The United Steps: An NCTC British Literature Publication - Fall 2020

December 11, 2020 Dear Reader of Digital Magazines, What you hold in your hands was not easily come by. It is a publication that stems from an assignment in a British Literature course where the students were challenged to create a new society. They were told to figure out how to create change within systems and to establish the foundation of a place that was better than our own. We were studying Colonial literature, the stuff that defines us here in this country most readily. The conversations were timid at first. Then they erupted and I’m reminded of another writer’s work that we experienced: What’s in a name?

A conversation three weeks into the challenge stalled the progress even if only for a bit. Momentum had been gained by those who were meeting in person,* in the naming of this new place. That name brought some questions with it and excitement overwhelmed the finest of intentions. I questioned the seriousness and we all found ourselves at an impasse. From the conversation came some relenting and reflection, and then the class rose to make individual pieces and choices that bound together again many of the students.

There were still a few whose work you will not get to experience, reader, as they pulled it from the publication, hesitant to publish their names on the document that follows. Their requests were accepted and understood. There is risk in publication and definitely a sense of permanence. So, what follows is a partial showing of the final aspects of this new culture. The values and ideals and systems that they deemed appropriate to alter for the greater good. Inside you’ll find multi-genre work that attempts to establish something new. I hope that something resonates with you and you see that change is possible when we figure out how to serve one another, how to change not for the sake of change itself but to make stronger or more equitable all that we think we love and are passionate about.

Then the challenge is given to you. Go and create something for yourself. Try to accommodate all people’s ideas and thoughts and feelings and lives. Then give whatever you make to the world. Share it selflessly. Let’s see what new society we can build together, shall we?

Yours with hope, JA

* If you’re reading this in the future, from some distant time that doesn’t remember, 2020 brought with it the necessity to break down the education system and we learned digitally in many different ways.

Bill of Rights A man, whether born free or given his freedom shall never know servitude

No man shall meet resistance when seeking the right to liberty, property, security, and freedom as long as the law is respected

The power of the nation lays with the people

A man’s rights are bound by the law

All those accused of a crime have the presumption of innocence

The state shall have no right to limit speech, the practice of religion, press, and the right for its citizens to gather

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George Peterson An open letter to all future people of the United Steps

Hey! I’m really looking forward to meeting you. It’s true that I have no idea who you are just yet, but I can confidently say that we’ll get along. If the cumulative experiences from the formative years of our life led us to move to this new society, we probably have more in common than not.

I’ll introduce myself now so we can be pen-pals before we become neighbors. My name is George! At the time of writing this, I’m 17 years old and attend a small high school in Texas. I like learning about writing and philosophy while pondering the mysteries of the universe, but I promise I’m not stuck up about it. I am entirely conscious of the fact that those are nerd hobbies, and I embrace that part of myself. I follow blogs that post obscure art, play video games, and spend a lot of time around friends.

We’re not instant messaging right now, so you can’t tell me anything about yourself, but I already feel like you’re pretty cool. That’s because you’re still reading, which means you care, which means you’re willing to get along with me.

At least a little bit.

I think that’s going to be one of the best things about our future together.

We’re all powerfully unique individuals who, despite our differences, have chosen to live in the same world as one another. Some magic under the soil compels us to walk, bare-footed and vulnerable, together and forward. What a wonderful act of faith.

When we arrive, let’s promise to work together to leave each day better than the one before it. Let’s say hi when we find each other in grocery aisles and make mountains out of small talk. Let’s celebrate every victory and cry for every loss together. And everything that we do will not be suffocating because we will also give each other plenty of space to be amazing, all by our own right.

If we take all of our steps like that – eagerly, honestly, and with love – then the paths we leave behind will be filled with that goodness. A strong, reformed society like the one we’ve all come to build will grow, naturally, as we push forward.

That’s enough from me! I could keep talking, but the longer that you’re reading this, the longer I have to wait to meet you. I can’t wait to meet you.

See you soon, George Peterson 6

Martha Van Slyke My Experience in The United Steps

On Borders My family and I were having a difficult time. My father was busy, constantly working. My mother could hardly feed me, my brothers, father, and her. In our old town, there were many rules. We couldn't go out after eight. Many places were forbidden to us. Even if we had the money, we could only buy a certain amount of food at a time. Mother said we should be grateful for what we have.

When my father said we were moving, I was delighted. I wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere else. I had no idea how much better the United Steps would be.

Mother told me they opened their border a couple years before we crossed them. ¨Weŕe lucky,” she says. And I couldn´t be more thankful. Open borders, I say, are a blessing. For people like us, looking for a better life, they´re a blessing.

On Athletics My older brother (we´ll call him M), always loved throwing around an old tennis ball in the streets back at our old home. Heś has always been focused on fitness.

I'd often see him doing pushups, sit ups, and other exercises in the small room we shared. He would pull up his sleeves, flex his muscles, and brag to me. ¨Catch up,¨ he'd say, with a smug look on his face. But when he didn't know I was there, sometimes he´d be sitting in our room, looking at that worn out tennis ball, tossing it up and down, and sighing. Mother liked to say, ¨He's made for more than this place. We all are.¨ When we moved to the United Steps, M immediately became fascinated with football. Mother pulled some strings, put him on a team.

