I believe that everywhere we go there is a constant stigma around putting our differences aside and coming together for one singular goal.
This causes negative emotions and connotation when we think about our community. We have to disregard the things others do that we may not agree with to truly understand each other as human beings.
We need to find the similarities that unite us not to focus on the differences that divide us. Regardless of where we come from, we all have something to contribute to the improvement of our surroundings, whether it’s big or small. Even when disagreements occur, I imagine that one day we can coexist as one community that is filled with people who accept one another for doing what they enjoy and being themselves.
I recently heard a song that said “without the sun, a flower cannot grow, without pain, love cannot grow” and as I see it, although we may have a lot going on in our lives, we can still spread positivity to those around us and make memorable moments with each other, regardless of our differences.
How my school could better is changing the diversity. Like there should be people with different cultures and different people with different types of languages. I think that if there is diversity in the teachers, then the students could feel comfortable knowing that they have an adult with their color.
Another thing that I would make my school better is having more security guards. There should be more security guards in the bathrooms and in the hallways, because some people like to start fights and people might get hurt, so in order to prevent that, there needs to be more security guards.
I think that how my school could be better is that we could donate for the kids in Africa, the animals that don’t have homes, homeless people, and etc. We do donations, but we don’t do enough, so to show that we care, we should do some donations for people or animals in need.
Another thing that would do to make my school better is that there should be prizes for the kids that got honor or high honor rolls because they worked so hard for the certificate, at least give them a prize, a treat, or something.
The last thing that would do to make my school better is to make a club for anti-social kids, or kids who are depressed, so they could help them.
They could talk about their problems, school stress, or anything.
So therefore, these are the things that would make my school better.
I live in Hartford. My neighborhood has houses and very nice people. It’s usually pretty quiet and I like it that way. A couple of my friends live down the street. What would make my neighborhood better is if everyone was all friends.
There’s not really much to do for kids in my neighborhood. Usually I go to school and then I come home and there’s nothing to do. We could have neighborhood meetings where we could meet new people. We could share our likes and interests. That would let us work together and have ideas and share dreams and maybe have our dreams come true. We could help each other and build each other’s dreams and we could have a day when all the children get together and learn about each other and our different cultures and we could learn what other people’s lives are like. If there’s ever anything that makes a kid feel bad, he’ll have a lot of friends to make him feel better. We could have clubs – outdoors club, sports club, and board games club and all enjoy each other’s company. We can go and we could have a family marathon.
Another thing that would make it better would be if my Town had more money and we could improve our schools and teach more mathematics. And then we can install more grades in Hartford and we could have our schools do fundraisers for the poor. We would give the money to the poor because we live in houses and they don’t and they have a right to live in houses too. We could create some new stuff that would help the homeless and we could help young college students to have jobs.
Once a year we could have a carnival the day before the 4th of July.
The carnival would be for everyone. We could all ride the Ferris wheel and eat cotton candy together. It would be free and everyone would get 30 tickets. People could make donations to the carnival. We could improve our animal shelters and make sure no stray pet has to be put down. We can make sure that each year that every dog has a child, and every child has a dog, and cats have children, and the children have cats. We could make a dog park. We could have a cleanup day to clean up the parks and then we would have a perfect neighborhood where we’re all friends.
First, I put masking tape on my canvas to save parts I was going to paint later and then I applied glittery paint.
After the paint dried, I took off the masking tape and painted what was underneath it gold.
Finally, I drew a young Ruby Bridges with colored pencils and pasted her image on the canvas. When I put Ruby in a different “world” where no one was yelling at her, I made it look like she was coming toward me into a golden place.
Once she got out of the craziness, she would go out and help others come together through desegregation. It is important to show how colored kids felt in times of segregation because showing how people don’t like to be left out or mistreated will make my community a better place.
If I were a police officer, I would work towards changing the existence of police brutality.
