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Unspoken Carbon Time Machine Threatens to Create a Climate Change Crisis
I come from officially the world's coldest city with over 10,000 population - Yakutsk. Sometimes, in winter, the temperatures here drop below −60°C (−76 °F). Located in East Siberia, Yakutsk is the capital city of the Sakha Yakutia Republic, which would be the world’s eighth-largest country if it were independent, according to The New York Times.
Drawing and painting
To me, art is a way for me to relax and feel at peace with myself. Even when I was younger, drawing was a way for me to feel better about anything and everything. I have been drawing since I was at least 5 years old. My mom used to let me draw on the walls because she knew I liked drawing at that age. Now, I’m a little older and drawing is still a big part of my life. Without drawing and painting, I would be sad all the time because I wouldn’t have a way to feel better about myself. When I paint or draw, it’s like a way for my to express my feelings and thoughts on the daily.
They Say "Inclusivity"
They say “inclusivity,” But only if you fit their criteria critically. They say “positivity,” But only if you act in passivity. You can’t be too dark, or else they won’t have your tone. You can’t be too pale, or else they’ll think you’re a ghost. You can’t be too tall, or else they won’t have your clothing size. You can’t be too short, or else you’re too small and not suitable for society’s eyes. Your eyes can’t be too slanted, or else they’ll think you won’t be able to see. Your hair can’t be too curly, or else they’ll think that you are messy. Your skin can’t be too textured, or else they’ll...
Let Eco-friendly Habits Circle the World
There are several habits you can learn to help protect the environment. The ones depicted in this image are avoiding plastic straws, bottles, and bags, recycling glass and newspapers, donating reusable items instead of throwing them away, and riding a bike rather than taking a car.
Dear Me,
From self-reflecting to self-respecting...Being young and having to grow up mentally, physically, and emotionally all by yourself takes a toll on many aspects of life. Why can’t I play like those other kids? Why can’t I take a break on reality and imagine a land where everything is nice? It brings many wounded memories and many lost dreams. Many covered scars, pushed in the back of my own head for security... I shouldn’t be scared, I shouldn’t feel the need to protect myself with a wall built up. I shouldn’t have to be so misguided, and lost...but it’s only because I’m young and the world...
Why do some people not see Animal Ethics as an Important Issue?
In America for issues such as gender, racial, and identity inequalities, it is generally accepted that everyone move towards the same consensus which grants equal rights for everyone. This makes sense as we all bleed the same blood and no one is superior to another just because of their genes. If someone doesn’t believe in the equality of all humans, they are instantly ostracized as it is considered to be humane and caring to treat all as equals. In order to be a good human and not be selfish, they must follow the same beliefs that all races, genders, identities, abilities, etc. are equal, and...
How does veganism have to do with our morals
Veganism is a controversial topic, between non-vegans and vegans alike. While vegans don’t see any issue with talking about their experience and pointing out the faults in eating meat, those who eat meat tend to not like this. As a vegan, we can educate people, teach them what they can do to be more ethical and how animals are harmed, but we can’t force them. Morals are completely subjective, and it’s incredibly hard to change morals. For people like me and others who are vegan, we see it as immoral to eat animals or torture and abuse them. However, many don’t see it as immoral to eat animals...
My middle school to high school transition
My transition from middle school to high school was hard. No one ever told me it would get much harder from middle school. I’ve always assumed that it would get easier from there, but I was wrong. Never expected for it to be this hard. From stressing over if I'll get the homework done on time, to if I will be accepted to college. But now I’m getting better and handling it all. The stress has reduced and everything has gotten better. I started to plan my time to make sure I have enough time for everything I need to get done. I made sure I had enough time for homework and and free time like...
Self Care
Isn't there a burning desire to pick up that book and go through a few notes before the final test? Isn't there a burning desire to do your best even when everyone is wishing for your worst? Sometimes in life we need to stop and breathe look around, find your anchor. What's keeping you from getting that extra help in math? What's keeping you from making that perfect score in writing? Believe in yourself, have a vision, and seek change. Wake up and realize that, yes, you have a purpose you're going to get through the day. Take some advice for better or for worse you might find yourself holding...
