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Human Extinction (Brought to You by Capitalism)

by with 3 Comments FeaturedGen Z

With the impacts of climate change already being confronted today and the catastrophes expected in the not-too-distant future, one would think that daily massive demonstrations and a restructuring of everyday life would be taking place all around the world. Is the threat of human extinction not a large enough impetus to snap the masses into action? The moral plague that is capitalism has paved the road to our extinction. The question now, and arguably the most important of our time, is whether or not we will address the ill-effects and effectively rid the world of the environmental destruction that capitalism has cast upon our world.  

Heavy-use of fossil fuels, industrial agriculture, and lifestyle choices are all aspects of the system that require analysis as we work towards minimizing humans’ contributions to climate change. One must note that these aspects are products of capitalism; they have caused the amount of degradation that they have due to the way in which world powers have adopted this exploitative system. Societies around the world must begin transitioning to renewable energy, switching to a farming system that is based upon agroecology, and leading more humble, sustainable lives. Addressing all of these aspects are necessary and commendable starting points but stopping there results in addressing only part of the issue at hand. We must interrogate the entire system that has led to this; we must interrogate capitalism. 

Central to capitalism is individualism; the value of one’s self over (and especially at the expense of) the well-being of society and its people. A true democracy is necessary to effectively challenge corporations’ contributions to climate change. Democracy requires strong, organized communities, something that the toxic value of individualism directly threatens. Under capitalism, it is not the people who have the power, but the corporations and the 1%. Individualism has served as a distraction in the way that it has prevented the masses from joining together to protect the Earth and its people from exploitation. We must abandon individualism and work towards rebuilding our communities so that we are better equipped to challenge corporations that continue to lead us down the path of extinction. 

Another value central to capitalism – and equally as dangerous as individualism – is that of “competition” or Social Darwinism, the theory that fueled individualism. This theory provides people with reason to view the Earth as something that must be conquered. Today we often hear political commentators and guests on corporate news explain the importance of competition and its apparent link to innovation in society. According to these folks, humans are, naturally, always competing with one another. This view is very much anti-human, as humans require one another to survive. In order to be a “winner” in this competition, you must exploit the Earth, you must over-consume, you must actively work towards not cooperating with others and the world around you. In order to “survive” in this “competition” of life, you must produce not what you need, not what your community needs, but as much as you can until all of your resources are used. You must not consume what you need, rather you must consume until you no longer have the resources to do so. It is an odious cycle fueling our extinction.

These values are at the core of capitalism, and the institutions which our society revolves around are founded upon capitalism and its ideals. It is because of this soul-crushing system, and of course our impending extinction, that we must urgently come together and radically restructure society. We cannot rely on the workings of capitalism to save us from this threat, nor can we only address practices that are simply a product of this system. We must actively challenge all that we have been conditioned to believe and accept. We must recreate strong, unified communities. The masses must recognize their collective power and work together to challenge the few who are leading us to the end of human civilization. 

This article was originally published on 3 October 2018.

Similar Read: A Center-Right Response to Climate Change

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Navigating the Workforce in COVID-19

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZSocial Issues

I am privileged to say that this pandemic did not change my life much at all. The quarantine didn’t either. I was and still am employed. When the curfew was instituted in the Spring, I didn’t have to abide by it because I was deemed an “essential worker.” I lost maybe five hours a week while conversely, others lost several hours or was put on furlough. 

Because of my job, I was still able to go outside and go about my life. On my days off I immediately got cabin fever, and so I can’t possibly begin to understand how people who had completely locked themselves indoors might feel.

Unlike most of my peers, I was able to have my graduation. I was able to walk across the stage at Temple‘s Performing Arts Center, one I’ve performed on during my undergraduate study. I was able to walk across the stage in front of my peers, my family, and shake my dean’s hand. This is an opportunity that was snatched away from my peers who are more than deserving of this glorious time. It was snatched away from graduating students at every academic level.

The pandemic had finally gotten to me though a few months ago. Listening to the body count on the news. Delivering to people’s homes and they aren’t wearing masks. Being afraid to handle cash transactions. Thinking about my weakened immune system. Thinking about my family and the strain that it’s put on us. 

