Band and Choir Everyday 

“Halftime choir doing full time work” a truth applied to the band too. (C.Felton personal communication, May 6, 2026) Students in band and choir prepare concerts, compete at solo and ensembles, play pep band, and perform at many school events. The band and choir prepare a multitude of items with limited rehearsal time. While some argue band and choir should not meet everyday, I believe that band and choir should meet daily because it improves musical growth and continuity, and music is linked to personal growth and academic success. 

Time 

Having band and choir everyday improves continuity and musical growth. In both interviews with Mr.Felton the choir director at Lac qui Parle Valley High school for 11 years with a masters degree in music education, and Mrs. Jimenez the band director at Lac qui parle valley High school for four years who holds a bachelor's degree of music in music education (instrumental). Both stated the same answer when asked what the biggest benefits of having band and choir everyday is. Stating "continuity" and how students “get educated everyday” and "remember what we learn from class to class.” (C.Felton & N.Jimenez, personal communication, May 6, 2026). Having band and choir everyday shows a consistency with learning that every other day rehearsals fail to provide. Consistent exposure to music everyday continues to reinforce how fast students grow and learn. Everyday band and choir helps students remember information learned in the class period before. Making progress easier to maintain from prior class periods. In return helping develop skills in students more effectively. However, when both interviewees answered the question about how having band and choir everyday impacts the group as a whole. Mr. Felton and Mrs. Jimenez spoke on a scenario that happens often and hurts the groups as a whole. By having band and choir every other day there come times when students go without instruction for four days. For example if students take choir and are in class on Tuesday and Thursday and a student misses one day, Thursday, the next time the director sees their student falls on a Monday. Leading to them having to work extra hard everyday. Students must “Work everyday like they never see you again.” ( C.Felton & N.Jimenez, personal communication, May 6, 2026) Certain situations highlight the long gaps between seeing students, with having class every other day. Unfortunately, students become more likely to forget the information covered in the class two days ago, making the directors back track and reteach information already covered once. Thus, taking more time away from preparing for a performance and getting better. Having class daily reduces interruptions and allows students to improve faster, and use rehearsal time effectively. Having band and choir everyday continues to help the band and choir departments grow and reach more impactful rehearsals. Daily rehearsals not only help the band and choir but also benefits students academically and personally. 

Music benefits students academically and personally 

Daily participation in music supports students both academically and personally. In an article written by Music Will (2025) the largest non profit music program in the United States public school system, discussing the benefits of why music education matters. The article states “Research consistently shows that students engaged in music education outperform their peers academically. A study published by the American Psychological Association found that students who participated in music programs scored significantly higher in math, science, and English.” Showing students who remain involved in music grow stronger academically, and displays why   having music every day helps students perform better in the classroom and score higher. Due to music requiring students to actively engage their minds during rehearsal, and work together with other students in the ensembles. Habits often carry over into academic subjects. Not only benefiting students academically but also personally. In the same article it states “Music programs also help students forge meaningful relationships, creating a sense of community and belonging.” (Music Will, 2025) Music programs create a welcoming environment for all students and leads students to create new connections and friendships throughout the group. Music programs continue to give all students, no matter their background, a place to come and belong and bond over music. During the interviews Mr. Felton and Mrs. Jimenez also talked about how band and choir leads to students connecting with other students who they might not have connected with if not for practicing together in ensembles. Showing how music truly brings students together to work towards one common goal. Creating new relationships and making the groups stronger as a whole. Having band and choir everyday helps students create and maintain connections and helps them academically. Some say having band and choir everyday is not needed and doesn't work for all students. 

Band and Choir everyday is not necessary

Proponents argue band and choir everyday are not necessary and wouldn't fit into school schedules. While scheduling proposes challenges for schools to accomplish everyday band and choir there are several realistic ways to make the scheduling possible. In an interview with Mr. Lowry the school guidance counselor for 18 years at Lac qui Parle Valley High School. In response to why it’s not possible for band and choir to happen every day he says “it's not that it is not possible.” (P. Lowry personal communication, May 6, 2026) Showing the possibility for band and choir everyday, but changes need to happen. His response shows with schedule adjustments, schools can still make daily music education happen. When discussing possible options of band and choir everyday multiple solutions were weighed.  Options included: “Eight period day”,“band and choir during the block”, "abbreviated music time”, and "extended time that is cut in half, half for band and half for choir.” (Personal communication May 6 2026) The ideas provided suggest a solution to the problem, and that the barrier of not being able to fit band and choir  into the schedule everyday is not the problem. Having an abbreviated time for music not only allows band and choir students to meet everyday but also causes them not to miss out on other elective classes or college classes students want to take. Creating more opportunities for students who want to participate in music programs but instead choose other electives and college classes. Having time set aside for just music allows students the opportunity  to participate and not miss out on other opportunities making music programs stronger and more prioritized. 

What We Can Do 

While some argue against band and choir as a daily class, I believe band and choir should meet daily, because consistent practice builds stronger musical skills, and nurtures both personal and academic success. When band and choir meet everyday rehearsals lead to greater productivity, because the students don’t lose anywhere from two to four days in between practicing with the group. Everyday band and choir  helps students not forget what music they rehearsed at the last practice and in return helps directors reduce the number of times music is taught and continuously gone over. Band and choir lead to academic success by involving all parts of the brain. Helping students apply academic success to courses outside of music. Leading to students in music scoring higher in Math, Science, and English. Not only helping students academically but also in their sense of belonging. Students feel a part of a community who all work together towards a common goal of producing good music. While proponents argue everyday band and choir  does not fit into the schedule there remain many options to make music a priority to fit the schedules. The abbreviated music time helps band and choir to meet daily and for students to not miss out on other opportunities when scheduling classes. A half time band and choir is already doing full time work in shaping students. Full time work deserves to be prioritized with full time learning

References       

Music Will. (2025, February 26). Why music education matters now more than ever. https://musicwill.org/blog/why-music-education-matters-now-more-than-ever/

Milling and Killing

In two and a half minutes you can brush your teeth, listen to one song, or microwave mac and cheese. But also, every two and a half minutes, a dog is unnecessarily killed due to overcrowding in shelters. (Every 2.5 Minutes, 2024) While some naysayers argue to only shop for dogs to avoid buyers remorse, I believe more people should take the chance and adopt since shelters are overcrowded and puppy mills are cruel. 

Overcrowding and Euthanization

People should seriously consider adopting because shelters are overcrowded, desperate, and euthanization rates continue to increase. To show the overcrowding more clearly, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ([ASPCA], 2024) explains, many shelters across the country are full with few adoptions taking place, creating a surplus of animals in shelters. Without enough adoptions, many shelters are struggling to meet the needs of animals in their community resulting in higher euthanization rates. Shelters are overflowing, leading to the heartbreak of having to say goodbye to a healthy dog far too soon. Shelters can’t keep up with the plethora of dogs relying on them, causing the dogs to sit in their cells all day and night in pure isolation. Adopting an animal not only saves a life, but eases the burden on shelters and opens up a spot for another animal in need. Even though shelter dogs come from a sad place, dogs originating from puppy mills live a much darker life. 

Puppy Mill Horrors

People should avoid shopping for dogs since many dogs bought in stores come from unhealthy and unsafe backgrounds. An example of the rough treatment of dogs comes from the Humane World for Animals (2024) after investigating a puppy mill and seeing dogs with fur matted down to their roots pulling on their skin with each movement, ear infections so severe you could smell them from several feet away, visible ribs and hips that jutted out, nails so grown out dogs could hardly walk, feet permanently stained with feces and urine up to their ankles, and dogs living in houses that reeked of urine, feces, and decay. Puppy mills prioritize profit over the well being of animals creating unsafe conditions and suffering. Purchasing dogs from puppy mills directly fuels their operation and only worsens the cycle of abuse. By choosing to adopt from a shelter, a deserving animal gets a second chance at a loving home and helps reduce the need to produce dogs in puppy mills. While the horrors of puppy mills are undeniable, some still think that shopping for dogs ensures a predictable purchase. 

Misconceptions With Adopting

While some people believe the only trustworthy option when getting a dog is to shop online or in pet stores to avoid buyers remorse, they should know shopping for dogs creates more risk than adopting. According to the Humane Society United States ([HSUS] 2023) one of the most compelling reasons to adopt from a shelter is the sheer number of homeless animals in need. People who purchase from puppy mills often unknowingly support places that treat animals terribly. Unethical practices from puppy mills result in overproduction of animals with severe health problems, genetic defects, and behavioral challenges due to poor socialization, inbreeding, and inhuman conditions. When the people running puppy mills breed animals unappealing to customers, they dump the defective dogs on the streets to die, contributing to the number of homeless animals. Instead of avoiding buyers remorse, buying dogs often leads to heartbreak and large unexpected vet bills. Instead of playing it ‘safe’ and buying a dog from greedy breeders, adopt a dog and help reduce the overcrowding to give a dog a second chance at life, and defund puppy mills. 

Changing to Save a Life

Although some argue the best bet when getting a dog is purchasing one from a pet store or online, more people should consider adopting as it eases the stress on pet shelters and reduces the amount of abuse through puppy mills. Shelters continue to struggle to keep up with the amount of dogs living in shelters. From space to food to workers, there's just not enough resources to give each dog in shelters a good chance at life, leading to unfortunate and unnecessary euthanizations. When people choose to buy dogs from pet stores or online, they are unknowingly getting scammed by the breeder to buy an internally unhealthy animal that spent its beginning months in a filthy living space, enduring mistreatment and only seen as profit instead of a living creature. While some people still maintain the opposite view and believe buying from a breeder ensures quality and a pure bred dog. In reality, buying dogs originating in puppy mills ensures the inhumane mass breeding factory will continue to grow bigger and bigger from buyers' dollars, feeding into puppy mill production. Instead of supporting puppy mills, choose to adopt today, and give a homeless dog a loving home and second chance.

References

ASPCA. (2024). U.S. animal shelter statistics. ASPCA. https://www.aspca.org/helping-shelters-people-pets/us-animal-shelter-statistics

Every 2.5 Minutes a Dog is Unnecessarily Killed in U.S. Shelters. (2024, August 16). Best Friends Animal Society. https://bestfriends.org/who-we-are/media/every-25-minutes-dog-unnecessarily-killed-us-shelters

“Here’s what I saw at a puppy mill as an undercover investigator.” (2020). Humane World for Animals. https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/puppy-mill-undercover-investigator-speaks-out

Humane Society United States. (2023, November 2). Adopt, don’t shop: Choosing compassion over convenience. Www.nationalhumanesociety.org. https://www.nationalhumanesociety.org/post/adopt-dont-shop-choosing-compassion-over-convenience

“We are born in relationship, we are wounded in relationship, and we can be healed in relationship.” –Harville Hendrix.  For generations, romance relied on genuine presence and emotional closeness, but social media has changed how people experience love. While some argue social media improves romance, I believe it harms modern relationships because it encourages emotional detachment and creates unrealistic expectations. 

