Speech- Cassie Adams

Every year around this time, students become frantic. Anxiety levels rise as finals approach and the panic sets in as we all crunch the numbers in hopes of securing the best grade possible. But along with the anxiety comes the complaining. Students are constantly lamenting the fact that finals are now worth 20% of our total grade. Arguments that our fates should not be decided by our performance on one day of the school year are heard throughout the halls. Cries of, “We were never taught any of this!” ring out as we walk into our classrooms. But what students are failing to recognize is that we have it better than most. As students in the Liberal Arts Academy, we are not only gifted with the ability to solve complex math problems or to understand archaic reading passages, we are also gifted with a team of above-average educators to support us. We have teachers who are extremely qualified in their fields and who care enough about the futures of their students to invest a great deal of time and energy into their work. Others aren’t as lucky.

Throughout the United States, there are a number of students who are trapped in a school system that is sub-par. Parents are left with no option other than to send their children to a school that inhibits rather than promotes learning. Even in neighborhoods with one outstanding public school, there aren’t enough spaces for everyone. And so, the children’s fates are placed in the hands of luck, a lottery deciding who will be given the education that they deserve.  One such case is documented in the film, “Waiting for Superman.” This film follows five children on their journey through the failing school systems and criticizes the current state of education in our nation.

After tracking the effect of individual teachers on groups of kids, Eric Hanushek confirmed the suspicions of many parents. Ultimately, the problem comes down to the quality of the teachers. Studies have found that students with high performing teachers progress three times as fast as those with low performing teachers.  The logical solution to this problem would be to fire these inadequate teachers, but there is one provision that stands in the way: tenure. Tenure was originally meant to protect professors at universities from being fired for arbitrary reasons after proving themselves through many years of teaching, but it is now granted to some public school teachers almost automatically. The procedures to remove an ineffective teacher are lengthy and there are strict rules that must be followed. It is also difficult to reward teachers who are performing extremely well. In effect, all teachers are viewed as being on a level playing field, which is simply not the case.

Another factor that plays a large role in the success of our students is a system called tracking. This system involves separating students into various groups based on their academic ability. Those placed on the higher track are put in more challenging classes and those on the lower track are placed in classes where they face lower expectations. Historically, tracking was an effective way to prepare students for jobs in the work force.  But, this system fails to meet the needs of today’s society. The need for qualified workers in the high tech industry continues to rise and companies find themselves searching for candidates outside of the United States. Bill Gates argued that, “We cannot sustain an economy based on innovation unless we have citizens well educated in math, science and engineering. If we fail at this, we will not be able to compete in the global economy.”

Traditionally, there has been a large gap in the test scores of students from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Those in poorer neighborhoods can be as much as two to three years behind and often bring other issues to the classroom that most middle class students do not have to face such as crime, troubled homes, etc. The achievement gap between these students and students from more wealthy backgrounds has remained, despite all our efforts to reduce it. However, some progress is being made. The Knowledge Is Power Program has worked to create charter schools in these poorer neighborhoods in hopes of providing the children with a quality education. They increased classroom hours and focused on achievement, with the primary focus on going to college. Today, there are over 80 KIPP schools across the nation. Studies have proven that students enrolled in these schools have increased test scores in both reading and math. The top charter schools send over 90% of their students to a four year college. Students do better the longer they stay in charter schools. The achievement gap that has plagued students for so long has begun to close. Clearly, we have found something that works.

As cliché as it sounds, the youth really are the future of the America. And the only way to secure our future is to ensure that each child is equipped with the proper tools that they need to succeed in today’s society. As a nation, we need to rethink our current policies on education and recognize that while there are many examples of thriving schools that offer an exemplary education, there are many that are falling behind. So, the next time you complain about your abundance of homework or criticize a strict teacher, I ask you to reconsider, because there are many children that would love to receive the education that we so often take for granted.

#15 Rhoman James

Forever. The word forever is a weird word. Because technically nothing is forever because nothing lasts forever. But time will go on forever. But one thing that really freaks me out is how the universe is endless. It actually doesn't have an end. How could something literally go on forever. That leads me to the point that there must be aliens some where in the universe. If there is endless amounts of space, there must be some other forms of life. I think there are probably ones that are more advanced than us! That just blows my mind.

Speech Rachel Hart

“What an extraordinary achievement for a civilization: to have developed the one diet that reliably makes its people sick!” In Food Rules: an Eater's Manual, Michael Pollan discusses the dangers of many American’s diets. If every day we consciously choose to put food into our bodies for nourishment, then why do we choose to consume foods that are not good for us? For generations my family has owned farms, planted crops, raised cattle and reaped the harvest. I know exactly how much work goes into raising your own food and the benefits you receive when consuming it. But this isn’t just about me or those of you sitting right here in this room; it’s about all of us. We are all members of the same food system. Our food system involves every aspect of food and everything that happens to that food. This very system reaches into our communities, our state, the United States, and the whole world. In order to make changes to this system you and I are the major factors. We must make an effort, or change will never happen.  One of these changes is to become a locavore-someone who chooses to eat locally grown food whenever possible. I know you may be thinking that this would radically change your life but take a moment to realize the many benefits of eating local. 