My project is about young black men and women all over the world who have been victims of police killings & unjustifiable arrests because police felt “threatened” for their lives so much that they choose to end someone else’s. Kids are dying left and right because of this “excuse” used by officers who inappropriately use their authority to murder innocent people! I stand against police brutality! I have African American brothers and it worries me constantly to think they may eventually be pulled over for a broken tail light & end up dead! Should I live in fear of losing my sibling because he was in the “wrong part of town,” wearing the wrong clothes at night, or because he failed to comply in a timely manner or possibly even because he fit the description of a man who stole a car a week prior?
Police call themself “Heroes” but yet they take brothers, fathers, mothers & sisters from families as a way to prove their superiority.
Something has to change. 17 year old Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, a 28 year old man who claimed he was the neighborhood watchman because Trayvon fit HIS description of a thug.
Zimmerman was found not guilty of his crime even though Trayvon did nothing wrong and was targeted out of fear! He was just visiting his relatives and this young man was unarmed. So tell me, why do they shoot us? Why do they instantly feel “threatened ” or frightened when they see us?
Atatiana Jefferson was killed by police officers right in front of her Nephew through a Window and nobody cared how he felt. Gray was a married man the police lied on and said he had a revolver pointed at them but his family said Gray had never had a gun and witnesses confirmed he NEVER pointed one at the police. These cops that we call heroes shot him a total of 11 times. Police take an oath to protect and serve yet I feel like African Americans are unsafe in a world where we should be provided the same protection as others especially if we’ve done nothing wrong.
Every second of the day, African Americans are preyed on regardless of what we do and where we go simply because the people who we are supposed to trust fear the color of our skin. Being black is not a crime!
Police Brutality must end! No one deserves to die!
Hi, my name is Haley and I have three ideas to improve my community. The first idea is to organize a community gathering to get to know each other better and have a more friendly neighborhood. The second idea is to help homeless people with providing shelter and food. And I would also make a company that lets homeless people work and earn money. The last idea is to plant more flowers and other greenery to make our community more welcoming.
The first thing I would do to make my community better is, I would organize a community gathering for people to get to know each other. Why I would do this for my community is because it would be friendlier, and people would recognize each other’s faces. Another reason I would do this is because if a child gets lost, he/she would know more people they can trust and the people they know can help them get home or to wherever their parents are.
The second thing I would do is help the homeless people. Not by giving them money but by giving them shelter that provides food and a place to work to earn money. I would give them shelter because doesn’t it get annoying or make you feel sorry when you see them on the side of the road and asking you for money to get a home and food? So that’s why I would make an assigned area with shelter for homeless people throughout the community. I would also make a company that lets homeless people work to earn money and so they could buy their own property and get their own food.
The last thing I would do is I would plant more trees, flowers, and more greenery. Why I would do this is because, it would make our area more beautiful and fresher. It would make everyone feel more welcome with the smell of the greenery and how beautiful it looks because it’s fresh nature. Plus, it would get people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. It would also get people to hike, bike ride, and jog more often so they could get outside and have fun enjoying the sights and smell of the greenery. Another reason is that the people would have better health because they would do exercise when they’re outside enjoying the outdoors. That means there would be not as many emergencies because of lack of exercise or situations like that. That also means the doctors and nurses have less things to help fix and less things for them to worry about.
In conclusion, our community would be better because everyone would know each other and if a child got lost, they could get help from someone they know. Another idea our community could be better is if we make a designated area with provided shelter and food for homeless people who need help. We could also make a company that lets homeless people work to get money. And the last idea is we could plant more greenery so more people would want to get outside to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful sights and smells. There you go, my three ideas to make our community better. I hope you liked my ideas to make our community better
Roses are red,
Our grass is dead,
We need to feed it,
So let’s start cleaning,
Make it start skinning bright like a star,
Till it turns green again,
Make it burn and make it soak
We need to fix our world
People tend to act like it won’t grow,
Our world is dying,
Let’s fix it let’s GO…
My family is the Puerto Rican Flag Red, the blood of the warriors White, victory, and peace.
