Growing up, I often overlooked the idea of being an Indian. In America, nobody wanted to be known as Indian or Chinese, they wanted to be accepted as “American,” at least the young insecure kids did. I was one of those kids. Primarily, my mother would pack my lunch with rice, curry, and other Indian dishes in an insulated box, and I would carry it to school. And then came lunch, the most dreadful part of my day. I opened the lid, and out came this strong smell – for me, it was normal, but for the causisian girl near me, it was terror. She moved away from me by a few inches. Then stared at me, and then back at the food. “What is thaaat?” She’d ask in an awkward manner. I wouldn’t know how to respond well for her to understand, so I simply said, “Oh, it’s Indian food.” And the days went on, and I faced more and more confusion on whether I should accept myself as an Asian-American, or transform myself into an entity I’m really not. But through my high school days, I began to embrace my culture and really understand my roots. The heritage I came from should be something I carry along with my into the future, and with the help of the Asian Liver Center, I was able to do just that.

I applied for the Jade Ribbon Youth Council (JRYC), an affiliate of Stanford University’s Asian Liver Center (ALC). I had known very little about Hepatitis B other than the fact that I had been infected with jaundice at birth. When I walked into the office for the first time, I felt like I didn’t really belong there. I only saw oriental Asians, some of them even speaking in their native language. Being an Indian, I felt left out, and I immediately decided that there was no way the ALC would pick me to be part of the JRYC. Yet, little did I know that I would be making a great difference by taking share in the JRYC. The council not only taught me a lot about Hepaitits B, but it really instilled the need for service learning in the community and educated people to become more aware.

Personally I have learned a lot about Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and its effect on Asian Americans through the JYRC. One of the major projects that had a great impact on me was the Storybook Skit Project. The JRYC spent countless hours putting together a skit which involved a classic tale with hints of Hepatitis B. In simple terms, we played out Little Red Riding Hood, and changed the roles to match something with HBV. For instance, I acted as the grandmother, the first HBV victim, while the wolf was the virus. We came up dialogues, story line, costumes, props, and worked at contacting libraries to work as a venue for the story time. Through the project, I learned a lot about how the Asian American community is growing with the virus. But the one moment that had a very powerful influence on me was after we performed the skit. For my city, I organized the event at the main county library, and I was worried that nobody would show up. Here we were, decked in our costumes, preparing the act, while people began to assemble inside the hall. What I saw amazed me.

I had pulled together this project, expecting very little people to show up, and if they did, I had assumed they would only be Asian Americans. But standing aside in the backstage, I saw people of all cultures and nationalities mixing together in one area, waiting for the JRYC to inform them and entertain them about HBV. It was something I had never seen before. And moveover, I was thrilled to be representing the Indian culture. It was an event that taught me to outreach to a community that cares, not a community based on race, nationality, or background. HBV is something that affects everyone, and while it may be prevalent in Asian American, anyone had the possibility to contract the virus. The one way to eradicate it? Inform everyone, educate everyone. I learned to be proud of who I am, and where I came from. America is a country of a plethora of nations coming together, joining hands. The girl in my 2^nd grade lunch table might have snickered at the food I brought, but what I brought made her a new person today. She is a person who is aware of other culutres, and respectful to all people. This service learning activity allowed me to educate children and parents alike, about HBV in a simple entertaining manner.

 What in the world are you talking about?
In my AP Government class today, these words came up: If a person’s poor, it’s their own fault.
NO. Do you think the Indian infants and elderly who are begging on the streets are there because it’s their own fault? Do you think the impoverished child (who acted in Slumdog & got her home burned down recently) is poor because of her mistakes?
How poor you are does not always relate to your past experiences. More than half the world does not have access to a shelter and clean water. Is it entirely their fault? NO.
There are poor people who would give up days and nights to work in a dirty and harmful factory, so they can earn their minimum wage by making some children in another country a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. But what about their children? Oh, these children have never felt the joy of a stuffed animal, why they rarely even see their father come home from his work place. Poor people are products of society. It is not because it is one’s fault, it merely occurs because someone else is more competent than that person. I believe in karma- you help someone today, they’ll help you back tomorrow. In fact, that’s not even karma. That’s common sense- we need a create a world that benefits the individual and the common good, and while that may seem almost impossible, we can bring the two as close as together.
Give respect to those who are poor and needy, if you can’t help them. If you are able, then give them love and the most financial support you can give them. If we don’t care for humanity, someday no one will care for you. Don’t judge people by seeing them on the streets and jumping to conclusions that they’ve been irresponsible with t heir lives. They probably haven’t. If you haven’t stepped into their lives before, don’t say anything –they might be good, they might be bad. We live in a world where trust seems to be fading away, almost everyday. Let’s start giving some faith in one another. Share the love, share the world.

 I am not Japanese. I have very few Japanese friends. The closest I can get to Japan is the country project I did in 6th grade. Yet, yesterday evening, my parents and I were huddled around computers reading news stories and watching videos of the disaster in Japan, that shook not only the nation, but the world on an Axel.

Around the world, people are lighting up candles and praying for the quick healing and survival of those in Japan. I am sitting here typing about Japan. This is what I love about our world. We come from extremely distinct and different backgrounds. I eat rice with spicy sauces, while a man in England might be having tea and biscuit, or so the stereotype goes. But nevertheless, the paradox lies here because this difference in our cultures and nationalities is really what brings us closer together. It lets us blend together in one way or another, and this proves our natural order, our need for compassion and gentleness in life. We are not machines controlled by technology. That’s why we let the tear roll down our cheek when we see the young boy in Haiti who was rescued, when we see groups of families escaping from disasters, when we basically see happiness and success. 

Seeing people go through struggles is difficult and works the brain up, but when the person is able to live up to the opposite force of achievement and success, it really allows people to feel emotions. And these emotions are our best connection to a man of any gender, race, and religion. We cry for happiness, we laugh at comedy, we smile at beautiful things -it’s a way of life. And for Japan, we unite -different people from the corners of the earth - to support and raise our voices for a country being torn to pieces. Let’s glue them back together for a better and stronger tomorrow. 

