By Catherine M
Instilling a Growth Mindset to Prepare Students for the Future
Anyone should be able to accomplish their goals, if they want it badly enough. The American Dream is a goal that should be available to everyone but according to Professor of African-American Literature at Howard University, Sandra Shannon, it is “difficult for non-whites to also realize their dreams in this country” (Shannon). By implementing more confidence and motivation in students, everyone will be able to reach their goals. My research question is should parents and educators work to instill a growth mindset on students to prevent lack of motivation and confidence? By instilling a growth mindset in adolescents, parents and educators can improve students' confidence allowing them to accomplish their goals.

By Marianna C.
Reducing Isolation and Improving Quality of Life for Elderly Care Recipients 
Institutions made to better health may be detrimental to one's quality of life. Akyil and Pullum from Aydın Adnan Menderes University state social inclusion is a factor in psychological and cognitive well-being of seniors, and a lack of social inclusion may lead to increased alcohol or tobacco consumption, as well as a decrease in physical activity. (Pullum, Akyil). Other care options exist, such as assisted living, group homes, respite care, home care, and day-care for the elderly. However, these may not be accessible for many elderly people due to cost issues, even under Medicare or other healthcare plans. The federal government should focus medicare policies to promote various types of care to create the best environments possible for recipients, this will prevent elderly isolation and depression, and improve quality of life.

By Kylie H
Inequity of Education for Women in Africa 
Educational opportunities for women in many areas of the world have been stripped away from them. Research by the Human Rights Watch, an organization that conducts research and advocacy for human rights, stated that “more than 49 million girls are out of primary and secondary school in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 31 million of  them out of secondary education” (1). Additionally, “Eighty-five percent of all African women are illiterate” according to Nadia Sudarkasa, former director of the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (4). Khitman Azaiza, Director of Instructional Design and Digital Media Production, mentions that “education opens the opportunities and choices for women to work and become more self-confident” (1). So, the question is what is the most effective way to increase women’s education in Africa? In order to sufficiently address this issue, the African government must enforce alternative learning opportunities to stimulate equity among the education system.

By: Sophia V

Implementing An Adolescent Empowerment Program in Local Nigerian Communities  
​Should local Nigerian leaders implement an empowerment program for adolescent girls to help abolish child marriages? An analysis of the medical, economic, cultural, and social aspects of early marriage calls for an empowerment program to raise awareness, enhance knowledge, and deter unplanned pregnancies to prevent additional victims

• Assessing the Mental Health of Incarcerated Prisoners and Institutionalization of Mental Health Facilities - Offenders with mental illness are one of our most at-risk populations and they are barely getting the support they need. Therefore we raise the question--Should the Federal  Government implement specialized mental health facilities for convicted criminals? To fully address this, the Federal Government should provide screenings for those who have been convicted of any crime and programs for the treatment of mental illnesses/health.

• Should a decreased materialistic standard be implemented by parents and education systems in order to benefit future generations’ mental health in the United States? -  Any child raised in a household or community focused on materialistic value versus emotional well-being will most definitely suffer from some sort of mental anguish, all because they were taught from a young age that physical objects fix emotional or mental pain. The only solution presented that seems to be the most effective, is monitoring and holding an important relationship with your mental health versus the objects you have around you. Every item a person owns can be replaced, but the person can not be. By weaning children and teens off the ideas to only have a job to make money, families can aid the next generations to truly chase their passions regardless of the paycheck that will result.

• Utilizing U.S. Laws to Establish a Safer Environment for Prostitutes -  In order to solve the problem of prostitution violence we need to ask ourselves, should the U.S. government adopt the policy of vigilance and decriminalization to increase the safety of prostitutes? An evaluation of the social, health and legal aspects highlights the importance of the U.S. adopting these laws to achieve prostitutes' safety.

 

• Social Media and Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Adolescents in the U.S - The obsessive thoughts caused by BDD often lead adolescents down a path of a number of different psychiatric disorders. With its debilitating effects in mind, should healthcare facilities in the U.S. implement targeted screening for BDD at annual physicals and make cognitive-behavioral therapy and serotonin-reuptake inhibitors the standard treatment for teenagers living with BDD influenced by social media? This course of treatment should be implemented in order to provide a treatment that does not give into obsessive thoughts, allows for a correct diagnosis, and helps treat and prevent other mental illnesses.

 

• How Social Media Stimulates Materialism In American Youth Today - Upon conducting research regarding materialism in social media, the question arises on the most effective way to address how social media promotes materialism to the American youth. In order to properly address this issue, the government must pass a law in which the people in charge of social media are required to keep materialistic posts away from the youth.

 

• Increasing Care to Battle the Opiod Epidemic - Is access to voluntary treatment services, treating the user rather than  punishing and increased physician training the most effective way to address the opioid epidemic in the United States? The best solution is what is called “Baker’s Bill”. In the fall of 2015, Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts proposed a plan in an attempt to control opioid abuse. The bill ensured prescription drugs were provided in a seven day supply, in hopes of reducing chances of addiction and overdoses (Pearlman). This is the best solution because it provides an increased access to voluntary treatment facilities, real treatment and not punishment and will expand physician training and experience.

 

• Helping Individuals in Need of Mental Health Resources - The passing of a loved one is an event that carries a large emotional burden. While researching, the question that came up was if the United States government should implement a universal healthcare system to provide the proper care for patients who seek mental health services. The United States Government should implement a fair universal healthcare system to effectively serve those who cannot afford healthcare because it will allow for more people to have access to mental health
  resources, save people money, and improve overall mental state.

 

• Utilizing Technology to Stimulate Student Engagement - A better education means a better job
  and a better chance at happiness. Therefore, American schools must increase their usage of
  technology to stimulate more engaged students.

 

• Media Manipulation: How Today’s Media Influences Women’s Body Image  - To solve
  the issue of companies continually using body shaming tactics to get women to invest in the beauty industry, should they incorporate ideals from zine culture —an inclusive environment created by self published journals that share an author’s personal experiences— into their advertisements to increase women’s body positivity and self-worth? To effectively rid women of the burdens inflicted by advertisements, advertiser’s goals need to shift to selling products by promising to enhance one’s natural beauty, rather than to create one’s beauty. Advertisers can do this by taking inspiration from zines and, more specifically, feminist zine culture. Zines are self-published journals in which authors share their own experiences regarding the cultures around them. Feminist zines include authors’ experiences with their relationships to their body, other people, mental illness, and many other topics. The effect of such open and honest conversation is a judgement-free community that gives authors and readers a
  sense of belonging.

 

• Inequity of Education for Women in Africa - Educational opportunities for women in many areas of the world have been stripped away from them. Research by the Human Rights Watch, an organization that conducts research and advocacy for human rights, stated that “more than 49 million girls are out of primary and secondary school in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 31 million of  them out of secondary education” (1). Additionally, “Eighty-five percent of all African women are illiterate” according to Nadia Sudarkasa, former director of the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (4). Khitman Azaiza, Director of Instructional Design and Digital Media Production, mentions that “education opens the opportunities and choices for women to work and become more self-confident” (1). So, the question is what is the most effective way to increase women’s education in Africa? In order to sufficiently address this issue, the African government must enforce alternative learning opportunities to stimulate equity among the education system.