One major way social media harms modern relationships is by encouraging emotional distance between partners. Saima et al. (2024) found increased social media use reduces the amount of meaningful, face-to-face interaction couples share, which weakens emotional presence over time. The study showed individuals who spend more time online report lower levels of emotional intimacy with their partners because digital communication often replaces deeper in person conversations. Emotional closeness is built through shared experiences, eye contact, and genuine presence, none of which can be made up for through quick messages or passive scrolling. When partners turn to their phones for stimulation or comfort, they gradually become less responsive to each other’s emotional needs, create a subtle but growing distance. The pattern is supported by additional studies: a 2024 study published in PLOS One reported higher social media use was associated with increased feelings of loneliness and reduced relational closeness, demonstrating online interaction frequently takes the place of opportunities to build a deeper connection within couples (Jutte et al., 2024). As time passes, the replacement effect leaves partners physically together but emotionally unavailable, making it more difficult to communicate, resolve conflict, or maintain a sense of intimacy. In this way, social media is doing more than just distracting, but reshaping the way partners engage with each other, weakening the foundation of the relationship itself.

Another significant way social media harms modern relationships is by creating unrealistic expectations. TikTok is full of romantic notions raising intriguing questions about how we understand and approach relationships today. It plays an important role in shaping modern romantic beliefs and behaviors, often presenting love as dramatic, effortless, and constantly exciting. In today’s complex dating world, individuals are encouraged to enter relationships with expectations influenced by trends rather than reality. For example, viral  concepts such as “love bombing" frame early affection as something extreme or cinematic, leading people to expect intense emotional displays at the start of every relationships. Similarly, theories such as the Orange Peel Theory, where a boyfriend’s actions, whether he peels the orange or not determines if he is a green or red flag. Such trends teach viewers to judge relationships through exaggerated standards rather than genuine communication. In addition to shaping how people label their relationships, social media also distorts how romance itself should appear. Edits of Disney movies are one example of media brought upon ones feed, the edits highlight only the most magical and dramatic moments, which leads individuals to exaggerated hopes or too much expectation from someone (Loyola et al., 2025). When individuals hold unrealistic and unattainable beliefs such as avoiding conflict or placing trust in destiny, being in romantic relationships with them may stir upon one partner feeling upset and thus confronting these views resulting in arguments.

While some argue social media strengthens relationships by improving communication and connection, this view overlooks how limited and conditional such benefits actually are. Langlais et al. (2026) found certain partner directed social media behaviors such as supportive comments or shared posts were associated with higher relationship satisfaction particularly for women. Supporters of this claim often point to these findings as evidence of social media enhancing closeness. However, this argument fails to consider the positive effects depend on very specific behaviors that do not reflect typical daily social media use. The same study reported excessive messaging, frequent relationship-status updates, and frequent monitoring of a partner’s activity were linked to lower relationship quality, showing increased online communication can easily become stressful. Additionally, a systematic review by Kernova et al. (2025) concluded while structured digital interventions can improve relationship satisfaction, everyday social media use often introduces comparison, miscommunication, and emotional overreliance on online validation, all of which undermine relationships stability. The findings demonstrate although social media may appear to support connection, its broader effects tend to weaken rather than strengthen the emotional foundation of modern relationships. 

Relationships today face challenges previous generations never did. Social media has become one of the most influential forces shaping how couples connect. Although some believe social media platforms strengthen romance, the evidence shows they often encourage emotional detachment and promote unrealistic expectations straining relationships. Overall, research makes clear constant online engagement weakens genuine communication and exposes people to idealized images of love real partners cannot match. To address this, individuals should set healthier boundaries with social media, prioritize face-to-face interaction, and avoid comparing their relationships ones found on social media. Meaningful change starts with rethinking how we let social media shape our expectations of love.

References

Jütte, D., Hennig-Thurau, T., Cziehso, G., & Sattler, H. (2024). When the antidote is the poison: Investigating the relationship between people's social media usage and loneliness when face-to-face communication is restricted. PloS one, 19(2), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296423

Kernová, L., Halamová, J., & Deriglazov, D. (2025). Effectiveness of digital interventions on relationship satisfaction among couples: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychology, 13(1), 1069. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03444-y

Langlais, M., Seidman, G., Jiao, C., & Ledermann, T. (2026). A dyadic analysis on social media behaviors for romantic relationship quality. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, https://doi.org/10.1155/hbe2/6667233

Loyola, V. D. V., Padunan, J. A. K. L., & Punto, W. C. (2025). “Love without labels”: A phenomenological study of situationships among college students in Calamba City. Social Science Lens: A World Journal of Human Dynamics and Social Relations, 193-208. https://digi-journalphils.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Loyola-et-al-SC-0225-020-Formatted.pdf

Saima, Ahmed, S., Ayman, N., Yadav, N., Bhat, A. M., & Chaitra, G.N (2026). Beyond the screens: How social media alters human relationships and real-world interactions. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2170-2186. https://ijip.in/articles/human-relationships/

Interrupted moods occur the most in teens and young adults due to pressure of burnout. The pile of assignments along with trying to fit work in cause high stress levels. Same with trying to get a new job with lots of college debt to pay off. While some offer solutions for burnout, many people get more affected because of expected outcomes due to perfectionism and decision fatigue caused by inaccurate choices.

Perfectionism demands unachievable outcomes. According to an article from the University of San Dego, “To a perfectionists, anything less than perfect is unacceptable” (University of Dan Diego, 2019). Perfectionism makes a person procrastinate responsibilities and drains efficiency of productivity. A perfectionist fears failure and constantly compares themselves to others.Putting in crazy amounts of work leaves a person feeling overworked and tired. Related mindsets create constant pressure to meet impossible standards, especially in school. Research from Mental Health Center Kids states, “Academic pressure can be helpful in encouraging good performance, but excessive academic pressure can be detrimental to a student’s health.” (Vallejo, 2024). Perfectionism in school makes students behind in class, stressed, and overworked due to trying to accomplish a perfect score. Perfectionism causes the student to not perform well on tests and homework after keeping up perfect scores for a while.

Decision fatigue allows a person to make a choice with no thought put into the decision. The definition of decision fatigue made by Staying Ahead of The Game states, “The overwhelming sensation experienced when faced with too many decisions, leading to a depletion of mental energy and decline in the quality of choices made” (Staying Ahead of The Game, 2025). Prioritizing tasks, managing distractions, and personal responsibilities causes decision fatigue in schools. The confusion and making the right choice leads a person to freezing or escaping the situation by engaging in unproductive activities. Doctors and psychiatrists studied the impact decision fatigue leads to draining a person. Dr. MacLean explains, “In a study on the impact of decision making published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found the more choices a person makes the more likely they give up, lose interest and struggle with endurance” (Berg, 2025). Lisa MacLean, a psychiatrist at Henry Ford Health, mentions making tons of decisions throughout the day causes fatigue or tiredness, and not want to make any more choices. Decision fatigue, also known as brain fog, drains a person of more decisions made as the day goes on.

Some people believe students create unnecessary stress by procrastinating. Procrastination, also known as not understanding the relevance of a subject and material, as well as not able to get started on an assignment affects individuals differently. An article from Oxford Learning states, “Kids often put more value on what is happening today than what happens tomorrow” (Oxford Learning, 2024). Many students push off homework to make time to relax, making the students lack motivation. Some students who study at home lack concentration and understanding. Procrastination is looked at once the persons’ burnt out from all their workload. Princeton University states procrastination reflects more than laziness because, “In fact, when we procrastinate we often work intensely for long stretches just before deadlines” (Voge, D.J. 2027). Working to the point till the persons’ burnt out equals the opposite of lazy because some individuals put more effort into the work than a lazy person. Taking a break most likely leads to procrastination with feelings of stress, anxiety and disappointment.

Overall, burnout affects individuals differently, but people choosing perfectionism and decision fatigue experience higher levels of overwhelming stress.  Teens and young adults experience burnout the most due to school, work, and the future. Perfectionism makes an individual expect unrealistic outcomes, afraid of failure, as well as overworking themselves. Decision fatigue impacts the quality of choices due to draining mental energy from decisions made throughout the day. Low mental energy causes procrastination, oftentimes mistaken as laziness. Essentially, understand the causes of burnout because unmanaged stress impacts individuals health, success, and future.

References

University of San Diego. (2019). Healthy striving vs perfectionism. https://www.sandiego.edu /wellness/bewellusd/academic-success/healthy-striving-vs-perfectionism.php

Vallejo, M. (2023). Academic pressure: Causes, effects and coping strategies. Mental Health Center Kids. https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/academic-pressure

Staying Ahead of The Game. (2025). Helping students with decision fatigue. https://saotg.com/ helping-students-with-decision-fatigue/

Berg, Sara. (2025 March 21). What doctors wish patients knew about decision fatigue. American Medical Association. https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/behavioral-health/what -doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-decision-fatigue

Menoda, K. (2024 April 12). Homework procrastination: Why do students procrastinate? Oxford Learning. https://oxfordlearning.com/why-students-have-homework-procrastination/

Vogue, D.J. (2007). Understanding and overcoming procrastination. McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning; Princeton University. https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/ undergraduates /resources/resource-library/understanding-and-overcoming -procrastination

While some will argue that the Freshman 15 is uncontrollable, I believe preventing the Freshman 15 will can be accomplished by using available gym and movement resources, following healthy habits and tips, as well as making small daily choices that create long term changes for the better.

One reason I believe and strongly encourage why the Freshman 15 shouldn't happen is because colleges usually tend to have discounted or free gym access to fitness centers. Even though some students live in apartments where they are responsible for grocery shopping and cooking their own meals, and others use dining halls where food is already prepared for them, they still have the majority of control over what they eat and the habits they follow. Students in apartments can choose what groceries they buy and how they prepare their meals, while students in dining halal can choose between different food options and portion sizes. Most colleges also offer gyms or fitness classes, like pilates at a lower cost, which gives students different ways to stay active. College life also generally includes a lot of walking, whether you choose to walk instead of taking an electric scooter, or even biking to class if you’re running late will gradually help you in the long run with your health journey. With all of these possible options, it shows that students are not limited when it comes to staying active and eating better, the Freshman 15 should not be seen as something that just automatically happens.

Another reason I believe that the Freshman 15 shouldn't happen is because there are simple habits students can follow to prevent it from happening in the first place. One of main causes is not being aware of what you are consuming, whether that means choosing more balanced meals or not eating fast food on a regular basis. That doesn't mean you have to eat perfectly or never go out, but small changes in your daily choices can make a big difference over time. When people think about the Freshman 15, they think it's just from consuming food and possibly alcohol, but it actually comes from sleep and hydration. When students don't get enough sleep, they tend to feel more tired and rely on sugary foods or drinks for energy, which can lead to weight gain. Drinking more water instead of soda, energy drinks, or alcohol can help with both energy and overall health. These small habits are any habits anyone can do, it just takes discipline to refrain yourself from consuming high calorie non benefiting drinks.