I was looking for a second job right before the quarantine was placed in effect. It was difficult then because I was being picky about what I wanted to do. However, it is difficult now because employers are being extremely picky about who they hire. Retail stores and grocery stores alike, gave me the “you don’t have the experience we’re looking for” spiel. Meanwhile, these are entry-level positions that claim applicants don’t need any prior experience.

I was able to get an interview a month ago and it was very disorienting to not begin with the all-telling handshake. The mask made me realize how much I relied on my face to convey my charisma and I think I overcompensated with confident words that probably sounded more cocky instead.

I am blessed to not need another job right now. The job market post-quarantine is treacherous. So many people are without jobs altogether or without jobs that completely cover their costs of living. All positions of all kinds are now highly competitive.

I believe that once social distancing is no longer in effect, more job opportunities will appear and thus give way for more people to join or rejoin the workforce.

Similar Read: School in September?

Can Music Programs Survive COVID-19?

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen Z

[New Contributor]

Even during quarantine, people are still trying to continue activities that have been affected by the virus. Basketball players are practicing at home, teachers are using distance learning applications, and waitresses are learning to wear masks and constantly wash tables. But one often untouched area that is having trouble adapting from quarantine is the school music organizations. Clubs like jazz band and choir have to practice in close proximity with each other in order to practice harmoniously. Now, with quarantine and the new back to school restrictions, the student musicians will have to switch to online rehearsals. 

According to the CDC, COVID-19 is transmitted from person to person through microscopic droplets in the air. Activities like singing or talking in loud voices spread these types of droplets, eliminating the possibility of the choir practicing in proximity with each other. 

With the advent of video conferencing technologies like Zoom, people don’t necessarily need to be in the same room to communicate effectively. Numerous groups have joined together on virtual platforms and sung together already. For CNN’s 2020 graduation special, high school students from the choir joined together to sing the Star Spangled Banner. There are numerous Youtube Channels, such as Quarantine Choir, that continue to sing despite the distance. 

In addition, music teachers have still found ways to continue music lessons. The Choir teacher at Round Rock High School compiled video footage of her students singing and displayed them to the school.

Closing choir has more implications than just for schools. Many religious ceremonies involve singing, such as Sunday Mass at Church. A study found that singing caused 53 of the 61 choir members testing positive and 102 of 130 members of an Amsterdam choir developed COVID-19 after a performance, and four people associated with the choir died. In Austria, 43 of 44 participants in a choir seminar tested positive. 

Regardless of the distance between the musicians, harmony comes with dedicated, supervised practice. In an uncontrolled setting with distractions, dedicated practice is impossible. However, musicians also gain something by practicing at home. In a comfortable, relaxed environment they may be able to play better. Whether good or bad, stay-at-home musicians will give their audience a unique performance as they perform in the comfort, or discomfort, of their own home. 

Similar Read: Guidance Counseling in the Midst of COVID-19

Guidance Counseling in the Midst of COVID-19

by with 4 Comments CultureFeaturedGen Z

[New Contributor]

The mental toll of COVID-19 will require many counselors to come back to school prepared to help their students. However, this may not be so easy. Already, there is a lack of sufficient support for students from guidance counselors – the national ratio of students to counselors is 482 to 1, nearly double the recommended 1 counselor for every 250 students. This issue caused problems before the pandemic, and may affect virtual counseling during the new school year. 

Students feel as if they won’t be able to connect the same way with their guidance counselors due to the distance created with virtual learning. The transition from in school to virtual could be a setback for the growing relationship between counselors and students. 

“Having a good relationship with your guidance counselor is essential to your growth as a high school student,” rising sophomore Lily Ukpere said. “As a freshman last year, that was the first year the counselors got to know me. It was hard to create the same relationship I had with my counselor in school, online.” 