 

• Materialism Corrupting Youth: How Corporate Advertising Diminishes Happiness in Adolescents - Today’s modern economy has become heavily focused on promoting the idea that  happiness stems from material possessions.  To solve this issue, and suppress the spread of materialistic values in adolescents, should parents be encouraged to instill safe buying practices and abjure materialistic values in their children?  Parents can do this by
  teaching their children safe and responsible consumer practices. These responsible consumer
  practices can be as simple as teaching a child to save their chore money, or as intuitive as advising them to overcome the urge to buy unnecessary items.

 

• Benefits of outdoor play in early childhood learning - As cities and towns continue to grow, areas of nature are gradually shrinking and even disappearing altogether. The proliferation of technology has resulted in children being exposed to technology at a young age, and have become less likely to go outside and gain firsthand learning experiences.  It is essential to adolescent health that their parents understand the benefits of  nature. Nature and outdoor play are beneficial to children's physical fitness.

 

• The Battle to Sobriety - In order to combat the opioid epidemic in America, there should be insurance aided payment plans, if not full coverage implemented, along with supportive communities this will help OUD patients receive extensive inpatient rehabilitation centers and can help patients create an independent sober lifestyle avoiding incarceration, overdose or death.

 

• Addressing America's Teenage Mental Health Crisis - Is implementing social-emotional learning in schools the most effective way to address declining teenage mental health and damaging coping mechanisms? Incorporating social-emotional learning, similar to that of sexual education, will generally improve the mental state of teenagers by providing them with more outlets to discuss their troubles, giving them the knowledge they need to avoid worsening themselves and granting them access to proper coping mechanisms when they are struggling with their mental health.

 

• Effects of Retail Clothing Stores on Teen Girls in America - Clothing stores have mental-health impacts on teenage girls in the United States. From sizes varying between different stores to fashion models having anorexic tendencies themselves, many girls have low self esteem. To solve this should the reduction of “one size fits all” clothing brands be used to address the mentality of teen girls in the United States affected by retail clothing stores? The purpose of this essay is to discuss the impact of clothing on the body image of young girls.

 

• Parental Monitoring of Social Media Use - Should an application be created for parents to actively monitor their child's social media use to prevent negative outcomes? There should be an application for parents to actively monitor their child's social media because it will make children think twice about their social media content, parents would be aware of  communication with a possible child predator, and parents would notice signs of mental health problems.

 

• Malnutrition’s Effect on Psychological Disorders - Many researchers provide a surplus of evidence that answers the question: should nutrient-focused dietary plans be incorporated into cognitive therapy for adults with pre-existing psychological disorders in the United States? Dietary plans paired with increased locally produced food will prevent over and undereating, guarantee the consumption of proper nutrients, and make healthy foods affordable for any social class.

 

• Social Media and Declining Mental Health in Adolescents Across the U.S - Should cognitive behavioral therapy be available in high schools across the U.S to teens with poor mental health that are impacted by social media? It is vital that high schools make cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) available in order to target various mental health illnesses, provide an alternative way of helping teens instead of using drugs, and utilize an effective three-step process, ensuring proper therapy.

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• Cyber bullying’s Effects on Vulnerable, Female High School Students in America - Female high school students’ brains allow them to be highly vulnerable and susceptible to serious mental health concerns, which cyberbullies use against their victims on social media platforms. Using this information, it is important to ask this question: What is the most effective way to address
  cyberbullying’s negative effects on vulnerable, female high school students in America? Social
  media platforms need to censor possible harmful words in their private forums to prevent all the negative mental effects on America’s female youth.

 

• Effectively Addressing Consumerism Media That Negatively Targets Children - Many options toward addressing consumerism media have potential, but a functioning solution would be for the FCC and FTC to regulate the content of advertisements. More specifically, what this would mean for consumers would be that these organizations would focus their regulation toward reviewing children’s ads. This will inform children of which advertisements are being broadcasted against their well being. The push for real regulation from these  organizations has been a long time coming and, with real power, they will be able to put an end to
  negative consumerism.

 

• Media Bias: Defamation, Slander, Libel, and other American Attractions - Should the
  Anti-Defamation League support a Muslim run organization to decrease the amount of
  Islamophobia in the media? This multi-faceted problem can only be solved with education about muslim cultures, inclusion in the media and reprove of Islamaphobic rhetoric.

 

• The Vaping Epidemic: How These ‘Sticks’ are Affecting America’s Teens Today -  After
  researching the dangers of vaping, the question arises on the most effective way to address
  teenage addiction to vaping in the United States today. In order to properly address this issue, the United States government needs to regulate vape marketing and put more strict laws in effect to prevent these devices from falling in the hands of teens.

 

• Child Obesity In the US - Should insurance companies implement optional maternal classes for men and women who are interested in or are planning on having children that teaches them of the nutritional and physical balance that their children should be kept under? This research paper goes into depth of the many causes and factors surrounding child obesity, ways that we can try and prevent some of those factors, and the best solution surrounding the problem of child obesity in the US.

 

• Adolescent Depression - A better way to treat depression through psychotherapy could prevent relapse or severe depression that could lead to suicide. Should the US Dept. of Health implement Depression prevention programs to detect adolescents in early stages of depression and prevent relapse? In order for the US Dept. of Health to develop a  depression prevention program, many perspectives should be taken into consideration including Psychological, Scientific, and Ethical perspectives to develop a better treatment method.

 

• Cognitive Therapy for Social Media Induced Depression - Social media is common among adolescents, but constant use produces mental disadvantages, isolation, and sometimes death. This issue raises the question: should the Board of Education in every state encourage cognitive therapy programs in schools for adolescents to help fight social media induced depression? The Board of Education in every state should encourage cognitive therapy programs in schools to adolescents as it will raise awareness, provide access to therapy, and produce long lasting results.

• Faulty Marketing To Children -  Should the Federal Trade Commission be forced to further limit and regulate advertising that is targeted at children? The most effective way for the commission to go about this would be to create a new act, one that is more structured and safer than the one created in 1914. This will help make browsing certain websites and advertisements safer for younger children, and also help many smaller businesses, as there will be more to offer for particular products. With the passing of a new act, advertisements and the internet will be safer to browse and shop in for people of all ages.

• Resolving Healthcare Disparities in the United States​ - Research highlights the effect of personal health and healthcare access on emotional well-being and happiness, which forces the question if a Medicare for All policy should be instituted to guarantee quality healthcare services to all Americans. This paper examines multiple perspectives and the policy’s necessity. A Medicare for All policy should be approved and instituted by the federal government to guarantee equal, quality healthcare services to all Americans. A single-payer plan will ensure access to healthcare for all Americans, promote fiscal responsibility and cost-effectiveness, and eliminate corporate influence on Americans’ health.

