Passages Press The Next President by Mikayla Tripp
Women were not able to vote or run for office in the United States until 1920- when the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote. Now that we have voted in an African-American president it should open our minds to letting a woman president into office. Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008 but people weren’t ready for a female president. But hopefully people have opened their minds to a woman becoming president since then. Hillary Clinton also was a New York senator and currently she is Secretary of State. Because of her success she has opened many people's eyes on how well a woman can do in a political career. There are also other women who have opened the eyes of the people of the United States. Madeline Albright was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State. Nancy Pelosi became the first woman to hold the position of Speaker of the House. Frances Perkins was the first woman in the presidential cabinet. Shirley Temple Black became ambassador to Ghana. Benazir Bhutto served as Prime Minister of Pakistan and ran again only to be assassinated.
America is way behind many other countries. These countries have had acting or interim female prime ministers as far back as 1979. These countries include: Portugal, Rwanda, Lithuania, France, Burundi, Israel, Canada, Bulgaria, Guyana, Mongolia, Finland, Peru, Macedonia, and Ukraine. Although I don’t think this is the only reason we don’t have a woman president, but I do think having to be a mother, having children and doing housework takes a toll on our careers. Women have to find balance between everything. Years ago a Business Week cover story declared, that “men could become losers in a global economy that values mental power over might.” Studies prove that women are better communicators, have better social skills, put the success of the team (or the country) first and use influencing skills rather than authority. 1955 - 52% of people said they would support a woman president 1975 - 73% 0f people came forward 1987 - 82% of people came forward
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Now - 92% of people would support a woman. The United States ranks 68th among the world’s countries with how many women have positions in government posts. Rwanda’s government has half of their positions in government filled by women. Scandinavia, China, Iraq and Afghanistan are ahead of us with women positions in government. I believe women in the United States are going to continue facing roadblocks to become president. We women are able to run families, so why can’t we have the chance to run a country!!!
The Death Penalty by Melissa Kennard
Capital punishment is the consequence a person would get from committing a very serious crime. Also known as the death penalty, capital punishment is legal in thirtythree states, Maine is not one of those states. Before researching the death penalty, I thought that Maine should legalize this punishment. I believed this because the way I was looking at it, I thought it would be cheaper and cut down on murder rates and other serious crime rates. Another reason I believed that the death penalty should be legal in Maine is because I personally believe that if someone is willing to harm a person mentally for life or kill a person, then they are deserving of the same thing. After doing plenty of research I started to see the other side of the story. At www.deathpenalty.org I read an article called “10 Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty.” In this article, it was brought to my attention that it cost more to execute a person than to keep him or her in prison for life. From the official death penalty site I further learned that since 1976, the forty-four executions carried out have cost the state $24 million per execution. “10 Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty” also stated that the race of the victim and the race of the defendant are major factors in
determining who is sentenced to capitol punishment. I believe that racial discrimination is wrong. I now believe that capitol punishment is wrong. If I had known before what I know now about the death penalty, I never would have been for it.
Equality by Miranda Parsons
I feel that every human being should be treated equally, whether you are man, woman, black, white, straight, gay, big or small. Every human being was born onto this earth the same way, Every human has a family. But why are we not all treated equal? I myself think this world is screwed up in the way people are still not always respected. Everyone may not agree, but everyone is also entitled to his or her opinion. I wish that someday people would learn not to judge one another anymore. And that every family would teach their children how to treat everyone equally no matter their race, color, religion or whether they are gay or straight. I am going to raise my own child to not judge others; I will teach her right from wrong. I am going to let my child be friends with Blacks, Jews, gays or whomever she wants to be friends with. I will never tell my child she cannot hang out with someone of different race or so on. I wish I could go back in time and erase all the negative and all of the things in history that were wrong. I listened to Martin Luther King’s speech when he had a dream that Blacks could be equal to whites, when they could roam freely and do what white people are permitted to do. I just listened to his whole entire speech; I read and listened to all the words he spoke. To listen to it makes you think and know how cruel white people were for what they did to black people. We should all be treated equal and thank god that we are equal now. Just hearing the voice that helped get equal rights and
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another story. Think of how many kids’ lives would be changed if just one student would stand for them, even if it’s not to them directly. Speak to a teacher. Your friends would never have to know. You would be helping the 160,000 children a day who are absent from school due to fear of being bullied. Imagine what it feels like to not only be a loner, but be so scared that your right to education is jeopardized.
what he had to say really touched me. Yes, I have learned about this in school, but to actually sit down and read and listen to the speech is wonderful; it is so powerful and amazing the words he spoke. He had a dream and his dream came true!