However, guidance counselors continued to offer their best support to their students when schools closed down in the spring. Different schools tackled the situation effectively, while using various tactics to let their students know that they were still there for them. At Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, counselors posted encouraging videos, made informational sheets about mental health, and continued to contact their students through email or phone. Despite the plan, Guidance Counselor Jennifer Kratsa at Conestoga still missed the face-to-face interaction she used to get with her students in school. 

“Working in Student Services is very personal. We get to know students well, so we missed the face-to-face interactions very much. We, just like everyone else, had to adjust to that. That doesn’t mean we had to love it, but we had to figure out a way to make it work so that everyone felt comfortable,” Kratsa said. 

Although the District hasn’t worked out the full plan for counseling in the fall, they know that it will be different than the Spring. The TESD District Plan; however, ensures that school counselors and mental health specialists will continue to meet students, despite the circumstances. Guidance counselors plan to use Microsoft TEAMS, a platform similar to Zoom, to communicate with their students. They aim to have group meetings in the beginning of the school year to explain the plan to students, parents, and teachers. Conestoga counselors want their students to remember that they will continue to offer their support, regardless of whether they are at home or school. 

“Overall, we just want to help students navigate their way through high school,” Kratsa said. “We hope that all our students know that we are here, ready and willing to help when they need us.”

In the end, counselors need to come back to school prepared to face a different future. The need for ample counselors may make it difficult for counselors to adjust to the new changes, but it may also shed light on the large deficiency and initiate changes for the future. 

Similar Read: School in September?

Are We Surprised?

by with 7 Comments CultureFeaturedGen Z

It’s all over the news. Another black man was murdered. Two white men chased and shot Ahmaud Arbery in broad daylight and they sat peacefully in their home for months, without remorse or conviction for what they had done. Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting comes as no surprise to me but I, like many black and brown people across the nation, am grieving.

Amidst COVID-19, black and brown families are suffering – from physical health problems, hunger, distress, and many ailments brought by a long history of inequalities. However, Ahmaud’s shooting hit me hard. I often would try to stay fit by jogging outside my neighborhood. How do I know I won’t be shot like Ahmaud? My brother, a tall skinny runner who recently took up jogging outside, could have been a younger Ahmaud, a Trayvon Martin or Tamir Rice. The black community has no time to grieve. The black community must deal with the current pandemic AND the threat of white nationalism and violence. We are being hunted at the mercy of others, machismo wrapped in the enjoyment of killing prey and the prey happened to be an innocent man jogging. Words cannot describe the feelings surrounding his death. I am concerned but more so angry at those who turn their cheek to injustices. I am concerned that non-black communities are turning a blind eye to murder, with the same lack of remorse and convictions as the killers.

We live in a day and age where social justice is popular, acknowledging the strife of vulnerable communities is popular, and passively advocating for black and brown communities is popular as well. One post for non-black communities “should” be enough to show support. However, those who post are returning to their everyday lives and environments where black lives do not matter. They don’t have to matter and if they do, they are inconvenient and burdensome. The question is how are non-black and brown communities changing the discourse about black men and women in their own communities? What are they doing to curb negative views of black and brown people? How do they truly see us on a day to day basis? As we can see, perceptions are stronger than reality and black folk are perceived as dangerous.

The lives of individuals in power take precedent over ours. Even more so, is the view that racism only happens in the South and the South is to blame for these incidents. Don’t get me wrong. The South has had a long and complicated history with racism. However, I do not believe that racist acts and murders only happen in the South. If anything, Ahmaud’s murderers possess a white identity that is reflective of white people across the nation. That blacks do not belong, are dangerous, and they are beneath that of white folks. No matter their athletic ability and likeability, we are still animals, and nothing will change that. 

Similar Read: Justice for Ahmaud?

How Many More?

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen Z

I constantly find myself mourning people I’ve never met. The eulogies are the same, but with different names. This time, his name is Ahmaud Arbery, aged 25 and was about to be 26 on May 8th. 

He too fell victim to his skin, the same color as the chocolate that his murderers probably like to eat. Only in the form of candy is Blackness palatable to racism. 

Ahmaud was just out for his daily run. Many people do this; even through this quarantine people are still outside exercising. But isn’t the perception of Black boys and Black men running that they’re ‘usually running from something’? 

