LGBT

Tom Cook has never acknowledged his sexual orientation publicly, until a post on the Bloomberg Business Week website. He has always tried to maintain a basic level of privacy throughout his professional life to keep the attention away from himself and focus much of his attention on his products.

“I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

Tom Cook fits into the 20 percent of the world which is estimated to be gay or homosexual by a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2013. This is nearly double of the actual estimated figure of 10 percent that was previously believed to be true. The growing percentage of homosexuals in this day and age has caused many other gays to step up and come out to their families and friends.

Most recently, Tom Cook came out to the rest of the world online. ‘Famous’ people like Cook help provide confidence for the rest of the world to be grateful and proud of who they are. Not only has Cook given a spur of confidence to other young or old gays, but other normal everyday people have too. There are over 14 million results when searching the keywords ‘Coming Out’ on YouTube. Many of these videos are just ordinary people coming out to their families, others tips and tricks for coming out. This is just another piece of evidence of how strong internet connections are and how anybody can make a change in the world.

Troye Sivan, a YouTuber with nearly 2 million subscribers (or viewers), has definitely made a desirable effect on the world at the age of only 19. Not only has he released a music album and have a very high profile online presence, but he is gay. He came out to his viewers on August 7, 2013. His loving, close-knit family have accepted Troye for he is and have supported his YouTube and music career unconditionally.

On the other hand, there are coming out stories that do not end with a ‘happily ever after’ but self harm and suicide instead. According to the Trevor Project, a movement started to support gays who may experience problems during their journey as a homosexual, say that LGBT (lesbians, gays and bisexuals) youths are four times more likely to commit suicide than straight children or teens their age.

Coming out and being homosexual is especially hard on teens, as it is an ‘awkward’ time in terms of body changes and figuring out who you are. This is why projects like The Trevor Project exist- for support that may not be there for teens in their surroundings. They offer a 24-hour hotline and a branch called TrevorSpace. TrevorSpace is social networking site for LGBTQ (lesbian, transgender, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth) aged 13 through 24 to talk to one another and find support in people their age.

Although many people are allies of LGBT community and say they support it, but not much action is taken against discrimination of homosexuals. This is where being an ally comes in. This is where people fully support gays and take action against racial slurs and discrimination against the LGBT(Q) community.

One’s sexual orientation should never change the level of respect for another. Being gay doesn’t change the person in any way- they just have different preferences. Haven’t people always said that love knows no boundaries? Why should it stop at what we assume marriage can only be- between a male and female? There are endless questions towards gays- ranging from reproduction and religion that will probably never end.

The only thing we can do is try to understand their point of view, as much as they understand straight people’s desire for people of the opposite gender. We need to let them know they aren’t alone. 

By Jo Yie

Adopting Dogs

The Lambeek family was looking for a friend for their dog, Toby. They had found out about a charity event at east coast park where different dog shelters would come to the big splash and showcase some of their dogs. They came across a fenced area from one of the shelters, which contained 3 small puppies. One of which had bad scars on its body. They asked the representative volunteer about the small black puppy. She said that it was found at sand dunes near Tampines, and she was found with severe maggot infestations. The Family imediately fell in love with the sturdy little puppy, whos name was Charcoal. They questioned if this dog would be a suitable playmate for Toby, as it looked as if it would grow to be quite big, and Toby was small for his size. They agreed to take her for a week trial. After a week they had already formed quite a strong bond with Charcoal and couldn’t give up on her, so they signed the papers and she was all theirs. They changed her name to Maisy.

This story is a good example of helping animals that are really in the need of it.

An expert’s knowledge was certainly needed, therefore I spoke with Christine, a volunteer from Causes for Animals Singapore (CAS) she said that the local society in Singapore have a superstition that black dogs are a bad omen, and it would ensue a death in the family. Most locally found dogs are cross bred, meaning that it could be a mix of many different breeds of dogs, therefore the exact breeds of a cross-bred dog can be indeterminable. So many dogs are found on the streets every year, so why not help one out and give it a loving home to feel safe in. Of course some dogs may have had horrific memories of humans attacking them or hurting them, which might affect their behavior in a bad way. The dog might be nervous around people at first, but later they will warm up to people.

Being a dog owner can have a lot of advantages, for example people who own dogs are much happier, and are less likely to suffer from depression than people who have no pets. This is because touching someone, produces Oxytocin, the love hormone. It is produced by touch and love, this gives someone good energy, and they feel loved. So, what is it that dog shelters actually do? They go out in search of animals in distress, or they might get a call from anyone that a kitten was found in an industrial tube (true story) or a lost, whining and starving puppy was sighted lying at the side of a path. Sari Lambeek, mother of the Lambeek family, says that she notices a slight difference in behavior between the two dogs that she owns (one pedigree, one cross-bred), her cross-bred dog, Maisy has been nervous around humans, especially big men, for 3 weeks, and for Toby, the dog that they got from a very young age, took no time at all to warm up to them.

