About two years ago the state of Michigan decided to change Flint, Michigan's water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. This river is locally notorious for its filth. This was all to save money. The switch was only supposed to be temporary, for about two years, while a new state line supply line was being developed.
The river was known for it's filth, and with good reason. Flint river water is nineteen times more corrosive than water taken from Lake Huron. There was so much iron in the water, that it turned brown and have a distinct and gross odor.
The worst part about the water issue is this: because the water wasn't properly treated, lead began to seep into the water. This started two years ago, and up until September, local and state authorities told residents that everything was fine.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a locally known and well-loved pediatrician. Dr. Attisha noticed that lead levels began to double and triple in children after the switch to Flint River. After Dr. Attisha's office went public with their findings, state authorities badgered them for a week before they acknowledged that her findings were in fact true. That's annoying. Why would a doctor who cares about her patients make up this information?
A few weeks after Dr. Attisha's findings, the city reverted back to Lake Huron's water supply. But the damage of lead poisoning is irreversible and pipes used to transport the water still contained lead. Even with properly treated water, lead levels were still detectable in the water flowing through the pipes.
Lead poisoning is irreversible and affects children more easily than it does adults. The affects of lead poisoning are life long. It affects IQ, behavior, can be linked to criminality and even has multigenerational effects.
So whose fault is it? Multiple people were behind the "cover-up". But most residents and officials are blaming the Department of Environmental Quality. The DEQ knew was to do with Flint River's water. They chose not to. It would cost $100 a day to improve the quality of water and overall life of these residents. Dan Wyant, the former director of the DEQ recently resigned. Dayne Walling the former mayor of Flint, Michigan recently lost his re-election bid. No surprise.
It's inhumane. It's not fair. It's wrong. Authorities chose not to correctly treat the water because of the cost. Because of their insensitive choices, many families are suffering the consequences. State agencies are now handing out bottled water and filters to the families of Flint.
read more about it here!
stay peaceful (and filter your water)!!
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Shut Up, Donald.
It's no surprise that I don't like Donald Trump, and most of the people that I'm friends with don't like him either. Twitter has definitely been used to help candidates, but it's also being used to ruin their campaigns. Everyone says that what you post online never goes away and that seems to be the case with our pal (lol jk), Mr. Trump.
In a tweet from 2013, Donald Trump said,
"26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military- only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?"
Okay first off, I should mention that Donald Trump makes me really mad. He thinks women are moody because of their periods, when the one thing that pisses us off the most are rich privileged white men telling us what to do. He doesn't believe in climate change, what even? He's annoying and misogynistic and I could rant all afternoon, but I don't have time.
His tweet is offensive to multiple people. First off, military men and women. He doesn't know what they do. He hasn't put on a uniform and fought to defend our country. All Donald Trump has done is sit in his New York office and increase his bank account numbers.
He is also offending women with this statement, which he's done multiple times before. Women are not "moody" because of their periods. A reporter who asks you questions that make you uncomfortable is a good reporter because you're campaigning to be the president of the United States. You're going to have to get used to uncomfortable questions, whether they be from a woman or a man.
For someone campaigning to be President of The United States, it is UNACCEPTABLE for him to make an excuse about the horrific action of rape. No excuses for a man or woman who speaks this way. Rape is rape. Whether men and women are together serving our country, or a little intoxicated at a local bar.
I'm astonished people still support him. I frankly don't understand it. It scares me. What does my future hold if Donald Trump is elected to be president? How will that affect my future?
I only hope we never find out.
stay peaceful (and don't vote 4 Trump)!!
For someone campaigning to be President of The United States, it is UNACCEPTABLE for him to make an excuse about the horrific action of rape. No excuses for a man or woman who speaks this way. Rape is rape. Whether men and women are together serving our country, or a little intoxicated at a local bar.
I'm astonished people still support him. I frankly don't understand it. It scares me. What does my future hold if Donald Trump is elected to be president? How will that affect my future?
I only hope we never find out.
stay peaceful (and don't vote 4 Trump)!!
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Kids Against Hunger
My school is pretty awesome. Last week we started our Penny War, which is a fundraiser to help feeds starving children throughout the world, through the organization Kids Against Hunger. Each third hour class collects coins and money and "converts" them to penny points. It's a school-wide competition that gives the winning class a party and feeds hundreds of hungry people around the world.
