“I mean come on, 67% of teenagers IN THE WORLD are active to this exposure EVERY DAY. Don’t get me wrong I am one of those 67% as I’m sure you are too. But I can’t be the only one who knows to take a step back and see its true effects on our generation, on our health, both mentally and even physically.” –Savannah

 

“So I ask you one more time, am I not human? Have I not spent an entire semester getting to know all of you wonderful people? I’m not asking you to do anything, I’m not even asking that you talk to me outside of classes, but seriously, just try not to hate others unless they’ve done something awful to you. If not for me, then for your own health.” –Damon

 

“Your parents may tell you to think about others or to treat people how you’d like to be treated. Then, when you go to school, they tell you not to worry about others and to keep your hands to yourself. Which is it? What if I like hands?” –Maisie

 

“I am not a 1, 2, 3, or 4 and neither are you. We are not based off our testing when our testing can’t assess how each one of us learns, thinks, and processes information.  We are not the same for a reason. Our diversity is what separates us and makes us all unique, not the numbers produced from a biased test.” –Madisyn

 

Good morning, all. Another round of student voices to share today. Lots a questions to wrestle with out there. Turns out, kids are not bad wrestlers. Not bad at all.

 

Are You a Percentage? by Savannah

As of January 2018, there are about 7.593 BILLION people on Earth. Out of those 7.593 billion people, 3.196 BILLION people are active on social media. That is 42% of our WORLD’S population that is actively on social media, a large chunk being teens. 67% of teenagers are active on social media every single day, being social media’s most active users. Now let me ask you something… with almost half of our World being active on social media, how is it that little to none are truly aware of its effects on teenagers and their mental and physical health. 3.196 BILLION people actively use some form of social media everyday. 3.196 BILLION people are actively exposed to each other. Actively exposed to the harms of our social norms and the harms of one another. I mean come on, 67% of teenagers IN THE WORLD are active to this exposure EVERY DAY. Don’t get me wrong I am one of those 67% as I’m sure you are too. But I can’t be the only one who knows to take a step back and see its true effects on our generation, on our health, both mentally and even physically.

Social media comes with its obvious pros and cons. Sadly we mostly only focus on the pros, ignoring the consequences it can often have. Body negativity, FOMO, depression and even anxiety are major effects teenagers face daily…. No active social media user in this room can say that they haven’t seen one of their peers or even a celebrity post something on the internet, that hasn’t made them jealous of their body, maybe their friends, their clothes, or their wealth. One of the most common effects social media has on teenagers is body confidence issues. 84% of teenage girls struggle with their self image along with 52% of teenage boys struggling with the exact same thing. Social media just rubs salt in the wound, where you can easily see people you might think have a better body than you. “Wow she has nice curves.” “Damn. Look at his abs, I wish I had abs like that.” “Her skin is so clear, I wish my skin could look that perfect.” Most teenagers might not even notice these thoughts going through their head, but in others these thoughts control them. Social media CONTROLS how we see our own SELVES in the mirror! That is so [effed] up! Body negativity is one of the leading causes of depression and social anxiety in teenagers globally. Do you know how confident we could easily be in our own skin if we didn’t constantly see people “more beautiful” than us being praised online? This often leads to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. That is only one of the ways social media can affect teenagers mental and physical health. Another way social media affects teens is it’s an easy platform for bullying and racism. It is SO easy for cowards to hide behind a screen and make racist, sexist, homophobic remarks. Bullying like this is just ANOTHER leading cause to depression in teenagers.

As of January 2018, there are about 7.593 billion people on Earth. Out of those 7.593 billion people, 3.196 BILLION people are active on social media. 42% of our Worlds population is active on social media. 67% of teenagers are active on social media every day. But only 23% of teenagers even report being bullied on social media. 84% of teenage girls struggle with body confidence due to social media. 52% of boys struggle with body confidence due to social media. Now trust me I’m not telling you to stop looking at memes on Twitter or watching your favorite YouTuber, or even stop posting on Instagram. But I am asking you, are you letting social media make you a percentage?

