Spring Fashion, Facebook, Animal Welfare and the Power of Books to Teach: Our Favorite Student Comments of the …

As the semester winds down and standardized tests start to take up your time, we’re happy to see so many students still responding to our writing prompts each week.

But we hope you realize that even when school is out, you can still read The Times and tell us what you think via our annual summer-long reading contest, which we’ll officially announce in early May. To participate any week from June 15 to August 24, all you’ll have to do is write in and answer the question, “What interested you most in The Times this week?” Journalists from across the newsroom read your answers, and choose weekly winners. (Here’s last year’s contest announcement; the rules will likely be the same.)

But back to this week’s comments. We’d like to welcome a new class from Sumter, S.C., whose contributions we enjoyed, and call out two students whose many posts were especially strong: Sesha Patel from Wilmington, N.C., and Timosha Fesenko from Rhode Island.

Enjoy!

Please note: All student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear exactly as they were originally submitted.

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Our Student Opinion prompt “What Do You Think of the #WalkUpNotOut Movement?” was the most commented on this week. Many students made the point that this movement effectively blames teenagers for the actions of someone with mental illness. Others said that the movement is a good idea, but would not be enough to stop gun violence in schools.

A. Rutledge from Raleigh, N.C., eloquently summed up what many others said:

Will befriending outcasts stop all school shootings? No. But it certainly isn’t hurting anything. Both actions are positive goods; one has a more personal, immediate impact and the other has a potential to change national policy. Whether you choose to walk out or up doesn’t make you a better or worse person, and who knows? If everyone felt included, maybe school violence will decrease. It is certainly worth trying, especially when large-scale activism, although widely visible, doesn’t seem to be directly resulting in any hard legislation. (Note: You can “walk up” any day, preferably every day. It isn’t necessarily revolutionary, it’s just a decent thing to do. Why not walk out on the 14th, and walk up on the 15th, 16th…).

Anna C. from Wilmington, N.C., said teenagers should not be responsible for “unstable kids”:

A student cannot “stop” a school shooter. Psychopaths do not feel empathy for other people, they are callous, cruel, and do not care what others think. They can never be cured of their disorder but can manage it through professional help, which is part of the reason I agree with Ms. Robinson’s views on the situation. Students are not professional counselors and therapists and should not be tasked with the responsibility of being them to unstable kids. Furthermore, Mr. Petty’s #WalkUpNotOut tweet sounds like more of a stand against bullies/a stand for eliminating exclusion than it does against school shooters; kids who fully intend to seriously injure or kill their fellow students. Dealing with a psychopath is different than dealing with a normal bully, for one is solved through anti-bullying campaigns and counseling, while the other requires psychotherapy and (in some extremely serious cases) institutionalization to be contained. The schools we attend have so far failed to identify and give proper treatment to individuals who display psychopathic tendencies and are mentally disturbed.

If the government really wants to stop school shootings, they need to provide funding to the necessary departments and programs to carry out these actions AND make it harder for a mentally unstable teenager to get their hands on a gun in America. Until then, I would rather speak up and let my voice be heard, than shut up and quietly hope not to be gunned down in a high school hallway.

Sesha Patel from Wilmington, N.C., believes that being kinder to classmates can’t prevent them from becoming violent shooters:

Treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s the Golden Rule, right? The #WalkUpNotOut movement suggests that being kinder to your classmates can prevent them from becoming violent shooters in the future. I don’t completely believe in the effectiveness of this movement. Of course, we should all be kind and accepting of each other. We shouldn’t leave individuals out and we should never be rude or hostile. But I am taking Ms. Robinson’s side: victims of school shooters should not be blamed for that person’s actions. How can you justify the deaths of thousands of children by accusing staff and students of being “mean” to the shooter in his/her youth?

Ryan Petty tweeted that walk outs are nothing more than exercise. These same walk outs are catching the eyes of the media, public officials, global citizens. They consist of students making their voices heard, talking to their national leaders. To me, that is more than just getting “exercise”. So yes, you should “walk up” to the student eating alone in the cafeteria, but you shouldn’t be held accountable for a mass tragedy just because you didn’t.

Nathanie Doralus from Florida said kindness should be a given, not something expressed to prevent being shot:

I struggle to understand how the father of one of the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School would create the hashtag #WalkUpNotOut that, despite with good intentions, essentially blames students, like his daughter, for the massacre that occurred in February.

The hashtag dismisses the cry of thousands of terrified students calling for action from their leaders to restrict the access to weapons in this country. I don’t promote bullying or exclusion, but they shouldn’t be used as the form of justification for the motivation for tragedies like this. The advocacy of kindness should be continuous, and not highlighted when fourteen students have lost their lives to an armed fellow student. Students should be kind because they are simply kind people, being taught and mentored by adults who exemplify kindness often.

As a student, I never want to express kindness because I’m trying to prevent being shot one day in class. This is why we are choosing to walk out. We cannot be sure that walking up will cure the serious issues that lie within the hearts and minds of certain students. We can be sure that walking out will make it harder for those students to obtain deadly weapons will prevent the creation of hashtags in the first place. While inclusion and kindness are positive things, the most effective action, the action that students want to witness the most, is the urgency and concern of our lawmakers to keep weapons out of dangerous hands.

Lola Byers-Ogle from Wilmington, N.C., said the movement is tantamount to victim-blaming:

I think the #WalkUpNotOut movement started with good intentions, but the idea that this could have been prevented by students at the school being nicer to the shooter, is victim blaming, and utterly disproved by Isabelle Robinson’s story. She takes issue with it for the same reason I do. “The idea that we are to blame for the murders of our friends and teachers is a slap in the face to all Stoneman Douglas victims and survivors,” she says, and I agree. Saying that this horrible, traumatizing event is because of the victims’ failure to ‘be nicer’ is just another way for people to ignore the fact that there is something deeply wrong with our country right now.