On February 23rd in Brunswick, Georgia, Gregory and Travis McMichael were playing vigilante the way George Zimmerman did. Boy and man alike, neither Trayvon nor Ahmaud ‘could have been up to any good’ just running or going to the corner store. 

The McMichaels saw a Black man running in their neighborhood, which couldn’t have been for a reason as innocent and simple as him exercising. 

There had been a series of burglaries in the McMichaels’ neighborhood. I can understand being suspicious of people coming and going that don’t live there. However, would they have pursued him in a truck with trigger happy fingers and guns had he been White instead? 

The way a person runs for leisure and exercise looks entirely different from someone running from a crime, or their death. I suppose it all looked the same to the McMichaels. So yes, Ahmaud was a Black man running from something alright. 

They were the ones armed and dangerous. The McMichaels grabbed a shotgun and a handgun before jumping in their truck to follow Ahmaud. Ahmaud was armed only with the prayer that every Black parent has: that he returns home the same way he left out. Alive. 

What baffles me is how long it took for the McMichaels to be arrested. Two and a half months after the incident, these murderers were just arrested on Thursday, May 7th, and charged with murder and aggravated assault. This only happened because a video of the murder was finally brought to light. 

What baffles me is how William Bryan, the man who took a video of the murder, took this long to turn it over to authorities. He let the McMichaels walk around as free men for two and half months more. He let Ahmaud’s murder almost be waved off as “self-defense.” 

I’m not saying that he and his family deserve the death threats that they’re receiving. I don’t know how I feel about him being charged with murder either. Withholding evidence in an ongoing investigation? That is something I’d charge him with because there is absolutely no reason why he felt it to be better to just hold onto this footage of Ahmaud’s last moments for months. 

I understand that he was afraid in the moment the murder occurred. I would be too. Just taking the video was probably the best he could do because he put his safety and his family’s safety first. But what about Ahmaud’s safety? What about the family that Ahmaud won’t be able to create because he is dead? What about the goals and dreams and aspirations that this man had that cannot be fulfilled? 

We have a right to be outraged. Racial profiling is continuing to cut down Black bodies. How many more need to die before it is safe for us to be Black and American? Will we ever be safe in our Blackness? Will we ever be American?

Similar Read: Ahmaud Murdered… What’s Next? Who’s Next?

I Don’t Believe In Voting Blue No Matter Who

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen ZPolitics

The first time I heard the phrase “vote for the lesser of two evils,” was when Hillary Clinton was chosen as the Democratic Nominee for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. I’m sure we all remember that enthusiasm for Hillary was low. She was widely disliked and many people were devastated at having to choose between her and Trump, but criticisms of her were immediately shut down by people claiming “she’s the lesser of two evils.” Basically, no matter how many valid reasons people had for rejecting Hillary, they had no choice but to shut up and vote for her because her evil was easier to swallow than Trump’s. Fast forward to 2020, and I’m hearing the same arguments all over again. Joe Biden is the Democratic frontrunner and his so-called supporters are out in full force, silencing any and all criticisms. They’re saying to “vote blue no matter who” regardless of his many faults because anyone’s better than Trump. I disagree entirely and I’m honestly sick and tired of hearing these arguments. There are many problems with this kind of mindset and I think it’s both harmful and unproductive to promote it, so here are the reasons why I don’t believe in “voting blue no matter who/voting for the lesser of two evils.” 

One reason I’m not okay with these phrases is because they encourage people to settle for candidates that we *know* are unfit to lead us. We deserve better and should demand better from our elected officials, instead of just throwing our hands in the air and accepting a candidate who is proven to be unworthy in every way, shape and form. Progress is what I seek, and I know that settling for the status quo will get us nowhere.