Why do you choose to eat something? Often one would answer because it tastes good. Because local food is raised within 100 miles, the food has less time to travel, meaning that it can be picked after it has ripened on the vine.  If you go to a chain supermarket, you purchase produce that was picked before it ripened so that it would not rot during transportation. Food that ripens on the vine has better taste. Take the tomato for example. How many of you have ever picked a juicy, red tomato right off the vine and eaten it? If you haven’t, the taste is nothing like a tomato from Wal-Mart. According to the University of Illinois Extension service, “The amount of sunlight the tomato plant receives during the growth and ripening of the fruit is a critical factor in how a tomato both looks and tastes. Once a ripened tomato is picked, its flavor deteriorates quickly. Just two hours off the vine, a tomato has lost some of the factors that make it taste so good.” When shipped tomatoes arrive at their destinations and are ready to be purchased they have lost many of the factors that make them taste good. Locally grown food is often picked the same day as it is purchased meaning that it not only tastes better but is also fresher. Local foods are not handled as much as supermarket produce and do not contain as many chemicals for freshness.

While most would agree that local food means fresher and better foods, many state that money is a major factor in the decision.  If your household of four had only one hundred dollars to spend on food for the week, would you go to the farmers market or McDonald’s? Many parents choose the latter. But why pay to buy junk food for your children? Eating chemically processed diets lead to more diseases, more doctor visits, and ultimately more money spent. Families who receive EBT or Food Stamp benefits are able to purchase the same foods from the local farmer’s market rather than the supermarket, meaning even families in financial hardships are able to purchase locally.

Your simple choice to eat local also benefits the local economy. Purchases at the farmer’s markets go directly to the farmer so that he can raise more crops and sustain his family. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, every ten pounds spent toward local food is worth twenty five for the local area, whereas spending in a supermarket is only worth fourteen pounds. Every pound spent toward local foods generates double for the community. While helping to meet your own food needs, you help the needs of those around you when purchasing local. You give reason for these farms to remain in business and secure the open space and farmland for future generations.

Everyone eats, if they didn’t they wouldn’t alive. While food is a necessary factor in our lives, we are the ones who must make the decision as to what kind of food we eat. Do we eat something simply because it is easy to attain, tastes good and looks good on the fancy wrapper? Or do we choose to eat food that is good for us, tastes delicious and helps our communities? I cannot simply make the decision for you. Once equipped with simple facts, it’s hard to be against eating local. Do you want to see your children suffer from diseases caused by harmful pesticides and chemicals put on foods? Or do you want to see all local farms fall to neighborhoods and shopping malls?  Because no farms equals no food. The decision is yours.

Speech Jack Humphries

In the late 2000’s Wallstreet stocks plummeted as some of America’s largest financial institutions went bankrupt. Pillars of the American and World economy like AIG, Lehman Brothers, and Goldman Sachs, revealed their financial debts. How did these  “To big to fail” banks go broke in what seemed like a matter of days though? How could such a detrimental meltdown be so unanticipated? The answers to these questions are simple and disturbing. It all started in the 1890’s when American Financial regulations, put in place post-depression, were lifted by the presidents of the Progressive era like Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. These regulations were put in place to keep businesses from growing too large and making financial decisions that carried excessive risks. In the Documentary Inside Job, the economy is compared to an oil tanker. In order to keep the oil tanker from capsizing from oil sloshing around, compartments keep the oil separated into fractions. These fractions minimize the sloshing and help the boat stay afloat. Financial regulations act as compartments by keeping everything separate enough so that no one company can capsize the economy. Then In the early 2000’s more regulations were lifted as Wall Street lobbied for more financial freedom. The final nail in our financial coffin was the emergence of modern day financial black magic such as the securitization food chain, and Credit default swaps. Under increased deregulation, and new modern banking techniques, titanic investment banks ran our economy into one hell of an iceberg, which is why more financial regulations are needed.

            The securitization food chain it is a term that describes how modern mortgages work. In the securitization food chain, your mortgage loan is pawned off to an investment bank such as Goldman Sachs. Once your loan is sold to the investment banks it gets bundled into a Collateralized debt obligation (or CDO) with other debts and loans. From there it gets rated by a rating agency and then sold to investors. In this food chain more interest means more money made for the investors, which makes high interest CDO’s more popular. But these profitable CDOs are also riskier since higher rates are assigned to the less financially sound. Then in the years leading up to the 2008 crisis, investment banks gave financial incentives to ratings agencies so that more than half of the risky CDOs received AAA ratings (Moody’s one of the largest rating agencies, tripled its profits from 2000 to 2008 primarily off of these incentives). When these toxic CDOs went under many vulnerable investors, such as retirement funds, went broke. On multiple occasions the rating agencies were forced to explain to congress why they had given junk bonds AAA status, and Every time they stated that their ratings were just opinions. If there had been tighter regulations on what is and isn’t a AAA CDO then the whole crisis could have been averted. Finally if tighter regulations had been put into place along the securitization food chain, less risky loans would have been made, those loans would have done less financial harm, and vulnerable investors would have lost less money.

            What can you insure? In the real world you can only insure things that you own, I can only insure my house so that when my house burns down only I get reimbursed. In the financial world everyone and anyone can take out an insurance policy on my house. This meant that toxic CDOs, doled out by Goldman Sachs and other investment banks, could be insured up to 10 or more times. When these doomed CDOs finally went under, insurance agencies like AIG found themselves having to pay back multitudes of what the original CDO was worth. These insurance policies are called Credit Default swaps, and In the December 2009 edition of the Wall street journal, Goldman Sachs was accused of fueling AIG loses by buying up over 22 billion dollars of these insurance policies. Every major investment bank is guilty offloading toxic assets with triple A ratings onto investors, and then taking out Credit default swaps on the CDOs they had just sold. Not once did the banks mention to their investors that they were betting against the products they were selling.  In April 2010 Goldman Sachs senior executives were forced to testify before congress. In their congressional hearing Senator Carl Levin repeatedly asked bank executives why they didn’t tell investors that they were betting against the CDOs they were selling. In particular, emails concerning Timber wolf securities were especially despicable. A Goldman Sachs sales team was quoted saying, “ Boy that Timber wolf was one shitty deal”, within weeks Timber wolf became Goldman Sachs “Top priority”. When asked about how he felt about his employees saying “god what a shitty deal” towards Goldman Sachs top priority, Executive Vice President of Goldman Sachs David Viniar said “ I think that’s very unfortunate to have on email”. No remorse was shown at the fact that the Goldman Sachs aggressively bet against its investors. If government regulation had been in place to force investment banks to disclose such conflicting interests to their investors, the toxic CDO’s might have never made it to market.