• Reducing Isolation and Improving Quality of Life for Elderly Care Recipients Institutions made to better health may be detrimental to one's quality of life. Akyil and Pullum from Aydın Adnan Menderes University state social inclusion is a factor in psychological and cognitive well-being of seniors, and a lack of social inclusion may lead to increased alcohol or tobacco consumption, as well as a decrease in physical activity. (Pullum, Akyil). Other care options exist, such as assisted living, group homes, respite care, home care, and day-care for the elderly. However, these may not be accessible for many elderly people due to cost issues, even under Medicare or other healthcare plans. The federal government should focus medicare policies to promote various types of care to create the best environments possible for recipients, this will prevent elderly isolation and depression, and improve quality of life.

 

• Bullying and its Direct Impact on Teen Anxiety - What can be done to reduce the amount of
  bullying done in schools to reduce the rise of teen anxiety? To help schools deal with the  problem of bullying to reduce anxiety levels, schools should start to implement anti-bullying programs to deal with this problem.

 

• Correctional Education to Reduce High Recidivism Rates in the United States United States
  prisons are not giving prisoners the tools for a successful release, which is leading to overcrowding of prisons and extreme incarceration numbers. Is correctional education an effective way to reduce high recidivism rates of incarcerated individuals in the United States? The answer lies in decades of research on mass incarceration in the criminal justice system. Correctional education is a solution to high recidivism rates in the United States because it increases chances of getting a job after prison, directly lowers recidivism rates, and decreases the cost of incarceration.

 

• Should The U.S. Government Implement Better Regulations To End Racial Preferences In Adoption - Should the U.S. government implement better regulations to end racial preferencing in adoption? In order for this problem to change, the government must require better regulation.

 

• Implementing the Fairness Doctrine to Reduce Political Polarization - What is the most
  effective way to address political polarization in the U.S? The nation must once again  implement the Fairness Doctrine to reduce media bias, combat political polarization, and assist in the improvement of political conversation among congress.

 

• The Cost of Happiness - Humans have been programmed from a young age to prioritize material items to achieve happiness. So, how should marketing strategies be altered to realign human priorities to reduce the desire for a materialistic lifestyle? Again, there is not a simple and direct answer or solution to this complex problem, but, recognizing the different marketing strategies used to target children, and shifting some consumption habits to selfless acts, can help to alter materialistic lifestyles and achieve long term happiness.

 

• Cyberbullying is on the rise - Before the rise of social media and cyberbullying, kids who were bullied in school were able to escape reality when they went home. They were removed from the hateful comments and they were free to be themselves. Now this cannot happen because the hate follows them home since it exists on social media. Moving forward an important question is, how can we resolve this problem and reduce the effects of cyberbullying on students? The most effective and well-balanced solution to reduce cyberbullying is to revise the state legislature to require schools to have more than four school counselors with expertise on cyberbullying.

 

• Changing School’s Schedules and Start Times - Schools in the United States have flaws that are detrimental to students and causing them to become unmotivated. Two significant issues with our schools are the start times and scheduling. High schools in the United States should have block scheduling with a 8:30 a.m. or later start time.

 

• Combating the Rising Rates of Depression in American Teens - Knowing that there are both genetic and cognitive causes of depression can help find the most effective treatment, and it begs the question should healthcare professionals encourage teenagers diagnosed with depression to consider cognitive behavioral therapy as well as prescribed medication to treat their disorder? Based on current research, healthcare professionals should encourage teenagers diagnosed with depression to seek cognitive based therapy along with prescribed medication for the best treatment path of depression.

 

• Instilling a Growth Mindset to Prepare Students for the Future - Anyone should be able to accomplish their goals, if they want it badly enough. The American Dream is a goal that should be available to everyone but according to Professor of African-American Literature at Howard University, Sandra Shannon, it is “difficult for non-whites to also realize their dreams in this country” (Shannon). By implementing more confidence and motivation in students, everyone will be able to reach their goals. My research question is should parents and educators work to instill a growth mindset on students to prevent lack of motivation and confidence? By instilling a growth mindset in adolescents, parents and educators can improve students' confidence allowing them to accomplish their goals.

 

• Using Grief Counseling in Elementary Schools to Help Bereaved Children -  My research question asks, should elementary schools provide grief counseling for students who have lost parents? Incorporating grief counseling in elementary schools would benefit young children facing the reality of the death of their guardian.

 

• Implementing Social Media Policies to Increase Better Work Habits in Businesses Across the
  United States - Should the US government implement required social media policies in businesses across the United States? Indeed, social media policies need to be implemented into businesses across the US to benefit employees and their businesses.

 

• Teen’s Mental Health in Relation to Social Media - Teens crave the lifestyle that others portray and the more they feel they have it, the more they want it. It creates a never-ending cycle that is damaging to the mind. After looking at all of the data on this subject, the question was raised about whether the United States should implement mental health screenings in doctor’s offices to decrease mental health issues in teens? This led to the conclusion that mental health screening should be implemented in doctor’s offices because it is specific to all patients, is an easy and efficient way to identify symptoms, and is accessible to everyone.

 

• Limiting Vaping Products in America Will Save High School Students - This written argument
  analyzes the increase in high school students that use vaping related products. It questions the
  continuous use of vaping products by considering the medical causes and potential solutions. A careful evaluation of the research on the medical aspects of this issue highlights the importance of unnecessary addictions, major health risks, and may lead to other types of addictions. The main solution to begin solving this huge pandemic across the nation should be to limit the accessibility of these vaping products to these teens.

 

• Test Anxiety - The overwhelming anxiety that overpowers the test taking ability of many students may be referred to as test or examination anxiety. This form of anxiety can be a minor inconvenience for some students, but a crippling shadow that burdens other students’ academic ability. Schools have not addressed the issue of test anxiety, yet this needs to change. Public schools should implement study skills programs to reduce test anxiety. The implementation of these programs will improve students’ mental health, improve academic performance, and prepare students for life challenges.

 

• Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Improve the Mental Health of Children After Divorce - My research question asks, should cognitive behavioral therapy be provided to children thirteen and under who have experienced divorce to improve their mental health? Cognitive behavioral therapy should be implemented to help children’s mental health following divorce because it allows children an outlet to address their trauma, and addresses the disinterest in school by helping children learn how to deal with those feelings. 

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• Implementing Congressional Acts to Improve Veterans Affairs Post-traumatic Stress
  Disorder Healthcare - With the doubling of the patients with mental health disorders, the “overburdened treatment systems can cause difficulties with appointment scheduling and follow-up that lead to discouragement among traumatized individuals” which also leads to the “exhibited lower rates of attendance and higher rates of dropout” (Currier). To better improve the mental health services offered by the U.S federal veteran facilities or (VA). Congressional Acts such as the Capacity Enhancement Act, Services Enhancement Act, and the Integration of Family Systems should be enacted to meet the needs of returning veterans from Iraq/Afghanistan with PTSD.

 

• Restrictions On Photoshop And Only Hiring Healthy Weight Models to Eradicate Anorexia Nervosa - So, my research question asks: should the federal government implement a law regarding restrictions on photoshop and require the fashion industry to only hire healthy weight models to eradicate Anorexia Nervosa in American women that is caused by the inaccurate representation of a healthy body image in the fashion industry? The federal government should implement these laws because it will force action, other countries are implementing these laws, and it will reshape society’s ideal to be thin.

