Since the beginning of entertainment media, representation of various aspects of diversity have changed much over time, even just in the past ten years. In the United States, film and broadcasting companies have made huge progress in representing different ethnic groups, races, sexualities, and people with all kinds of differences. However, today, I still find some issues with representation in media that is consumed today. 

One issue I find in popular shows has to do with preformative representation. Although this happens less with media created recently, in shows from the 2010’s that are still popularly consumed/rewatched, It’s often obvious that media companies include diverse characters just to appear inclusive. For example, in shows I watched growing up, diverse characters always take on the “sidekick” role, and are often flamboyant and caricatured. One example can be seen in the show Good Luck Charlie, with the main family characters, love interests, and recurring characters are white, with really only one person of color featured-Ivy. Ivy is the protagonist’s best friend, and she is only used for small comedic moments, with no storyline that follows her. She is only there as a small side character. This unfortunately  is seen in a lot of media my generation grew up consuming on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. ALthough this media was popular some time ago, it is still detrimental because these shows are so popular that they are rewatched by younger generations. 

Another issue I see with representation is that characters with different ethnicities or sexualities are often exaggerated, and used for comedic purposes. The “gay best friend” trope is very common unfortunately. Gay characters are often only sidekicks or small recurring characters that play into the stereotype that all gay men are flamboyant and only ever speak about their sexuality. This is truly harmful, as this gives close minded people an idea that gay people all act a certain way-which is extremely untrue. My best friend is a gay man, and he very much dislikes the way gay men are portrayed in many shows, as it almost feels offensive to him-like the shows are discreetly making fun of a gay stereotype. One day, when we were scrolling on Netflix, we came across a movie titled “GBF,” standing for “Gay Best Friend.” Even just the title plays into people not seeing the depth that a gay character on screen could have. Nowadays, there are many gay characters represented well on screen thankfully, but it will be difficult to undo the harm that past shallow representation has done.

Similarly, with characters of different ethnicities, they often play into stereotypes and “do up’ their accents for comedic purposes. In one of my favorite shows, Gossip Girl (also with an all white main cast and only two recurring characters of color who are literally classified as minions of a main character), Blair’s (the main character) maid is from Poland. In real life, the actress is Polish, but has a slight accent. In the show, she plays up a huge fake accent, which is supposed to add into the comedy of her character. Again, in shows we watched growing up, like Jesse, this was a common trope. Ravi, a character from the show, highly exaggerates his Indian accent. My dad has a Serbian accent, and he has expressed how it frustrates him that people make fun of his accent or think it is funny. I believe that the media we consumed growing up has played a huge role in the normalization of that. We watched “funny” or “sidekick” characters use their diversity for humor. Again, although this has changed in recent years and improved, there is so much media that is so adored out there that does this that it will be difficult to undo. 

Although i have much more to say on this topic, the research I have done so far and my opinions have lead me to these two deliberation prompts: 

Has the media’s portrayal of diverse characters caused the public to see diverse people in a different manner? 

Should diversity and differences be able to be used for humor in entertainment media? 

Articles used: 

https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/filmstudies/representation

https://time.com/6305012/hollywood-diversity-report-asian-representation/

https://c-istudios.com/the-rise-of-diversity-and-inclusion-in-tv-and-film-promoting-representation-on-screen/ 

“Cancel culture” is something that has become increasingly popular over the past few years. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it is a social media phenomenon where “the public withdraws support from a person on social media, due to actions or statements considered offensive or unacceptable” (google). We truly are a social media generation. Many adults and older figures in my life recount memories of their favorite television shows, and how those shows shaped them, but I feel that it is common for our generation to feel that way about certain youtube content creators. There are many YouToubers I grew up watching with my friends and siblings that, after a while, we felt attached to. When you watch content created by “influencers”, you feel closer to them because they are showing real aspects of their life. 

