Breaking Down the 2024 Presidential Craziness: Navigating the Candidates, Controversies, and the Power of Your Vote

The spotlight is on the race for the presidency, with the current President Joe Biden seeking re-election on the Democratic side. However, all eyes are turned towards the Republican side, where the field has gradually narrowed down. The initial burst of Republican contenders has dwindled, leaving only two prominent figures vying for the nomination: Nikki Haley and the former President, Donald Trump.

Nikki Haley, once the US ambassador to the UN under the Trump administration and former governor of South Carolina, has shifted her loyalty away from her former boss. With a focus on foreign policy and a commitment to supporting allies while confronting enemies, she aligns with her party on key issues like taxes, immigration, abortion, and healthcare.

Donald Trump, a billionaire turned politician who previously held the presidency from 2016 to 2020, remains a formidable force. Despite controversies, criminal actions, and a divisive approach catering to the far right, Trump has maintained a robust support base. Currently leading in primary polls, he has secured victories in all primaries held so far, overshadowing Nikki Haley's candidacy, predicted to fade due to financial challenges.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden faces less competition in the Democratic primaries, positioning him as the main candidate. Advocating for NATO support, funding for Ukraine, forgiveness of student loan debt, and increased gun restrictions, Biden stands as a strong contender. The presidential race may likely boil down to a face-off between Biden and Trump, making the outcome crucial.

The significance of this political showdown extends beyond the candidates, it emphasizes the importance of voting in our society that is based on democracy. Regardless of our busy schedules, voting is an essential civic responsibility that ensures we have a say in who leads our nation.

By casting our votes, we become active participants in the democratic process, representing groups whose concerns may have gone unheard. Our votes hold the power to bring about positive change, addressing issues that matter to us and our communities. This civic responsibility is not to be taken lightly, considering the sacrifices made by those who protested, fought, and even died for this right.

In a world where many are denied the right to vote due to corruption, American citizens stand among the privileged few. Let us embrace this privilege, recognizing that our votes have the potential to shape the policies, rectify faults in legislation, and contribute to the continued strength of our democratic system.

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Citations

AP NEWS, and Getty Images. A Picture of Trump, Then Biden, Then Haley., 1 Feb. 2024, abc7news.com/donald-trump-joe-biden-nikki-haley-campaign-finance-report/14378299/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2024.

GLAAD. Pins with American Flags on Them That Say 2024 Presidential Elections, 24 May 2024, glaad.org/2024-primary-candidate-records/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2024.

Pettit, Lauren. Make the Vote to Change with People Holding Signs at the Bottom of the Image, 24 Oct. 2020, dailyevergreen.com/89734/opinion/opinion-voting-is-crucial-for-civic-engagement/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2024.

New year, same plastic filled oceans

© Nature Picture Library

The fastening speed of everyday culture has led to the use of cheap, quick, and easy materials in fashion and everyday materials. In a single day, almost 1 million tons of plastic waste will be produced. The equivalent of a dump truck filled waste is dumped into the ocean every single minute. And according to Project Clean Water, unless we change by 2030, this number will double. And by 2050, this number will quadruple, making it so that there would be more plastic in the ocean than there are fishes. 80% of all marine pollution is plastic. And of the plastics that we use, a good deal comes from plastic water bottles.

A million plastic water bottles are purchased across the world in a single minute. This may not seem as large of a problem at first sight. But of the water bottles produced, only 23% are recycled. The irony of the situation, is that the ocean fills the bottles that are later tossed. But for how long can we test our oceans? Through the ages of the production of plastic water bottles, 9% have been recycled. The other 91% ends up in our oceans. In order to save our oceans, these numbers must be reduced.

© Science Photo Library

The most difficult part of making the adjustment to reusable water is cost. At front sight, spending the average price of $1.29 for a 20-ounce plastic bottle sounds far better than spending $20-$40 for a reusable bottle. But in the long run, even when these reusable water bottles are bought in bulk, plastic water bottles prove to be 2,000 times more expensive than tap water, which in the United States is often safe enough to drink. Something that not many people realize is that plastic takes between 500 and 1000 years to degrade, and even then, it simply becomes microplastics.