       Words can break almost anything, instantly. I’ve been slapped before, hit before, pinched hard before. But rarely do words make me think about a person. Make me doubt a person’s actions. Make me rethink what just happened in those few moments.

        It’s almost like asking someone to sadies. You’re not scared of asking, you’re scared of rejection. You don’t want to be turned down by the guy you’ve had a crush on since freshman year. That’s just sad.

        But what’s worse is when you have friends, and at times, you seem inseparable, and at others, your words can break more than bones. It can break weak muscles, and make a person feel all oogly and awkward. I think I get teased enough in high school. Sometimes I let it fly. I mean, I see them as my best friends, and they call me awkward and a retard, and I’m like, “haha, funny joke.” But I never consider thinking, were they really not joking? Best friends make fun of each other ALL THE TIME. But when your personality towards them changes all of a sudden just because the environment changes is just scary. Hands-down. That’s the scariest moment for any good friend. When your friend, who you’ve been trusting and laughing with all your days, suddenly says, “oh nevermind. Don’t worry about it. I’ll ask someone else.” Or they legitimately forget the things you tell them.

And I agree, I am a sensitive person. Definitely an mn’m – hard shell, but soft, gushy inside. Just a few words can make me break down. And it really hurts when someone you know so well says it, because you least expect it from them. And it’s just worse when they don’t see the pain they caused you, because they don’t understand the issues you face every day.

-- story of a hopeless child

Tragic isn’t it? When someone you know, doesn’t even have to be someone you’re close with, leaves you almost instantly, and at that moment, you’re staring kind of speechlessly. They’re gone. Forever. As if they’ve never existed before. But yet, in the minds of students, no matter what psychology says about our frontal lobes not fully forming yet, we make great decisions. We make, with our hands and our minds,  good choices which will lead us into a bright future. At Irvington, I don’t personally know any of the people who passed away recently. Ye,t when I saw the post on Facebook, I felt a pang of sorrow, and this lump-like thing formed in my throat. In fact, I only knew Daryn as the kid who made fun of me in 7^th grade P.E. Yet, nevertheless, they were only kids my age. They were only young little souls with huge hopes for their future. A singer. An artist. A doctor. A professional football player. An anything. Anything they wanted to become. But it was gone.

But this should not stop the current generation, the friends of those who passed away, to give up and spend their days in grief. No. This should encourage you to stand up in honor of those who passed away, and really respect their hopes and live your dreams. Use them as your inspiration and make your dreams come true everyday. If you dislike a teacher, go tell them right away. Maybe he or she wasn’t sure either on their teaching style, and guess what? You’ve just helped them become a better teacher. If you like the girl who quietly giggles across the classroom, go tell her before it’s too late. If dad isn’t listening to your problems and you have nowhere else to go, stop him. Stop him from his work, and ask him to listen. Parents do care, they just have a shortage of time. It’s never too late to start, but if you don’t start, it could become too late.

Life is short. Even if we’re spending a crazy afternoon with our friends on the beach, you never know what that evening is going to bring. Mom could have fell sick, you’re school could have caught on fire, your home may be robbed. You just never know. The world is full of problems. It’s full of hatred and lies. But if you stand up against the false, horrible acts, someone else will stand up. And then a group will rise. People will follow. Whatever you want to do, do it now. You never knew what’s in store for tomorrow. And keep smiling. If it is your bad day, just think of someone else, some thousand others, who are mourning the death of their child, father, brother, sister, friend, any such relation. We are a globally connected generation. Let’s make the best of what we have, and learn from those who have fallen, and honor those who have died.

I read the expanse of the entire page- “Class of 2011- the protests rippling from one end of the Middle East to the other are the handiwork of a new generation of men and women who have known little political freedom in their young lives- and are no longer willing to wait for it.” 

Time magazine’s main feature caught my eye more than it did for anyone else in my family. Why? Because I was a child, a teenager, specifically. I too, had the flame of rebellion and fight for freedom within me, and I wanted to let is rage out when the dominos started toppling. What dominos, you ask? Well, lately large-sized dominos have actually been lifting themselves back up, but unlike the real domino affect, this one lifts itself after each one is up. I am talking about countries starting from Tunisia in December to Libya, just five days ago. These revolutions have stirred one by one in several Middle Eastern countries including Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, Bahrain, Iran, and Libya. Time’s researchers believe this: “There are two fundamental reasons the tensions that have been let loose in the Middle East over the past few weeks are unlikely to disappear, and they encompass two of the most powerful forces changing the world today: youth and technology.”

It may be true that protests arerun by all banners and chants- instead, in Bahrain, the students gathered together to rap, yes, to RAP their rage and anger for the government. It may be technology that assists them, and helps to quicken their efforts, but the true works came from their hearts, and their desire for freedom.

             Operation smile is an organization with the goal to repair the facial deformities in children around the world, so they can lead a prosperous life in the future. Operation Smile and Smile Train official groups vote to merge into a new entity called operation Smile Train. The founders of the organizations said today, “Additionally, our merged resources and knowledge will enhance educational and research programs, laying the foundation for long-term, locally-driven progress in cleft lip and cleft palate treatment." Till date, Operation Smile and Smile Train have provided more than 750,000 operations for children. Yet, people remain unaware of such a facial deformity and organization.

            I founded the Operation Smile Club at my school, and for our first event, we wanted to do something to raise awareness of our cause. People do not know the effects of cleft lip and cleft palate and assume it to be quite normal. What they fail to see is that children will not live long enough because they will fail to eat and drink properly, breathe normally, and speak. My club’s mission is to mobilize youth to understand the medical background of Operation Smile, and fundraise for the NGO, in hopes to help at least 5 children get free operations. My first event is to have a cookie bake, and free cookie distribution day. I plan to have volunteers help bake cookies with logos and slogans of Operation Smile. These cookies will then be passed out by the club officers, as we will explain our motives and give flyers which explain our cause. We will carry around a donation basket, in hopes that people will donate for the cookies.