M loved it. We go to see his games. Sometimes, I swear he's happier on that big football field than anywhere else. He told me, excitedly, after he won his first game, ¨I´m telling you, this is the best place I've ever been.¨ M loves it here in this nation, in our community. And so do I. He told me his coach was like a second father to him. He pushed him in the best way. He made M want to better himself, but never made him feel like he wasn't good enough. He said competition is important, but having fun and making memories is what you will look back fondly on. Next fall, heś going to college on a football scholarship. Mother was so proud when she found out, I swore she was going to burst at the seams.

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On Education Back at my old home, our school was a big, cold building. We had an odd, droll teacher who would stand at a whiteboard, and talk and talk and talk, but he'd never repeat himself. After we focused on a topic and wrote our notes, we would take a long test on it. I was never great at school. When I came here, the education system was wildly different. My teacher, Mrs. Bailey, is an older woman who always wears colorful clothing. After she introduced me to the class when I first arrived, she gave me a rainbow pencil bag, filled with coloring markers. She said, ¨In my class, we express ourselves.¨ It was during my first few months in her classroom that I discovered my love for art. Mrs. Bailey always praised my creations, and beyond that, she helped me develop a new love for learning. I was never afraid to ask questions, and if I didn't understand something, she would repeat herself with a smile on her face. She would even spend time re-explaining things three, even four times, until I understood. She is the most patient person I have ever met. She helped me realize I excelled in math and science, but writing is rather a weak spot for me. In fact, this essay is for school, under the topic of ¨What our community means to you.¨ Quite a bit, I´d say. We have tests here too, but they're much different than my old ones. They don't stress me out like my old ones did. There are much less of them, too, and I often find myself feeling a sense of accomplishment when I know how to do a problem on a test. Mrs. Bailey would say, ¨Standardized tests only help you if I do.¨ I found her to usually be right.

On Economics I don't entirely understand economics, if I'm being honest. Father used to always complain about the economic system in my old home town. He said the government would give no help, and we were on our own. But when we moved to the United Steps, and father got a construction job, I found he started buying me and my brothers more things. It wasn't much, but one day he brought home a brand new pair of sneakers for me. There was a shiny x-mark on the sides. ¨Name brand,¨ he said. Then, ¨Don't thank me, thank the government. Thank welfare.¨ I asked Mrs. Bailey what he meant the next day. She said, ¨The United Steps government cares about the economically disadvantaged. They provide many opportunities to lower income families and help them find jobs to support themselves. Sometimes they even provide resources for them.¨ I scratched my head. She smiled, then told me to sit down. ¨My father,¨ she said, ¨is very old, and sick. In the United Steps, senior citizens are revered and honored. The government has given me money to help take care of him.¨ ¨Even though you 8

have a job?¨ I asked. ¨Even though I have a job,¨ she responded. I remember thinking she and I were both lucky to be here.

On Healthcare Later on in Mrs. Bailey's class, we talked about healthcare. She told the class about her father, and how the government provided her resources to help him.

She even said sometimes the resources and healthcare system helped him feel better. She also said sometimes they didn´t, but that was just the way of the world. I remember pouting for a bit. I liked to think that I was special because Mrs. Bailey told me something important, but then she told the whole class. I quickly got over my fit when one of my classmates raised her hand and spoke up.

She said that her grandma had also been taken care of through the healthcare system. It had helped her to live longer, before her death a few months ago. I realized I was being spoiled, and felt grateful that my family was safe and healthy.

On Mental Health My other brother, (We´ll say J), is the middle child. Heś an underclassman in high school here in the United Steps. Before we moved, he was always tired.

Sometimes he would be irrationally angry. We would argue over lots of things; toys, food, clothes. Sometimes we'd even get in physical fights (though we'd usually end up in opposite corners of the house, with our mother telling us if we fought anymore, we wouldn't get any dinner). In any case, J rarely wanted to leave the house. When we'd walk back from school, he was usually quiet. One night, in our old home, I heard mother and father arguing in hushed tones. I couldn't make out all that they were saying, but I knew it was about J, and I knew it was important. It was difficult for me to understand. When we moved to the United Steps, J seemed happier, but not as much as everyone else. He made a very good friend, named Steven, who would often come to our house and watch television with J, or even kick a soccer ball in our backyard. One day I found a bottle of pills in Jś dresser. I showed mother. I was worried he was hurting himself, or had stolen them. Mother reassured me. She said they were special for him, prescribed by a doctor. She started crying. ¨They´re helping him,¨ she said. ¨With what?¨ I asked. She cried some more. She told me, for the hundredth time, that we were lucky to be here. She said, if we hadn't moved when we did, I might have lost my brother. Again, I didn't fully understand. Mother said depression comes in all forms, and that if I ever felt sad, to tell her. ¨Always tell someone,¨ she said. ¨I don't care what it is about, I´m your mother, and I love you 9