If a student does start to gain weight, there are ways to reduce it and get back on track without doing anything extreme, like going on ozempic. The main misconception is that when you gain weight, you have to do the extreme, but the reality is that small changes matter, and they can slowly make a difference over time. For example, doing things like taking the stairs, walking more during the day, doing your homework standing if possible, working out instead of doomscrolling, or even taking a quick break to stretch can help increase daily movement without taking up too much time. When students are bored, they usually tend to snack, and end up eating more than they expected. Late night snacking is also a big factor in college, since students often eat when they are stressed, studying late at night, or bored. By being more mindful of these habits and making small adjustments, students can reduce weight gain and improve their overall health.

Some people will argue that the Freshman 15 is unavoidable because college life is stressful and busy. Between classes, homework, and trying to have a social life, it can feel like there's not enough time to focus on working out or eating healthy. Others also say that dining hall food or fast food makes it hard to make better choices, since those are usually the easiest and quickest options

Even though college can be busy and stressful, that doesn't mean the Freshman 15 is out of someone's control. Students still have access to gyms, other fitness facilities like pilates, walking around campus, and small ways to stay active. On top of that, making simple choices like drinking water, watching portions, and staying active can easily help prevent weight gain. In the end, it comes down to how much discipline you have for yourself.

Overall, the Freshman 15 isn't something that just automatically happens. With access to gyms or fitness centers, simple habits and everyday choices, students have a lot of control over it. In the end, it's all about the small things and how consistent you can be to make your life easier and better.

References

Children's Minnesota. (n.d.). Beating the freshman 15. Beating the Freshman 15. https://www.childrensmn.org/educationmaterials/teens/article/9255/beating-the-freshman-15/

Golaszewski, N. M., LaCroix, A. Z., Hooker, S. P., & Bartholomew, J. B. (2021, March 1). Group exercise membership is associated with forms of social support, exercise identity, and amount of physical activity. International journal of sport and exercise psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9053316/

Raman, R. (2021, April 21). The freshman 15: Causes and prevention tips. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/freshman-15

Schmidt, B. (n.d.). Home. https://www.revivestudio.space/

Imagine walking into a restaurant with your family, and you’re greeted with a cloud of cigarette smoke. The bad odor sits in your clothes and the secondhand smoke goes straight to your lungs. Whether you know someone who smokes, or just care about your health, smoking not only affects the smoke but also harms non-smokers due to second hand smoke. While smokers have their own choice on where to smoke, those choices should not negatively affect everyone around them. Smoking near public buildings should be banned because it harms other people's health, creates an unpleasant environment, and affects the cleanliness around them. 

One major reason smoking should be banned near public buildings is the health concerns secondhand smoke causes. Secondhand smoke can be dangerous for anyone just passing by, but the people it affects the most are elderly people, people with breathing conditions like asthma, and last but not least children. People walking by should not be forced to breathe in secondhand smoke while trying to enter a building. Places like schools or hospitals especially should try and keep their surrounding smoke free  because that's where people feel safe. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause coughing, breathing problems, headaches, and even long-term health issues such as heart disease or lung cancer. Public buildings are places used by large groups of people every day, meaning one smoker near an entrance can affect dozens of others in a short amount of time. By protecting the entrances of public areas from smoking, communities can better protect the health of everyone.

When people can't smoke inside a building, they just go right outside the door and smoke there instead, creating an annoying and unhealthy burden when people want to leave or go in that building. Many people dislike the potent smell of cigarette smoke and it can cause places to feel dirty and uncomfortable along with it sticking in your clothes, hair, and backpacks making it stay with you all day. Someone entering a building should feel welcomed, not forced to plug their nose or hold their breath while walking through a cloud of smoke. As Jeroen Bommelé, a scientific research associate, says in outdoor smoking as a nuisance to non-smokers, “Non-smokers also consider this exposure to be a nuisance or annoyance.” Smoking near public buildings can also leave a bad impression on visitors and customers. Businesses work hard to create professional and inviting spaces, but smoke outside the entrance can make the area feel dirty and gross. Public buildings are shared spaces designed for everyone in the community, so the areas around them should remain respectful and comfortable for all people, including non-smokers. 

Smoking near public buildings also contributes heavily to littering and environmental damage. Cigarette butts are one of the most commonly thrown away items in public space. Tobacco doesn’t just negatively impact the health of individuals, it also endangers the health of the environment. E-cigarette and cigarette waste can make its way into the environment where it pollutes water, air, and land with toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and remaining nicotine. According to Truth Initiative, who is a team who studies tobacco backed by rigorous research and evaluation, says in Tobacco and the environment, “an estimated 766,571 metric tons of cigarette butts make their way into the environment every year, and at least five disposable e-cigarettes are being thrown away every second in the United States.” This litter makes public spaces look messy and poorly maintained. Cleaning up cigarette waste also costs money and requires extra work from maintenance staff and city workers. In addition, cigarette filters are not harmless because they contain chemicals and plastics that can take years to break down in the environment. Rain can wash these harmful chemicals into storm drains, rivers, and lakes, where they may affect wildlife and water quality. Animals sometimes mistake cigarette butts for food, which can seriously harm them. Smoke itself also contributes to air pollution and lowers the overall air quality around crowded public spaces. Public buildings are meant to represent the community in a positive way, so allowing smoking near entrances damages both the appearance and cleanliness of those spaces. Keeping smoking areas farther away would help reduce litter, improve cleanliness, and create healthier surroundings for everyone. 

Some people say banning smoking near public buildings would be limiting personal freedom and targeting. Smokers believe they should be able to smoke wherever they want. However, their personal freedom of being able to smoke where they want should not come at the expense of other people's health and comfort. Non smokers should not be forced to inhale secondhand smoke just because they are entering a public building. Banning smoking in any way can even encourage people to quit smoking. As Martin Dockrell, Head of Tobacco Control, says in Smoke-free public places and their impact on public health,“Evidence from jurisdictions where smoke-free legislation has been in place for some time suggests that many smokers seize the opportunity to attempt to quit smoking.” Most smoking restrictions would not ban smoking completely, it would only require smokers to move a reasonable distance away from public entrances.

In conclusion, smoking should not be allowed near public buildings because it harms public health, creates unpleasant environments, and contributes to pollution and littering. While smokers do have personal rights, those rights should not negatively impact others. Public spaces should be safe, clean, and comfortable for everyone. By enforcing smoking restrictions near buildings, communities can create healthier and more respectful environments for all people.

Works Cited

Truth initiative. “Tobacco and the environment.” truthinitiative.org, 26 Apr 2023 https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/tobacco-and-environment

Bommelé, Jeroen et al. “Outdoor smoking as a nuisance to non-smokers: The case for smoke-free outdoor public spaces in dense urban areas.” Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, vol. 8, Feb 2022, 8 https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Outdoor-smoking-as-a-nuisance-to-non-smokers-The-case-for-smoke-free-outdoor-public,145502,0,2.html

Martin Dockrell. “Smoke-free public places and their impact on public health.” Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, version 7, vol. 4, tandfonline.com, 09 Jan 2014 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/14737167.7.4.309

Dim the app not your Sparkle

In today’s world, social media plays a huge role in everyday life. Apps like Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat make it easy for people to edit their photos and videos. At first, editing can seem fun and harmless. Editing can help people feel more confident in themselves. However, editing your body and face on social media causes more problems than people realize. Editing your body and face on social media should stop because it creates unrealistic beauty standards and harms teen girls' mental and physical health, although some people argue editing’s harmless and a way to express themselves. 

Unrealistic Beauty Standards

One major reason why editing on social media’s harmful is because it creates unrealistic beauty standards. When people constantly see edited photos, they start to believe the images are real. In reality, most of the pictures are heavily edited and don’t show what people actually look like. According to research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, seeing edited images on social media is linked to high body dissatisfaction and pressure to look a certain way. This causes people to compare themselves to something that’s not even real. Instead of accepting how they look naturally, they feel like they have to change. Over time this creates a false idea of beauty and makes it even harder for teens to feel confident about themselves. 

Mental and Physical Harm

Another important reason is editing harms both mental and physical health. Constant comparison to edited images can lead to low self esteem, anxiety and even depression. The American Psychological Association explains that social media use is connected to body image issues, especially in teen girls. When people feel like they don’t meet these unrealistic standards, they may try to change themselves in unhealthy ways. Studies from BMC Woman’s Health and the Journal of Youth and Adolescence show that social media pressure can lead to harmful behaviors such as disordered eating and over exercising. Instead of making people feel better, editing often makes them feel worse about themselves and potentially leading to seriously dangerous health problems. 

Editing isn’t Harmless

On the other hand, some people argue that editing’s harmless and a form of self expression. Many believe filters and editing tools allow people to kind of be creative and feel more confident online. While the idea makes sense, editing still has negative effects on others. Even if someone’s just editing for fun, other people are still seeing edited images and comparing themselves to it. The cycle continues with unrealistic standards. There are better ways to express creativity without changing your appearance, like through fashion or photography. Confidence should come from being yourself, not from editing how you look. 

Conclusion

Overall, editing on social media may seem harmless, but leads to real problems. Fake editing creates unrealistic beauty standards and harms teen girls' mental and physical health. While some people argue it is a way to express themselves, the negative effects are more serious. Instead of editing appearances people should focus on being more confident and comfortable with who they are. Social media should be a place where people can be real, not a place where they feel pressured to change. 

References 

 American Psychological Association. (2023, February). Social media and body image.

Fardouly, J., et al. (2022). The impact of social media use on body image and mental health in                                           women. BMC Women’s Health.

Rodgers, R. F., et al. (2022). Social media exposure and body dissatisfaction among adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14131.

Smith, A., et al. (2025). Adolescent social media use and mental health outcomes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Many teenagers after high school will start living on their own without knowing how to manage money or handle bigger responsibilities. With having a part time job you would learn how to save money, earn money, and learn the responsibilities of a full time job. While some will argue that kids shouldn’t have a part time job because of it being a problem, I believe that having a part time job is beneficial because it helps teenagers save money for the future and prepares them for the responsibility of a full time job. 

Having a part-time job makes life easier for teenagers in the future. Earning their own money helps them decide how they should save or spend money in a smart way. Working a part time job helps them transition into making their own money and having to manage it. When you’re younger you don’t learn the concept of how important money truly is, until you start earning your own money and realize how much value it has. You’ll always want to spend your money, but when you learn to make financially responsible choices it will help you in the future so you don’t keep making bad money spending choices as you did when you were a kid. In this article it talks about how you can develop financial literacy earlier with a part time job. “Learning to budget, save for goals, or open a bank account helps build financial literacy early.”(Chamberlin n.d.). Having their own money doesn’t only benefit them in learning money management skills, but can also help them put money towards their future. They can use that money for college, a car, and their own place for when they move out.