According to the press release, William R. Fox, the current Chairman of Operation Smile’s Board, commented, "This is a natural combination that unites two of the leading cleft lip and cleft palate charities into what will be one of the largest surgical, humanitarian, non-profit organizations in the world. Over many years our two organizations have distinguished themselves by providing life-changing surgeries to hundreds of thousands of children around the world, while operating in a highly efficient manner. Operation Smile Train will continue this tradition.  We are tremendously excited for what lies ahead."

 As I turn on the faucet to get warm, free-flowing water, I let the heat grow a little longer, wasting about 3 cups of water, as I wash my muddy fingers in the water, then wipe them, as the water continues to run, and then splash my face once, and then soap it, then rinse. Finally, after drying my face, I turn off the faucet. And nevertheless, I am ignorant of the fact that 1 in 8 human beings are suffering without water. That right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.

            Water. Why is it important? Obviously, because it is vital to the growth and maintenance of life, and necessary for almost any action to occur. Around the world, water is found in dangerous areas and in unsanitary conditions, meaning it comes in a package along with drugs, chemicals, and other toxins, which will direly affect the body. In fact, lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Water contains various bacteria and viruses including e coli, Hepatitis A, salmonella typhi, and others dangerous creatures.

            Charity: Water gives back to the community through means of water, and they work to not only improve people’s health but also the country’s economy. They donate $100 of their profits, and “in regions prone to natural disasters, water infrastructure has proven to be a smart investment, sometimes reducing flood damage or disease rates among survivors. Clean water transforms lives, communities and generations -- and at a surprisingly low cost. $20 can provide clean water for one person.” Africa lost $28 billion just because of unsafe water damage to the housing and the people. The organization hopes to teach a village how to stay hygienic, by building hand washing stations and lavatories. They can save time and send children to schooling, so they can have a brighter future. On their website, they describe, “Almost everywhere charity: water builds a freshwater well, we also require sanitation training. In some communities, we build latrines; at the very least, we promote simple hand-washing stations made with readily-available materials. Charity: water is committed to using water as a gateway to sanitary living.” 

                    A young girl, just blooming into her 17^th birthday, is stopped from schooling and dressed up one day. Her mother carefully fixes her hair, applies make-up to the young girl’s face, and wraps her in a tightly fitted kimono, and then slops on the bright red lip stick. The young girl picks at the flower on the headdress, and the mother slaps her daughter’s hand and scolds her in Japanese. The little girl is confused but goes along with her mother’s words. Finally, the girl slips her toes into the new tabi, which are split-toe socks, and then walks outside in her zori sandals. She is taken away to the nearest Hanamachi, also known as Flower Street, where the geishas flourish every day.

                                            I don’t know about you, (and this is not meant to offend the Japanese culture), but I personally believe that this whole “Geisha-ing” procedure and work is just wrong in every aspect possible. Many people argue that the cultural activity is not prostitution, and while for many legitimate experienced Geishas this MAY be true, the work they do is just plainly wrong. They pressure themselves to learn certain arts including poetry, calligraphy, how to serve tea, literature, and other aspects of being a Geisha. Girls simply go out of their personal choice to learn such an art, but this art is no different from selling oneself in prostitution.

            Girls work to impress foreigners and other men who come to seek these Geishas’ company. They play games, literally entertain the visitors, and serve tea for the men. Girls have their place in society, and it is not to work for the simple entertainment of others. The girls are to live in an isolated location known as the Hanamachi, where men come to seek these caring and seductive women. The Gion district of Kyoto, Japan is actually one of the red-light districts in the world. Girls should not have to force themselves to work as Geishas. We need more female health professionals, singers, artists, athletes, and speakers in the world today, than we need of Geishas. 

 A mirror replicates the opposing object exactly as it is, piece by piece – leg for leg, eye for eye, toes for toes- everything remains the same. It brings vision to the person seeing themselves, as they admire their mannequin-like figure. Yet, we are not dolls. There is no need to dress up, smother on make-up, and wear a “mask” because we downgrade our beauty and the limitless abilities inside ourselves. This is not beauty. This is merely seeing someone else, something else that does not exist. For instance, children often take the need to get thinner with any case of figure. While the need is directed specifically at obese children, others are tempted to look perfect, to gain that sense of security of fitting in with the others. This initiates several social and personal issues as children become abstemious with their meals, diffident in their endeavors, and enervated from their complacency. People fail to realize that beauty is not skin deep. As the Backstreet Boys sang, “what makes you different is what makes you beautiful.” Everyone is unique - be it their ability to sketch, their naturally curly hair, their long fingers, their skill in singing, or whatever it may  be – individuality is a special thing.

            For me, it is writing. It is the one thing that makes me stand out from all the others. I blog, I do creative writing, I am part of large journalism team, I am student of AP Literature and Composition, and I write in a diary. My style of writing made me beautiful in every way. I saw myself improving, and as my writing got better, my demeanor and spoken language grew stronger. I found myself communicating more easily with others, and sustained a meaningful conversation. I was able to express my opinions through writing, and publish to the world my thoughts through journalism. Overall, this to me was true beauty. I love my ability to write, and I love the fact that it grows better every day. I was once a demure, quiet child, but writing made me beautiful,  it gave me a channel in life, and I love  myself for that reason today, as I became an effervescent, curious student. And every now and then, if I flip to Vogue or Entertainment Weekly, and I am faced with a blown up picture of a drop-dead gorgeous actress, I AM going to think she’s beautiful, but I also am aware that her beauty is only in her dressing, and not in her character, as it is presented in the photograph. Yet, I wish other girls and boys would be more aware of this danger too, because many times, children see clear-faced models on the face of magazine covers and advertisements, and kids strive to become like them. Media has a strong impact on body image, but if children open their eyes, they can see their inner beauty too.