Kids Against Hunger is an amazing organization and I'm so proud that my school is apart of such an amazing organization. KAH provides highly nutritious and life-saving meals to starving children and their families to developing countries and even the United States. KAH meals have a shelf life of 3 years, which is how long it took them to develop their formula of life-saving meals. Each package of food contains rice, vegetables, soy and a vitamin sauce. Twenty-one vitamins are packed into each meals helping to fuel and heal the starving bodies of malnourished children and their families.
Nearly 1.02 billion people around the world do not have enough to eat. That's unfathomable. The rising prices of food costs are also causing the numbers of undernourished people to rise. I don't know many people who are starved or undernourished. My uncle doesn't like to eat leftovers, so he throws extra food away. I know you can't mail that food to Africa or Haiti, but those leftovers could've been the only meal a small child got all week long. That makes me so incredibly sad.
I'm part of the ONE Campaign at my school and it is definitely one of the best things I've done in my high school career. We work to raise money for Kids Against Hunger. Fundraisers such and the Penny War, ONE-Foot Run, and multiple movie nights throughout the year are helping us raise money for Kids Against Hunger.
At the end of the year we fill our small gym with people and package these life-saving meals. Being able to actually package meals that may save someone's life is the greatest feeling. Knowing that their life is literally in your hands and you have the power to save them is so incredible.
Helping Kids Against Hunger is so simple. A donation of one dollar feeds four people. 5.6 millions meals were packaged in 2013. That's amazing. All meals are package by volunteers and KAH keeps minimal staff to maximize the number of families they can help.
Kids Against Hunger is an amazing organization. One dollar feeds four people at 25 cents/meal. Remember how many starving children there are when you throw out leftovers or complain about not liking the food you have.
To make a donation visit: http://kidsagainsthunger.org/donate
stay peaceful (and thankful)!!
Kids Against Hunger is an amazing organization and I'm so proud that my school is apart of such an amazing organization. KAH provides highly nutritious and life-saving meals to starving children and their families to developing countries and even the United States. KAH meals have a shelf life of 3 years, which is how long it took them to develop their formula of life-saving meals. Each package of food contains rice, vegetables, soy and a vitamin sauce. Twenty-one vitamins are packed into each meals helping to fuel and heal the starving bodies of malnourished children and their families.
Nearly 1.02 billion people around the world do not have enough to eat. That's unfathomable. The rising prices of food costs are also causing the numbers of undernourished people to rise. I don't know many people who are starved or undernourished. My uncle doesn't like to eat leftovers, so he throws extra food away. I know you can't mail that food to Africa or Haiti, but those leftovers could've been the only meal a small child got all week long. That makes me so incredibly sad.
I'm part of the ONE Campaign at my school and it is definitely one of the best things I've done in my high school career. We work to raise money for Kids Against Hunger. Fundraisers such and the Penny War, ONE-Foot Run, and multiple movie nights throughout the year are helping us raise money for Kids Against Hunger.
At the end of the year we fill our small gym with people and package these life-saving meals. Being able to actually package meals that may save someone's life is the greatest feeling. Knowing that their life is literally in your hands and you have the power to save them is so incredible.
Helping Kids Against Hunger is so simple. A donation of one dollar feeds four people. 5.6 millions meals were packaged in 2013. That's amazing. All meals are package by volunteers and KAH keeps minimal staff to maximize the number of families they can help.
Kids Against Hunger is an amazing organization. One dollar feeds four people at 25 cents/meal. Remember how many starving children there are when you throw out leftovers or complain about not liking the food you have.
To make a donation visit: http://kidsagainsthunger.org/donate
stay peaceful (and thankful)!!
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Not Sorry
Apologizing is a funny thing. When I was younger, I was taught that saying sorry meant you wouldn't do that action again. I'd apologize to my mom for having a tantrum, did that mean I would never be a brat again? No. It just meant that I realized I had done something wrong and I realized I needed to apologize and show the person I felt bad for my actions.
So when a Pantene commercial for hair care came to my attention, I started thinking. Why do women apologize so much?
My cousin, Katie, is one of the strongest women I know. She's been through a lot. She's works hard at school, coaches high school softball and spends and immense amount of time teaching our grandpa how to use his iPhone. She also apologizes a lot. One memory comes to mind. We were eating dinner as a family and she asked for something and apologized right after. My aunt called her out on it and told her to "stop apologizing for things you have no reason apologizing for." What do you think Katie's response was..? "Oh, Sorry."