Nature Tree Dawn
Forests are where animals can breed But trees are all gone because of greed There must be something that we can still do But do you care about the things around you -Yang This inspired me because nature brings joy, and it transforms us. It’s is like magic. It is the most precious gift that God gave us and we treat our environment badly, putting trash all over the seas and in the grass. It is time for us to look deeper into taking care of our environment. If we don’t care for the environment, animals will have no homes. We won’t be able to eat and receive food. Life wouldn’t exist without our...
Democratic Crisis Response: COVID-19 and Climate Change
In reflecting on what has unfolded since January 2020, it is worthwhile to assess the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic can teach us about global action against climate change. We know that despite early claims of economic slowdown, decreasing carbon emissions were incorrect, and GHG emissions continue to rise at record-breaking levels. Parallels, however, between the global scale of COVID-19 and our climate crisis beg several questions about how democratic societies fare in times of crisis as effective mechanisms for upholding societal wellness. How have democratic societies responded to...
My Experience with ADHD
The laptop was right in front of me, the word document was open, but I could not do anything except stare at the blank white page in front of me. It was a week before the deadline for a standard English Literature class analysis essay. I could hear myself internally screaming “Do it! What is stopping you from just typing out what you know? You already have this whole essay in your head, why can’t you just write?” These questions were a very common echo in my head. No simple answer would ever come. That was until one of my friends showed me a video about ADHD because they were concerned that I...
The Beauty Of Change
Change can be scary. It is a common fear in most people. The thought of leaving the comfort of what you have, possibly restarting, taking a step towards something you are not yet familiar with. It can be overwhelming. See, I think there is something beautiful about the act of change. The opportunity to grow, develop, being forced into a situation that pushes you to paint a new flower on the fine china that you are or start a new chapter in your life. Although, this is a view that is hard to find when change is seemingly staring you down while you walk down your path of life. In the fourth...
My Journey to Black Belt
Our state's environmental future
I love Ohio. Sometimes it's unbearably cold or uncomfortably hot, there are bad things in every place, but overall, this place is my home and has been a home for my family, friends and everything in my life. And I know it is home to so many others as well. Some of the most precious parts of Ohio I strongly believe are the land, water systems, animals, as well as the people. I could tell you how Ohio lost ⅓ of its agricultural land between 1950-2000. I have been trying to compile statistics from the past two decades to see the more recent loss, because my personal experience leads me to feel...
The college with the cherry blossoms
The cherry blossom festival holds my most sentimental memories. The lush, pink flowers covered the trees, the ground, even the sky at times. I ran through the festival as a child, twirling through these petals, parading through the sprinklers. It was luck that gave me the beauty of this day. The unpredictable trees finally bloomed and the sun showed itself after days of cold rain. It was a version of beauty and perfection my eyes had never seen. I longed for this fulfilled feeling ever since that day and couldn’t quite find it until I visited Georgetown. The atmosphere, the location, the...
The diverging path
With a single perception of reality, struggle has inset. The misconception of one existing reality has confined the human mind. Expectations of a path one must follow in order to be “successful”, where such success is defined by money or renown, a narrow-minded idea of untrue credentials one must accomplish in order to achieve happiness. Upon achieving such “success” one feels empty, forever longing for more, as human desires are insatiable. In order to increase satisfaction among the unsatisfiable we must break through the boundless restrictions in which society has trapped us. The path of...
My mentor - Lights on
Louise hugged me when we first met, and I felt the warmth of it. The embrace was special to me, as Asian culture does not encourage physical contact even among family members. My first impression about her is the way she laughs, which is so contagious that I smelled the fragrance of confidence. She influences me with her characters, as I always want to be so free from the bond of conventions, to burst into laughter spontaneously, and more importantly, to grow into a confident individual. Louise, my host mother, radiates confidence like unceasing waves, from within. By confidence, I mean to be...
Damaged and in recovery
Have you ever been so hurt that after years have passed you still feel empty? That happened to me. It is still happening to me. I was too young when I had my first and only real relationship. It started when I was 13 and ended just before my 20th birthday. Six years of my life devoted to someone who I thought that really cared about me. I keep saying that I was too young because, by trying to fulfill the romanticism portrayed in those cheesy romcom movies, I lost myself. Now I know that those movies don’t tell you what it really means to be in a healthy relationship. But still, I currently...