2023 Write on the Money Literary Journal

Write on the Money Literary Journal

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the second issue of Write on the Money Literary Journal, a collection of the winners and finalists of Mid-State Technical College’s annual student writing contest, cosponsored by the School of General Education and Learning Resources and the Student Leadership Board.

Now more than ever, with the advent of large language models, artificial intelligence that can generate text indistinguishable from human writing, is the time to share our personal stories, our unique research into the questions that ripple through our lives This journal contains the stories of a sampling of students from Mid-State Technical College These essays and research papers teach us important life lessons gained from actual human experience They teach us about finding success after years of mental unwellness, about maintaining optimism during a dire diagnosis, about a harrowing escape from a communist country, about the joy of helping a neighbor in need, and about overcoming fears fears of forgetting, fears of water, fears of the effects of divorce. They include researched arguments on medical emancipation, slaughterhouses, standardized testing, Alzheimer’s’, and universal 4-k These words come from the minds of our friends and neighbors and reading them reminds us of the power and importance of real voices in the burgeoning world of technologized writing.

We thank our 2023 contest judges, Louis V. Clark III and Briah Kreuger, who selected our winners and honorable mentions Louis V Clark III is the author of How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century, which received the 2017 Midwest Booksellers Choice Award as well as an Oneida/Wisconsin Arts Board Award, and Rebel Poet which won a Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award. Briah Krueger, a former Mid-State student known by her pen name B.A. McRae, has pursued her passion for writing since 2008 and has traveled on her indie author journey since 2015, with 8 published books, including collections of poetry, short stories, and a novel

Clark had this to say about liberal arts student Maria Boggs’ essay “Not All Wounds are Visible,” which he selected as the winner in the essay category:

With the opening line, “It’s not a disorder, it’s just laziness,” my curiosity was piqued. I was then overcome with sadness as “The famous words of my father” landed like a shroud, final. The journey that the author was taking me on brought to mind Sisyphus’ struggle, but wait, the author then called out my wife’s favorite saying, “never give up-never give in.” Here the human spirit of helping one another, helping mankind, blossomed and the author was able to climb the mountain. “I finally got my tools” was a wonderful way to end our journey.

Clark selected early childhood education student Elizabeth Hellweg’s essay “The Good Things” as the honorable mention and praised the essay with these words:

The first paragraph began with a cadence. The sentence structure built a tension that filled this reader’s mind. Then, “or at least that's my side of the story” forced

me to continue to find out, “what the heck is going on?” Immediately we learned the answer, but the author dispelled their awful diagnosis with the avant-garde texture of “it was a pretty great time.” Then to the third paragraph where the author states “To start from the very beginning,” brought visions of Maria from The Sound of Music singing, “That’s a very good place to start.” Being privy to this type of journey as seen through a child’s eyes was quite refreshing, for example, the writer notes “I got to miss out on school.” Who couldn’t identify with the good feeling of that? This was a very clean, well-written, and moving story.

In the research paper category, Briah Kreuger selected nursing student Lauren Koopman’s piece, “Medical Emancipation of a Minor in My Sister’s Keeper vs. Real Cases,” as the winner, writing:

From the notable articulation to the compelling and informative breakthroughs in the realities of minors seeking medical emancipation, I was impressed with this essay from start to finish. Within this essay, the topic of medical emancipation in the case of minors is explored, and every factual piece is not only backed up, but the research is interwoven perfectly together. The reader gains clarity on what medical emancipation for mature minors entails and why it should be advocated for. Congratulations, and remarkably well done!

Kreuger awarded honorable mention to Kylie Grady’s, “Effects of Slaughterhouses on People and the Environment” commenting:

This paper grabbed hold of my attention with its visual beginning, emotional connections throughout, stellar points, relevant and detailed facts, and in-depth research. Terrific job!

We thank all students who entered the writing contest It takes courage to put pen to paper and share your ideas with the world On the pages that follow, please enjoy the winners and finalists of the 2023 Write on the Money Contest who agreed to the publication of their essays.

- Jill Quinn, Desiah Melby, Kelly Steidinger, & Abby Ferrell, Mid-State Technical College Communication Instructors

Not All Wounds Are Visible

by Maria Boggs

“It’s not a disorder, it’s just laziness.” The famous words my father used to say at my yearly parent-teacher conferences when my teachers would express to him their constant observations on my struggles with focus and attention span. The truth is my teachers were not wrong. My thoughts have never been my own. It is as if 30 different radio stations are all playing at once and my power button appears to be jammed. This is how my brain has always functioned for as long as I can remember.

I would often spend my nights lying in bed physically tired but unable to sleep because the radio stations in my head refused to follow through with the plan. Is it going to rain tomorrow? I wonder if my parents remembered to lock the doors. What is for lunch tomorrow? I did not like the thick, rubber pancakes that they made us eat today. I never folded my hands during prayer. I wonder if my principal caught me. Boy would he be mad if he did. Does that mean I am going to Hell? I should have folded my hands, but that fly kept landing on my plate, and I just could not take my eyes off it. I wonder if it is true that flies always poop when they land on food. Gross. I wonder if I ate fly poop, and now I have an infection. I better tell my parents tomorrow so I can go to the doctor to get checked out. Except, I really do not enjoy my office visits with my doctor. His breath always smells like rotten eggs mixed with baby vomit, and what is up with that creepy smile he always gives me? I cannot tell if he is trying to greet me with a genuine warm welcome or planning his attack to stab me with needles for his own enjoyment. His hands are always so cold as if he purposely sticks them in a gallon of ice prior to the electric shock he gives when he checks for swollen lymph nodes. On second thought, I will keep the fly poop story to myself this time.

Day after day, year after year, I just could not comprehend what was lying in front of me. Some teachers would agree with my father that I was not applying myself. Others would empathize with me, giving me their sad grin as if they could feel the sadness and frustration I was generating inside. Why didn’t the other kids seem to struggle like I did? Why was I the only one coming home with report cards full of D’s and F’s? I questioned if my father was right. Perhaps I was lazy. I swear I felt like I was trying. In my head, it felt like I had just run a 20-mile race only to look down and find myself still standing at the “start” line.

By the time I got to middle school, I was exhausted. All of those after school tutor sessions, and all I could do was think about every other topic aside from what was in front of me. The teacher who was tutoring me would try to encourage me with “Try harder, I know you can do this.” I wanted so badly to respond to that teacher with “Why don’t you try harder with that hair style of yours? You think that comb-over is fooling anyone?” I refrained. I was proud of myself for keeping my mouth shut on that one.

When high school came around, I could feel myself giving up on my education. At one point, I was attempting to read the first chapter of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that was given to us as an assignment from our teacher. I must of have read that same opening paragraph eight times and I still could not recall what I had just read. I could see the words and I knew what they meant, yet my brain could only envision a page of blurry lines as if I had suddenly become farsighted. I can remember this specific day well because it was the day I officially discontinued my efforts to learn. What was the point of trying anymore? I was not getting anywhere. My report cards were permanently stamped with D’s and F’s and the “brain

lecture” my father would give me was starting to become a daily event. I used to cry when he gave me those lectures, but now I just pretend I am watching an episode of my favorite show and tune him out. I knew the future for myself was not bright, but I just could not find the energy to try anymore.

Senior year was the worst for me. Everyone around me was planning their future dreams and plans for college, and I could not even make it a month through dance team without being benched for bad grades. My inner struggles were starting to project themselves to the world as I watched all my friends go off to college to pursue their dreams and I was stuck in the quicksand of failure, with no future in this small and lonely town. I would try to play it off that I was not going to college by my own choice, not because my 2.0 GPA would be laughed at by every college admissions office as the comical joke of the year. I was embarrassed. I was ashamed.

Fast forward seven years and one child later. I was working at a nursing home. One thing I always found to be good at was taking care of people. I always worried about everyone, and it was my duty to keep people happy and laughing. I loved my son and my husband, and I loved my residents. When it came time to help them out with the everyday tasks of living, I did it as perfectly as I could. I never had to think about that; it just came naturally to me. Maybe I was not as dead and useless on the inside as I thought, so I held onto that for my everyday motivation.

When I became pregnant with my second child, the volume on my internal radio stations seemed to have turned up. My constant fear of my unborn child being in harm’s way seemed to be the main talk on these radio stations. I would call my OB’s office almost daily, verifying if the thoughts in my head were real. “I ate an orange and accidently swallowed a seed. Could that seed be damaging the umbilical cord?” or “I walked by someone at Walmart today who was smoking a cigarette. Did that short period of secondhand smoke get into my baby’s system?” The racing thoughts never ended. Sometimes the thoughts would physically hurt my head. No need to worry there though. I made sure the doctor ruled out any possible brain tumors.

I remember my OB asking me to come in for a visit with her. I knew it. That orange seed was blocking the umbilical cord. I better get there now. I sat down in the exam room filled with portraits of tiny babies in pastel tutus, sleeping so peacefully with smirks on their faces. How adorable is that? I wondered how long it took those photographers to pose those babies. What if one of the babies had a diarrhea blow out? What a mess that would have been. I remember those first newborn poops with the black, tarry substances. Stop and focus! You are here for other reasons. But my gosh, those tutu babies were adorable.