… Should we be nicer to people and stand up for others? Yes! But can kind words stop a bullet? No, they can’t. The issue of school shootings is so complex it probably won’t have one solution. We need to support the victims in this troubling time, not tell them the trauma is their fault.

Emiko Andrews from Wilmington, N.C., urged investing more in school counselors and in students’ mental health.

#walkupnotout seems to me a means of shaming and silencing protesters trying to see change in policy. Those behind it say that if we were just a little nicer to others, maybe they wouldn’t kill us. This tag puts the blame on victims of gun violence and shames them.

Do we tell victims of domestic violence they should have been nicer to their partner? Or victims of child abuse that they should have been more respectful towards their parents? From Isabelle Robinson’s account, we know Nikolas Cruz was a violent, cruel, and unkind person, who despite his disposition, had friends, and despite having friends, attacked those at his school, before and during the shooting. There are billions of people on Earth who have experienced isolation, trauma, depression, anger, rejection, and any other negative experience imaginable. Only very few of us become as violent as the perpetrator of the Stoneman Douglas shooting. If we want to prevent these violent people from harming others, we should invest more into school counselors and students’ mental health. These situations should never be placed on the backs of victims.

Voltron Thunderstorm from Wilmington, N.C., thinks neither a march nor a “walk-up” will help much:

Ryan Petty is right. A march will without a doubt show support and spread awareness of a vital issue- but will it really help? I don’t think so. That said, I think that a “walkup” won’t help much either.

As Isabelle Robins says, “the idea that we are to blame, even implicitly, for the murders of our friends and teachers is a slap in the face to all Stoneman Douglas victims and survivors.” If someone could have managed to befriend Nikolas Cruz, it wouldn’t have done a thing. The fault lies within the legal system, and with our schools. No 19 year old, especially one who has received treatment for an existing mental illness, should ever be able to legally purchase a semi-automatic rifle — I don’t care if it’s used for hunting, because it shouldn’t be. That’s where our legal system failed Stoneman Douglas.

… The #WalkUpNotOut movement is just another useless cause taking away from the real issue at hand. Something needs to be done, and it’s much greater than a march or a change in attitude towards your peers.

Emily Lane Player from Hoggard High School thinks law enforcement should be expected to prevent shootings:

I do not agree with the #WalkUpNotOut Movement, because I don’t think students should be blamed in any capacity for such horrific displays of violence. Students cannot change the mental health of their peers. Not even a therapist can 100% fix a student’s mental health. The only way to truly prevent mass shootings is to take away guns. Nicholas Cruz showed signs of uncontrollable anger and other mental illnesses from a young age. When he threw the apple at Isabelle Robinson, he did not do it because he hurt by her or her friends, she did nothing to provoke him. He enjoyed watching her cry. She said, “His eyes were lit up with a sick, twisted joy.” Despite this, she still helped him do his homework and organize his binder, while he terrorized her by cursing at her and staring at her breasts. Isabelle showed him kindness and compassion despite his violence and crude nature towards her. Nicolas Cruz was not a victim. He victimized his classmates long before he brought an AR-15 to school. Students should not be expected to prevent shootings, our law enforcement should.

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The responses to our Student Opinion question “Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering?” varied widely. While some said yes and some said no, many thought there was no need to choose one over the other.

Sesha Patel from Wilmington, N.C., says the well-being of animals is just as important as that of humans:

I have stated on multiple occasions that I prefer dogs to humans. A person could die in a movie, and I’ll be fine, but as soon as the dog gets hurt — instant tears. I believe most people feel more sympathetic towards animals because we see them as helpless and without a voice. Who’s going to stand up for them if we don’t? And this isn’t a pick-and-choose matter, we need to advocate for human suffering just as much as the mistreatment of animals.

I see my pets as much of a part of my family as I am, so shouldn’t the wildlife be just as much a part of our global community as humans are? In the article Dieudonné Kembé said that what’s good for the animals is good for the people. They add just as much to culture and society as humans do. They provide food, labor, and love. The point of charity and volunteer work is to help those less fortunate, no matter the species, so it doesn’t matter if you write your check out to the animal conservatory or the children’s orphanage, just make sure you pick one of them.

Zac Gill from Wilmington, N.C., though, thinks human needs should be prioritized:

Animals are great. Having a pet is like having a best friend that always has your back. I love all three of my pets, but if it came to it, I would always choose to save a human from danger over my pet. A human’s life is much more valuable than an animal’s life.

… The author asked an interesting question, “Is it wrongheaded to fight for elephants and rhinos (or farm animals at home) while five million children still die each year before the age of 5?” yes, but only for the most part. If animals are something you care deeply about you can help them alongside helping the humans in the area. The world would be so much better if everyone who cared so deeply about saving the rhinos put half of their effort into building a new school, establishing a new source of water, or even buying the $5 mosquito net the author wrote about. I agree with the author’s point of view, but I would always prioritize human needs over the needs of animals, endangered or not. With humans suffering around the world it’s our duty to help them before we turn to the elephants and rhinos.

Fabiola Polo from St. Cloud, Fla., disagreed:

Focusing more on animal welfare more than focusing on sick humans is something that is absolutely okay. If you think about it most animals are suffering & dying because of us and the changes we’ve made to this world. Maybe that’s also why were more empathetic towards the suffering of animals. We have some blame in their suffering. Also, animals do nothing to purposely hurt us and have malice in them.