I can’t accept “vote for the lesser of two evils” because in terms of Biden vs Trump, this phrase suggests that Joe Biden is somehow less evil than Donald Trump, which is a lie. In fact, I believe that Trump and Biden are the exact same brand of evil, the only difference being that Biden wears a blue MAGA hat while Trump wears a red one. There are too many similarities between the two, one being that Trump and Biden are both racist. Trump has labeled Mexicans as criminals and rapists, was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for housing discrimination against Black people, proposed a ban against Muslims, and referred to African countries as “shithole countries” (these examples hardly scratch the surface of his history of racism). Biden was good friends with white supremacist James Eastland and gave a eulogy at the funeral of segregationist Strom Thurmond. He opposed desegregating schools because in his own words, he didn’t want his kids going to school in a “racial jungle.” He called Barack Obama “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean,” said that “poor kids are just as bright and talented as White kids” during an Iowa town hall, and helped write the 1994 Crime Bill that expanded mass incarceration in the U.S. 

Other similarities between Trump and Biden? They’ve both been accused of sexual assault/harassment/uncomfortable physical contact by numerous women. Trump has accusations from 20+ women, while Biden has eight, (and has also been seen on video inappropriately touching underaged girls and smelling their hair). Both have disappointing track records on LGBTQ+ rights, both have credible accusations that they’re mentally unfit to be president, both have worked for administrations that put kids in cages, and both are warmongers. Now that I’ve laid out all the reasons why Biden and Trump are horrible in pretty much all the same ways, how exactly is one better than the other? Swapping out one bigot in chief for another is not a win, giving me no reason to rally behind either candidate. I’m a marginalized person and my marginalized community will be harmed by both Trump AND Biden, which is why I cannot just sit down and “vote blue no matter who”—and anyone who tries to bully others into doing so is blatantly choosing their party affiliation over their morals.

It’s time to kill the idea that we should choose a lesser evil over another, and that we have to vote blue no matter who. I need people to realize that politicians work for us, not the other way around, so we shouldn’t give up our power by accepting less than what we deserve and by being afraid to demand what we need from them. I also need people to realize that Donald Trump is not the sole reason for all the evil in this country and that replacing him with Biden will not put an end to it. In reality, Trump is a product of the evil in the U.S. and in order to make real change in this country, we must dismantle the systems that allow him to thrive, not just focus 100% of our energy on him. Since people will always do what they want regardless, I’m not going to end this article by telling anyone who to vote for. But I will tell you not to allow the direction of the 2020 election to make you feel hopeless, because regardless of who’s in office—whether it’s a Democrat or Republican, whether you love them or hate them, there is work that needs to be done. We must stay aware, stay involved, and look out for our fellow community members, because in the words of my good friend and one of the smartest, most passionate activists I know, Brooke Solomon…

“No president is going to save my community.”

While electing a president is important, it is not the only way to create change. The power lies within us. Real change exists outside of electoral politics, and we need to be the ones to create it.

Similar Read: The Coronavirus Pandemic Should Be the Jumpstart to a Revolution?

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The Coronavirus Pandemic Should Be the Jumpstart to a Revolution?

by with 7 Comments CultureFeaturedGen ZhighlightPolitics

The Coronavirus pandemic has become the #1 issue worldwide, causing widespread panic, anxiety, and isolation. I’ll admit, I originally thought the virus would be a fleeting issue; but as the death toll rises and countries lockdown, the seriousness of the situation can no longer be underestimated. I’m concerned for those who are most vulnerable to the virus, and the emotion that I find myself feeling the most is anger. The United States government has failed to properly respond to the Coronavirus outbreak, and this failure has shone a major light on the fact that the U.S. is horrifically flawed down to its’ very core, and has spent years devaluing, mistreating and oppressing anyone who doesn’t belong to the 1%. Most of us have already been aware of the many social inequities going on in this country, but this virus is now waking others up to how bad things truly are.

On March 7th, ABC News tweeted about a man with Coronavirus that worked several shifts at Hobart’s Grand Chancellor Hotel instead of self-quarantining. This is dangerous because his actions will more than likely cause harm to those who came in contact with him. However, his actions point to the larger issue of poverty in the U.S., as he is just one of many workers that have long been forced to put their health & the health of others in jeopardy because being fired or missing a paycheck could lead to their downfall. In addition to this, people are afraid to even get tested because of the expensive medical bills, another example of just how rampant poverty is in the supposed “best country in the world.”