 

• Implementing Cognitive Therapy and Pharmaceuticals for Adolescent Patients with Poor Dietary and Mental Health Habits - It is clear that overconsumption of food is a concerning issue in American teenagers. Pietro Cottone is the co-director of the Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, he states that forms of obesity and eating disorders are like drug addictions and require intensive treatment to work through relapses and periods of abstinence until an individual can overcome the addiction or disorder. By requiring pediatricians to implement cognitive therapy treatments and pharmaceuticals for patients with poor dietary and health habits this problem could be significantly reduced. 

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• Reducing Childhood Obesity in America With Regulations - Childhood obesity is a growing issue in America that possesses many health risks that are dangerous and are expensive to treat. An overall analysis of the problem questions what can be done to reduce the childhood obesity rates in America? Based on a medical, economic, and political lens; stronger government regulations in school lunches are necessary to reduce childhood obesity. School lunches are widely available to most American students and have the greatest impact on reducing childhood obesity on a national scale.

 

• Implementing An Adolescent Empowerment Program in Local Nigerian Communities - Should
  local Nigerian leaders implement an empowerment program for adolescent girls to help abolish child marriages? An analysis of the medical, economic, cultural, and social aspects of early marriage calls for an empowerment program to raise awareness, enhance knowledge, and deter unplanned pregnancies to prevent additional victims.

 

• School Guidance Counselors and Child Abuse Trauma - Should school guidance counselors undergo yearly training to properly address student victims who have suffered from traumatic abuse?  By creating an environment for counselors to reflect on their work, improving their work ethic, and valuing decision making through the use of yearly training, school guidance counselors will be able to properly address students suffering from child abuse trauma.

 

• Addressing the Causes of Polarization in American Politics - Should the United States take action against ‘unfair’ and polarizing media by either installing media legislation or baring down on campaign financing and lobbying, while installing more severe punishment. This paper will assess how political polarization amongst parties and individuals can be decreased in an effective, beneficial, and idealistic way.

• Addressing Trauma Care in the Child Welfare System - what is the most effective way to address methods of improvement with trauma in the child welfare system today? In order to properly address trauma care improvements in the child welfare system, the government needs to make mental health specialists in foster care more primarily focused on trauma care, and have healthcare be improved for children in the system as well.

• Anorexia Nervosa Among Adolescent Females - “Should local governments implement media literacy programs in US schools to decrease anorexia nervosa among adolescent females?” Media literacy programs in US schools should be implemented because they increase awareness of consumed media, reduce body dissatisfaction, and focus on prevention of anorexia nervosa.
  
  
• Opioid Usage in The United States - After researching I asked the question would the mass production, training, and availability of naloxone be the best way to stop the current opioid epidemic in the United States? Naloxone is the best solution because not only is it efficient at reversing symptoms of overdose, but paired with buprenorphine it can help fight opioid dependence. Naloxone is more efficient and a better solution than other current options.

 

• A Free Press Debacle -  The solution for political rifts in America is to create unbiased media outlets that are not incentivized to tell a story. This is difficult to implement into American media as the large conglomerates are already established. On the other hand, a media outlet whose mission is to provide unbiased and fact backed journalism would be very popular amongst many.

 

• Should Public Schools Implement Service Learning to Teach Gratitude and Selflessness, to Loosen the Grip of Materialism on Children? - This paper questions whether public schools should implement service learning to teach gratitude and selflessness to loosen the grip of materialism on children. A careful evaluation of research on the social, psychological and economic aspects of this issue highlight the effects materialism has on children and how altruism is the remedy.

 

• Overdose Deaths Among the Lower Class in America - America has been fighting the war on drugs for multiple decades now. There has been a lot
  of loss and the country has not gotten very far with this issue. The true “antagonist” here is
  addiction. No one can help to become addicted to something, and there is not just one factor that would predict who will end up being addicted to a substance. There is an insurmountable number of things that will influence the disease known as addiction. The dangers of substance abuse are far too great and there has to be something done to change this.

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• Poor Funding from The Department of Veterans Affairs Effect on Veterans - This problem affects many people so it is important to ask the question: Should extra funding for the Department of Veterans affairs (VA) be implemented to decrease homelessness among veterans? This written argument analyzes lack of awareness and resources available to veterans. It proves more funding for the VA should be implemented to lower the rate of veterans becoming homeless by considering the psychological, medical, and economic causes and effects that it has on veterans. It proves that all returning veterans should be made aware of and have access to mental health care while considering the limitations of this solution.

 

• Materialism and its Impacts on the American Workplace - Materialism in the workplace
  specifically is an issue of note as, “highly materialistic values are associated with a lower quality of work life (Deckop et al. 2010) and increased work-family conflict” (Deckop et al. 788). This then raises the question, Should American businesses implement policies to reduce materialism in the workplace to improve employee mental health and reduce workplace deviance?

 

• Should the United States Ban Direct to Consumer Advertising to Limit the Neoliberal
  Pharmaceuticalization Of Society that Targets Consumer Health? - ​Americans rank fifth among 151 countries in high levels of stress (Kahneman and Deaton 17). This raises the question of whether DTCA and other forms of advertising are involved inducing stress in Americans. This argument questions whether the United States should ban direct-to-consumer advertisements to prevent consumers from acquiring information that could be false or misleading. A careful evaluation of the research on the social, economic, and medical aspects of this issue calls upon the need to ban direct-to-consumer advertising.

 

• The Negative Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health - Although depression and poor mental health have many  influential factors, today's teenagers are predisposed from the numerous hours spent on social media that influence their mindsets and morals. This will continue to affect current users and impact future users if something is not done. Should the number of hours children and teenagers spend using a screen be reduced and monitored to prevent negative impacts on their mental health? Limiting hours can account for better offline relationships and effectiveness in reducing poor mental health that prevails from social media use.

 

• Delivering Mental Healthcare to Low Income Minority Communities - Should federal-funded social work outlets be implemented within low income minority communities to provide mental health treatment and evaluation? The issues within these communities harm the minority's well-being and demand a change. Federal-funded mental health evaluation and treatment through social work outlets should be implemented within low income communities because it would normalize mental health assessment in stigmatized communities, access to early intervention would allow mental disorders to be targeted quickly, and treatment would have a positive impact on low income families.

 

• Social Media’s Manipulation of Brand Image - The negative impact that social media has on a brand’s image and consumerism highlights the importance of using philanthropy and cause related marketing to improve a brand’s image. There are many ways a company can use philanthropy including co-branding with a charitable organization(15), or something similar to initiatives that sports leagues use like the NHL’s “Hockey Fights Cancer”(Walker). Philanthropy is a versatile solution that can be used by most companies regardless of what they sell. Philanthropy is the best solution because there is a large number of socially aware consumers, people are willing to pay more for socially responsible products, and philanthropy increases brand equity.

 

• Health Care Insurers Adopting the Federal Parity Law - People are not being supported by their insurance companies for mental health care. Making it a harder process for the forty three million adults already suffering from a mental illness every year (“Mental Health Facts in America”). In order to fix this problem we need to ask ourselves, should health care insurers be required to legally cover cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatments for people with bulimia through the federal parity law? An evaluation of the health, economic, and psychological aspects highlight the importance of health care insurers being required to legally cover treatments for people with bulimia through the federal parity law.