One creator so many of my friends and I absolutely adored growing up and in recent times was David Dobrik. David uploaded videos showcasing his and his friends fun filled, adventurous lives. However, in 2021, David and his friends got into a large scandal. While filming a vlog, David was swinging one of his friends around on a crane-and he did it so recklessly that Jeff had to undergo serious surgeries and hospitalization. Combined with this, rumors were coming out about his male friends engaging in unconsensual acts with minors.

However, last month, after being inactive online for almost two years post-controversy, David and his friends made the return to YouTube. I was curious as to what the public thought about this dramatic return, so I gaged some opinions from a reddit comment section for unbiased deliberation. 

Link to the forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/canceledpod/comments/1hw5zzy/davids_vlog_comeback/

Some internet users were ecstatic, while some severely disagreed. There were some users engaging in deliberation, using the evidence of David’s crane incident as to why the public should not support him again and give him views and monetization. Most users blamed him for ignoring the situations and not taking accountability. One user stated, “sent a shiver down my spine seeing the same characters, the same edit, the same music, the same jokes and the same antics and gimmicks. I am shocked after everything he has been dragged for there seemed to be ZERO growth. A very obtuse display of wealth, same tesla giveaways and same awful people. He hasnt changed one bit and he doesnt feel an ounce of shame or guilt.” Many comments were like this. Although there was some valid points made, such as the display of wealth and lack of accountability, the user fails to engage in a valid deliberation because they assume there has been “zero growth” and assume David feels “no shame or guilt.” 

Other users, being not deliberative whatsoever, made claims such as “i dont care about the scandals, I’m just glad this squad is back and better than ever!”  Since there was no real evidence used in these comments as to why one should support David and his friends, this is not considered a deliberation. 

Overall, while the forum has some deliberative aspects, a majority of it contains comments with no valid evidence of argument.

Although I absolutely love being at Penn State, recently, I’ve felt a little off-like I’ve been missing something. At first, I thought it might be homesickness for my friends and family, since I’m surrounded by friends who are able to go home on the weekends, have family come visit, or even just have people nearby who they were friends with in their hometowns. But, I realized that I felt more than that-I didn’t miss Chicago. Rather, I felt a longing to be back in Serbia. I missed the feeling of being there-the culture, people, atmosphere, and just everything. The feeling of being in Serbia is something I find so difficult to explain. I feel safe, calm, and fresh-void of any useless drama, and surrounded by people who value the same. I feel that this feeling is encapsulated in the Serbian Film Tamo i Ovde (translating to Here and There). 

The film begins with the protagonist, Robert, being evicted from his New York City apartment, due to the financial crisis he’s faced. The moving truck company he has hired is operated by a Serbian man, Branko. Branko offers up a task that he would pay Robert a large amount of money for; he asks Robert to travel to Serbia, and marry his girlfriend, Ivana. As a washed up saxophone player, he had no financial prospects, so Robert accepted Branko’s offer. 

Robert stays in Belgrade with Branko’s mother, Olga, who is unaware of the financial deal-she thinks Robert is just a friend of Branko’s from New York City. Unexpectedly, Robert grows to appreciate the city. The film shows the most beautiful scenes of the city, and encapsulates the essence of our people-humorous, caring, generous, and welcoming. 

When he faced confusion in the city, the people helped him kindly-which Robert noticed was a large difference from the way his home city of New York treats tourists. 

When Robert takes a taxi home, the taxi drivers always engage in conversation with him, and never over-charge him, like many taxi drivers in other countries would do to foreigners. 

When Robert visits the daily market, buying fresh food, he engages in conversation with the warm-hearted vendors; which, again, he notes as a large contrast from the cold and brute bottega interactions he usually faced in New York City.

The film also touches on Branko’s life in New York, which is filled with tribulations and homesickness, and the cold interactions with strangers that Robert remembered. I find this as commentary that sometimes, the grass is truly not greener on the other side.

After spending time in Belgrade, and developing a romantic relationship with Olga, Robert finally lets go of his past disappointments and embraces a new life where human connections matter more than chasing money. Instead of going back to his lonely, unfulfilled existence, he embraces the slower, more connected life in Belgrade. He realizes that Serbia offers him something he didn’t have before—a sense of belonging and human warmth.

