Fresno, Clovis students share their views on sex ed, Astroworld concert, undocumented people and more

Each year, Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified high school students at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) participate in an advocacy project. The students identify current issues, research potential solutions, and learn to express their varying opinions. This year they were asked to choose an issue that was important to them and write a letter to the editor. Today The Bee publishes those letters.

Many thanks to instructor Adam Higginbotham for leading and organizing the project.

Ranya Hemaidan, junior, Clovis High School

On Nov. 5, 2021, Travis Scott held a Astroworld Concert for his millions of fans. The whole event was doomed from the start, with the evident lack of coordination and faculty. They simply herded the people like sheep into a tight fit gated stage, all standing and pushed together like a can of sardines. Released photos clearly show how tightly fans were forced together. Many reports came out that they were so understaffed, they had concert attendees start playing doctor, trying to bring these poor trampled people back to life.

In a recent interview, Travis Scott seemed to have no clue as to what was happening or how serious the situation was. Why not? Shouldn’t he of all people know so that he could bring order to his concert? It’s time to bring awareness to these airhead performers who never truly put the safety of their fans first, but instead focus only on how many zeros will be on their check.

Camryn Palmer, senior, Bullard High School

The Central Valley has long struggled with a shortage of water. Back in December 2020 the Temperance Flat Reservoir Authority was supposed to be a $3 billion project that was going to be the second-tallest dam in California. After the fact, it became clear that the dam was a no go because the studies and funding were not good enough.

The Fresno Bee had interviewed Ron Stork regarding the Temperance Dam, and he claimed we must focus on the real situation —that we are using more water than usual and the dam isn’t going to solve the problem.

One question that gets asked is “Where will the money go now that the dam isn’t happening?” The money funded for the project may be used to work on other problems, such as the restoration of groundwater recharge. Although officials are still conversing over this topic, if a dam were to be funded in the near future it would be moved closer to Friant Dam to control water flow and keep restoration in the San Joaquin River Gorge.

Lily Garcia, senior, Edison High School

Let’s talk about sex — three letters that make a majority of people uncomfortable because it’s considered taboo. It’s such a “taboo” topic that students are not being properly taught it in school during their sex ed curriculum. Sex is something that students need to know about how to do properly while protecting themselves.

Some consequences that come with not learning a medically accurate and inclusive sex education are teen pregancy, sexually transmitted infections, an unhealthy relationship with sex, etc. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth from ages 15-25 made up almost half of the 26 million new sexually transmitted infections that happened in the U.S. in 2018. This data are showing us the direction that we as a country we are going, but it’s not too late. We must put more value on sex education in our schools today to have a positive impact on our future.

Melanie Tirado, senior, Buchanan High School

The Safe Haven Initiative helps immigrant students and their families feel safe when they attend school in some local school districts. The California Department of Education outlines Assembly Bill 699 (2017), which “requires all California public schools to provide protections for students, regardless of immigration status, and extend specific support to immigrant students and their families.”

Fresno Unified School District has decided to make its schools safe havens to protect students. I’m advocating for the Clovis Unified School District to also become a safe haven. According to the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative, there are thousands of students that are affected by their immigration status and need help now. Shouldn’t all students in the Central Valley feel safe when they attend school? Please join me in advocating for CUSD to designate as a safe haven. Write to Superintendent O’Brien and let her know this initiative needs to happen in the Clovis schools.

Zamaury Dickson, junior, Sunnyside High School

White feelings should never have been prioritized over Black lives. I’ve seen firsthand how “racism” plays a significant role in the lives of African Americans in the educational system. Being Black in a place that was not designed for Black people makes one feel devalued.

As an African American male, I’ve always felt as if I didn’t fit the stereotypes of a scholar student. Most people believe that racism isn’t as prevalent in schools as it is elsewhere, but in my opinion it is more prevalent in schools than anywhere else. The average Black person on campus will always try to find a trusted adult, and when they do, they will frequently go to that person. To make a positive impact on a Black student, we need more school staff that connects with students of color. We also must demand that schools hire more staff of color because there are not enough in school districts in the Central Valley. There are many more things that we could do to fix this situation, but as a start, this would be a great fix to get started.