            In the end, Wall Street’s financial meltdown forced investors to pay the price. In the aftermath of the crisis, Wall Street CEOs walked away with trillions of dollars, even having the audacity to give themselves government bailout money as bonuses. Very little has been done to fix the corruption. Wall Street still believes that its risky actions were justified. But their justified actions have crippled countries across the globe. Take Iceland for example. After a period of economic deregulation in 2000 Icelandic banks racked up 140 billion dollars of debt, which they then persuaded the Icelandic government to assume. Iceland isn’t the worst off either. Ireland, Germany, and The US were just as financially injured by a crisis that was completely foreseeable. This crisis wasn’t caused by a year of Wall Street corruption; it took nearly a decade to make such a huge mess. In that decade though, countless people anticipated the inevitable meltdown. Some tried to question the stability of modern finance, but were widely ignored. In the eyes of investment bankers, there was simply too much money to be made. Their greed went unchecked as they lent more and more money to people who could not repay them. Then they bet against the people they off loaded their toxic assets onto. Finally when their companies failed, they claimed to be to big and to important to go bankrupt. They clearly have no accountability for their corrupt actions, which is why more financial regulations are necessary. 

Speech

“When I was a kid
I used to think that pork chops and karate chops
Were the same thing
I thought they were both pork chops
And because my grandmother thought it was cute
And because they were my favourite
She let me keep doing it

Not really a big deal

One day
Before I realized fat kids are not designed to climb trees
I fell out of a tree
And bruised the right side of my body

I didn’t want to tell my grandmother about it
Because I was afraid I’d get in trouble
For playing somewhere that I shouldn’t have been

A few days later the gym teacher noticed the bruise
And I got sent to the principal’s office
From there I was sent to another small room
With a really nice lady
Who asked me all kinds of questions
About my life at home

I saw no reason to lie
As far as I was concerned
Life was pretty good
I told her, “Whenever I’m sad
My grandmother gives me karate chops”

This led to a full scale investigation
And I was removed from the house for three days
Until they finally decided to ask how I got the bruises

News of this silly little story quickly spread through the school
And I earned my first nickname

Pork Chop

To this day

I hate pork chops”

On February 19^th, Shane Koyczan released his poem “To This Day” on Youtube. It quickly became a viral hit, garnering millions of views and shares. Koyczans only goal was to spread his message of compassion: how we need to confront bullying with acceptance.  Yet with 2.3 million children bullied every day, we must ask ourselves “what are we doing wrong?” America’s schools are battlegrounds and kids must fight day after day just to keep living. Why do we worry about terrorists bombing our schools when the real terrorists are 10 years old and on the playground? Bullying is much too close for comfort, and it has a grasp on everybody. How many of us have been called a name? How many of us have been teased for being different? We can no longer chalk up bullying as “kids being kids”. Instead, we must never treat bullying as normal and take better care in educating kids, especially with the examples we set.

When we see kids fighting, we brush it off as normal behavior. When we hear children teasing and name calling, we say “kids can be cruel” and move on. But kids can be cruel, to an extent that we can’t even begin to realize. When suicide is the third-leading cause of death among people our age we can no longer pretend that bullying is an urban legend. Too often, we make thoughtless remarks that can cut just as deeply as any knife. “You’re stupid”, “you’re ugly”. Instead of thinking of these cruel comments as typical, we must realize that we are being hurtful. These little actions, along with more outright bullying, slowly break down innocent people. Yet, though we realize that words can be hurtful, and though we know that the phrases we use can be misinterpreted, we continue to say the same mean things over and over again. There’s a certain normalcy in verbal abuse, but this is in no way a good thing. In order to truly stop bullying, we must first realize that bullying is not normal and should never be treated as such.

However, it’s not enough to simply say that we shouldn’t bully others. Our actions speak volumes louder than our words. It is up to us, the role models of our siblings and the younger generations to lead by example. I oftentimes find myself slipping into the eerily comfortable role of provoking my brother. “You’re annoying”. “Shut up”. He and I fall back on the all-too-familiar pattern of insults, mocking and rudeness. Reflecting on how I’m setting a bad example is easy. Changing myself is the hard part. It is the tolerance of others and the acceptance of ourselves that will stop bullying. No matter where we go in life, we will meet entirely different people. Sometimes we’ll clash, sometimes we’ll blend, and sometime we won’t fit in. But, rather than goading others to change, we must change ourselves. The world today is not one color, one kind, or one type. As we grow to be more different, we must grow to be more accepting. It starts with our generation; it is up to us to set the example of open-mindedness.

