Kalani is BYU
My name is Lucas Bautista. I am a sixth grader. I love BYU Football. I’m lucky enough to go to BYU Football Camp and go to at least one home game a year. BYU Football is a great program, win or lose. I am mad at BYU fans saying we need to get rid of Kalani. Kalani is BYU. He is the best part of BYU. He is passionate about his team and the program. BYU Football is dealing with several players being released, an injured QB and a tough schedule. What did we expect when we played LSU and Wisconsin, two of the best teams in the nation? We have to push ourselves to grow and that means playing harder teams. I had several rough years when I first started playing football. One coach gave me no opportunity to grow from my mistakes, one did. By allowing me to grow from mistakes, the second coach made all the difference. Doesn’t Kalani, as a coach, deserve the same support and encouragement? Kalani IS BYU!
Lucas Bautista
Vineyard, Utah
Beauty of choice
Too often women around the world feel the need to meet a set of unnecessary and sexist standards of physical beauty. After acknowledging that these superficial expectations of appearance do exist, women should be able to decide whether or not to conform to them. This decision is based purely on their own desires. Standards of appearance for women are different all around the world and change over time. Americans tend to place value on women who are skinny or who look like famous celebrities they see in the media. In places like Iran, wearing the hijab can be a form of beauty. Traditional ideas of beauty in Japan and China have even changed to be similar to those in the United States. The media is a powerful force behind the stereotypes of female beauty. Media is all around us, portraying “beautiful” and “successful” people in movies, TV shows, porn and magazines. From a young age, women learn from the media to be dissatisfied with their appearance because they feel like they can never compare. Finding and being oneself is difficult in an environment that tells you what is or isn’t attractive. As a feminist, I believe in the power of creating one’s own female identity, regardless of what stereotypical “women” look like. I refuse to accept such forms of dictated beauty as the only form of beauty. Beauty comes from making choices. Beauty is part of being an empowered woman.
Summer Corry
Honolulu, Hawaii
Gun control
In light of recent events, people are once again ringing the familiar tune to prohibit guns across America. Gun control will not solve the issues that are so prevalent today. Reforming laws stop the law-abiding citizens from purchasing and carrying guns, but will not hinder the criminals we wish to stop. If we can’t stop criminals from purchasing a weapon, what can we do? We need to be proactive with the laws we have before we get ahead of ourselves and prohibit firearms. America has programs in place that teach about gun safety and how to handle them properly. Improvement can be made by teaching the public about how to handle and properly use firearms. Imagine if the number of gun related injuries and death were decreased by half. We need to educate the American citizens. This country was built on freedom. We are allowed to choose between right and wrong. If we take away guns from the people we start to assign the punishment before the crime. It is not unsafe to own a gun. Countless people own and use firearms daily. The guns are not the problem, it’s the people behind them that cause this worry. Gun control will not solve the country’s problem, but we can educate the people and enforce the laws in place to create a safer environment.
Josh York
Boulder, Colorado
Health how-to
College students focus so much on grades, internships and social lives that they often forget about health. By having health as their number one priority, they will find it much easier to have good grades, perform well at internships and have interactive social lives. A few tips to have better health are: 1. Sleep. Many college students are not getting enough sleep, which lowers their ability to retain information and their work ethic. By getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, students will feel refreshed for the day ahead of them. 2. Exercise. Exercising 30 minutes a day, three times a week will keep students in shape and help prevent sickness. Exercising also allows for your mind to take a break from school and refresh. 3. Eat healthy. Although it’s very easy to go on a McDonald’s run, eating fruits and vegetables and home cooked meals are worth the health benefits. By following these three tips, students will find it easier to perform well in their daily tasks and find it easier to reach their goals. Don’t wait until it’s too late to make your health a high priority.
Dylan Zollinger
Stacy, Minnesota
