Paper Plane by M.M.

EXT – Camp Harstrick – DAY Sam, a somber 11-year-old, sits in the back of a minivan driven by his MOM. His forehead rest on the window. Meeting his gaze is 11-year-old Suzy, an equally somber girl. Other children are milling about the entrance to a camp. A sign reads, Camp Harstrick. The minivan slowly pulls away and the two children remain eye contact.

 

INT – SAM’S ROOM – DAY Sam lays on his stomach on his bed and looks out the window. After a few moments, he rolls onto his back and sighs. He looks to the desk in his room. His eyes widen and he begins to grin. He rolls off the bed and walks to his desk. He takes out a piece of paper and a pen and begins writing. All that can be seen is, Dear Suzy.

CUT TO Sam grabs his piggy bank,

INT – ENTRYWAY -DAY Sam pulls on his shoes.

CUT TO Sam puts on his coat.

 

EXT – POST OFFICE – DAY Sam, piggy bank in one hand and letter in the other, walks in front of the post office, looks up at it for a moment, and then begins walking up the stairs.

 

INT – POST OFFICE – DAY Sam walks to the desk where stamps are sold. He puts the letter on the desk, turns his piggy bank upside down and shakes it. The excitement drains from his face as he realizes that he can’t pay to send his letter.

INT – SAM’S ROOM – DAY Sam is sitting at his desk, slouching dejectedly. He glances at the letter,sighs, and turns to the window. His eyes narrow as a thought occurs to him. He slowly turns back to the letter sitting on his desk. He begins folding it.

EXT – SAM’S HOUSE – DAY Sam sticks his head out of his room’s window and looks around. He holds out a pinwheel to check the wind direction and speed, and then pulls his head back inside. He emerges a moment later with a paper airplane in hand. He aims and then throws it.

INT – SUZY’S ROOM – Day Suzy is sitting at the desk in her room, reading a book. Behind her, the wind rustles the drapes that line her open window. Suddenly, the paper airplane flies into the room and lands on the floor. Suzy looks up from her book, puzzled, and turns around. CUT TO BLACK

THE END

Adolescence with Technology by S.H.

There is a general dispute regarding technology and adolescence overusing their phones; some teens feel the need to be invested in the internet and their social lives when in reality, they aren’t actually involved in being social with the real world on a daily basis. Studies have shown an increasing amount of dangers in teenagers overusing electronics such as risk to be obese, increased aggression, sleep deprivation and a series of potential health problems. I think I can vouch for most teenagers such as myself when I say we always have our phone with us; it’s constantly at the tip of our fingers whether we’re going to sleep, sitting in class or even a rising use of the phone behind the wheel. The use of cellphones is constantly growing among adolescents.

Don’t get me wrong, I can also argue that electronics are a great thing! I get to communicate with people all the time and I can honestly say I’ve learned a lot just from having access to my phone throughout everyday; however, I believe the negatives outweigh the positives in this given scenario. I’ll be honest, if I didn’t have my phone all the time i’d be pretty upset. I’ve adjusted to the idea of this device always being in my reach; the feeling of the missing phone in my pocket makes me panic. Most teenagers act like their phone is all they need. I can look around in a classroom, a CU basketball game or at the coffee shop and see more than half the people around me invested in their mobile device even though the real world around them is much more important. What do people really get out of their mobile devices though? I talked to some people who don’t necessarily feel the want to have their phone all the time.

A student in my first period class had stated, “I only really need a phone for the means of communication like incase something important comes up, but I only have a flip phone.” This was a good example of someone who isn’t always walking around with the distraction of the internet at their fingertips. I asked another student what they thought about cellphone usage and they told me, “it’s just a distraction. It makes you anti-social.” These two people gave me some clear examples as to why cellphones are being overused in the general teenage population.

I talked to a different student, a very popular lower-classman about her cellphone as well. I asked if she needed her phone. She said yes. When I asked why, she said, “so I can snapchat my boyfriend.” So as I thought about what people really do on their phones, there is an unhealthy amount of activity that is more harmful than helpful. I thought to myself why does she need to snapchat her boyfriend so often? Is that a valid reason to need a cellphone all the time? To some people, that may be a valid reason; however, there are better ways to contact people. Taking selfies isn’t much of a reason to have the internet at your fingertips on a daily basis.

Yes, I’m one of those people who needs my phone. I’m used to having it in my pocket all the time; it’s hard for me not to have it because I feel the need to be connected to the internet world. Children have gotten used to having this device with them all the time and it’s hard to realize that it is doing more harm than help. Maybe my cell phone usage is unhealthy though. Maybe I need to check into the real world more often and put the phone away. I believe there needs to be more of an awareness of how bad the excessive cell phone usage can be on a young person’s mind and body.

Top Four Reasons Why Spanking isn’t a Worthwhile Punishment for Children by T.E.

1. Spanking leads to increased aggression. A study done at Tulane University found that children who were spanked regularly at age three have a higher risk of aggression later in life. At age five, these aggressive actions could include bullying, cruelty, and a number of other negative behaviors (Brannon).
2. Non-abusive physical punishment, which includes spanking, leads to an increased risk of mental disorders and drug/alcohol abuse and dependency. A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2012 found that, even when accounting for other factors, harsh physical punishment increased the risk of these disorders (Afifi et al.).
3. Forty-two countries around the world have banned corporal punishment as a means of discipline in any setting, including the home, based on these studies. Sweden banned corporal punishment in 1979, just four years after the American Psychological Association “approved a resolution… opposing corporal punishment in schools and other institutions…” (Smith).
4. According to Smith, “…spanking doesn’t work, says Alan Kazdin, PhD, a Yale University psychology professor… ‘You cannot punish out these behaviors that you do not want,’ says Kazdin, who served as APA president in 2008. ‘There is no need for corporal punishment based on the research. We are not giving up an effective technique. We are saying this is a horrible thing that does not work.’”

Abuse by J.R.

Domestic violence and abuse is a leading cause of homelessness of women and children in america. Statistically Abuse causes 90% of homelessness for women. 1 in 4 American women become the victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime. Because of the need for escape many women’s only hope is to become homeless. No one wants to become homeless but many times it can be the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Due to many landlords adopting zero tolerance policies for crime, women can be evicted even when they are the victims of abuse. These same women can also be evicted by landlord, because of damages caused by the perpetrator. In a michigan study, women currently and formerly receiving welfare, who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse are far more likely to face eviction than other women. Also women living in lower income neighborhoods, are more likely to become victims of abuse, than women living in more affluent areas.  The system does not create a safe and protective space for these women and children who are forced into the streets by abuse. As the system stands now these individuals are being punished for what is acted upon them. By following this current pattern the already broken system is encouraged. The same system that would rather displace homeless out of the general public’s eye that form and give the help necessary to creating better quality life for our fellow citizens.

With 1 in 4 women being and more than 3 million children experiencing abuse every year, the current system in the U.S brings those in need of protection, and safety into a life of homelessness. Abuse causes more than just bruises and scars it affects the way of life mentally and emotionally while also taking away the ability to live in a home.

 

Works Cited

“Domestic Violence: Statistics & Facts.” Safe Horizon. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2016. <http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statistics–facts-52.html>.

“Domestic Violence and Homelessness.” Practically Speaking (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 4 Jan. 2016. < https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/dvhomelessness032106.pdf >