unconditionally.¨ I don't really know why, but I started crying too. She said, ¨I much rather hear you tell me what's wrong than not hear you at all.¨ Later, I asked Mrs. Bailey about depression. She told me that a friend of hers was going to have a baby, but an accident happened, and the baby died. ¨Itś a miscarriage,¨ she said. Her friend told her about it, and went to a therapist. She was very sad for a long time. Then, she had another baby, a healthy little girl. This part of the story made me smile. I asked her about the therapist, something I hadn't heard of before I came here. She said that there was a stigma about mental health, but that our country gave us the chance to help ourselves. She said, ¨We´re a free country, the best kind.¨ She then told me to talk to her about anything, no matter what. I remembered M telling me how his football coach was like a second father to him. I told Mrs. Bailey she was like a second mother to me. She started crying, just like mother. When I went home that day, I hugged J extra tight. We watched our favorite cartoons together, and mother even let us make popcorn. It was one of the best nights I could remember.

On the Adoption System In the United Steps, one of my classmates was named Peter. He was from a country very far away, but he told me he hadn´t been in a long time. He said it was his dream to go back someday. He told me his parents adopted him when he was a baby. He loved his parents more than anything in the world. He said he was lucky to have them. One day, he invited me to his house. It was huge, and wonderful. I met his parents. They were much older than I expected. And they were so kind. They made us a giant meal, and then we played video games in his gameroom. Later, his mom brought us snacks. I spent the night there, but woke up in need of water a few hours after I fell asleep. Peter was sleeping, so I went downstairs. I heard his parents talking. I heard them say ¨another one¨, and ¨easy process¨. I walked into the kitchen where they were, asking for a cup of water. Peter´s mom got me one. I asked her why she adopted Peter. She looked taken aback for a moment, but Peter´s dad laughed. He told me they couldn't have children. He said a long time ago, they lived in a different country where it cost a lot of money to adopt a child, and at that time, they didn't have money.

They said when they moved to the United Steps years ago, they both were able to get very good jobs. When they looked into the adoption system here, they realized it was much less expensive than they thought. Peter´s mom said she would´ve spent all the money they had if that was what it took to adopt Peter. ¨Luckily,¨ said his dad, ¨It wasn´t.¨ I told them I thought they were very wonderful parents. The next morning, when my mother picked me up, Peter´s 10

mom gave me a hug goodbye, and Peterś dad patted me on the back. ¨Come back anytime,¨ they both said. Peter and I are still good friends.

On Election A few months ago, mother and father took a day off from work. They were going to the local library for election day. Around our community, people had been putting up signs, calling for different people to be elected mayor of our city.

Mother and father liked to talk about how one of them was more qualified over the other. They both agreed. ¨Miller for mayor!¨ they said. They even put up a sign for her in our front yard. They were very excited that election day, I´ll never forget how much they talked about it. I asked them why it was so important.

Mother said that in our old home, there was no such thing as an election. We were also never able to put up any signs. She said she was enjoying her freedom. ¨We get a say,¨ she said, smiling proudly. Father said, ¨A say in who makes the decisions that affect us. It´s a glorious thing, really.” I laughed. I thought the vanilla cake mother made when Miller won the election was more glorious than anything else.

On Free Speech One day, mother sent J and I to the grocery store on the corner. We were walking out the door, with bags full of milk, butter, and flour in our hands, when we heard someone talking. Right outside the door, a man was handing out flyers. ¨Come to the Lord!¨ he was saying. When he saw us, he called us over. He handed us a flyer. On it were big letters, saying ¨Find Life Through Jesus¨. J was annoyed, but I was interested. ¨Why are you doing this?¨ I asked. ¨To help, of course,¨ said the man. ¨I believe that people find salvation through the Lord, and it's my job to help people find Him, so that they can be saved. Do you believe in God?¨ I nodded. My family had always been religious, but back in my old home, no one ever talked about God outside their own houses. J mumbled about leaving and getting back home, so I said goodbye, but kept the flyer with me. When I showed it to mother, she pinned it on our refrigerator. ¨Aren't you going to read it?¨ I asked. She said we didn´t follow the exact same teachings, so she wouldn´t. ¨Then why is it hanging up?¨ I asked. She said, ¨It represents a country in which all values and religions can be practiced freely, a country in which we have the freedom of speech. It reminds me that I'm glad to be here.¨ From then on, I often found myself receiving flyers from people on the streets. I liked to pin them on the refrigerator too. ¨They´re a good reminder,¨ I say to myself.

