Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized by Arya Murthy

Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized

I have a firm belief that every human being has the right to be treated equally and that every person has a right to be happy. In the present world, the idea of two men or two women falling in love, getting married and starting a family is still strange, sometimes even shocking to many people. However, in this day and age, I question whether it is right to deny two human beings access to equal rights and a chance at a happy life. In this essay, I will go over a few reasons why I believe that gay marriage should be legalized.

One of the main reasons that gay marriage is banned is the religious belief that homosexuals are “sinners”. This has influenced the court rulings of many countries, even ones that claim to be secular.  The fact is, at least in secular countries, that religion and law are two separate entities altogether.I understand the fact that many people have been taught to believe certain things all their life and do not question them and that religion can form the fundamentals of morality for some people.However, I firmly believe that the modern ideals of basic human rights and equality should be prioritized over the beliefs and guidelines set by ancient people in times long gone. In secular societies, religion and law are two separate entities and should remain that way.The religious beliefs of some people should not be imposed on others.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that not all religions are against homosexuality. One of the world’s largest religions, Hinduism, is actually not opposed to homosexuality. Many Hindu texts, such as the Vedas, the Kamasutra and the Smriti texts have directly or indirectly implied that it is not a sin to love someone of the same gender and regularly speak of the ‘third gender’, a category that includes all LGBTQ people. Many modern Hinduscholars, such as Sri Ravi Shankar, have concluded that since the soul has no gender, two members of any gender might love each other. The concept of duality, which means there is a male and female within each person, has also been cited as supportive of gay relationships.Overall, Hinduism’s ideas of the soul and of duality suggest that it is a homosexual-tolerant religion, although ideasvary from sect to sect. It is ironic that in India we have adopted Victorian England’s narrow views on the matter instead of being true to our own cultural beliefs.

            For those opponents who say homosexuality is a “modern” concept, I have to point to the fact that same-sex relationships havelong been accepted as a norm. An interesting fact is that in ancient Rome, the area in which Christianity first grew and flourished, there was simply no concept of homosexuality at all.  A man could have a relationship with another man and not be labeled as “homosexual” and “bisexual’. And it doesn’t stop there. Polynesian, African, Japanese, ancient Mesopotamean, Native American and Greek civilizations all accepted homosexuality and in many instances it was clearly celebrated. Most of these cultures only changed their morality under the influence of European colonial powers. If ancient societies could be open minded enough to accept the various different sexualities that human beings exhibit, why can’t we?

Another counter argument used very commonly against homosexuality is reproduction. Since it requires a male and a female member of a species to reproduce, love or attraction between two members of the same gender is considered wrong. For example, a California Supreme Court ruling in 1856 stated that “The first purpose of matrimony, by the laws of nature, is procreation.”I find this argument to be flawed, as in today’s world, with depletion of natural resources and overpopulation, what does it mean to say that the sole purpose of marriage is to have children? In any case, the number of couples who either cannot have children or don’t want to, means that marriage could not possibly be only about procreation. If so,these unions would be meaningless.

A very commonly used argument against homosexuals is that, since homosexuality is not natural, homosexuals are immoral. An interesting piece of information that not many people know is that homosexual behaviorhas been observed in a huge number of animal species in the wild such as, to name a few, lions, dogs, apes, monkeys, sheep, hyenas, dolphins, giraffes,birds (especially penguins), and dragonflies. In zoos, 20% of penguin couples are homosexualand remain with their mates for their entire lives.  Almost 50% of orange fronted parakeet matings are homosexual, and 90% of sexual activity of wild giraffes during mating season occurs between males. This indicates that homosexuality is in fact a natural occurrence. In any case, even if one does consider homosexuality to be an unnatural occurrence, one must question the worth of outlawing a completely harmless act simply on the grounds that it is “unnatural”.  Flying in a plane, using a phone, operating on another human’s heart, taking medication and using in-vitro fertilization are all practices that could never occur in nature, but humans continue to do these.  Humanity progresses; it has never been bound by the laws of what is “natural” and what is not. And neither should the LGBTQ population.

I would also like to mention that many people who oppose gay marriage on the grounds that homosexuality is immoral do so presuming that homosexuality is nothing more than lust. This is a flawed view as it reduces a relationship to being only about sex. A homosexual relationship is far more than that. Like any straight relationships, homosexual relationships are about mutual love, trust, security in hard times, companionship in old age all leading to the general happiness of both partners. Why would we deny anyone these basic human needs?

Many opponents to gay marriage claim that legalizing it would lead to “social instability”.  Some claim that legalizing one kind of non-traditional marriage would then allow other kinds of non-traditional relationships the right to marry, such as polygamous, bestial or incestuous relationships. James Dobson, a conservative preacher in the USA, predicted in 2005 that gay marriage would lead to “group marriage”, “marriage between daddies and their little girls” and “marriagebetween a man and his donkey”.  However, gay marriage is simply about two consenting adult members of the same sex getting married, which is a similar concept to heterosexual marriage, in which two consenting adult members of opposite sexes are married.  It is in no way similar to bestiality, which involves a human and an animal, or polygamy which involves more than two human beings. Any assumptions that legalizing gay marriage would lead society down a ‘slippery slope’ stem from a fear psychosis around homosexuals. One simply needs to look at all the countries in which gay marriage is legal:  Canada, France, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, none of which have shown a rampant increase in such immoral behavior as many conservatives claim.

Other people claim that gay marriage would somehow “weaken the institution of marriage”, leading to increased divorce rates and illegitimate births. Former US senator and Republican Party candidate Rick Santorum said that “Legalization of gay marriage would further undermine an institution that is essential to the well-being of children and our society. Do we need to confuse future generations of Americans even more about the role and importance of an institution that is so critical to the stability of our country?” This point is probably the most baseless claim ever made against homosexuals.  In what way would allowing marriage between two members of the same sex leads to other completely unrelated couples getting divorced, or having children before marriage?  These claims are usually made by people defending the argument that “marriage is only for procreation.” The majority of arguments against homosexuality stem from primitive and narrow-minded thoughts and ideas that have little or no basis in fact.