My OB came in with a concerned look on her face and sat down at eye level with me. She started to express her concerns about my mental health. That sent immediate red flags to my internal radio stations. Mental health? Who? Me? How could you think that? Absolutely not. Mental health is for crazy people, not me. Those radio stations got louder and louder. In fact, there was one point where I had completely forgot that I was not alone in that room, and I

screamed out, “I’m not crazy!” I stormed out of that office with so much anger. Shame on that doctor for insults she threw at me. I swore I would never come back to see her again

I came home to my 5-year-old son and husband sitting on the couch with disappointment sprayed across their faces. Did the doctor call and tell them she thought I was crazy? Why were they upset? Before I even got to analyze and overthink the 200 additional questions in my head, my son started to scream out to me. “Mom, you missed parent day at school. You promised you would be there, and you missed it.” My frustration quickly turned to sadness. “Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I have no idea how I could have forgotten that. I am so, so sorry.” I replied. He stood up, walked over to me, and gave me a hug. “That’s ok, Mom,” he said. “I still love you, but I wish you would not forget so many things all the time.” What a stab to the heart that statement gave. He was so right, though. I forgot about soccer sign up last week. I forgot to take him to that birthday party the weekend before. Why could I not remember this? Why wasn’t this one of the main headlines to one of the radio stations constantly playing in my head? I looked over at my husband who refused to look back at me. I knew he was checked out. I knew he was done with having to remember for us both. I knew he could not handle the impulsive thoughts and actions of me anymore. I have seen that look of disappointment before on my father’s face when I was a child. Although he was physically there, I knew my husband was gone and it was all my fault.

I recall crying that night harder than usual as the radio stations were getting louder and louder with the latest updates. “This just in: she is the world’s worst mother and wife.” I could not take this anymore. To constantly disappoint myself was one thing, but to disappoint my son and husband, that was a hard curveball to the temple. I wondered if my OB was right. I questioned if I had a mental health problem. I was about to bring a second child into the world, and I was damned if I was going to let her figure out my failures. I never wanted to see that face of disappointment on my son again let alone my infant daughter. I made the decision to call my OB the next morning and agree to have her place a referral for me to establish with a psychiatrist.

I still remember walking into that psychiatrist’s office for the first time. There was this beautiful brown leather furniture that looked like it had never been touched before with its smooth and shiny reflection and that fancy leather smell, far too expensive for me. Why were there so many plants? To keep a good oxygen flow throughout the room? How come I can remember this moment from 10 years ago like it just happened, but I struggle to remember what I ate yesterday for lunch? I locked eyes with the psychiatrist as she sat in her matching professional leather chair. Her legs were crossed with her notepad and pen on her lap. Here we go. She had a thick, blank book, ready to write down all the negative observations she had of me as if she were God and that was my final judgement day. I scanned the room for the closest exit and made sure to take a seat in the fancy chair next to it. I had my plan for escape if needed.

“Hello there, I am here to help,” she began her opening welcome statement. I could tell she had more to say but I felt the overwhelming and impulsive need to cut her off and said, “If you think I am going to take medications, then you are mistaken, and we can consider this meeting over.” “Absolutely not,” she replied. “We are just meeting because it sounds like you are having a difficult time and I want to be able to help you navigate your feelings, even if it just involves talking it out.” I thought to myself, good luck, Lady. I have been trying to navigate these internal radio stations for years and there is no hope. The power button has been permanently ripped off by this point. You are wasting your time.

Let me tell you, this psychiatrist knew what was doing. She had all the right words to say to ease my mind. Suddenly, I could feel myself letting my guard down and projecting my entire life and internal struggles onto her. I was expecting to see that same face of disappointment as I did with my father, husband, and son, but it never came. Instead, she had a genuine look of empathy as she replied with the perfect responses to make me realize she just wanted to help. I let her into my brain. I let her listen to those radio stations. I even let her perform psychological tests on me, and when the results had come back with severe ADHD, combined, as well as generalized anxiety disorder and a sprinkle of obsessive-compulsive disorder, I was not shockingly offended or defensive like I would have expected to be.

The psychiatrist was so patient with me when I expressed my firm decision and refusal of any medications. She respected my wishes and agreed to continue to see me week after week for follow up therapy. I had no knowledge back then that a psychiatrist’s role is to primarily diagnosis, prescribe, and maintain medication management. If a patient does not wish to have medications be part of their treatment plan, the patient is urged to consult with a licensed counselor for therapy. The psychiatrist never once informed me of this. Instead, she continued to see me for my vent sessions. I would come to find out later that she had similar life struggles as mine with undiagnosed ADHD. Once she was accurately diagnosed and her condition was managed, she dedicated her life to dissecting ADHD from every single angle and becoming a psychiatrist in hopes to help others who were struggling. That woman had a mission to save my life, and she did just that.

After my daughter was born and my husband had left me, I was determined to work harder than ever on “fixing” myself. This included weekly intensive therapy and education of how to manage my new diagnosis. Eventually, I agreed to initiate medication management after receiving the correct education and understanding of it. The outcome was that I became an entirely different person. It was as if someone was finally able to fix my jammed button on my internal radio stations and turn down the volume to a controllable sound. I finally could think about one subject at a time. To be completely honest, it was extremely creepy at first. I felt more insane than before. Why could I focus on the birds chirping their good morning song when I sat outside sipping my coffee? How did I manage to write all the upcoming events and appointments for myself and my children, but also remember to attend them? Why was I so calm? Why was I thinking things through before I said them? What was wrong with me? Is this how a normal person’s brain is trained to think?

I eventually accepted and enjoyed this new change, and I took advantage of my (mostly) controlled and focused way of thinking. I enrolled in college to become a Certified Medical Assistant. I recall the confused expressions from the woman who helped enroll me into the technical college. She would double blink her eyes while staring down at my high school transcripts, as if she were hoping she was hallucinating when she saw my 2.0 GPA. I was preparing myself for rejection but was shocked when she informed me that if I were able to achieve the required scores on the entry exam, that I would be accepted into their program. She suggested I establish a tutor through their student center to study and prepare for the exam. I was beyond excited for this opportunity. I thought to myself for once, I am going to prove anyone who had ever doubted me wrong.

I faithfully went to the student center to receive tutoring sessions and this time I was able to focus and understand what was being taught to me. Hallelujah! I cried tears of joy when I passed the entry test and was officially on my way to my Certified Medical Assistant diploma. For the first time, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed school. I was determined and dedicated to

push myself to receive those gold cords. When I graduated with a 4.0 and walked down that graduation aisle wearing gold cords proudly over my gown, I felt like I had finally finished my marathon from beginning to end. I remember looking over at my parents and seeing my father cry. This was something I have never witnessed in my life. After the graduation ceremony ended, I watched my father marching towards me. Typically, I would associate that fast-paced walk with an upcoming “brain lecture,” but this ending revealed a huge plot twist. Not only did I get the biggest hug from my father, but for the first time in my entire life, I heard the words, “I am so sorry. I should have listened. I should have taken you to get the treatment you needed years ago.” I hugged my father as tight as I could, despite the awful old spice cologne that was creating my headache (yes, my brain still has a few radio station dysfunctions from time to time) and instructed him to stop apologizing. This was not his fault. He did not know better, and neither did I. Mental health was not a topic that was spoken about much back then, but I am so relieved that it is being talked about now.

Here I am 10 years later at 35 years old. I have 4 children and am happily married to my second husband for almost 6 years now. I work at a psychiatry clinic, and I absolutely love my job. I have become an advocate for mental health. I know what struggles mental illness can bring as I have lived and continue to live with them myself I also know how life changing it is when you get accurately diagnosed and treated. I have this desire to help educate others who are struggling. This is what influenced me to continue my education and to one day become a therapist myself.

Ten years ago, I would have never shared this story with anyone as I kept it bottled up and stored in my “embarrassed” file folder in the back of my mind. Today, I have shared my story with many friends, family, and even patients I tell my story with no desire for receiving empathy or praise in return. Instead, my goals are to help people understand the importance of mental health and the realization that even though the internal wounds are not visible, they are valid, and appropriate treatments can help them to gain back their happiness again. Life is challenging enough, but no one should ever have to suffer in silence with mental health for the fear of being shamed or viewed as “broken”.

I have often watched my patients let their guard down after I share my personal story about mental health. I want to prove to them that I am not in any position to judge them, nor do I view myself any better than them. I want to show them the compassion and understanding I have as well as the respect that I have for them to make the commitment to be here, ready to receive the help they need and deserve.

There is nothing about my life path that has ever been easy for me. I still struggle with my condition despite medication management and continued therapy. However, looking back at how far I have come fuels my fire to continue down that path. As strange as it may sound, I do not regret a single moment of my past struggles. I do not wish my parents would have gotten me treatment sooner In fact, I am glad they did not jump to conclusions and have me put on random medications as a child, in hopes that one would be the magical cure to change me. My struggles and lost battles are what drove me to the destinations I needed to be at in that moment. My internal radio stations are still present, but some of the stations have fallen out of range and the remaining ones are much more controlled and focused I finally got my tools from my toolbox to fix that power button and adjust my sound.

The “Good Things”

by Elizabeth Hellweg

It was December 23rd, 2005. We dropped everything to rush to the hospital. There we were told by multiple doctors to travel to a different hospital late at night. That’s when my parents knew something was wrong. When we got there it was all a haze. Doctors and nurses everywhere. White lab coats and needles flashed before my eyes, but the rest was a blur. All I can remember is not getting to eat my mac and cheese… or at least, that’s my side of the story.

A week after that night was when I was diagnosed with ALL, better known as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I was so young that I couldn’t quite grasp what this news truly meant; my parents did, though. For them, it was a scary couple of years. If you ask me, it was a pretty great time.

To start from the beginning, I was in the kitchen waiting for my mac and cheese to be done when I started feeling really hot and started to scream about how warm I was. My parents were concerned and took my temperature which read 103.6. They took it again to make sure it was correct, as that is an abnormally high fever. The thermometer read 103.6 again, which is when we rushed straight to the hospital.

We saw a doctor who wasn’t quite sure what was going on. At this point my parents were worried out of their minds because the doctors did not give us much information. All they said was that we needed to go immediately to the hospital in Marshfield. Once we arrived, around 1:00 am, it was just more doctors and tests. The next thing that I remember was waking up on Christmas morning to a wagon full of presents that was twice my size in height. The presents were all for me and my brother from the hospital.

When people ask me about my experience going through cancer, I always say I remember the good things, not the bad parts. That may sound odd, but waking up Christmas morning to more presents than I could count was my first example of the “good things” throughout my cancer journey.

