Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, August 7, 2017

Editor's note: The University of Alaska Anchorage and Anchorage School District partnered for the second year to offer a Summer Academy for English Language Learners in city schools, grades 7 to 12. For the past four weeks, about 150 multilingual students from across Anchorage have attended UAA for comprehensive writing and math courses, while also participating in a university studies class and campus tours to prepare them for their higher education.

These letters were written in a class focused on expressing opinions using an effective argumentative approach. Each student identified a social or community issue he or she felt directly affected him or her, or needed attention. Most of the letters were written by students who do not speak English as their first language. Several of the students have lived in the United States for only a number of weeks.

Dropouts at big disadvantage

I am a high school student in Eagle River who has noticed a social issue that has been growing for the past few years: increased high school dropouts.

In the past few years, high school dropout rates have been increasing. I think being a high school dropout is unacceptable because even with a GED diploma, later on in life, you still can't have a fulfilling career.

Actually I've seen what being a high school dropout can do to a person. I know someone who is a dropout. She did get the GED certificate, but even then, she couldn't get a fulfilling career — only a dead-end job.

Statistics show someone without a diploma makes about $30,000 a year, but someone with a diploma makes on average $50,000 a year. That's almost twice as much as the person without a diploma.

Imagine for a second that someone you care about drops out of high school. Most careers today require a diploma like a biomedical engineer, a doctor, an electrician — the list goes on forever, unless you want that person working at a dead-end job that doesn't pay much.

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Being a high school dropout is just unacceptable, because to have a fulfilling career in society you absolutely need a diploma. A GED diploma doesn't really help with careers anymore.

— Isaac Alvarenga
Anchorage

Teacher preparedness is vital

I am 13 years old and I'm an Anchorage School District student. I come from a poor land where education is not free like in the United States of America — where violence is common.

Although I am glad to have a free public education in Alaska, I am concerned about some of the education I am receiving. I've noticed some teachers should teach a little bit more professionally.

I think teacher preparedness is an important issue. Why? Because, moms and dads would like their kids to have a good future, and even their own kids might want a bright future for themselves, but how can they have one if their teachers are not teaching them what they need?

I am talking from personal experience. Some of my teachers didn't teach professionally. For example, students were always making lots of noise, putting on music with bad language, taking pictures of students when they didn't like it. Usually the teacher just says to do something and copy what was on the board. But we don't know what it was, so that made it more difficult to understand, because she didn't give specific directions for the students who didn't understand. What I am trying to say is that ASD should hire more capable teachers who can teach and explain the lessons better.

If your kids had that teacher — they won't graduate. If they don't graduate — they won't get a diploma. And then they can't go to college, because one important class was failed. Your kid will be unhappy not to get their dream jobs, and will have to work at McDonald's. And they'll look back and ask, "Why didn't I have a better teacher?"

Why should you care?

You should care because your child's education could be in danger. What if that was your kid, and it was the last year of high school, but your kid has a bad grade because he has a bad teacher in one of the most important classes? The students try their best to take notes, but they can't even take notes because the teacher is not teaching the lesson and is letting the kids do whatever they want. On graduation day, when your kid doesn't graduate and receive a diploma, and won't go to college, well, what if that is your kid? That's why I think improving teacher preparedness in Anchorage is important.

— Alessandra Martinez
Anchorage

Life in US blessedly safe

Hello, my name is Ally. I'm going into eighth grade at Wendler Middle School. I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but I currently live in Anchorage. Something that is bothering me is the crime and problems going on in Puerto Rico. This issue is bad. We need to change the Puerto Rican justice system.

People who have abused others, broken the law or worse should be punished in a reasonable way. Criminals keep doing bad things because they know they won't get caught. They have committed crimes multiple times.

I have experienced a bad situation. When I was picking up my brother from school, it was having a "full lockdown" drill, which I was too young to know about. I was jumping around outside, not knowing what was going on. I was across the street from an active shooter.

People in Puerto Rico die every day because they are at the wrong place at the wrong time — sometimes the deaths are for no reason. My mom and I had to move out of there because the economy was so bad. Living in Puerto Rico, you can feel as if you are afraid of walking out of your own home.

Even my family was affected by crime … they almost died and they never want to talk about it. They are forever traumatized by their memories. It's like there is a gun at every corner.

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I went through it. I was that little girl walking around casually while I heard the other kids crying and screaming. You might not care because you obviously weren't there but, what if it was your child in front of a gun? What would you do?

We really need to fix the crime and violence in Puerto Rico. People need help. Countless lives are in danger — men, women and kids. They need us. I can't do this alone.