Daniel Gonzalezfrom St. Cloud, Fla., pointed out that humans have caused much more devastation than animals:

When comparing humans and other animals, one thing becomes apparent: humans are especially vile. Never has an animal so deliberately devastated an environment for personal gain nor exterminated entire populations (even some of its own) based on superstition such as racism or sexuality. This is important in finding why humans care more for animals than their own kind as humans have other interests, mainly profit, that will trample over others of their own species. Humanity’s role as the “dominant life form” also gives it a “calling” to defend “lesser beings”, we can see this in politics; the U.S. defends weaker nations like Israel and South Korea (some would even say it does this while neglecting its own people) despite the very few unique benefits they would bring. Animal welfare opens the door for human welfare; it’s not uncommon for breakthroughs in animal treatment to make its way into the treatment of people (the Animal Welfare act of 1966 gave ethical guidelines for the testing of subjects and in the ‘70s push for ethical treatment of human subjects became common).

Remi from Tarrytown, N.Y., believes helping either one will make the world a better place:

I am more dedicated to helping humans than animals, but do feel a large amount of sympathy for animals. I feel guilty about animals, because they were doing just fine before humans came and interfered. The reason animals need protection and help is because of humans.

Despite this, I would still help humans because there are innocent people all around the world who are suffering, and children who are starving. People are more empathetic towards animals because they are cute, furry, and entirely innocent. It isn’t their actions that put the animals in danger, but ours. I don’t believe it is wrong to help animals, many animals would be extinct by now if it weren’t for human intervention, and many ecosystems would be off-balance, which would affect human-life as well. It is wrong, however, to focus primarily on animals. There are people all around the world who are starving, and in constant danger, but many people prefer to look at the cute puppies. That is wrong, and I agree with Mr. Kristoff.

Maggie Yang from King of Prussia, Pa., had this theory as to why many humans are more sympathetic to animals:

For me, I am definitely more dedicated to helping humans, but I try to help animals in every way I can. I believe that if you help our fellow humans, there will be more people that can go out to help even more people and animals. People tend to be more empathetic toward animals because we see them as being “helpless” and “innocent,” while when we see people suffer, we tend to have that the attitude that “they did something to deserve it” or “they will get over it.” I don’t think that it’s wrong to focus on animal welfare. Animals have lives just like humans, and they have real emotions and pain. Not looking out for animals is just humanely wrong. People in general should devote their time to try to help both parties without harming the other.

And Maddie Leber from Wilmington, N.C., doesn’t understand why it has to be one or the other:

I don’t understand how anyone can think there is a one or the other in this debate. Why must one species be denied of their rights for the other to have it?

In the article, it states that there were more signature on a petition for the shooting of Cecil the lion than the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. It’s not that people care more about animals lives than they do humans. Many people view animals as small, and without a voice, so who else to speak up for them but us? The problem with this is that we tend to forget our fellow humans. The people we interact with and see everyday.

Although we shouldn’t forget about animals, we need to also keep humans in our mind. Just because each person has their own voice, does not mean they don’t need others to speak up for them. Just because animals don’t have the same size brain or opposable thumbs, does not mean their lives are any less precious than ours. There should be absolutely no debate for one or the other.

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In our Picture Prompt “Smells and Memories” we asked what scents remind you of home and why.

Devin Pack from Lakewood High School wrote about the everyday fragrances of sawdust, air freshener and smoke:

I have always had a sensitive scene of smell but I realized it after my grandpa died. I went to his house two weeks later and smelled his shirt and it reminded me of days when we used to go out to eat and he used to help play ball in his back yard. Every time I smell sawdust I think of my dad because he is a carpenter and every time he came home from work I smelled sawdust. Another smell that reminds of something is the black ice air freshener that is used for cars. I smelled the fragrance the first time when I got in the work truck when I started my first job it was filled with the unique smell black ice fragrance. One of the last smells that get to me the most is the smell of a smoldering smoky fire. The smell of the smoke is a constant reminder of all the late nights out side in my back yard with my friends and my family laughing and having a good time. That’s all the smell that get to me emotionally and in a way sentimental that makes me go back down memory lane.

Makayla D. from St. Cloud’s favorite scents brought to mind vivid childhood memories:

Fresh, soft, clean, and salty air. The smell of clean bedsheets and pool chlorine. These scents seem to be profound in my memory. During my childhood I had spent lots of time vacationing at Disney with my family. We went on cruises, Disney World, and hotels around Florida. I remember seeing my favorite Disney characters around every corner, and the imagination from watching all Disney movies. The smell of the ocean reminds me of walking the ship and feeling the waves crash and make it rock. The smell of clean sheets remind me of adventuring through each and every hotel room and playing hide and seek, even though we had been there a million times before. The scent from a memory can be very powerful, it can bring back flushes of memories.

Cameron Fullard from Lakewood High School remembered the smells of holidays with family:

I will forever remember the smell at my grandma’s house on Thanksgiving and Christmas day of all the food that she and my aunties cook for the family to enjoy. Also my grandma is in love with growing flowers and have an entire family of flowers around her house and the different smells that flowers let out into the air is something that I will always remember sense every time I go to her house I smell her beautiful flowers. I also remember the smell of coffee because before my granddad passed away coffee was his favorite drink in the morning and anytime I smell coffee I instantly remember the times my granddad would drink it early in the morning. That’s all the smells that bring backs good memories and have me excited for upcoming holidays.

Tahj Vaughn from Sumter, S.C., thought of freshly cut grass and laundry:

The smell of fresh cut grass I loved the smell of our yard after my Dad cut the grass. People cut grass all the time, I know we do here, but it doesn’t smell like it did when my Dad cut our grass. Still when I smell freshly cut grass I can see my father out back mowing our yard. Freshly washed clothing that was hung outside to dry as my Mom and I folded the wash or put the clean sheets on the bed, the smell was overwhelmingly crisp and it made me feel so fresh, clean and renewed. Even if you put something out to dry these days, and most places it isn’t even allowed, it doesn’t quite smell the same as it did back then.

