-handed people. From everyday small inconveniences to more serious concerns, the challenges faced by left-handers are real. Being left-handed isn’t a superpower; it doesn’t make you more intelligent or more creative (Rothman). Rather, it is a simple neurological difference that can make life difficult and requires adaptation in a right-handed world. Thank you.</p> <div style="padding: 177.78% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 50%; height: 50%;" title="Zheng, Owen_The Devil's Hand" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1076262180?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></p>