The two and a half years that followed were filled with many hospital stays; shots in my arms, legs, and even in my back; chemo; and a whole lot of doctors. During this time, I do not remember everything in detail. What I can tell you is being poked and prodded by needles like a pin cushion almost every day is not fun. It’s also not enjoyable to no longer eat your favorite foods because it all tastes like iron. Then of course there’s losing your hair, which isn't fun at any age, but especially when you’re a kid. Not to mention living your life in a hospital, taking ten pills a day, not getting to hang out with your friends, and missing out on a normal life. In my opinion, normal is overrated, and I’ll tell you why.

I got to miss out on school, which may seem like a bad thing, but that’s any kid’s dream. Every child with cancer gets a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to have one wish come true. I used my wish to meet one of my favorite people at the time, Cinderella. Let me preface by saying this was the only movie I watched during my hospital stays, and it was on 24/7, quite literally. Not only did I get to meet Cinderella, but I got a whole trip to Disney with my family. We got to see all the parks, jump to the front of all the lines because I had a special button, and had the best time. Five years after my Make-A-Wish trip I had the opportunity to visit Florida again with many other children who had cancer just like me. There were also

family camps we were able to attend to meet other families who know what it’s like to have a child going through cancer.

Aside from all the amazing trips I got to go on, I was lucky enough to have the best support system of my family and friends who were all there for me. I had amazing doctors and nurses who were there the whole time I grew up, and even still. It was not an easy time by any means but having a great support system made me see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I could write a list of a hundred more pros that happened in my life because of my diagnosis, but I can’t remember any more of the cons. That’s because I chose to remember the good memories rather than the bad. Which is how I’ve always liked to look at life. Life is hard, and bad things happen. We’re challenged with things that may seem to be too much to handle, but why let that ruin you and your happiness? When you start to look on the positive side of things, you gain strength.

To this day, I wouldn’t change a thing. I went through one of the worst things, and I’m still here to tell you about it, stronger and healthier than ever. Why would I pick a normal and boring life, when I got to learn first-hand how to deal with the struggles and challenges that life throws at you. I stand here today as a cancer survivor of 14 years with the power to overcome whatever else life has to offer me, good and bad.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

by Anna Burich

“How much of your life can you remember?” I asked my husband as we drove down Interstate 29 on the way to my parents’ house.

“What specific life events are you asking about?” He responded.

“I guess I am asking if you remember any unique experiences or events, something that is not connected to the typical memories of birthdays, holidays, family traditions, or vacations. Like the small things that are just about you. The times you were just you, by yourself,” I clarified. I could tell he was thinking about it, and I waited for his response in silence.

“I wish I remembered more than I do,” he finally replied. “You know how you experienced things as a kid and at that moment, you thought it was such a big deal? You thought it would be significant in your future and now you don’t remember half of those moments. They helped to develop your character and personality, yet you are unable to recall the details as to how.”

I initiated this line of questioning after reading a passage from the book, A Million Miles in A Thousand Years by Donald Miller. My husband and I had just started reading his books again, and I would read aloud whenever we went on a road trip together. The author starts his first chapter with this overwhelming realization: “The saddest thing about life is you don’t remember half of it. You don’t even remember half of half of it. Not even a tiny percentage, if you want to know the truth. I have this friend Bob who writes down everything he remembers. If he remembers dropping an ice cream cone on his lap when he was seven, he’ll write it down. Last time I talked to Bob, he had written more than 500 pages of memories. He’s the only guy I know who remembers his life. He said he captures memories because if he forgets them, it's as though they didn't happen; it’s as though he hadn’t lived the parts he doesn’t remember. I thought about that when he said it, and I tried to remember something.”

This short paragraph challenged me, and I too tried to remember. I thought about my childhood home, the place we were currently traveling to. I remembered how when I was twelve, I created a small “time machine” out of a tiny, wooden chest which I filled with a locket, a picture of me and my best friend, a glass bead, a note describing myself and who I was, and a random antique key which I had never been able to match with a lock. I took my time machine down the road to our neighbor’s creek and found a soft spot of soil above the flow of the cool water. With a small garden trowel, I dug a hole, placing first a flat rock at the bottom, then the chest with another rock on top. In preparation for this monumental occasion, earlier that day I had retrieved a wild, marsh marigold plant from the water’s edge, and this was placed atop the rocks and chest; loose soil was gently placed to fill any remaining space in the hole. I think I

said some special words over the burial ground, and I even wrote a witty poem of clues on how to find the time capsule. Try as I might, I cannot remember the poem. The time capsule stayed in the ground for the duration of two weeks before I had to dig it up and get back my locket. I guess my attempt at preserving my childhood was inconsequential compared to my attachment to that locket. Funny thing is, I have no recollection of where that locket ended up.

Shortly after my thoughtful trip down memory lane, we arrived at my childhood home, and another wave of nostalgia hit me as I walked through the rooms where I grew up. The reason for my visit was because of a recent, major life change. I had gotten married a month before this drive and now I had come to collect some of the personal belongings that were left in my parents’ attic. I sat in my sister’s bedroom, opening box after box, time capsule after time capsule, and the trip down memory lane continued, this time accompanied by my sisters. As we reminisced there were moments of laughter, regret, sadness, shock, relief, confession, and denial. The good, the bad, the sweet, and the ugly were all spread out on the floor, the bed, and the couch in the form of papers, unfinished art projects, old clothes, childhood toys, books, and a collection of odds and ends. We talked until the sun went down, story after story. I left with a portion of the boxes filled with a few prized possessions I couldn’t bare to part with just yet.

My husband gave me a look as we got into the car to leave, and I thanked him for his patience. I had told him we were making a quick stop to grab the items and it had not been a quick stop. He replied to my appreciation with a soft smile.

“You were very excited and happy to relive so many memories. I understand and I am happy you had this opportunity. I was just not prepared to stay so late, but I know this meant a lot to you,” he squeezed my hand as we pulled out of my parents’ driveway.

I sat there in the passenger seat on the ride home realizing I wanted to remember that memory of my attempted childhood time capsule forever. I wanted to remember the stories my sisters and I had just spent hours reliving. But would I always remember? I have no guarantee that I will always have a healthy, sharp mind as I age. At that moment, I decided I wanted to start writing my memories down. Like Bob, I too needed to capture the memories so I could know that they happened. Writing memories down is one way to capture the past Reading and reminiscing on the random thoughts and adventures of a younger me has given me a new perspective on life. How much of your life do you remember? What would your walk down memory lane look like? Try it sometime. I encourage you to; when we reflect on our past it gives us context and insight into our present and future.

My Mother’s Journey

by Seng Vang

It was quiet and the only sounds I heard were the cries of the owls and the whistling of the wind rushing through the swaying bamboo trees This created an evil chanting voice. This voice gave me comfort; it meant that death hadn’t caught up to us yet. The warmness of my breath rose from the crack of my mouth. I gulped water that raced down my throat and then my lips went dry again. The sweat was rolling down my face, not because of the midnight summer warmth, but the thought of death. On this warm night when the moonlight was fighting through the crowded bamboo trees, casting pitch-black eerie shadows that seemed to chase us at every turn, I wondered to myself, “Is this light our friend?”

Countless people have made this journey just to perish as if their existence had been erased from this earth. Did my loved ones and I share this same fate? This thought kept tumbling in my head as I walked through the thick jungle. The branches were scratching and tearing away at my thick, soft skin but I felt no pain, only the thought of surviving lingered in my mind. We had reached the end of fighting through the dense jungle, roaming up and down mountains and through valleys, not knowing that there were still untold obstacles ahead waiting for us. From the cluster of bamboo trees, I could see an endless stretch of dark muddy ground with an evil aroma to it. It was an ill-looking stretch of land that seemed to have many hidden dangers. “Will this stretch of dirt be our final resting place?” I fearfully thought.

Just as I feared the moonlight that was once our savior now turned out to be our worst enemy. Out in the revealed open, the light fell, descending on the filthy stretch of dirt. The illumination of the light that once guided us through the darkness now turned out to be the eye of the enemy and maybe our demise, and then I felt hopeless.

We could hear the mighty river crashing, twisting, and turning just beyond the stretch of earth. Before that night the sounds of the river were a sign of life; it was mighty and calm, and it brought food and life to the people. Now these sounds frightened me, and it meant that this was our last obstacle, and we could all be swallowed up by its wrath. The eerie frightful pitch of the wind from the open seemed like the cries of the ones that had vanished before us, screaming, and howling in the darkness.

My tears quietly cascaded down my eyes as I gazed at my loved ones, and I softly ran my fingers through their hair. I had said to them numerous times before that I loved them, but tonight no words needed to be said; my tears said it all. No one spoke a word; we were waiting for the right moment to face our end. “Now,” a gentle voice in my head said calmly as if that word had already finished us. I took one last breath that rushed into my lungs and without any hesitation, we quietly made our way toward the roaring crashes. Out in the open, I could feel the cool breeze brushing my face and the smell of wet earth clearing my nostrils. We silently walked through the muddy ground that seemed to swallow our feet with every inch we took. The soft weak mud fighting through our toes seemed to grip and stop us from leaving. We finally got halfway, and without warning, flashes and loud thundering sounds came from the dark, and then it looked like thousands of fireflies racing towards us from both sides of the darkness to see who would hit us first. As I looked around me, the steaks of light disappeared

into the bodies of the others, and they would shiver, as if they were yawning and too tired to go on, their bodies would tense up, their mouths opened, and then nothing came out but a soft gentle moan. They crumbled and lay there lifeless and quietly without making another sound.