Having a part time job will also help teenagers build skills they’ll use in the future. Skills they will learn are time management skills, communication, organization, and how to work together with others. In this article it talks about how the skills they will learn from working, they will use later on. “They develop a work history and can take those skills with them to the adult working world.” (WebND, n.d.)Having a job at a young age will also teach responsibility, accountability, work independently, and keep commitments. These skills will be brought into the adult working world. Working a job in high school will also give you a better sense of what you want as a career in the future. Learning what kind of career path they want to take will also help them in high school with deciding what courses they should take to move them further along with their goals.

Many people think that one of the biggest issues with teenagers having a part-time job is that work could come in the way of afterschool activities and school work.  In this article it talks about the conflicts that may occur with working a part time job. “If your teenager is involved in sports or a lot of other extra-curricular activities, they may not be able to keep up with them if they start a job. If they are taking a heavy load of classes, work may interfere with homework or school projects.”(WebMD, n.d.)). Having extra responsibilities and starting a job can add a lot of stress onto kids. I do agree with this statement, but there are many more pros to having a part-time job. Many kids that have a job and are in sports still are able to finish all of their school work. As long as you are able to balance it out, then having a job will benefit you more than doing harm to you. 

While some will argue that teenagers shouldn’t get a part time job and should focus on school more, I think that that it benefits them because you'll be able to have money for your future, and learn the responsibility you need for a full time job. Earning your own money especially as a teenager will help you understand how much value money has and will make you want to save that money for the future because that's when you’ll need it most. While working a part time job teenagers will learn how to manage their time and learn the responsibilities. If you want teenagers to develop these skills and move themselves forward, they will need to get a part time job. 

References 

10 Benefits of Working a Part-Time Job as a Student\n \r\n. (2025). Goluminate.com. https://lukechamberlin.goluminate.com/10-benefits-of-working-a-part-time-job-as-a-student 

Brennan, D. (2021, March 2). Benefits of a Teenager Getting a Job. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/benefits-of-a-teenager-getting-a-job   

Social media became a big part of everyday life, mainly for teens. Many people spend hours scrolling through apps without realizing it. While social media can be fun and entertaining, it can also cause serious problems. Social media does more harm than good because it takes a toll on mental health, leads to addiction, and always needing to be on a screen.

While some will argue that social media has no harm but, I believe that it does and leads to addiction. How much time do people spend on their phones? This excessive screentime shows how easy it is for people to become dependent on their phones without realizing it. Spending so many hours scrolling can take away time from sleep, school, and social interactions with others. It can also increase feelings of stress, anxiety, and loneliness, especially when people constantly compare themselves to others online. Social media is not just harmful but an addiction, but a major problem is how big of a factor it negatively affects people's daily lives. 

Another reason social media does more harm than good is because it can become very addictive. Many people start scrolling for a few minutes, but it quickly turns into hours without them noticing. Social media apps are designed to keep users hooked by constantly showing new content, which makes it hard to stop. This addiction can take time away from important things like homework, sleep, spending time with family or friends. Over time, this can hurt a persons focus and productivity. Because of this, social media becomes less of a choice and more of a habit that's hard to break.

Another reason social media does more harm than good is because people always feel lke they need to be on their phones. A lot of people check their phones all the time without thinking about it, but that really shows that people are addicted to their phones. This makes it harder to pay attention in school or even a conversation with people. Instead of actually hanging out with friends or family, people just sit and scroll for hours on end. It can also make people feel like they’re missing out if they’re not online, which just makes them want to use it even more. Because of this, social meda isn’t really just for fun anymore, it's something people feel like they have to use all the time. 

Overall, social media does more harm than good because it affects mental health and creates an addiction. While it can be entertaining as well and useful at times, the negative effects are to much to not ignore. People should be more aware of how much time they spend on their phones and try to balance their screen time with person to person activities. By doing this, they can improve their mental health, relationships, and overall life. 

Work Cited

Paris Mary, Us tech- Mental health goes from social media https://disconnect.blog/social-media-causes-more-harm-than-good/

Deconstructing stigma- Cyberbullying being a big problem

 https://deconstructingstigma.org/guides/social-media

Mayo clinic- Expressing awareness, showing the percent of how much social media will or can take a toll- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437

Capital university-  Explaining fomo, sleep disruption, addiction, and time management.-

https://www.capital.edu/admission-aid/college-readiness-resource-hub/mental-health-hub/the-impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health-in-students/

I find myself scrolling on my phone and seeing this specific celebrity is getting CANCELED. For example, how Timothy Chalamet is getting canceled right now for voicing his own opinion, I see we are not allowed to say our opinions anymore. Yes, Timothy could have maybe said what he said a bit nicer, but it was still clearly a joke, supposed to be taken light heartedly. This prevents people from showing personality, and the internet will lead to a hole of people criticizing others all the time, and this needs to stop. Two primary reasons we should stop entertaining cancel culture, first, people on the internet need to see the jokes AS JOKES, and second, all the hating is creating a truly toxic environment for us all.

When celebrities tell a funny joke, remember it's supposed to be a funny joke, not an attack, take it light heartedly. SNL has been around for over 5o years (Britannica, 2026, April 15) and we all know of their controversial moments and skits, but the public knows they’re jokes so no one gets hurt and mad. Now people need to start becoming a little more understanding of those celebrities too, think a little longer before getting super upset and lashing out in the comments section. For those who attend the Oscars or any award show you are taking the risk of getting made fun of a little by the host that year. Chris Rock was hosting the Academy Awards on March 27 of 2022 and he was cracking jokes at a few celebrities but when he landed on Jada Smith, Will Smith's wife, he said “Jada, I love you G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right” he was referring to her shaved head, and G.I. Jane also has a shaved head. Will Smith was shown right after that laughing, and Jada not so pleased, and next we see Will Smith walk up on stage and slap Chris Rock. This is unacceptable behavior from Will Smith, that's just part of the show every year, every award show there is someone hosting, most of the time a comedic actor, and that said host always pokes at a few celebrities before the show gets into the awards, and never in the 94 years the Academy Awards, at the time of the hitting, or any other award show has anyone gotten up on stage fro their seat to go up and slap the host for a joke. No one would want to host after that and no one would want to joke around with celebrities after that either, if these grown adults can't take a joke.

All of the canceling of celebrities is creating a toxic environment for all who are on the internet. The canceling cause a not fun and not safe environment for those online. The name calling, the threats, and the crazy judgment. Brenner (n.d.) explaining why cancel culture is bad (para 4) says “The phenomenon of cancel culture toxic can create an environment of toxicity and cyberbullying. Where individuals are hesitant to express opinions or engage in discussions for fear of being ostracized or canceled. People should feel free to share their opinions online, and if you don’t agree with someone's opinions you can click away. Don’t attack someone for a little disagreement. That's what creates the toxicity, it only takes two people to not agree on something and it turns into a whole internet scandal. Now someone who possibly shares a belief or interest with a person who's being bashed about it on the internet, they would now feel insecure and wrong for believing this said belief, and lose self confidence and hurt them mentally. Auxier (2021) studying online harassment (para 1) says 41% of the U.S. adults experience online harassment in all sorts of ways. These threats, these shameful comments, and these attacks hurt 41% of the U.S. adults 9% away from half, this is a problem that needs to be stopped.

Although, you could say cancel culture keeps celebrities in their places and calls them out when they are wrong. I would disagree, you can easily just ignore that specific celebrity yourself, or even click the block button, if you have such strong opinions about said celebrity. As for parents, they should be monitoring what and who their kid is watching on the internet and make sure it’s no one with a bad influence. You can maybe even use these celebritie’s mistakes as a learning lesson for yourself. Most celebrities who get canceled, get canceled for supporting someone people don’t like or from a moment in the past where the celebrity said something naive. Which is just what happened to Justin Bieber, an old video of him resurfaced online of him saying the N word, he apologized for it and people moved on. Which wasn't the case for the actress Sydney Sweeney, Sydney was discovered to be a republican, and most of the people on the internet hate Donald Trump, so everyone jumped in and started acting her, she was canceled just for supporting someone who runs our country, I guess we aren't allowed to have political views anymore if it's not who the internet supports. This is when the line is crossed and the internet becomes toxic and completely uncalled for.

The main reasons we should stop cancel culture are because people aren't allowed to be funny anymore on the internet and, all the cancelings is rising hateful and cruel comments online. Jokes online are taken too seriously to the point where celebrities are too scared to be themselves. Cancelings are becoming too common where people dehumanize the celebrity by covering them in insults. If mistakes are looked at as your whole character then growth becomes pointless.

Works cited

Yale Medicine Staff. (2024, June 17). Mental Health research https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide

Brenner, B (n.d.), why is cancel culture bad? The psychology and impacts on mental health. Therapy Group of DC. https://therapygroupdc.com/therapist-dc-blog/the-psychology-of-cancel-culture-impacts-on-mental-health/

Gregory, S. (2024, March 28) The health benefits of humor. Mayo clinic. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthy-aging/the-health-benefits-of-humor/

Britannica Editors (2026, April 21) Saturday Night Live. Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saturday-Night-Live

Have you ever replaced an engine before? I haven't but I would like to because I think it would be fun. Replacing an engine can be complicated but it really depends on the year and what engine you're replacing. The engine is the easy part but doing all the wiring that is the hard part. That's why it depends on the year because older cars don't have as much wiring.

Wiring

Doing the wiring in an engine swap is most likely the most complicated part. Usually the wire harness has two pieces the engine harness and the cab harness. depending on the circumstances you might need both for your engine swap. When you put a different engine in a vehicle you might need to wire after market wiring in it as well. I think this is the most difficult part but it really depends.

Engine swap

Putting the engine in is the fun part. You will have to put the engine in before you do the wiring. If I engine swapped a vehicle I would probably put a bigger engine in that vehicle. Most people just put the same engine back in the vehicle but that's not really fun. It's better when you put a big truck engine in a little car. That's just what I would do.

Conclusion 

Most of the time people do engine swaps to replace the old engine with a new one. If you want to go crazy and put an engine in a car that it's not supposed to be in, that's totally up to you. Engine swapping can be hard but it can be fun too.  

Imagine loud motors, the smell of methanol and the pure instinct of wrecking. The grand stands are full of people ready to watch people junk something they put 50 hours into building for 10 minutes. The fans cheering on the young kids that bring powerwheels just to get the adrenaline like us drivers.Everyone can just go out and drive one, but they are not thinking about all the time and money it takes to build a car or truck and then get it to the track. Just to go get 5 gallons of air plane fuel is $40, that's crazy.  Demo derby is on the decline, there is getting to be fewer and fewer drivers every year, due to cost, time and money.

