Opinion

Summer is a time for fun in the sun, but it's also a time to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. There are so many benefits to spending time outside during the summer months. First of all, it's a great way to stay active and get some exercise. Whether you're going for a walk, a bike ride, or swimming in a pool, there are plenty of ways to stay active outside. 

Another benefit of spending time outside during the summer is the opportunity to soak up some vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system, and the best way to get it is through exposure to sunlight. If you can avoid getting too much sun there are countless positives to the vitamins you get from the sun. 

Spending time outside during the summer is also a great way to connect with friends and family. Whether you're having a picnic in the park, going to a music festival, or just hanging out in the backyard, there are plenty of opportunities to socialize and have fun outside.

Summer is better for you than winter because it provides many health benefits. The warm weather and sunshine can improve your mood, increase vitamin D production, and boost your immune system. In the summer, you can engage in outdoor activities that promote physical fitness, such as swimming, hiking, and playing sports. These activities can help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, and improve cardiovascular health. In contrast, winter can be a challenging time for your health. Cold weather and shorter days can lead to seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that affects many people during the winter months. Winter can also be a time when people are more prone to illnesses like the flu and colds. So, in conclusion, summer is better for you than winter because it provides many health benefits that can improve your overall well-being.

Finally, spending time outside during the summer is a great way to boost your mood and reduce stress. Being in nature has been known to have a calming effect on the mind and body, and can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Audriana Carl states that she, “often gets seasonal depression right around the end of fall, I am unable to go outside and enjoy the sun and it shows in my mood, behavior and stress.” Although she is able to ski in the winter she feels that she “isn’t quite the same person during the colder months.” 

Overall, there are so many reasons to get outside and enjoy the summer sun. Overall, summer is the best time to get out and is the best season for you. 

Summer is better than winter because it's a time for fun outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, and going to the beach. The days are longer, the sun is shining, and there's a general sense of happiness and relaxation that comes with the season. Winter is often associated with cold, dark, and dreary days. While winter can be beautiful with snowfall and holiday cheer, it's also a time when people tend to stay indoors and avoid the harsh weather. Summer is the perfect time to travel, explore new places, and make memories with friends and family. So, in conclusion, summer is better than winter because it's a time for fun, adventure, and happiness.

The rider approaches the jump. Everything seems steady, a smooth, rhythmic canter connects the horse and rider. All of a sudden, right before the horse should take off at the jump, it balks. The rider is thrown into the jump, crashing through the poles. “Darn it!” they exclaim. “Why did you do that? This is your fault!” they yell at the horse.

In the equestrian world, there are two kinds of people. Those who blame the horse for their mistakes and those who take responsibility for their actions. However, it is rarely the horse's fault. It’s the riders job to properly set up and respond to their horse; if this is not done correctly, accidents happen. For example, in the situation above, while it might seem like the horse is at fault, the rider is most likely to blame. When approaching a jump, if the rider does not predict a distance correctly, the horse will refuse, as they recognize jumping from that distance is dangerous. Riders who blame their horse do not demonstrate good horsemanship. This stops them from learning from their own mistakes.  

When a rider blames their horse when an accident happens, or even if the ride is not going well, an important part of being involved in an equestrian sport is not being demonstrated. That part is horsemanship, which involves treating the horse with respect and working with its natural instincts and behaviors in order to create a positive and safe riding environment. This is imperative as horsemanship is the foundation of all types of riding disciplines and is essential for both the horse and rider. However, blaming the horse for slip ups and bad rides quickly wears down on the relationship between horse and rider that makes up the foundation of good horsemanship. Recognizing that horses are animals with their own wants, needs and feelings helps to create a harmonious partnership, but piling all the blame onto just one part of a partnership ruins that and causes frustration for both parties. When placing blame on the horse, instead of taking responsibility for mistakes, the rider continues to damage their own riding by not allowing themselves to learn from their mistakes. 

In the event of an accident or a mistake, riders need to identify what could have gone wrong and what they might have done to contribute to that. On the other hand, when a rider just offhandedly blames the horse for whatever mishap occurred, they are not looking at themselves to figure out what they did wrong and how they can fix it. By not looking at themselves, these riders keep themselves from learning from their mistakes, continuing to damage their riding progress. This also prevents riders from finding progressive solutions to problems they may have while riding. 

To summarize, blaming the horse not only does not help the situation, but continually damages riding and horsemanship. Placing blame on the animal damages the foundations of riding and the partnership between horse and rider. This continues to hurt progress by not allowing riders to learn and develop themselves from their mistakes. 

What if your four pawed friend was banned? A very common dog breed that is banned is the American  terrier. The American  terrier is banned currently some of America's biggest cities have reinforcements in place or ban Pitbulls. These cities include Miami, FL; New York City, NY; Washington, DC; and more. So,what's the big hassle about this specific breed?