 

• Improving the Wellbeing of Children in Substance Abusive Households by Implementing Home Visiting Programs through the United States - Should more programs like MIECHV (Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program) be implemented throughout the country to help kids growing up in substance-abusive households? Implementing more home visiting programs throughout the United States would keep families together, improve parenting, and have better outcomes for children.

 

• Creating a Balanced Education for Students in America -  Should school funding be
  reformed in order to address the economic inequity in public schools, due to redlining, to create a balanced education for students living in urban areas? This written argument analyzes the economic inequity in America's public education system by considering the economic, educational and psychological causes and effects that it has on students. It proves the way that American public schools are funded should change and considers the limitations of this solution.

 

• The Perspective of Social Media and How it Affects Mental Health - Social media should be a tool for anyone who needs it to get support, not the opposite. To avoid the negative impacts social media has on mental health, users need to direct their intentions to a positive and supportive online community.

 

• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Its effect on Maltreated Children - Abundant evidence has shown that child maltreatment, including various types of child abuse and neglect, is prevalent worldwide”(Chan). This then raises the question, should implementing dialectical behavioural therapy treatment help adolescents from childhood maltreatment? To better the well-being of children that have faced maltreatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy should be utilized for effective treatment, helps other mental disorders, and improves academics.

 

• Therapy Can Change A Child’s Life - Should families in poverty should be given access to family therapy to combat the negative psychological impacts of childhood poverty. If families in poverty were given access to therapy then their children will be aided physically, socially, and mentally.

 

• The Revision of the Second Amendment for the Mental Health of Students - The gun law
  most talked about would be the Second Amendment which is, “A well regulated Militia, being
  necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (U.S. Const. Amend. II, Sec 4). This was written in a time when there were no
  automatic guns, they used rifles. Now, anyone of appropriate age can purchase these  advanced weapons. All of this raises the question, is the revision of The Second Amendment an effective way to prevent school shootings that impact students’ mental health? This paper will examine the effect that a change to the Second Amendment would have on school shootings in the United States.

 

• Reforming a Male-Centered Criminal Justice System to Better Service Female Inmates - The current conditions for women in prison and their effects lead us to ask this: should a male-centered criminal justice system be reformed to better service female inmates? Given the fact that many are incarcerated due to minor drug offenses, and their health is often put second to a  man’s, the male-centered criminal justice system should be reformed to better service females by implementing drug courts, revising health care services, and providing programs to prevent recidivism.

In our continuing series of submissions from students enrolled in Freshmen Seminar, we are excited to share two letters to officials calling for needed legislation to fight plastics in our oceans.

Abby B
Weymouth High School
1 Wildcat Way
Weymouth, Ma 02190
 
January 14, 2020
Representative James Murphy
24 Beacon St.
Room 254
Boston, MA, 02133
 
Dear Representative Murphy
I am writing you this letter today to draw your attention to the dangers that discarded single use plastic bags have on our environment.
 
Did you know? During the 2011 International Coastal Cleanup, volunteers collected 120,450 pounds of bags in the United States. In Massachusetts alone, CLEANSWEEP volunteers collected 5,712 pounds of plastic bags, one of the most common forms of litter found.
 
In the ocean, plastics break down into small, plankton-sized particles that can outnumber plankton six to one. These pieces collect toxins like PCBs and DDT at levels up to 1,000,000 times the levels found in seawater.
 
Eighty-five percent of all sea turtles will be injured or killed by plastics in their lifetimes, including the endangered leatherback turtles that summer in Massachusetts Bay before migrating to the tropics to mate.
 
With a historic vote passing last November The Massachusetts Senate approved a statewide ban on retail businesses offering single-use plastic bags. The students of Weymouth High School would like to know we can count on your support when the bill comes to The House this year.
 
Sincerely,
 
Abby B

​Alex B
Weymouth High School
1 Wildcat Way
Weymouth, Ma 02190
 
January 14, 2020
Mayor Robert L. Hedlund
Town of Weymouth
75 Middle Street
Weymouth, MA 02189
 
Dear Mayor Hedlund
I am writing you this letter today to draw your attention to the dangers that discarded single use plastic bags have on our environment. I also seek your assistance in solving the problem.
Did you know?
 
In the ocean, plastics break down into small, plankton-sized particles that can outnumber plankton six to one. These pieces collect toxins like PCBs and DDT at levels up to 1,000,000 times the levels found in seawater.
 
Marine wildlife often mistake plastic bags for food, especially sea turtles hunting jellyfish. In fact, high amounts of plastic material, especially plastic bags, have been found blocking the breathing passages and stomachs of many marine species, including whales, dolphins, seals, puffins, and turtles.
According to the Sierra Club, more than 130 cities and towns across the state have passed ordinances that ban single-use plastic shopping bags at stores. Those communities with bans represent more than half of the state's population.
 
After studying the issue at length in Freshman Seminar I believe that a town wide ban on single use plastic bags will be well supported by Weymouth’s voters and appreciated by students from preschool to high school. A ban of single use plastic bags will certainly reduce the suffering of marine animals as well as make our environment a cleaner and safer place for future generations.
 
Thank you for your consideration.
 
Sincerely,
Alex B

 
              Plastic pollution in our oceans is a massive problem around the entire world. The rate of plastic entering our oceans is increasing rapidly and is now around 8 million metric tons a year. So far, a total of 5 colossal garbage patches have been discovered around the world, however there could be more we do not know about. Plastic can be found as deep as 11 kilometers down in the ocean. Scientists project that by the year 2025, if the issue is not stopped or at least de-escalated, the amount of plastic in our oceans could increase by tenfold. The effects of plastic in our oceans include negative effects on marine life, destruction of the remote places on earth, and the creation of trash gyres. (Fact Sheet: End Plastic Pollution)

              One effect of plastic in our oceans is the negative impact on marine life. Animals like fish, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, seals, and seabirds are all affected from plastic. It is estimated that 12-24 thousands pounds of plastic have ended up being swallowed by fish. Dolphins, seals, and birds all commonly get caught or entangled in plastic items in the ocean. A lot of the time, these entanglements can end up leading to death of the animal. Over 50 percent of dolphins have swallowed plastic at least once in  there life . Layson birds on the other hand, 98 percent of them have swallowed plastic. Not only are these numbers very high but they are getting higher and higher every day. (The Effect of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life)

              Another effect is that plastic destroys the most remote places on earth. Discovered on May 16, 2017, a paradise island in the South Pacific was found thousands of miles from civilization covered in garbage. It is estimated that 37 million pieces of trash have been accumulated on the island, which is about 19 tons in weight. Over the years, plastic and garbage that do not make it to the trash cans end up on this island. A remote, paradise island, is now a garbage dump due to the plastic in our oceans. There could also be many other islands that have not been discovered and could be much worse. No one quite knows the true extent of the issue. (Thompson)

              The creation of trash gyres is another effect of how plastic negatively affects or oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the circular motion the gyre draws. It still exists currently and was officially discovered in 1997. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean off of The West coast of North America just North of Hawaii. Shortly before it was found, the gyre’s existence was predicted by oceanographers. They estimate 54 percent of it comes from land and 46 percent comes from the sea. This patch is a massive danger to sea animals. Many can get stuck on it and even die. Over time, this gyre’s huge size will continue to expand larger and larger every year. (National Geographic Society)