It seems kind of redundant but apologizing isn't new to women. In the Pantene commercial, a woman apologizes before she asks a question during a business meeting. Another woman apologizes to a man after HE bumped her elbow off of the arm rest and another woman even apologizes while she was getting dinner ready because she had to hand her son over to her husband.
So when a Pantene commercial for hair care came to my attention, I started thinking. Why do women apologize so much?
My cousin, Katie, is one of the strongest women I know. She's been through a lot. She's works hard at school, coaches high school softball and spends and immense amount of time teaching our grandpa how to use his iPhone. She also apologizes a lot. One memory comes to mind. We were eating dinner as a family and she asked for something and apologized right after. My aunt called her out on it and told her to "stop apologizing for things you have no reason apologizing for." What do you think Katie's response was..? "Oh, Sorry."
It seems kind of redundant but apologizing isn't new to women. In the Pantene commercial, a woman apologizes before she asks a question during a business meeting. Another woman apologizes to a man after HE bumped her elbow off of the arm rest and another woman even apologizes while she was getting dinner ready because she had to hand her son over to her husband.
I'm not trying to turn this into a "feminism" issue. But it kind of is an issue. Women need to stop apologizing for working hard, feeling offended or having a damn opinion (sorry for my language). But don't you see?! That parenthesis was a prime example. Why should I apologize for using a strong word with a strong subject?
Women have been put on the backburners and our opinions have been turned away for centuries. Most men don't think women apologize too much but I think that's because they're so accustomed to hearing it. I'm not a man hater. But I do hate society some times.
Apologizing should be for wrong actions. Calling someone a name, or getting into a ridiculous argument with someone you love. NOT having an opinion.
stay peaceful and (DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR OPINIONS)
Thursday, January 21, 2016
High School is Incredibly Stressful
My school week is incredibly busy. I'm usually not home until around 6. During sports seasons I'm even busier. I spend roughly four days a week bowling and during golf season we have practices every day after school. Now add on homework, family time and regular everyday things. How am I supposed to get a full nine hours of sleep?
27% of students say they are "extremely" stressed during the school year as opposed to only 13% during summer break. I'm not surprised. I don't think adults realize how many different ways teenagers are pulled and how many responsibilities we have, which is frustrating.
I'm in my junior year of high school which is known to be the most stressful year for teenagers. I'm constantly logging into PowerSchool, our online gradebook, to check my grades and check that they are still the best they can be. I get letters in the mail from colleges and I'm planning visits for schools that I may attend in roughly two years. It's scary and it definitely gets to me. Sometime I don't want to deal with it, but I know that I have to. It's just exhausting.
It's a well known fact that teenagers and in fact most adults don't get the recommended hours of sleep they should. A teenager should get between eight and ten hours of sleep to develop the best way possible. Only 15% of teens have reported getting eight hours of sleep a night. I know I don't get hours of sleep a night. On a good night I get seven, which isn't too far off, but it could definitely be better.
Irregular sleep patterns and sleeping in late after staying up late can mess up our biological clocks. Irregular sleep can also contribute to a harder time learning and concentrating, increasing your chances of acne, being more prone to snapping and lashing out at friends and family and increase your chance of getting sick.
Sleep is more important than most people realize, which is why we need to make it a priority. Avoid the television and most electronics within the hour of your desired bed time. Have a bedtime routine that you stick to each night so your body realizes that it is getting ready for bed. Make sure your room feels like a sleep haven. Make sure it is dark when you're trying to fall asleep and make it bright when you wake up, signaling the start of a new day to your body.
Some adults don't believe students are stressed. They believe we use it as an excuse to avoid responsibilities. I think this is true in some cases, but in most I believe students truly are stressed. It's a lot of work being a teenager, have responsibilities with family, school, work, after school activities and future college planning.
Being stressed is normal, but actively contributing to your stress is not ok. Make sure you get enough sleep and make sure you relax. Take time to breathe, meditate if you need to. Anything to make sure you stay sane.
Check out more information at these websites:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.aspx
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep
stay peaceful (and well-rested)!!
27% of students say they are "extremely" stressed during the school year as opposed to only 13% during summer break. I'm not surprised. I don't think adults realize how many different ways teenagers are pulled and how many responsibilities we have, which is frustrating.