This movie is so simple, yet it is genuinely my number one comfort movie when I feel that longing for the way I feel when living in Serbia. The community felt there is truly like no other-everyone is extremely social, loves to have fun, and truly does value family, friends, and even strangers above all else.

Whenever I’m in Serbia, life feels so simple. Belgrade is so well encapsulated in the film; The quiet scenes of the famous streets in Belgrade, such as  Skadarlija and Knez Mihailova, hospitality of the local characters, and ending, where Robert decides to choose the simple, well-intentioned life are a reminder to me of what’s important in life, and that I will experience that again soon

This week, and even still today, I have that longing to be back where I feel the most myself. 

Whenever I feel overwhelmed, or upset with whatever is going on in my life in America, I watch this movie as a comfort, and to look forward to the summertime-where I can live my simple life.

This week, I looked into more ways people besides the government could make a significant impact on the quality of education for all. I learned about many different organizations, but one that stood out to me was the Spencer Foundation. 

Founded in 1962 by Lyle M. Spencer, the Spencer Foundation aims to deepen and broaden understanding of education to improve learning opportunities for all. It supports work that contributes to systemic change and informs educators, policymakers, and researchers. The work that they do at smaller, personal levels with policy makers is a great start to make the system changes they promise; the funding they provide for research has aided the fight for a better education. 

The foundation offers several grant programs that provide funding for researchers to learn more about education. They offer Small Research Grants, for early-stage projects , Large Research Grants, for more comprehensive studies, Fellowships, supporting doctoral and postdoctoral scholars, and Conference Grants, to support academic discussions on education research. Providing funding for research projects as such can allow for more specific and effective qualities to be learned about how to reduce education inequality, better schools, and allow for scholars to put their skills to use. 

While Spencer primarily funds research, some grants go directly to organizations working with underprivileged schools. For example, they have supported Urban and rural school districts studying ways to close the achievement gap and Community-based education initiatives focused on helping marginalized students succeed. The foundation has also increased their funding for people of color from 28% in 2019, to 47% in 2023.

One study the foundation conducted on restorative justice practices first handedly helped students improve behavior, reduced suspensions, as well as keeping misbehaved students in school rather than facing punishments they don’t understand. 

Some states have actually made changes to teacher credentialing requirements to include cultural competency training, based on Spencer-backed findings. Some states have also increased funding for early education programs in underprivileged communities based on research showing their impact on later academic success.

The Spencer Foundation has also provided a great amount of research on the controversial topic of standardized testing, and the research provided showed to policy makers and educational institutions the facts surrounding standardized testing as opposed to more holistic assignments, having a direct influence on how children in underprivileged communities are taught and tested. 

The changes made based on research provided from the Spencer Foundation have led to a serious improvement in schools in underprivileged communities. The research done by The Spencer Foundation provides crucial information that policymakers use to make laws and changes surrounding education.

Foundations such as The Spencer Foundation are a driving force in the work done to improve education in America!

To some extent, we all apply stereotypes to people when we first meet them. These assumptions have become engraved in our brains through media we consumed growing up that exaggerated these stereotypes, and even sometimes from the older figures around us who believed in and outwardly used these stereotypes. We’ve all likely been a victim of stereotyping-whether it was based on gender, race, ethnicity, clothing, or anything under the sun. Somehow, my campaign to be the president of my high school choir led to people applying a stereotype to me that was extremely frustrating, as people began to define me as something that is no where near who I am. Therefore, I believe in being my own definition. 

For some reason, the choir at my high school (which you heard singing just a second ago) was highly competitive. The environment resembled that of Glee or Pitch Perfect-if you’ve consumed those excellent pieces of media, then you’d completely understand the atmosphere of the choir I was in. If you’re unfamiliar, basically, my high school had an a capella group and honors choir that was filled with many talented people who loved singing, pretended to love each other, and loved drama the most. I was very involved in the choir because I had a genuine love for singing and for my true friends within the group. At the end of my junior year, I decided to run for president of the honors choir. Normal people would see that as a fun way to practice leadership skills.