With the mainstream coverage of bullying through documentaries such as “Bully”, viral videos such as “To This Day” and campaigns such as ‘It Gets Better’ and ‘The Bully Project’ there’s no doubt that bullying has become a serious issue within America. Yet despite the horror stories of suicide and abuse, bullying is still regarded as harmless teasing, a normal part of growing up. But victims from “Bully” have shown the stark reality of “just teasing”. When a good day is “people leaving their hands off me”, when “I feel like I belong somewhere else”, and when an 11-year-old committing suicide is considered a typical childhood, we must change. Wake up America. Realize that the agony any seemingly ordinary kids face every day should never be an issue. Though these abusers may be young, any person who is old enough to understand what pain is is old enough to understand not to cause it. Bullying is not normal.  Though we may say potentially hurtful words and laugh it off, too often the marks we leave are scars. So, my fellow students, let us lead by example. Let us guide these next generations as they grow. Let us preach tolerance and acceptance where others before us only taught hate. Let us not forget that change can only happen if we want it to.

“We weren’t the only kids who grew up this way
To this day
Kids are still being called names
The classics were
Hey stupid
Hey spaz
Seems like each school has an arsenal of names
Getting updated every year
And if a kid breaks in a school
And no one around chooses to hear
Do they make a sound?
Are they just the background noise
Of a soundtrack stuck on repeat
When people say things like
Kids can be cruel?
Every school was a big top circus tent
And the pecking order went
From acrobats to lion tamers
From clowns to carnies
All of these were miles ahead of who we were
We were freaks
Lobster claw boys and bearded ladies
Oddities
Juggling depression and loneliness playing solitaire spin the bottle
Trying to kiss the wounded parts of ourselves and heal
But at night
While the others slept
We kept walking the tightrope
It was practice
And yes
Some of us fell

But I want to tell them
That all of this [stuff]
Is just debris
Leftover when we finally decide to smash all the things we thought
We used to be
And if you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself
Get a better mirror
Look a little closer
Stare a little longer
Because there’s something inside you
That made you keep trying
Despite everyone who told you to quit
You built a cast around your broken heart
And signed it yourself
You signed it
“They were wrong”
Because maybe you didn’t belong to a group or a clique
Maybe they decided to pick you last for basketball or everything
Maybe you used to bring bruises and broken teeth
To show and tell but never told
Because how can you hold your ground
If everyone around you wants to bury you beneath it
You have to believe that they were wrong

They have to be wrong

Why else would we still be here?”

#17 Rhoman James

I forgot we had to post it on here, but here you go! Food Inc. Who protects us in our society? The police make sure we don’t live in an unsafe environment, the federal government assures us foreign threats will be neutralized, and hundreds of other organizations reinforce minor laws to make sure that our freedoms won’t be infringed. What would you do if I told you that the officials who are in charge of the health of our bodies, the FDA and the USDA, are more worried about organizational profit than our own well-being? These administrations let unsafe and inhumane tactics fly under the radar in the food processing business. From the mistreatment of animals to the increase of risk of major health problems like obesity and diabetes, the whole process of food processing has changed from promoting the well-being of the consumer, to promoting the prosperity of the producers. No matter what those circumstances may be. We, as a country, need to band together and stop the promoting of the detrimental tactics these administrations have used to take advantage of our country. In 1990 the most obese state in the US was Mississippi. 12% of adults were classified as overweight. Now, in 2013, 34.9% of adult Mississippians are obese. In all states around the nation the rates have raised over 20%. Why? How can a country go from having only 1/10th of its inhabitants being obese to an average of almost 30% being obese? Contamination, agency regulation problems, and additives in the food processing industry are the main catalysts for these widespread problems in America. 
 Contamination is often the result of foodborne pathogens or chemical reactions between the product and the processing (fermentation, grilling, etc.). Most food-related illness outbreaks are caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. Salmonella is the deadliest food born illness in the world today and is responsible for 1.4 million cases and 400 deaths annually, according to sustainable table.com. Salmonella is found in all different types of foods and its effects are very detrimental. E. Coli is also a dangerous illness that is very common. Strains of E. Coli come from the intestines of animals and their waste. E. coli 0157:H7 is very dangerous for humans. The strain, which is usually found in beef, has recently been found in vegetables also. Scientists believe it is because of the increased contact between produce and E. Coli infested manure. The cause of these major outbreaks of E. Coli are due to the tendencies of the large production companies trying to save a buck by using the cheapest slabs of meat from animals which usually have contracted E. Coli. The FDA and USDA are aware of these tactics and do not do anything to refute it. If these processing plants were held to a higher standard, it’s a fact that the rates of people infected with E. Coli and Salmonella will decrease and our food as a whole will be safer. This then leads me to the regulation problems of the food industry. How good of a job is an administration doing if 1.4 million cases a year of food borne illness are detected. There are over 30 federal departments that are in control of keeping our people safe by regulating the quality of food that is processed and sent to the market, ranging from the FDA to U.S. Customs. I wonder which department has to look over the uses of chemicals on produce and animals before they are processed? Chickens are raised and slaughtered for their meat in half of the time as they were before major processing. It is known that steroids create artificial meat on these animals just so they can be sold quicker. The hormones make cows that produce 15% more milk and grow 20% faster. In 2004 a woman underwent surgery for a cyst in her womb. She did not know the cause until later she went to the gynecologist who gave her answers. He first asked her if she consumed heavy amount of processed poultry, and when she said yes, he came to the conclusion that the hormones from the production process reacted detrimentally in the presence of female hormones. This theory, though not proven is widely accepted by many doctors. This is why we advise pregnant women to stay away from certain food. Our federal agencies have overlooked the detriments of these steroid hormones just because the increase in productivity. So what can we do? I know that people say this often when talking about this subject, but buy local if you have the chance to. Obviously, you cannot find all the food you want locally, but there are very many ways of getting knowingly safe food. Do some research! Find what farms near you make safe, healthy food and help them prosper. Try going to a local farmers market to choose from a variety of close to homegrown products. If we can all do this together, maybe the agencies that are so worried about production will stop and worry about our health more, just like they should have been all along.