— Ally Santana-Salazar
Anchorage

Every child needs free education

Dear citizens of Anchorage, Alaska: My name is Ahmed and I am worried about kids all around the world who don't have a free public school to attend.

I feel actually sad about this because everyone should have a chance to learn new things and experience the real life of this world, so they can grow up to be educated young men and women.

Although I had a free public education, I heard about it a lot in the news back in my country, Egypt, where I was born. There are kids in America who go to a free public school like me and others around the world who don't. We need all kids educated.

This is the evidence I got from The Guardian's "Education and School'' article: Almost 70 million kids get no education or attend school across the world. This tells me that the people in those countries don't care about children's education. This makes me mad.

We should care about this social issue because the people who don't get an education might become homeless. They might end up dying because they don't have a house, money or food — all because they don't have a school to go to.

All countries around the world should make school free for children. Otherwise, kids might end up homeless or become thieves because they don't have money to buy food or shelter.

— Ahmed Salih
Anchorage

Earthquake poses threat to city

I am going into eighth grade at Romig Middle School. I am concerned people in Alaska are not prepared in the case of a major earthquake. I think this is bad. I have learned about earthquakes and tsunamis. I also have been in an earthquake. Where I live is near the Ring of Fire. That is why people should prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis. Anchorage, Alaska, had an earthquake hit with a magnitude of 9.2, and there were not many casualties. But people did die because of the tsunami. Because of those deaths, we now have tsunami warnings in Alaska. There was an earthquake of the magnitude of 6.4 on the island of Haiti. More people died there than in the 1964 Alaska earthquake.

If you have children, grandparents and friends and they were in different areas in Anchorage and suddenly an earthquake of a magnitude of 9.8 hit, would you be prepared to find them and help them? Buildings are moving and about to fall, there could be many tsunamis hitting Alaska's coasts, gas pipes could break, and then there are fires, and now there are cracks in the ground and people can fall in them! You don't know if your family is hurt or has suddenly died due to this natural disaster. Do you have a plan in case of an earthquake and tsunami? You need to.

— Itzcoatl Bautista-Lescas
Anchorage

Student loans weigh on future

I'm a student in the Anchorage School District and am going to be senior, which means I need to consider my future college. One of my big issues is taking out a loan for college tuition. Even if I get a scholarship, I am not sure I can cover most of my tuition. If I cannot, I will have to take out student loans or I cannot go to college. I think student loans for college are definitely a burden to many college students. Student loans are certainly not easy to pay back in just a few years.

Moreover, job opportunities are also getting fewer nowadays. No one wants to spend the rest of their lives paying back student loans and the interest, and being unable to buy a house or car. The burden of student loans should be lessened, so students can focus on their studies without worrying about their financial situation. All Alaskans should work together to decrease the interest on student loans.

— Jiyoung Park
Anchorage

Syrian refugees deserve entry

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My name is Alondra and I go to Service High School. My concern is the people with power in the United States are not letting Syrian refugees come to this country. I think it is wrong that we don't let people who are running from war and death come into the U.S. for safety. If we have the materials, why don't we help? I am one of those people who loves to help.

At my church, I regularly help others in every way I can. According to the Food Bank of Alaska, it prevented 5 million pounds of food from being wasted. If the Syrian refugees could come, we could have more than enough food for them; in fact, we waste a lot of it otherwise, so why not give it to others in need of shelter and food? If your family became refugees, wouldn't you want to keep them safe? We need to take action and help the Syrian children and their families. Just think of all the children getting killed — would you not want to save them and provide them with stable homes for a while, especially if your country was in danger?

— Alondra Jimenez
Anchorage

Local teens really want to work

I'm 16 years old and I'm struggling to get a job. I have applied to many places, but I never get the job. In addition, for many of the jobs you need to be 18 years old. My three friends and my sister have applied for jobs too, but there is no answer for us. It's harder for us to apply because we don't have internet. Not everybody has it and that problem makes it way harder for us. Other teenagers get jobs by being recommended. But what happens to those who don't have a family member working there? They just don't get the job. Parents — don't you want your teenagers to know how to work; how not to waste their own money on unnecessary things? Wouldn't you like to see them work and feel that you are raising them well and preparing them to become independent adults?
Please consider hiring teenagers for local jobs.

— Ana Maria Franco
Anchorage

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Child abuse can be changed

I go to Wendler Middle School. Soon I will be in eighth grade.

I am concerned about the rights of children around the world. I need to talk about this issue because I have seen this problem in so many places, like Kenya. I have lived in Kenya almost all my life. Other children, besides Kenyans, also don't have rights, such as going to school.