Finally, the most important reason to legalize gay marriage is to assimilate the LGBTQ population into society and protect their rights. Gay people are regularly discriminated against at school, workplace or society. While it may seem that this has very little to do with whether or not gay marriage is legalized, the fact is that, by denying certain people rights, the law effectively creates ‘second-class citizens’. This may send the signal to many people that homosexuals are not protected by law, thereby encouraging their mistreatment. Hate crimes such as the Orlando nightclub shooting earlier this year are far more common then we expect – 14% of hate crimes reported annually to the FBI are homophobic. Around 42% of American LGBTQ people report living in an unwelcoming environment and 80% of LGBTQ youth report social isolation and discrimination.Members of the LGBTQ community are three times more likely to experience depression, due to social discrimination and homophobic sentiments in the population, says the Australian Human Rights Commission. Worldwide, although awareness and tolerance have increased over the years, there is still very little being done to protect the rights of homosexuals, at least compared to the efforts being put in for women’s rights, racism and other forms of discrimination. This is why it is so important to encourage tolerance and sensitivity, a crucial step of which would be the legalization of gay marriage. Inter-racial marriage was an impossibility less than seventy-five years ago, but these laws have been abandoned because a progressive society saw them as unjust and cruel. Legalizing gay marriage would provide a chance for a normal happy life for many people while protecting their rights as human beings and not affecting the heterosexual community in any way.

After researching, reviewing the facts and contemplating about the issue, I have come to the firm conclusion that there is absolutely no valid reason to ban gay marriage.  Article 16 of the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights states – “Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or sex, have the right to marry and found a family.” This says nothing about whether or not the two people are male or female. A loving and supportive relationship is one of humanity’s basic needs. No one should have the right to deprive anyone of that.  I sincerely hope that this article has broadened the reader’s mind and convinced them of my point.

The media impacts teenagers in unhealthy ways by Mitali

Hot, angry tears slashed down her pale cheeks as she touched the glass in front of her. And as she did, she couldn’t help but stare. She stared at her distorted reflection, at her eyes, emotionless and bloodshot. She stared at the long waves of brown tumbling down her back, hanging in limp clumps. She stared at her dull, lifeless skin, trailing a finger down the cold flesh. She shook, faced with the cursed, dangerous thing, her worst enemy. The mirror. Staggering back, her knees wobbled violently, unable to support her weight. She choked back a strangled sob when she gingerly touched the bare skin, pinching her sides, grimacing at the sight of her ribs protruding out. She cringed at the person she’d become, averting her eyes from the dark, black circles that tauntingly rimmed her eyes, a constant reminder of the endless nights tossing and turning, wishing she could become like them. Tears blurred her vision, and falling to the floor, she screamed, eyes wide with terror. She balled her fists, cracked fingernails digging into her arm. Gritting her teeth, she kicked down the mirror, pushing it down, slamming it hard against the floor. It fell to the floor with a heavy crash, glass fragments flying everywhere. Bits of shards poked her skin, forming tiny beads of crimson. Uncaring, she squeezed her eyes shut. The monster inside her raged as she screamed, baring her teeth and punching every part of the mirror she could reach, stamping and smashing the crumbling pieces. She pounded, her eyes watery and wild, face red, fingers twitching. Cheeks slick with tears, she cradled her bleeding fingers, groping around for more glass to destroy. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. Perhaps they were right.

An estimated one thousand women die every year of anorexia. When a child hits the age of 18, he must have seen about 200,000 acts of violence alone. In a survey conducted from 9 and 10 year olds, 40% have tried to lose weight. A study found that adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight than getting cancer, nuclear war, or losing their parents.

Whether they accept it or not, the media plays a big role in the lives of teenagers, and end up doing more harm than good. The media is like a wild, dangerous fire that rages and burns so fiercely it can rip down whole cities filled with hearts. It can spread. It can burn, rip apart, and brutally shred. The media can destroy innocent lives. And it can change you, for the better, or for the good.

I believe the media impacts teenagers in unhealthy ways. The media is essential and important in a teenager’s life and whether it’s from the television, films, music, or even magazines, the media deeply influences teenagers, who, still trying to navigate the world are prone to falling into its trap. The media lowers the self esteem of many, images of an unrealistic yet ‘ideal’ body firmly being pressed into the minds of many, and the increasing ignorance of portraying men and women from all racial background and/or portraying them in stereotypical ways causes immature stereotyping amongst young teenagers, which could also causes self esteem problems amongst ethnic minorities. Also, the dangerously casual portrayal of violence, ranging from fistfights to downright murders, along with over sexualized TV sitcoms, causes conflict and confusion, leading the youth to make grave decisions. The media also has an impact on the physical wellbeing of teenagers. Obesity, a rising problem has increased due to long periods devoted to the television. Overall, the media has negative effects on a teenager, causing both emotional and physical damage to these developing beings. “Television and other media represent one of the most important and under recognized influences on children and adolescents’ health and behavior in the 1990’s. Their impact should be eliciting serious concern, not just from parents and educators, but from physicians, public health advocates and politicians as well,” The Journal of Pediatrics, 1999.

Throughout the media, messages of a ‘perfect body’, which defines you, influences youth deeply. By portraying men and women with unrealistic bodies, causes many teenagers to turn against their bodies, and in turn, aching for a super slim physique to ‘fit in’. Yet, in reality, most models weigh an average of 23% less than the average women. Refusing to portray women with different body types causes self-doubt. The belief that being beautiful, or popular is defined by your weight is another message being spurted out. This distorted image can cause risky disorders. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and associated disorders, 69% of girls between fifth and twelfth reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body type.

Some many argue that young teenagers should have the self-esteem to ignore the discriminative portrayal or that dissatisfaction with their bodies is largely due to comparison with peers. However, social media, is used as a tool for peer competition and was introduced to connect with peers. Therefore, the media ultimately affects teenagers’ opinions about themselves.