However, at my high school, this campaign was not something to be taken lightly. 

My only opponent (we’ll call him Max) was a boy who was very involved in the choir, but more involved in the drama surrounding it. When he had heard that I was running against him, his mouth went running-behind my back, of course, as people didn’t say nasty things to people’s faces since we all had to keep up the fake love facade. Max went and told his friends that there was no way I should win, because, in his words, I was “a ditz with no personality. . . a true dumb blonde” who “wouldn’t do anything beneficial for the good of the group.” He said that I wouldn’t know how to handle and help a big group, and I’d just “stand up there and giggle” when faced with challenges.

Since he was well respected in the choir, people began to agree with him. When my friends told me the things that people had been saying about me behind my back, I was absolutely devastated. I was pretty shy throughout high school, and I never got involved with conflict or confrontation, so hearing someone say something so nasty behind my back was a shock I did not know how to handle or deal with. 

For a while, I let it get to me. I thought that because other people saw me as a person with no skill or substance, that I had to define myself that way. 

After a few days of feeling down and feeling a big hit to my confidence, I started to think. The people I’m surrounded by know me, but not my story. I’ve dealt with the trials and tribulations in life independently, and had a multitude of achievements and qualities- from being the president of two clubs, to interning for a human rights charity, to being an honors student, to being a loving friend, family member, and stranger. I decided to use this as motivation to prove Max and his followers wrong-and to disprove the misogynistic stereotype that young women who happen to have blonde hair are capable of anything a man is, and even more.

Once I was elected at the end of my junior year, I was aware that there were already problems incoming in the fall. All of our strong tenors and basses were graduating, so the men’s section of our choir would be lacking. To combat this issue I did some extra work over the summer. 

After much convincing, I trained the male half of my friend group in choral singing so that we’d have people to fill these spots. The last time they sang in choir was in elementary school, so they barely knew the basics. We worked our way up to the music we’d sing in class, and after many long rehearsals, they were prepared to audition-in the fall, they became new members. 

At first, to Max’s delight, it was rough teaching them how to blend with a choir and adjusting them to such a different environment, but I never gave up hope. After time, extra practice sessions from my friends and I, and some bonding activities, the choir sounded amazing all together again. They were definitely not the best singers in the room, but they put true effort into the music and getting to know everyone. After our December concert, Max approached me and told me how he admires how well I was able to train the boys that were now in his section. I thanked him, but this interaction had me pondering all night. 

Why did I let what he had said all those months go affect me so much?

Even if there was no way for me to prove Max’s assumptions about me wrong, I should’ve known that his opinion was totally invalid and meant nothing in the first place.

In high school, it’s easy to let what people say get in your head. Being young and impressionable, we begin to see ourselves the way others see us. The truth is, nobody knows yourself like you do. Nobody knows the turmoil you may have faced growing up. Nobody knows how much passion and time you put into doing the things you love. And nobody knows the experiences in your life that have shaped you into who you are today.

So, maybe it’s easy for those people to write you off as something when they first meet you. But, from this seemingly minuscule experience that consumed me so much, I’ve learned that whatever those people think of you truly does not matter. You can never let other people’s misconceptions stop you from being yourself, and continuing to do what you love. I believe that everyone should believe in being their own definition-and never let what anyone else says hurt your confidence.

While the Balkans are modern, at the same time, the nation’s values are still very traditional. I truly find many aspects of the nation’s traditional beliefs comforting; such as respecting elders, attending our beautiful churches, eating traditional food, and upholding traditional familial values. 

However, as someone who was raised in the states, one old belief that I do not align with in Balkan culture is homophobia. While there are still homophobic people in any country, in the Balkans, it is still a relatively widespread mindset. The movie Parada (translating to The Parade) demonstrates what it’s like to be an activist for gay rights in Serbia, and it is a film that I did not ever think I would see come out of the Balkans. 

