Problems and Solutions to Violence in Schools Essay

Violence is a very important issue that is coming to the front in todays school systems. School violence is a `complex social policy problem and is considered very complicated and hard to define. My paper is on school violence and the methods in which the government and schools can provide support and/or programs to help stem the recent rash of incidents. These steps include: use of `less violent materials, peer mediation interventions, police presence and action, individualizing of the troublemaker(s), safety measures [in schools, and at home], and raising deviancy awareness. Through using these methods, hopefully we can start to stem the amount of, and types of violence that has been ruling the schoolyards these days. It is important†¦show more content†¦There has been a stunning trend in recent years that shows that teachers are less likely to punish a student for fear of retaliation, and likewise, students are becoming more apathetic about schoolwork and deviancy because they realize they will not be punished as severely. This problem also leads to less attentiveness amongst students, and less ability to teach a lesson for the professors. Simply put, the violence epidemic simply leads to more violence. There are several reactions that students exhibit to violence in the schools. While some seclude themselves, withdraw from school, the most serious reaction is of retaliation. Some students, when acted against, will begin carrying weapons to school, this act will only lead to further violence among students in the school setting. The use of violence and aggression in schools also can lead to serious psychological harm. Many times, not only victims, but witnesses to serious crimes in the school setting have reported some form of lasting mental damages. This mental trauma is often hard to treat, causing some students to permanently leave school. The most common cause of this mental trauma is the youth on youth violence that is spreading throughout the educational institutions. There are certain elements in schools and social environments that foster juvenile violence. These elements include attention from peers, teachers, and even the media. Students, who act appropriately, andShow MoreRelatedExamining Causes of School Violence and Solutions to the Problem1763 Words   |  8 Pageschildren been victims of violence or intimidation and how many times have you been left feeling abandoned, demoralized and full of despair because no-one will lift a finger to help. How many times have you seen the offenders caught and let off to continue re-offending in some instances? The truth of the matter is that we are all alone when it comes to dealing with any form of aggressive behavior from children, especially in school. Did you ever wonder why schools have so much violence? But people alwaysRead MoreSchool Violence1125 Words   |  5 PagesFinding a Solution to School Violence Anita Lopez Kaplan University CM-220 School is a place where children should go to learn, educate themselves, make lifelong friends and most importantly they should feel safe. The violence in schools has increased over the years and many schools aren’t sure how to handle this growing problem in an appropriate manner. School violence may come in various forms and some of the most common forms of school violence include physical abuses, bullying, brawlRead MoreSchool Violence Speech Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesTopic: School Violence General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform what needs to be done to stop school violence. Central Idea: To inform the effects, causes, and solutions of school violence. INTRODUCTION: nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Since the April 20, 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado I have been looking deeper into the issue of school violence. The number of extremely violent crimes committed by students has been increasing in the last fewRead MoreSocial Issues Of Education And Education984 Words   |  4 Pageseducation system since schooling became mandatory. Most people in the US have at least a high school education and are able to function in society as fruitful and productive citizens. However, in the past years the family and education structure have changed, creating new social issues for society to address and find solutions for. The following examines the shortage of teachers in schools, increasing school violence, and the bilingual challenges our education system faces today. One of the challengesRead MoreYouth Violence And Its Effect On Children1637 Words   |  7 PagesSince the year 2000, youth violence has been one of the biggest concerns in almost every community. In my research I decided to evaluate the study of youth violence. Youth violence is said to start since the early days of childhood and lead onto the teenage years of a child. When talking about youth violence, the child may not only be an offender but they can be a victim of violence as well. Bullying, punching, slapping, kicking, teasing, and verbal abuse are all behaviors and forms of mistreatmentRead MoreSchool Violence Throughout The United States1233 Words   |  5 PagesExecutive Summary School violence in the U.S. Violence in the form of school shooting has become more common in recent years. Violence occurs in both inner city and small, suburban schools. Some of the devastating effects of school violence have been reported by media sources, and the school as an educational institution is compromised when students no longer feel comfortable or safe there. School violence affected about 1.2 million students in the U.S. According to Law Library, the frequency andRead More Finding the Root of the Problem of School Violence Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesFinding the Root of the Problem of School Violence After shootings at Jonesboro, Ark, Paducah, Ky, Springfield, Ore, Pearl, Miss, and Littleton, Co, serious questions arise such as has school violence risen, and, if so, what can we do to fix it. The truth is, school violence is on a rise, and it can be attributed to factors such as disinterest in learning, the total preservation of the civil rights of the students at all costs, and the lack of power the teachers and administrators haveRead MoreSocial And Environmental Issues Of Juvenile Delinquency980 Words   |  4 Pages1. Give a brief explanation of your topic and/or problem in the criminal justice system. There are many problems that contribute to the social and environmental issues of juvenile delinquency. Several factors are youths brought up in poverty stricken and gang infested neighborhoods, exposure to drugs, violence, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, no parental guidance and neglect. A large number of these children commit violent crimes and more than 700,000 are a part of gangs. 40 percent of theRead MoreChicago Gangs and History Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesChicago Gangs, Then and Now with Solutions Nick Crot Marist High School Abstract This paper deals with gang violence in the city of Chicago since the beginning of time. It takes a deep look into the history of Chicago gangs and how they interact today. Also the past problems the City of Chicago made when dealing with gangs and the problems that gangs today have and how Chicago has the worst gang problem in the country. Also how gangs have turned themselves into big, and lucrative enterprisesRead MoreLife1071 Words   |  5 Pages Why Chicago Public Schools need more Protective Measures Against School Violence Paul Cotton Baker College Online Why Chicago Schools need more Protective Measures Against School Violence Gun violence and the right to carry weapons have been two topics of heated debate over the last decade. From the violent burglaries to school shootings, the need for protection increases. The solution to end or reduce violence is not an easy task. Should society employ