The increasing ignorance of portraying women and men from all racial backgrounds and depicting them in stereotypical ways, particularly in the film industry, causes lack of diversity and creates thoughts and preconceived notions for young people, who are sensitive and affected by the media. It could be said that the media only conveys the thoughts of people and society, and does not intend to insult ethnic minorities, just to poke fun at the, and that the media simply reflects and reproduces the thoughts of people. However, the media is responsible for engraving thoughts in the minds of millions of people and shapes the future. And if that’s the case, it is up to the media to show diversity instead of reflecting the already existing, and negative thoughts of society.

The media’s casual portrayal (through movies, music, the internet, etc.) of unhealthy behavior such as drinking, drugs and smoking can confuse teens and due to peer pressure could lead to them giving into self harming methods and impulsive actions. Also, because of the way violence is depicted, many teens develop aggressive attitudes. Teens may sometimes find it hard to differentiate between what’s real and what’s not, and what’s okay, and what’s not. A real life example of this is the shocking amount of school shootings that have occurred, most being done by teenagers. The media normalizes violence. Some may develop fears of being attacked, causing mental instability. According to a biennial study released in 2005 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of sexual scenes on TV has increased since 1998. Studies have assessed the association between that, and adolescent behavior.

But here’s the apparent weakness. By portraying things that happen in real life, the media is clearly a reflection of the society. Some say the media doesn’t try to encourage teens to adopt unhealthy behavior, nor does it attempt to trigger compulsive reactions. It’s not up to the media to assist teens in differentiating real life from illusions. This leads me to the obvious fact that the media holds immense power, which should NOT be misused.

The problem of obesity, especially a rising concern in the United States, has increased significantly due to large periods of time spent browsing sites, and flipping through channels- instead of engaging in physical activity. Obesity has negative effects on the child, both mentally and physically, and falling into the media’s lure can be a harmful addiction. The television is nowadays believed to replace physical activity. It can increase the risk of acquiring heart diseases as an adult.

It could be said that obesity is not directly influences by the media and that it lies in your hands, and that it’s up to you to control it, leading the belief that it’s solely the responsibility of parents and teachers. The media might just be an entertainment platform, yes, but here’s the thing: The media aims to appeal to a certain age group, with coming of age TV sitcoms and fashion magazines. The media holds the rapt attention to those much more likely to be seduced by its ways- a vicious trap which could lead to serious consequences. There is no denying the media is clearly aware of this, and it’s why they target teenagers.

The media plays a huge role in the lives of teenagers across the world. The media has a choice to either impact the youth positively, or negatively, the latter of which has been rocketing. The media is capable of turning people against themselves, causing young girls and boys to obsessively develop disorders, capable of causing out lashes and vicious stereotyping, capable of unintentionally causing violence in everyday life, and capable of causing teens to fall into its illusion and make decisions that they may come to regret. If the influence of the media is so powerful shouldn’t it be used wisely? Shouldn’t the media be used to spread positivity and love, instead of hate, discrimination and conflict?

The media has the power to destroy lives, or enhance them in the best way possible. It’s all up to US to educate the youth of today, and teach them to appreciate themselves, and others, before the media forms a twisted image in their mind. We can’t let the fate of the generations to come rest in the media’s hands. It’s up to us. It’s up to you. Will you let the media continue to misuse their power, or will you take it into your own hands?

I took down the mirror today

Smashed it to smithereens

Tests like Asset should not be compulsory by Sunidhi

Argumentative Essay

When I first wrote Asset exams, I assumed it would help me with my performance in school. I started to write these exams since 3^rd grade – but it was only when I reached middle school that I realized what horrible things these exams can do. Hence, I strongly believe that exams such as Asset should not be compulsory. They create high test anxiety, although you may think it’s not a big deal-children cannot face such a feeling. Schools also give consequences for performing poorly in these exams. Lastly, children mugging-up answers to score well in these exams do not develop long-term thinking.

Many students across the globe experience test anxiety while writing an exam. And such anxiety differs from person to person – so while some of use just feel our heart beat a little, others can even end up becoming sick and also start to feel nauseas. This test anxiety happens during standard that as well. But is it really worth for students suffering from test anxiety to feel double the pain? Besides the anxiety created by standard tests, do they really have to go through another round of it? Although some of us don't feel so tense, what about the others? Many may think test anxiety is just a not-so-good feeling, but it’s much more than that. Recent studies have found out that highly-anxious students perform a minimum of 12% worse than their low-anxiety peers, or those who don’t feel anxious at all. And you must be wondering why students stress so much about these exams. Well, some schools have exceptions for those students who perform poorly.

A student writing Asset exams says “We are given consequences by our school if we don’t get good grades. But I personally think this is a good way to teach the student to do better so the school doesn’t get a bad name.” I, as a student who has taken Asset exams, think to give consequences for performing poorly is OK. I did support this student’s statement. But then I realized that schools already have consequences for not scoring well in their standard tests. So why do they have negative consequences for not scoring well in exams like Asset? And, of course, not many schools understand student’s feelings of anxiety and tense. They would take this as a reason as some excuse for not studying. And these children are left to face consequences while the rest of us sit back at home and watch the Asset top rankers get medals, certificates etc. on T.V and say “Wow, Asset really brings out a child’s true potential”. But we don’t understand is standard tests can bring out your ‘true potential’. So why Asset? It’s not of much use, it’s just another dreaded and feared exam.

“Exams are necessary for improving a child’s performance.” A majority of people support this point. And as a matter of fact, I do think exams are necessary for students. But I think Asset are necessary for students. One of the reason being many students think of it, with so many exams in a term, “just another exam”. But still afraid to face the consequences, they do not want to take it Asset lightly. So, instead of taking the long, hard route of studying, they take a short route and begin to mug-up answers. The side effects of mugging-up answers can be very harmful in a way to children not only attending school, but everyone else who chooses to take a shortcut. This is because it does not allow them to develop long-term thinking. This means when you mug-up answers, neither are you understanding what you repeat continuously nor does it stay with you for long. So you tend to forget them at some point- without knowing what the answer said in the first place.

I’ve heard many students say with a sigh “Although I don’t like Asset, it is a necessary evil”. But I strongly feel it should be changed to ‘unnecessary evil’. Asset is just another one of those exams that are dreaded by many students. The aim of which Asset looks upon is a good and beneficial goal. But the path which they take is not right and hence end up doing unfair things to students. They intend to improve a child’s performance but instead makes it worse.