The film hastily begins with the drive-by shooting of the dog of a Serbian war veteran, named Limun. Limun has the classic tough-guy, macho look; tall, big muscles, buzz cut, and tattoos. He also owns and teaches at a martial arts studio. Despite his intimidating look, he cares deeply about his pup, and rushes him over to the vet’s. 

Although the vet’s office has no space to treat any animals when he arrives, Limun forces a veterinarian to save his dog’s life by holding him at gunpoint. The veterinarian who treated his dog happens to be a gay man named Radmilo, who is an activist for LGBTQ+ rights in Serbia. 

Later, Limun takes his wife to a bridal planner to help create her dream wedding. The wedding planner, Mirko, happens to be the boyfriend of Radmilo, the man who saved Limun’s dog. When Limun claims the wedding plans are too expensive, Mirko suggests that he could offer service at a cheaper price if Limun could assemble a group of people to be security guards to protect the pride parade that Mirko, Radmilo, and a small group of LGBTQ+ members are planning.

Obviously, at first, Limun is against the idea, due to his deep rooted homophobia and rejection of gay culture in Serbia. However, his wife convinces him after getting to know the couple, and hearing about her fiance’s behavior at the vets earlier that day. Limun assembles a group of other men like him to act as security for the parade, and throughout many obstacles, physical and mental, the tough guys make unlikely friendships and find acceptance within the LGBTQ community. 

After training, planning, and practice, the day of the parade arrives. Unfortunately, during the parade, expectedly a group of men brutally attacks those in the parade. Although they have protection from Limun’s small group, the police refuse to intervene; so, the attackers do fatal damage- and kill Mirko. 

The film ends after showing clips of the actual (somewhat) successful pride parade held in Belgrade in 2010, a few years after Mirko’s death due to the hate crime. Radmilo carries his deceased boyfriend in an urn with him as he marches alongside Limun. 

This film is truly something that touches on an aspect of my culture that I find so difficult and uncomfortable to comprehend. Many of the men in my family and many other Balkan men and women I know have a similar mindset that Limun did in the beginning of the movie. 

Parada powerfully demonstrates how it takes the death of someone so innocent with such a kind heart to actually inspire a progressive change in beliefs in a society. My best friend, Joey, is gay. Joey is truly the best friend I could ever ask for; he stuck with me through all turmoils I experienced growing up, he lights up any room he enters with his contagious smile and belly-laughter-inducing humor, and he is undoubtedly the most genuine and well-intentioned person I have ever met. This film touches me so much because I cannot imagine someone being so absolutely vile, violent, and hateful towards my best friend who is full of only positivity just because of who he loves.

Parada is seriously one of those films you wish that you could force a group of people to watch in order to open their minds and change such a hateful perspective. 

Progressive action is taking place in the Balkans-and, hopefully, someday soon, those in the region can widespreadly change their mindsets so that everyone can experience acceptance, kindness, and no more prejudice. 

In my international politics class on Wednesday, we unexpectedly had a guest speaker. We did not know what he was going to lecture about, but I assumed that it would have something to do with international affairs or a program to do with international affairs at the school. The speaker introduced himself as Mr. Smart When Mr. Smart started his lecture, before giving us any information on the subject matter, he asked us to scan a QR code and complete a form. He showed a timer on the board, and set it for 26 seconds, stating that he wanted us to try to complete the short google form (consisting of name, email, and other minimal information) within the 26 seconds. 

When the time was up, he asked for anyone who finished the google form to raise their hands. 

Not one student raised their hands. We all concluded that the time allotted was too short. 

Mr. Smart went on to explain that he is a representative for an organization called Teach For America; which is an organization that trains leaders to teach in under-resourced public schools. He went on to explain that he gave us only 26 seconds to fill out that form because every 26 seconds-a high school student in America drops out.

After feeling how short that amount of time is in real time, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Reflecting on my research from last week, I already knew that the blame for this statistic could not be fully on the student- rather, it should be on the system. 

