Possible “This I believe” topics
Option #1 : “I believe that we are more similar than we seem”
I formed this belief after my trip to El Paso, TX, during my Junior year of High School. This is the narrative that I plan to use to persuade others towards my belief. In High School I ran a club called “Salesians Without Borders” because I had a major interest in immigration and policy reform. I was excited to lead an immersion trip to El Paso, but grew incredibly anxious in the days leading up to the trip. I have always loved advocating for immigration reform, but now I was about to enter the front lines. I can’t even speak Spanish! How am I going to communicate with these migrants? Is El Paso dangerous?
I then plan to talk about a specific experience in El Paso where my group and I cooked and served a meal in an abandoned Days-Inn-turned underground sanctuary. I saw tired, malnourished, and defeated individuals, all of which were hungry but were sure to leave enough food for others. I couldn’t help but notice how drastically different these people were from the label placed on them by media and the uninformed. I realized my fears about not being able to speak Spanish, and possibly even being in danger, were completely irrelevant, as they were all overjoyed to see American teens accepting “illegal aliens”
I plan to use this story to sum up the concept that humans share drastically different life experiences. Being born in Ecuador is often much harder than being born in the United States. But we are all similar in our valuation of safety, family, desire for acceptance, and drive for liberty.
Option #2 : I believe that Accessibility provides a basis for relationship
I formed this belief throughout my years of learning American Sign Language in High School. My narrative would not necessarily be about ASL, but rather my time volunteering at the Mary Campbell Center in Delaware. The Mary Campbell Center is a home for disabled individuals who were older, and my job was to come in and simply spend time with them. One of the first encounters I had at the center was with a man named Dan (same name as me). He could not speak, but grunted and tapped. Someone informed me that he wanted to play checkers with me. I was quite frankly terrified. How did I speak to him? Do I let him win? Turns out he was extremely good at checkers, and beat me easily. As I continued to play chess with Dan throughout my time at the MCC, I figured out his mode of tapping communication. When I gave it a shot, he was visually overjoyed, and seemed me out every time I would come to volunteer.
To me accessibility is not just structures set in place by people or a government to allow for equality, but also an individual choice to be open and willing to meet somebody where they are. I formed a good relationship with Dan by not closing myself off, and making an effort
Passion Blog
Option #1: I plan to stick with my original blog from the fall semester. Athlete fashion, where I break down player tributes, postgame outfits, and how players are making statements with their clothing
Civic issues
Option #1: Exploring the current state of the United States Mexican Border, and DACA
- I have always had a major interest in the United States Border, and I am extremely intrigued to see what changes the Biden administration brings in terms of addressing injustices and remedying border crowding. I am loosely considering immigration law as a possible career path.
Option #2: Drug Policy and Decriminalization
- I have always been interested in United States incarceration, and know that drug related charges contribute to a bulk of the prison population. Massive steps towards decriminalization and legalization of various drugs have been made, and again, I am interested to see what the Biden Administration changes