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned By Aaryan Maini (6-C)

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned

By Aaryan Maini (6-C)

I strongly believe soft drinks should bebanned. There are three reasons why soft drinks should be banned. First it is bad for your teeth. Secondly it causes a lot of obesity and finally it causes diabetes.  About 1.8 billion coke bottles are sold every day. This is only for Coca Cola. If you include other softdrinks it would be even more. You find soft drinks everywhere.I am going to convince you why soft drinks should be banned.

The first reason I feel soft drinks should be banned is because soft drinks are bad for your teeth. When we drink a lot of soft drinks it ruins the enamel.  Kids are most at risk because their enamel is thinner than adults.  It would be better if you drink water instead. The sugarinteracts with bacteria in your mouth to form acids which ruin your teeth. Each sip causes damage that lasts twenty minutes.  The two main effects are erosion and cavities. Studies done by the National Institute of Health and the Wisconsin Dental Association have proven this. People who like soft drinks may say if you drink soft drinks quickly or brush your teeth afterwards you canprevent cavities. This can help your teeth but drinking soft drinks will also cause obesity.

Soft drinks cause obesity. This is the second reason why they should not be allowed for children.  About 91 per cent of kids in the world consume soft drinks. Even though a lot of people like soft drinks many of them end up becoming obese. Soft drinks end up leading to heat diseases and other things. 82 per cent of the adults in the world like and drink soft drinks. There are many more drinks healthier than soft drinks which are both healthy and tasty. Some of the soft drinks that cause obesity are Coke, Fanta and Pepsi etc. A 20 ounce soda can has 240 calories. Many Americans get 10 percent of their calories from sugary drinks.  People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel full so they do not eat less.  They consume more calories than they need and this can cause them to become fat.   Some people may think if you do not drink too much you will not get fat.  However, studies show that drinking just one soda every day increases your chances of being overweight by 27%.

Drinking soft drinks not only increase your chances of being overweight, they can also increase the risk of diabetes.  The Diabetes Association recommends that you should avoid sugary sodas because it raises the blood sugar. The high level of quick digesting sugar combined with a sedentary lifestyle is a big risk factor for diabetes. The extra energy is not needed and is stored in the body as fat. Obesity is one risk factor for diabetes. In addition thehigh sugar from the drinks requires the body to make more insulin. This over works the pancreas and can lead to diabetes.

However many people still find soft drinks tasty. They want to be allowed to drink soft drinks if they choose. If the government bans soft drinks they might as well ban all other unhealthy things like chocolates, candy etc.  This takes away their ability to make their own decisions.  However kids are very likely to make bad decisions when it comes to sweet things and their health.

Would you choose taste over health?  I think soft drinks should be banned, at least in all schools.  I hope you all agree with me.  Even though most of you like soft drinks I hope you can go with your health over taste and prevent more kids from ruining their health.

Pokémon Go Should not be banned Dhruv Pandey

Pokémon Go Should not be banned

Dhruv Pandey

Class VI-C

Pokémon Go is a location-based, free to play reality game, which I believe shouldn’t be banned, because it gets people out of their houses to get some fitness, they get to battle other players,  and compare their own experiences with others. One can discover new places at Pokestops like historic sites, water bodies etc. It has already been banned in Saudi Arabia, but I really hope that the game doesn’t die out. The main part of the game is that it is fun, people enjoy playing it, and that matters the most.

Pokémon Go makes the player go out of their homes, and catch Pokémons, instead of staying in their homes like a couch potato. Research has proven that the more Pokémon you catch, the more weight you lose. A hospital in Michigan has encouraged patients to plan Pokémon Go as a part of physical fitness and for health benefits. People are also walking their dogs more often because they are going outside to walk and jog in an attempt to catch Pokémons. People who take care of stray dogs and are trying to get them adopted are making progress because players don’t mind having a dog walk with them.

At level 5, you get to pick one of the three teams and play by their side. When you move around looking for Pokémon and are at the Pokestop, you might find another player and start comparing your experiences. That other player might be your friend or someone you don’t even know! So you get to meet new people and interact with them if you want to. When I saw people playing the game in Singapore, I felt like asking them things about the game, but I chose not to. At gyms, you get to battle the Pokémon others have left, and view the other Pokémon’s skills. The hospital at Michigan is also helping their patients interact and connect with other patients.

It is educational. As you are running out of the Pokéballs to catch Pokémon with, you have to go at Pokéstops. When the game came out, Niantic Inc. made sure that most of the Pokéstops were located at famous or historic places that people should know about. Some cabs also used to take you through a guide in the city to some of the Pokéstops that are famous tourist spots. At the start of the game while it is loading, it clearly states: ‘Stay aware of your surroundings’. Now if you listen to the game, you will probably also see the places where the Pokéstops are located and their historic significance. You get to see the place and catch the Pokémon. Double the fun!

People may think that the game is unsafe, and may cause accidents or kill people. Well, it is not the game’s fault. It is the player’s own fault. That is just like saying that it is the car’s fault that road accidents happen, or it is the knife’s fault that your hand got cut while cutting the vegetables. I will give the same reason if anyone says it’s too addictive. As I said earlier, it even warns you to stay aware. You certainly can’t play the blame game with this game.

All of this is what makes me argue that this game, namely Pokémon Go should not be banned. You go out, get fresh air and sunlight, play with friends and get to know about places you don’t even know. Don’t you think that is a great advancement in game technology and doesn’t deserve to be banned?

Importance of Sports By Kavin Shanmugam

Importance of Sports

  By Kavin Shanmugam

Do you think sports should be given equal priority as studies? If you think NOT, then I think you are wrong in the current Indian context. Sports should be given equal priority as studies in India, in order for the people who excel in sports to succeed in life and to make the nation proud in sporting events.Me and a lot of my school going friends strongly believe that sports should be given equal priority as studies as it improves physical and mental health of students and will eventually make the nation proud.