And in his reflection, Brandon Tisdale from Lakewood High School realized just how powerful a sense of smell can be:

Smell and memories, there are so many smells that remind me of great memories. the smell of smoke remind me good many good Friday nights beside a fire. The smell of gun powder remind me of early morning duck hunts that I have been on with my buddy’s. That sweet smell of perfume reminds of my women. There are so many smells that make me excited every time I catch a scent of them. Sometimes I wish I could make a candle out of all the smells I enjoy and memorize through my life. I would burn that candle any time I have a bad day to take a trip down memory lane. Smell can determine so many things. sometimes I feel like my nose has its own little brain. Like sometimes I will smell something and aromatically know what it is. Its crazy how our brains memorize all the smells we have smelled through our life and the even crazier part is I still have many years to go hopefully and many more smells to discover. But smells can be a blessing and a curse, present smells make us happy but bad smells make us quiver and sick to are stomachs. Smells will always be important in our life. Without smell we couldn’t do a lot things that we do. It plays a very important role in our life.

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“How Much Power Do Books Have to Teach Young People Tolerance of Others?” asked students to comment on a judge’s decision to have wrongdoers read books to correct their mistakes.

Emily Ball from Wilmington, N.C., said the judge assigned the books as a learning experience:

My reaction to the punishments was the same as Ms. Sran’s in the article, being that if they don’t understand the meaning of what they are doing, then just sending them to do community service won’t do them, or society any good. The books give them a good look into the severity of what they did. I don’t think that the judge who sentenced the teenagers to read the books meant it as a punishment, it was meant to be a learning experience. Watching one of the movies could do the same thing, but the judge saw the benefit of reading the book. When reading a book, one is immersed in the imagery that is sometimes hard to show in a movie. If I were a judge, I would do all that I could to solve the problem, not suppress it, and I think this is exactly what this judge did. Other forms of community service may teach the people a lesson, but the idea of learning why what they did was wrong would be the best thing to do to change their lives.

C. Hunter from Denver agreed with Emily:

Take away the word, “punishment” in this article. I agree with Emily. “Learning experience” or another word or phrase emphasizing the assignment as positive is needed.

Zach from Northern New Jersey thought what the judge did was creative:

This punishment that the juveniles were given, reading books to expand their knowledge and remove their ignorance, was a very creative idea. Becoming more knowledgeable about the meanings behind the symbols they used or the insults they said would make them more remorseful on their actions, not just regretful that they were caught. Reading being used as a punishment would not lead to resistance to it in the future, but would rather motivate the juveniles to read more to develop a more intuitive mind. One book is all it takes to open one’s mind and help one realize how much potential they have. However the punishments these teenagers received was in itself to soft. Of course reading was an innovative way to teach them about their mistakes, they should still be punished for them. The judge should have had them serve community service in order to show others that there are real consequences to their actions. Reading a book can literally place you in someone else’s story, giving you an insight on their ideas and cultures. Reading gives you a look on how others live their lives, and you can find similarities and differences in that. That is why this idea with reading works because the vandals will have the great opportunity to not only learn from their mistakes, but to grow from them and help them become a better human being.

Aminah I. from Providence, R.I., felt the offenders will expand their views in a positive way:

The use of books being a form of ‘punishment’ for teenagers is the best type of reform to implement on them. Personally, I am a book lover. Any genre, any size, I will read. In my opinion, I believe that the characters in books have the ability to change the way someone thinks. I know it did for me. However, instead of enforcing specific books onto the juvenile offenders, I think that they should be able to choose any book of their choice from a specific genre. Most of the time, I feel like it’s a burden when an individual forces me to read a book. By allowing the offenders to have a sense of control over what they read, they will be encouraged to read more and expand their narrow perspective.

Maddie Leber from Wilmington, N.C., believed this helped the teens involved:

Most people would agree that they seem to enjoy a book more when they just get to read it. No marking passages, no time limit. Just you and a book of your choice. I believe this really helped these teens. Yes, this group of vandals that had defaced a historical black schoolhouse with insensitive racist symbols, had to pick from a list, but they got to chose the book, and they learned from it. You learn so much better just reading other’s stories and what they had to go through than sitting in a room, listening to someone list the reasons why what you did was wrong. Books can be so powerful, and obviously, these reads left a lasting impression on the group. At first they didn’t understand what what they were doing even meant, but after being able to read about how others had to go through thing such as the holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel, racism in the South in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, and what it is like being an immigrant in “The Tortilla Curtain” by T.C. Boyle.It just proves how you can learn so much just by picking up a book, even how to be a better person.

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Our Picture Prompt“Campus” asked students what they think the image is saying, or to use their imaginations to write the opening of a short story or poem from the point of view of one of the characters in the illustration.

Nika Burik from Russia said the image tells the story of a simple college life:

I would call this story “find your friends and don’t get lost yourself.” This is a very bright spot, very bright campus that symbolizes a wonderful student days. When you are a student, you live on your own, study, walk and enjoy walks with friends. Sounds great! students in the picture dressed in different clothes, which distinguishes them from other faculty. The division into faculties does not prevent students from communicating, so everyone goes for a walk and just enjoy communicating with each other. To summarize, I would say that this is the story of a simple College life, where the youth simply enjoys life

Bronwyn Williams from Wilmington, N.C., wrote the beginning of a short story:

It’s pretty busy, and bright, and loud … All of these colours and sounds. I’m just making my way through the street like I do every day. Just the same as the last, the same colours as the last, the same sounds as the last. The same movements as the last. There’s nothing particular here, we’re all different I know, but it’s all the same. If an artist portrayed us we’d all be made of different brush strokes, but we’re all the same, are we not? Trying to get somewhere, trying to do something, so we never really pay attention to the colors of others. Her and his and their fluorescent pinks, they don’t glance at my bright yellow. Until our eyes meet. But that’s a story for another day. When I’m not busy and rushing on my way.