Understaffing, lack of funding, classroom overcrowding, and even more issues have plagued the classrooms of our nation. However, Teach For America offers a way for students and postgraduate students to make a difference first hand in these underprivileged schools. 

One program offered is the teacher corps program, where those interested can teach for a minimum of two years in a school in America whilst receiving a salary. For undergraduate students, Teach For America offers the Ignite fellowship; A part-time, virtual tutoring opportunity where fellows earn up to $1,200 by dedicating 3-5 hours per week. Tutors focus on elementary reading, middle school math, or high school college and career advancement. The fellowship offers flexible scheduling and remote work, making it accessible to individuals nationwide.

After listening to Mr. Smart speak about the amazing opportunities Teach for America offers for students to help underprivileged students, I couldn’t help but begin an application to participate in the Ignite fellowship! Whilst it will take much more time to have an effect on government funding for schools, the programs offered at TFA are an amazing way to help those in need with something that those who have often take for granted; education.

Last semester, my blog was a tribute to an area of the world I find to be extremely underrated when it comes to vacation destinations: that of Eastern Europe. I chose this topic because I believe that I was extremely lucky to have been born into a family with roots in Eastern Europe-but others may not see it that way. Whenever I mention traveling back to the Balkans for the summer with someone I have not discussed it with before, most people look confused, and ask if I’m “scared to travel somewhere so dangerous.”

But, as someone who has frequented the Balkans growing up, I can say that the stigma of the region being unsafe, ugly, and completely devoid of any entertainment is just simply not true anymore. I’m not saying it’s perfect-like all places on Earth, there are good and bad parts. War and the region’s complicated history in general have done some damage, but I believe that these scars tell stories-and these stories have inspired amazing bouts of Balkan cinema.  

Whenever I’ve been with my family (here and over yonder), and we’ve watched a Balkan movie, the feeling it produces is one I feel to be so powerful and just different from any western movies I’ve watched-so I’ve grown a large appreciation for how Balkan movies encapsulate the culture and history of the Balkans in such an entertaining way. I wish that other people knew about the remarkable entertainment media the Balkans produces, and didn’t assume the region is just simply war torn. So, this semester, I’ll be exploring the significance and purpose of various Balkan films, delving into their cultural significance, and reflecting on the personal meaning they hold for me.

The first film I feel like I just have to discuss first is Ko To Tamo Peva? (translating to: Who’s Singin’ Over There?),  which is a classic in Serbian cinema. The film is set somewhere in (ex)Yugoslavia in 1941, on the eve of the German invasion. The film begins at a bus station, where we meet the motley crew of characters featured throughout the movie: a “just married” young couple, a World War One Veteran, a sickly old man, a singer, and, of course, the unstable bus conductor and his son. The bus is taking all of these passengers to the capital of Yugoslavia, Belgrade.  (While I doubt anyone would watch this movie on their own, I’ll warn you that there are major spoilers ahead!)

Of course, on this seemingly simple journey, the crew is faced with humorous obstacles-from arguing with each other about class, money, and ideology, to encounters with other eccentric characters, to physical roadblocks (such as losing a tire-but, driving without it-like true Balkan people would). 

One day, the bus passengers have dinner outside, complete with two live Gypsy performers they also picked up, who play traditional Serbian music on an accordion while the others feast on authentic Serbian cuisine (cooked on the side of the bus-again, the true Balkan way). This scene always reminds me of my family, and the celebrations we’ve shared together; such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, christenings, and really any event one could imagine. One stigma that is very true about the Balkans is that we know how to party-and we love doing so!

Everyone watching the film can relate to that feeling of intimate celebration. That’s why the next scene of the film is so painful. 

Once the bus reaches Belgrade, bombs drop-and all of the passengers are killed.

(I seriously did not see that coming either).