            Rip off the mask, love that face of yours, and be beautiful today.

                  India is a country of culture, vivid images, and strong flavors. Metros bustling with cars and buses, streets flowing with children clad in matching uniforms running to school with their lunch pails slung on their shoulders, and young students hanging out at the colossal malls on weekends and evenings. But all the same while, buses struggle to drive through dark streets, children fail to study after sun-down, and young students don’t tend to hang out when the light goes away. What is happening, you ask? Oh nothing big. At least, that’s what most people thought of it to be. Once the sun set, there was no electricity available for anyone to do any work. The New York Times reported that “Because Bihar has nowhere near the capacity to meet its current power demands, even those few with connections receive electricity sporadically and often at odd hours, like between 3:00 a.m and 6:00 a.m., when it is of little use.” Bihar is India’s poorest state as of now, with a 80 million population.

To solve this problem, four friends from America and India got together to create a success that they call Husk Power Systems. The company converts rice husk char into energy which can then be transformed to electricity. By selling electricity for about $2 per month, the company gains a good profit, while aiding the people and enhancing their lifestyle. The electricity will work from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and unlimited cell phone charging will be provided. According to NYTimes, “The company expects to have 200 systems by the end of 2011, each serving a village or a small village cluster. Its plan is to ramp that up significantly, with the goal of having 2,014 units serving millions of clients by the end of 2014.”

This is an example of global justice. The company noticed government was not taking any serious actions, and thus, the four stepped forward to help their community and bring pride to their heritage. They took the effort to change the people’s lives, and currently, they’ve contributed greatly, while making a clever business out of it as well. 

                              Dad walks in the room. You talk about your girlfriend on the phone. Dad “accidentally” overhears you talking about her. He didn’t know you were in a relationship.  He instantly slaps you, and asks you to get out of the house without asking you any questions. You go out into the world, unknowing of what to do, where to go. Mom rings your cell. You pick up, with much hope. She yells at you, for being rude to your father, and calls you names, and tells you to come back home, only if you want to. And then she says, “Stop being a disgrace to MY family.”

            Abuse and harassment not only lead to a low self-esteem, but even to suicide. Children are easily manipulated from birth till their teenage years. According to the Maitri organization, “Many acts of violence are seen first at home and then repeated, later on, outside the home. The home is often a site of different types of violence that teens may face.” In fact, violence does not only have to be verbally or physically abusing someone. Many teenagers are forced into marriages at a young age, or others are forced to perform the best in school. It is unfair because children can only reach to a certain limit, and unless they want to push themselves to reach higher, parents are only becoming a disadvantage to the child.

            According to the Florida Governor's Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence, One-third of all police time is spent responding to domestic violence disturbance calls. Organizations like Maitri help teenagers and women arise again after they’ve fallen from domestic violence from family, relationships, or others. Maitri’s goals include: “to help integrate clients into the mainstream of American society, so that they feel comfortable and become full participants in it, to focus efforts on supplementing and complementing existing services, not on duplicating them, to work towards fostering self-reliance and self-confidence in its clients.” With the motto, “helping women help themselves,” Maitri has improved the lives of several women and children and given them a new vision, and a new hope to look forward into life. 

               Global justice has gained a new definition- letting the government do as it wishes to “protect” the people, in any manner possible. Julian Assange was a man of many faces. He opened the public’s eye to see the governmental secrets and mistakes. And where is he now? In jail slowly counting bars, while he really should have been appreciated for his courage and given an accolade. Wikileaks has been changing the world’s view for many years now, but only recently has the website been roaming in the limelight, as the media rummages through their records to take a biased stance on the website.

            Personally, I think it is a wonderful thing that Wikileaks gain recognition and it makes me happy to know that there are people in the world, risking their lives, to bring injustice to light. Many people around the world, especially in Asian countries, assume that their authorities are correct and what the government is doing is only for the betterment of the people. Yet, Wikileaks is useful in showing the truth to the public. The videos have atrocious scenes of children dying, civilians getting shot at (for no reason), and American troops simply messing around. It seems sort of fishy that the European government arrests him right now after several years for a case on sexual assault.

            People like Assange are just wonderful rebels that show the public the truth about the government, and I’m sure it would scare anyone if they find out their government has actually been lying to them all along.  A government is one that is meant to protect its people, and if the same government is hiding certain things, it is natural that the public begins to fear its democracy. This is not global justice.  Justice is accepting the faults, and giving reasons for hiding the truths, but the government simply covered up Assange’s discovery by putting him in jail. What is our world coming to?  I always thought I could truth t he judge, the police officer, and after all, my president. Is this all a lie? The truth must be told, must be exposed. Government official, Abraham Lincoln once said, “Honesty is the best policy.”

 Are you buying sweaty clothes this winter?

Make sure you’re not buying dirty, sweaty, child-labored clothes this winter

By Raji Ramanathan

            While wall-sized posters and stylish mannequins often catch our attraction in the mall, these clothes and products are simply blinding shoppers from the people and companies that made them. Don’t understand? I didn’t either, until I learned about the countless number of leading companies that use sweatshops to manufacture their products. While it may be difficult to not shop at these staple stores, try to buy less from these stores this Christmas.

1) Wal-Mart: No, they actually meant Sweat-Mart

            Wal-Mart remains the number one client for TOS Dominican, which is a textile company in the Dominican Republic owned by Hanesbrands Inc. An independent labor-rights organization, Worker Rights Consortium, reported that TOS Dominican has broken several domestic laws including “forced and unpaid overtime; and verbal harassment and abuse of workers.”

Similar companies: Dickies, Hanes, Guess

2) Victoria’s Secret: So this is what she’s been hiding…

            The next time you slip on that Victoria’s Secret lingerie, just remember it’s not sexy anymore, it’s sweaty. D.K. Garments factory, in Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, makes the lingerie for Victoria’s Secret. According to the National Labor Committee, the laborers have to work all seven days, for 14 to 15 hours every day. The report stated that “workers are allowed just 3.3 minutes to sew each $14 Victoria's Secret women's bikini. The workers' wages amount to less than 3/10ths of one percent of the $14 retail price of the Victoria's Secret bikini.”