John Burgee from Wilmington, N.C., envisioned two friends meeting for the first time:

I need to find out where I am going … I am a freshman in my college and I’m trying to get to my history class on time. I’ve got to be the only one as dressed up as I am for my first day. Surrounding me are people in all different colors with unique outfits and friends that are all doing different things. I am alone until I almost run into a cat in front of me. Realizing that it was being chased by a boy I returned the cat to the owner. He thanked me for returning his pet and asked if I knew where world history was. I smiled and laughed as I told him you’re not alone and I realized how wrong I was. We ended up becoming great friends throughout college and became roommates.

Hannah from Pennsylvania imagined overcoming anxiety:

My heart is pounding as I embark on this journey. The wild and colorful beasts are all around me, pushing and shoving me so much that I feel like I might be trampled. I think to get out my phone and text my mother to tell her I love her, just in case this expedition is fatal. Just when it seemed like I was never going to come back from this, I realize I have successfully crossed the commons without my panic attack getting too bad. We didn’t need a repeat of last year. I shudder at the thought. Time to get to class, until the next bell rings and we do it all again.

Bella D. from Pennsylvania wrote about getting to class on time:

I standing dead center of the great lawn, planning my route to get through the massive crowd of people. Left at the group playing frisbee, then a hard right towards the couple laying on the lawn. I had somewhat of an idea of where I was going, then all of a sudden, my feet started moving and next thing I knew, I was in the middle of the Great Lawn. My plan kinda worked, but I intended to be a little more to the left than where I was right now. I ended up running the rest of the way, through the lawn, dodging people left and right. All I had to do was make it to the other side, then I was basically in my classroom.

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After news of a massive data leak, we wanted to know: “Do You Trust Facebook?” And who should be responsible for protecting users’ data?

Timosha Fesenko from Rhode Island said she doesn’t know how anyone could trust Facebook any more:

I have a facebook account which I never use nor do I really care about it anymore. After the data leak, I don’t know how anyone could trust facebook. It’s clear what lengths people, such as Zuckerberg, go to just to make more money than they already do. Zuckerberg violated the “branch of trust” that he extended to all Facebook users and in turn, got caught red-handed. The company clearly doesn’t have the people’s interest in mind whatsoever. Violating a slogan which was used to start the company does not show sympathy or care for any users they have.

Josh Failla from Wilmington, N.C., said Facebook needs to take more responsibility for protecting its users:

This recent data leak sums up the problems that come with social media. The fact that a company like Cambridge Analytica is able obtain your private information that easily is scary to me. It makes me wonder what the real purpose of all this social media really is. Is it a way for us to be able to share things with friends and family and to keep up with the world, or is it just a platform for companies and the government to learn anything they want about you. Facebook not only displays information about where you live, your birth date, and name, but just from the pictures you like, companies can know about your personality and how to persuade you in certain situations. Without ever meeting some of companies, they may know your entire life.

Some might say that if you don’t want you privacy taken away, then just don’t use Facebook. For some, this is very easy, but it is hard for others because of the instant gratification that Facebook and other sites bring in. Whenever someone likes or comments on your post, you feel a sense of gratification. It’s almost like social media keeps sucking you in because of your desire for likes. Facebook should be more protective or their users privacy instead of handing it out to the rest of the world.

Melody S. from Florida agreed, adding that government regulation of social media would be a step too far:

the facebook data leak was dangerous to everyone who uses facebook. Our privacy is the most important thing and social media shouldn’t be trusted with it. I don’t trust facebook or any social media since it is so easy for people to hack accounts and reach all your information. the company doesn’t have people’s best interests in mind seeing as they allowed this to happen. I do not think that social media platforms should be regulated by the government because that breaks our freedom of posterity and doesn’t allow us to use social media as our ways to express ourselves as who we really are. The government regulating our posts will just bring back censorship and it will allow the government to start taking away our rights. Facebook should protect users data better because even though users can chose what the post, they should still have some type of privacy to share things with their friends online and not have anyone else be able to access it.

But Jeffrey Settlemyre from Wilmington, N.C., thought users should understand what they’re signing up for and make their own decisions about what to share:

Multiple times I’ve been told, and perhaps some of the whole hasn’t, that anything you post on Social Media that’s “your” privacy, now becomes anyone’s privacy. Whenever you sign up for a social media site, or for anything in the world, there is always a contract; a contract that few ever feel the need to read. For Facebook there was a very clear Terms of Service; “For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post…”.

How people share their personal experiences and in-depth details of their life on Social Media, for the whole world to see, not paying attention to the contract, or the simple fact that anyone can see it, befuddles me. Who are you to blame but yourself? The social platform must be to blame, right?

Coral3D from YC CLIP was very careful:

I am Facebook user about 6 years ago. In these time, I wrote my personality information but I dint know what importance is to share this information about myself. Now, I am very meticulous about what shared with my friends, what tweets I like and what information I put about me. When you answer an online test or poll you do not know for what or for who is these information, and these is very dangerous. Facebook did a very bad activity sharing our privacy because they are supposed to protect our personal information, but we are responsibilities too. We are responsibilities because we need to be smart and think that in these world so computerizing, our personal data is being exposed all the time and you do not know who is going to see it, and with what purpose. When we are in the internet, we read that the page used cookies and we accept, but we know exactly what it means? So, I think that we need know more about all of these things and act accordingly.