              Even though this issue has already reached a massive scale in size, there are ways to reduce the problem. Three of these ways include addressing the root cause of plastic pollution, treating the symptoms (or manifests) of plastic pollution, or other approaches that employ both strategies in a comprehensive way. Reducing plastic producing could help a lot because with the less plastic actively being produced, the less will get into our oceans. Not buying plastic straws, cups, bottles, etc. can go a long way as well. You can treat the symptoms by organizing or participating in group clean-ups near you. You can also influence your peers to become more eco friendly like your friends and family. The problem may be escalating quickly but with enough teamwork and people working together as a community, reducing plastic pollution can go along way. (7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today)
             
             
Sources
“7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today.” 7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today,www.oceanicsociety.org/blog/1720/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today.
“Fact Sheet: End Plastic Pollution.” Earth Day, 21 Dec. 2019, www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-end-plastic-pollution/

“The Effect of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life.” Pegasus, Access@Brightvessel.com Https://Www.pegasusfoundation.org/Wp-Content/Uploads/2015/06/Pegasus-logo1-300x130.Png, 3 July 2019, www.pegasusfoundation.org/the-effect-of-plastic-pollution-on-marine-life/.
National Geographic Society. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/.

Thompson, Avery. “Scientists Find Remote Beach Covered With 19 Tons of Trash.” Popular Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, 14 Nov. 2017, www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a26531/remote-beach-covered-with-trash/.

Marin M
 Plastics Research Paper
            The problem of plastics in our oceans is global and continues to get worse at an alarming rate. About 8 million metric tons of plastic are thrown into the ocean annually including 236k tons of microplastics. Every minute one garbage truck of plastics is dumped into our ocean. This evidence shows that the plastic problem pollution is entering our oceans at an incredible rate. There are actually five massive patches of plastics in our oceans today. The largest, the Pacific gyre, is the size of Texas. Plastics are found 11km deep contaminating the most remote places on earth. The amount of plastic is set to increase by 2020. The effects of plastics in our oceans include, negative effects on marine life, effects on the most remote places on earth, and the creation of trash gyres. (Fact Sheet: End Plastic Pollution.)
            One effect of plastic in our oceans is the negative effects plastic has on marine life. Up to 12,000- 24,000 tons of plastics waste end up inside fish in the North Pacific alone. In 2013 close to 50% of sea turtles had swallowed plastics which leads to death. Each year more and more are dying. Whales mouths are so big that they inhale waste while eating. 22% of dolphins and whales are dying due to plastics. Debris entrapped 388 sea lions. Our oceans are filled with fishing lines, netting, and lines which are killing animals. 90% of marine birds have eaten plastic at least one in their lifetime. Plastic Pollution has a big effect on many marine animals. (The Effect of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life)
            Another effect of plastics in our oceans is that plastics have reached the most remote places on earth. Scientist have found Henderson Island beach which is in the south Pacific. It is covered with 19 tons of trash and plastics. This is a current problem, the last time scientists went there they estimated 37 million pieces of plastic had been washed up on shore. There were also a lot of microplastics in the sand which come from larger plastics broken apart from years in the ocean. They also found plastics buried under a few inches of sand. If an Island this far away has this much trash and plastic. Then there's nowhere safe on earth.  (Thompson)
            The creation of trash gyres is another negative effect of plastics in our oceans. The great Pacific garbage patch is a current problem that was discovered in 1997. It is north of the pacific ocean, and west of North America. Oceanographers and Climatologists predicted the gyre. No single nation will take responsibility for its clean up. The circular motion of the gyre draws debris into the center. Fifty-four percent of it is from land and 46% from the sea. It is made up of a cloudy ‘soup’ of microplastics intermixed with larger plastic items along with fishing gear. The problem is worse when you condier that seventy percent of plastic sink to the bottom of the ocean. This is a danger to earth, humans, animals. (National Geographic Society)
            There are many things we can do to reduce ocean plastic pollution today. To address the causes, you can reduce your own use of one-time plastics in your house.  This includes items like snack bags and plastic water bottles. You can also recycle properly, make sure you don't put any food in the recycling and make sure all plastics go in the recycle bin. In addition, try to avoid any products with microbeads, these are tiny plastics broken down as they are very bad for the environment. To treat the symptoms, you can participate in a beach or river clean up as this will clean up the earth a little. If you want to address the causes and treat the symptoms you can just spread the word around. This is a very bad and big problem that needs help today.   (7 ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today)
          
 
Sources
“7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today.” 7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today,www.oceanicsociety.org/blog/1720/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today.

“Fact Sheet: End Plastic Pollution.” Earth Day, 21 Dec. 2019, www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-end-plastic-pollution/

“The Effect of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life.” Pegasus, Access@Brightvessel.com
Https://Www.pegasusfoundation.org/Wp-Content/Uploads/2015/06/Pegasus-logo1-300x130.Png, 3 July 2019, www.pegasusfoundation.org/the-effect-of-plastic-pollution-on-marine-life/.

National Geographic Society. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/.
​
Thompson, Avery. “Scientists Find Remote Beach Covered With 19 Tons of Trash.” Popular Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, 14 Nov. 2017,
www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a26531/remote-beach-covered-with-trash/.
 
    
    
 
 
 

    The subject of granting financial reparations to American descendants of slaves has long provoked discourse between academics and social justice advocates alike. For centuries, enslaved Africans and their descendants were kept on American plantations against their will, brutally harmed and forced to perform labor every day. In 1619, slavery was first introduced in the United States, in the Jamestown colony of present-day Virginia. It was not until January 1, 1863, when the abolition of slavery was announced under the Emancipation Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln (“Slavery in America”). The amount of time slavery existed in America is still longer than the amount of time since its abolishment. The effects of slavery still remain today. In The New York Times’ “ The 1619 Project” examining the history of slavery, author Trymaine Lee acknowledges modern examples of systemic racism. Legal segregation and Jim Crow laws plagued American society for the greater part of the twentieth century. Redlining and housing discrimination against black Americans created a wide economic gap between the average black and white families in America (Lee). While segregation has since been outlawed, many schools are still arguably segregated, with majority-white schools receiving visibly more funding than their African-American-majority counterparts. Academic achievement and police brutality continue to threaten the lives of black Americans.
These systemic, economic ills of racism can be linked to America’s past involvement in the slave trade. A Pew Research study indicates that 63% of Americans today believe that the legacy of slavery continues to impact the position of black people in modern society, while also citing how "more than four-in-ten U.S. adults think the country hasn’t gone far enough in giving black people equal rights with whites...” (Horowitz). The persistent economic gaps between Americans of different racial groups can be reduced through granting of financial reparations. The implementation of financial reparations for American descendants of slaves will reduce historical and systemic racial inequality and can be implemented via the approval of federal legislation that already exists.