The American Pitbull Terrier was originally bred first for what is known as “Bull Baiting” which was a cruel and bloody sport, in the British Isles. But in 1835 the British Parliament passed a Cruelty to Animals (law or act), prohibiting the baiting of some animals like the bull and bear. People had then turned to what was known as “ratting” because of this, using pit bulls to see whose dog can kill the most rats in the least amount of time in a “pit.” This had then led to people becoming attracted to the thought of dog fighting. Before the Civil War immigrants from the British Isles came to the United States with their s. The “American” Pitbull Terrier was then born here in the United States. It is now feared by many and has been debated about for decades on whether it is a safe pet to have.

Many may argue that because of the history of being bred as a fighting dog, that they should then be banned and not allowed with children or as family pets. While this is in fact true, what many do not know is that this was not just raised for this. Even though it is more commonly known in the past for being used for fighting, they were also known to be multipurpose dogs. For example they were commonly used for herding cattle, guarding livestock and families against thieves and wild animals, were helpful on hunts, and helped during WWI & WWII, and trained as hog catchers. They have been known to be very loyal dogs to their owners and protective of children. 

From personal experience, I have lived with many different breeds of dogs, from 7 pounds to over 100 pounds and the dog I had come the closest with was my Pit-Mix. No one else at the adoption center wanted to take her due to her being a  and her being  prey driven. She was truly a dog like no other and had overcome from being prey-driven. Not only was she the best cuddler and very loyal, but she had also supported me through my roughest patches in life. 

She was the reason I would come home every day knowing she would be waiting for me at the front door; ready to smother me with kisses and love. She was very quiet- to the point I had only heard her bark two times in my life. One being a time when she was alerting my mom of a bear in the yard behind her. When it came to any young children like my siblings, she was very patient and sweet. She would never hurt a soul unless the case was protecting our family. 

All in all, though some dog breeds like the American  have had a rough history, that does not mean they should be banned .

 If you think about it is almost like saying; if a child were to grow up in a home with two abusive parents he would become one himself. This is not true at all whatsoever. So just because a dog's ancestors may have been used for fighting, it does not mean that if you are to go adopt a dog that they will be the same. It is not the dog, but the owner. 

Any dog can be aggressive for that matter. If you teach your dog to be one way ,then they are more than likely to obey. Yes, genetic background can affect any animal, but it is more likely that this can be solved and a dog can be trained out of these habits as long as they are in a healthy environment and with a good owner. 

https://wagwalking.com/daily/what-states-allow-pit-bulls 

https://www.aspca.org/investigations-rescue/dogfighting/closer-look-dogfighting#:~:text=Although%20it%20is%20a%20felony,pits%20proliferating%20in%20the%201860s. 

https://love-a-bull.org/resources/the-history-of-pit-bulls/#:~:text=Pit%20Bulls%20were%20originally%20bred,known%20as%20%E2%80%9Cbull%20baiting%E2%80%9D. 

College athletes bring in a lot of revenue for their schools through ticket sales, merchandise, and television coverage, yet they don't see any of that money themselves.The topic on whether or not college athletes should be paid has been going on for years now. Currently college athletes are not being paid for their participation in sports because of the NCAA’s (National Collegiate Athletic Association) opinion on the matter. The NCAA “prohibits student athletes from receiving compensation beyond scholarships and other educational benefits.” In other words, the NCAA doesn't like the idea of their athletes being paid. However, people think that college athletes should be allowed to make money off of commercials, products, etc for their hard work and dedication towards their sport and school.

In a later article, by Shannon Doyne, a writer for New York Times on the problem of whether or not to pay college athletes. The NCAA urged the court to uphold the tradition of college athletes being unpaid amateurs. This is because “Critics of the pay-for-play scheme also fear the cost could lead schools to cut sports that don't generate as much or any revenue while sending more resources to their profitable football and basketball programs.” This quote talks about the conflict of paying the athletes and how it could damage the colleges in the long run. To counter this problem the student athletes should be paid because of how they need money for food, housing, and for seeing their families. UConn Men’s Basketball guard Shavazz Napier’s agent said that “He says he’s going to bed hungry at a time when millions of dollars are being made off of him. It’s obscene,” Lesser said. “This isn’t a Connecticut problem. This is an NCAA problem, and I want to make sure we’re putting pressure on them to treat athletes well.” This talks about how these athletes are left feeling hungry and without any money to buy food with, they starve. These athletes burn thousands of calories each game. And with that being said, they need to have a full feast after each game or practice. Without that right amount of food, they will overall lose muscle and get fatigued from the loss of it, making them play worse. NBA and superstar player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said that “I think college athletes should be paid because they're being exploited. The NCAA makes a couple billion dollars each year and the people who actually do the work that enables them to make that money receive none of it.” This explains the NCAA and what their goals are. It's to make money and not care for their athletes. In the end, college athletes should be paid for their hard work and dedication that they provide for their college and organization. 