I wanted to give up at that moment and run back to hold them and cry, but my two feet seemed to have a mind of their own and went against my wishes, only making me run toward the crashing waves. My tears were flowing down my cheeks and with every drop I was asking them for forgiveness, every drop was the love I had for them, and every drop was the memories I would keep of them. My loved ones must live, they couldn’t vanish in this dark gloomy place I must fight, and I must go on. The booming crashes approached closer and closer and the thunderous sounds get louder and louder. We had finally reached the end and live or die it all came down to this decision that I had to make as a mother. I grabbed the rope and said,” Jump!” and with the last ounce of energy I had left I yanked the rope with my loved ones tied to it, and we all fell into the unknown darkness. My body hit the sunless river and the dark icy waves were punishing my face from all directions for the decision that I had just made. My feet were heavy, but I kept fighting to stay up and hold on. It was no use, I had no more strength left, and my frozen fingers gave up one by one I had fought but lost and the rope slipped away from my grasp. “Don’t look back, and I love you,” I cried out to my children, knowing in my heart that might be the last time that I would lay eyes on my loved ones. I watched the strength of the dark pushing them further and further away until I could no longer see or hear my loved ones ’ cries as they faded into the darkness. From the back, I could hear and see the others screaming and praying to the heavens for help, but that night no prayer was an answer to them or perhaps to me too. I could see the flashes lighting up the dark like fireworks and then finally just like that it all went silent as if nothing had happened All I could see was the smoke rising from the darkness as if it was their souls reaching for heaven. “I am sorry,” I tearfully said, and my mind went blank, my arms and legs went numb, and my eyes began to slowly close and all I could see was the light getting closer and closer to me in the dark of night.

Steps Underwater

by Sabrina O’Keefe

Water is a charming chemical; the thousands of forms it takes are astounding. I suppose that is why it had such a controlling hold on me. As intimidated as I was, I found a way to conquer my fear. With the encouragement of my experience, I hope you will also gain the confidence to wrestle with your phobias.

I noticed my fear for the first time when I was around nine. Waterpark parties were becoming my new obsession. I would regularly get invited but always ended up in the arcade area instead of the pool. Scanning the dark abyss of the ocean made me squirm I could accept my fear of the ocean: it seemed logical because of its unpredictability and unknown creatures below. What I could not accept was my fear of lakes, rivers pools, and embarrassingly enough baths. I knew what was below The water is translucent, like looking through a window. It was irrational to fear it. There is always a story that comes with fear but in my case the cause of my anxiety toward water was unknown. I have not had a drowning experience or been thrown in the pool too young which irritates me. If I had been, I would understand and work through my bad experience. When I was floating in the vessel, the silence combined with the soft lapping of the water surrounding me made my stomach sink, like being swallowed into the depths.

A vacation ultimately changed my apprehensive mindset. Mexico was not my idea of a relaxing vacation, but of course I was outvoted. My proposal was Ireland, a combination of beauty and history; however, it was not tropical enough for my family. I had kept my fear of water close; it was my secret that I concealed fairly well. Trips to the pool turned into tanning sessions, which were not unusual or suspicious but became routine. When I read the itinerary made up of whale watching, snorkeling, and scuba diving with the whale sharks my chest stiffened. I should have been grateful to participate in these experiences After all, some people can only dream of them. Instead, I could only think of ways to avoid them.

I decided that I could do nothing except attempt to enjoy my time with the sea. We started with whale watching which was not too frightening with the sense of security of the boat. I aimed to ignore the water which was an easy task as I was enthralled by the ginormous creatures. Surprisingly their immense size provided comfort, as it caused them to move slowly and easily predictably. Even their songs were drawn out, sounding like a man groaning in pain. By that time, I was informed that scuba diving had been canceled due to rough waters. I was grateful I would not have to go far away from shore this time, yet the thought of aggressive waves carrying me farther in counteracted my relief.

We paid $11 to ride a boat taxi to the beach. The taxi had a glass bottom that the fish rammed in hopes that my toes would be their new snack. We were each given complimentary snorkeling gear, mismatched fins, and broken straps. We made it work. As we fumbled into the water, fear rushed over me The sand that was once anchoring me to earth had transformed into a continental slope. I was submerged Fortunately, the oversized life jacket I was thrown kept me afloat. It was appearing to be just as I expected, one of the most nerve-racking days of my life. That is when I dipped my foggy goggles under the surface. Color flooded my view as fins of all shades and sizes slipped by. Wide-eyed, I could not help but drift further out to uncover more marvelous organisms. A soft bubble swept across my face; I glanced down to see what creature it came from. I was met with a large tank and tube connecting it to the scuba

diver’s mouth. For how much I worried about scuba diving with the sharks, I was surprised that I wished that I were in the scuba suit. I craved to go deeper. I was sick of keeping the snorkel above the surface. Before this trip, I could not have imagined that I would be jealous of the ones fully submerged, rather than the sun tanners on the safe sand. I spent three short hours bobbing about as I discovered what the ocean had to offer.

Since that day I have recognized water is not as bad as it seems, it is full of life and wonder. We have only uncovered 5% of the oceans and rivers, the rest is unknown, and I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need to be afraid of what could be concealed beneath the waves, if it’s anything like what I saw the day I overcame my fear I know it will be spectacular. I admit, I am ashamed to have feared what keeps us alive, what we humans are made of but nonetheless, I pushed myself over the edge. You must be willing to send yourself into the abyss in order to make progress. After all, if you already know what you’re doing you already know the outcome.

The D-Word

by Jodie Pierce

Something you don’t realize while being raised by young parents is that together you are both growing up. You don’t share the same milestones but tend to shape each other’s personalities. When I was younger, I took a liking to drawing or painting. Anything I could be creative with, I loved it. I can remember sitting in my shared bedroom with my two other sisters playing dolls, dressing them up in dainty outfits to perform a fashion show for our parents later. As we sat cross legged on the dirty white carpet of our room, we heard our parents arguing. I was much too little to even understand what or why they were fighting. I used strapping on my Bratz dolls sandals as an outlet to drown them out, but next thing I knew we were being summoned downstairs by our barely 20-year-old mother.

My favorite part about painting is the control. I have the power to build, create and destroy. Any piece I put my time and effort into is initially part of me. A part of my personality smeared on a canvas, forever a reflection of me. Essentially it is my creation, and I am responsible for the good and the bad of it. It’s hard starting out as an artist, especially as a child; you have such high expectations of most things in your life, and you don’t grow out of this naïve-ness until you understand you set your own expectations. Trying to draw a hand or a face would frustrate me, because you have the image in your head but your brush to cloth can’t create the exact image. You just have to accept that at that time that is the best I can do. In the future with practice, I might be able to, but as of right now I must not be mad at myself for trying my best. * * *

As my siblings and I ascended the staircase from our rooms, we saw our father with his bags packed by the front door. My father did travel for work often, so this wasn’t an unusual sight for us. We started our routine good-byes as we always did when he left for a work trip. But this time the mood was off The room felt a different color. I could feel the heaviness on my dad’s chest, as if I put too much black paint on my brush causing the shadows to outweigh the highlights. His voice so steady he could draw a line with it, he told me he was leaving for good. With cumbersome amounts of tears coming from my face, I could feel every drop hit the floor as they ran down my cheeks. I begged him to stay with empty promises of being a better child He hugged me one last time and walked out the door. I blamed him, I blamed him for leaving and walking out the door without trying to stay.

As an artist our greatest advantage is forming layers, there are so many ways to interpret what someone has created and why. So many people walk into an art museum and go to the same painting as hundreds of others, but their point of view of the piece itself could be entirely different from the next person. But maybe this is also a disadvantage. Trying to make a point so clear yet no one can see it. That’s how I felt as I grew older, learning about who your parents really are and seeing through the veil of the persona they put on. My father tried to explain many times that he left to make our life easier, I was so set on knowing the reason, so set on seeing the painting and knowing what it meant. But as I matured the painting started to look different, I could finally draw the image in my head correctly: I saw my father in a

different light. Realizing after all these years, my had mom painted shadows on the good times we had with him. Writing insults with sharpies on our brains about him, only to write compliments about herself next to them. I know the truth now. After peeling away the dried layers of paint caked on the palette, you see the colors that have always been there, tainting the new paint you place on top of it.

It’s funny how as an adult your views are quite different from when you were a child, how you can learn to hate a food you once loved, or love a parent you once hated. It was my mother in the end who would have been better off leaving and having my father stay. She cheated and kicked him out, the fight I heard as a child was him catching her in the act, but I didn’t find this out until I asked my dad myself. People show their true colors eventually, might as well try and paint a nice picture of yourself instead of a bad one.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

by Michele Dehnel

It was a moment of panic when I arrived home from a 12-hour shift from the fire department and observed a frantic woman running toward me. She was yelling “Michele! Michele! Help me! Please!” I recognized her as Nancy, who was my neighbor across the street from where my residence is located. I asked Nancy what was wrong, as she was crying and looked distraught. She just kept telling me to hurry and go with her to her house because something was wrong with Herman, her spouse.

I quickly dropped my items I had in my arms, grabbed my trauma bag I leave in my vehicle, and ran across the street with Nancy to her residence. Upon entering, I observed Herman in a rocking chair located in the living room, hunched over on his left side. I quickly performed a carotid artery pulse check, which is placing your index finger and middle finger on the side of Herman’s neck just under his jaw. I did not feel a pulse. I then placed my ear near his mouth and could not detect breathing sounds. I pulled Herman out of the chair onto the floor and started chest compressions.

Meanwhile, Nancy was outside calling 9-1-1, but much to my surprise, she was panicking because she did not want to watch me work on Herman. Another neighbor, Jeff, heard the commotion and came over to assist. After a couple of rounds of compressions and breaths by a mask I had in my bag, I got a pulse! Herman started breathing, shallow breaths, but still a good sign. I told Nancy we could not wait for her to call for an ambulance now, as we needed to get Herman to the hospital. Jeff helped me get Herman in Nancy’s vehicle and Jeff drove. I was in the backseat with Herman and as we were driving to the hospital, he coded again. We had laid Herman on the backseat, and I was crouched down on the floor, so I was able to start compressions again right away.