The star, the island, alone, brave
The blue, blue sky, blue waters.
With the blood of warriors.
My dad protects me,
I throw punches.
He calms me and tells me: “Real warriors pick their battles be proud and stand your ground.”
We come from Puerto Rico.
We honor our people.
We salsa.
We eat arroz, empanadas, pollo, habichuelas, papas turcas and galletas.
In peace and tradition.
We come from Hartford In victory and freedom
We ride.
We swerve, we meet at gas stations Dirt bikes and four-wheelers.
On Douglas, Campfield, and Preston South End, Hartford.
We love our culture And care for our friends.
My family, my heart.
We are the Figueroa family.
Alone together and brave like our island.
Like our island, all alone.
Beaten by hurricanes.
We sometimes argue.
We stop and go back to loving each other.
Our island puts itself back together united.
Only to quake.
We struggle.
We will survive.
Held by our love, the blue.
The blue sky.
The blue waters.
We are the Figueroa.
We are the Puerto Rican flag.
We stand strong.
If I was a police officer, I would be nice.
I would never treat black different from white.
I would be myself and make a change.
What is life, if it stays the same?
I would show my flaws and my scars.
Because no one should have to hide who they are.
I would show the world who I want to be.
Because we all are a community.
If I were a police officer, I said what I’d do.
Dream your dream and it will come true.
Have you ever seen families on the side of the road huddling together because they are cold?
I have, and I think we can change that like how we can also change littering and damage to our buildings like graffiti. We see this stuff every day and though you might wish that it would stop or get fixed, it never happens. Which is why I would make a program where you can donate money or goods to people on the streets and families that are in times of need. I would also make a gathering to help beautify buildings that have been spray painted on or need a touch up. Lastly, I would have people participate in a clean up to pick up trash and plant more seeds in areas that might not have a lot of greenery.
The first thing I would do to make my community better, is I would create more programs where you can donate money or goods like blankets or food to people in need and people living on the streets. I would organize this by telling my friends and family and I’d put up flyers around Hartford.
This would help my community because that would mean that more people would be healthy because of the food and with the money they could get a place to live, buy new things that would be of use to them, and we would have more people that are happy.
The second thing I would do to make my community better, is I would make a gathering to help beautify buildings that have been spray painted on or need a touch up. I would organize this by telling people I know even if they don’t live in Hartford because anyone can help make a change. This would make my community better because then the people who own the places would have more customers because the place would look housewarming and inviting.
And going back to my first reason it would help them if they are in times of need.
Plus, by making the community look better it would encourage people to help others and they would get to know each other which means the neighborhood would be more united.
The third thing I would do to make my community better, is I would have people participate in a clean up to pick up trash and plant more seeds in areas that might not have a lot of greenery. This would help my community because it would mean more fresh air for everyone and we would have a better environment. Also, it would have a bigger impact because if just a few people do it, then eventually more will and that would help, not just in Hartford but the whole world.
In conclusion doing things like making programs to help those in need, beautifying the community, and doing a community clean up can really have a big impact in Hartford. And even if you do something small, like be kind to everyone you see, can make a change.
And eventually, all of this will provide a safe place for kids to play, a better environment, and people being kind and getting to know each other. What I’m trying to say is all those things put together to create a community that is friendly and inviting where all are welcome!
I am a fifth grade student at Breakthrough Magnet North Elementary School in Hartford and I have a lot of ideas about how my school and the neighborhood around my school could be even better!
I think my school neighborhood would be better if there were more fenced in playgrounds to keep children running and playing, safe. I think it would be better if there were more bike lanes. It would be even better if there was less expensive housing, and if everyone worked to make the community safer.
I think my school would be better if there were more computers for students to use.
It would be even better if there were more strategies for how to handle situations where people are mean to you.