If people do not care about how children are treated, child abuse can't be changed. But I know it can be changed. I want people to care about children no matter where they live.

Not getting an education, not receiving medical care can be harmful to children by affecting their dreams or their plans for their future. Even children who do get to go to school are often forced to work a lot, and cannot get their homework done. But if they don't finish their homework, they may be beaten, which can also kill them.

I personally feel that when you don't care enough, it can affect your child. How would you feel about your child not having children's rights? That is why we are trying to prevent child abuse. It is not too late to take care of all the children.

The only thing I ask is for everybody to take care of their own children and others, so we can stop child abuse.

We can stop this by being strong and believing in ourselves and our children.

— Apat Ajak
Anchorage

Don't be blind to kids' struggles

As an Anchorage School District student, I am becoming very aware that the schools here are really good. But there is something that bothers me. Children in other countries need good schools too, but many are being destroyed. By destroyed I mean there are people taking down schools in other countries, like on my island Samoa. There are also few teachers there. Some got fired for teaching students things the other teachers didn't know when they were little.

There are schools that don't treat the students right. They don't give the students time to play. You may or may not have kids, but if they are struggling at school with their teachers, you may think that they are having fun — but they are not. Some kids come home sad because they are having trouble with the teachers. They aren't telling their parents because they are scared they might be called a snitch or get picked on because that was some student's favorite teacher.

You should care because your child might be attending that school, but you may not know your child is having trouble with the kids, speaking up, and meeting new people who can be their friends. There are schools that have raw food that they still feed to the kids, some schools don't have nurses who can help them with their sicknesses. Some schools have nurses, but not enough medicine to help with the student sicknesses. Also some teachers don't have the supplies to help the kids who are struggling.

So please, love the little one's need that you see on the street. Help them out by giving them a home, because they need the energy for school. Feed them a meal they have never had before.

— Aleethia Faaaliga
Anchorage

Building a safer community

I go to Service High School, and soon I will be graduating. I live near the trailer court on Abbott Road. My feelings about sidewalks are the problem. I feel hopeless and unsafe because the roads around my community are not "user-friendly." Like most teenagers, I can't drive, which means that to attend special events, it's hard for us. In order for us to go where we need to go, we walk, bicycle, take the bus, or drive a car. But for many who can't afford a bus or car, they walk or bike. As for me, one day I received a call to attend a job interview, but in order for me to go, I had to walk because my guardians were working, and they had the only car. While walking toward the place for my interview, I noticed there was no sidewalk. I was so frightened some car would hit me.

Now imagine if you or a family member were walking by a road and you were walking only on grass, just a few steps from the road. You would also feel scared like I did. In my community, we need sidewalks and bus stops and bridges to cross the highway for our safety. So please help us build a better community.

— Elizabeth Franco
Anchorage

Pollution will destroy world

I am Mark from Clark Middle School and I am 12 years old. Pollution is my issue because it will start to destroy the world's communities, state by state and country by country. The pollution will spread from land to water to air.

I know the air in China is polluted. And it is polluting the water and land too. Alaska is also polluting the air with smoke and oil factories. We need to stop pollution on land, air and water because the air pollution will get in our lungs and we might die. And the human race will go extinct and I don't want to go extinct.

To stop pollution, stop using smoke and oil factories.

— Mark.Y. Morozov
Anchorage

Climate change in East Africa

Although I'm a 10th-grader from East High School, something I'm concerned about is climate change and how it is impacting East Africa. I grew up in the Somali region of Ethiopia; both my parents are from Somalia. I also have relatives who live in East Africa, and the recent drought has affected them in many ways. As of May 2017, "an estimated 16 million people face the impacts of this severe drought, including significant livestock deaths and crop production losses … Over the past six months, severe drought conditions have contributed to the displacement of more than (1 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) due to the impact of the drought on key natural resources, livelihoods and social stability,'' according to the International Organization for Migration in its East and Horn of Africa drought appeal.

The severity has also intensified: "The 2011 East Africa drought was reportedly the region's worst for 60 years. An estimated 12.8 million people have been left severely food insecure. And things are expected to worsen in the coming months,'' according to the African Arguments news platform. Severe malnutrition has also led to the deaths of large numbers of people. A large number of them have to migrate to different locations miles and miles away from their homes just to find food and water.

Imagine if you, your family, and your entire community were without food and water and had to leave Anchorage. We should be concerned about droughts as much as we are concerned about melting glaciers. We need to find meaningful ways to help those affected by climate change too. One meaningful way would be to help those people in East Africa by donating money to specific organizations that focus on helping people affected by this recent drought.

— Iqra Dubed
Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.

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