That being said, the film ever so powerfully portrays so many themes, but especially the absurdity of war. Throughout the film, the meaningless quarrels between passengers exemplifies the chaotic and irrational nature of war itself, and the bombs killing all of the passengers with average, harmless lives shows how everyday people unfortunately get caught up with events far beyond their control. 

Furthermore, after the explosion kills all of the other passengers, the two singing gypsies with the accordion emerge from the explosion, singing to the camera directly. The music is the only thing that survives that explosion, explaining another one of my favorite themes of the movie: culture is the only thing that can survive the destruction of a society. Ko To Tamo Peva? Is truly a darkly comedic film that effortlessly portrays complex themes while also showcasing Serbian culture, and tackling issues such as war, community, class, and more.

The civic issue I’m going to be discussing in my blog this semester is that of education disparity across the United States, from Kindergarten through high school, and to attending university. In this first post, I’m going to introduce an issue within this topic, explaining how lack of government spending in early education leads to educational inequality in the United States.

At Penn State, all of us are truly lucky to be able to pursue higher education at such a well developed institution. But, all of us got here in different ways, and all of us have unique backgrounds; some from big cities, some from rural small towns, and even some from different countries. Wherever any student went, they still got a K-12 education. However, the quality and fairness of education we all received are likely very different. 

I myself was lucky enough to grow up learning in an average public school system, where I had a well developed community, ways to be involved in my learning and leisure activities, and overall having access to an encouraging educational environment. My friends and I actually enjoyed going to school as children. However, I know that this was not the case for all.  Just 30 minutes from my movie-like schooling experiences, there were children in the inner city of Chicago who dreaded going to school. Chicago Public schools are infamous for having staff protests, underfunding, poor quality education, and just issues with the system itself. On the other end of the spectrum, I knew some students who grew up in a private school system, who had amazing access to education, opportunities, and grade inflation; thanks to their private funding, and their parents willingness to pay high tuition. I believe that this is unfair. All students should have access to a quality education, regardless of their family’s economic status. 

The first solution regarding fixing the issue of education disparity is to receive more government funding for public schools. K-12 public schools are underfunded by nearly $150 billion annually, depriving over 30 million students of essential resources. 

This underfunding has serious consequences. Firstly, underfunded schools has less competitive teacher wages, contributing to higher turnover rates, smaller staffs, and impacting the quality of education.

Furthermore, having a smaller staff will lead to larger class sizes, and even classroom overcrowding. Young children already have short attention spans, and being forced to learn in an environment with low order and many distractions will just lead to a less quality education at a very important age.

Early education sets up a foundation for all future education. This is where young students first learn how to read, write, obey rules, and collaborate with others. When these conditions are poor, one student is already falling behind another student at a better school.

It’s been proven that increasing government funding is truly an effective way to combat the issue of education disparity. “In 2013, Long Beach Unified School District received an influx of funding through California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which directed more resources toward schools in high-poverty areas. This funding allowed for smaller class sizes, additional counseling services, and improved school facilities” according to a study done at the Pew Research Center.  

Additionally, “In the years following the funding increase, LBUSD saw improved academic outcomes, including higher graduation rates and improved test scores. The district also reported a decrease in absenteeism and increased engagement among students. Teacher satisfaction improved due to better resources and support.

It’s time to take action now to secure a better future for all children in the United States!

One idea my group discussed for the History of a Public Controversy Project was the drinking age topic. I feel that this would be a successful  yet important topic to research, since drinking and the official drinking age in the United States has always been controversial, and has evolved much throughout history. It is also an important topic to understand, since there is always debate surrounding the official drinking age in our country; some believe it to be helpful and sufficient, while others find that the age and laws that come with it end up doing more harm than good. By researching and explaining the history of this controversy, we could understand both sides of the argument.

Another topic that I found and feel would be very interesting to research is abstinence-only education. Similar to the drinking age, this topic is always up for debate; some in full support, while others fully look down on the idea of an abstinence-only education and believe that it does more harm than good. This research would also prove to be important because through fully understanding the outcomes of both educations, we can find which education would be more successful and helpful for future generations.