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Conclusion I´ve learned that the United Steps is a free country. It´s values are incredibly important to me, and my family. It has helped my brothers, my mother, my father, and I. It has helped my teacher, and her father. It has helped Peter, and his parents. It has helped the man on the street handing out flyers, professing his faith. I´ve learned that our community is inclusive and loving. Many different people have many different views, and are free to express them. I often find myself at our public library, reading, writing, and studying. I use the things I´ve experienced, here and in my old home, to shape my choices and help plan for my future. I often think about what my mother always says: ¨We´re lucky to be here.¨

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Veronica Perry What it Means to be a Part of The United Steps

The following phrases are what our class decided was going to be a part of our reformed nation. Just the name “The United Steps” represent our want, and need, to continue to take steps forward towards positive change and a greater sense of “togetherness” within a nation. Instead of being divided with ideas that should be considered basic human rights, we have pledged to make this nation about encouraging making life better and bringing people closer rather than a part. I believe that in any type of “Bill of Rights” or listed values and ideas, there should be clear statements about what they actually mean. For this reason, I will be voicing and going into more detail about our listed values as a reformed nation.

We believe in taking care of those who are vulnerable Our country’s programs have been set up to help and take care of those who need it. This includes the elerdy, children, those who are disabled, orphans, etc. No one should be left behind because they have disadvantages. Whether those disadvantages are in the physical sense, mental sense, or just want cards life has dealt them for the time being. Instead of being a “dog-eat-dog” world and kicking people down so that way the individual can have more success, we pledge to think about our citizens as a whole. This nation’s principals are not so that the individual can succeed, but rather so our society can succeed.

All ideologies can be practiced with freedom, without interfering with basic human rights We believe in allowing people to believe and express themselves in how they choose. However, if those ideologies cause harm to others or break laws that are in place, they will be prohibited. There are some niche beliefs where citizens practice the art of sacrificing humans, theft, etc. and we cannot allow those things to happen. The whole point of having freedom to practice whatever religion and view you have is for the safety of those citizens from persecution, but in return if that is causing others harm, they will be losing their safety as well. This is stated so that no rights are being violated or taken away, and that every citizen can live in a safe and free environment.

Our nation’s election system is based on the popular vote for leaders To the citizens of The United Steps, this is a big change we want to see implemented. We want to step away from the USA’s system of the electoral college, because we feel as though it defeats the purpose of the popular vote all together. We should each be able to represent ourselves instead of having someone else do it for us. Taking away the electoral college also takes away a lot 13

of the “fakeness” of the government. People who are already leaders in the country being in charge of voting for the president are succumbed to outside influence more than each citizen is. We want everyone’s voices to be heard and to be equally represented, and with the electoral college in the way, that wouldn’t be able to happen.

There is no official language in our country Having an official language in our country is a threat to individual liberty.

For this reason, our nation has decided to not have an official language to give all citizens equal opportunities and chances to represent their culture. In the United States, the state government has the power to have English as their official language, however, this will not be the same in our laws. In no level of government will you be able to declare an official language, to protect not only liberty, but also to promote true democracy.

Rights is to do everything that is not prohibited by law The United Steps feel as though in order to limit the government it should be clearly stated that citizens should be allowed to do whatever they want as long as it isn’t against the law. This protects your speech, your religion, petition, press, etc. Citizens can express themselves and be a part of any organizations and events that they chose as long as it doesn’t go against the stated laws. Our laws are put in place to protect individuals, not limit them from their full potential.

Freedom of speech Most of us are all familiar with the concept of freedom of speech, but what has failed to be implemented into a fairly new part of society is freedom of speech involving the internet. Individuals, companies, leaders, etc. all have unlimited access to information and social media through the internet, and can get their words out for the world to see with the click of a button. We believe that companies should be held to the same standards as individuals for what they say and what they put out there. Our speech should also be completely unrestricted in the way that the government can be criticized or protested as long as no one's rights are being denied. There should be a lack of censorship so that way information that people might need to know, but maybe the government doesn’t want them to know, can be shared appropriately. We should have access to what is going on as citizens, and not let our speech be limited over the internet.

No citizen should be left behind This value stems from the idea that we should take care of those who need our help, as well as giving everyone the chance to have great opportunities.

Gender, sexuality, race, etc. should not cause a person to be pushed out from society and forgotten about. Women, children, men, non-binary, and so forth will be equal and not seen as lesser than. Numerous programs will be set in place to make sure that no citizen will be left behind, as stated in other articles concerning 14

the specifics of life and government inside The United Steps. Teamwork and positive change is encouraged The last value encompasses every other value that we could have stated.

Our new society is all about reform. Rebirth. Rethinking the way the world has worked in years previous. This is not about seeing who can get the most money, who can be the most successful, but rather how our citizens as a whole can rise up together and make a difference in the world. Our programs, laws, and values reflect this idea of teamwork and positive change. We are taking steps forward every single day to promote people to be the best selves they can be. We take giant leaps towards the goal for equality and wonderful opportunities. We sprint towards a better future and idea of friendship, togetherness, and freedom. We, The United Steps, believe in putting a foot forward everyday to not only better ourselves, but better the world.

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Angela Lopez Team Bonding Night

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Audrey Dean Truly Be Yourself

I wrestle with my thoughts each morning Never knowing what to wear Always feeling judged no matter what Wanting to feel accepted But since we’ve moved everyone has a different style Expressing themselves in every way possible Inspiring me to truly be myself As I wake I no longer think I just do.