© Nature Picture Library

Although it's tempting to buy a bottle of cold water in the lunch line or grab a nice cold plastic bottle after a sports game, teens need to take steps to reduce their own individual plastic uses. As the future generation, we need to cut back on single-use plastics. This can easily be done by bringing reusable shopping bags when going to the mall or by packing sandwiches in containers rather than one-use plastic bags. Although the actions we take appear insignificant, our individual actions leave a growing ripple in the water, and positive change towards the future of our oceans.

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Citations

Boesler, Matthew. “Bottled Water Costs 2000 Times as Much as Tap Water.” Business Insider, 12 July 2013, www.businessinsider.com/bottled-water-costs-2000x-more-than-tap-2013-7.

Fava, Marta. “Ocean Plastic Pollution an Overview: Data and Statistics.” Ocean Literacy Portal, UNESCO, 9 May 2022, oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/.

Laville, Sandra, and Matthew Taylor. “A Million Bottles a Minute: World’s Plastic Binge “as Dangerous as Climate Change.”” The Guardian, The Guardian, 28 June 2017, www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change.

McGimpsey, Chelsea. “5 Reasons to Opt for Reusable Water Bottles – Project Clean Water.” Project Clean Water, 2022, projectcleanwater.org/5-reasons-to-opt-for-reusable-water-bottles/.

Mickletz, Becky. “The Real Bottled Water Cost.” Flowater, 2 July 2019, drinkflowater.com/the-real-cost-of-bottled-water-2/.

Petsko, Emily. “How Reusable Bottles and Containers Can Help Save the Ocean.” Oceana, 16 June 2021, oceana.org/blog/how-reusable-bottles-and-containers-can-help-save-ocean/.

UN Environment Programme. “Beat Plastic Pollution.” Www.unep.org, UNEP, 2022, www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/.

News Flash: Depression is Real

Photo Credit: American Behavioral Clinics

Hatred and false “ideals” have spread through social media, and youth depression rates have skyrocketed. Depression, as defined by the World Health Organization, can be defined as “persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. It can also disturb sleep and appetite. Tiredness and poor concentration are common.”

Symptoms of Depression. Photo Credit: Medical News Today/Pinterest

Pressure from societal and gender norms often causes mental health disorders among youth. Increases in social media use allows teenagers to be exposed to the “perfect” lives of others that appear unattainable and causes teens to doubt the quality of their own lives. Children who face bullying and sexual assault often feel as though they are unwanted in their communities. Others at greater risk of mental health disorders include children with autism, pregnant teens, and teens who are subject to racism and other prejudice.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic still linger in the younger generation. The percentage of teens facing depression nearly doubled from 2009 to 2019. And in 2019, 15.8% of adolescents had experienced depression episodes. This number is undoubtedly disturbing and outrageous. Teens should not be forced to feel hopeless about their lives and existence. Since the pandemic, the number of teens facing depression episodes has drastically increased. In 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) recorded through the NSDUH survey that one in five of teens and adolescents living in the U.S. have experienced severe depression. If change is not prompted, these numbers are only set to increase.

Photo Credit: Faiqa Salman/X (formerly twitter)

Depression does not simply stop as a condition that many children are forced to live with undiagnosed, but also feeds into lifestyle. Teens with depression are more likely to partake in risky behavior and face educational difficulties. Young people with mental health disorders are often victims of social stigma, prohibiting them from reaching out to ask for help. Many teens experiencing mental health issues remain unaware because they are told to simply toughen-up and self-handle mental battles.

Photo Credit: WholeKids Emotional Wellness/Pinterest

Depression is no joke, and it’s time that we finally acknowledge this issue. Teens expressing the want to end their life should be acknowledged. Depression should first be taken seriously and needs to stop being treated as an irrelevant matter. In many countries and cultures, mental health is socially irrelevant and in years past, society has viewed depression as a “made up condition.”

Photo Credit: Nationwide Children's Hospital/Pinterest

But we are now wiser. We are now stronger. It is time to universally agree that depression is life-changing and life shattering. As both individuals and as a union, we need to take actions to encourage loved ones struggling with mental health and to make the relevance of the condition known to youth and young adults. If you are battling depression, know that you are not alone. We hear you, we see you, and we are with you.