Speech

You must be a misogynist if you aren't a feminist; you must be a lonely girl or a “whipped” boyfriend if you are one. These are the mentalities that obstruct any real conversation about women in our society. Feminists lament, nay-sayers snort, but what about the reality of the issue? The shameful reality is, women today are not fairly represented, realistically viewed, or proportionally content in our country, and it’s all due to our decisions as Americans.
It is a somewhat common misconception that the gender gaps in America are inevitable, that women just aren't politicians by nature, and are socially polar to men. But according to the documentary Miss Representation (2011), so far 33 other countries have had female presidents. This is a shock because we consider ourselves to be equality-oriented, yet female misrepresentation is most evident at the very core of our culture: consumer products. Flip through many popular magazines and you’ll see photoshopped  images of tiny models, women scantily clad, posing on motorcycles, and making orgasmic expressions-- all that jazz, possibly on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Now, do women walk down the streets this way, looking like plastic dolls, giving everyone the glare of sexual suggestion? Clearly not. This kind of misrepresentation is an obvious and trite appeal to a male conceit that connects “babes” to masculinity. The real shame is that misrepresentation exists outside of this-it’s here in our movies, clothing ads, and even in PETA’s war cries against animal testing. The market and media’s bombardment of these images confuses our society, and renders it unable to view women in any natural or realistic way. It’s no wonder that we perceive men and women to be so drastically different, and rarely picture women as politicians or strong leaders.
Nevertheless, it is an even more common misconception that the recent social movements have ensured women with complete social equality. The truth is, women combat disrespect as an effect of their misrepresentation. We have artists like R. Kelly recording lyrics such as “Girl you look just like my cars, I wanna wax it.” Regardless of whether the comparisons and sexually suggestive metaphors make any sense, there is a clear message that he establishes: women are objects and can, therefore, be treated as such and are available for sexual use. This is the kind of continued objectification that comes from encouragement of over sexualized images. Women are not portrayed as equal to men, as complex beings, so they are not considered that way in pop culture.
So what happens to a society force-fed with these images, and singing these lyrics? It becomes increasingly unhealthy. You’re probably already familiar with the terms anorexia and bulimia, self-abusive “dieting” tactics used to keep up with our modern idealization of skinny girls. But did you know that about 65% of women are said to have had eating disorders at least once in their lives? We are raised thinking that women are just “softer” or “obsessive” when it comes to these insecurities. But Mandy McCarthy’s 1990 discovery about women’s health sings a different tune. He reports that in societies (like America) where there is a strong ideal of female thinness, women are twice as likely than males to be depressed and have eating disorders, whereas in societies that have more realistic expectations of women, the likelihood of depression are about the same for both males and females, and there are far fewer harmful dieting habits. So it’s not that women are naturally more emotionally weak, it’s that our society is debilitating them. In her book, “The Objectification and Dismemberment of Women in the Media,” Kacey D. Greening explains that girls under the pressures of such a society begin to view themselves in third person, and think so critically of themselves that they are chronically unsatisfied--they starve themselves, they cut, they feel awkward in very natural sexual contexts; they constantly feel “on display.” What kind of an enjoyable life is that?
Now I ask, how can we say we’re doing our society, our country justice if we are knowingly degrading and inhibiting half of our population? The simple truth is: we can’t. What we can do is commit to a change in direction. If we want healthy girls, friends, and future wives, children,  co-workers and leaders, we need to step up. Stop supporting cheap marketing tactics, and gender stereotypes. Stop perpetuating female idealism, and encouraging cumbersome, offensive lyrics and jokes. Don’t do it because you’re “whipped,” do it because you’re a decent human being who wants the best for other human beings. So be a man, or a woman, or whatever you want to be--and stop letting sexism slide in America. 

Speech - Jasa Harris

16 million. That’s the number of children who woke up this morning wondering if they would get breakfast, lunch or dinner. Not just for today, but for tomorrow, and the day after and the day after and the day after that. 16 million is the number of children that are food insecure in the most prosperous nation in the world. These food insecure children don’t have access to the necessary amount of food for a healthy life.  And despite the 16 million food insecure children in the United States several still choose to ignore the problem, that in a land of plenty, several  go without. The United States produces enough food to feed every single one of its citizens; it embodies “a land of plenty”. Yet these children are often overlooked as we focus on the starving children overseas and only think of the obesity issue here at home. We look over the 16 million children that should have access to the surplus of food in the United States, causing these children to be forgotten and invisible. This issue of food insecurity is completely preventable so long as we can promote change in our own cities and reveal the reality of the problem to the public.

“They are not my problem, their families should provide for them.” This is exactly how many people feel towards the families that cannot afford to feed their children every night. They feel as though, “it’s not my problem”, but in all actuality, it’s everyone’s problem. The lack of food causes children to have poorer health and limited social, emotional and cognitive development. According to a number of studies food insecurity is associated with high rates of behavioral problems, depressive disorders and anxiety. As well as more physical symptoms that include stomach aches, migraines and colds (Zaslow, M., Bronte-Tinkew, J., Capps, R., Horowitz, A., Moore, K. A., & Weinstein, D). All of these factors are estimated to amount to 167 billion dollars spent annually on the food insecure. These estimates include the money it takes to provide health care and compensate for the food insecure and their lack of productivity in society. This is a huge price to pay, for them as well as you. They suffer through hungry nights and headaches and you suffer with the burden of their cost, now making it your problem. However, by taking action now we can help provide the necessary nourishment to these children, while they’re still young, so they are able to gain more through their education and in turn become more prominent and productive members of our society. But if we continue to ignore their needs, we’ll continue to pay for this problem.   