Whatever feels comfortable Not being judged by everyone around me I truly feel at peace and home All of us making a difference together Expressing ourselves in every way possible.

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Chloe Chapman Picking Battles

It is always acceptable to fight over ideas. The only question here is: how far is too far?

The issue in our current society that means the most to me is the question of whether or not people should be able to love one another. It is absolutely absurd to me that this is even a question and not just common sense. Of course, I am not speaking of a man loving a woman or a woman loving a man, because that is not only allowed, but highly supported. Rather, I am referring to man loving man or woman loving woman or any other combination of love which exists inside of the LGBTQ+ community.

Love within the LGBTQ+ community has been under question for far too long, and continues to suffer from discrimination to this day. This is frustrating to the utmost degree. How people loving one another affects anybody else is beyond me, so why do people care so much as to limit this love?

I do not know if I will ever know or understand why people feel the need to limit who we can love, but I do know that we will never stop fighting. The reason that I say that it is always acceptable to fight over ideas is because fighting over ideas is the only way that we will ever see change. And change is the only way that we will ever see progression.

The LGBTQ+ community has been fighting for the right to love for hundreds of years. In 1642, Elizabeth Johnson was fined and whipped for “unseemingly practices with another maid attempting to do that which man and woman do.” A few years later, in 1649, Sara Norman and Mary Hammon of Yarmouth, Plymouth Colony, were taken to court for “leude behavior each with [the] other upon a bed.”

Not only have numerous people been punished throughout history for whom they choose to love, but there have also been punishments for things such as dressing “inappropriately” for their assigned gender. In 1652, Joseph Davis of Haverhill, New Hampshire, was fined for “putting on women’s apparel” and made to admit his guilt to the community. Nearly 40 years later, in 1691, Deborah Byar of Massachusetts was fined and publicly humiliated for wearing men's clothing.

In 1777, Thomas Jefferson revised a Virginia law to make sodomy (committed by men or women) punishable by mutilation rather than death. Here is our first sign of progression in this list. While sodomy was still on the chopping board, the punishment had lessened in severity. Mutilation is still a greatly severe 18

punishment for nearly any crime, but it is far less extreme than the death sentence.

We can see more progression take place nearly a century later in 1863.

Colonel Conrad of the 15th Missouri discovered that two women passing as men had enlisted as soldiers in his detachment and that “an intimacy had sprung up between them.” At least 400 women passed as men and served as soldiers in the civil war, according to a 20th-century researcher working with wartime medical records. This honestly is more of a victory for women empowerment, but, considering the punishments for cross-dressing that I listed before, this counts as a victory for the homosexual community as well. An even bigger victory in this situation is that, while a few of the women faced imprisonment or institutionalization, the majority of the women would just be sent home without punishment once they had been discovered. For reference, less than 200 years prior to the Civil War, women dressing as men would face fines and publicized humiliation.

Perhaps the biggest step taken in the 1800s was taken in 1876. Fitz-Green Halleck, a popular poet whose defenses of love between men influenced Walt Whitman, was honored with the first statue commemorating an American poet, unveiled in New York’s Central Park by President Rutherford B. Hayes. This momentous event shows such great progression for the LGBTQ+ community. Not only was it a statue of a poet who defended man loving man relations, but it was also the FIRST statue commemorating an American poet.

Unfortunately, this step forward would come to mean little as the future would bring many steps backward. In 1917, the US immigration law was modified to ban “persons with abnormal sexual instincts” (homosexuals) from entering the United States.

All of these examples are from over a hundred years ago, so how could we possibly be facing these same issues today?

Good question. Let’s begin with some progress that can be seen. In the year 1990, policies restricting the immigration of lesbians and gays to the United States were all rescinded. Later, in 1993, the Minnesota state legislature enacted the first statewide law banning discrimination against transgender people. During this same year, the third lesbian and gay March on Washington drew over 1 million participants. A decade later, in 2003, The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that sodomy laws in the United States are unconstitutional. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, “Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct.” That same year, V. Gene Robinson was elected bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. He enters office the next year, in 2004, becoming the first openly gay, non-celibate priest to be ordained a bishop in a major Christian denomination.

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In 2004, Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, officially becoming the first state in the U.S. to do so. In 2008, the California Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. California becomes the second state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriages.

This is where fighting got us. All of those victories came from hundreds of years of hardships, discrimination, protests, marches, and never giving up on loving who we love. There is still a long way to go for the LGBTQ+ community to find equality within our current world.

According to a recent survey conducted by CMI, the most important issues facing the LGBTQ+ community today are equality, health care quality and costs, and fair elections.

Even today, an LGBTQ+ person can be kicked out of school, fired from a job or denied housing based solely on who they love or how they choose to express their gender. Furthermore, in most states, same-sex couples can still not legally get married. A person who identifies as straight does not face these same worries concerning their general livelihood and well-being. A person who identifies as straight is allowed to marry who they love no matter which state they live in.