 The old style demo derby is dying, the strip and go part is gone. People used to just go get a car out of the grove that sorta ran and they would pull it in the shed and strip the interior and go. They want you to fully gut the car, put a built engine in it and a full blown safety cage. People just simply don't have the time to spend a month on building a car just to wreck it in 10 minutes. People have been asking for the gut and go classes to come back but promoters say that it's a safety hazard to have them out there without cages and the proper safety gear. Promoters have now agreed with the fact that people will start demoing with the simpler classes to run, so they have come out with the mwfa class, which is a minivan class or small compact car class that just takes the windows out and demo. 

 People talk about the good old days of demoing, where they would “ take a 1975 Chevy Caprice Classic: 350 motors, more rust than metal. Through some digger tires on it” and they would all joke about how they would tell the person that they bought it from what they were gonna do it. The best cars you can buy are old iron gm, but the problem is that to get a clean one you're looking at atleast 5k for a car to go crash. And you probably won't even win a demo.  The amount of old cars are getting slimmer every year due to them completely rusting out and people just hoarding them cause they can't stand the fact that someone would wreck them. 

The fact of getting injured pushes a lot of people away. They think us drivers don't take safety precautions. But the real truth is that when you're in there your adrenaline is so high you really doubt you feel much until the day after. Once you get that first hit out of the way it's all fun and games there. You forget about the nerves and that gut wrench feeling, but some people just can't get over the fact that people would run into someone for fun.

The moral of the story is that the sport is on its way out if we don't get any new drivers coming out to try the sport, they don't even have to build full cars, they can just do a hobo class just to get them out trying the sport. And they can work their way up to a full size. But the best thing we can be doing is getting the kids involved in the power wheels and let them battle it out so they hopefully get that instinct to bring the sport back.

References: 

https://we-crash.proboards.com/thread/73107/old-style-demolition-derby-dying

Old style demolition derby dying? (n.d.). We-Crash Forum. https://we-crash.proboards.com/thread/73107/old-style-demolition-derby-dying

https://www.parkrecord.com/2011/07/22/despite-sellout-crowds-demolition-derbies-are-a-dying-sport/

Siddoway, D. (2011, July 22). Despite sellout crowds, demolition derbies are a dying sport. The Park Record. 

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-demolition-derby-breaks-record-for-number-of-cars-in-a-single-heat/601481568

Chhith, A. (2025, September 28). Minnesota demolition derby breaks record for number of cars in a single heat. Star Tribune. 

AI is changing the way people live and work by making tasks faster and more efficient. It's used in things like phones, cars, and hospitals.  While some will argue that AI is bad, I believe it's good because it improves efficiency and healthcare.

How AI improves efficiency and healthcare. I agree with the Pew Research Center article “Key Findings About How Americans View Artificial Intelligence” which explains how many people believe AI helps make tasks easier and improves productivity in everyday life. (Faverio & Kikuchi, 2026) This shows that AI improves efficiency by allowing people to complete work faster and focus on more important tasks. It also helps reduce stress and makes difficult work easier to manage. I agree with the Mayo Clinic article “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare,” which states that “Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform healthcare by helping clinicians make better decisions and improve patient outcomes.”(Artificial Intelligence) This shows that AI can help doctors diagnose and treat patients more effectively. It also highlights how AI can lead to better healthcare and improved patient outcomes. Now that I’ve talked about the benefits of AI, it is also important to look at some of the concerns people have.

How AI can be harmful.  According to the Brookings Institution article “Generative AI, the American Worker, and the Future of Work,” experts warn that AI and automation could impact many jobs and change the workforce. (Sorelle Friedler et al., 2025) This shows that AI could negatively affect people who rely on certain jobs for income. It also creates uncertainty about the future of work. However, this does not mean AI will only cause job loss, the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development report “AI and Work,” which found that “four out of five workers who use AI say it has improved their job performance.”  This shows that AI is helping workers become more productive rather than replacing them. It also suggests that AI is improving jobs and creating new opportunities instead of only removing them. Even though there are some concerns about AI, the benefits still outweigh the risks.

In conclusion, artificial intelligence can be both helpful and harmful depending on how it is used. Although there are concerns about job loss and overreliance, AI still provides many benefits that improve society. Overall, AI is more helpful than harmful when used responsibly.

Work Cited

Faverio, M., & Kikuchi, E. (2026, March 12). What the data says about Americans’ views of Artificial Intelligence. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/?utm

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/giving-to-mayo-clinic/our-priorities/artificial-intelligence 

Sorelle Friedler, S. B., Josie Stewart, S. K. P., & West, D. M. (2025, October 28). Generative AI, the American worker, and the future of work. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/generative-ai-the-american-worker-and-the-future-of-work/

OECD. (n.d.). AI and work . OECD. https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/ai-and-work.html 

While some people will argue that it would cost too much to regulate space debris, I believe that there should be regulations on space debris because space debris threatens our satellite systems and more space debris makes it lethal to astronauts and to their space crafts.

Space Debris Damaging Satellite Systems

When space debris hits satellites in space, the debris damages the systems which include the satellite systems. According to the Global Resilience Institution, damage to the systems could cause widespread problems since they are interconnected; for example, GPS systems which are not only used for navigation but also helps airlines make flight routes and provides precise timings for sectors like banks, finance, and energy. Also many military tools rely on  GPS satellites for guided missiles, drones, and intelligence systems, which all rely on satellites. Therefore, evidence shows that if space debris hit the satellites, most systems would start to crash. If the systems started to crash, many people could die or get injured just because a piece of space debris hits the systems by hitting them. According to Stevens, even small pieces of space debris are dangerous since they can travel at high speeds and can damage satellites and spacecraft. The space debris threatens important systems like GPS, communications, and weather forecasting. When Stevens says how dangerous the space debris is, he goes on to prove that no regulations on space debris will keep on destroying the satellites if nobody does nothing about it. If debris keeps destroying the satellites, daily life suffers, communication systems fail, people start to lose reliable ways to connect with each other, and weather forecasting begins to become unreliable, therefore, forcing people to start guessing on what to wear each day. Because of how serious the risks are, it is important to start putting strong regulations on space debris to prevent further damages from it.

Space Debris Dangerous to Astronauts/Spacecrafts

Space debris is also really dangerous to astronauts while out there working on satellites for us. According to Stevens, he also goes on to say, astronauts are also at risk, especially during their space walks since space debris can strike them which can injure them and could even kill them. The evidence shows that space debris is especially dangerous to astronauts. Astronauts are putting their lives in danger since the government won’t put regulations on space debris. The Aerospace Corporation goes on to say that astronauts on the International space station and on their space walks face the risks of being hit by space debris, but their suits and station can protect them, though only up to a centimeter in size. The information shows how dangerous space debris is, especially since astronauts' suits and space stations can’t even protect them against a piece of space debris bigger than a centimeter. So what happens to astronauts the next time they are out on a space walk and a piece of space debris bigger than a centimeter hits them and kills them just because there were no regulations against space debris. The evidence shown highlights how important regulations for space debris are so it can protect the astronauts and prevent avoidable loss of astronauts.

Costs Against Regulations

There are many people who would argue that trying to regulate all the space debris and trying to remove it would be way too expensive but in reality if the government doesn't start now, it’d be more expensive in the future. According to the European Space Agency, they go on to say, although protecting and reducing space debris is already costly for satellite operators, the biggest risks and costs will occur in the future if debris continues to grow out of control and make certain orbits unusable. The evidence shows how it would be better to start regulating space debris sooner rather than later to help us save more money in the long run. It also shows us how waiting will make it even worse for us, eventually, it’d be too dangerous to go up into orbit in some places which would make us have to either remove the space debris or move it, which would be even more expensive than just trying to regulate space debris now. Stevens also goes on to say that, at the same time, removing space debris would benefit operators since it would make their satellites run more safely and more efficiently. It would also save money since it would reduce the amount of fuel used and operational costs by avoiding unnecessary collision maneuvers.  The evidence goes on to show how regulating space debris now would really cut down costs on just going into space. If the government started later they would be just wasting more fuel and it would cost a lot more just plotting a course to go around all the space debris would also be very problematic, especially for NASA, since if there is space debris building up, it would be a hard plotting a course to go around all of that and it would costs tons of money. All the evidence shown explains why space regulation should be started sooner rather than later, sure it’s expensive but starting later would be a way bigger cost and even more of a risk to the astronauts.

Conclusion

The points that have been presented today show why there should be regulations on space debris because space debris damages satellite systems, injures astronauts and space crafts, and creating regulations sooner than later would be cheaper than waiting for it to pile up.  Space debris is not only a problem in orbit, it also affects lives on Earth by disrupting communication systems, navigation, and some essential services that are used everyday. It also creates dangerous working conditions for astronauts who risk their lives to explore and maintain space. There are people who say trying to regulate space debris would be too expensive but in reality evidence shows if it was pushed off until the space debris was too much, it would cost even more than just starting now. Regulations are not just protecting technology in space but also about protecting human life and progress.

References

Space Debris 101  The Aerospace Corporation. (2024). Aerospace.org. https://aerospace.org/article/space-debris-101 

Space debris poses growing threat to satellite infrastructure Global Resilience Institute. (2018, January 13). Global Resilience Institute. https://globalresilience.northeastern.edu/space-debris-poses-growing-threat-to-satellite-infrastructure 

Stevens. (2025, December 4). Space debris poses growing threat, but new study suggests cleanup is feasible. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-space-debris-poses-threat-cleanup.html 

Without art, the world would be a monotonous void deprived of human expression and wonder. Let it be a doodle on the restroom stall or the local mural, art captivates the eyes that feast on it, sending observers down a spiral of questions. Who made it? What does it mean? Why is it here? Many believe these public displays of twisted lines and splashes of color are a distraction and provide nothing useful to society, but the curiosity derived from art opens the mind to endless possibilities for growth.  While some will argue that street art is vandalism, I encourage public spaces to feature more visuals because it enhances life and creates a sense of community

Public Art enhances life in an area. For example, an article from Book An Artist blog points out beautification of a community, correlating the improvement and restructure of an environment making an area more visually appealing to the brain. The article explains how art boosts the release of dopamine and other lowering stress hormones that heightens mood and self esteem. In turn, surrounding residents and recurring visitors become familiar with the space, brains stimulated by the additional features. The more people go, the more time they get to destress and relax.  Furthermore, another article from Caitlin Young states that a person's esteem and perspective can change by simply showing a photo or piece of art. Putting aside time to take in an artist's creation forces the observer to, as Caitlin puts it, study the idea or statement expressed in the artwork, to absorb the feelings and labor put into it, forcing a shift in perspective when a concept is shown in a different format. If this ideas applied to a location that lacks spark, incorporating eyecatching visuals may attract the public. 