Everyone knows bullying is a huge problem. However, I was unaware of how big of a problem it was until I began middle school. If there was one thing that would make my school better it would be to address bullying on a consistent basis. Just like Math, English, and History, social emotional learning should be a part of our daily curriculum.
Being a good citizen is something you can’t learn in an hour it’s something that takes time to work on. When schools only have one conversation about bullying, it sends a message that it is not important.
I think it’s important for my school to form a weekly program that focuses on bullying and its effects. It would be helpful to use our weekly advisory time to focus on social-emotional learning and address bullying with all students. My school also needs to have very clear rules and regulations around bullying that all students and staff should be aware of.
School should always be a safe and open space for students.
My wish is that my school learns to speak up and stand up against.
I work hard to develop paintings that speak to me and others.
Part of my process before I begin painting is to think outside the box, what is happening around us. To put things from my head on paper then canvas.
With my recent artwork I tried to think about what can help my school or neighborhood.
All the animals are dying out there. All the trash out there is killing the earth.
Why not help? Picking up one piece of trash a day can help.
Organizing or sorting paper, plastic, and glass. I imagined what if we had less trash on the world, animals alive, living their happy lives.
Wouldn’t that be awesome?
In my artwork, I used acrylic paint, to put in some color and understanding of what was drawn.
Find children who run away
Make sure that they’re okay
Listen to what they have to say If not,
I’ll find another way
Make sure people lock their doors
And try to keep serenity outdoors
Sit in a patrol car and inhibit
People going over the speed limit
Try not to overlook every flaw
And help people obey the law.
Going to school is an amazing journey for kids (including myself) to go through.
You can learn the fundamental skills that you need to succeed in life. But there can’t be a perfect school. One suggestion I have for my school is to add more sports teams. We currently do not have any sports teams at our school, which is very upsetting because sports are very helpful to kids. Being on a sports team teaches kids how to work together, be more social, and other things that are valuable. Another thing that I think would be a great addition to the school, is adding better lunches. School lunches at the current moment are free, but they aren’t enjoyable. Most people don’t eat school lunch because they claim it doesn’t taste “good”. I believe that the school should add an option for you to buy better food from them for maybe 1-5 dollars depending on the item.
That way the school could make some extra money, and we kids could have an enjoyable healthy lunch.
Another thing that I think would improve our school, is if they had shorter classes, but more periods. I would love to have classes like chemistry, and geometry. I believe that letting the students pick which classes they want (except math and reading, they are mandatory) would make them feel like they are taking steps toward their future by making their own academic decisions. Some ways I think I could make my neighborhood better is by adding a neighborhood watch.
Someone that you know has your best interests in mind and cares about the community deeply. I also feel like the trash truck should come twice a week instead of once a week.
From personal experience, after the trash truck comes, my garbage can usually fill right back up in 2-3 days. IT would be very useful to have them cone twice. I think another thing that will make my neighborhood better is if the bus ca come to get kids from their houses. Parents are usually rushing to get to work, so having to go to the bus stop and wait for buses to come can very negatively impact their jobs. Having the bus come to your hose would also mean less stress for a parent who’s worried about missing the bus.
Lastly, I think that people who live in neighborhoods should have meetings monthly to discuss how things are going.
This way they can keep police informed of any shenanigans happening, and they keep themselves safe and out of harm’s way.
These are just some of my ideas about how things should be managed.
Making for happier family’s, and safer lives.
This is a simple task, but it is effective. Planting a tree and cleaning the neighborhoods.
A clean community offers a safe environment for all people to enjoy.
No one likes to live in an area full of garbage.
When pollution has disappeared by collecting trash, it will cause a change.
A clean environment makes it less harmful to plants and prevents animals from eating garbage.
In my drawing, I have collected bags of waste and trash from around my park. In my drawing, I am planting a tree in my park. Planting a tree will always make a neighborhood or any place better.
A fully grown tree provides oxygen to breathe and gives us shading in the hot summer days.
A tree can be homes to many animals, like squirrels, birds, and insects.