We all know that good amount of physical activity improves health. WHO recommends at least one hour of physical activity for growing children as helps in developing muscles and bones. It also helps in maintaining a healthy body weight. In today’s schedule, with long commutes school going children hardly get time to play at home. In schools like Inventure, where sports are given some importance we have only 40 minutes of PE per day. This amounts to 5/45 periods a week. This falls short of WHO recommendation by 20 minutes. And PE is the first thing to be cut on any special occasion. In many other schools, there are far less number of hours of PE. The following table shows data about schools nearby.

School	No of Hours of PE/week
Greenwood High	2 PE, 1 Yoga
DPS East	1 PE, 1 Yoga
NPS	1 PE

But more hours of sports is considered a distraction by many people. This can be managed by putting a schedule for play and sticking to it.  Talented students who would like to take up sports as a career can be given exception in attendance.

It is proven that sports also helps in brain development by expanding memory and increasing focus. It requires repetition and practice to master a shot in tennis or a drive in cricket, thus expanding memory.  Over and above, we have to admit that team sports help improve team work. Carl Lewis said “The best kids are going to become the best, but the best thing about it is that you are going to learn in playing is about winning and loosing and team work. Teammates and arguments are going to influence positively for the test of your life”. Remember that team work is the most important life skill, best learned through team sports.

In today’s world, many children don’t know how deal with failures. Winning and losing is a daily part of sports and kids get used to it. Michael Jordan said “I’vemissed more than 9000 shots in my career, I have lost almost 300 game winning shots, 26 times I missed the winning shots, and that is why I succeed”. This shows that, no matter how much he failed, he wanted to do better.

India’s track record in Olympics is very bad. Don’t we remember the statement Pierce Morgan made, “Country with 1.2 billion people wildly celebrates with two loosing medals, How embarrassing is that!” Why did this happen? One reason is the lack of importance given to sports by Indian Politicians and parents. Indian parents wants their kids to study and become doctors or engineers. And politicians do not build enough facilities. If this continues, we will stay at the same Olympics rank or move lower.

Some people say that the money required to make facilities is a lot.  India’s GDP rank is 3. If Jamaica, with far lower GDP can make facilities for sports, we can make more facilities. That is why they have players like Usain Bolt.  We just need to give sports the right importance and attention to get ahead.

By now, I hope you are convinced that sports should be given equal priority in the current context.  Otherwise we will be facing a worse medal tally in Olympics and would be left with lots of unfit citizens.

Capital Punishment – An Essay by Joe Alapat

Capital Punishment – An Essay

              Capital Punishment is when someone is sentenced to death for a crime they have committed. Though in most countries Capital Punishment is banned, in India, it is actually legal. The following is a quote I agree with :

 “As if one crime of such nature, done by a single man, acting individually, can be expiated by a similar crime done by all men”.

This means, by killing someone by means of capital punishment, even though it has been decided by a group of men in a jury, will not make the crime already committed disappear. My first point is this, that crime committed has already been done. Killing the person responsible does not change anything.

               Secondly, revenge should not be the aim of punishment. It should be reformation. Let me tell you a true story to prove my point. There was a man called Remi George in Kerala. He had a habit of using drugs with his friends. To buy the drugs they used to steal money. Once he and his friends robbed and killed an old couple who looked on him as their son. They were caught by the police and put in jail. They were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. During his time in jail, he was reformed. After fourteen years, when he came out of prison, he was a changed man. Now he runs an orphanage for prisoners’ children in Bangalore. He is saving so many children from drugs and going on the wrong path. He is now a role model to many.

               People do argue that capital punishment will act as a deterrent to other criminals. But it does not seem to have worked that way at all. The lowest crime rates are seen in countries like Cyprus, Denmark and Iceland. Denmark has a murder rate of 0.1 per hundred thousand. India has a rate of murder at 2.81 per hundred thousand. Yet in Denmark, Cyprus and Iceland as well as all European countries, Capital Punishment is banned. So if capital punishment really does lower crime rates, why is it that India still has a higher crime rate than these countries? In Iceland, there are only around 200 prisoners in the whole country! This shows that capital punishment does not bring about any benefits at all.

               Most criminals come from broken families. So we have to understand first the social issues that make someone a criminal and address that to bring the crime rate down.

             I will now conclude my essay on capital punishment. I hope I have made you think about why capital punishment is wrong. It is a cruel act that does not give a person a second chance. It is time this law is abolished in India. Let me leave you with another quote by the famous French philosopher, Albert Camus :

“Capital Punishment is the most premeditated of murders”.

              

Commercial breeding of dogs should be banned by Dhanya Kolisetti

               Commercial breeding of dogs should be banned

I know that Breeding of dogs should be stopped immediately as it’s just an inefficient artificial way of torture for the dogs and money for the breeders! I say this because, breeding of dogs can cause major DNA disorders which come at a huge cost and now we have lost almost all our purebreds, because of this. The next reason is how the procedure is, it is just plain torture! The last reason is how the dog is treated afterwards all caged up and forced to eat stale food and water. This is why I strongly believe that breeding of dogs should be stopped immediately.

One major malfunction of breeding of dogs would be how it can cause major DNA genetic disorders. Commercial breeding of dogs is where the dogs are bred I pain9 as they whelp and get tortured to give birth with a specific specie. Dogs in the commercial bred sector are forced to breed with whoever the people put the dog with, because they want “cute” baby pups for themselves. Although giving rise to a new specie is wonderful, not testing the dog’s genes could cause bad DNA disorders because of the DNA or blood groups. Commercial breeding is done by breeders who don’t have a great clue about breeding all they know is about their breed, age and for the female the maternity age. Once the dogs have reached an age to mate they’re thrown into cages and forced to reproduce! Well home breeding is a great alternative as it is done by everyday people who want to take it up as a hobby. Home breeding is more personalized as it is done in homes or backyards. This breeding doesn’t involve transactions of DNA and blood instead these breeders have knowledge about the breeds and with that they breed two dogs. Home breeding is a great way to stop commercial breeding as it’s not tortures or painful it’s just a friendly way of reproducing! This is the reason why commercial breeding of dogs should be illegal as for soon almost all our purebreds will be gone.  