Food insecurity is at an all-time high, but the programs designed to help promote food security are being taken away from the families that rely on it most. Marianna Chilton, a professor at Drexel University and founder of the Witness to hunger program realizes this travesty and hopes to correct it, but that can only be done with the help of the public and a different mindset toward the food insecure. Firstly, they are not moochers, according to the USDA, 85% of food insecure households have at least one working parent (Chilton). And still that does not provide them with enough food. Secondly, the majority do not like to be on food stamps, they say they participate in the programs “to protect their families.” As anyone in their position would do.  And lastly, millions of families are still struggling as they are ineligible to receive these SNAP benefits or they have just recently had to deal with the cuts to the SNAP benefits program. That is why it is even more important and necessary that we take action in other emergency programs that can provide food to the ones who are struggling to attain it. Across the nation are several food banks that are always accepting donations of healthy foods. Bonita, a witness to hunger and mother of 5 understands the importance of these food banks to help support her family when she can’t. She was able to rely on the graciousness of her community to help her in times of need. And though she only relies on the food banks as a last resort, she is just grateful they are available and provide her children with food.

Food is a basic necessity for any child. We remind children constantly that you cannot live without food. So why then are the millions of children who go without food ignored? Their limited access to any sort of nourishment is problematic and affects not only them, but you as well. That is why we all should shoulder the responsibility for providing for these children. Having access to the necessary amount of food is not merely a privilege, having a meal waiting for you at the end of your night is not simply a luxury, it is a human right. Providing for the 16 million children who go without food should be no obstacle in this land of plenty, yet it seems it is. Providing everyone with their basic human rights is a goal in America and a goal that we should strive for. No longer should we hear the rumbling of hungry children’s stomachs as they wonder when they we will finally be seen and noticed. We can help fight against the food insecure children who deserve the same human rights as everyone with increased public awareness and a sense of responsibility that we all take on. A food secure nation is attainable. And as we work towards this goal we’ll combat hunger, create a stronger nation, and provide a plate for every food insecure child. All 16 million of them.

Blog #17-Erin Holbrook

As juniors, we often wonder about the future. This year and next we will be making decisions about what sort of future we want to have. Soon enough we will be starting the rest of our lives, out on our own. Who can help but wonder what the not-so-distant future can bring. And so the questions pile on. What college will I go to? What major will I choose? Where will I live? What will I do? What does the universe have in store for me? Yet regarding future events there is one topic that no one seems to worry about enough. The future health of the planet we live on. I know, I know: environmentalism is a topic that has been done to death. Indulge me a few more minutes of your time to hear just a little bit more about it, and about what you can to reduce your carbon footprint.

Progress is a good thing. It brings us civilizations buzzing with activity. The human race is mighty. Even those of a mediocre economic status have access to once unimaginable wonders such as televisions and computers.  The progress of the human race is astounding. Our process of obtaining Nitrogen- which is a chief ingredient in fertilizer- is most readily described as literally making food from air. Progress has surely led to good things- even for the environment in some ways. Certain species of plants- such as corn- and animal- chiefly domesticated pets- have thrived off of human development. In many ways, progress is a wonderful thing. But too much progress can have negative effects on the world we live in.

One example is destruction of habitat. Every day the human race becomes more and more populous. As our species expands, so too do our needs. We consume the land around us like wildfire, razing forests for lumbar, obliterating mountains for coal, and steamrolling plains for space. According to National Geographic, our demand for lumber is so much that “Swaths [of forest] the size of Panama are lost each and every year.” On top of that, habitat destruction has led to an extinction rate estimated at 1,000 times the normal rate. Pollution has become a major problem that plagues even humans. In Northern China, it is not uncommon for school to be cancelled because of toxic clouds of gas – a phenomenon called by the media an “airpocalyse”. Closer to home, water supplies in Kentucky have been contaminated by sludge from coal mines, leaving many small communities in a want of drinking water.

The greedier the human consumption, the more resources we deplete and the more of our planet we destroy. It may seem that there is not much that we can do. The problem here is bigger than any one of us. A single person’s effort makes little difference when giant corporations consume energy  on an incredible scale. What impact can any one person have? Upon first glance, one might say their impact is negligible. One would be wrong. When all of us work together for change, that impact becomes quite tangible. And by everyone I don’t mean everyone but you, for that is the free-rider problem in our society. “If everyone gets a vaccination but me, no one will be able to give me the measles.” One might argue. Then suddenly, ten, twenty, one-hundred people have this opinion. One of them goes to Switzerland, and comes back sick. Suddenly you have the measles. You are no more exempt from the responsibility of conserving energy than you are exempt from getting your shots.

What you can do is in fact rather simple. Next time you find yourself shopping, buy environmentally friendly appliances. Always turn off lights that you are not using. If you aren’t going to be home for a while, turn off the heat. Reuse old paper as scrap instead of wasting more sheets. Buying local produce is a big thing that you can do to help out. Factory food takes an incredible amount of hazardous resources to produce. First, plants are grown sprayed with pesticides that pollute the surrounding land and air. Animals are flooded with antibiotics that are not exactly healthy for you or for them. Once processed, preserved, and packaged, the production of basic foodstuff has already wasted an incredible amount of resources. And, of course, then comes the drive. In some cases- the flight. Gallons upon gallons of gasoline are wasted in the transport of such materials. All of this is avoided when you buy local products.