This is a luxury not experienced by many LGBTQ+ members. Experience that line again.

This is a luxury.

Now let’s connect this current issue with the issues present in the time of the reformation. This brings me back to the importance of fighting for what you believe in. The reformation began because of a difference of beliefs. Let’s focus on the work of Martin Luther. The 95 Theses offers us incredible insight into his beliefs. What is even more notable about this is that it highlights his DIFFERENCE of beliefs. Just as the LGBTQ+ community is in a constant state of battle over beliefs, Luther was experiencing his own battle of beliefs. Let’s dive into his 95 Theses. Throughout the entirety of his writing, Luther makes two main points.

His first main point is that selling indulgences to finance the building of St. Peter’s is wrong. Luther states that “the revenues of all Christendom are being sucked into this insatiable basilica”. What he is saying here is that money is being misused by the church and that they should not exploit the members of the church through indulgences. He goes on to say “Before long, all the churches, palaces, walls, and bridges of Rome will be built out of our money.” He even offers an alternative source of money when he brings up the fact that the Pope is very wealthy and could construct St. Peter’s himself. He also proposed the idea that they could sell St. Peter’s altogether and give the money to poor people.

By just looking at this one main point, we can see how Luther is making very bold statements about the way that things operate within the church. He spends a lot of time addressing the effects of money on the church, and the effects of the church on money. Something that we should pay a lot of attention to here 20

is how he offers solutions to the problems that he points out. He isn’t just pointing a finger at the Catholic faith and telling them that they are wrong, rather he is offering his ideas of improving the flaws that he sees. This shows a good example of peacefully fighting over ideas, as he is searching for change and presenting ways in order to attain this.

This piece of peaceful fighting can be connected to the marches proposed on Washington that I have mentioned earlier in this paper. The marches serve as a way of peaceful fighting for a difference of ideas, as does this piece of literature released by Martin Luther. One contributed to the expansion of rights, while the other contributed to the reformation.

The second main point that is significant is that the pope has no power over Purgatory. The main question proposed within this point is the question of “If the pope does have power to release anyone from Purgatory, why in the name of love does he not abolish Purgatory by letting everyone out? If for the sake of miserable money he released uncounted souls, why should he not for the sake of most holy love empty the place?” This set of questions provides many ideas to delve into.

The first question proposes a questionable concept of authority. Luther is simply questioning why the pope claims to have the power to release people from Purgatory, but he chooses not to. Luther believes that love should be reason enough to release people from Purgatory. The second question brings us back to the concept of money. Luther uses this line to compare the values of money and love. While he believes that love should be reason enough to release people from Purgatory, the pope seems to think that means of money are the only way in which a person can be released from Purgatory.

This brings us back to our first main point concerning money. It is obvious that Luther considers the pope as a money-hungry man. It is also obvious that he does not support this greed. Once again, we can see Luther offering an alternative situation to the flawed one before him. He states that there is no way in which the pope has power over Purgatory, and that if he did then he should release people under the concept of love rather than money.

The concept of love mentioned here can be brought back to the questioning of the value of love present in the LGBTQ+ community. Martin Luther is questioning whether love is valuable enough for the pope to release people from Purgatory, and society is in a constant debate of if homosexual love is valuable enough to possess equality to heterosexual love.

Acceptable fighting can be seen through many lenses of history. We see it here in the lens of love and through the lens of religious righteousness.

It is always acceptable to fight over ideas. Fighting over ideas is the only way that we will ever see change. And change is the only way that we will ever see progression.

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This is my correlative essay that I had already written concerning equality when it comes to sexuality and gender. The best part about our society is that we won’t have to implement the fighting that I mention here, because we can simply start off without discrimination. (I say simply, but in reality this is most likely hard to successfully accomplish). Some ways that we can implement equality in our society is by ensuring that none of the rights granted to our citizens are targeted for or against a specific group of people, but rather that our regulations do not detriment people regardless of color, sexuality, gender, or any other feature that cannot be controlled. This would mean that marriage is legal for all people, regardless of who they love; wages are paid fairly, regardless of gender; all people have the right to start a family whenever they are ready and there will be no discrimination in the adoption system based on uncontrollable circumstances; and preconceived misconceptions and generalizations about certain people groups should be erased and these people should be viewed as what they are. People.

Another idea that we can implement into society in order to avoid some of the issues in my essay is the stigma around clothing having gender. Implementing a concept of genderless clothing will allow more room for the citizens to express themselves without concern about if they are wearing an item intended for them to wear or not. I personally love the idea of genderless clothing, and the way that it can expand personal expression is simply beautiful. Lastly, our political system (whatever that may turn out to be) will show a diverse group of officials at all times. This includes women, all people of color, and anybody who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community. Everybody will be included in our society.

Work Cited • Female Soldiers in the Civil War. 26 Feb. 2019, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/female-soldiers-civil-war.

• Straube, Trenton. “Five Most Important Issues Facing the LGBT Community Today.” POZ, 21 July 2020, www.poz.com/article/fiveimportant-issues-facing-lgbt-community-today.