Similar companies: Limited Brand companies- Bath and Body Works, The Express

3) Disney: Noooo, I thought this was the “happiest place on Earth.”

            Yonglida Toys and Haowei Toys, both companies in China, produce a mass number of toys for Walt Disney. The workers live in a dorm room with 16 people in each, and get fined if they use the bathroom for more than five minutes, according to the Sunday Times. An NGO, Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior, took up to learning about the issue and found that workers can be on the production lines from 7.30am to 2am and are paid around $105 per month. The company, however, explains that they have improved their facilities a bit after the strikes from laborers.

Similar Companies: Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, American Eagle, Puma

 I want to get into the college of my dreams with all the hard-work I’ve done and I’m Indian. Does that make a change? You would think probably not, but apparently the national government does not seem to concur. Affirmative Action. Darn it. That changes a few things, doesn’t it? So, I’m not a minority and while my family barely earns enough to support itself, I’m still not in the “aw, we-need-to-help-this-girl-afford-college” list. I am not even sure how race can even be an element in finding out a person’s qualification for college. I don’t think race is the apt factor, but more so the economic status of the family seems to have a greater impact.   When someone is seen as an Asian, he or she is automatically stereotyped to be rich and intelligent. Really, is that all it takes to be considered intelligent? What about all the papers, projects, compositions, and hard-work I accomplished all these years? Do these not make a difference to you? The stereotype is horrible. The majority of the Asian community in America (is initially very small compared to other nationalities in the United States) are immigrants, meaning that they came to America with very little in hand, and tons in the heart. What I’m trying to say is since many of these people are immigrants, they aren’t even rich in the first place, and they make it their goal to educate their children to their maximum potential and grow prosperously in the “new world.” And they grow their children with every bit of care and concern (at least, my parents do) and make sure the children’s grades and achievements are being recognized well. With all this struggle (and language barriers), these people move forward to get their child into college…and here is where they face an obstacle- how come I am not a minority?

            I think it is simply unfair that certain races fall under “minority” while others do not. There are no set rules that how a minority is even determined and if people are considered a “minority” group, then they simply can state the problems they faced in their essay. Minority groups are struggling races in America who want to thrive, and I see nothing wrong in trying to help them, but I feel that Affirmative Action is not the proper procedure. If students of these groups are facing issues in their day-to-day life due to their race, then they can write about it in their college essay instead of marking themselves as a minority and not giving explanations on that.

            I am not saying this just because I am an Asian, but because I find it to be unfair. I am not rich. I am not super intelligent. I want to get into the college of my dreams for the hard work I’ve done. And the government really isn’t helping me on this. 

 Women are the first and foremost most significant people on the face of this planet. Think about it: women are the ones that give birth to the uprising of humanity. Women are the ones that come in the form of sisters who love, share, and care for the world. Women are the ones that hold friendship strongly to their hearts, and can laugh with their comrades all day long. These women are the workforce that keeps the world moving at such a fast pace today. However, when problems occur to these women, the world needs to get up and take a stand.

            As a teenager, I view various problems that teenage girls go through in high school. Many times these credulous girls fall into the path of danger very easily. From teenage pregnancy to maltreatment, girls suffer the anguish of peers and parents. Teenage pregnancy is a large problem through high schools. For many girls, it’s deliberately done and for several others, it’s a matter of an “accident.” Another problem I see frequently is the usage of derogatory terms to call on other females. I despise the young boys who go through the hallways just to tease the girls. As much as I try to avoid getting in the ways of these boys, the insulting words are often heard through the hallways. These types of problems can really enervate a girl’s self-esteem.

            A significant problem I hear about in the world is the killing of female babies. As disheartening as it is to just write those terms, I find it very shocking that parents actually murder their babies after finding out that it is a girl. They come to a conclusion that girls are no good and not useful, and thus, kill her. Even though it is not as common as it used to be, it still occurs actively in several parts of Asia, including India and China. A feature organization that educates and prevents this issue is Gendercide Watch. Their mission is “to confront acts of gender-selective mass killing around the world.” This is definitely a social injustice to murder the female child, and wait till a male is born. Referring back to history, due to the requirement for dowry, father would get aggravated at their daughters for eating away the family’s treasures, yet the boys would bring home the wife, and the dowry that she carries along. Thus to prevent this problem, the organization, whose parent organization is Gender Issues Education Foundation (GIEF), a registered charitable foundation based in Edmonton, Alberta, does researches and studies to learn about why they happen, the prevalence rate, and works up strategies to eradicate the problem and raise awareness.

      December 1^st was world AIDS Day. Did you know that? No? Well, I am not so surprised since more than half my school was unaware of it. Some kids were decked in red, but they looked so awkward and unfit in the regular drab school environment. Lack of awareness if a terrible thing, because while America, being a superpower, urges and promotes for education in third-world countries, it fails to properly educate its citizens. In a country where Patriotism is festively celebrated on July 4^th, 61% of the population don’t know the national anthem, according to the National Anthem Project. Educating America is important in the long-run and for the reputatition of our country. It is not enough to boast that we are a highly educated country when the country is on the low of the 99% of the literacy rate in comparison to the world. We, while diverse in our views and ethnicities, are still overestimated to know much and read more. We have a growing culture that can speak and communicate well, especially through the use of an iPhone or basic cell text messaging. Yet, we have really lost the meaning educated writing and reading, and learning something more than just, “ttyl.”

