Air pollution is a dangerous issue in today's world, especially as climate change is a hot topic issue. Air pollution is caused by cars’ exhaust being released in the air, or just harmful gases going up into the Earth’s atmosphere, this is one of the main reasons that Climate Change is occuring! 72% of the population in Boston drive their cars. This increases the number of air pollution because the more the cars the more the exhaust that there is in the air. The more air pollution. The major causes of air pollution are cars and other vehicles or factories. I get that we need these in everyday lives but we should change the way they work. Like instead of using oil and burning things, we should use other means of making things work. The effects of AP (Air Pollution) can be severe! It could lead to chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys.These are serious effects and we need to do something now! Need some tips on how to start changing the earth to save it?? Well, we could start changing power plants to solar powered or wind powered, both very effective! We could also start having rechargeable cars, we wouldn’t need gas anymore. Just batteries to charge the cars. We could also set up more trees next to highways, anywhere or everywhere.
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The steps to take in order to vote are really simple. You just have to be 18 years or older, be registered,not be a convicted felon, and be a citizen. Although it may not seem like it, mayoral elections can have a huge affect on the city. Depending on who wins, departments like our education department might change drastically. This is because a mayor’s job is to oversee the city's many departments. So ultimately, the mayor plays a huge role in the city. It’s important that you vote because it’ll allow your voice to be heard. You may think your vote doesn’t matter, but in fact every vote matters! Say if you’re upset with the outcomes of the presidential election, then you can vote in the municipal election to ensure that you feel like your needs are being met in some way. If you have just turned 18 and are thinking about voting, then it is encouraged for you to do so because it’ll expose you to the knowledge of responsibilities one should take as a citizen. It’ll also give you a chance to reflect and think about what you want for your future as a young adult. Although voting may not seem like such a big deal, it really is because your future as a citizen depends on it. By voting, you will play your part as an American citizen and have your voice be heard. Find out where your polling location is, register, be a citizen, and get out there and vote!
If you are 18 and above, you are eligible to vote. You have to register 20 days before the election. If you have just moved, you have to re-register with your new address. You can register to vote online or fill out a form. Signing up requires your Social Security Number, your name, and your address. On voting day, you must bring proof of residency or a State ID. If you are not able to make it on election day, you can sign up for a absentee ballot or go to The City Hall on Monday before 12 a.m. If you are not part of a party, then on the ballot you have to put “no party” (unenrolled).
The 2nd Annual Youth Art Show was on May 12, 2017 from 5 to 7 PM. It consisted of showcasing Season 3 of our podcast, Castle Speaks, our Digital Illustrations from 2016 and 2017, our Still Life photographs, the Media Campaigns from 2016 and our video projects.
When guests arrived, they were given a program with a mission card inside. This mission card encouraged guests to interact with different parts of the art show. Some of the way they could interact were writing on the Spaces of Hope whiteboard wall, leaving a guest comment, checking out our websites, taking a Castle Speaks business card and getting their photos taken in the Photo Booth. I was in charge of the Photo Booth and once guests entered, I persuaded them to take a photo, they had a lot of fun playing around with the props and holding it up with poses. When I'm not busy, I engaged with guests and talked about the art projects that was hanged on the walls. The teens presented on different projects throughout the year, before premiering our video projects and the Castle Speaks podcast. Overall, it was very fun because the guests were very supportive and our conversations were very mutual. Thank you for all the guests who came and our sponsors that have donated whatever they could for our cause, if you want to see the pictures that was taken during the Art Show be sure to visit the website linked below: http://cstoteenprogram.weebly.com/photobooths/2nd-annual-youth-art-show Do you really know your rights? If someone from the ICE walked in bombarding you with questions would you know how to respond?
You have the right to remain silent: When you say this, they have to stop asking you questions. You do not need to let ICE into your house does not have a warrant SIGNED BY A JUDGE!: They may say they have a warrant, but make sure you check it thoroughly. Ask them to perhaps slide the warrant under the door and check it. Or the other option you have is to tell them to leave it in front of your house or apartment and step back, then you can open the door and check it. If it is not a real warrant, then they may not come in. You have the right to one phone call: When they let you make a phone call you should contact one of your family members and tell them to get you a lawyer. Or you can also call a close friend and request for them to get a lawyer for you. Lastly you can call your lawyer. If the person you are trying to contact does not pick up, you can still call someone else because that person did not pick up. If someone approaches you on the street, you should not give them any legal documents: You should not give them any documents if they ask you for them, you should tell them you do not want to answer any questions, or want to speak with a lawyer before you answer any questions. If an officer stops you on the street, you have the right to leave unless you are being arrested: The Muslim Ban is a executive order our president, Donald Trump, made. He decided to ban thousands of people who live in seven middle eastern countries. The countries he banned are: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The Muslim Ban is unconstitutional!! because it breaks two amendments: The first amendment- Freedom of speech, religion and press and The 8th Amendment- Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. The fact that he broke the 1st amendment of people's freedom, people who are being judged because of other people who were making careless decisions. They were affected because of how other's viewed them. That is taking away their freedom of their religion, and the freedom to say anything about it before it was done. Trump used his advantage of being able to pass laws without needing to go through congress.