Trees can make a street or home look more beautiful and calming.
This task can be completed by one person. One simple task of planting trees or cleaning can help a neighborhood. If one person can make a difference, I believe what I’m doing in the drawing can be done by a lot more.
If I was a cop, there would be fewer protests.
If I was a cop, I would serve the right justice.
No lies,
No cries,
No lessons about their rights.
We all know how it goes no judgment bout their clothes School Shootings?
Ain’t no joke.
Y’all hand?
That’s what I’ll hold.
The color brown, not a danger zone.
Did you know about the men that were killed?
So, Kwame Jones, shot to death in his car and no justice was shown?
How bout Ryan? shot 37 times.
Or Trayvon, Dantre, William, or Emantic?
Does it ring a bell that there’s a problem and no one is gonna stop it?
If I was a cop there would be fewer protests.
If I was a cop I would serve right justice
No lies,
No cries,
No lessons about their rights.
We all know how it goes.
The color brown?
Not a danger zone.
Why, why do people hate?
Why do people discriminate?
Why do people kill?
Why do people have to go through the pain of losing someone they loved?
Why do family members leave?
Why do best friends stab you in the back?
Why do family members put so much pressure on you?
Why do friends leave you on your worst days to only come on your best?
Why do people judge each other based on looks?
Why do people think less of somebody just because of the color of their skin?
Why do people think being a girl, young lady, or a woman means you are weaker or less smart or just in general incapable of things that are so-called a man’s job?
Why do people say if you are a man you can’t do certain things like wear makeup or have long hair?
Why do people say “take it like a man?”
Why do people hate you just because of what gender you like?
Why do people look at you differently just because of what gender you are or what you want to be?
If I were a police officer, I would go around my city and talk to people.
I would be supportive and not just focus on the bad things because today social media is surrounded by all the bad things. I would start an LGBTQ+ program to help young adults with questions and help them figure out who they are.
I would show them the correct way to solve a problem if someone is being disrespectful about their sexuality or gender. I would talk to parents and single parents who may need help with payments or supplying themselves with basic needs, and daycare. Everyone needs help sometimes. I will go to all types of different schools in my city for a chance to talk to the kids about treating each other equally. I want to show them why it’s good to have different perspectives on things, and not to judge people on the way that they look or the types of things they wear, but on how they act.
As a police officer, I would make sure everyone knows the difference between making good decisions and making bad decisions. I would take young adults that are making bad decisions to see what prison is like. I’d show them that you can achieve more than being in a cell.
That hanging around the wrong group can affect your life. I would take a moment to tell little kids to adults why and how love can be more powerful than hate.
No one should be hated on or hating someone just because of the way they dress, talk, how they look. The color of your skin or the clothes you wear, not even your race, gender, or sexuality should affect how you’re treated. In my community, no police officer has ever done this; it’s not only about arresting people.
I will not say if I was to be a cop I would want to be the first, because I do not want to be the first. I want the first to be anyone that wants to make a change, that wants to make someone smile and not just out of pity, but because they want to build a community of love.
We want to show people how much our community can grow if we just take a moment and listen to each other.
In addition, if I was a police officer, I would spread love and show everyone what it means to be a community.
I wrote the poem “I Am A Black Man” when I was nine years old, because I hoped to use it as a cry to the police officers who are there to protect us but during that time it didn’t feel like that.
I have always known that the police was there to serve as our protector but for a while, the media made it feel like the complete opposite.
I would watch my mother cry whenever she watched the nightly news because there was always something on the news about another black man that was murdered by the police.
I did not want to think of police officers as murderers or only think of them in a negative way.
Therefore, after thinking long and hard as to what I would do if I were a police officer and how I could create the change needed in my community and country, I came up with the poem.
Being a police officer should be an awesome honor.
The thought of protecting others and providing a sense of security to a community or individuals who are in need of protection, leadership, and guidance is priceless and rewarding.
If I were a police officer, I would first make every effort to earn the trust of the people I serve.