              When getting a job in the United States, interviewers assume that the candidates have a high profile literacy rate. For instance, Director of the National Center on Adult Literacy at University of Pennsylvania, Daniel Wagner, said, “India has huge literacy problems, but the country is big enough so that their high school graduates or college graduates who are earning one-tenth of what Americans earn have higher literacy rates than we do here, or comparable.” Also, according to the Financial Express, one in ten Americans are below-literacy level or are illiterates. Yet now, companies are blaming the money from government. They feel that the funding only goes to private sectors such as religious centers, than the locally-operated companies, who can use the money for creating literacy programs for their immigrant workers. After all, communication is vital in the work place.        

               Our high school career is a journey that students will take to learn about themselves, their futures, and their potentials. Every year at Irvington High School in Fremont, CA, students are required to complete a benchmark project to pass high school. Unique to Irvington, these projects are organized in a community perspective for freshmen year, world perspective for sophomore year, and introspective perspective for senior year. Junior year has been made an exception due to the load of SATs and ACTs. QUEST, which essentially is an acronym for Question, Understand, Experience, Service, and Testimony, is a senior benchmark project at IHS.

            Through the entire school year, QUEST is incorporated into the English and Government curricula. Students choose any topic that pertains to their interest and ask an essential question on that theme. Often times, students choose an unfamiliar topic and through research, they come to learn and take interest in that specific area of study. The QUEST project comes handy especially for students who are indecisive on their future career fields. In addition to just research, students go out into the community to find a consultant related to their Essential Question and work with the person through the entire year to find the answer to their question. This “quest” is completed through community service and learning from that experience. In the end, each senior presents a 12-20 minutes presentation on his or her entire work for QUEST and his or her reflection on the work. Should a student fail the QUEST project, the student will not be able to graduate high school. Nonetheless, Irvington has had 100% passing rate, none of the seniors where held back in school for not passing QUEST.

            Similarly, the Change Project is for freshmen whereas the World Issues Project is for sophomores. While Change Project takes a local environmental issue for students to tackle, the World Issues Project oversees an international issue and attempts to prevent or eradicate it. All the benchmark projects at Irvington are service oriented and towards going green, as Irvington is America’s Greenest School. These benchmark projects are designed to prepare students to face the outside world. Past students have greatly benefitted from the projects as they learn humanitarian values and get exposure to issues in the world. Finally, in their senior year, students come to learn about his or her potentials and their career interest fields through QUEST. I wish other schools would also practice this tradition because not only does it give students a chance to go do something in the real world, but it opens up new experiences and allows them to sharpen their skills for their profession in the future.

After attending one day of the Jade Ribbon Campaign Collegiate Conference, I feel like a different person. I don’t mean to describe that difference with flowery words and say that it revolutionized my path my life, yet it definitely opened my eyes to things I’ve never known before. It was very amusing to see college students give presentations about their strategies for outreach at their college campuses. As a high school student, attending the conference brought so much insight of how college organizations function and which sorts of outreach really reach the students.

            The conference was three days at a hotel nearby Stanford University. I was invited by my Jade Ribbon Youth Council advisor to attend the conference. So, I went on the second day, Saturday November 6^th. Initially as I walked inside the conference room, I was faced with students all dressed in formal suits and dresses eating muffins and drinking coffee as they listened to Dr. Samuel So give a presentation about the current stage of the Hepatitis B Virus. Dr. So is the director of the Asian Liver Center (ALC) at Stanford University, and the ALC is the overarching Hepatitis B awareness group that moderates the other chapters across the country.

            I learned several current statistics about the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) from Dr. So’s studies. Two thirds of the 1/10 Asians who are affected by the HBV are not aware they are affected by this virus, and many do not know that liver cancer is one of the top five reasons of common deaths across the United States. The government has a lack of public policy knowledge about the dangers of the HBV and about 30% of doctors nationally do NOT know the ways of prevention and vaccination for the virus. When a survey of Stanford graduate students was conducted, many students did not even know what Hepatitis B affects. Recently, the ALC has started to partner with local companies and organizations, including Cisco and SF Giants, to promote the growth of the ALC.

            The World Health Organization (WHO) has passed a Hepatitis B resolution to create a World Hepatitis Day on July 28^th to mobilize the world on the effects and for the outreach of the Hep. B Virus. To detect the Hep. B Virus, doctors are using ultra-sound as a method for screening, as CT scans and MRIs are too expensive.

            This initiative really brings together the different cultures of the Asian community and allows them to share one commonality that protrudes them to become something large and something outstanding that reaches all the people of the community. This experience of attending the collegiate conference gave me a chance to learn about the current impacts of the Hep. B Virus. 

            You are taking your final in your Biology class, and you’ve prepared so much and so well for  this exam through self-studies, online practice problems, memorizing concepts from the text, researching on your own, learning from your peers, and basically, understanding the main components for your examination. Your professor stops you right on the dot, and you scribble up the last answer rapidly. You give a sigh of relief as you smile with satisfaction about y our performance on the examination. Next thing you know your teacher posts up the grades and you realize that you have not passed the test by one point, but the lethargic kid who always sits next to you in class got an A-. Is this possible? I mean, you studied in everyway possible, and understood practically everything there was to know for the exam. Where was the loophole? What made you fail?

            Well, sadly to say, the lethargic kid has got the money that can transfer any grade to an A plus. Now I am not referring to corruption, but more so, the expensive methods of tutoring that is offered for students today who are too lazy to attentively take notes during lectures. It just does not seem fair that these kids get the grades they want by getting special tips by experts in that area of study. Tutoring is a great opportunity for children to learn a subject in-depth and gain a clarified understanding of a concept. Yet today, it only seems as if children are getting tutored to learn loop-holes and tricks to solve a problem, that aren’t usually taught in the classroom. Especially with the prices for tutors exponentially increasing, students are finding it harder to pay for their education. Is this really the way to learn? Shouldn’t education be free and available to all? With tutors creating businesses and expensive courses, parents are beginning to get the assumption that to get an A+, their child has to be enrolled in a tutoring class which costs at an average of $500 per month. Being blind to the fact that these courses are simply gobbling up the money, parents continue to throw out the money without even checking the progress of their child’s grades. Sometimes it helps, and sometimes there are those confounding variables that influence the parents to assume that the tutoring class increases their child’s scores. This is not fair for those who cannot afford a class, and it just allows parents to squander their money on a useless tutoring experience.  

