I CAN'T BREATHE   by James Chisolm

Recently, some of the biggest stars in the NBA have started wearing shirts that say, "I Can't Breathe." They're doing this in response to the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man selling single cigarettes in Staten Island, NY. No matter what his crime, Mr. Garner should not have died at the hands of a police officer. Police are there to protect and serve, not to be judge, jury and executioner. I love that heroes like Derrick Rose, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are leading the whole NBA in raising their voices for this issue. So many young black men watch what these guys do and for them to be leading in a cause for social justice gives me heart. I give them a big shout-out!

 

What is out there? by Jenny Henry

 

 

The recent launch of Orion has got me thinking about the possibility of life on other planets. Would it be possible to live on Mars and would it be different from living on Earth? Is Earth on borrowed time and do we need to find possible places to live in space? I would like to go to Mars to see what's up there and see what things look like. Everyday here on Earth you see the same thing: people not getting along because of the things that separate us like race, social class, and culture. Maybe if we started a new society on Mars we would all get along and learn from the mistakes we've made on Earth.

 

 



 

THANKSGIVING REFLECTIONS

From the VOXSTA Staff

 

I am thankful for being able to wake up and see another day, for being free, and to have free education. --McKayla Edmonds

I am thankful for those who believe in me. --Jaquain Williams

I am thankful for life. --Jeff Tomaro

I am thankful for being able to see another day. --Khalil Williams

I am thankful for everything. --James Chisolm

I am thankful for my parents. --Jenny Henry

I am thankful for family. --Kareem Rahman

I am thankful for being able to have all five of my senses. --Lelanda Todd

I am thankful for Canada. --John Tomaro

I am greatful for my life, for being loved, for being able to form words and use them to help everyone who supports me and im thankful for you all. --Devonte Owens

In Memory of Tamir Rice  by Kareem Rahman

 

Yesterday, I saw the body of Tamir Rice lying in his casket. I didn't know him. I went to his viewing because a lady from my church--a cousin of one of his family members--was going. I discovered when I got there that another one of his family members has lived down the street from me for a long time, which really brought the issue home for me.

 

 

The service was quiet and a lot of people were crying. It was sad, as such a solemn occasion should be. What struck me most was the armed guards standing outside the front of the funeral home. It was weird to see armed guards at a funeral and it made me realize the sensitivity of the situation. There was also some media there. It makes me wonder why it takes the death of a young man to bring protection and attention to a community that often gets ignored.  

A Moment of Silence  

by The Staff of VOXSTA

 

No matter who you are or which side of town you live on, this was a hard weekend for Cleveland. There was a quadruple homicide on the East Side Friday night and on Saturday a 12-year-old boy was killed on the West Side by a police officer. We don't know the whole story on any of these situations, but we do know that three of the dead from this weekend's gun violence were students in CMSD. Their lives mattered, and we just wanted to honor them today with a moment of silence before we pick up the pieces and figure out how to keep these kinds of things from ever happening again in our city. Peace be with you all today.

 

 

COOL STUFF HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD...AND BEYOND

A NEWS REFLECTION

BY LJ GILLESPIE

& DEVONTE OWENS

 

Being high-schoolers, it's easy to overlook some of the fascinations surrounding our everyday lives. We get so wrapped up in our music, video games, sports and who likes who that we forget to see a big picture. This past week, some pretty big stuff has transpired, from power-shifting elections to wars breaking out in distant lands. And yet, there's still reason for hope and wonderment, for yesterday humans figured out how to land for the first time on a comet, Comet 64P. We wonder how many kids walking these halls with us today are aware that we did this amazing thing, and it makes us wonder how we can get our peers interested in looking at the "big picture" all around them. It helps us when we know more about our world--it makes us feel connected to something larger and gives us a broader perspective to see beyond our tiny realities. So do yourself a favor, check out the following link to the CometP story..or, better yet, do your own research. Think beyond yourself today....and believe beyond the possible. 

 

  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/12/earthlings-we-landed-on-a-comet.html



EDITORIAL:  Keep "5 of 8" in Ohio!!!!

Why on earth would the State Board of Education want to do anything that might lead to the elimination of fun and creativity in our schools?

by the VOXSTA STAFF

On Tuesday, Novemeber 11, the State Board held a hearing and preliminary vote
 on changes to the "5 of 8" rule, which mandates that elementary schools in Ohio offer at least 5 of 8 categories of non-core academic classses/services to students including gym, art, music, school counselors, nurses and librarians. Because students and stakeholders across Ohio have been trying to raise awareness on social media, many people came to testify in Columbus on Tuesday. When they got there, they were told the time for public comment had been moved. This prompted outrage among many in attendance and four members of the board walked out in protest. The full school board is scheduled to vote in December and we need to keep up the pressure against these assaults agaisnt great public education in Ohio!


TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, TWEET #KEEP5OF8 and be sure to add a message about why it's important to keep the arts and other non-core academic classes in our schools!