     Racial inequality has been continuously apparent in society. Since the origin of slavery in early world history, the oppression of black people has perpetuated the wealth and economic success of their white counterparts. As described in “The 1619 Project,” a special report on the history of American slavery by The New York Times Magazine, slavery “provided political power, social standing, and wealth for the church, European nation-states, New World colonies and individuals,” (Elliott Hughes). If the inhumane practice of enslaving people was used to create mass amounts of wealth for white oppressors, reparation payments can be used to account for this unjust creation of wealth.  In an essay analyzing the faults of capitalism in America, Matthew Desmond asserts that early economic success in America was due to “our nation’s unflinching willingness to use violence on nonwhite people and to exert its will on seemingly endless supplies of land and labor,” (2). His statement furthers the notion that the financial well-being of white people has historically existed at the expense of people of color.

     The widening of the gap between black and white Americans has not been accidental. In  fact, the federal government has played a significant role in the creation of wealth inequality. As Lee writes for the New York Times, “plundering of black wealth was...etched in law and public policy,” (3). He continues to assert this idea by examining specific examples of the federal government’s failures to create economic equality. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s G.I. Bill was one of his “most enduring legacies,” (Lee 4). However, while giving veterans easier access to mortgages, this legislation allowed for the Veterans Administration to adopt “the same racially restrictive policies as the Federal Housing Administration” that granted loans to racist developers (Lee). Trymaine Lee’s article also reminds us that, while Roosevelt’s economic policies provided a foundation for a successful American middle class, domestic and agricultural workers, the majority of whom were black, were ineligible for these “wealth-building programs” such as Social Security (Lee). The impossibility of attaining the same economic privileges as white Americans thus led to a greater economic gap between black and white people. Lee’s article on the racial wealth gap in America also quotes Duke University professor William A. Darity Jr., who argues that because one’s wealth is largely dependent on the financial success of their family’s previous generations, black Americans are at a disadvantage because of recent injustices preventing the accumulation of generational wealth (Lee). As a professor of both African American studies and public policy at a prestigious university, Darity clearly possesses the credentials necessary to offer an insight as to what the underlying causes of the racial wealth gap are. Irina Ivanova of CBS News also provides quantitative data highlighting just how large the gap is, showing white families are worth about $171,000 on average, as opposed to just about ten percent of that figure being the average wealth of a black American family (1).

     Proposed federal legislation, titled H.R. 40, would divert federal funds towards the study of reparations. Congressional attention would be diverted towards the subject of reparations for slave descendants, and while the bill would not yet implement these reparations, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times explains that a congressional commission would be created “to develop proposals to address the lingering effects of slavery and consider a ‘national apology’ for the harm it has caused,” (Stolberg). Such a commission would be made up of thirteen members and would receive $12 million in federal funding, as noted by The Philadelphia Inquirer (Russ).

     A reasonable question to be raised regarding the implementation of reparations is who would be eligible. This is a question that could be studied and answered by the congressional commission. Professor William Darity, mentioned in Lee’s article for “The 1619 Project,” is cited in the Huffington Post with an answer. Darity proposes that for one to qualify for reparations, that individual would have to provide identity himself on a formal document as “black, African-American, colored or Negro” and have legitimate proof of an enslaved ancestor (Craven). This article also quotes Darity as stating that $9.12 billion would be owed, while economist Larry Neal estimates $6.4 trillion (Craven).  This same article responds to questions regarding just how reparation payments could be made, pointing to statistics showing that “in fiscal year 2014, the U.S. government spent $3.5 trillion...only 20% of the nation’s gross domestic product” (Craven). While a lack of widespread support and an abundance of questions surrounding the achievability of reparations casts doubt on the issue, simple questions regarding the issue can be answered through the congressional approval of a commission to study reparations.

     Numerous questions surround the subject of reparations. Political gridlock and economic debate have resulted in no legitimate blueprint for implementation. While the subject is controversial, with many skeptics, there is no debate that the legacy of slavery is detrimental to the current lives of black Americans. At the very least, productive research and discourse on the issue are owed to the people who have suffered economic misfortune as a result of centuries of discrimination. Education of the public and outspoken criticism of political leaders who refuse to act will result in long overdue financial compensation for this country’s most painful legacy.
 
Sources
Craven, Julia. “We Absolutely Could Give Reparations To Black People. Here's How.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 23 Feb. 2016, www.huffpost.com/entry/reparations-black-americans-slavery_n_56c4dfa9e4b08ffac1276bd7.

Desmond, Matthew. “American Capitalism Is Brutal. You Can Trace That to the Plantation.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Aug. 2019, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/slavery-capitalism.html.

Ferris State University. “Slavery in America.” Slavery in America - Timeline - Jim Crow Museum - Ferris State University, www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/timeline/slavery.htm.

Horowitz, Juliana Menasce. “Most Americans Say the Legacy of Slavery Still Affects Black People in the U.S. Today.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 17 June 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/17/most-americans-say-the-legacy-of-slavery-still-affects-black-people-in-the-u-s-today/.

Ivanova, Irina. “If Black Families Were as Rich as White Ones, U.S. Economy Would Be $1.5 Trillion Bigger.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 20 Aug. 2019, www.cbsnews.com/news/racial-wealth-gap-costs-economy-1-5-trillion-dollars-report-finds/.

Lee, Trymaine. “How America's Vast Racial Wealth Gap Grew: By Plunder.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Aug. 2019, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/racial-wealth-gap.html.

Russ, Valerie. “What You Need to Know about Reparations after the First Congressional Hearing Convened on the Topic in More than a Decade.” Https://Www.inquirer.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 June 2019, www.inquirer.com/news/what-are-reparations-america-h-r-40-congressional-hearings-democratic-presidential-candidates-20190619.html.

Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. “At Historic Hearing, House Panel Explores Reparations.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/us/politics/slavery-reparations-hearing.html?module=inline.

      The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, feeds the impoverished population of the United States. Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP allocates money to people who cannot support themselves well enough to buy their own food. The program is utilized by over 42 million people per year.  SNAP can be administered to many different types of people, including those who work low income jobs, are unemployed, those with disabilities, and the homeless (SNAP-Eligible Households 1).  A report summary from the Economic Research Service that was released by the United States Department of Agriculture identified a cluster of design flaws that show that SNAP is not the best possible version of itself. Evidence of decline in SNAP success was found when the study examined major policies of the program and their flaws (Oliveira et al. 2). Since the program supplies for so many people, it is vital that the program thrives. So, what can we do to improve the effectiveness of SNAP? It is going to require changes to all aspects of the program. In order to improve the effectiveness of SNAP, there must be a new balance within the policies regarding eligibility, a redirection of government funds so that the program receives the money it needs to provide, and a nutrition filtering system that regulates the types of specific products that can be bought, but does not exclude certain stores.