As we pulled into the emergency department parking lot of the hospital, I felt a weak pulse by checking his carotid artery, and heard deep, shallow breaths. Jeff pulled up to the doors of the emergency department and Nancy ran in to get help. Two nurses came outside with a cot, helped me get Herman onto the cot, and took him inside. Jeff went to park the vehicle and I took Nancy to the waiting room of the emergency department. After approximately 30 minutes, the doctor approached Nancy to tell her Herman was breathing and had a strong pulse. He was even saying a few words! However, they were still trying to determine the cause of his episode.

Waiting during those 30 minutes seemed like it was hours. Nancy was frantic with worry, as Herman was all she had. Nancy and Herman had been married for 62 years and did not have any children. I had lived across the street from them for eight years and became close to them. They were like my grandparents and treated me like the daughter they never had. Even though I had a very busy schedule between work, raising three kids who were all involved with sports, and other life priorities, I still made time to help Herman and Nancy with their lawn, taking their blood sugars, shopping, etc. They were family in my eyes.

After approximately one hour, the nurse came to the waiting room to get Nancy and I and take us to see Herman. The doctor met us in his room and told us Herman had a massive heart attack and would need a triple bypass surgery immediately. With tears in her eyes, Nancy kept her composure and held Herman’s hand. She told him everything was going to be okay

and that it wasn’t his time yet. She stated they still had things in life to do, and he whispered, “I’m not going anywhere yet ” The Surgical Technologists then came and wheeled Herman to the operating room, where they performed the triple bypass.

The surgery was a success and Herman had to stay in the hospital for one week. Once he was discharged, I went over to their house every day for weeks during his recovery to help with whatever they needed. I made meals for them as well. Herman was very grateful and appreciative for everything that I did to keep him alive that day, and I simply told him I was doing my job and would help anyone in need, anytime, anyplace.

Two years went by, and Herman had another massive heart attack in his sleep. Although Nancy was sleeping beside him, she was not aware of this until she woke up and he was cold and stiff. Nancy knew he was gone, and she called me to come over. I walked slowly across the street, knowing what I was about to see, and shed a few tears before I went inside. In my mind, I needed to be strong for Nancy and grieve on my own time. I approached Nancy, who knelt next to the bed where Herman lay peacefully. Nancy stood up, embraced me with a hug, and told me to I could have a couple minutes alone with Herman. Even though I worked at a fire department and witnessed death many times, it always feels different when it’s with someone you know. I held Herman’s hand, told him to rest easy, and that I would take care of Nancy.

Six weeks after Herman’s passing, Nancy came over to my house to say goodbye. She has a cousin who lives in Florida, and she was asked to move there. Nancy had mentioned to me a couple of times about moving down south and I told her that would be for the best, especially getting away from the cold winters here. Before she left, Nancy handed me a small, square box with a card. She had gone through Herman’s dresser while she was cleaning out his belongings and found the box with the card. The card and box had my name on it, so Nancy gave it to me. I opened the card, which said “Thank You” on the front. Inside the card was a note from Herman thanking me for saving his life and giving him more time with his sweetheart, Nancy.

Herman expressed his gratitude toward me and wrote that inside the box was a heart necklace he purchased for me a couple of months after his first heart attack. Herman stated the heart symbolized a piece of his heart given to me, and I will always be a part of him for saving his precious heart. I melted into tears and immediately put the necklace on. I have worn the necklace since, which has been seven years.

You never know how long you have, so live life to the fullest and have no regrets.

Medical Emancipation of a Minor in My Sister’s Keeper vs. Real Cases

by Lauren Koopman

Introduction

My Sister’s Keeper (Picoult, 2004) follows the complicated story of the Fitzgerald family. Kate, the oldest daughter, became sick with acute promyelocytic leukemia at a young age. Out of medical options, Kate’s parents, Sara and Brian, conceived a second daughter in hopes her placental cord blood could put Kate into remission. As Anna got older and Kate’s condition relapsed, she donated white blood cells and bone marrow, yet she never gave explicit consent.

When Kate goes into renal failure at the age of 16, Anna, only 13 years old, appoints a lawyer; the novel’s focus is the lawsuit of Fitzgerald v. Fitzgerald, in which Anna sues her parents for the right to make her own medical decisions. While Anna’s lawyer is a locally famous man named Campbell Alexander, Sara Fitzgerald, a previously practicing lawyer, represents herself and Brian in the trial. Campbell spends the trial contending that Anna should no longer undergo invasive and traumatic procedures without medical benefit. Sara, the defendant, argues they were out of other treatment options and that she had the best interests of her two daughters to consider. Sara explains that the situation is a burning house with Kate in it, and the only way for her to be saved is to send in Anna (Picoult, 2004, p. 406).

Near the end of the trial, Anna reveals that she filed the lawsuit because Kate was tired of being sick and accepted that she would die. It is worth emphasizing that Anna didn’t sue her parents to keep from donating her kidney – she sued them for the right to make the decision herself. Following this logic, the judge ultimately ruled in Anna’s favor on the condition that Campbell is her durable medical power of attorney until she turns 18.

The medical emancipation of a minor is a complex issue with no single answer. While the case of the Fitzgerald family is a work of fiction, there are many real-life examples of minor emancipation for medical and non-medical issues. Is the case of Fitzgerald v. Fitzgerald realistic?

Research Review

The term must first be defined to discuss the concept of medical emancipation. In a literary sense, ‘emancipate’ means “to be free from any controlling influence” (MerriamWebster, n.d.). Regarding minor emancipation, the “controlling influence” would be the minor’s parents. However, a minor must meet specific criteria to qualify for emancipation. According to Davis and Fang (2022), a minor may pursue emancipation if they can “function as an adult before turning 18 years old” (Definition/Introduction section, para. 2). The article states that once a minor is emancipated, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) is thereby free from responsibility relating to the minor.

Interestingly, the article also notes that unless minors are emancipated, they cannot consent to medical treatment. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Every US state has different laws regarding emancipation, from what considers an adolescent “emancipated” to whether a change of legal status is required. The case of Anna Fitzgerald would likely fall

under the Mature Minor doctrine, which recognizes an adolescent’s medical autonomy without relinquishing parental control (Davis & Fang, 2022, Issues of Concern section, para. 2).

An article by Hanisco (2000) examines several medical cases in which adolescents were or were not allowed to make their own decisions. The article begins by discussing the average American child’s legal status and the concept of parens patriae, or the idea that there is legal authority to protect neglected populations. It later walks through the current rights of adolescents, dissecting emancipation, abortion, and personal health rights; the text concludes by mentioning the Mature Minor Doctrine. Hanisco also argues that current laws are inconsistent; the current minor is mature enough to know they want an abortion but too immature to comprehend the weight of other treatments (p. 899-932). The entire article finishes by stating that many adolescents are emotionally capable of making informed decisions about their healthcare

An article by Barnett (2013) discusses the concept of post-emancipation child support using the case of Diamond v. Diamond. Barnett examines the case of Jhette Diamond, in which the court decided Diamond’s mother met conditions to make child support payments despite her emancipation status. Jhette Diamond started living apart from her mother at 14 due to alleged substance abuse, neglect, and domestic violence. Following her legal emancipation, Diamond also petitioned to receive child support from her mother. An appeal to the Supreme Court of New Mexico led to an examination of the Emancipation of Minors Act, in which the Supreme Court decided the purpose of the act was to serve the child’s best interests, which may or may not mean continued child support. Barnett also touches on partial emancipation, which requires partial parental involvement (p. 1838). If Anna Fitzgerald were to become partially medically emancipated from her parents, it is not unlikely that Sara and Brian Fitzgerald would still be legally responsible for her.

Diamond v. Diamond isn’t the only case of partial emancipation. A law professor (Boyle, 1999) wrote an article about children in cults who used emancipation laws to get themselves out. After comparing complete and partial emancipation, Boyle discloses the reality that court proceedings regarding the medical treatment of minors are more complicated when a minor would like to refuse life-saving treatment (Medical Treatment Cases section, para. 2). Boyle argues, “When the parent-child relationship has broken down and jeopardizes the well-being of the child, the mature child should be treated as an autonomous individual” (Conclusion, para. 1). Though the Fitzgerald children are not cult members, this closing sentiment reigns true for both Anna and Kate Fitzgerald. While the novel focuses on Anna’s medical autonomy, one could easily argue that Kate is mature enough to decline life-saving treatment, such as a kidney donation. One could also argue that the parent-child relationship between Sara, Brian, and their daughters has ‘broken down’ due to conflicting interests.

Written from an oncology (cancer) nurse’s perspective, a journal entry by Tabak and Zvi (2008) details the case of a Jewish teenager diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia. In this case, the parents decided to go forth with chemotherapy. Still, they rejected procedures they considered ‘useless,’ such as a Port-a-Cath (central line) insertion. The parents also requested their child not be informed of his condition. The article aims to define the nurse’s role in a similar situation. Yet, the writers argue that a mature teenager should have the same rights as a legal adult regarding medical care. The writers back this claim by highlighting that it follows their country’s nurses’ ethical code, in which patients have the right to be informed of their diagnosis and the risks and benefits of potential treatments.

Conclusion

No real-life case exactly mirrors the Fitzgerald v. Fitzgerald case portrayed in My Sister’s Keeper. However, real law cases similar to that of Fitzgerald v. Fitzgerald support the idea that complete or partial emancipation of a minor is possible. Davis and Fang (2022) describe the Mature Minor Doctrine, which specifies that an emancipated minor may be allowed to make medical decisions while remaining under a parent’s care, like the outcome in Anna’s case. Hanisco (2000) argues that the current laws around minors choosing medical treatment are inconsistent and that if minors can obtain an abortion, they should be allowed to make other major healthcare decisions. Barnett (2013) examines financial child support following minor emancipation. This concept suggests emancipation does not always terminate parental responsibility. The final source (Boyle, 1999) reviews how children of cult members use emancipation laws to free themselves; the conclusion contends that if the well-being of a mature minor is jeopardized, said minor should be allowed to make their own choices.