            With NGOs like Save the Children, we all can help to promote a better well-educated future. For example, Save the Children has created a better future for children in Mongolia. They “led a campaign that resulted in corporal punishment being outlawed in Mongolian schools, benefiting over 650,000 children. The Mongolian government is also introducing a new code of conduct for teachers to end illegal school fees, which have kept thousands of children out of school.” These NGOs allows for a brighter tomorrow for children around the world who don’t even have access to primary education. They are often put into the military as a child or forced to work in sweat-shops. Through NGOs like the Save the Children, we are holding hands to promote a bright and more viable future for all. It is our turn to rewrite history.

http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/what_we_do/education/index.html

Hepatitis B is a growing and prevalent issue not just in my community, but also across the globe that hits strongly upon the Asian population. Over two billion people across the globe have been infected with the Hepatitis B virus and 1.25 million of them reside right here in the United States. Like any other disease, Hepatitis B can have debilitating effects on the human body and has the capability to easily transfer from person to person. Yet, the disappointing thing about this easily preventable virus is that many people are unaware about its effects and the strategies to cure it. People are needlessly dying every day due to the lack of proper knowledge. After all, everything revolves around education and without the foundation information of how Hepatitis B Virus affects the people, people often times become victims of the disease.

            The HBV is the silent killer. It has the power to enter into the human body and has no way of pointing out to the victim that the virus has entered the body. Only when it is in a critical stage or the virus has almost destroyed the liver, the symptoms of cirrhosis and liver cancer start to become more common. That is why it is so important to get checked if a person is a carrier for the virus. People lack the knowledge of the dangers of the Hepatitis B virus, and thus disregard getting tested for it. Waiting till the last minute only makes matters worse. Also, if the issue isn’t fixed at hand, a majority of the Baby Boomers who are infected with the virus will grow older and many of them will face trouble paying for the treatment of Hepatitis B, thus asking for governmental aid. This problem asks for immediate attention, especially since about 40 Americans die every single day due to the Hepatitis B Virus. The country’s economy lies well if the problem could be eradicated now, or simply get worse by waiting.  

            Yet, for children this remains a major issue are young kids are more plausible to be attacked by the chronic Hepatitis B Virus. Especially in California, due to the thriving number of Asians, children get attacked more quickly by the virus. Statistics prove that Asians and Pacific Islanders are the most prevalent carriers of the virus. This disease which is often transmitted through sexual activity, blood contact, and through needles, also can transmit to a child while it is in the womb, if the most carries the Hepatitis B Virus. Many might argue that children in California have to be vaccinated for Hepatitis B before they can enter school. While this may be true, many children are still target victims of the virus as if they get in close contact with an open wound of any other child with Hepatitis B, there is a high chance, this child will contract the virus too. Also, research shows that if children are immunized universally, it has a stronger effect than if they are immunized individually. This means that since the carrier pool is drastically decreased, there will be a less passing of the virus between children. Even worse, is how children have a higher rate of Hepatitis B Virus than adults due to the fact that it was given to them at birth. Since the mother carries the virus, the teratogen will enter the baby’s blood and in turn, give out chronic Hepatitis B for the child. Even if the baby is vaccinated, there is a very low chance that the virus can be killed. However, as the child grows older, the immune system begins to fight at the virus, yet this only causes the Hepatitis B to create more side effects. This mishap is still under research studies in the medical field.

             Imagination is a magical thing. It allows the mind to think various materials and juxtapose things that would seem awkward in reality. Freedom is gained through imagination as a person can dream of almost anything in life and things out of life and see them put together in their own imaginary world. Yet, bringing that imagination, that dream, and that vision of hope, to reality is really the essence behind any man’s success. However, knowledge is necessary to lead this kind of imagination. We cannot always hope to remain on Cloud Nine because eventually one day it will break apart and combine with various other natural elements, as does life.

            A person needs knowledge to imagine, because everything they dream is not always new and fresh. Some parts of it come from their memory or at least are inspired from their memory. Knowledge is a vital portion of the world today and it is just disappointing to know that while I am typing these words, another child is put into child labor or turned into human-trafficking. And it is more disappointing to know that there are so many billions of people out there who are not doing anything to solve these issues. These innocent children are the growing lights of tomorrow, and they are in malnutrition, unhealthy households, or just have a bad influence in their society, there is no chance the world tomorrow could be any better than it is today. The world tomorrow needs not just thousands of entrepreneurs or educated elites, but rather in millions to hold up the pressure that the past generations have left upon us. We need education for tomorrow, to grow a clearer tomorrow. We needed a solution, in quick time.

             I’ve seen advertisements with children dying for food and their bodies emaciated with no stamina and nutrition. I’ve seen parents unable to support their children because they were suffering from AIDS, and the last thing on their mind was their children’s education. And then I saw something I’d never seen before. Children dropping out of school because they did not have enough school supplies. Here at school, I see my own classmates trash their supplies carelessly without taking a second to realize that their materials could be the key to another child’s educational career. By providing pencils and stationeries to needy schools, children have the capability to achieve better in life. This creates a better educational environment for them and saves money for their future. I dreamed to make a change in that child’s life who lived thousands of miles away from me, yearning to be literate, while I sat back in my couch, reading Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. I dreamed on making that child come visible in the eyes of all in the world because of his or her wisdom and knowledge. I dreamed to become a leader to walk my generation into success. I set forth the following day to make my dream come true for all with one solution in my hand- The Pencil Project.