Art creates a sense of community. League of Minnesota Cities released an article that not only illustrates the vibrancy public art brings to an area, but as well as the liveliness it gives to the community. The passage clarifies how street art has been made into a tool for free speech and protests, stories and statements, allowing obscurity all while still giving freedom to communities in a way that's humble but meaningful to its intended audience. Developing a shared identity introduces residents to expressing themselves among their community and newcomers, not only creating relatability and connection for those nearby but shares stories and history of the location and its people. This development could diminish the recent increase of isolation, and encourage citizens alike to socialize and connect. 

Stop the Clock

Twice a year the world resets clocks, disrupts sleep, loses daylight, and throw schedules out of sync. Because of the negative effects many people question if the change remains necessary. While some argue society benefits from daylight savings, the time change holds no relevance because of technological advancements, disruption to people's lives and elevated health issues. 

Saving Daylight, Draining Energy 

Daylight savings no longer serves a purpose in the modern day era. The time change was created in World War I to preserve energy. While writing about the lack of need for daylight savings Radcliffe (2025) explains for early morning risers, more energy is used to light the morning. She also describes how longer daylight hours in the summer lead to the air conditioner staying on for more hours of the day, using loads of energy. Daylight savings started as a way to save daylight. Since technology improved, an extra hour of daylight lacks importance and relevancy. In addition to not needing the time change, daylight savings also negatively affects people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. 

Affecting Neurological Disorders

The daylight savings time change demonstrates incredible difficulty for dementia and Alzheimer's patients to adjust to. For example, the Alzheimer's Society (2026) explains people with dementia after the time change, find differentiating between 6am and 6 pm very difficult which disrupts their circadian biological clock, making sleep difficult. People with dementia or Alzheimer's already survive with a bad hand dealt to them, daylight savings adds another bad card in the hand. What seems like a small inconvenience to the average person deeply impacts dementia and Alzheimer's patients who already exhibit a fragile state of mind. Even though the health of society shows great importance, some people still think having daylight shows as a higher priority.  

Health Importance

While some people argue more daylight is needed, human health takes priority over daylight. According to Bai (2025) a science writer for Stanford she states studies show having a permanent standard time would lower obesity and stroke cases. Living long and happy lives shines through as the goal of humankind. The fact taking away daylight savings would decrease obesity and strokes seems like a simple decision for the greater good. In an article about the health risks of the time change from Johns Hopkins quotes an expert “‘The scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including in heart attack and stroke,’ says sleep expert Adam Spira, PhD, MA, a professor in Mental Health.” (qtd. in Coulson, 2023). In my own family, strokes and heart attacks affected important people. Health problems cause fear and damage. If reducing threatening health conditions becomes possible, the opportunity must be used to improve overall health.

Changing for the Greater Good

People argue daylight savings impacts the world for the greater good, but the change lacks necessity because of the advancements in modern technology, the interference to daily life which affects some more than others, and health risks. The world continues to make leaps and bounds of progress technologically so the extra hour of daylight isn’t nearly as crucial as the past. Having a neurological disorder causes more disruption in life leaving patients confused and lost. The risk of heart attacks and strokes rise which increases harm for the health of society. It’s time to stop changing lives to the clock and start changing the clock to lives. 

References 

Alzheimer’s Society. (2026, March 2). Supporting people with dementia when the clocks change. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/supporting-people-with-dementia-when-the-clocks-change?__cf_chl_rt_tk=Mz7WltCq4g3Er2vXi9yANV0gFawU4Nv4_bcR9Tb5Qig-1774541903-1.0.1.1-U59L28FzoPgUgBIpdrbVHzVpu8v4OL7zyx83jazhKNU

Bai, N. (2025, September 15). Study suggests most Americans would be healthier without daylight saving time. Stanford Medicine. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/09/daylight-saving-time.html

Coulson, M. (2023, March 9). 7 things to know about daylight savings time. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/7-things-to-know-about-daylight-saving-time#:~:text=On%20Sunday%2C%20most%20of%20the,felt%20and%20seen%20nearly%20everywhere

Radcliff, N. (2025, November 2). Falling back on daylight saving time. Earth Day. https://www.earthday.org/falling-back-on-daylight-saving-time/

Body checking has been apart of hockey for Centuries but as in Youth Hockey leagues it lingers as a controversial question this essay will argue that we should lower the age of body checking and how it will reduce concussion rates and improve technique and player safety by looking at all of the data and things over time it will become more clear that players should be introduced to checking at a younger level to protect young athletes rather than harm them.

In Minnesota body checking has been a debated topic for centuries and the age of checking has raised in the effort to reduce injuries especially concussions however research suggests that dealing with checking at an older age may actually increase injury risk When getting introduced to  checking. What we should be doing is lowering the age of checking, putting more trust in coaches, and educating them further on safety education. By doing this it could help us reduce concussions and better prepare  hockey players for a higher level. When introducing body checking at a younger level, it will help teach our kids body checking technique and allow them to develop it over time, becoming more prepared. By helping them in more controlled environments, they will soon become better at checking and receiving hits, thereby reducing their chances of getting injured. As the age of checking is lowered, players will be smaller and slower, which would reduce the impact of collisions and give them time to develop safety habits. By doing all these things, our players will soon learn at a younger age to become more educated and can learn more ways to prevent dangerous hits and lower the risk of injuries.

My next topic I will be discussing is looking back at the history of concussions in  youth hockey to support my argument further in the past checking has been introduced at a young age level and while injuries did occur players developed more physically aware and technique skills early in their hockey careers Overtime the rules have changed and now they have raised the checking age to a higher level trying to protect our players in the youth levels. However, some studies show that pushing the age limit up has not significantly decreased concussions or injuries, and even in some cases, increasing the age of players has resulted in an increase in the number of injuries during their first Checking experience. This is because kids at  the starting age are usually bigger and give a lot of force, and usually lack the skill and safety to help with receiving and giving checks. With all this information coming in, modern hockey has become faster and more competitive. With Advanced training equipment, the gameplay has increased the intensity of the sport. With all this intense training and gameplay, having proper technique when hitting and getting hit is a huge thing. Over time, modern equipment has also evolved, leading to safer and better equipment. Even with all this modern equipment, the best safety feature is experience and  education.

Others may argue that the age of hitting right now is good as it is. But coming from my own personal experience, the game of hockey every single year gets faster and faster. From one level to another, it becomes faster and more intense. Kids get bigger, and people get less educated. I think one of the biggest struggles in today's hockey is the need for education, because the skill is there, the hitting and the contact are there, it's just the way of learning how to deal with how to get hit, how to give hits. That's why I think the age of hitting should be lowered I definitely think that with lowering the age will come with  less injuries at the higher levels I think we definitely need to educate our youth on how to be better as  players and how to make better decisions and that's the main reason why I think we should lower the age  level of  Youth Hockey.

Because body checking is so important in hockey and is the main reason why we should lower the age. It helps prepare our youth with a more competitive and intense style of hockey. Getting them more ready and prepared for a faster past and physical game can lead to more  technique and physical and mental preparedness that no one can teach. That can only be learned through trill air and in game experience and can lead to way less injuries and better for the body. So that's why we should lower the age of body checking in youth hockey. 

Imagine the sun has just set, you hear the turning over of a massive engine all you can smell is high octane race gas you know that a race is about to start. Dirt track racing is in decline, and fewer people are attending races. The stands are becoming bare, and people are losing interest in racing. There are still people who grew up around racing who are still coming, but there are no new faces coming into the stands. The main reason that fewer people are coming to watch is that most people are bored with dirt track racing. There are no more heated rivalries; it's just who throws more money at the car. Another reason is that some people just don’t know about it; they don’t know when the tracks race.

The classes get more and more expensive I understand why people are staying in that class as Goggles Pisano implies in his writing he says that some racers can’t afford to race anymore with the prices of the engine, tire and fuel to get to the tracks and the fuel for the cars it all starts to add up quikly and when your racing for 150 buck or less” the races all wich that pay outs where better but with the lack of an audience the tracks can’t afford to give out higher payouts unless its a sponsored event there is way to fix the lack of audience promot more I have nothing against the promoters but they defintly could be doing more like try and bring in a younger crowd few ways they could do that is be on multiple social media platforms not just facebook kids don’t look or even use facebook plat forms like Instgram or even Tik Tok could pull in a younger crowd another way to get peope to stay longer and buy more food and drinks switch the order of races go in order of speed having the slowest class last make no sense as most of the racers in that class are kids move the hornets to the first race then go pure stocks, street stock, midwest mods/b mods, A mods then end with the latemodles most people want to see the latemodles so with having it at the end it will make people stay longer selling more food and drinks bring more money to the track. This will allow for higher payouts, which will, in turn, bring more competitive races that fans will enjoy more and hopefully bring in more fans. But there are more than just how expensive racing is; another thing affecting turnouts for races is that kids don’t want to go out on the weekends.

   When dirt track racing was in its prime, it had a lot more kids coming to watch, but as the years go on, the number of kids coming to races is falling. This is partly due to kids not wanting to leave the house as much as they used to. Kid would rather stay home and play video games for hours on end then go sit in the stands with the cars screaming around the track as they say in alfs “kids are staying indoors for longer times because of increased screen time” this means that kids would rather sit infront of a tv or gaming consoles instead of going out on the weekend to hangout with friends or go to the races as a teen myself I have noticed that most of classmates would rather sit inside playing video games then come out on the weekend I don’t know why to me video games get boring at a point and i would rather hangout with friends I don’t know what the tracks can do to get more of theise kids to come to the races I feel like more social media would help but that's not a definite way but some will argue that dirt trak racing isn’t falling off.

   Dirt track racing has had it ups and downs right now it both as we see a lack of attendance of fans in the stands but there are alot of acule racers people will argue that dirt track racing isnt dieing but it is as they say in amg sports “Major eventsdraw huge crowds, and some reports suggest over 30 million tickets are sold annually, claiming to outpace major league sports.” yes big events pull in big ticket sails but your locals track every week isn’t pulling in that much ticket sails anymore the local trackes are struggling to keep afloat.

   Dirt track is in need of help from people getting bored with the same thing every weekend, to promoters not promoting to kids, not wanting to go out. Racing is struggling plain and simple now somepeople won’t agree with that but that is the truth I hear people all the time complaining about pay outs for races but the tracks can always give higher pay out they can give high payouts if more people come to races but until then we arnt gonna see any higher payouts what we all need to do is tell friends and family to come to the races on the weekend the sport isn’t gonna change over night we need to help.

Some class discussions come across as uncomfortable and irritating. Many students and even teachers dread having them, however, those individuals often fail to realize the benefits discussions provide for students. Some may argue trying to implement more frequent discussion in the classroom comes across as a futile effort, especially when so many students outright refuse to participate, but if discussion is applied to all grade levels at a consistent rate, students grow used to having them. Eventually, discussion will become common practice. Having class discussion also helps students both academically and in developing critical skills for younger kids to older teens.