End Bullying by Dakota Powers
A subject I feel strongly about is bullying in school. Children who are fat, gay or just can’t seem to be “normal” are getting bullied every day at school all over America and all over the world. Bullying doesn’t mean just getting beat up or called names out loud. A vast majority of bullying can go unseen by the adult eye. Passive bullying doesn’t hurt any less, though. It is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students (source: National Education Association). This is just ridiculous. I believe that there should be someone in classrooms watching out for signs of bullying, if that’s not something the teacher can do. A bully will take every time a teacher’s back is turned as an opportunity to make their victim uncomfortable. 56% of students have witnessed some sort of bullying at school. The percent of students who will report seeing bullying is, of course,
A national survey of kids in grades 6-10 found 13 percent reported bullying others, 11 percent reported being the target of bullies, and another 6 percent said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves. Experts say the facts are troubling, because bullying too often leads to violence, loss of self-esteem, depression and even suicide. Think of the percent of kids who may not have answered truthfully on that survey. Those numbers could have been much larger in reality. Suicide among young people continues to be a serious problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death of youth between the ages of 10 and 24. It results in approximately 4400 lives lost each year. Deaths from youth suicide are only part of the problem. More young people survive suicide attempts than actually die. Now consider how many of these attempts could be halted beforehand if something was really done to prevent bullying in school. Please think about what your child or your child’s peers may be experiencing at school and fight to end bullying.
A Problem Solved by Josh Garner
I have had a lot of hands-on experience with laptops and desktop computers. I know about most programs that are on them. Since I love to problem solve on my own, I never turn to help because I think of that as giving up, and I am not one to give up.
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Since I was ten years old when I got my first desktop computer that I loved very much, I had my room set up like an office. I had my own house phone, Internet and printer. Every time that I got in trouble, my stepdad would threaten to take it away, because he saw that I loved it so much. One night, my stepdad was beating my mom, so I used my house phone in my room to call 911. The police took my stepfather away. A few days passed and he bailed himself out of jail. When he came home, he took my phone, Internet and computer away. I waited for the next time he screwed up to get back at him. I called 911 and he went back to jail again. I got a hold of his social security number and acted like I was him. While on the phone, trying to hook up the Internet, I followed the directions the guy gave me. Two hours passed and I finally got the Internet! I was ten years old and very excited. When my stepfather finally got home again, he received a bill for the Internet and when he found out, he took away my computer and everything that went with it. I thought it was pretty amazing that at such a young age, I was able to problem solve all on my own when I had problems with my computer. This story shows you that I started at a young age learning about computers.
Working with Shadow by Kaniah Sockabasin
I volunteered at a horse barn in Trenton, Maine. It was a little labor intensive, but I really enjoyed working with the horses and seeing and doing a little of what horse barn owners do daily. Honestly, I never pictured myself riding or cleaning up after horses, but once I gave it a shot, I loved the horses and looked at them like they were my own pets. One time I was in a real horse show! In the show I did a lot of cool tricks like standing on top of the horse and doing handstands on
the horse. At first I was very scared, but when the horse and I were performing all the tricks I felt very natural. We had lots of practice weeks before the show. I practiced on a wooden horse. It was a tiny little mule-looking horse that stood to about my chest, and from what I could tell, it was pretty antique. It had gray, shaggy, fake hair and was clearly homemade. Honestly, I think that the wooden horse was a lot harder to stand on. The horse that I rode was named Shadow. He was very big with black hair. Shadow was pretty demanding; when he wanted to go the way he wanted to go, he went. He wasn't mean, but liked to adventure his own way. One time we were practicing for the horse show and Shadow and I were doing our rounds, like walking him in a full circle before walking straight out the door, which is what he often did. Well, he was determined to go out of the showroom and get a drink or a carrot. So I jumped off of my horse and led him outside to get his favorite snack - a carrot. As we were headed outside he saw something. I still don’t know what it was. He started walking casually over to where he wanted to go. I raised my voice a little bit, “Shadow.” He started walking faster. I caught up to him and patted his nose, and asked, “Shadow, where the heck are you going?” He looked beyond me, and then walked around me and proceeded to head to the other side of the paddock. I assumed he was interested in something that was over there. So I let him gallop on over. I followed behind. When he stopped, I ran over to see what it was he liked so much, but when I got close he was already beginning to poop on it. It sounds gross, but I looked anyway. Underneath the poop was something very shiny. I was kind of upset that he pooped on it, but also I thought it was very
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funny that he walked so far to poop on something. I laughed and patted him, then led him back to the barn to finish our practicing for the horse show. My family and a few friends came to watch me and Shadow in the horse show. I am sure they enjoyed it and seemed to be having fun. The funny thing about the show was that my horse was the only horse that would stop every minute or so to poop or pee! At the time I was a little , but now when I think of the horse show, I laugh. Horseback riding was an amazing experience!