Dog shelters will always be looking for the oppurtunity to give a dog/cat a secon chance at life. It is also a possibility to sponsor a dog at a dog shelter. This provides money to give that dog food and nicer beds and toys. Many animal shelters have websites, where background stories and images can be viewed, and that is where donating, and sponsoring can be done. Volunteering at your local dog shelter can also greatly help the dogs. Some things that volunteers do at dogs shelters are walk the dogs, feed the dogs, play with the dogs, wash the dogs, and more, and belive me, it is fun. So drop the search for a breeder, and find a local dog shelter instead and find a trusty companion that would appreciate your love and care.

By Casper

Why is Service so Useful?

Here at UWCSEA they teach students like me how to give back to our community throughout service.If students who later on become very wealthy and have the skill of knowing that there is a big world out there and that they aren't the only ones who matter. We would focus in the people struggling.

If we focus on all of the people who are doing well then will most likely learn nothing but if we tell these people stories then people will be inspired to help them. We could focus on what the kardashians . This is really personally to me because this is what I experienced in cambodia. I meet these kids who just lit up when they saw someone new. We expected to feel sorry for these kids but we actually felt equal which was really great because it taught me that we are all equal no matter where you're from or what color you are. That was the best way how to learn about how you can help. We helped them with their school work and we observed them and they loved us. We went to lots of different school asking about what these kids have been through and how did they find them. We went to this one school when these kids wanted to learn how to dance and they kept on asking a professional dancer to teach them. He said no and a few weeks later said yes. The kids told everyone in your neighborhood about this and soon they started to create a school.

I think every school should start a service department in their school. If every school did that we would have a lot more people focusing not only on themselves. This will make everyone equal towards each other which is promoting peace. News channels shouldn’t focus on what all of the celebrities.” They should focus on the people who are struggling or are in a bad places” said by a wise older lady. I get that people what to know what's going on in celebrities lives and stuff like like. But these people are struggling and we can help by not donating but shutting up and listening.

These are the steps to have an equal world. Money allows us to meet our basic needs like food, water and shelter but some of us can’t even get that. Meeting these people essential needs and if we don’t have enough money to support ourselves then none of what I have just told you.

Doing and enjoying community service teaches students skills that are valuable to employers, like problem solving, teamwork, and to be an active listen when instructions are given . Volunteering is especially valuable for a student's future career.

Participating in community service allows students to build up their skills. As students work in real life, they can use volunteering projects to learn and improve skills that they already had. Students can explore potential careers and find out what skill they need to develop in order to be an expert in the field.

Students participating in community service are often faced with challenges and tough problems to tackle. By working through them as a volunteer, they learn how to better solve problems, and enjoy the that amazing feeling of overcoming and thriving.

If every school would take the approach of service because service has turned in gain into academics, it teaches people how to problem solve, it makes students more attractive to employers.

By Austin 

Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Kids delved into

The most common problem in the world is in fact sleep deprivation and according to research and statistics “the consequences of a poor night’s sleep include higher stress increased mistakes and difficulty concentrating.” The question is what does this mean for us and why do people go to bed so late? Or rather why they most have no choice.

50% of Americans say that they would be extremely frustrated if they lost an hour of sleep and not by choice. Also 79% of Americans say they would be better prepared for the day if they had that extra hour of sleep. What is revealed here is that 79% of americans don’t always get enough sleep time. Most of these victims are actually school kids in the higher grade levels. Most of the time the homework that is given to them is not a ridiculously huge amount but it’s about how well the person manages their workload and balances their time.

What usually ends up happening is the work they gain slowly over time builds up as they can’t finish enough homework at the rate that it is given. It all ends up being too much and they get in trouble at school. It gets even worse for them as tests start to come around. The massive stress and pressure that comes with trying to balance both workloads is not something easily handled by the mind without consequence. Cari Gillen-O’Neel studied 535 kids in high school. They found out that from 9th to 12th grade the hours of sleep reduced from 7.6 down to 6.9.

After examining what happened to a teenager when he stayed up late to finish work they said that “Regardless of how much a student generally studies each day, if that student sacrifices sleep time to study more he or she will have more trouble understanding material taught in class and more likely to struggle on an assignment or test the following day.” Unfortunately not every parent or teacher is as understanding and often scolds them for looking sleepy or not working or managing time effectively. That won’t really make a difference as they’ll probably end up going to bed late anyway.