Moving on to the closure of K-12 schools and universities, the Mayor of New York confirmed that NYC public schools are closed until April 20th; however, it was originally reported that the schools wouldn’t close since 114,000 homeless students depend on school meals to eat. Numerous colleges across the country have sent students home and will have classes online. But, this immediately raised concerns about the number of homeless students who depend on their college for housing and food, who were basically being thrown to the wolves. None of this is okay and it’s shameful that this country acts as if it is.

The fact that so many people are being forced to choose between their health or losing their job, and that tons of students are living in extreme poverty with no access to food or shelter outside of the schools they attend is not an individual issue, but a structural one. The United States is a rich country with enough money to guarantee things like healthcare, paid sick leave, and food/housing for its’ residents, but those who have the power to do this simply choose not to. Billions of dollars are poured into things like the military budget—so imagine what this country would be like if the money were put towards things that are actually needed, like healthcare or canceling student loan debt?

Furthermore, Coronavirus has shown that progressive policies that have been shut down for years are doable. The NYC Council Speaker, Corey Johnson, announced on March 15th that eviction proceedings would be suspended statewide until further notice (Miami Dade will be doing the same). In Bexar County, arrests for minor offenses have been suspended to prevent crowding in prisons. In Detroit, residents who’ve had their water shutoff will have their service turned back on. My question is, why did it take a pandemic for these things to be done? People have spent years calling for these actions to take place! Many of us are aware that evictions, mass incarceration, water shutoffs, etc. are backward, cruel and unnecessary, and should have ended a long time ago. But we were repeatedly told that this was impossible and that these things somehow needed to happen for society to function. Now that we’ve seen firsthand that that’s bullshit, and that our government has always had the power to make decisions that actually make life easier/better for us, we cannot allow things to go back to the way they were. Once the pandemic is over, those in power will attempt to go back to business as usual, but we can’t let them do that.

I urge everyone to let this moment radicalize them, and to demand that the rights being given to us during the pandemic remain. Greed and selfishness have been the heartbeat of this country for too long. People have stood up and fought back in the past, and this pandemic has been a breaking point for so many of us. It’s my hope that from this point on, people will stand up and fight back in a way that has never been seen before. In the words of Assata Shakur…

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” 

Similar Read: Spreading Consideration: How the Coronavirus Pandemic Can Teach Us to Care

The Importance of Mental Health Through The Mouths of Gen Z

by with No Comment FeaturedGen Z

Being part of “Generation Z” is something I enjoy for many reasons. One of them being that my generation has started and furthered conversations on important topics like mental health. Something that was once seen as taboo is now discussed more openly, and many of us recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health and should be taken seriously. Mental health is a broad topic and I struggled with what direction I wanted this piece to take. It came to me that the obvious solution was to include my perspective and perspectives from other people within my age group, then let the responses speak for themselves. I used a platform that my generation is familiar with: social media. Instagram allows users to post questions to their stories where people can respond, so I asked questions about important aspects of the topic: our generations’ approach to discussing mental health vs. the approach taken by earlier generations, how mental health care is viewed in our communities, and our definitions of self-care.

What has Gen Z done correctly & incorrectly when attempting to destigmatize conversations around mental health and bring it to the forefront?

No generation is perfect, and although I praise my generation for being open and honest about mental health, we do have our shortcomings. 

Responses were similar, stating that our generation does a good job of being vocal about it, discussing it freely instead of treating mental health problems like they’re shameful and should be hidden. When responding to what Gen Z needs work on, our coping mechanisms were criticized. One response said that while using humor to cope with issues is good, it gets misused to the point where it becomes a joke. A similar response said that our generation can sometimes make a mockery of it.

Since this piece focuses on Gen Z’s approach to mental health care, I thought there should be a comparison of previous generations’ approaches, to see the differences and what progress we’ve made. The responses all said that the older generation had an opposite approach and didn’t really address the issue at all. Getting help/healing wasn’t encouraged, and problems weren’t taken seriously. My friend stated that in the Black community, older people have a habit of “shoving it down,” which is something that I’ve witnessed so many times, and closely related to my next question.