Finding Work by Dakota Sprague
I have looked into some careers that match my skills, interests and values. One I found that I feel like I’d really enjoy would be a kindergarten teacher. I enjoy children, I can inspire trust and confidence, be patient, organized, prepared and I could definitely teach the children useful things using my creative mind. To further my interest in this career I would need to have a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in early childhood education depending on where I apply and some places also require supervised student teaching. Depending on the degree you have and how long you’ve been teaching affects the salary. It can vary from 10,000 a year to 50,000. During my time working as a Kindergarten Teacher I would be teaching children letters, numbers, color recognition, math, social studies and a little bit of science in a playful but educational way. I would also be helping children with socialization skills and how to become more independent learners and thinkers. In summer of 2011 I had a job at Atlantic Baking Company. My duties were to wait on customers, display the bread and baked goods, make drinks like coffee, tea, espressos, clean tables, sweep and mop floors, stock
products, keep the bathroom cleaned, and do dishes. I love the job; it was great! It was fun meeting new people and bringing home a paycheck. The tips were especially good during the Lobster Festival because of all the tourists. I worked with my mom and she’s a very hard worker. The great thing about working with her was I learned what I was doing fast. However, there were a few things I did not like about working at the bakery. Management was pushy and treated me like I was a baby instead of with respect. I also stood all day while I was pregnant, so by the end of the day I was wiped out and tired, which made me cranky. I would love to apply there this upcoming summer so I have money for Emma and me. Another career I’ve thought about pursuing is police work. After interviewing Chris I have finally figured out what I want to do. I no longer want to become a police officer, but an animal control officer. He was telling me stories about having to investigate dead children and that just broke my heart. I don’t think I would be emotionally strong enough for the job because of Emma. Emma is pushing me to still help the community though. I want her to know I not only protect her but her furry friends, too. Being an animal control officer will keep animals safe and us humans, as well. What sort of things does the department look at in a candidate for employment? Honesty. If you don’t have honestly in this job, you don’t have anything. It’s the most important thing. What do you find most rewarding about the job? Putting bad guys in jail and protecting the community. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of the job? The rules. Criminals can do whatever they want to do whenever, when we have rules: The Constitution. If officers don’t obey the rules they waste their time.
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How do you deal with funny situations that happen during your shift? What was yours? A lot of them are us messing around with each other. Law enforcement is 80 hours of boredom and 1 hour of terror. They joke a lot. There was this one lady with tons of mental issues calling 20 times a day, so he gets called there one night at 10 and she was the type that thought people talked to her through the walls. When they show up they put them at ease and make them feel safe. So he walks in one night and her entire house in tin foil she must of had 6,000 rolls of tinfoil she was wearing a tin foil hat, she tells me another officer was there the other day telling her to do it so the people would stop talking to her through the walls. We have to deal with a complaint and get back to the office. We make them feel safe in their home and try to solve the problem.
I don’t think they are fair, but we work in a high profile job with a lot of public trust, and we have to hold themselves to a higher standard. How does being a police officer affect home life if it does? I think it affects my family. It affects them when we have plans and I get called out having to go to work. Effects my wife when she reads breaking news, leaving her at suspense, but I think for young cops it affects them because you can’t turn off the job when you go home. There is no way it cannot effect you. The worst part is cops don’t talk about it. They take care of it themselves. We internalize it to the point until we crack. Would you pull friends over if they were speeding?
How long did it take you to get used to dealing with people at their worst?
It depends on the situation. There is no law saying they need to. We’re not obligated write a speeding ticket.
You got to learn that real quick. No one calls a police officer to make friends. You take it to protect people.
A Safe Home What made you feel safe and secure in your home when you were a child and what made you feel unsafe? How can you use that knowledge to provide a secure environment for your child? Miranda Parsons:
Most memorable experience? 17 years later there is a lot of memorable experiences. There isn’t one. The best are the people that thanked me. How dangerous is being a police officer? There are dangers, but guys in this area aren’t going to work worried about it. You practice officer safety, if you approach the job worrying you won’t do the job well. How do you feel about stereotypes in regards to police officers?