This is very important these days because police officers all over seem to have a bad reputation. Most of these killings targeted African American men and boys like myself, and unfortunately anyone else who identifies as a minority.
This made me very sad.
I personally know that many good police officers exist and unfortunately they suffer the consequences for the ones that do not seem to honor their badge or the oath they took upon becoming a police officer.
It almost feels like the “bad ones” cause a lot of fear and subsequently betray the trust of the people they promise to serve.
I would feel compelled to change the way people think and feel about the police force and what they truly stand for.
I would make myself more available to the people I serve. I would show up to as many community events that target young people.
That way I could put their minds at ease.
I would do more community policing so that the residents know that I am always available and not just when something goes wrong. Building relationships especially with young men of color just to prove to them that police officers are there to protect and serve would be a priority of mine.
Most importantly, I would encourage more young people to join the police force and be a positive change.
If I were a police officer, my main focus would be to inform people about the importance of car seats. I would also go to middle schools to teach classes about the dangers of social media, alcohol, and drugs. My day to day schedule would include patrolling my neighborhood and others nearby to talk to people and learn about their issues and worries.
Car seats are vital for children to have when in a vehicle.
Though they are needed for children, car seats are very expensive. Infant seats run $30-$180; travel systems $40 -$400; and convertible seats $50- $290.
Many families do not have enough money to buy a $180 car seat.
Road injuries are the leading cause of death to children in the United States.
However, the correct use of a child safety seat can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71%.
As a Hartford Police Officer, I would organize my colleagues and community to get donations of new car seats.
We would offer those car seats to people who cannot afford them.
We would also offer instructions on how to use them correctly for the whole community. Not only would this make children safer, but this would also build trust between the police department and the people.
Social media, drugs, and drinking have become more available to young people.
This is a major problem. There need to be trusted adults that can tell kids the dangers of this.
As a police officer, I would be an example of that. I would go to middle schools and talk to classes about underage drinking, drugs, and the dangers of social media. I would not just talk about the dangers, I would talk about my experience with people that had gotten into a lot of trouble because of drinking and drugs.
I want to inform the kids and make them understand that these things are harmful and scary.
They need to know what the specific things are and how to stay away from them.
People ages 12 through 20 drink 11 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States.
Although youth drink less often than adults do, when they do drink, they drink more. That is because young people consume more than 90 percent of their alcohol by binge drinking.
Drinking alcohol and binge drinking become more prevalent as young people get older.
If I were to give students this example, I think that would make a mark on them and make them understand the severity of underage drinking and drugs.
It’s not a joke and I want them to understand that.
Everyone is affected by drinking and drugs but for younger people whose brains are still developing, the effects are more dangerous.
A Health-Sciences Professor named Jacob Barkley explained that “Interaction on social media is not beneficial. It’s electronic,” explains Barkley, who has been studying smartphone use and students since 2013. “The higher the cellphone use, the more time spent on social media, and the higher the anxiety.
Peer relationships actually get worse the more you use your phone.
I would also inform the students that they need to get off their phones at times so that they develop better relationships and learn to be more sociable.
You rarely see police cruisers go through neighborhoods unless something is wrong.
Police officers should patrol through neighborhoods when things are okay.
There are many people in Hartford that need assistance and are elderly. As a police officer, I would check on them weekly in case they need help from me or my colleagues. It’s important to build a relationship with the people in the community.
Hartford is a very special city.
There are many people that care about this place, like law enforcement.
Being a Hartford Police Officer is a great opportunity to give back to an extraordinary community.
The beauty of the city shines brightly.
In a dazzling array of amber and dirty gold.
People of all shapes and sizes, Creeds, and Races.
Walk its streets with a beat in their hearts.
Even though the roads around them may be filled
with yesterday’s newspaper and old soda pop cans, or plastic bags.
Violence shouts in their backyards,
And illiteracy threatens to overtake their minds.
Even though the odds of stacked against them.
They fight on.