And so, as you are thinking of your future whether it be two miles or two-hundred miles away, I ask you to think also of the Earth you will be living on. Progress is a wonderful thing, but so is nature. And so wherever the future takes you, use CFL light bulbs. Take care not to waste water. Carpool while on your travels. Buy local food. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Remember that conservation is preservation. Every drop of water that you don’t use is a drop of water saved. Every bottle you recycle is a bottle that doesn't suffocate the ocean. Just do what you can do to avoid the “airpocalypse”. 

#17 Speech- Haley Longworth

In America, as time passes and food gets more artificial, people wonder why there is suddenly an array of diseases appearing before them. In the beginning of time humans ate a plant-based diet of fruits and vegetables as well as natural, untouched animal products. Those humans suffered from many less diseases and diet-related problems than modern times because of their natural lifestyle. Nowadays, people in the United States tend to eat a Standard American Diet which consists of processed sugars and carbohydrates which are stripped of their nutrition, as well as animal products which are loaded with hormones and chemicals. This detrimental change to the diet and lifestyle of Americans has been a factor that has led to an obesity epidemic that needs to be stopped, and the only way to do this is to change the way food is handled in the United States. Obesity has become a major issue in our country, and has many more negative effects that branch off from it. To be able to reverse the effects of the obesity epidemic, we must understand the causes of obesity and how to change them.

There are multiple factors that influence whether a person is obese or not, the most prominent being diet and lifestyle. This is because how you look on the outside is largely influenced by your health on the inside. A problem many Americans encounter when trying to improve their health is the existence of thousands of chemicals engineered by scientists that are meant to seem fulfilling to us, but are not fulfilling in the least. Aspartame is one of these chemicals that can be found in gum, low calorie yogurt, and most notably diet sodas. The combination of aspartame and caffeine in these drinks kills brain cells, that before they die, give you a sort of excitement or buzz. The effects of drinking diet sodas can be headaches, visual problems, and in severe cases seizures. These are severe enough effects to where pilots are not allowed to consume these diet beverages. Another example of chemicals in our food is MSG, which excites the brain, and in turn leads the body to activate fat programs and causes a person to gain body fat. This is the same chemical used to make mice obese for use in various types of studies, proving its success in causing consumers to gain fat. The worst part is that MSG and free glutamates are used to enhance flavor in 80 percent of processed foods, and can be hidden in over fifty names (Raymond Francis M.Sc.MIT). Kris Carr, a women who overcame cancer by changing to a plant-based diet said it best when she said, “If it takes a lab to make, it takes a lab to digest.” This validates that the chemicals we are seeing in our food are not meant for us to eat, and therefore have adverse side effects, such as obesity, when eaten. They need to be eliminated from our diets and kept out of our grocery stores.

Although there are many people attempting to improve what they’re eating, many approach the issue by trying conventional diets, which almost never work. A lot of these diets cut out one food group temporarily which is why there is so much labeling on food packing stating that the product is “fat free” or “low carb.” These are empty claims because when a food is fat free, it almost always has added sugar to make up for the loss of flavor. This approach at losing weight is unsuccessful and costly. In the Unites States, Americans will spend over sixty million dollars on diet products yearly, and two-thirds of people who go on diets will gain more weight than they lost, therefore becoming more obese than they already were. Overall, the food many Americans eat is tainted with chemicals and hormones that are addicting, and the manufacturers’ solution to the problem is offering ineffective diets. These two factors have led to a naïve society that doesn’t know how to fight the obesity epidemic at hand. 

To be able to combat the growing epidemic, Americans must take a stand for their health. Something many people do not know is that the manufacturers of the food products causing obesity in our country are also the ones funding the food studies that are being submitted to regulatory agencies. There is no neutral third party conducting the studies, which is why so many dangerous and even carcinogenic chemicals are allowed to be put into the foods we are eating on a daily basis.  Manufacturing companies for these food products keep producing them because they know people will buy their products as long as they are addicting and can keep the consumers coming back for more. Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on earth, and is even said to be the cocaine of the food world. It is refined and the nutrients are stripped away from the used-to-be-natural sugar cane plant, just like cocaine is, but from the coca leaf. There is no way these refined, empty calorie foods can be good for us, yet people eat them anyway because they are addicted. In Georgia, there are various obesity campaigns that include pictures of children with phrases such as “It’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not.” These ads are meant to influence Georgia citizens to take action and steer clear of obesity, specifically in their children, since Georgia has one of the highest child obesity rates in the country. The best way Americans can start to change is by learning the risks of eating a man-made diet and starting to up their intake of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins until they are completely free of processed and chemical-filled foods. Until Americans learn to change the food system and the way we eat, we will always be at risk of the growing obesity epidemic.

In conclusion, the epidemic in the United States has come to an all time high with sixty-eight percent of adults in America being obese. Something needs to be done to stop this, so I ask you to take action by paying more attention to the foods you are putting into your body. When Americans are able to reduce the obesity rates and improve health nation wide by learning causes of obesity and how to change them, the well-being of many will improve, the number of chronic illnesses will go down, and the environment around us will improve due to lower amounts of pollution from the large factories making stuff that can no longer be considered food, but instead food-like products. It is the time for change, and with the obesity rates as high as they are, there should be no looking back.

 

Speech Jania Stevenson

Someone, somewhere right this second is being bullied. What are you going to do about it? Most people will do nothing, which is the reason why bullying has become such a huge problem in our society today. It seems like every day we hear about yet another bullying incident. Someone committing suicide or killing others all because they were bullied, but how many reports do you see where something is actually being done about bullying? When do you see someone being punished for harassing someone else or hear about someone stepping in and stopping someone from being bullied? Almost never, and I think it’s about time we change that. We all need to try to help stop this bullying issue from getting worse.