The Israeli-Palestinian conflicts have been ongoing disputes since the beginnings of time. All three of the Abrahamic religions have had value to Israel, also known as the holy land. As the conflicts continue to progress, and become more complicated, people must be educated on the history, and current politics within Israel. They must see the importance of Israel, to make it a priority in the world's mind. 

There are many different interpretations of the history of Israel. The history of Israel started before the common era, and was the founding territory of monotheistic religion, Judaism. Many empires have controlled the holy land, all for primarily religious purposes. The most important city in Israel is Jerusalem, also known as the holy city. It is ironic how the supposed holy city is the place of constant violence. For example, in 1099 the Crusaders conquered the city of Jerusalem. They also burned Jewish people and Muslims to death in their place of worship. Burning people directly breaks the Crusaders religion of Christianity. Historian Avery Peck explains in his book, The Endless Crusade, “[Israel] came to represent not a physical locality, but "a concept and a faith and a state of mind.” Israel was so much more than a location, it was almost its own faith. The yearning to control the holy land was so powerful, shown by the Crusaders breaking their religion to control religious land. Israel is also known as the promised land. The issue is when three different groups of people claim the same territory as their promised land. To put it simply, the conflict is extremely complicated and people must be educated on different viewpoints.

In the modern day, the main dispute is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Jewish homeland of Israel, faces conflicts with the Arab nation of Palestian. After the holocaust, Jewish survivors had nowhere to go, the Allies of WWII decided to make their ancestral homeland of Israel the place of salvation for survivors. The issue is Palestians already lived there, then western nations came in and took their land. Nearly eighty years later, violence still occurs between the two groups. Many people die on both sides of conflict. Both sides are both corrupt. Palestinian barley has a government, and is controlled by terrorist organization HAMAS, which believes in the death of all Jews. While Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been corrupted by the western world. This makes it incredibly difficult to find peace.

To find peace in the holy land, people must be educated on the conflict. If not, we will continue to see violence, and thousands die. It is difficult to be educated on this conflict because of many biases. The most effective way is to learn different perspectives. To reiterate, the promised land is one of the most complicated world disputes, and should be one of the international community's first priority. 

Treat others the way you want to be treated. In my years growing up, this phrase has been engraved in my mind, and taught to me at a very young age. I thought that when you are little, everyone is taught to say “please” and “thank you,” to treat your friends nicely, and to be kind and respectful to those around you. As I look around me and see what some of the world is like now, I realize that I am very grateful to have been taught that.

Our world is changing in different ways every day, with new generations and norms coming to light. Every person has morals and beliefs that guide them through life. Sadly, in 2023 it seems the more simple ones seem to be lost: kindness and respect. 

The lack of respectful behavior has only increased in the past few years. The way people act towards others is often influenced by what is around them. That involves family and friends, the pandemic and online/social media influencers. 

As we all know, the coronavirus pandemic has had a huge effect on humans and the way we interact. We were all stuck in the house with nothing to do. There was an increase in isolation and screen time, and a decrease of human interaction and time outside your home. Teenagers were stuck with computers and phones, and spent lots of their time on social media. Endless video clips and posts started to really have an effect on who people saw themselves and others, from following trends, to outfits, to how we interact with other people. 

Who you choose to surround yourself with will also ultimately have an effect on how you function as a human. For example, if you were to always be around a toxic friend who is mean to other people, you could possibly pick up those behaviors.  This is why it is important to always be aware and conscious of who you are spending your time with. 

How you talk to people really matters, and it seems people don't know this. A lot of the time, your attitude towards another person is what has the biggest effect 

Although, of course, there are  nstances where people saying mean things that are disrespectful, a lot of the time actions speak louder than words. For example, recently,  I was out with my mom and my sister. We were leaving a store and the three of us saw a mom with her two kids coming towards the door. While I stepped aside to make room for her to come in, my mom and my sister held the door open for them. The family walked straight past us and into the store without acknowledging the favor at all. Not a “thank you,” or even a smile or nod. They continued their conversation acting like the door was already open.

I am fully aware that not everyone is perfect--no one can be, and I know I am not--but we all have room for improvement. Kindness and respect are two of my morals and they are both very important to me. There are many ways to express kindness and put out positive emotions into the world, whether they are big or small. 

Keira Mann, a student at NWR7 explains ways she has spread kindness before. "I pick up trash in Hartford with my uncle every weekend," she explains. She also plans to prepare backpacks for kids in need over the summer. When asked how spreading kindness in that way made her feel, she said "It feels absolutely incredible." 

Personally, I have been involved in the Kindness in Motion program at NWR7 for the past three years. The program encourages students to apply for a grant to use to spread kindness. There have been many projects over the years including fundraisers, donations etc. 

While there are bigger things you could do, there are also much smaller things you could do every day to show more respect or kindness, like giving someone a compliment, wishing someone a good day or holding the door.

If everyone took the initiative to give a compliment, or think twice about how others feel, I believe people would live a fuller and happier life knowing they put good into the world, even if it is in a small way.