Academic Benefits of Classroom Discussion

When students participate in class discussions, their ability to learn is enhanced. A study done by 3 professors at Northeastern University reports on how students learn from participating in class discussions. The study involved 246 student participants, and more than 70% of the students perceived a positive relationship between their own participation and learning. Students also noted a deeper understanding of discussed topics, giving a source of confirmation of prior knowledge, and an increased ability to retain and recall information (Dallimore et al., 2017).  The research shows evidence of students actively benefiting from discussions. The source also brings attention to how involvement in discussions promotes more cognitive processing rather than short term memorizing. Another article discussing the benefits of group discussions delves into how their group of students found summarizing the subject matter of their most recent lecture and its importance proved beneficial to their learning, and later calls attention to how the ways discussion benefited their students. Mainly focusing on how their experience in past discussions affected their future ones (Gustaven and Vennebo, 2024). The article supports the idea that classroom discussions help develop learning skills over time, leading to students learning from them more, creating lasting academic growth.

Assistance in the Development of Life Skills

In-class discussions not only positively impact students academically, but also help students develop critical life skills. An article from Oxford Learning describing the benefits of participation in classroom discussions states how participating in class enhances communication skills such as active listening and articulating ideas (“10 Benefits of Participating in Class,” 2023). Communication and listening skills are important to possess in an academic setting, and just as important, if not even more important while searching for and while in a future career. Which shows how discussions in an academic setting prepare students for situations in real world settings. Elsewhere in the same article, the author goes into how, since participation requires students to analyze information and form their own opinions, helping grow critical thinking skills. Critical thinking arguably ranks among the most important life skills for someone to acquire. Even if school already provides work for students to help strengthen their skills, having discussions creates great personal freedom along with learning opportunities. For example, by giving students the opportunity to hear many other opinions while still creating a space for independent thoughts without influence by an outside source such as AI or a heavily biased speaker.

Addressing the Concern of Participation

Some might argue many students lack the willingness to participate in discussions, therefore creating a tense environment and unnecessary struggles for teachers trying to help the students. However, the initial challenges become outweighed by the positive long-term effect from continuous exposure to class discussions. Through regular practice over time, the students can gradually adjust to the learning style.

The Role of Consistency

 The Leadership Society of Arizona put out an article discussing what consistency means. The writers claim consistency decreases the likelihood of unpreparedness for the unexpected hurdles life presents (Zulanas, 2017) . Here, readers see the argument emphasizing how consistency plays a large part in creating confidence through the experience of the repeated concept, including discussions. If classes utilize discussion as a learning tool more often, students won’t get caught off guard by having to openly share their opinions and ideas to their classmates. Going back to the article from Gustaven and Vennebo (2024), when students reported their previous experiences in class group discussions led to better, improved skills in later discussions. Because students showed improvement in later discussions due to the prior ones, evidence supporting why consistency in the class setting builds confidence, and gives a sense of familiarity. Since the discussions became a routine, students become less hesitant and grow used to having discussions with their class.

Conclusion

Instead of moving away from discussions due to issues with students, teachers can expand the use of discussion in their classrooms, since research shows academic growth and building of vital skills in students. Discussions enhance students’ abilities academically inside of the classroom, and both emotionally and socially. Because of incorporating discussions, students reported higher levels of understanding and retaining information after having a discussion about the topic in class. At the same time, the students actively build important communication and critical thinking skills, all of which become accomplished through consistent usage of discussions as a classroom learning tool, allowing students to become familiar and comfortable with the concept. When discussion isn’t allowed to become an obstacle, it acts as an effective learning tool necessary to a good education.

References

10 benefits of participating in class. (2023, March 31). Oxford Learning. https://oxfordlearning.com/10-benefits-of-class-participation/

Dallimore, E.J., Hertenstein, J.H., Platt, M.B. (2017, March 27). How do students learn from participation in class discussion? Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/students-learn-participation-class-discussion/

Gustaven, A.M., Vennebo, K.F. (2024). Group discussions: An active learning resource for school and kindergarten teachers? Educational Research, 67(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2024.2433958

Zulanas, C. (2017, March, 27). Consistency yields more effective learning. Leadership Society of Arizona. https://leadaz.org/2017/03/27/consistency-yields-effective-learning/

Burnout refers to a process of chronic response to stress in life. Students can have academic burnout that is caused by stress related to their studies. Many different factors contribute to academic burnout, the objective of this paper is to research the factors contributing to burnout in many different student populations. Burnout in students is caused by high performance pressure, excessive academic workload, and overloaded schedules. Many students can become burnt out, but they can also bounce back.

Academic Burnout causes and prevention 

High performance pressure can cause students to experience academic burnout, due to the amount of pressure that high school and college students put on themselves. “For many college students, the pursuit of success can feel like a full-time job layered on top of an already full-time job. From exams and scholarships to balancing friendships and part-time work, academic life often brings a constant undercurrent of pressure.” (Cynthia Vejar). This pressure often takes a deeper toll than students realize. The pressure on the students can cause mental health issues, most students already struggle with mental health issues and the performance pressure can only cause more issues.  “Performance pressure and mental health go hand-in-hand. The concept of perfectionism is unattainable, and if someone is constantly chasing something that doesn’t exist, they will be in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. This may impact their sense of self and make them question if they are in the right field altogether.” (Cynthia Vejar). The constant chase for perfect grades and resume- worthy achievement goals can make setbacks feel catastrophic, leaving students more vulnerable to burnout and self-doubt.

Students are constantly running around trying to balance out their social and academic responsibilities, running on little sleep, downtime or reflection. They often trade exhaustion stories like trophies and treat a packed schedule as a badge of honor. “I often feel pretty guilty for resting, it feels like only during breaks I can relax fully, but even then, I really feel like I should be preparing for something or doing something productive instead of just resting,” (Shankar, a junior neuroscience major.) It is important to be a well-rounded student, however people need to stop glamorizing burnout. It doesn’t lead to success, it hinders it. Students who are unable to balance school and extracurricular activities, are not sluggish or disinterested; they are just under too much pressure. Many students start to treat downtime as a guilty pleasure. Students sign up for everything, convinced they’ll fall behind if they don’t. It is understandable for students to want to be in extracurricular activities and get experiences to be a well-rounded student before graduation. Though burning themselves out now will only delay their success in the future. The grind mindset condemns anything that is not considered productive. Hobbies and leisure activities are left on the backburner; however rest and social connections are essential to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Being constantly busy does not equal productivity. Research shows that mental fatigue reduces focus, creativity, and efficiency, meaning overloaded students often accomplish less. Research shows that multitasking actually makes us less efficient, more stressed, and eventually mentally drained. If you try to take on too much or multitask all day, your brain eventually runs out of bandwidth to focus. “Multitasking often feels productive, like we’re accomplishing several different things at once,” (Kristin Slyne, PsyD, with Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network.). Multitasking isn’t about doing multiple things at the same thing, it’s about shifting between them. Every time you multitask your brain needs a moment to refocus, those moments add up. “It’s like trying to read a book and hold a conversation at the same time, You’re not fully present for either one — and both suffer.” (Dr. Slyne). Studies show that multitasking can reduce productivity, while increasing the risks of mistakes. Multitasking can even impact memory and learning, as your brain struggles to decode information without giving it full attention.

In conclusion, academic burnout is not simply a result of laziness or poor time management, but a serious issue caused by overwhelming work loads, high expectations, and constant pressure to succeed. When students are pushed beyond their limits without adequate support, their mental and physical health suffer. By promoting balance, realistic expectations, and accessible mental health resources, schools can reduce burnout. Prevention must become a priority rather than afterthought. Supporting students today ensures healthier, more successful futures. Many students can become burnt out, but they can also bounce back.

Cites

Cynthia Vejar, The High Cost of Academic Stress: Why Performance Pressure Weighs on Students

https://www.lvc.edu/news/the-high-cost-of-academic-stress/

How not To Stress Over an Overloaded Schedules

https://www.ohai.ai/blog/how-to-not-stress-over-an-overloaded-schedule/

BMC Psychol, Investigating learning burnout and academic performance among management students: a longitudinal study in English courses

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11036769/

Introduction

It would take nearly 800 average-sized wind turbines to match the output of a 900-megawatt reactor. In a world searching for ways to reduce carbon emissions while still meeting growing energy demands highlights the power and efficiency of nuclear energy. While some argue nuclear power is unsafe and poses too much of a risk, I believe nuclear power would be very helpful for reaching net zero carbon emissions because nuclear power produces low carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels and nuclear power produces large and constant amounts of electricity.

Nuclear Powers Low Carbon Emissions

Nuclear power produces low carbon emissions compared to Fossil fuels. According to the Office of Nuclear Energy from the U.S. Department of Energy (2024), nuclear power is already the largest source of clean energy and produces about half of the nation's emission-free energy, avoiding over 471 million metric tons of carbon per year. This means nuclear energy plays a major role already in reducing carbon emissions and reduces dependence on coal and natural gas plants. It has already shown nuclear energy is already effective and helps lower emissions. The Energy Information Administration states nuclear reactors don't produce carbon dioxide emissions when generating electricity (“Nuclear explained: Nuclear power and the environment,” 2022). Nuclear energy is a viable, large-scale alternative to carbon-intensive means of producing electricity. Nuclear energy can provide reliable energy while helping countries meet commitments for reducing carbon.

Consistent and Large Scale Electricity Generation

Nuclear power produces a large and constant amount of electricity. The MIT Climate Portal Writing Team says to match a 900-megawatt reactor output it would take almost 800 average sized wind turbines to produce the same amount of energy (2024). This highlights the efficiency of nuclear energy. It could also reduce the logistical and maintenance burden as only one reactor would need maintenance versus hundreds of wind turbines. They also mentioned nuclear power plants. only take 10 hectares per terawatt while wind turbines require up to 100 hectares per terawatt (MIT Climate Portal Writing Team, 2024). Nuclear power plants have a smaller footprint compared to wind while producing the same amount of power, which can reduce conflict over land use. With nuclear energy taking up less space, it can produce 10 terawatts for the same amount of space of wind turbines procuring one terawatt.

Perceptions of Risk and Safety Concerns

Some argue that nuclear power is unsafe and poses too much of a risk but there have been many advances in safety. The Energy Information Administration says in their article “Nuclear explained: Nuclear power and the environment” that the risk of an uncontrolled nuclear reactor is small because of safety measures like the training of the workers, the redundant barriers, and advanced safety system (2022). Historical concerns have often overestimated the risks of actual nuclear reactor operation. Nuclear energy is a manageable risk, while the environmental damage from fossil fuels is not. The Office of Nuclear Energy says the Department of Nuclear Energy is working with the industry to develop new fuels that can increase the performance and reduce nuclear waste (2024). This event suggests nuclear power can become safer and more efficient over time. It also demonstrates proactive efforts to mitigate long-term risks associated with nuclear waste.

Conclusion

Nuclear power is a tool for achieving net zero carbon emissions. It produces low carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels and generates large and consistent amounts of electricity. 

While some concerns about safety and waste disposal remain, advancements and strict regulations have minimized the risks. By investing in and expanding nuclear power, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced while keeping a stable supply of electricity.