What made me feel safe and secure in my home as a child is my mother; she used to be a good person. I felt that as a child she protected me a lot. I did not feel safe in my home as a child - not the least bit. I was always worrying about what was going to happen next; day-by-day - that’s how I thought. Everything made me feel unsafe between the violence, drugs and everything else. I can use all of this to make my child's environment a safe environment by just looking at all of the things that I watched as a child. I obviously do not want any of that for her, but words are only words. Actions show more than words. My job is to show her that there will be no violence, drugs or alcohol abuse in her
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home. There will be a lot of love, attention and learning in my home to show her how things should be. I want my daughter to grow up in a safe, clean environment where she doesn't have to fear anything or anyone like I did.
Dakota Sprague: As I was growing up there weren't many negative things in my life. I grew up in a positive, loving, caring and encouraging environment, which made me feel safe. The only time I ever felt unsafe was when my mother was married to an excessive drunk. He showed hatred towards my sister and me; he was always mean when he didn't get his way. I will make sure Emma is always in a safe, encouraging, and loving environment so she can feel safe just as I did. Not only that, but to make her a happy, outgoing and caring child. I will always try my hardest to keep her away from bad things like drugs, alcohol, and violence, but make sure she understands what they are all about. Gabbie Roberts: `
Autumn Larrondo: My home is very secure for me because it is where I grew up. Everything at home is normal, and what I’ve been always used to. I have my own room, which is the most secure place in the whole house. I grew up in that room. It is always made how I like; it feels homey. What really makes my home feel safe and secure is my family. I moved out of my house for two years when I was 14. I moved out because there started to be a lot of drinking around and parties; home started to feel unsafe. The last night I was there my mom’s boyfriend and I got into a fight, and it got physical. I decided to move out because my home felt unsafe. Two years later I have moved back into my home, because there is no more partying or drinking. Because of what I went through when I was little, it has really made me set my mind on making my son’s home safe and secure for him. I know the goals I want to set and the rules of my house.
The thing that made me feel safe and secure when I was a child was my dad. After my parents divorced I would always check the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. We didn’t live in the best neighborhood; I was scared a lot of the time. I used to sleep in my mom’s bed - that helped with making me feel safe. I felt unsafe when we lived in bad neighborhoods and it was just my mom and us. I never truly felt safe until I got older. Since my daughter’s father is not around she might not feel safe, but I will always make sure the house is locked up and safe. I will make sure to have an alarm system and if she is ever feeling unsafe she can get in bed with me. Mikayla Williams: Honestly, I can't remember feeling safe as a child. I can only remember small parts of most of my life. From 2010 until now, I remember the most, though. The majority of my family was on drugs or drunk when I was a child. Family occasions always turned into fights. I can do my best to give my daughter a safe place to live - not just physical safety, but mental safety. She needs to feel safe in order to be happy. I will keep my family and her father's family away from her if needed.
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What My Child Has Taught Me Kiera Satele: I don’t know how to explain what I have learned from my son, but he has taught me so many things. Things I never thought I would experience or go through. Even though he is only three months, he has taught me how to take care of another human being and to put someone before me, no matter what. Ever since I’ve had my beautiful baby, I’ve definitely gotten a taste of reality. I’m home every day and night dedicating my time, heart and soul to him and ONLY him. Having a child is so much more than anybody without a child can imagine. I’m in control of another human being; my son’s life is in my hands. It’s such a scary thing to think that anything I do can affect my son in any way possible. I’m more appreciative now. I think it’s because I’m a mother now, and I see what the world really is like and how it is to have a child.
Mikayla Williams: Kacy has taught me to not give up and to stay strong. She depends on me for all she needs. I now feel like my life has meaning; having someone who needs me has helped me so much. Lauren Mendez: Ashlyn has taught me so many things, how it feels to really love someone, patience, responsibility, and most of all strength. If it wasn’t for her I would probably still go out every night and do stupid things. I’ve been through some horrible stuff and I honestly don’t think I could of pulled through like I have if it wasn’t for her. She gives me the strength and courage to push myself to do better not just for myself but for her too. Being a mother is an amazing feeling. Kaila Gagnon: Having a baby has taught me to have more patience than ever. It has taught me the world doesn’t always revolve around me and there’s a person that depends on me for everything. Brailee has taught me to stop and appreciate the little things in life. Something that I have learned as a mom that is not so positive is worrying. Since having Brailee, I can’t be anything but organized! Kaniah Sockabasin From October 9, 2011, at 9:05 am to this date today has been an amazing learning experience taught by my intelligent one-yearold daughter Madisyn. She is my most prized possession. Madisyn has taught me to enjoy every minute of life and to live and love it through the good and the bad. She has taught me all about her. From the foods she likes to the most comfortable temperature for her bedtime baths. There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t learned something new from my daughter.
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