In truth it’s not really their fault that they’re going to bed late sometimes it feels hard to go to bed directly after doing homework so they attempt to relax by reading or watching as much TV as possible in a short space of time. Those that go directly to bed don’t end up being able to sleep until past midnight and wake up feeling groggy next morning. All that most of you and others really have to do is be a bit more understanding and less harsh as not to cause so much stress for them. Eventually I hope we can all feel happy.

By Gregory

The Effects of Bullying

Bullying can have a negative impact on many people the people getting bullied, the people bullying and the people witnessing the bullying. Kids that get bullied can suffer from mental and health issues, and sometimes an simple act like that can also take away a life of a kid who could have a bright future ahead. Everyday there are a lot of news of kids suiciding due to being bullied in school. But thats not all, a life is taken of the kid being bullied as well.

A young girl Rochelle was a victim of bullying, she said, ‘Well it all started in year 7, I told one of my best friends something very personal and then the next day it was all over the school they would make fun of me, call me names and sometimes hit me. I would go home and cry I told NOBODY! I was so upset about it, it came to the point where I had no friends I would hide myself away and I would just Hate school I skipped most of it because of the bullying, I would not talk to anybody I stopped eating I got really ill and I started being sick going dizzy and it came to the point where I fainted and went to hospital, I fainted when I was Outside I whacked my head of the Pavement, racking it open causing lose quite a bit of blood, I got bullied for hobbies Art & Singing and for liking Disney Etc ... But it didn't end there I moved to Essex's 2 weeks later, everybody hated me bullied me so I cut myself and I tried to hang myself one time but My brother stopped me and I finally told him everything. My Mum and dad Went down to the school and Started telling the headteacher everything. Now I go to a really good school I stand up to bullies and sometimes I even help people get through hard times I know it must be tough but tell someone It will make your life a whole lot better.’

Victims of bullying were more than twice as likely as other kids to contemplate suicide and about 2.5 times as likely to try to kill themselves according to a new study that quantifies the emotional effects of being teased, harassed, beaten up or otherwise harmed by one's peers. Children and teens who were taunted by cyber bullies were especially likely to suicide. Further looking into this and asking Misaki of 8SMD said, ‘I have never encountered bullying or someone being bullied, but I have seen very scary cases of suicide due to being bullied on T.V, I think when someone bullies someone, it is a very mean thing to be done. Bullying never even gets anything out of it, just a life and future of someone, but also I feel the kids that bully face problems as well.’ Regarding her opinion, kids that bully do face problems as well.

Kids that bully others are more likely to be exposed to alcohol and drugs, vandalizing properties and dropout of school, taking a very bright future of the kid as well.

Bullying not only effects the one being bullied but also the bully. When asked Hanna of 8SMD on what was her opinion on Bullying, she said, ‘I think that the kids who bully do it because they have experienced a sad past, and want the other kid to experience it as well, to make themselves seem strong.’

Stop Bullying, and help people being bullied, just a small gesture towards them but it could save a life of many others. Make a change starting now, not tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. Start now!

By Ishita

Understanding Introverts In A World Not Made For Them

A young boy wakes up to a cold dark morning with the sound of his alarm clock practically screaming “WAKE UP! WAKE UP!” He sits up in his bed and then falls back down again feeling too exhausted to even get out of bed so he painstakingly forces himself to walk over to the bathroom get showered and changed and get ready for school. He eats his breakfast and then almost falls asleep in the bus on the way to school. He goes through all his classes thinking “I’d rather be coding or doing something potentially more useful for my future.” He keeps quiet and finishes his work only to return home, go to bed and repeat it all over again.

The world of today isn’t the most ideal place for everyone. It’s all about expectations, Grades this studies that. Actually these expectations are what the world considers to be “normal” for the average person. But what about all of the people that don’t fit into this so called average? The people that prefer to sit down, read, dream and think to themselves. These people are the introverts with their own different and unique way of thinking and if it wasn’t for some of their strange but brilliant ideas the world today might not exist.

But however the childhood of an introvert is harsh trying to live and adapt to a world that has different views and ideals. The introverts aren’t actually the problem. In fact they’re the ones minding their own business. It’s the extroverts that stick their nose into a world where their views and ideals are no longer considered “normal.” Telling an introvert to be more active is a stupid idea and is like giving them a death sentence. Despite being different the introverts still want freedom and choice to do what they want to do. we’ll take the example of an introvert that wants to become a coder. He prefers to spend most of his time in his computer or phone learning more about how it works and trying to create or modify software. Besides knowing the basic primary school education which is essential for all. In middle school subjects like that don’t get taught.

For introverts this would be fine because the work better in a quiet place alone where they can focus their full interest on something attempting to learn it themselves via the internet, books, youtube or some other method. Except for the fact that now in higher grades they are given an overload of homework by the teachers and are constantly worrying about upcoming tests. Meaning they no longer have that time to learn or work on what they want to during the weekdays and they only have those two days during the weekend.