 

Hate Isn’t What Our Reality Should be About by Damon

As the great William Shakespeare once said, “Am I not human? If you cut me, would I not bleed?”

I’ll spare you the assault charges, I do. We all do.

So, if we all bleed, then why must we judge and ridicule others based on nothing but the colour of their skin, their religious views, or even who they love?

I’ll admit, I do actively hate a couple of people, but not based on their looks or beliefs, I hate them because they did something to me that I found unforgivable.

How could somebody hate another human being just for being who they are? How could somebody hurt, or even kill another human being just for loving another? How could they?

How could you?

You might say that hate is a part of human nature, but, as Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa so beautifully and wisely stated, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Hate is not natural, so I ask again,

Why?

You might say that hate is becoming less of an issue since many years ago, but crimes against persons, or hate crimes, have seen a near 5% increase in the past 5 years alone.

That might not sound like much, but each single percent is more than 1000 people being targeted for the way they look, or what they believe.

We need to fix this. You might ask what you, a single, inconsequential person might do to affect an entire world of hate, but if one person stops the hate, happiness can spread. Kindness is just like hate, but it spreads easier. Smile at somebody, pay for the next person’s coffee.

A small act can deeply affect somebody’s day, and they might even pay that kindness forward.

If I walked up to somebody you love and punched them in the gut for no reason, would you just stand there, or would you throw a punch for them? You almost definitely would, so why must so many people sit idly by as so many people are being attacked, or even murdered, just for being themselves? For example, we may see Concentration camps as a thing of the past, something that won’t be repeated in the near future, but, just last year, there was a “secret” camp for homosexuals! It was in Chechnya, a Federal subject of Russia, and the camps have already imprisoned at least 100 men, killing at least three of them and torturing/mutilating all of the rest! This may even still be going on to this day, but the Chechen government has denied all of these accusations, stating that “My officers would not even want to touch such people [homosexuals}—if they exist—let alone beating or torturing them.” This is just one of many groups that has been discriminated against heavily in the past year alone.

There are many ways we can stop the hate in the mainstream, such as no longer allowing hate-groups to get the attention they so desperately want. We can stop interviewing Neo-Nazis, we can discontinue the hiring of known hate-group advocates into the mainstream media, and we can demonize them, as they so deserve.

Hate is not a universal truth. It isn’t natural, and it’s unhealthy. Being an angry or hateful person can actually cause heart problems, and strokes, according to Dr. Cynthia Thaik. There are ways to fix this. All you have to do is talk to somebody. Vent your frustrations at a good friend, and listen to them when they vent. There are other ways, of course, but none of them are as easy, and some of them even cost money, like therapy

I have a challenge for you. Close your eyes, and think of all of the people that you don’t like. Next, think of why you don’t like them, and how much you actually know about their lives. If they have done something to you, something that has actually given you a valid reason to dislike them, then ignore this next step. If not, try to get to know them, and think from their perspective. Have they done anything to deserve this? Are they really as bad as you think?

So I ask you one more time, am I not human? Have I not spent an entire semester getting to know all of you wonderful people? I’m not asking you to do anything, I’m not even asking that you talk to me outside of classes, but seriously, just try not to hate others unless they’ve done something awful to you. If not for me, then for your own health.

 

Life by Maisie

I used to go to bed early. I used to be motivated. I used to make art. I used to be an optimist. I used to be kind. I used to enjoy going to school. I used to believe in God. I used to read poetry. I used to be excited about my future. I used to make art. I used to find myself in others. But I never used to open my blinds.

In an over-analysis of my own emotional traits, I have come to believe that time will take from you what it wants; but it gives back, too. It starts with the first memory you have of growing up, maybe even earlier than that. Your parents may tell you to think about others or to treat people how you’d like to be treated. Then, when you go to school, they tell you not to worry about others and to keep your hands to yourself. Which is it? What if I like hands?

Next, you are in middle school and you will want to be anyone but yourself. You are convinced that there is a way to act, to look, and to think. You have no real concept of anything but what your peers and your parents have told you. Your brain is only beginning to develop into its own machine. All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall.