Sarai3D from YC CLIP remains skeptical of Facebook’s true motives, though:

In my opinion, this Facebook data leak was responsibility of the company because they have the whole information that people bring to them. Most of this people bring their information and do not know what this company should do with it, even though you do not want to bring too much information about you Facebook push people to give unnecessary information in my point of view. People have to be a little more reserved with things that they shared with other people because now it is a great issue, we aren’t take a due responsibilities with our information and private life. We have to learn to make a good use about this kind of tools such as communicate with important people to us, if you think that you do not bring too much information to Facebook you already did with google. Why does Facebook need all those information about us? We do not know even though we accept terms and conditions; well, no one is going to take a little time to read all those small words, neither do I.

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Our fashion-forward readers told us about the trends they think should be revived — and those they hoped would die — in response to our Picture Prompt “Fashion Comebacks.”

Zoe S. from New Jersey loves to see styles from the past re-emerge:

I myself am a huge fan of older fashion trends making a reappearance and mixing with modern trends to create something new and unique. The woman in the photograph is wearing clothing that appears to be very old fashioned; the brown blazer and short culottes are extremely 90s-esque, but her hairstyle and the black shoes, that appear to be similar in style to Gucci’s popular classic black slides, make the look feel more modern.

An older fashion trend that I would like to see revived is fit and flare jeans/pants. They are being included more and more into high end runway looks and have already trickled down to Instagram models everywhere. The idea that skinny jeans/pants are the only attractive pant is a misconception; realistically, fit and flare pants make the body look more proportional, and with more emphasis on embracing different body types, I think these pants would be suitable for everyone when styled correctly.

Nyah Price from Providence, R.I., agreed:

Vintage is becoming the new sensation of our generation. We are learning to appreciate the fashion of our forefathers and mothers. I think that going vintage is a great trend to follow, while it’s great to come up with your own original idea it I also great to learn from history to make something equally impressive. Personally, I love the 50s swing dresses and I wish those would come back because honestly, they are so cute. They were dresses that were easy to move in, seeing that they were made to dance in. Something that I think should stay in the past is wearing leotards on top of our clothing, it really wasn’t a very flattering outfit.

Juan Hernandez from Classical High School, Providence, R.I., was also looking forward to some revived spring trends:

Spring is one of the best times for fashion. The colors of nature are finally starting to bloom, the sun is out and it is finally warm again. Many see Spring as a time for fashion designers to release new lines of clothes. Nowadays, many fashion designers like to look to clothes in the past for inspiration like neon windbreakers, denim jackets and track pants. These are all great fashion pieces that came back and are killing it in the fashion game. Now, there are other fashion trends that should stay dead like sweatbands, leg warmers, and MC Hammer pants. They just shouldn’t come back.

But Emma Claire Lisk from Wilmington, N.C., thought the past should stay in the past:

Enough with this nostalgia fashion! Today, the walls of fast fashion stores are lined primarily with the trends of the ‘80s and ‘90s making this age seem like copycat fashion. High-end fashion companies, like Balencia and Gucci, have been taking trends that blossomed on the runway decades ago but slightly modernized them to be made the “trend” of this decade. Sure, a few trends could come back like bell-bottoms have over the years, but it has become overwhelming when the major fashion trends of 2018 are crushed velvet, statement chokers, track pants, and more that also started in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I say, we as a fashion community must end the recycling of style comebacks, and start generating styles of our own.

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The Picture Prompt“College”asked students how the image relates to society, or comments on it, and if and how they might relate to the image personally.

Sesha Patel from Wilmington, N.C., said the image reflects unequal economic factors:

At first glance, this picture seems to be depicting the attainment of a degree between two different groups. One group, the more privileged, have a grand, red-carpeted staircase which allows them to easily descend up and collect their “prize”. On the other hand, the other group is desperately trying to pull themselves up by means of the tassle. They are in the shadows and seem to be completely overlooked by the people relaxing on the top of the cap. I believe this shows the struggles of those less fortunate in their journey to receiving a proper college or high-school education. Some people just have everything working for them: grades, socioeconomic status, opportunities, but others have to find another way to achieve the same goal. After reading the article, it seems the other is trying to prove this very point. He feels guilty that while he and his family could afford a great Ivy league education, others cannot simply because of their family’s income. While there is some economic diversity, most high ranked colleges have more students from the top 1% than the entire bottom 60%. I agree that college opportunity shouldn’t be unavailable just because of an individual’s inability to pay a large sum. As a country, we need to work towards making college more accessible to those who deserve it but can’t attend just because of a poor economic situation.

Mackenzie Smith from Los Angeles, thinks hardships are endless, but that nevertheless students should be encouraged and motivated:

This image depicts an extremely significant message toward the young adults of our generation. It is illustrated that some people find their way to college quite easily, making their way to university with little struggle. However, others are faced with more challenges when try to go to college. The hardships are endless, this could consist of financial aid, lack of acceptance, GPA/SAT scores, and more. Despite the obvious problems, these students will still find their way to college one way or another — it just may not be as easy for them. Nonetheless, college is an achievable goal for every high school graduate. Students should be encouraged and motivated by this picture and look forward to the upcoming years.

Emily Brodeur from Rhode Island said college is a way to success:

This photo prompt conveys a very important message. The act of people climbing the stairs to reach the top of the graduation cap represents that college is the way to reach success. The message in this is that education can help anyone reach the top of their goals. In the photo, there are two sets of people depicted. Although one group appears to be struggling to climb the tassel of the cap, the other group has red carpet stairs to walk up. Either way, with or without difficulty, eventually, the students will reach their goals and be on top for graduation.