Well dogs don’t have their own voice do they? So humans take that for granted thinking “The dog can’t do anything to me because I’m smarter and stronger!” Well that’s the case in this generation. Female dogs are forced to go through so much pain and violence just for the people. The breeders not knowing the maternity age or health, pin down the female just for her to reproduce. This could hurt the dog and cause some major disorders. Many breeders have disagreed to this fact saying that  “The dogs go through no pain nor violence.” But after all the research done its hard to believe that the dogs don’t experience pain! Well on the other hand the male are thrown into cages to breed, as much as the males fight back we won’t allow the dogs to have their way. This process can hurt the dog so bad it may be at the risk of dying. This is one of the main reasons why I say that commercial breeding should be stopped immediately.

Finally I say, I strongly believe that commercial breeding should be banned because of how the dogs are treated afterwards. The dogs have already gone through so much pain and violence but it won’t stop now. The breeders will take care of the dogs on the market for 2-3 years if they aren’t bought then the dogs literally disappear from the breeder’s life! All they give the dog is stale food and water to fill their stomach a bit. I personally don’t find it fair that they partially take care of the dogs that may get bought. This is why I strongly say that commercial breeding of dogs should be banned.

Now do u realize how many precious breeds of dogs we are losing due to commercial breeding? This is because of the DNA transactions, the way they are treated in the process and the worst the way they are treated afterwards. Well dog’s have feelings and sensitivity too so they don’t have fun during the process either. Do you agree with me that commercial breeding should be stopped? If yes then why don’t you take a step forward to truly stop this action!

By: Dhanya Kolisetti                 

We as humans should make pollution to the least by Kshrugal Jain

We as humans should make pollution to the least…

Environment pollution is a global concern SINCE IT EFFECTS THE ENVIROMENT AND PEOPLES HEALTH. All people in the world, as well as animals are effected by the environment pollution. This means every human being can make an effort of contributing towards the prevention of environment pollution.

Many people are unaware of the effects of environment pollution in that it affects our daily lives, physically and economically. There are many steps which could be done by governments of the world and the citizens that will help improve the environmental problems. With the way things are going on today in preventing environment pollution, it would not be possible to handle catastrophic consequences that will face the world in the future times to come. Earth pollution does not add any benefit to human lives. This is mainly on health related issues.

The world health organization (who) estimate that more than a quarter of human diseases now facing mankind is a result of constant exposure towards environment pollution. However the diseases related to the environment cannot be easily detected.

Global warming detectors urge that the globe is more desirable when it is warm with less cold and warmer sunshine. They also argue that the use of greenhouse gases in the world is beneficial in capturing the energy of the sun, so as to keep the earth warm enough in sustaining lives. Without greenhouse gases, the earth would be reduced to 00f.

Environment pollution is the cause of harm to crops due to lack of carbon dioxide that is beneficial for crop germination. Also diseases like leukemia, skin cancer, cataracts and sun burns. Global warming has depleted the ozone layers and is not possible to shield human beings and plants from the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted from the sun. Carbon dioxide is mainly emitted from cars and factories. Currently there are about eight hundred million vehicles which are contributing to the greenhouse gases. This is mainly seen in the current warming of the globe such as glaciers, increased temperatures and migration. There is also disruption of seasonal patterns, risen levels of the sea, melting of polar glaciers, ice cap animals and plant species.

According to the analysis of climate change data, there has been 90-99%  chances that human activities have led to carbon dioxide emissions resulting from burning of fossil fuel, that have caused observable changes in atmospheric warming. The earth’s surface temperature is expectedTO RISE FROM 5.5 DEGREES F     BY THE YEAR 2100 FROM 2005. THIS SHOWS THAT THERE IS A NEED TO TAKE MAJOR STEPS IN REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM CARS, FACTORIES AND POWER PLANTS THAT DEAL WITH BURNING of fossil fuel.

Environment protection involves the participation of every single person on this planet. There is no need of assuming that global warming is not happening, yet we see the changes that have taken place in the environment since we were young. Human activities, which contribute to greenhouse gases emissions has to be stopped and controlled by strict government regulations. This way it would be possible to protect and save the environment for the future generation and protect ourselves from diseases resulting from ozone layer depletion among other diseases resulting from living in a polluted environment.

Hope you had a nice time reading what I wrote about my topic/argumentative essay!!!

-KSHRUGAL JAIN

I believe that watching YouTube is good for you by Shehan Vangal

SHEHAN VANGAL -6D   

Argumentative essay

I believe that watching YouTube is good for you

Introduction

Others may say that YouTube is junk and does not help in life, but I believe that YouTube helps in life and Ibelieve that YouTube helps in gaining knowledge,in creative self-learning and you can enjoy free time. Since I was small, I used YouTube for research and enjoying free time and I enjoyed it a lot. It also helped me a lot in life in learning more.

1.It helps you in creative self-learning. Like when you want to make anything creative out of paper or draw something which is very hard to draw, you can go toYouTube and watch a YouTube video and finish your project, you can also watch any National Geographic videos or any other educational video on YouTube if you want to learn about something.There are various videos that are knowledgeable like Khan Academy, Eureka etc.

2. One more reason is that it helps you to enjoy free time, like when you are free you can watch a YouTube video with no meaning and learning in it. You can also watch many YouTubers video’s which are usually funny and entertaining. One of your hobbies can also be watching YouTube.

3. It helps you in gaining knowledge, like when you have a school assignment you can watch a YouTube video related to the assignment and finish it off. YouTube is also used for researching. So if you to search anything you can watch a YouTube video and get the information you want. You can also create a series of educational videos.

Against the topic

Many people say that YouTube is a waste of time and is junk. Like my father ,whenever I am watching YouTube videos ,he says that it is junk and I should stop .But I believe that YouTube helps you in many ways. It helps you in creativity and is aa good tool of research. YouTube has a variety of video to pick and choose to watch. So others may think that YouTube is a waste of time but II say it is essential in life in someways.