Emily Barrios Cruz, senior, Edison High School

“Go back to your country,” “You’re a menace to American society,” “You’re bringing America down.” These are the types of comments undocumented citizens constanly hear. What many fail to realize is that these “useless people” are constantly fighting for a better future; and this is especially true in undocumented students. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), “researchers estimate that 1.09 million undocumented children and youth are now living in the country.”

I’ve seen, countless times, the extra work they put in just to find themselves with limited opportunities. In Plyer vs. Doe (1982), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that undocumented children are entitled to the same educational opportunites as legal residents and citizens because they are here illegally at no fault of their own. Yet as reported by the Migration Policy Institute, only 25% of undocumented students 25 or older received a high school diploma or equivalent. Their main challenges being that most states don’t allow them to pay in-state tuition and they are not eligible for most scholarships, financial aid, and federal loans. So take a stand along undocumented students, fighting for a better education system and a more accepting society.

Lena Ramos, junior, Buchanan High School

Mandatory minimums are often at the center of debate when it comes to criminal justice reform. Mandatory minimum sentencing rules oblige courts to impose the same punishment on all offenders convicted of a specific offense, regardless of whether the punishment is appropriate for the crime or the offender. The Brennan Center for Justice states that “prosecutors’ mandatory minimum charges resulted in Black individuals spending more time in prison than whites for the exact same crimes. In fact, prosecutors bring mandatory minimums 65 percent more often against Black defendants.”

While mandatory minimums may have been intended to be fair, they have instead created an imbalance in the courtroom that has contributed to mass imprisonment. The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 increased the use of mandatory minimums by adding high statutory minimums for numerous federal offenses and abolishing federal parole. What began as a well-intended attempt to establish consistency became overly stringent, resulting in new inequities and injustices. In order to improve our justice system we must reduce mandatory minimum sentences.

Nich Chew, junior, Buchanan High School

Restroom culture is real. It includes a general set of unspoken rules and expectations upheld in public restrooms. One of the most important rules is simple: when using a urinal, don’t stand next to anyone else. Out of respect for the general public, it is understood that at least one space must be kept between restroom users. This rule is ubiquitously respected and keeps peace in the water closet. However, with this rule comes certain issues.

In schools, restroom traffic is astonishing, as half the urinals remain unused. To abide by restroom culture, those waiting to urinate must wait for two to three urinals to be available before they are permitted to use one. However, there is a simple solution to this issue. Urinal dividers. By placing dividers between the urinals, individuals would be able to navigate restrooms comfortably. Urinal dividers would help to preserve privacy to those most vulnerable. In addition to this, the efficiency of restroom usage could increase twofold and bathroom traffic would decrease dramatically. “I think urinal dividers are necessary,” says Jason Garcia, an avid user of public restrooms. By emailing their school principals and asking for urinal implementation, students can help push for a better future.

Stephanie Gomez Gonzalez, junior, Hoover High School

Sorry it’s not you, it’s your gender. How do you explain to a hardworking athlete that just because she is female she stands no chance. December 19th 2021, Lia Thomas (a transgender woman) beat two female Ivy Leauge records in the swim division at UPenn. There was a 38 second difference between her and the 2nd place winner, erupting the controversy. Lia Thomas, formerly Will Thomas, did three years of male swim at UPenn and beat no records before. It has been proven that men are superior in sports compared to females supported by the training and biology; because of that, transgender athletes may have an advantage. The question that has been around for so long but not answered, should transgender people go against cis people in the same category?

Sierra Facundo, junior, Fresno High School

A problem we face today that isn’t talked about enough in today’s society is mental health. In the year 2020 there were 45,855 suicides just in young adults. A lot of times parents think the only reason you can have mental health problems is because something tragic happened, it has to be visible or they don’t believe you deserve to feel a way at all. Which is not the truth. People can have mental health issues for things they are dealing with within themselves or have gotten over this pandemic.

The pandemic it has made things a lot worse for young adults with online learning and having close to no interaction with people. With school back in person it has made it hard for teens when it comes to talking and interacting with other people. With that being a problem, teens struggle to make friends and are forced to sit alone, have anxiety, or even to overthink; they can also even become depressed. A lot of times teachers and parents should just be patient and understand that we are teens who can also feel unhappy just like they can. They just need to be understandable.

This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Fresno, Clovis students share their views on sex ed, Astroworld concert, undocumented people and more."