Tara Samtmann from Wilmington, N.C., said a fairer college admissions process should be a goal:

In this picture, I see two groups going towards the same goal but on two completely different paths. This picture is signifying the wealthy and the poor I believe. The wealthier can walk their red carpet into anywhere or anything and receive something they might not deserve. Then there is the people cast in the shadow of the red carpet, showing they are hidden behind all the “successful” people. They are trying to climb up the tassel and begging for help but are simply ignored because they are less valuable than the wealthy. This image is showing the struggles of the less fortunate in society and college. People should be chosen by a college for who they are academically and actions they took to get here, not by how much money they have or if there family is alumni. In the Harvard class of 2021, 29% had a parent or grandparent attend there. Legacy admission should no longer be around, it is unfair for the people who have worked so hard to get into an Ivy League but have a lesser of a chance because their parents didn’t attend that college. More colleges need to start following the footsteps of Emory and Princeton, by not looking at if the applicant has taken tours or visited the college into consideration when looking to see if they will be accepted. It is unfair because some people can not afford to take a tour. We need to work towards a fair college admissions process, so everyone can have a chance at getting great education.

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Our Student Opinion question “What ‘Pop-Up’ Classes Do You Wish Your School Offered?” asked students if they would choose to go to class during free time if the class interested them, and why?

Josh Waverly from Nebraska thought a Lego class would be nice:

I like the idea a lot, and feel it could be very beneficial. I would probably choose to go to a class like this if it would interest me, because when it comes down to it, knowledge is power. I would probably do the ´drones and rockets´ class that was stated in Ellin´s article. This is because I really enjoy STEM type classes. I wish our school would offer something first aid related, because it is very important. I would teach a class about LEGO´s. I would teach it very hands on, and tie it into architecture and creativity.

Elise Ngo from California liked the idea, and would like to learn more about gun control:

I really like the idea of “pop-up” classes because they give students the opportunity to explore and experiment in different fields that they may be interested in. Many people pay a lot of money to go to specialized classes, but pop-up classes allow every student the opportunity to try something new. With that said, I would definitely choose to go to a pop-up class in my free time because I love to learn more about something that I am interested in. I would like to take the gun control class at Bennington College that was mentioned in the article because I think that with the recent gun violence that has been plaguing the United States, it is important to learn more about gun policy.

Andrea Augustus from Fountain Valley, Calif., would take creative writing and a class on “white privilege.”

I think “pop-up” classes would be a great addition to my school. They allow students who wish to explore a topic to do so, and students who feel too stressed out aren’t forced to go. I believe that pop-up classes would create a better learning environment because every student that attends one, wants to be there, and when the room is full of students that want to learn, it is very effective. Many students want to take initiative in their education and learn about topics they care about, and these classes are a perfect opportunity. I would attend a pop-up class if it was one of my interests because the more you know about different topics, the more equipped you are to deal with adulthood and I believe that everything you learn will benefit you. The class mentioned in the article that I would take is “White Privilege”, because I have heard a lot of different opinions about the topic of race, and I would want to be more educated. I wish my school offered a pop-up class about social media and how it affects our society. If I taught a pop-up class, it would be about creative writing because I love creative writing and although we write plenty of essays in school, we never write creatively.

Emma from New Jersey would teach a class on psychology:

I think the idea of “pop-up” classes is very creative and innovative. It gives students a chance to explore outside of their comfort zone. After a while, going along with the regular curriculum gets a bit dull. This would be a breath of fresh air. I would take the “white privilege” class because I feel like it’s such an important issue that affects many people. I wish my school offered a pop-up class about our country’s politics. I know, I know, this topic is so overrated. But everything moves so fast that I can’t keep up, and can’t really understand what’s going on. Discussing it and debating about it would be great. If I could teach a pop-up class, it would be about psychology, and more specifically, the social aspect. Many people have a hard time connecting with others, and I want to break it down to understand how the mind works and reacts to certain things.

Isabella Guerra from California liked the idea of “pop-up” classes and wanted to exercise her mind:

I love the idea of “pop up” classes I think this type of classes is not only benefitting the students but the teachers as well. The change of environment and the timing I believes tricks the mind that school or class is not really taking place and gives you reassurance in the mind that you normally would be worrying in a normal class setting. This also gives teachers elbow room because now they can talk about other topics further on without needing to care what they say for school’s purposes and judgement. I really thought the class: ‘Self-Determination: Restoration and Resiliency,’ at St. Michael’s College because I love that it is not just something academic but something you can apply in life and I love things that exercise my mind. I would love to teach a pop up class on art history like going to a museum to see different arts or a something with culture to enrich students with different ethnicities and customs. The class could be maybe at culture center or even where there is prone to be only one type of culture in that area while still teaching the history of that culture.

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Students had mixed feelings about the Student Opinion question “Is Now the Best Time in Human History to Be Alive?”

Jordyn Ives from Westfield, N.J., said, without a doubt, it is:

Although far from perfect, I believe that now is the best time to be alive. The world is changing and globalizing at a record speed. Places once closed off are becoming more accesible. Even some of the most remote nations, Myanmar, Micronesia and Tanzania, just to name a few, are opening up. With this move towards an interconnected world comes the empowerment of those once undermined, fueled by the Internet. This is the world of the future. Driverless cars are a reality, along with holograms of once deceased singers and potential commercial space flights. There is so much room for innovation, in every field imaginable and more. Inequality and poverty are becoming less prevalent. There are more opportunities for rural women and girls, whose options once looked bleak. More females are running for office than ever before. Minorities are rising up. Whenever I read the news each day, I see an endless stream of articles about war and tragedy. But, I choose to look past the grim and focus on the positive. Of course, no world is perfect, certainly not ours, but there is so much growth in our society that one cannot help but embrace it.