Conclusion

So now you have understood that YouTube is not a waste of time and is useful in a lot of things. Many people have been successful in projects by just watching YouTube videos, so YouTube also helps in people projects. Many people have also learnt a lot by just watching YouTube videos. So don’t worry, just start using YouTube then you will realize what I am saying.

MUSIC IS IMPORTANT TO US by Dhanishthaa

MUSIC IS IMPORTANT TO US

My friends and I planned to go out for lunch. So, we went to a restaurant and one of the reasons we enjoyed there was the soothing background music. That day, in the evening we carried our phones and headphones and went for a walk. We had a good walk as we were listening to our favourite music, while walking.

Music is one of the basic fine arts

        Music is one of the fine arts, like other forms of art. It requires imagination skills and technical skills. As dance is an artistic expression of movement, painting is artistic expression of colours, music is of sounds.

Music – an important form of education

         Music is an important form of education. According to Plato, a Greek philosopher, music is an important aspect to education. In his plan of education, he has paid attention to three disciplines and one of them are ’music for the realization of the soul’. Thus, music connects us with the real self, i.e. soul. While listening to relaxing music, we tend to begin the journey inward.

Music has magic powers

Music has magical power. This is testified by the fact that Orpheus, a legendary Greek musician could make stones dance to his music. The stories of Tansen and Baiju Bawra are not unknown to us. They could light lamps, melt stones, blossom flowers in autumn, cause rain just by the accurate use of the ‘accurate tune’. Music has the power of healing and the power of soothing.

“Music… Will help dissolve perplexities and purify your character and sensibility, and in time of care and sorrow, will keep a fountain of joy alive in you.”
                                                                                                                        -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Healing through music Theraphy

Music theraphy is the use of music

Kashmir belongs to India by Tanay

Kashmir belongs to India – Tanay

A few weeks back, I used to believe that the Kashmir conflict was just a fight, but then the surgical strike made me realize that the Kashmir conflict was much deeper than I thought. This is when I started supporting India.

Kashmir belongs to India because two thirds of Jammu and Kashmir is controlled by India whereasPakistan only controls one third of Kashmir. until the un makes a decision till then Kashmir belongs to India.in all Kashmir is geographically a part of India.

The second reason why I think Kashmir belongs to India is because the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, signed the papers of accession to India. He agreed that Kashmir would want to be a part of India since 1947.

Last but not least, Kashmir belongs to India even though Kashmir’s majority population was Muslim in 1901 according to the census. India also has a large Muslim population but is spread out over the 29 states. Unlike Kashmir, other states don’t have a large percentage of Muslim population. Pakistan is an Islamic state so the majority population will be Muslim. This shows thatKashmir is more similar to India.

Teachers’ shouldn’t take sport’s periods by Ahaan

Teachers’ shouldn’t take sport’s periods

Introduction:

Teachers shouldn’t take sports periods because, sports gives us fitness, also people might want to take it as a future job/career and, also it is a great way to get entertained!!!!

Chapter 1:

One of the reasons why teachers shouldn’t take sports period is because, these days fitness is very important, especially because of all of the junk food in this generation, but we can still reduce chances of being fat by having daily fitness in school but, by teachers keep taking our sports periods we are loosing our fitness time and getting fatter and fatter.

Chapter 2:

Not only sports are meant for fitness. Some people also want to take it as a career, because sports is also a game, which is allot of fun, but by teachers continuously taking our sports periods the people who want to be sports men in the future are having lesser chances of getting selected. Let’s take the Olympics’ for example India did so, bad compared to the other Olympics’, one of the reasons could be due to the lack of fitness.

Chapter 3:

Those aren’t the only reasons why sports are important!!! Sports is also a great way to get entertained scientific studies show that doing work after playing sports improve your work and also feel munch more relaxed will doing work!!! That is not all even studies show also most of the people live a happy life because of sports, cause it is such a GOOD entertainment for all ages.

Conclusion:

Now so far I think that teachers shouldn’t take sports period if you are still not convinced about my option just think about it again students/children/kids need to full fill there dream (if they want to take sports as a career), but even if they are not, they still need fitness to live a healthy and fit life!!!Now just rethink on your option!!! 

Dog abandonment by Yana

Dog Abandonment

Introduction

Do you know how many dogs are killed each year ? 70% of all dogs are killed ,5% die from natural anxiety and the rest are adopted. Some people are of the opinion that it does not matter and that no one cares, but I feel that dogs also have a life. Usually after being abandoned are harmed , taken in captive or put to death. I believe that dogs should not be abandoned.

As I grew up I loved dogs. I got a dog when I was 7 and he was amazing. Then I realised that not all dogs have the luxury of my dog.

Harmed

Some dogs stay on the road or wander from place to place. Most people are of the opinion that we don’t do this to them , but they are wrong . We are the people that abandon them. I once saw an accident when a car hit a dog the car drove away but some other people who saw this took the dog to the hospital. Some people are passionate for animals, but not all are.

Taken in captive

Some dogs are taken in captive and given very little food. They are harmed or used. In some acts of black magic  they cut legs of the dog. Dogs do have a life as large as ours.

Put to death

Do you think that it is fair for dogs to lose their lives because of us! Dogs are abandoned and some suffer separation anxiety and adie out of fear. 70%  of abandoned dogs are killed , 20% sre put in shelters and 10% are adopted . The 20% that are in shelters help the dogs to get adopted and the 70% that are killed are killed because there is no space in shelters for them. Most of the dogs that are adopted are adopted for pity.

Dogs lives are also valued. Most people think it’s ok but it’s not we can do small things to make a big difference.

Play time is more important than study time by Siddhant Attavar

Play time is more important than study time

You always thought that studying would make your child better, right? Now playing helps children more. What I am trying to say is that playing would help you more than doing homework or just studying. It gives you ample exercise, so you don’t have to do those 20 push-ups every day. Another reason is that playing teaches important skills which can help in life including team spirit. Thirdly, it helps in socialization. People tend to make friends while playing together rather then while studying together. So let’s begin our journey through my essay.