The issue with that is now the parents don’t understand and tell them “you should be more active” during the weekend. Assuming that they aren’t getting enough exercise and ask them to go outside and play. Most introverts don’t even give a damn about that and don’t go outside and play. But the constant nagging of their parents gets really frustrating and annoying stopping them from fully concentrating. So in the end they never get any time to learn what they want to at all. Introverts are the type of people that think and live towards the future so if they do something they usually have a very good reason for doing it.

The lifestyle that they live is different from the lifestyle of others. But all they want is to be accepted by others and for the extroverts to understand how they want to live their life. Most people don’t actually realize that they’re doing it but they’re forcing their own ideals on them and that the introverts weren’t born ready to accept them. These introverts are people just like us and have their own dreams, thoughts and feelings just like us. Everyone should be allowed to live they way they want to live.

Written by Greg

Skateboards As Troublemakers

I was only 11 years old when I had joined my very first skateboarding competition. I was beyond nervous. I had practiced for a month before the actual contest. I had practiced and perfected a whole routine of tricks in a row that I would have planned to do. When the competition had finally come, I was a mess. I heard the judge call me down to start my run. “Martin Aviles” the judge had called. I was the first runner up. I focused all my energy on my run. I was completely zoned out. I wasn’t thinking of anything else besides skateboarding. I dropped in. Every nerve inside of me was tingling. As I prepared for my first trick, I completely failed it. My whole run that I had been preparing for a month was just ruined. I completely forgot all about my run. I had just decided to wing it. I had 30 seconds left after my fall. I picked up my board and decided to go for a trick that I had only landed once in my life to make up for my fall. This trick could change everything. I decided to take the risk that would either get me to win first place, or end up 3rd. I didn’t want to just play it safe and get 3rd place. This was the trick that mattered the most out of all. The crowd cheered me on. I picked up my board, and just skated as fast as I could. I rolled up to the obstacle. My mind was completely blank. One mississippi, I get into the correct stance in preparation for the trick. Two mississippi, I ollie up into the air and rotate my body. Three mississippi, I locked my board perfectly onto the obstacle and get ready for impact on the landing. A split second later, I had realized that I just landed the trick that would get me into the top spot.

Skateboarding teaches resilience. When a skater falls down after trying a trick, he will get back up and try again and again until he succeeds. To learn a skateboard trick, you will fall a countless amount of times, but still get up and try again. Skateboarding teaches you how to take risks. “It’s better to go out like a man than to play it safe and get second” -Professional skateboarder, Sean Malto. Skateboarding pushes your limits, and forces you to challenge yourself and conquer your fears. Skateboarding boosts your creativity and changes the way you see things. It is a way of expressing yourself and letting go of all the stress inside of you. “I consider skateboarding an art form” -Tony Hawk.

Skateboarding is not just a sport. It is not just a hobby. It is a way of expressing yourself and redefining the world around you. When you skateboard, you are constantly learning. You are constantly pushing yourself, and there is no limit. Skateboarding changes the way you see the world. It opens up a new perspective which brings millions of new ideas. “I believe skateboarding brings a lot of adventure, new ideas and changes the way you see the world.” -Alex Midler. Skateboarders are being discriminated by the society because they are “troublemakers”. What people really don’t know is how many benefits you can get out of it, and how much more there is to it than a piece of wood on wheels.

There are thirteen million skaters in the United States alone. About 80% of them identify themselves as “street skaters”. The art of street skateboarding shows how government structure can be used to give skaters the opportunity to use everyday street landmarks as obstacles. Skateboarding is art. The skateboard is your paintbrush and the whole world is your canvas. “Skateboarding lets us employ the handiwork of the government structure in a thousand ways the original architects could never dream of” -Tony Alva.

Jim Bates was the boy who skated with dragons, one of the most iconic professional skateboarders of all time, went to hell and came back. Jim Bates has gone through very tragic moments in his life which caused depression. Jim Bates had “disappeared” for many years which caused people to wonder what has happened to the professional skateboarding legend. The most amazing and inspiring part about Jim Bates was that he was able to battle depression and the demons inside his head just by Skateboarding. Jim Bates is now active and Skateboarding regularly. He had recently written his own book called, “The Boy Who Skated With Dragons”.

The best part about skateboarding is that no one is the best. Each skater gets to use their skateboard in a way that they choose to. They use it in a way to express themselves and show how each of them is different in their own way. Skateboarding has no fixed definition. It is different for everyone.

Stop what you are doing and go outside. Pick up a skateboard and do whatever you want. The world is your playground. Learn to ride down hills or even visit a skatepark. You will definitely fall along the way, but you always have to get back up and learn from your mistakes. Learn some tricks and just let your creativity flow and express yourself. There are so many possibilities and so much to learn.

Written by Martin