This is the HART.
They are a peculiar set of people
They are Stone flowers.
That dazzles against the ugliness of time and strain.
They make their communities glow with passion,
From their exhilarating art, and fiery speeches.
Not failure.
They are the HART, the people of Hartford that keep on beating with no compromise.
I feel that my neighborhood would be better if more people helped each other.
In my artwork, I show a younger person helping an older citizen to the local hospital.
Caring for one and other is very important for the community
and will help make a better place for all who live there.
Taking care of our family, friends, and elders to show our respect is an easy,
everyday way to make a big impact on the neighborhood around us.
In the endeavor to acquire a better educational schooling system, I know many desire opportunities.
I know to some, scholarships are stolen glimpses of ships far adrift the seashore.
They tread on eggshells and pray in wishing wells, for a favor, for financial aid.
Some sort of financial aid that will help when it’s time for their college tuition to be paid.
For many schools is a means to an end, but lately, it seems with school the problems never end.
Now I am not bashing school or pushing it off the deep end.
It’s just that in life we all tend to expect the best and wind up with regret.
In high school, the students expect education and we get this true, but the future is bleak and the opportunities are few.
Honestly, the opportunity is seriously what we all expect but more than not end up with, well, neglect. When endeavoring to inspire a better schooling system, many hope to acquire relationships with their peers, to get scholarships and internships, and somehow make it to have a successful career and once there they can look back and see the way that brought them here and help someone else get there too.
I feel that my school could improve in the following areas:
An opportunity to go to a middle college high school seems appealing to many parents and students, free college classes after freshman year, and the possibility of graduating with an associate degree.
Attending Great Path Academy for almost three years now has been very promising to my education, with the junior year being the start of my college-related plans.
Colleges and Universities typically look at three main things- academics, extracurricular, and standardized tests. Being a junior in high school means trying to keep track of all these things as colleges begin seeking new students with qualities to be a part of their community.
My school offers many activities, but there is one thing that we do not have, sports.
Having our own set of athletic teams as well as coaches would benefit not only the appeal of our school but the future of its students.
With approximately 300 students, Great Path Academy is generally considered a small high school.
Located in Manchester Community College, it is a community of students from diverse backgrounds motivated to develop individual academic skills.
As a middle college academy and magnet school, the goal is to best prepare students for education after high school and help them to successfully pursue higher education.
Many colleges look for students who are hardworking, not only in academics but other areas as well. We have jazz band, drumline, vocal ensemble, GPA ambassadors’ program, GPA allies’ program, GPA peer mediators, but not sports. Although students have a comfortable variety, many still see the options as few and wish more activities were available. Since athletics are not offered, a handful of students play sports for their town’s public high school. Students have to sign up for athletics on their own, needing transportation for games and practices.
Although there is still a way for students at Great Path to play sports, having our own set of teams would be easier for students and encourage more of us to participate.
The students of Great Path come from a wide variety of towns and cities, with only a share of us living in Manchester.
Finding means of transportation for practices and games when participating in sports at other high schools can be stressful and many students do not engage in athletics solely because of this problem.
Having these activities offered in our own school could coax students to join in, as well as invite many others to become a member of our community.
For the students who feel as though there are not enough activities at school, the opportunity of our very own sports would have incredible appeal. With the resources being on our own campus, signing up and trying out for sports would prove much less difficult for those interested in athletics. It would be greatly beneficial to gain more student involvement and create another environment for us to build our skill sets. Others considering Great Path as an academic option could be drawn even more if we offered athletic activities. Many high school students enjoy sports activities and would wish to contribute as a part of a community.
Although sports show major appeal to students, they are not the only group that enjoys athletic participation. Colleges and Universities consider sports as another part of the recruiting process. When students partake in athletic activities, they develop and build certain skills that are needed later on in life. Teamwork, sportsmanship, time management, commitment, and responsibility are all needed to be a beneficial member of a team. Some students see athletics as a way out of personal problems and a chance to build on the skills they are struggling with.