First stop; playing helps in teaching us about teamwork. Some of the most popular sports that children play are football and basketball. These are team sports which teach us valuable lessons. It helps develop relationships between team mates. Sometimes your team mate will give you a tip on how to play. This helps in making your game better. Occasionally a team mate plays particularly well. Then you start to respect the person. Children learn to solve issues, example when one team thinks that it is their throw in but the other team thinks it is theirs. They argue for some time and then finally they logically think and solve the issue. These are only a few of the life skills that we can learn from teamwork. An expert commented “Great leaders motivate their teams”

Moreover, socialization is learnt from playing together with other friends. I have never heard and probably you haven’t too, heard about anybody making friends while doing homework. In addition to that it reduces stage fright and shyness. Here is an example. You go to a person one day when your friend is ill and can’t come to play. You then ask if you can play. Another way this helps is by collecting more friends. These friends help you in times of need, example when you have lost your football. Now there is less chance of you feeling lonely. “When they are deciding who is going to be Daddy, or who is going to wear the purple dress they are actually developing social skills”

Third stop; you guessed it right, exercise. Play time gives your child enough exercise a child needs to stay fit. Research shows that during an average game of intense tag a child runs an approximate of 3 to 5 kilometres even though the child doesn’t feel it’s that much. Children who play regularly have a lesser chance of becoming ill. They will develop stronger muscles. They will have a reduced chance of turning obese. Later in life they might not get diabetes. They will have lower blood pressure. The same story for blood cholesterol. It increases focus and concentration. Less chances of eye problems such as getting specs. All I have said just counts up to a fraction of the benefits of play. Another point could be the higher chances of growth spurt. Also you will not get targeted by bullies as compared to people who don’t play often.

Now I shall be taking you to the other side of my opinion. That is I am now going to tell you that study time is more important than play time.

Though people may argue that play time takes away time which could be used for studying, children could learn several new things even while playing. Another point that I want to add over here is that unstructured play is more helpful than structured play, so don’t go around telling your children what to play. Babies only learn through plying and observing things around them.

It is easy to say that people are prone to injuries while playing, but in reality the injury only makes you tougher. One example is Nick Vujicic. He learnt how to surf only after he lost both his arms and legs. He also knows how to swim. He typed an entire series of books with the only two toes that he has. Let’s not go world wide as yet. Arunima Sinha had lost her leg and only then had she started mountaineering. Within two years of her starting her new career, she climbed Mount Everest to its tip despite not having enough oxygen in her tank.

There are several more reasons about why play time is more important than study time. About 50 reasons and I have mentioned a mere 3 of them. It helps in exercise, and socialization. It also helps in teaching us about a lot of life skills including teamwork, many of which you can’t learn while studying. So, how about stop bombarding children with studies and let them play? Get off board the essay now!!!

CLIMBING TREES SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN SCHOOL ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY BY SONALI SENTHIL GRADE 6 D

CLIMBING TREES SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN SCHOOL ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

 BY SONALI SENTHIL GRADE 6 D

Should trees be things of play as well as things of nature? Climbing trees used to a part of everybody’s childhood but no one does it because it is not allowed in school. I strongly believe that climbing trees should be allowed. This is because it helps children be more independent, connect with nature and get off gadgets and results in brain growth.

IT HELPS IN INDIPENDENCE

Everybody wants to be independent, right? Independence is a basic skill that everyone needs to go ahead in life. But there are not many ways to be independent, but climbing trees is one of them. This has been proven in many ways.

Firstly, it has been proven that when you climb/master something that you didn’t think you could do, it helps your independence grow. This is because you don’t need to ask somebody to help you do this. My friend was not able to climb a tree so I had to push her up. But one day she did it by herself! The next time we climbed the tree, she said, “No, I don’t need help!“ This shows that her independence was boosted, and she was proud of herself.

Also, climbing trees lets children have more control of their actions, because they know they can do it, which is a form of independence. Climbing trees increases physical activity so kids can do more things by themselves. This has been proven by Bell and Dyment, 2006. For example, if your ball gets stuck in a tree, you can get it and nobody will have to do it for you.

CONNECT WITH NATURE AND GET OFF GADGETS

You know that parents are always complaining, “My child is always on the phone, never studies blah blah blah”.

Well, climbing trees solves all these problems – Nowaday’s most children think trees are very useless but they help people calm down.  This shows that people are more peaceful in trees.  The calmness without noise helps everyone calm down.  Studies have proven that all children need an alone place or their own perch.

Did you know that climbing trees can help you study?  Wait!  Don’t abandon your books!  But really, it does.  It can help you learn more things about trees and their mini worlds.  It also helps with scientific discovery says John Garthright, Tree Climibing Japan.

IT RESULTS IN BRAIN GROWTH

But the most important thing is that it is good for your brain.  This is because it makes children stressless and creative.  It also helps with problem solving skills.

You know that stress is not good for anybody, right?  Well its even less good for children because they are small.  This is significant because tress help you feel stressless and take your mind off other things. 

Children should also climb trees because it helps with problem solving skills.  A test was conducted in which 72 children did a puzzle like test.  Half climbed trees and the rest did things like yoga, drawing, bicycling etc.  Guess what!  The kids who climbed trees did fifty percent better!

Also, unstructured forms of play help children be more creative and results in brain growth.  Studies take in 2006 have showed that children are more creative in green places like trees.  This means children who climb trees can play with anything anywhere.

Though people may argue that children can get hurt in trees, I firmly believe that it is perfectly safe.  Children usually climb trees with a friend.  If they fall out of the tree, the friend can take them to the clinic of call for help.  Also, getting a few bumps and bruises is a part of childhood. 

While it might be true that the tree might break, nevertheless it turns out that children don’t usually venture to points that might look unsafe or weak.  Besides, the trees that are climbable have big broad branches.

I agree that children may get stuck in trees, but as I have mentioned above, children don’t usually venture to points they haven’t been in before.  Besides, if the child gets stuck, they will probably find a creative way to get out as climbing trees makes you creative.

Now do you understand what I am telling you about trees?  If you still don’t believe that climbing trees should be allowed, climb a tree or at least sit under one.  Then you will realize that climbing trees should be allowed because it helps people be more independent, connect with nature and get off gadgets and results in brain growth.