death penalty
Justice System
Grade 10

Banish the Death Penalty

Why do we kill to show killing is wrong? This is exactly what we do when we use the death penalty. Some think that the death penalty is the best punishment to teach horrible criminals a lesson, but do these criminals really learn a lesson if they are dead? The death penalty is a very […]

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Environment
Grade 9

Carbon Emissions: The World is in Danger

The Earth’s climate is changing and it can be very detrimental to life across the globe. It not only harms us, but it is also primarily caused by our actions. I care about the well-being of the Earth’s environment because I care about future generations of humans. I want future generations of my family to […]

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International Cultures and Issues
Grade 6

Russia Bans Foreign Adoption

On January 1st, 2012 Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, signed through the Russian Parliament a law that stated that people foreign to Russia were no longer allowed to adopt Russian children. No one knows the real reason why the Russian Parliament made this decision; some people think it was related to the international relations, […]

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censorship
International Cultures and Issues
Grade 11

Iran’s Hold on Speech

A few years ago, I found myself being exposed to the injustice of speech in foreign countries through the media. I was very young and not able to completely comprehend what I was experiencing. At the time, I was watching a Pakistani news broadcast with my dad and a man who was talking was interrupted […]

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Food and Nutrition
Grade 10

Fast Food: The Fast Road to Bad Health

At 3:15 the bell rings, the best part of the day for most students. Without any hesitation they storm out of the front doors, some to get their siblings, others on their journey home. While walking down the great McKinley Tech Hill towards the Metro I notice that before I even get to the station […]

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Healthcare
Grade 7

Dangers of Smoking

Smoking kills people. My dad’s parents were smokers. I never met his mom and I don’t remember his dad. This is because his mom died of lung cancer the year before I was born and his dad died of lung cancer when I was about five. My older brother and dad always tell stories about […]

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Video Games
Grade 10

Video Games: Is the Bad Reputation Justified?

You have a minute to get five or six kills straight without getting killed. Your primary weapon is low on ammo1 and your secondary weapon is a ballistic knife only useful for confronting your opponent at close range. It sounds like a Clint Eastwood thriller. Actually, it is just a close game of Deathmatch on […]

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girl studying
Education
Grade 12

The Academic Race

Frosty morning. Christmas Eve. I woke to the cries of the tiger mother unsettled by the inconvenient truth that I had slept past 9:30 AM on the first day of winter break. “Time for SAT prep!” No smile. No breakfast. No “Merry Christmas, hon’.” Just a six-syllable imperative to start my long-awaited holidays. I sank […]

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LGBTQ Rights
Grade 6

We Should Stand Up for Gay Marriage

Imagine if the state or country you lived in would not allow you to marry someone you wanted to marry. Gay couples do not get the same rights as other couples and face discrimination in some societies. I think gay couples should receive the same rights as other couples. Many churches oppose gay marriage because […]

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urban education 1
Education
Grade 10

Urban Public Schools Need Support

Changing urban education is not impossible, nor is it easy, but we as individuals and as a community must make changes within ourselves to ensure the success of every student. Focusing on parental involvement, teacher involvement, early childhood education, building positive living communities, and decreasing poverty will improve students’ performance in school and success in […]

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Healthcare
Grade 9

HIV Education is Necessary

In 2010, the estimated number of HIV infections was the highest it has ever been. Black/African-Americans continue to experience the most severe burden of HIV, compared with other races and ethnicities, but all people of races suffer HIV infections. Many people are not being tested because they are scared or unaware, but in reality we […]

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Healthcare
Grade 8

Drug Abuse in Sports

Four years ago, and counting, I was a gymnast. I woke up at 5:00 am every morning to go to practice. We trained for three hours in the morning and four at night. I was committed, and in the best shape of my life, both mentally and physically. Being competitive, aggressive, and determined was required […]

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