             A smile is contagious. If I smile at you right now, you’ll be forced to smile back because it’s human nature to respond. A smile is something that expresses happiness. It expresses a feeling of satisfaction. It’s the kind of happiness we sense when we observe the ice-cream man, who is already besieged by the economic crisis, give a Popsicle stick to the impoverished child for free just to make the child cherish and smile at that moment. Yet, all this still does not fully elucidate what a really smile is because to each individual, a smile embodies their distinctive description of sheer delight. But what if a child cannot smile? While it may seem quite impossible to imagine a child that will never smile, I’ve seen one. His name is Thanh Ngan, and due to his cleft lip and gaping hole in his palate, he was inevitably prevented from smiling, eating, speaking, and enjoying things the way other kids did. It was devastating to see a child suffer and not receive an opportunity to help him. But little did I know that “Operation Smile” was going to bestow a spin to his life, a spin that would revolutionize his future forever.

            Much like Thanh, there are more than 200,000 children born every year with some sort of facial deformity and to fix these children is the goal of “Operation Smile.” Twenty-eight years ago, doctors William and Kathleen Magee initiated “Operation Smile” to assist in repairing these distortions. According to “Operation Smile” website, “a cleft lip may be accompanied by an opening in the bones of the upper jaw and/or the upper gum. A cleft palate occurs when the two sides of a palate do not join together, resulting in an opening in the roof of the mouth.” These children are presented with this deformation at birth and unless they can be helped by the age of two or three, it becomes very difficult to bring the mouth back together for it function properly. However, it is impractical for the team to be able to save the futures of all the children themselves.

            Instead, I want to take a stand and make that change. I want to be that person that the child first looks up to with a smile after the operation, and I will gleefully smile back knowing that I have successfully made a difference for the betterment of a child’s future. I hope to do a volunteer project for “Operation Smile” because it is crucial that every child be given an equal opportunity to prove themselves in today’s face-paced society. I want to go in person and volunteer for them by helping through speech therapy, collecting donations, and bringing awareness of such an issue. I hope to become a pediatrician someday, so working on such a project will only be a catalyst to reaching my goal. Everyone has a potential, and I won’t let a child’s facial deformity become the barrier for reaching to their maximum potentials.   

                                        What is service? No, really, what is it? What do YOU define as service? Service, a noun, means only one thing to me – to get and give back. And basically, I think that is all service entitles. The disappointing thing about service is that most people see service as a right rather than an obligation. After all, there is no better way to give back to one’s community other than by doing service. Obviously, not everyone can throw in millions of dollars for the betterment of society but with a few hands and enthusiastic attitudes, a society can radically change without those million dollars. We’re going leave behind the sludge of this world today from poverty to famine and bring stronger ties between countries and build up larger civilizations.

            That is one of the main reasons that I think that required service hours in high school in productive. Children are learning about their future right here in high school and when they are forced to try something new, they throw themselves into the real world and experience it. This influence of doing service and receiving that “feel-good” feeling is what will help every person in  the long run because after all, as United States citizens, it is our moral duty, our civic virtue, to do well for our nation without any harmful or hopeful intentions, but merely to make our nation, or simply our community, a better place.

            I have learned through my journey that one person has the power to make a change in the world with leadership through service. I realized that I do not need anyone’s support to be successful in society other than my strengths and intelligence. I came to inspire other teens my age to make a difference in the world. I made a commitment to make a positive difference in the world and went through all sorts of obstacles to reach my dream. However, I knew there was no threshold that could stop me from where I wanted to go. All I needed was fifty percent courage and fifty percent confidence.

            Volunteering inspired me to become a leader, it inspired me to become a better person in keep my community clean and organized, it inspired me to be a role model for others. It started with volunteering during the summers in my city library. I spend innumerable hours everyday weeding books, creating prizes, working on a database, and basically aiding the patrons in the library for a total of over 400 hours. I organized public events in the library for the betterment of children’s education as well as computer education for senior citizens. Service, in a way, has made me a new person.

            My volunteer service is extremely important to me especially in preparing children around the world for facing their future. If we are unsuccessful, then everything will collapse. We need smart and clever children to take over the future. As Harvey Firestone once said, “You get the best put of others when you give the best of yourself.”

Hello, everyone! My name is Rajeswari Ramanathan...and that's probably a mouthful to just see it. So, feel free to call me Raji. I am a high-flying senior at Irvington High School and for the following year, I hope to attend either Stanford University or University of California, Davis and major in either the biology field or journalism.

To say a few things about myself, I cherish writing more than anything else because writing for me is the apt outlet to express myself and free my thoughts. I am the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper and have been learning journalism for the past three years. I also freelance for a local newspaper and an Indian magazine. I also enjoy reading literature, especially those with such strong symbolism and meaning. Oh, did I mention I love talking? Speaking, debating, and socializing are some of my top talents. I have been part of Irvington's Speech and Debate team for three years, participating in JV Policy Debate and Speech. 

Other than the liberal arts and English area, I enjoy doing community service because not only does it gain me a lump amount of hours but it also feels great to make made a difference in our local community. As humans, we always think globally and see ways to change the world, while the world we live in, our own community, remains unclean. I figured that if we all keep our communities clean and safe, we can in turn have a healthy world, in the long run. I have learned through my journey that one person has the power to make a change in the world with leadership through service. I realized that I do not need anyone’s support to be successful in society other than my strengths and intelligence. I came to inspire other teens my age to make a difference in the world. I made a commitment to make a positive difference in the world and went through all sorts of obstacles to reach my dream. However, I knew there was no threshold that could stop me from where I wanted to go. All I needed was fifty percent courage and fifty percent confidence. I volunteer in the local hospital aiding ICU/CCU visitors and taking photographs of new-borns.

In my spare time, I enjoy singing, taking place in politics, and helping out with my school activities. I love taking leadership roles because I am always a curious person full of ideas to make things be different! This year with East Villagers, I want to publicize my organization, The Pencil Project, where I collect pencils and stationery and donate them to kids who are in need of them. My goal is to raise awareness and more funds for this project, with the help of this internship. I also want to be able to write more about service activities and their impact on a person's life. One thing I want to get out of this program is learn about the various NGOs, their motives and how to take part in some of them.