June 15

Should Sports Teams Change Their Names and Logos?

Did you know that there are over 500 Native American tribes in the United States of America. About 2,100 sports teams contain Native American names and logos. Since 2005 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) told 18 teams to change their names or logo because it is offensive to native americans and they don’t like being called indians or redskins. From my point of view, sports teams should change their names because they can be offensive to Native Americans because it makes look like savages. Many Native Americans don’t like the team names because it makes it look like they all have the same culture even though there is many different cultures of Native Americans.

Many of the team logos make the Indians look like savages. In fact many Indians were rarely at war or violent. People don’t want to accept the fact that the Redskins name is racist and offends many Native Americans. Nine out of 10 Native Americans think the Redskins name is racist because it makes them look like savages and violent people.  In 2017 California governor Jerry Brown banned any school to have the name or logo of the Redskins.

The team names make Indians look like one culture of people. The cartoon like logos make them all look the same. For example, the Chief’s logo of Chief Wahoo has a painted face and feathers. Not all Indian tribes painted their faces or wore feathers. One thing fans do is that they go to baseball games and they go to the game with feathers even though not a lot of tribes do that. There are 500 plus different Indian tribes in the United States and they are all very different.

The Seminoles are at FSU (Florida State University) because the Native American tribe the seminoles said they can use their name as the school name and logo. The Seminoles the tribe says represents bravery and courage. Also, San Diego State University there has been multiple petitions to get rid of their name and logo and mascot of the Aztecs. Surprisingly in the year 2000 about 95% of people voted to keep the name and mascot of the Aztecs. I think the mascot is fine. It shows the culture of the Aztecs and doesn’t make them look like a cartoon or savage.

Did you know that most protests for the Cleveland Indians happen on opening day?  In 2019, the Cleveland Indians are changing their logo, Chief Wahoo. They’ve had this logo since 1947.  I think it is good that they are changing their logo because they are hosting the All Star Game the year they are getting rid of their logo. That makes me think they are honoring tribes. So, in conclusion those are my reasons I think that they should change the names and logos. But then again, some teams say that they will never ever change their team names because it is an important part of team history. It seems to me that all teams should change their names if it’s offensive.

Photo credit: https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/news/no-more-wahoo-cleveland-indians-to-discontinue-chief-wahoo-logo-in-2019-L7uHOdUyT0CFjXVK4hnHKw/

Category: Community, Current Events & News, Student Posts | 2 Comments on Should Sports Teams Change Their Names and Logos?
June 15

Should We Ban Plastic Bags

Imagine yourself as a fish. You see a weird thing that is clear. You try to eat it and you suffocate. Later you become a shark’s dinner which means that the shark is now polluted too. Think of all the creatures that eat plastic and die. I think we should ban plastic, especially plastic bags. Plastic trash ends up in the ocean and can really harm marine life.  Another reason for banning plastic is all plastic bags can also contribute to global climate change.

To begin with plastic trash often ends up in the ocean. Have you ever heard of a trash island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? This  island is made up of trash that is the size of Texas that is still growing in size. Trash island is estimated to be about 5,800,000 square miles!  For instance plastic bags are usually only used for twenty minutes and then begin the journey to the ocean through the sewers, because most owners of the bags just leave them in the street to be blown away into the sewers. Did you know that more than 17 billion pounds of plastic trash ends up in the ocean each year?

Second, plastic bags can be harmful to marine life. For instance in Norway 30 plastic bags were found in the stomach of a beached whale.  Plastic bags consumed could lead to death by suffocation which is very sad. Did you know that at least 1 million seabirds and 100,000 mammals die each year from plastic materials.

Third, plastic bags can also contribute to global climate change.  Plastic bags are made out of a material that will release greenhouse gases when they decompose. Which is a very big core material in global climate change. The amount of trash that is burned each year in the dump will make massive impact on global climate change. Climate change will heat up the earth melt all of the ice in the world and make more water which will consume all the land in the world.