Millions of children are bullied each year in America. Over 3.2 to be exact. The documentary Bully tracks the stories of five families dealing with bullying and exposes the true struggle most kids go through every day. One child named Alex was bullied day in and day out, at school and even on the bus ride home, without a single person reporting it. Even Alex himself never told his parents about the severity of what was going on. The only reason Alex finally got help was because the producers were worried about his safety and told his parents. This is what happens all the time around the country. People hear about bullying, or even witness it with the own two eyes and still do nothing about it. About 56% of students have reported seeing some type of bullying occur in their school, but only 20 to 30 percent of those students have actually reported the incidents to an adult. Even when reported, teachers will only intervene about 4% of the time. And when they do intervene, over two thirds of students state that the help is infrequent and ineffective. In the documentary, once Alex’s parents told the principle about the incidents, she said she would “take care of it”, the exact same thing she had told his parents in the fall. Even the adults who have the power to help, don’t do anything to stop this problem.

 It’s not just the responsibility of adults to fix this problem, it’s up to the students as well. It has been reported that if a bystander intervened in bullying, it would stop within 10 seconds 57% of the time. But if we just ignore it, it doesn’t get reported and nothing can be done about. Or something even worse can happen. The person being bullied can take matters into their own hands. For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. It accounts for about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. And for every suicide, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. And about half of these suicides among young people are related to bullying. These victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims. It’s not just K-12 students who can be pushed to kill themselves because of bullying, older kids can be affected too. An article from Time Magazine reported the death of a college freshman at Rutgers University named Tyler Clementi. He jumped off the George Washington Bridge in New York City because he was being bullied about his sexual orientation. He even posted on Facebook "jumping off gw bridge sorry." and nobody came to save him. Besides suicide, a victim can also seek revenge. About 75% of school shootings have been linked to bulling and harassment.  This can be seen as a factor in shootings such as Columbine and Heath High. If someone had spoken up, even the victims themselves, could these tragedies have been prevented?

Every single state in the United States has policies and/or laws regarding bullying, but they can’t be put to use if nobody speaks up about bullying. So the next time you see or hear about bullying, don’t just sit there and be a bystander, get up and do something. Because it’s up to us, all of us, to help put an end to bullying. Thank you.

 

Speech - Hans Stromberg

         Healthcare. Can’t live with it, can’t get sick without it. Most Americans bicker about the new Affordable Care Act. In reality though, is American health care really that bad? The majority of Americans would quickly answer “Yes” just because of all the negative connotations they associate with health services. Based on his anti-U.S. healthcare documentary, Sicko, Michael Moore would agree with these Americans. Moore and his supporters are in favor of the European model of healthcare which gives everyone free and generic healthcare. On the other hand we have pre- Obamacare in which millions of Americans were stuck on the streets without any healthcare, and wealthy Americans didn’t have to pay high taxes. In order to meet in the middle, the Obama administration enacted the Affordable Care Act. Under this new approach to healthcare, a higher percent of US citizens would receive affordable healthcare at the expense of employers.

              As Michael Moore bashed American healthcare in Sicko, he traveled to European countries and found universal healthcare. This system gave healthcare to every individual living in the country but limited citizens in their options. The compromise is that in Obamacare Americans are still offered options. Europeans are not willing to pay exorbitant fees to keep people alive, whereas Americans will pay high fees in exchange for a few more months to live. Europeans are willing to make this compromise in exchange for some kind of basic health care for all people. And because everyone is offered health care, Europeans pay high taxes. However, there is variety throughout Europe itself. NPR wrote an article about French health care in which Dr. Paul Dutton, a professor at Northern Arizona University wrote, “In France, everyone has health care. However, unlike in Britain and Canada, there are no waiting lists to get elective surgery or see a specialist” (Shapiro). However, for every aspect of health care, there are strings attached. The French are able to have both choice and universal health care because “the national insurance program is funded mostly by payroll and income taxes” (Shapiro). Every benefit has its consequences as well. Health care is all about picking and choosing what you want and what you’re willing to pay for, because as we all know, nothing is free. With Obamacare, the compromise is that we still have affordable healthcare but still get to choose our different options, unlike in these European countries.

            In contrast, the pre-Obamacare method of healthcare hanged poor Americans out to dry just so the citizens didn’t have to pay as many taxes. This option was great in concept because we the people didn’t have to pay for our fellow citizens healthcare as well as our own. In this American solution, according to R.P. Siegel, “Apparently, it’s the role of government in the health care system that appears to a major differentiator. The U.S. is the only place where the prices are set by the open markets.” This deficiency sets regular Americans back when paying for different operations. On the other hand the benefit of this system is that Americans are “healthier” than Europeans. As Siegel continues he states, “American health care ranks high in cancer care, wait times, and access to new technologies for affluent and insured families. The U.S. also has the highest share of adults (90 percent) who report being in good health, compared to 69 percent for the OECD.” These polar sides of this healthcare plagued Americans for years before Obamacare. Now, Americans enjoy the benefits of staying in good health, but with Obamacare the government has stepped in to halt the health companies from overpricing poor Americans by making healthcare more affordable for the less privileged of our beloved country.

            By comparing two different styles of healthcare, one can see that compromises must be made for every health care system. There are consequences for every choice. The Europeans pay more taxes but have the same universal health care for all. In pre-Obamacare America, Americans paid for what they could afford, so not every one was covered, but those who were could choose their level of care. And the compromise between those two systems is Obamacare, where everyone is guaranteed some form of coverage, but the amount of coverage varies with how much is paid. Obamacare is now a healthcare system that we can live with, and not die by.