We can stop this by coming together as a community and peacefully protesting. Speaking our minds with each other and getting our voices heard. If we do that, I'm sure we can get across to Donald Trump and the government with our numbers and powerful voices. If we do this, we can take down any disasters that may occur as a community. We could use Social media to speak to other people around the world and they could help us by getting involved! On Season 3 Episode 2 of Castle Speaks, Teen Interns had a in-depth discussion on xenophobia. Xenophobia is disliking an individual because of their country of origin. Xenophobia is linked to "othering"--another topic the Teen Interns included in their discussion, Othering is excluding an individual and/or a group of people as different from the rest of society. The common theme between xenophobia and othering is the exclusion of people due to their cultural identity. Teen Interns incorporated these topics into their discussion to illustrate the theme of this season's production which is fear. According to Teen Intern Angela: Othering relates to fear because...people are scared to venture outside of their comfort zone and learn to understand others. In her explanation, she claims that othering happens because people want to know there's a safety net for them to fall into rather than the dark pits of the unknown. If there's no assurance that foreign presence is safe, fear spreads and evolves into a state of tension. This state of tension often leads to contemporary political issues. Politicians use xenophobia for their political agenda to influence their audience to adopt their mindset. The Teen Interns finished up their discussion by agreeing that fear can be conquered if people took the time to understand people they don't know.
The Red Scare is a historical example of fear-based politics. Many democratic nations like the United States feared what communism could do to their political system. Communism works in a tyrannic function with no democracy. Many Americans were concerned at the thought that there are Communist spies that were working undercover to overthrow the democratic government. The Teen Interns used this historic event as an example of fear because many people feared losing their freedom and their rights. The fear sparked a movement where even government officials were not exempted from the suspicion of being Communists.
The Red Scare showed how masses of people adopt the fear mentality and excessive actions are taken as a justification to "protect the nation". The misguided nationalism then created division among social groups and targeted groups were publicly shunned. This famous event demonstrates how fear can give discriminate other's identity without knowing the full extent. In times of social tension, different people react differently to the issues in the developing society. Personal beliefs, values, and cultural backgrounds all factor into their differing perspectives. In Episode 2 of Castle Speaks, the Teen Interns researched and cultivated information that spans from the Holocaust to 9/11. The tragic events we researched all had one thing in common; they were all symbols of injustice in history. The root of the injustice came from one group of people who shared the similar belief that foreign presence in their vicinity makes them uncomfortable, thus a specific group of people were targeted due to the fear of their foreign status. The measures that were taken to exclude the specific group of people ranged from laws to mass executions.
One specific event that the Teen Interns discussed was the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was a watershed in history, known for its progression on ending racial segregation and discrimination. A group of Teen Interns shared their thoughts on the topic and had an interesting conversation on what they would have done if they lived during that era. The unamious response was that the Teen Interns would have participated in the movement. This sums up the mission behind the Castle Speaks podcast production; the podcast offers an opportunity for teenagers to have their voices heard on important matters and for their voices to serve as encouragement for other youths who are afraid of speaking up due to judgement from those who believe teenagers are not mature enough to deal with "adult matters". References PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2017 History.com Staff. "Civil Rights Act." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 01 Mar. 2017. In Episode 1, Season 3 of Castle Speaks, CSTO Teen Program Interns discussed fear through scary stories they were told as children. CSTO Teen Program Intern Elizabeth discussed a story about Chupacabra's that her neighbors told her, “At night the Chupacabra comes out and finds farms and starts sucking the blood from the goats and cows and the stocks. But if it doesn’t find any animals to feed on and it sees a human near by, it will go to them and feed on them instead.” They got goosebumps all over, and the parents warned the kids to never go out in the dark.
The way the Chupacabra got it’s name is because people around Puerto Rico kept seeing their farm animals, being fully drained of their blood with three puncture marks on their chest. The way people describe the Chupacabra’s features is that it looks kind of like a reptile, it’s skin being leathery. It is said to move similar to a kangaroo by standing and hopping around. After Elizabeth talked about the Chupacabra, she realized that it was not as scary as imagined and it wasn't even real in the first place. We realized that talking about your fears is a great way to overcome them and it also can be quite funny at times. We just couldn't stop laughing when we were recording! Reference: Chupa-Macabre. "The Legend of El Chupacabra." The Legend of El Chupacabra. Those Guys Marketing, LLC., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2017. |
AuthorSThis blog is created and managed by the Teen Interns in the CSTO Teen Program in Boston, MA. Each week the blog posts will be created by a different member of the Castle Speaks Podcast. Archives
May 2017
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