References

MIT Climate Portal Writing Team. (2024, January 4). How many wind turbines would it take to equal the energy output of one typical nuclear reactor? | MIT Climate Portal. Climate.mit.edu. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-many-wind-turbines-would-it-take-equal-energy-output-one-typical-nuclear-reactor 

U.S. Department of Energy. (2024, June 11). Advantages and Challenges of Nuclear Energy. Office of Nuclear Energy; U.S. Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/advantages-and-challenges-nuclear-energy 

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2022, November 7). Nuclear Power and the Environment. Eia.gov; U.S. Energy Information Administration. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/nuclear-power-and-the-environment.php 

The Problem with Obesity in America

Nearly half of the adults in the United States fall into the obese category, highlighting the growing severity of the health concern. Poor dietary habits and reduced levels of physical activity largely contribute to the rising rates of obesity. As unhealthy patterns become more common, obesity no longer remains as a personal issue but a major public health concern. Although some people view personal health choices as private business, addressing the problem with obesity in the United States remains vital because maintaining a healthy weight significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease and improves overall physical, mental, and spiritual health.

What is Obesity and What Causes it?

Obesity results from consuming more calories than burning, leading to an excessive amount of body fat. The World Health Organization defines obesity as, “a chronic, relapsing disease arising from complex interactions between genetics, neurobiology, eating behaviours, access to healthy diet, market forces, and the broader environment.” The definition suggests obesity involves many different factors, not just diet. Many people assume obesity results from simply overeating, but research suggests deeper psychological factors also contribute. Individuals with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and trauma often use food as a source of comfort. Additionally, genetic disorders, physical disabilities, poor sleep habits, and sedentary lives influence obesity. While obesity often shows physical signs, doctors rely on the Body Mass Index (BMI), which calculates the amount of fat on a person's body based on their height and weight. 

Health Effects and Consequences

Obesity increases the risk of developing many serious health conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  excess body fat leads to chronic inflammation and harmful metabolic changes in the body which puts strain on the body. Health risks grow as weight and length of time carrying the weight increase. Obesity links to chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. The consequences of obesity extend beyond personal consequences but also economical due to the rise of healthcare expenses and the decrease in efficiency of healthcare employees. The effects of obesity show why national intervention remains necessary to address the public health problem.

Why Should Others Care?

Many individuals view obesity as a personal issue not requiring intervention. Many believe calorie information, diet plans, and fitness programs remain widely available, suggesting that obesity results from personal choices. However, the perspective ignores the global factors of obesity. An article from the Stop Obesity Alliance states that, “With the rise of new treatments for obesity, many healthcare payers are struggling to decide if they will cover anti-obesity medications.” As a future tax payer, contributors to the public healthcare facilities support funds to different health conditions associated with obesity. Therefore, obesity represents more than a personal concern and remains a growing public health issue.

Help Yourself

Obesity remains a serious national health concern influenced by genetic, psychological, and environmental factors, meaning the responsibility cannot fall on one individual. The connection between obesity and serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer shows how big of the obesity problem. Also, obesity contributes to the rising healthcare costs and taxpayer rates. Take obesity seriously and work hard toward prevention and healthier lifestyles to promote the well-being of the society in America. Start the health journey now, don’t wait.

Cited Sources

World Health Organization. “Obesity and Overweight.” World Health Organization, 7 May 2025, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight.

CDC. “Consequences of Obesity.” Obesity, 2 Dec. 2025, www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/about/consequences.html.

Dietz, William. “The Economic Impact of Obesity | STOP Obesity Alliance | Milken Institute School of Public Health | the George Washington University.” STOP Obesity Alliance | Milken Institute School of Public Health, 31 Oct. 2023, stop.publichealth.gwu.edu/LFD-oct23.

School lunches have been a debated topic for many years, even getting a reform from Michele Obama. However this topic still holds many different views of people want their lunch to be.  School canteens or cafeterias should always have a wider choice of proper food to satisfy the need of athletes and children who do not get enough food at home.

School food in America needs to be better. This is because as an 18 year old boy, everyday after lunch I am going hungry the rest of the day and practice after, I end up burning more calories than taking in. “Nearly 200 million children under the age of 5 suffer from undernutrition”( The Lancet Regional Health, Americas, 2022) I know from personal experiences, along with the natural calories burnt during the day, lifting and having sports after school the school does not provide enough food to sustain the energy levels needed. This leads to being more tired during learning time and losing weight. The Gordon food service said that “The average college student requires between 1,500-3,000 calories daily; however, some athletes’ caloric needs exceed 4,000.”(Gordon Food Service) I strongly believe that athletes at the least should be able to obtain a higher standard lunch or get bigger portions if not all that are able to afford it. 

Students who don't have hot meals at home every night, come to school knowing that they get food. Those students don't get enough food from the school to stay active and efficient once they get home. “Survey responses from more than 1,200 parents reveal that the return to school is a relief for those struggling to make ends meet and an essential tool for kids to thrive in school.”(No Kid Hungry (2025)  So a small proportioned section of food is not going to be enough to keep them through the next day even with the parents having more resources to put food on the table.  No high school kid should have to worry about having a meal after school. If the school gives more food to these students then it keeps them coming back to school and not leaving to work to get a solid meal. 

Some argue that families who are able to pay for higher quality meals should not have to cover the cost for students who do not have meals at home. They believe parents who can afford better food should only be responsible for their own children, since paying more benefits their child directly and helps maintain strong school performance and funding.

On top of that, others argue that if improved food options are provided, not every student necessarily needs the same amount of food. An example of this is student athletes, they tend to burn significantly more calories(1000-2000) more per day than the average student. So they require larger portions to maintain their energy levels. “children and teens who attend public schools in the U.S. Kids eat between 35% and 50% of their daily calories at school. However, one-third of the calories consumed at school are unhealthy ones.”University of California, Davis Health (2019). The current school meal program fails to meet the necessary nutritional needs of normal students. The current school meal program fails to meet the required nutritional needs of student athletes whom I consider to be normal students. Student athletes will face burnout and diminished performance and academic decline and potential loss of athletic eligibility if they do not receive adequate nutrition. The need for individual meal distribution according to personal requirements is shared by some people.

Overall school food keeps kids from going hungry with the funds they are given. Many of the students however could benefit highly from the increased portions or higher grade food. Too many kids go home hungry with little to no meals.  I think that schools should improve both the quality and quantity of of their food programs so that student athletes can meet their increased energy level needs and students without a good meal at home can get the nutrition they need to remain healthy and do better in school

Food Research & Action Center. (n.d.). National School Lunch Program. Food Research & Action Center. https://frac.org/programs/national-school-lunch-program

Gordon Food Service. (n.d.). Fuel properly to score success for student athletes. https://gfs.com/en-us/ideas/fuel-properly-score-success-student-athletes/

No Kid Hungry. (2025, September 4). School food a lifeline as 1 in 3 parents struggle this summer (Back-to-School Report). No Kid Hungry. https://www.nokidhungry.org/BackToSchoolReport

The Lancet Regional Health, Americas. (2022). Unhealthy school meals: A solution to hunger or a problem for health? The Lancet Regional Health, Americas, 16.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9904079/

Almost everyone spends time on social media nowadays either checking up on old friends or sending a funny video to their family. Every aspect of life is interconnected with online spaces in some way so people are bound to spend time interacting with people on the internet. Some will argue social media is used as an invaluable resource for connecting and communicating with other people and unfiltered access to these online spaces allows everyone to enjoy them, but social media companies need to restrict their platforms to people over the age of 18 because social media is detrimental to youth mental health and designed to be overused.

The Dangers of Social Media

Social media is dangerously easy to overuse and abuse. In an advisory written and published by the U.S. Surgeon General Office (2023) the author claims the amount of research needed to fully understand the effects of social media has not been performed. This section shows that social media is far too new for experts to see the long term effects of it on people. If social media causes any negative effects even more research needs to be done to determine the cause of them . According to a blog post written by the UC Davis Health (2024) team, overusing social media negatively impacts every aspect of mental well-being. Expanding on the post, too much social media can increase anxiety, worsen symptoms of depression, and cause FOMO. FOMO is defined as the fear of missing out when people, especially children feel FOMO which can cause them to make impulsive decisions leading to them or others getting hurt. While experts don’t know exactly what all the negative long-term effects of social media are. The effects are certainly more prevalent in kids.

How are the Kids Affected?

Social media is very detrimental to children's mental health. In a journal written by Tariq Masri-zada and seven other researchers (2025) they claim “The interaction between the brain's reward system and the modern digital world presents a new dimension for potentially addicting behaviors.” research proves that kids are more susceptible to addiction in all its forms than adults. Since the 70s with the banning of cigarette ads on tv companies have been restricting kids access to content because of potential health risks and addictions. Similar restrictions need to be placed against social media. Later in the same piece, the authors (2025) claim reward systems used by social media such as likes, favorites, and comment notifications give a similar dopamine hit to using drugs or gambling. Which suggests social media can create obsessive behavior loops not unlike those previously mentioned addictions. Even kids can be predisposed to these kinds of addictions, dependence on social media can form at an especially early age because of how easily accessible every platform is. Almost every person is susceptible to addiction to social media but some would say social media can be used in positive ways.

Connecting Online

Some people would argue social media is an amazing way to connect with both new people and old friends. Social media can be used to connect with people, but not all people on the internet have good intentions. In a post made by the Mayo Clinic Staff (2025) while speaking on the impacts of social media use in teens they claim, “How teens use social media also might determine its impact. For instance, viewing certain types of content may raise some teens' mental health risks.” This section is talking about content on the internet depicting things like illegal acts, self harm, and encouragement of habits tied to eating disorders. Some people on the internet are so hateful and malicious they intentionally post these types of content in order to encourage impressionable people to take part in the aforementioned behaviors. Monitoring the type of content children are exposed to is the most important and effective way to mitigate the negative effects of social media.

Do What You Can

Social media may be very useful for talking with friends and family but people need to make sure they are limiting their time spent on it as social media can be very detrimental to mental health especially for young people with developing minds. Experts don’t yet know the long term effects of social media overuse but there has been some research claiming it can lead to a whole host of worsening mental health issues as well as addiction in kids due to the cycle of rapid gratification that appears everywhere on every social media platform. It’s okay to allow kids to connect with people on the internet but both the types of people and content they are interacting with need to be monitored for safety.

References

Masri-zada, T., Martirosyan, S., Abdou, A., Barbar, R., Kades, S., Makki, H., Haley, G., & Agrawal, D. (2025 June 13). The Impact of Social Media & Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health. National Institute of Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12165459/ 

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2025 December 24). Teens and Social Media Use: What’s the Impact?. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437 

Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health.The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf 

Social Media’s Impact on our Mental Health and Tips to Use it Safely. (2024 May 10). UC Davis Health. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05