       There are variations within the participant eligibility standards that do not rationally determine who can get SNAP help. Many variables contribute to the issues with SNAP’s acceptance system, including state governments having control over their usage of the broad-based categorical eligibility, meaning they can choose if the eligibility system will look at non-cash means-tested programs beyond the traditional asset tests or gross income evaluations. The goal of this is to promote participation in SNAP, but the issue with this policy is that higher income people have been able to slip into the program and it raises the overall program costs (Oliveira et al. 3).  Impoverished people of the United States must have equal and consistent access to SNAP in order for it to be labeled as functional. The program must be beneficial to all of those seeking financial support that need it, not just a select few. As of now, SNAP has a semi-loose set of requirements for eligibility, which can mean that people with high incomes are qualifying, hogging funds from those who are not being paid as much and need help paying for food. Sonny Perdue, the US Secretary of Agriculture (the group who oversees the program) is in favor of altering the current SNAP system. His belief is that people “expect their government to be fair, efficient, and to have integrity-” He gets behind the change from his former USDA hired stance because change will “prevent abuse of a critical safety net system, so those who need food assistance the most are the only ones who receive it.” (Vu 2). Perdue is fit to evaluate SNAP’s effectiveness because he is well informed regarding food and pricing. Another conflict within the eligibility is that children and adults are being grouped together and tested on their eligibility for SNAP, causing a hole in the programs fairness. On one hand, the current policies let stable people in and shut others out, but on the other, a rule proposed by the Trump Administration proves that making the program stricter could be just as problematic. The rule would more heavily test those hoping to get into SNAP, but it would then be applied to the youth. If the government looks at wages, these kids will be shut out because they do not work yet. Perdue took his stance after the Trump Administration proposed said change, which was a new rule that intensified the requirements for getting into SNAP. The rule would outlaw automatic acceptance to SNAP for people already receiving state and/or federal financial assistance. This would mean that heavier evaluation would be done, which is a benefit of this change. Some aspects of the new rule put children at a disadvantage. If it were to be passed, around 500,000 students would lose access to SNAP (Vu 2). So, there must be a mixture of the two that would keep wealthy people out through evaluation while also not isolating children from eligibility. The system for eligibility testing must be more precise, not harsher or more lenient.    
            
     Even if the eligibility system were to be flawless, SNAP lacks the funds it needs to be truly effective. If the US set aside more money for the program, there would be less people that go hungry. Money must be taken from an over funded organization like the military. With its budget already approaching 718 million dollars in 2020 according to the Congressional Budget Office, who analyze economic and budgetary issues in the US,  the military is draining the country’s funds that could be benefiting the people better directly, specifically those who really need it, the hungry (Long-Term Implications of the 2020 Future Years Defense Program 2). Even James N. Miller, former Under Secretary for Defense for Policy, and Michael E. O’Hanlon, director of research in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy, the use of military force, and American national security policy, agree that the military does not need that much money. They do not doubt that the Pentagon will put the money to good use, but they said that in some instances, “it makes no sense under a strategy focused on China and Russia to grow the force overall.”, meaning that the money has potential for technological proliferation but that they don’t need the excess money to grow the force (Miller and O’Hanlon). The money should instead go to SNAP to help people of the general population instead of the population of those fighting for our military. Becoming eligible for SNAP is one thing, but having success within the program is another. Steven Carlson, research analyst who previously directed  Office of Policy Support at the Agriculture Department’s Food and Nutrition Service, argues, “SNAP benefits fall short of what many participants need to purchase and prepare a healthy diet and that additional benefits would increase food expenditures and improve food security.” Carlson goes on to list off the current issues caused by lack of funding, the most worrisome being that families cannot even make it through the month. In fact, he found that, “a quarter of all households exhaust their benefits within a week of receipt, and more than half exhaust benefits within the first two weeks.” Most households end up having to focus their own earned money on food, defeating the purpose of SNAP completely (Carlson 3).  Families on SNAP need more funding so they can lead healthy lives and focus their money on other things outside of the program.

     SNAP could be improved with the previously provided ideas, but in order to connect the puzzle and actually perfect the effectiveness so that all of those in need are provided for, the program also needs to make sure the people are healthy. The cheapest meals happen to be unhealthy. In fact, Harvard conducted a study in which it was discovered that eating healthy is significantly pricier than buying unhealthy alternatives. Experts from the Harvard School of Public Health conclude that, “...healthier diet patterns...cost significantly more than unhealthy diets...On average, a day’s worth of the healthiest diet patterns cost about $1.50 more per day than the least healthy ones.” This ends up being about $550 extra per year. (Mozaffarian et al. 3). Understandably so, people on SNAP tend to turn to unhealthier foods. Children on SNAP are significantly more likely to be overweight or even clinically obese because of the prices on the food they can buy. The New York College of Pediatric Medicine ran many tests to narrow down the correlation between SNAP and obesity. For one, SNAP-eligible children who got SNAP in the last month were more likely to drink soda than those who did not receive benefits (Researchers at New York College of Pediatric Medicine Target Obesity 2). A health editor named Jessica Firger wrote an article where it was discovered that bottled water prices grew higher than sugar-sweetened beverage prices. It would not be rational to demand higher pricing on the items, so the United States must regulate the food that can be bought on SNAP funding (Firger 2). However, the means of filtration of what foods can be bought with SNAP cannot also be restrictive of what stores people can shop at. The study by the USDA that was already mentioned shows that SNAP participation drops due to accessibility when certain stores do not meet the health standards (Oliveira et al. 4) Instead of excluding certain stores from the program, SNAP must put restrictions on which products can be bought specifically.

     If these improvements were made, they would combine to make SNAP an extremely helpful program. It would include the right people, have sufficient funds, and also would keep people eating healthy foods. With so many people in need of SNAP in the United States, the people must come together to mend the program in order to better the lives of our impoverished population. Through strong petitions and articles depicting the current issues, the USDA and government will have no choice but to alter SNAP. It seems impossible for citizens to make such large changes, and a single person will not start a revolution. However, there is strength in numbers. Convincing the people in charge that we are willing to make change is enough to influence them to make it. The people of the US must fight for the poor and combat poverty.
​
Sources:
Carlson, Steven. “More Adequate SNAP Benefits Would Help Millions of Participants Better
Afford Food.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 30 July 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/more-adequate-snap-benefits-would-help-millions-of-participants-better.

Firger, Jessica. “Soda and Other Sugary Beverages Are Getting Cheaper Worldwide-Posing
Severe Health Risks.” Newsweek, 25 May 2017,
https://www.newsweek.com/2017/06/02/sugar-sweetened-beverages-soda-cheaper-obesity-cancer-diabetes-594827.html.

“Long-Term Implications of the 2020 Future Years Defense Program.” Congressional Budget
Office, 9 Aug. 2019, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55500.

Mozaffarian, Dariush, Rao, Mayuree, Afshin, Ashkan, Singh, Gitanjali. “Do Healthier Foods and
Diet Patterns Cost More Than Less Healthy Options? A Systematic
Review and Meta-Analysis,” BMJ Open, December 5, 2013

Oliveira, Victor, Prell, Mark, Tiehen, Laura, and Smallwood, David. Design Issues in
USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Looking Ahead by Looking Back, ERR-243, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, January 2018.

“Researchers at New York College of Podiatric Medicine Target Obesity (Consumption of
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Obesity in SNAP-Eligible Children and Adolescents).”
Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, NewsRX LLC, 14 Sept. 2019, https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=mlin_s_weyhs&id=GALE|A598749851&v=2.1&it=r&sid=GPS&ugroup=outside.

“SNAP-Eligible Households.” Hunger and Health, Feeding America, 2019,
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