My Sister’s Keeper is a New York Times best-selling novel published in 2004 that continues to touch readers. Many readers are drawn in by the complex and emotional family dynamics; Picoult displays such dynamics through both character discussions and the Fitzgerald v. Fitzgerald case. Picoult manages to craft a relatively realistic story while keeping the audience hooked.

References

Barnett, L. C. (2013). Having their cake and eating it too? Post-emancipation child support as a valid judicial option. University of Chicago Law Review, 80(4), 1799-1840.

Boyle, R. A. (1999). How children in cults may use emancipation laws to free themselves. St. John’s University School of Law, 16(1), 1-32.

Davis, M. & Fang, A. (2022). Emancipated Minor. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554594/

Hanisco, C. M. (2000). Acknowledging the hypocrisy: granting minors the right to choose their medical treatment. NYLS Journal of Human Rights, 16(3), 899-932.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Emancipate. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipate

Picoult, J. (2004). My sister's keeper: a novel. Washington Square Press.

Tabak, N. & Zvi, M. R. (2008). When parents refuse a sick teenager the right to give informed consent: the nurse's role. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(3), 106-111.

Effects of Slaughterhouses on People and the Environment

by Kylie Grady

It’s a warm summer day You and your family decide to have a BBQ. Your dad puts burgers on the grill. When it is finished you bite into the warm, juicy meat. But have you ever wondered where stores get animal meat from? According to a survey taken by 15 college-age students (digital survey, 2022), 33.3% of the students said they knew nothing of slaughterhouses (see appendix). Slaughterhouses are inhumane and cruel to kill animals that do not have a say in their own life. They have many inhumane practices; therefore, people can contract many harmful diseases from eating the meat and even workers after being part of the cruelty that happens at slaughterhouses have been diagnosed with mental illness.

Animals that are raised at slaughterhouses are treated unimaginably. According to the Organic Consumers Association, the feeding of animals has changed substantially over the last 50 years. As stated on their web page, “Pig carcasses can be rendered and fed back to pigs, chicken carcasses can be rendered and fed back to chickens, and turkey carcasses can be rendered and fed back to turkeys. Even cattle can still be fed cow blood and some other cow parts” (Organic Consumers Association, 2022). It is extremely sad that these facilities force herbivores to eat not only meat, but meat of their own kind. Furthermore, slaughterhouses don't always feed their animals leftover parts of other animals, they also feed them corn, to make them “blow up” or to make them very fat quickly. They also feed the animals hormones to make the animals develop faster, so the slaughterhouses can produce more meat, but the hormones are still in the meat, making the person that eats the meat suffer along with the animal. A few other items that are fed to these animals are parts of animals, hooves, hair, skin, etc., diseased animals, plastics, sickening amounts of grain, waste or manure from other animals, and drugs (Organic Consumers Association, 2022). Slaughterhouse animals are treated horribly throughout their life, but maybe they have a respectable death.

Unfortunately, not only are these animals treated horribly throughout their life, but they also have an incredibly sad death. Many animals have already died from diseases or the food that they were forced to eat, but if they survived till this point, they have a cruel, painful death ahead of them. Twenty-five million animals are slaughtered every day, in the United States alone (McArthur, 2021). That is a staggering amount as men eat around four ounces per day and women eat around three ounces per day (North America Meat Institute, 2022). The most horrifying part is the way the animals are killed. They wait and watch for their time as they watch their own kind get shot, electrocuted, drained, and cut. Animal Equality (2016) stated “Pigs are left unconscious; they are electrocuted with an apparatus applied to their temples. Hens and chickens are forced to pass upside down by electrified water. And cows have their skulls drilled with a special gun, which introduces a retractable bullet into their brains.” All this happens while the animal is still alive and able to feel. After the animal is stunned, it is hung up usually by the back legs, which causes broken bones and tears. This allows for a commercially more productive system because it makes the animals drain out instead of someone having to manually kill each individual creature. For all the pain and suffering these animals go though, the meat that they produce can be dangerous to consume.

Because of the awful environment of slaughterhouses, they can cause issues for nature and human physical and mental health. A case study was conducted on Aligarh, India. Four hundred and sixty houses that were near the two slaughterhouses in the area were studied. The

results found that for the residents nearer the slaughterhouses, the environment and health conditions were extremely polluted (Singh, Jamal, Baba & Islam, 2014) All the animal waste and blood that drains out of slaughterhouses can cause many problems for people with wells that live near these facilities. The waste and blood seeps into underground streams which people drink from. According to Environment America, slaughterhouses dump millions of pounds of waste into our water (Weissman, 2021) The meat from the animals can also cause many different diseases in people such as mad cow disease. Mad cow is a disease that is contracted from eating the meat from cattle that were eating the carcasses of other cattle (Organic Consumers Association, 2022). The disease causes symptoms such as personality changes, blindness, difficulty speaking or swallowing, sudden jerking movements, impaired thinking, and more. This disease most likely will result in death (Mayo Clinc, 2021). This all started because we stopped caring for that hand that feeds us: the animals. Along with the people that consume the meat of the animals that are killed in slaughterhouses, the workers are also affected. Studies have shown that people working in slaughterhouses have been proven to have PTSD and more violent feelings toward humans (Taete, 2022). This is a terrifying fact. Slaughterhouses affect everyone It does not matter if you work in the facility, or you live near it, or even if you just eat the meat. All in all, humans are affected by the way we treat our animals.

Even though there are so many negatives to slaughterhouses, they are very economically beneficial. In the aforementioned survey of 15 college students, 50% think that slaughterhouses are neither good nor bad. Some people think that it is an easy way of getting a lot of meat in a short amount of time. And it is. Slaughterhouses kill about 72 billion animals per year around the world. That many animals can feed many people. Also, most people don't know how to take an animal and butcher it on their own. So, slaughterhouses are an easy way to get prepared meat. Even though Slaughterhouses are cruel places, they can produce large amounts of meat in a short amount of time.

In summary, many animals are treated very inhumanly to feed people. They are raised in a horrible environment, they suffer terrible deaths, and therefore cause health and environmental problems for humans all around the world. Even though many people can be fed by all the animals that are killed, there are so many risks to eating the meat raised by slaughterhouses. There is an alternative: grass-fed meat. You get the same meat, but without any of the harmful bacteria in it. These animals live long, happy lives, eating the way they are supposed to and dying humane deaths. Americans live on meat, so why not take care of the animals that carry our nation?

References

Animal Equality. (2016, January). 5 common practices in slaughterhouses that you need to know. https://animalequality.org/news/5-common-practices-in-slaughterhouses-that-youneed-to-know/

Mayo Clinic. (2021, January). Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20371226

McArthur, J. (2021, June). Everything you need to know about animal slaughter. The Humane League. https://thehumaneleague.org/article/animal-slaughter

North America Meat Institute. (2022). The United States meat industry at a glance.

https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/47465/pid/47465

Organic Consumers Association. (2022). They eat what? What are they feeding animals on factory farms? https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/they-eat-what-what-are-theyfeeding-animals-factory-farms

Singh, A. L., Jamal, S., Baba, S. A., & Islam, M. M. (2014). Environmental and health impacts from slaughterhouses located on the city outskirts: A case study. Journal of Environmental Protection, 05(06), 566-575 https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2014.56058

Taete, J. (2022). How do you sleep at night? An interview with a slaughterhouse worker. MIC.

https://www.mic.com/impact/how-do-you-sleep-at-night-interview-with-a- s slaughterhouse-worker

Weissman, G. (2021, February). Slaughterhouses are polluting our waterways. Environment America Research and Policy Center

https://environmentamerica.org/center/resources/slaughterhouses-are-polluting-ourwaterways/

Abolishing the ACT and SAT

by Wesley Calawerts

Like many students, I have dreaded the thought of having to worry about standardized testing, specifically the ACT. Thinking about the fact that one test could help determine if you deserve to reach your goals post-high school is a scary thought of many students. The ACT and SAT have been used for years by colleges to try to assess student ability and potential and if they should be accepted to said colleges. When examining the usefulness of the college entrance exams, one should consider that the ACT and SAT should be abolished because they cause unnecessary amounts of stress and anxiety onto students, some colleges are already making score submissions optional, and they do not effectively predict or represent a student’s potential or willingness to learn.

Before covering said reasons, it would be beneficial to understand why supporters of these tests want them to remain. Advocates of the ACT and SAT suggest that the tests can determine student ability, along with motivating them to be successful. According to a peerreviewed journal, some studies have shown that there is a link between ACT scores and general cognitive ability (Koenig, 2008) It is reasonable to believe that these tests can at some level showcase a correlation between high ACT or SAT scores with student ability Coinciding with ability, supporters of these tests also cite that they promote student motivation. As claimed by the makers of the ACT, “The ACT test motivates students to perform to their best ability” (ACT, n.d. para. 1). One can understand that standardized testing would motivate students to do well on those tests, especially if they had an important role in college applications. Overall, it is fair to conclude that there is some connection between ACT scores and students’ ability, along with knowing that these tests can impact students’ motivation to perform as best they can.