Is mental health taken seriously in your community?

I made sure to ask this question because the stigma of mental health can vary in different communities. In the Black community, people often view mental illness as a “white person problem,” judging those who go to therapy or take meds. They may also be told that mental illness is “demonic” and will go away if they go to church, pray, or read the bible. While there’s nothing wrong with using your faith to deal with hard times, there’s a stigma around other avenues of help, a stigma that must be broken. Responses from two of my friends (who both identify as Black) stated the same thing. A response from a girl who is Bengali, said that people don’t take it seriously or view it as a joke, showing that not treating mental health care like the life-altering issue that it is, exists in different communities of color, which harms young POC.

How do you define self-care?

Self-care has become a buzzword in the past 2 years, so I wanted to include definitions of self-care created by young people. According to my friends, self-care is eliminating elements in your life that bring unnecessary stress/pressure, and finding healthy ways to cope when you feel you’re straining yourself. It means doing whatever makes you feel at peace whether it’s listening to podcasts, music, or reading a book. The answers that resonated with me the most were the responses acknowledging that self-care also means doing things that you don’t want to do, but need to. “Self-care is taking a step back and recognizing that you have to take care of yourself in ways beyond what you might actually want to, and confronting yourself with reality, while still being forgiving and kind to yourself in order to grow.” Furthermore, “self-care to me is all about bringing attention to yourself. Addressing the things that bother you or cause you to worry is the best thing you can do for yourself.” 

I really enjoyed hearing my peers’ opinions on mental health. We agree that taking care of your mental state is so important and that our generation has a different way of stressing the importance. While our generation still has things to work on—like learning when “humor as a coping mechanism” has gone too far and not encouraging unhealthy coping methods—we have a lot to say about how necessary mental health care is and what steps can be taken to create a world where people can be open about their issues and get help. We’re committed to making progress, which we have and should be proud of. 

Similar Read: The Duality of Social Media

A Note to Those Nervous About the Holidays

by with No Comment FeaturedGen Z

If the thought of seeing your family around the holidays makes you nervous, you’re not alone. As the political Black Sheep in my family, I understand what it’s like to spend time around people you love, but entirely disagree with. Mixing differing political beliefs with family love can be a very difficult crossroads to be stuck at. They’re your family and you love them and don’t want to fight, but political beliefs can have strong feelings behind them. So what do you do? How do you push past your differences and share in the joy of the holiday season?

After the 2016 election, my mother tried to incite a “no politics” rule for holiday dinner conversation. However, rules like that are easy to say but harder to follow. If your family is anything like mine, political conversation is basically inevitable. So how do you deal with it? When I was younger I would try to fight back. I would get angry and upset, which naturally only made things worse. It’s hard to bite your tongue when you hear things you disagree with so strongly, but after a while I learned that fighting back would only add fuel to the fire. I quickly realized I was outnumbered and no matter what I said or how I worded it, there was no winning for me.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, my best suggestion is to find someone else to talk to. Whether you find someone who agrees with you or even just someone who doesn’t want to talk politics, whoever you find will help you feel a little less alone. For me, this person is my brother. Although he has learned to stay quiet like I have, even just having someone to shoot a glance at when you hear something you don’t agree with goes a long way.

Another tactic you can employ is changing the subject when the conversation gets too heated. During the holidays my mother tries her best to cut off any political conversation as soon as it starts, that way it never even has the chance to escalate. Political conversations can easily turn into fights. If you can redirect the conversation before it even begins, then there’s no fight to have to diffuse later.

 The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and happiness surrounded by loved ones. Talking politics may make for an interesting debate, but the subject can be very touchy and can easily take a turn for the worst. The important thing to remember is that regardless of what you say, people are very unlikely to actually change their opinions. So why cause yourself the stress? Talking politics during the holidays is far more likely to lead to a fight rather than a productive conversation. Save everyone the hassle and leave the politics at the door so everyone can have an enjoyable holiday season. 

This article was originally published on 12 December 2018.