Participation in athletic activity can bring about leadership roles, unlock hidden potential, and create accomplishments among students. In high school, extracurriculars are a stronghold for colleges to determine who students are outside of their academic identity. These institutions want to accept people that have something to contribute and build in their community.
Providing athletic resources would not only help more students get an upper hand at attracting colleges but give them valuable life skills along the way.
“We can never be satisfied
as long as the Negro is the victim of
the unspeakable horrors of police brutality”.
– Martin Luther King Jr.
If I were appointed the role of a police officer, I would take pride in being one that is culturally competent. A police officer’s position is to maintain law and order in the community and to detention any person who breaks said laws.
Police brutality is the usage of hostile and graduated force afflicted on a civilian by a workforce affiliated with law. Members believe that because they are granted a badge that showcases their power that they have the right to abuse that power. The aforementioned misconduct has been happening for decades. Police brutality is the sixth-leading cause of death for young black men. It was first noticed around the late 1800s and early 1900s. At this time, generally, the actions that triggered most of these events were protest strikes.
It was said that police were seen mercilessly beating protesters with their batons or other weapons as these acts of violence continued.
In 1963 Samuel Egerton carried and showcased a poster to the March on Washington with the message:
“We Demand an End To Police Brutality Now !” in red and white letters.
The yellowing poster signified an unceasing problem of oppression and violence caused by police officers which have agitated and disconcerted the black community for decades on end. It seems that the main target of these attacks were, unfortunately, African Americans.
To date, fatality rates steadily rose since the early 2000s.
In 2019 alone there were about 1,004 fatalities caused by police officers.
It was shown that men, women, and children of color are 2.5 times more likely to be shot and killed by police officers than armed Caucasians. Ultimately, I want to take pride in making it my duty to learn and study about the communities I will, theoretically, serve in and the many races that may reside there.
My goal is to honor my uniform and not to fall victim to the corrupt system which is the judicial system. Police officers are tied to a poor name due to the history that they carry with them uniform and the underlying issue of racism and the stereotypes put on people of color.
The fear of communities and society fuel the inordinate use of force police officers are seen exerting. I would try to build a healthy relationship with my colleagues (old and young) and with the public. Doing this will gain the trust of the community I work in and others surrounding it.
People of color constantly have to live in a state of fear for their lives because of the fact that police often put the stereotype that blacks are “dangerous creatures” that need to be detained at all times because we’re a `threat” to society. Police should be protecting us from the fear of crossing their paths, but instead have turned on us and constantly leave us in the dust to fend and protect ourselves.
I want everyone to feel safe. I want to have people rely on me for keeping them out of danger and for saving their lives because that’s what a police officer is supposed to do.
They’re not supposed to inflict pain and danger in our people.
I will put in a great deal of my time and effort in order to ensure safety and justice in our communities.
As a community, we need to come together no matter how different we come.
We need more respect and love for each other.
We all bleed the same color and deserve the same respect.
The world won’t grow if we all discriminate against each other.
Everyone is beautiful and enough.
Love is something that we need wherever we are. And Unity is Strength. We’re all different. We don’t need to agree on one thing because if there’s more ideas, there’s gonna be more ways for all of us to solve the problem or to make things better. Unity is strength.
What would make my neighborhood better?
We all need love, but before that we need relationship, friendship, and to feel safe with each other, helping if someone has a problem, stick together, help each other and talk instead of fighting.
This art of people shaking hands, it’s about accepting each other or to come together.
Fighting doesn’t solve a problem, but love does.
Coming together and enjoying our neighborhood for love and respect.
Let’s stick together and give each other a heart. And never give up.
We need a good environment where we can feel at home, love one another.
A better home needs security. If you are in need, I’ll give it to you today, and tomorrow you can give it to me and life will keep going.
We have to respect everybody, even a baby because babies learn from what they see:
good education, a good environment, and a better neighborhood.