I think we should ban plastic bags. Did you know that California banned plastic bags last November? I say every state should do that. It’s easy to think plastic bags do not do any harm to the environment and can be recycled, but most don’t recycle them and put them in the regular trash or let them blow away. When you face the facts really plastic bags add to global climate change, harm marine life, and end up in our oceans or landfills. In the end you are sacrificing creatures to your benefit to live in your everyday life. Next time you go to the store think twice about your plastic bag or paper bag choice.

Photo credit: https://nuscimag.com/the-ocean-needs-you-not-your-trash-7d5967aa9e83

Category: Environment, Student Posts | 2 Comments on Should We Ban Plastic Bags
June 15

Cats or Dogs?

Image result for cat v dog

There’s no question that Americans love both dogs and cats. About 48 percent of people own dogs and 38 percent own cats. That’s according to the American Pet Products Association. But one thing many people can’t agree on is which animal makes a better pet.

Cat lovers say their pets are easier to care for than dogs. They point out that cats don’t bark or jump on visitors. Also, it’s cheaper to own a cat.  Dogs often need training classes and eat more than cats do.

Still, dog owners say the money they spend is worth it. They argue that dogs are more social than cats. Plus, scientists who studied the brains of both animals determined that dogs are smarter than cats. Dog lovers also point out that canines help people in ways that felines can’t. For example, dogs can be trained as service pets for people who are disabled or have food allergies. What you think?

Category: Animals, Community, Current Events & News, Student Posts | 5 Comments on Cats or Dogs?
June 15

Ocean Protector

The beautiful blue-green ocean looks as pretty as the sky but, it is not nearly as big.  The ocean is bigger than all the land masses on earth put together. It covers 70% of the Earth’s surface.  Many creatures live in or depend on the ocean which is what makes the ocean so important. Lots of them we used for food, but many others are interesting to learn about and watch.

My favorite marine animals are sharks, octopus, dolphins and bioluminescent creatures.  These animals are my favorites because they have special skills to help them survive. Sharks can replace their teeth many times during their life because they have many rows of teeth.  An octopus squirts its ink out to distract the predator so it can escape. Also, an octopus will pretend to be the predator so it won’t get eaten. A dolphin’s dorsal fin can make it look like a shark.  They hunt in a pod or group and use teamwork. Bioluminescent creatures live in the deep parts of the ocean. They use their bright and colorful light for both protection and to catch food. These are some of the reason why I like these animals the best.

The ocean is in great danger! Every second there’s a ton of trash dumped into the ocean. Some states and countries don’t want to make areas for trash. They put their trash in the oceans.  If we don’t stop them the ocean will get polluted with bad things. Many animals will eat ts are sold every minute around the world.  People should recycle the plastic water bottles. Also, people should buy reusable water bottles. Everyone needs to get involved, even kids. Ocean Connectors is a group here in San Diego for kids to learn about ocean conservation.  Kids go on field trips to clean-up beaches and learn about marine life.

Image result for x-ray plastic in birdsThe ocean is in great danger! Every second there’s a ton of trash dumped into the ocean. Some states and countries don’t want to make areas for trash. They put their trash in the oceans.  If we don’t stop them the ocean will get polluted with bad things. Many animals will eat ts are sold every minute around the world.  People should recycle the plastic water bottles. Also, people should buy reusable water bottles. Everyone needs to get involved, even kids. Ocean Connectors is a group here in San Diego for kids to learn about ocean conservation.  Kids go on field trips to clean-up beaches and learn about marine life.

We are all connected to the ocean so we have to protect the ocean.  We should defend all the living things in the ocean because if we do not, no one will.  The end result will be that as the ocean plants die the fish that eat them will also die.  This will cause a chain of dying because many of the ocean animals will starve.  Eventually, the oceans will die. All the ocean animals will become extinct.  It is our job to make the ocean clean and keep the ocean animals safe so we all can survive. This is an important job that everybody is obligated to do. Tell me, what would you do to help save the ocean?

 

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