Then, all of the sudden, you’re a highschool student. You might begin to find yourself and your individuality. Maybe you realize that your own happiness ranks higher than other people’s approval. You may begin to see your teachers as the humans that they are. People who have walked the same halls as you in an attempt to find themselves. Yet, they so often treat you like you are so much less that what you really are.

Finally, you will graduate with the people who helped shape your identity, who gave you the foundation that was your first 18 years. Something you will look back upon and wonder how different things would have been if you’d grown up in a different state, or if you hadn’t fallen in love with that one person. Your perspective of the world will expand when you are on your own, with nobody to tell you where to be and when.

Years pass and you are on your deathbed, you will think about your life. You will think about the wonders you saw and the people you let understand you. You will hope that your soul grew so much it has stretch marks, wrinkles, and sun spots. Maybe you will ask yourself what your life was worth anyway, if you will be gone tomorrow with only a dozen people to tell your story. You will ask yourself where all that energy goes, but you will never know until it is too late to tell. This is something you will work your whole to accept.

There are many questions like these throughout life but we must not let them separate us from each other. Your life experiences and beliefs are only an attempt to make sense of it all and although it is almost necessary to believe in something, there are no facts. No matter how sure you may think you are, there are no facts. Anyones beliefs are as valid as yours. Respect everyone you meet and let this pattern take place every day.

If we are all a part of the human race
We all should stand by each other just in case
In the case of an apocalypse or a mass level extinction
What if the only people left are torn by distinction?

We can’t just crucify people for the lives they choose
Or put a price on the dreams they lose
Don’t act like there are facts, because nobody knows
Which means we are all equally right… or wrong I suppose

I hate to make it too simple and draw it out
But I want you to know what I am talking about
Bill Withers was right when he said in his song:
Lean on me when you’re not strong

We have to have to lend a shoulder to lean on sometimes
When the living starts to hurt and we have hard times
Tell people you love them and send them edgy memes
Like Lorde said once: we’re on each others teams

 

I Am Not a Number by Madisyn

Am I a 1, or a 2? Maybe a 3, or a 4? Did I pass or did I fail? Is this what I need to graduate? Our education seems to be surrounded and based off of one thing, standardized testing. Standardized testing measures only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. They are an unreliable measure of student performance. Standardized tests have not improved student achievement and are not objective. So the real question is are they pulling our education system together or tearing it apart? Do students have a healthy relationship with  standardized testing?

Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. We spend an immense amount of time cramming, preparing for, and taking these test only to forget the material soon after.  Am I really going to need to know how to make a zip line and all the zip line requirements? What’s meaningful about that? Are we learning to pass a test or are we learning for a purpose other than just a number?  Aren’t we supposed to be happy to learn new things?

Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, It will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I believe that standardized tests are like the tree. We all are given the same formatted test and expected to complete it and score as high as we can, but everybody’s brain works differently. We are all so diverse but yet given the same test. How is that fair? Standardized tests are an unreliable measure of student performance.

As students we are supposed to keep learning and growing. The focus of school is on us and our learning, yet standardized testing has not improved student achievement. If anything, it stresses us out and we dread it. Some teachers can make it seem like our only goal is to learn to pass the test. Hours and hours of sitting in a quiet room reading and answering questions off of a laptop.  How boring. Not only are we subjected to the test, but some teachers even require prep tests. My math teacher for example spent 1 whole week with us and the laptops to simulate the testing environment and so that we can practice the questions only to take the actual thing a few days later. What a waste of time. What did we learn during that? How to use an online calculator?

I am not a 1, 2, 3, or 4 and neither are you. We are not based off our testing when our testing can’t assess how each one of us learns, thinks, and processes information.  We are not the same for a reason. Our diversity is what separates us and makes us all unique, not the numbers produced from a biased test. Our learning is more significant than our testing. We are much more than a number or a test.

 

Proud of my kiddos. They give me hope.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns

…continue and mostly wrap up speeches

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.