Marie from America was less certain:

I believe that today in time we are certainly lucky to have many new advancements, especially in technology. We can easily get in touch with friends and family in case of emergency. However there are times I wish I grew up 10 years ago when no one had to worry about how many followers they have or how long ago someone opened a snap chat. Back then without advanced technology and media, life was probably much easier and less complicated. Now teenagers today live in panic and are worrying about their phones at all times. With the internet, teens are more exposed to the dangers of the world and it puts them in a constant panic.

Voltron Thunderstorm from Wilmington, N.C., thought it all depends on your perspective:

According to Steven Pinker, your beliefs regarding the progress and quality of today’s world is all dependent on how you look at things- and he’s absolutely right. You can look at things in terms of how bad they’ve gotten, or you could look at things in terms of how much we’ve improved upon those bad things; and once you do, it’s hard to disagree with him. Throughout our evolution, we’ve lost things, but we’ve definitely gained things too. And your personal “golden age” will reflect what you believe to be most important. For example, environmentalists might say it was back before the industrial revolution — or even further — when humans didn’t have such an impact on the environment. My ideal time to be born is in the future when humans have built successful colonies on other planets, and I fully credit this to my interest in astronomy.

The one thing you can’t argue with is our capacity to change and evolve. Steven Pinker said that “The Enlightenment” changed everything for the better; it worked. And it’s also working now. As time has gone on, humans have been advancing at an exponential rate. Pinkers understand that, overall, the world has become a better place- despite the media’s exaggerated image of our Earth. The Enlightenment started a movement that I don’t think will ever be stopped, and I’m sure that future humans will say the same things about their vastly improved world too.

Sean Harris from Wilmington, N.C., blamed the news for making the world seem worse than it is:

I am not at all surprised by Mr. Pinker’s claim, the world is without a doubt a better place to live in now than ever before. Like he said, lifespans are longer, human rights are better, and lives are more comfortable (in general) than in the past. Yes, the past may have been simpler, but I know for a fact that I would choose high taxes, bad internet connection, and some social issues over having more than half of my country’s population wiped out by the plague.

I feel that the reason we hear so much more bad news these days is not because there is more bad news to hear, but more ways to hear it. The sources that supply news are businesses, they need to make money. If they see that bad news sells better, they will sell more bad news. I think acknowledging progress motivates people to keep advancing. They appreciate it when you take notice of their accomplishments and it makes them want to do it more, not less.

Kylie Lundy from Wilmington, N.C., changed her mind as she learned more:

Overall I do believe now is the best time to be alive due to a multitude of technological advancements along with the new equality movements that have risen in the past decade. However, when I first read this article my original answer was that the world isn’t becoming a better place or it isn’t the best time to be alive due to the latest displays of gun violence, inequality of gender and race, opioid epidemic, and terrorism. This article changed my mind because statistics show that extreme poverty has improved, life expectancy is much longer, and “90% of the world’s population under the age 25 years can read and write”. All of these are extraordinary accomplishments, and are overlooked because this type of improvement is not immediate, it takes time. Furthermore, I agree with the author of Enlightenment Now because when all we do is look at the negative, we will always fail to see the good.

Robert Yates from Wilmington, N.C., said certain advancements have made the world a better place to live:

In the midst of the sensationalized stories and journalism spoon-fed to us by commercialized news stations, it can be hard to take a step back and acknowledge the significant progress humans have made in the past couple of centuries. As Pinker said, the immense improvement of global health, affluence, and intelligence, as well as other more recent progressions such as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, seem to go virtually unnoticed in the interest of pushing for even more regulations. However, this seemingly endless hunger for progress seen in our very politically active generation has been and forever will be crucial to achieving the goal of equality on our planet.

Many hundreds of years ago, the impoverished citizens living under the oppressive rule of their oftentimes coronated male leader knew they weren’t being treated fairly, but they had no choice but to accept the fate they were born into or be executed for speaking against the government. Now, with the spread of democracy, many citizens are allowed to protest and vote on hot-topic issues, and we have the ability to push for progress until we can reach the most realistically equal state possible. That’s why I believe it’s currently the best time to be alive in human history, but I don’t doubt that, assuming humans continue their pressuring of politicians to make positive progress for human rights and the environment, the future will hold a society that’d make living in 2018 seem awful in comparison.

But Timosha Fesenko from Rhode Island thought some of those human creations have made life today worse:

I believe the best time in human history would be when the leaders of the world stop thinking more nuclear missiles is the path to world peace. Only then would I be able to think that it’s the best time in human history. with such weapons of mass destruction, the condition of our planet is at constant risk.

Zac Gill from Wilmington, N.C., believes it’s good to acknowledge progress, but that there is still more work to do:

The idea that the world is becoming a livelier, healthier, and an overall improved place doesn’t shock me at all. Around the world, the standard of living in the last century has drastically improved surpassing any point of recognition. So, do I believe that right now is a better time than ever to be alive? Of course I do. That said, there’s still obvious work to be done. Equality is something many oppressed minorities long for and never achieve. Another pressing issue nowadays is public education, underfunded and underdeveloped educational systems around the world are stunting the growth of youthful minds. There have been so many great advancements in medicine, science, politics, and so much more that it’s impossible to suggest there has been a better time for man.

Progression is the key to human advancement. Steven Pinker made a great point disproving claims that tragedy put an end to progress. Those who feel our society is not advancing due to various tragedies or epidemics are naive and two-dimensional. I feel just as Pinker does, that progress cannot always be defined by the expulsion of evil, but by the transformation of society’s most pressing issues. I also agree with Pinker’s views on ignoring progression and the result of that. If groups of people band together to deny or resent the state of progression, how are we to move forward? Denying man’s strides in environmentalism, equality, politics and economics hinders the progression of the future.

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