A Reaction to NYTimes Upfront “What They Did for Their Summer Vacation

October 8, 2015

Lauren Neveau

Tobacco nicotine. Field pesticides. No water.

This is how the tobacco farmers in the South treat their workers: in a field of hazardous conditions, strenuous hours, southern summer heat, with little water. And now children, still young and innocent, have lifelong complications. As a child, I feel compelled to respond.

Yes, I admit, I spend my summers working out, having fun in the sun and hanging out with friends. The truth is, some children need to work hard to earn money for their family during the summer - how could teenagers of struggling families not feel compelled to help? The conditions for these children are unfortunate and worrisome, even down right disgusting if you will. And slaves of child labor deserve every ounce of safety during their unpleasant summer vacation.

But there is a lack of protection against child labor simply because the law states that children can not work in hazardous conditions. While the tobacco fields call for long, sustained hours of picking, and cause teen workers to have about the same level of nicotine in their bodies as regular smokers, that’s bad. How is this not considered “hazardous”? Killer side effects include: many workers live with nausea and dizziness and break out in hives from the nicotine overload. I am sorrowful knowing kids my age work in such hazardous conditions, yet I am so healthy and able to live life feeling valued in this world.    

My point is, there are child labor laws in this country, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are keeping children safe. We’re allowing children to suffer from the weekly 50-60 hours of picking tobacco, making below minimum wage, creating poor quality of life, while puking in the fields. Doing the exact opposite of what summer vacation is for, rejuvenation. And just because it will take time and effort to revise the Fair Labor Standards Act, doesn’t mean it isn’t a necessity to keep teens safe.

So let’s end this hazardous child labor, shall we? Please, accept their will to work, however, make their environment safe. Think about children who spend their summer vacations in pain, in Southern tobacco fields. Really, the U.S. needs to make a change.       

A Reaction to NY Times Upfront "Party Crashers"

By Ryan Jansen, 11th Grader in Communities at Oshkosh North 

Ever since the news broke that New York real estate developer and television personality Donald Trump would be running for the 2016 presidential election, there has been a tsunami of criticism and praise toward Mr. Trump. Fellow republican presidential hopefuls have criticized Trump saying things like “He’s not prepared” or “He’s not serious.” However, others, primarily political analysts gave backed Trump saying things like “He’s teaching other politicians to stop being politicians.”

While many people from both sides of the political spectrum have very strong opinions on Trump and his plans, I have a different perspective on the situation.

While I believe that many of Trump's plans are extreme, especially involving immigration, I see this situation as the definition of a polarizing viewpoint that is shocking perspective voters all around our country. Where is this shocked public viewpoint every time a U.S. citizen dies in a foreign land standing up for what us Americans believe in? Why is everyone so concerned and shocked over the viewpoints of a multi billionaire while they blatantly disregard their own viewpoints or the ones of their neighbors? The fact that people tend to immediately complain about the views politicians obtain without looking at all the possible viewpoints and current issues in the country infuriates me.

In many ways high schoolers including myself can relate to Trump. Trump is often criticized for saying the wrong things, this is something many high school aged people are often criticized for as well. However, lots of the time, us high schoolers have good intentions in what we are saying but are misinterpreted. Trump seems to have a similar issue. It seems that many American are quick to judge and take things out of context, and it's disheartening that many people will ultimately look at a high power politician like Trump in such a bad way without looking at all the needs in our own country.

A Reaction to NY Times Upfront “The Selfie Election”

September 23, 2015

Chloe Billstrom

Signing autographs, putting up yard signs, shaking hands of voters: This is what presidential hopefuls have been doing in past elections to promote themselves. However, candidates have recently shifted gears towards social media to connect with a new audience, the millennials.

As a millennial myself, I was intrigued by candidates changing their tactics and its effectiveness to captivate young voters. When I began learning about politics in school, I frankly wasn't interested. Within minutes, I was zoned out due to the tedious descriptions and monotone voices in videos.

However, over time I began to increase my interest in politics because of social media. Reading about hot topic issues on Twitter or Facebook made me actually relate to what was going on in the world. With a more engaging way of learning, I’ve begun to grow my own political opinions.

Now, after a few years of expanding my knowledge, my feelings on the topic of presidential debate have evolved from making me groan to wanting to vote in the next election. Although highly debated among political aficionados about whether it’s a waste of time for candidates, social media was able to ignite that flame for me and other young voters.  

Going forward, I hope to be as involved in the elections as fellow millennials like the “presidential selfie girls”. Whether that be through social media and selfies or through a handshake, it’s clear that the presidential campaigns are evolving, debatably for the better.