• “Fight for Equality.” GLAAD, 5 Sept. 2011, www.glaad.org/resources/ally/10.

• PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, wwwtc.pbs.org/outofthepast/past/p1/p1.txt.

• “Legal Case: Norman and Hammon, Plymouth, March 6, 1649 · Colonial America: The Age of Sodomitical Sin · OutHistory: It's About Time.”

Outhistory.org, outhistory.org/exhibits/show/the-age-of-sodomiticalsin/1640s/legal-case-norman-and-hammon-p.

• LGBTQ For Liberty, www.lgbtqforliberty.org/.

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“Tired Of People Claiming Gay People Never Existed in The Past, Former Priest Collected 20+ Pics As Proof That They Did.” The Powerful Mind, 22 Aug. 2019, powerfulmind.co/proof-that-they-did/.

“Monticello.” Bill 64, www.monticello.org/site/research-andcollections/bill-64.

“Women in the United States Army.” Women in the U.S. Army | The United States Army, www.army.mil/women/history/.

The Supreme Court . The Future of the Court . Landmark Cases .

Lawrence v. Texas (2003): PBS. www.thirteen.org/wnet/supremecourt/future/landmark_lawrence.html.

Nunley, Jan. “New Hampshire Priest Is First Openly Gay Man Elected Bishop.” Episcopal Church, 28 Nov. 2017, episcopalchurch.org/library/article/new-hampshire-priest-first-openly-gayman-elected-bishop.

“A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States: Introduction.” Guides, guides.ll.georgetown.edu/c.php?g=592919.

Martin Luther's 95 Theses, www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html.

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Julia Alfinito Coach Culture - Investigative Story/Report

A coach and the positive or negative influence that they have on their athlete can make or break an athlete's mental health for the rest of their life. Eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and loss of passion are all the results of athletes that have been shaped by negative coaching tactics. However, some athletes are matched with a coach that have inspired them to such a high level that they achieve all their goals and more. The Olympics, World Championships, NCAA athlete, NBA/NFL/MLB, these are some of the goals that athletes have worked towards and succeeded in. Some have persevered through mental abuse and at times physical, for the sake of athletic glory. In the society of The United Steps, we want to create a new philosophy towards coaching. The habits and practices that are created within a sport should be uplifting, positive, and kind. Talking to athletes about their weight or diet should never be tolerated. If anything the coaches should talk only to the parents regarding a child’s dietary needs. Athletes shouldn’t be punished by embarrassment, screamed at, or berated, but instead offered constructive criticism. Screaming at or embarrassing an athlete is not an acceptable way to coach. Athletes should be treated with respect and valued as human beings. They are, and should never be viewed as robots whose sole purpose is to produce gold medals and trophies. If an athlete is doing their sport for any reason other than the sheer joy and love for the sport, they shouldn’t be in it. This occurs when a parent or coach pressures the athlete into their sport because they exhibit potential. In our new society, sports are for pleasure, enjoyment, and amusement. They are still highly competitive and you have to work hard to achieve your dreams. We want the culture that has been created for the path towards athletic success to look drastically different than the atmosphere today.

For this report 4 student athletes were interviewed with the question: How has your mental health been affected by a primary coach in your life? This can be positive or negative.

Macey Hogan (19, Dancer) is a freshman in college, when posed with this question she answered: “my coaches were the ones that first led to my body dysmorphia.

Coach A told me to ‘suck in to look skinny.’

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Ava Hale (16, softball) is a junior in highschool, when posed with this question she answered: her coach made her hate the sport she plays. Everytime she has to go to practice she gets extremely bad anxiety before practice because of how scared she is of her coach.

Abby Ramsbottom (18, volleyball) is a freshman in college, when posed with this question she answered: “My mental health was affected by my coaches. My coach was unnecessarily mean, he would go after something personal about me.

If I missed a ball or lost a game, he would insult and humiliate me. He would make people run in front of everyone while ridiculing them the whole time if they didn’t perform. It made me lose my passion for the sport and it turned into an environment that I didn’t even want to be in.”

Ethan Curry (17,Wrestling/Football) is a senior in highschool when posed with this question he answered: “My coaches and teammates pressured me into playing football season after season. My coach never communicated the fact that he cared about me as he tirelessly insulted and yelled at me. I didn’t realize he was trying to make me a better athlete and it affected me in ways I was not prepared for. I ended up losing my passion and quitting football after playing my whole life.”

As a recap the 4 athletes that answered this prompt all had something negative to say about their coaching experience. Body Dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety are not mental illnesses to be taken lightly, especially when caused by an optional sport. The current athletic system in place for producing high quality athletes is insubstantial. There has to be a way for athletes to spend years in a sport they love and not lose their passion. There has to be a way for athletes to apply corrections without someone screaming at, or embarrassing them. There has to be a way for athletes to train hard without their bodies being in a constant state of pain. There has to be a way for athletes to be healthy without body shaming them. Human after human feel ostracized and hurt after their time in athletics. Instead of positive feelings and memories from their experience, they look back and only remember what went wrong. How do we reform this? There seems to be so many different avenues to go down and problems to fix within coaching culture that there is no starting point. The answer to this is to simply start with just one small step. We as a society need to bring a lightheartedness and thrill back to sports. Don’t stand by and not speak up towards abuse behaviors from coaches.