Even with these reasons, the ACT and SAT should still be abolished, one reason being that these tests cause unnecessary stress and anxiety to students. Test anxiety affects 16-20% of students, according to Knowles (2022). Test anxiety can be defined as, “a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with your ability to perform well on tests” (The Learning Center, n.d, para. 2). Statistically speaking, many students would not be able to perform at their best while taking these tests. Knowles spoke from personal experience and mentioned that she felt out of balance with her typical routine before taking these tests, ultimately causing her more anxiety (2022). She also felt tired from pressure while taking these tests, worrying if she would be able to receive scholarships, and if she would be able to go to her dream school if she did poorly on them. While the ACT and SAT may motivate students to work to their best ability, that does not necessarily mean that they will. Test anxiety from these tests can diminish their ability to do their best. One could argue that test anxiety can affect students while taking normal school exams as well, and while this is true, it does not seem like it would as much. With tests for normal high school classes, students learn and focus on the material of a specific unit over time, and then are tested on it. Being tested on something specific taught and learned over multiple days or weeks would likely cause less test anxiety because the student is familiar with it. Taking the ACT or SAT would likely cause more test anxiety

because these tests contain many possible subjects that the students may not be certain with, along with being tests that heavily influence what colleges those students could be attending, increasing anxiety. he amount of stress and anxiety put onto students from these tests are not needed, and students dealing with test anxiety are unlikely to perform as well as they could.

Along with stress and anxiety, the ACT and SAT should be abolished because they are already becoming less relevant. Due to COVID-19 and everything that has transpired because of it, several colleges are no longer requiring ACT and SAT score submissions (Knowles, 2022). Some colleges have also made that decision earlier. “In January 2016, the Harvard Graduate School expressed support for the test-optional concept by including it on a list of methods colleges should consider in the name of reducing test-related stress” (Wake Forest University, n.d, para. 3). Schools showing support for making the tests optional even before the pandemic show that there has been interest in reducing the role these tests have for quite some time. As a result of the pandemic, UW schools are no longer requiring ACT or SAT scores (University of Wisconsin-Madison, n.d.) An unpublished online survey gave further insight on this topic For the question, “Do you think colleges should require ACT/SAT score submissions?” 10% voted yes, while 90% voted no, out of 20 respondents (online survey, November 17, 2022), as show in Figure 1.

The data from this survey was mostly contributed by students in the state of Wisconsin, and shows that students, along with some colleges, believe that submitting scores should be optional. Since many colleges are already not requiring score submissions, the next step to benefit students everywhere would be to abolish the ACT and SAT altogether.

Finally, the ACT and SAT do not accurately represent student’s potential and effort, and grades overall are a more accurate indicator. A study done at Chicago State University found that the ACT does not accurately predict college grades. This was demonstrated with the class of 1992, which had the highest average ACT score in the study, but poorest academic performance, compared to other classes in the study (Paszczyk, 1994). As evidenced in the study, ACT scores do not determine college grades. High school grades are also a better predictor for college success, when compared to ACT scores. According to a peer reviewed journal, high school GPA’s connection with college graduation is stronger than ACT scores are with college graduation (Allensworth, 2020). One could reason that one of the reasons why

Figure 1

colleges like the ACT and SAT is because that they are seen as objective, and that high schools around the country are taking the same test. The research done in the study however shows that grades are all around a better indicator (Allensworth, 2020).

In regards to student potential, the unpublished online survey asked if the 20 participants believe the ACT and SAT are fair assessments on student ability and potential, and brought the results of 20% voting yes, with 80% voting no, showing that the majority of students view the tests as not accurate assessments (online survey, November 17, 2022).

Coinciding with this idea, Wake Forest University went test-optional in 2008 and believes that “… the measure of your intelligence and potential requires a deeper dive” (Wake Forest University, n.d., para. 1). Strauss (2019) mentions that Wake Forest University is a top-30 national university, so this certainly shows that their perspective should definitely be one to consider, and that these scores should not matter as much as they do. After this policy was implemented, the school found that academic achievement was not different between students who submitted scores, and those who did not (Wake Forest University, n.d.) Wake Forest University also mentioned that from Fall 2008 to Fall 2018, ethnic diversity increased by 68% in the undergraduate population. Though these standardized tests are meant to assess the ability of a student, focusing on grades would be more accurate going forward.

In order to more accurately assess a student in the college application process, the ACT and SAT should be abolished. They both cause stress and anxiety that students do not need, colleges are already making submissions optional, and they do not accurately predict students grades, potential, or ability The ACT and SAT are used to help colleges assess students, but a more efficient and better way going forward would be to remove these tests from the picture entirely

References

ACT. (n.d.). About the ACT test. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-andservices/the-act-educator/the-act-test.html#order-reg-materials

Figure 2

Allensworth, E. M., & Clark, K. (2020). High school GPAs and ACT scores as predictors of college completion: Examining assumptions about consistency across high schools. Educational Researcher, 49(3), 198-211

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0013189X20902110

Knowles, M. (2022, January 31). Future or failure: Why we should abolish the SAT and ACT. The Heritage Herald. https://heritageherald.com/2022/01/31/future-or-failure-why-weshould-abolish-the-sat-and-act/

Koenig, K. A., Frey, M. C., & Detterman, D. K. (2008). ACT and general cognitive ability. Intelligence, 36(2), 153-160.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/ pii/S0160289607000487

The Learning Center. (n.d.). Test anxiety https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-andtools/tackling-test-anxiety/

Paszczyk, S. L. (1994, April). A comparative analysis of ACT scores and final GPAs of Chicago State University undergraduate students. ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED370519

Strauss, V. (2019, March 19). Is it finally time to get rid of the SAT and ACT college admissions tests? The Washington Post. /2019/03/19/is-it-finally-time-get- rid-sat-act-collegeadmissions-tests/University of Wisconsin-Madison. (n.d.). ACT and SAT test optional

FAQs. https://admissions.wisc.edu/act_sat_faq/

Wake Forest University. (n.d.). Test optional. https://admissions.wfu.edu/apply/test-optional/

Alzheimer’s: Can it Be Prevented?

by Jessica Boyd

Many have heard about Alzheimer’s disease, but can it really be prevented? Some say that Alzheimer’s is caused by genetics, lifestyles, medication, or even the food we eat. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease that affects the memory section of the brain. There are mild to extreme symptoms. Over 50 million people, about twice the population of Texas, have dementia, and Alzheimer's is one branch of that disease (Van der Weyden, 2021).

Scientists have found a common gene in one percent of people with early onset of Alzheimer’s. There are studies going on to see if mutations of this gene can stop the early onset of the disease. Clinical trials are trying to see if they can prevent Alzheimer’s by using antibodies. Participants are given antibodies or placebo before the onset of disease, and then they require a brain scan to see what effects they see. This is being performed by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN, 2022).

Many people believe if you keep your mind sharp and push to challenge your brain on a daily level, you can ward off Alzheimer’s. Doing jigsaw puzzles, memory games, building things, reading, and playing card games are great ideas, as just keeping yourself busy with dayto-day challenges is not enough. You need at least a once-a-day challenge, experts say. Many times, you can join a bridge club, book club or a social club, just the activity of being with others is a way experts say helps delay the onset of Alzheimer’s (Alzheimer's Association, 2022).

Healthy lifestyles can help prevent this disease. Being physically fit can fight off many common diseases like diabetes, stroke, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Risk factors for common diseases like high blood pressure, high blood sugars levels, and high cholesterol are also shown as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (Harvard Heart Letter, 2022). So, keeping fit by not smoking, exercising, walking, lifting weights or what your body will allow you to do may just be not only keeping you from common diseases, but also from developing memory issues like those with having Alzheimer's.

High quality diets can help improve the odds of your overall health. It has been shown that less red meat and more of a lentils-based diet help with cognitive thinking. Essential amino acid lysine is higher in legumes compared to other plant-based foods. The highest level of lysine of the bean family can be found in soybeans. They provide the number of amino acids we need in our body. There is no cure or solid treatment for Alzheimer’s, but it has been shown that making heathy choices when it comes to our diets lowers our chances (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 2020) of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

There are no known direct approved treatments for Alzheimer’s; a doctor can only treat the symptoms. There are many trials for different medications that they hope one day will help. Tau Tangles are another hallmark of Alzheimer's and being looked at by researchers. They form fibrous tangles as they stick together and kill off cells of the brain. These tangles grow until they cause a catastrophe in the brain thought to be caused by a certain level of amyloid. Treating inflammation after getting diagnosed with the disease is also another consideration. The first neuroinflammation was discovered in a Harvard Lab in 2008. Harvard is working on creating a medication that might one day block that gene. Their hopes are to one day have a

pill to take, just like a cholesterol medication to prevent anyone from having to go through watching a family member decline and not know who they are (Komaroff, 2022).

Science has shown progress with testing and potential medications as treatments for symptoms of Alzheimer’s and one day, hopefully a cure. Keeping the mind sharp with puzzles and brain games, maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, and following up with your doctor may be ways to help prevent Alzheimer’s.

References

Alzheimer's Association (2022) Can Alzheimer's disease be prevented?

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research_progress/prevention

Harvard Heart Letter. (2022) Can medication help us combat Alzheimer’s disease? Cover story, 2021. 46(12), 1-7

Hall, S. (2020). Warding off Alzheimer’s. Psychology Today, 53(6), 8.

Komaroff, A. L. (2022). Ask the doctor. Harvard health letter, lower Alzheimer’s risk may be possible with healthy lifestyle. 47(5), 2.

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. (2020). 38(7), 1–2.

Van der Weyden, C. (2021). Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease - an urgent need for early intervention. Journal of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society 27(3), 175.

Nurturing the Next Generation: Is Universal 4k the Key?

by Grace Hydinger

In the 1700’s, a German educator named Friedrich Fröbel described children as plants and teachers as gardeners – creating the term kindergarten. Kindergarten is a part of multinational school systems that uses playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and writing to socially and cognitively prepare five- and six-year-old children to enter the schooling system. 4k (four-year-old kindergarten) is a year of school designed for four- and five-year-old children, and the curriculum differs accordingly. While many parents believe that 4k is an expensive and optional step in their children’s educational journey, there is extensive research supporting the benefits of 4k for children – such as educational, cognitive, and emotional preparation to enter the public school system. But these programs do not come without a cost; one year of 4k can cost as much as a year of college in some states. This poses the question: could children and families in the United States benefit from free, universal 4k programs throughout the country, and are there realistic ways these programs can be implemented, taking into consideration cost? And is the payoff of these programs worth the cost?