I'm in my junior year of high school which is known to be the most stressful year for teenagers. I'm constantly logging into PowerSchool, our online gradebook, to check my grades and check that they are still the best they can be. I get letters in the mail from colleges and I'm planning visits for schools that I may attend in roughly two years. It's scary and it definitely gets to me. Sometime I don't want to deal with it, but I know that I have to. It's just exhausting.
It's a well known fact that teenagers and in fact most adults don't get the recommended hours of sleep they should. A teenager should get between eight and ten hours of sleep to develop the best way possible. Only 15% of teens have reported getting eight hours of sleep a night. I know I don't get hours of sleep a night. On a good night I get seven, which isn't too far off, but it could definitely be better.
Irregular sleep patterns and sleeping in late after staying up late can mess up our biological clocks. Irregular sleep can also contribute to a harder time learning and concentrating, increasing your chances of acne, being more prone to snapping and lashing out at friends and family and increase your chance of getting sick.
Sleep is more important than most people realize, which is why we need to make it a priority. Avoid the television and most electronics within the hour of your desired bed time. Have a bedtime routine that you stick to each night so your body realizes that it is getting ready for bed. Make sure your room feels like a sleep haven. Make sure it is dark when you're trying to fall asleep and make it bright when you wake up, signaling the start of a new day to your body.
Some adults don't believe students are stressed. They believe we use it as an excuse to avoid responsibilities. I think this is true in some cases, but in most I believe students truly are stressed. It's a lot of work being a teenager, have responsibilities with family, school, work, after school activities and future college planning.
Being stressed is normal, but actively contributing to your stress is not ok. Make sure you get enough sleep and make sure you relax. Take time to breathe, meditate if you need to. Anything to make sure you stay sane.
Check out more information at these websites:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.aspx
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep
stay peaceful (and well-rested)!!
Monday, January 18, 2016
Martin Luther King Jr.
Today is MLK day. Martin Luther King Jr. was an incredibly brave man. I think we all know that, but I don't think we all appreciate it. I, being a white teenage girl in urban Iowa may not appreciate his movement as much as a seventy year old living in South Carolina, but I do know the significance.
When most people think of Martin Luther King Jr. they think of "I have a dream.." or of magnificent marches across cities to fight the injustice that many African Americans were enduring. MLK began his civil rights activism with a city-wide bus boycott initiated by Rosa Parks.
King was arrested 29 times for misdemeanor offenses related to his civil rights protested, often having to pay a fine. King was a religious man and would do anything to get rid of the "separate yet equal" laws that occupied the nation.
What causes me to admire King was his perseverance. He had so many times that he could've given up and resorted to violence as an act of protest, but he knew that would only set the civil rights and equality movement back.
I don't think MLK day is appreciated like it should be. I think for some high school students it's just another day off of school, which truly is unfortunate because our schools and our education would be completely different if Martin Luther King Jr. had never advocated for the rights of African Americans.
However, this afternoon I saw a tweet from a high school student that particularly bothered me. An African American teenage boy posted, "MLK would be proud of all the booty I get." This is insensitive and disrespectful to all of the work that MLK organized and completed. All of the protests he marched through and posters he held. All of the times he was arrested and thrown in jail. And his assassination. It's heartbreaking to think that people still don't realize how important MLK truly was and still is to this day.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King Jr.
stay peaceful (and grateful)!!
When most people think of Martin Luther King Jr. they think of "I have a dream.." or of magnificent marches across cities to fight the injustice that many African Americans were enduring. MLK began his civil rights activism with a city-wide bus boycott initiated by Rosa Parks.
King was arrested 29 times for misdemeanor offenses related to his civil rights protested, often having to pay a fine. King was a religious man and would do anything to get rid of the "separate yet equal" laws that occupied the nation.
What causes me to admire King was his perseverance. He had so many times that he could've given up and resorted to violence as an act of protest, but he knew that would only set the civil rights and equality movement back.
I don't think MLK day is appreciated like it should be. I think for some high school students it's just another day off of school, which truly is unfortunate because our schools and our education would be completely different if Martin Luther King Jr. had never advocated for the rights of African Americans.
However, this afternoon I saw a tweet from a high school student that particularly bothered me. An African American teenage boy posted, "MLK would be proud of all the booty I get." This is insensitive and disrespectful to all of the work that MLK organized and completed. All of the protests he marched through and posters he held. All of the times he was arrested and thrown in jail. And his assassination. It's heartbreaking to think that people still don't realize how important MLK truly was and still is to this day.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King Jr.
stay peaceful (and grateful)!!
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