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Videography - Sports The QR Code below will take you to a short video montage/highlight reel of a sports team who’s central belief is that you don’t have to be the best to compete, you don’t have to win all the time to have fun. Their mistakes aren’t viewed as embarrassments, they are viewed as learning experiences. This team although they have work left to do, shows that it is possible to mental prep your athletes and keep their mental health intact.

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Koleman Hill News outlets

News outlets need to be as nonpartisan as physically possible. Too often the news twists the news or will choose not to talk about something because it does not fit the political agenda that they are trying to push. This can lead to a lot of miss information. The news reports need to be the truth and news outlets should not be able to sway the truth in any way to fit their political agenda. To do this I suggest that the news companies should have a diverse group of people from all different political parties, races, ethnicities, genders, and sexuality’s so that you can get lots of different points of view instead of just the one the leaders of the news companies have.

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Jasmine Zaldivar To All Future Physicians

Dear All Future Physicians, You are important.

But from the individuals that come to you for help, advice, treatment, and more, we are declaring the need for change in this world that you work in. There are several groups of people uninsured, people who cannot afford healthcare, and even people that cannot reach you when you are the only other person they need.

We are important.

Your job is at the top tier of value – how could we ever repay you if we cannot pay you for your services in the first place? When are the big bills and doctors who turn us away because of our roots going to stop? We bleed red. Help us too.

There is no price on life.

Let’s come up with a plan to put the people first. If you can hear my heart beating through your stethoscope, and you can feel the pain in my voice travel to your body when I refuse treatment, then we can strive for change together.

We need strategic healthcare. Please don’t let us down.

Sincerely, The people Hurting Instead of healing

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Jessica Cabrera Newsletter

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Kassandra Osborne The New Education System

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Ethan Cain An excerpt on the interpretation of free speech -From the documents of the United Steps of America

The duty of a national government is not to restrict the actions of its citizens, it only exists to guard the rights of its people. Anything more and anything less crosses very thin lines into tyranny or anarchy and societies over the centuries have made it very clear that these two extremes are not desirable.

It is in the spirit of this that any form of criticism, insult, protest, or expression of distaste towards the government will be unrestricted. As long as it follows the core tenant of ensure the rights of every individual. Rather than censor information, as many governments in the past have done, there will be a bureau of information. This institution will be used as an alternative to censorship, by publishing and posting both information on the everyday actions of the government. But also by targeting specifically harmful or misleading information and doing their best to provide the correct information in opposition to the falsehoods.

Even though the Bureau of Information exists, it will only target ‘special cases’, like those that would specifically threaten the integrity of the state. In personal matters, such as libel, hate speech, slander, etc, the government will not become involved in any capacity other than to act as an intermediary in court and enforce any ruling the courts come to. Lawsuites for hatespeech, libel, etc, will be made common knowledge and will be supported by the Bureau of Information.

The reasoning behind the laissez faire policies of the state is that it’s not the states responsibility nor its place to decide what is ‘correct’ to say. Even traditionally unacceptable ideas won’t be regulated by the government. It will be up to society to enforce the societal and lingustic norms that they want to live by.

Free speech in the context of social media and online forums Despite the private nature of social media companies, they are still to be held to the same standards as individuals when the rights of individuals are concerned. A company branded as a ‘social media platform’ or any company that acts as a internet forum to share media will have to provide a space that incorporates free speech to it’s full legal extent. Racist, sexist, abelist or any other hateful comments/posts can be filed under hatespeech, meaning that companies won’t have to tolerate those on a platform.

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The intent of this clause is to allow people to use social media productively without fear of being suppressed by a company. To make it very clear, this is not to allow people to be free of consequence for their actions in an online environment, it is to make public domains more productive spaces while preserving what draws people to them in the first place. The only reason the government is involved in these kind of social media websites is because they are pubic domain, anyone with internet can access them. Much like anyone within the vicinity of a playground can walk to it and go down the slide. These areas are held to a certain standard because of their universal access and the same applies to public domain.

The purpose of free speech Free speech serves to create a flexible state that knows all the ways to contort itself to meet the needs of the people and allow both practical and creative expression.

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Rapha Shameza Economic Outlook

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Paityn Main Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

She was a long sleeves in summer type of girl Everyone always thought she was just weird But she was sweating up a storm To keep her scars concealed She would say she hated the ocean And they would think she was scared to swim Or that the current would pull her under But she was already drowning from within Some would call her talented An actress destined for Broadway But she was always on the stage Acting as if she were the same They didn’t know she popped pills every morning In an attempt to mask her pain And somehow no one ever realized She was never really “okay” For she was fighting a mental battle But didn’t want to be an “attention whore” So she kept it all buried down Until death was at her door

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