A good starting point for delving into this topic is to analyze the social developments made by 4- and 5-year-olds in 4k programs during the school year. Children experience emotions long before they are able to regulate them. 4k programs that involve SEL tactics (social and emotional learning) in their criteria allow children to experience, identify, and regulate these emotions, both in their own minds and in the classroom setting (Daniels, 2011). Although each child reaches developmental milestones at his or her own pace, being in an enriching environment with one-on-one support available to children prepares them for the transition between daily activities, and larger transitions, such as entering kindergarten. Another socialemotional benefit that children in 4k experience is the ability to learn healthy peer interactions and form relationships with their peers. SEL’s are criteria implemented in pre-kindergarten classrooms to help children read and identify emotions, as well as navigate their reactions to those emotions. As noted in the academic journal Early Childhood Education, “Children who repeatedly misread emotions may be rejected by peers if they act on those misperceptions . . .as interactions with age mates increase, so do the social and emotional skills required” (Seifer et al. 2004). In order to prevent children from uptaking maladaptive coping methods such as internalizing (the child believing they are lesser than their peers, feeling like an outcast, etc.) and externalizing (emotional outbursts/tantrums, fights with peers), SEL lessons are implemented into the curriculum (Kramer, Caldarella, Christensen, & Shatzer, 2012). A result of this is an improvement in children’s attitude towards self, others and school. Preschool teaches children to take care of themselves, their peers, as well as fostering a positive attitude towards schools and learning (15 Reasons Why, 2022). When children are given the opportunity to learn in a way that interests them, they build a positive association with learning and develop a drive to learn. The emotional intelligence and appreciation for school in young children is greatly developed in the early years, if children are attending preschool programs that are designed and allow them to do so.

Young children also benefit educationally and cognitively from 4k. During their 4k year, children’s pre-literacy and math preparation skills are built. In a stimulating learning environment, children’s curiosity grows. All aspects of a child's development physical, socialemotional, cognitive, language and literacy are related and interdependent. Literacy development begins early in life and is almost directly correlated with academic success. The 2022 America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being assessment conducted by The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (FORUM) found that children who had some preschool experience the year before kindergarten at either a daycare center or a home-based program, directed by a non-relative, did better on math and reading assessments than the 15 percent of children who were cared for by a relative, and the 21 percent who stayed home with parents. (America’s Children, 2022.). Examining the linguistic and literary benefits of 4k, an analysis done by Helen M. Ladd in a collaborative dissertation by The Pre-Kindergarten Task Force tells about the linguistic benefits for dual language speaking children. Dual-language learners "show relatively large benefits from pre-K education", especially Spanish speaking children. Ladd states that children’s quick progress in the classroom can be supported by the fact that since they are learning two languages, they have stronger brain circuits that support self-regulation (Brookings, 2016). We also see heightened results of pre-kindergarten educational benefits in low-income families. In a report by Robert G. Lynch that studied the long-term payoffs of 3-k and 4k, several benefits of 4k were identified during elementary school, throughout middle and high school, and into adulthood. In elementary school, students who attended pre-kindergarten demonstrated higher scores on math and reading tests, greater language abilities, and less need for special education and remedial work. In middle and high school, the same students experienced lower rates of teen pregnancy and parenting, lower rates of drug and alcohol abuse, and higher high-school graduation rates. Into adulthood, these individuals experienced higher rates of employment, higher earning rates, committed fewer criminal acts and were incarcerated at lower rates. The implication of the study is that investing in children keeping in mind that they are going to become adults leads to better outcomes, as opposed to waiting until they are adults to invest in them. Early childhood education builds pre-learning skills and lays the foundation for a successful life by implementing skills such as socialization, linguistic skills, language skills, and behavioral regulation as soon as children begin out-of-family interactions.

Preschool also advantages low-income children to a great extent and benefits them even more than their high income peers and can support family economics. While many prekindergarten studies focus on the benefits of early childhood education (ECE) for the typical child, fewer studies focus on the benefits of ECE for specific subgroups of children. In an analysis by Helen F Ladd, an overview of studies that looked at the effects of pre-k on child development in children of families in the 90th income percentile, and in the bottom 10th percentile. The report reads, “The studies that show differentially large effects for children from disadvantaged families… In addition, Ladd et al. find larger effects for children whose mothers have low education than for those whose mothers are better educated.” The report also notes that there were benefits noted for students from more advantaged backgrounds as well. (Brookings, 2016). In addition to this, a 2016 interview with NYC’s Mayor at the time, Bill de Blasio, explains some of the benefits of targeting disadvantaged families with public ECE programs. “They provide these disadvantaged children with enriched family environments: more verbal attention, more enrichment and parenting resources available to disadvantaged, predominantly African-American women, as you say, and single-parent women. It supplements the early lives.” He continues the impacts of having enriched children on parenting - “When the

child goes home the child is more engaged and also therefore engaging the parent. We found that. We found that as a byproduct: much more parental engagement among those who got the treatment (attended ECE program) compared to those who were randomized out into the control group. And these were lifetime effects.” (Westervelt, 2016). Another important factor to consider when weighing the benefits of public ECE programs is family economics. Private daycare can be expensive and has become an unmanageable expense or practically unavailable to many families. Preschool can cost as much as $1,000 a month; sometimes it costs even more Many parents must work reduced hours or opt out of the workforce completely to care for their child. Having free, public 4k allows parents to return to work sooner, while their child is in a safe, enriching environment at no cost to them. Public pre-k helps reduce the education gap by providing a free early head start to all families, regardless of economic status. Not only does the educational gap prevent children from achieving, it prevents parents from maximizing their income by working. The socio-economic impact of widespread early childhood education benefits both children and families.

Free, universal pre-k does not come without cost. A major concern regarding universal pre-k is the cost of programs, source of funding, and quality of care. The United States falls far behind many other countries when it comes to preschool participation, and cost is partly to blame for it. A 2018 article by Alia Wong explores the topic. Ron Haskins, a preschool expert who co-directs the Center on Children and Families at the left Brookings Institute, argues that federally funded universal preschool is a “very bad idea”, due to the fact that many states simply do not have the funds to provide these services. And the funding shortfall undermines the quality and effectiveness of programs. A small online survey conducted in November 2022 taken by 10 college students, found that 60% of students supported universal 4k, while 40% stated they did not support the concept. Those who are not in support of universal 4k stated that their biggest concerns would be the source of funding and if funding would mean an increase in taxes - if so, on who, and how much. For others, the concern is less about cost and more about the effectiveness of pre-k altogether. Neal McCluskey, associate director of the Center on Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute, said in a 2014 interview with The Atlantic, “The reality is there isn't a good research basis to say that pre-k is good…Preschool has been oversold. People too often speak as if it’s a certainty that preschool has strong, lasting benefits" (Wong, 2018). The article does, however, state that the immediate benefits for disadvantaged children in 4k are clear, and that preschool contributes to closing the achievement gap. Another argument against universal pre-k comes from The Manhattan Institute, and focuses on the effectiveness of currently existing studies, stating many of them were based on intervention and were not replicable on a large scale in a real school environment. A quote from the same article reads “Studies suggest that many children exhibit higher levels of stress hormones colloquially termed “toxic stress” in child-care environments than they do at home, which could leave a lasting physical impact on their brain architecture” (Eden, 2021, para. 11) In the late 1990’s, the Quebec Family Policy group performed a study on expansion of publicly subsidized childcare supported the idea of “toxic stress.” The quote reads, “Researchers found that childcare caused an increase in hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression, as well as a deterioration in motor and social development. They also found substantially negative effects on health, including an estimated increase of 156%–394% in the likelihood of children suffering from a nose/throat infection.” Pre-K is a two-way street, and the implementation of universal pre-k would mean a massive emphasis on the quality of care and education children receive in order to avoid gaps in benefits children receive, and government insistence.

Free, universal 4k in the United States could ideally provide comprehensive, quality care to all age eligible children, if the parents so choose. Children would spend days or half days in an enriching environment that supports and encourages learning and cognitive development, as well as supporting families by providing opportunities for increased income. The complexities of implementation of these programs are difficult to navigate, including public expenses and quality of care. However, decades of research back up the benefits of preschool and point towards preschools being a worthy investment in children’s future, and our future as a whole society.

References

15 reasons why preschool is the most important decision you can make. (2022). Northshore Christian Academy. https://nca.school/15-reasons-why-preschool-is-one-of-the-mostimportant-decisions-you-can-make/

America's children in brief: Key national indicators of well-being, 2022. (2022). Childstats.gov.

https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp

Brookings Institution. (2016). The current state of scientific knowledge on pre-kindergarten effects.

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-chandlcontent/uploads/2017

/04/duke_prekstudy_final_4-4-17_hires.pdf

Daniels, D. (2011). Supporting Early School Success. Educational Leadership, 68(7), 1822. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ972296

Eden, M. (2021, February 11). The drawbacks of universal Pre-K: A review of the evidence. Manhattan Institute. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/drawbacks-universal-pre-kreview-evidence

Kramer, T., Caldarella, P., Christensen, L., & Shatzer, R. (2009, October 24). Social and emotional learning in the kindergarten classroom: Evaluation of the strong start curriculum. Pre-Kindergarten Task Force. (2010.). Early Childhood Education Journal. 37 (4)303-309. DOI:10.1007/s10643-009-0354-8

Sanchez, C. (2017, May 3). Pre-K: Decades worth of studies, one strong message. NPR.org.

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/05/03/524907739/pre-k-decades-worth-ofstudies-one-strong-message

Westervelt, E. (2016, December 12). How investing in preschool beats the stock market, hands down. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/12/504867570/howinvesting-in-preschool-beats-the-stock-market-hands-down

Wong, A. (2018, April 26). The case against universal preschool. The Atlantic. https://www .theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/the-case-against-universalpreschool/382853/References