The Threat Of Emergency Response Operations - 1604 Words

The quote; â€Å"Threats and Vulnerabilities emanating from man-made and natural disaster are the crux of the U.S. all-hazard approach to homeland security (HS), but this approach appears to be inherently flawed.† is not true. This essay will argue that emergency response operations are at the crux of the U.S. all-hazard approach to homeland security and that this approach is not inherently flawed just not all encompassing. This is because the emergency response operations such as crisis and consequence management directly correlate with the length and overall effect of vulnerabilities and threats emanating from a disaster, presenting post disaster risks that need to be accounted for but are not. Also, the all-hazard approach is correct, threats to homeland security do not just come from militarized attacks but also chemical spills, tornadoes and other disasters showing that it is not inherently flawed. The approach simply fails to recognize the effect that interagency and int ergovernmental coordination during the emergency response operations, or lack thereof, has on the magnitude of threats and vulnerabilities that emanate from man-made and natural disasters. Preparedness should account for both pre and post disaster conditions. Section one of this paper will define the concept of an all hazard approach to homeland security. Section two of this paper will argue that emergency responses act as the crux of the all-hazard approach. The third section will argue that all hazardShow MoreRelatedExploring Terrorism And Terrorism1312 Words   |  6 Pagesstrengthen communities. A strong capability to perform hazard and threat assessments can go a long way in helping a community take preventive and protective measure in the fight against terrorism. Fighting terrorism is a combination of several tools and activities aimed at improving response capabilities and reducing the risks from attacks. Activities to measure and improve capabilities can come in the form of prevention, protection, response, recovery and mitigation. Each of these areas is designed toRead MoreFederal Emergency Management Agency ( Fema )1616 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: According to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), there are many factors that will affect the direction of emergency management in the coming years. These can be classified as global challenges, global opportunities, national challenges, national opportunities, professional challenges, and professional opportunities. Global Challenges include some issues like global climate change, increasing population and population density, increasing resource scarcities, rising incomeRead MoreEssay about Knoxville, Tennessee Emergency Operations Plan989 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction An emergency operations plan for the community in which we live is a document of great importance to each of us whether we know it or not. This paper examines the emergency action plan for Knoxville, Tennessee. In the course of the examination, it will compare and analyze the plan for Knoxville with the standards set forth in the textbook for this course along with other recognized sources in the field of emergency management. Knoxville, Tennessee With a population of nearly oneRead MoreMajor Types Of Emergencies Are The Following1278 Words   |  6 PagesMajor types of Emergencies are the following -evacuation -explosion and bomb alerts -external emergencies and natural disasters, such as: †¢ explosion †¢ fire †¢ flood †¢ hazardous chemical spill †¢ storm †¢ traffic accident -internal emergencies, such as: †¢ loss of power †¢ loss of water supply †¢ structural collapse -security emergencies, such as: †¢ armed robberies †¢ intruders †¢ disturbed persons -serious injury events. Examples of emergencies includes †¢ Bomb threats and suspected devices †¢ DeathRead MorePreparedness Training Within Hospitals For Wmd1181 Words   |  5 Pagesthat would help deal with deal WMD threat within their hospitals or outside threat that could be coming towards their facility for treatment because they are the close. The type of threat they could be expose too for example are, Ebola, Anthrax’s, SARS etc. WMD that are released within a hospital only has one agenda which is to kill. Because the types of WMD are contagious and airborne it can spread very quickly without any warning. The focus will be how emergency managers can help hospitals to recognizeRead MoreEmergency Operations Plan1441 Words   |  6 PagesEmergency Operations Plan Roland Brown University of Phoenix Critical Incident Management CJA/560 Ian Moffett November 22, 2010 Emergency Operations Plan Emergency planning has changed very much since the 9/11 attacks. Law enforcement agencies focus more on prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. With planning and efforts made by law enforcement agencies, the law enforcement community can provide a comprehensive emergency management and security program (EMHSD/MSP, 2009)Read MoreThe Terrorist Attacks Of 9 / 111645 Words   |  7 PagesSince the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the United States (US) government has focused on terrorism as the biggest threat to stability and national security in the homeland. There have been controversial laws enacted which tested an individual’s Constitutional rights versus the security of the country as a whole, military engagements in foreign countries designed to stop terrorism overseas before reaching the homeland, and a number of law enforcement and government initiatives implemented to identifyRead MoreTexas Health Presbyterian Denton Emergency Operations Plan1550 Wo rds   |  7 Pages The purpose of this paper will be to evaluate the Texas Health Presbyterian Denton’s Emergency Operation’s Plan to determine if it address a comprehensive response to threats, emergencies and disasters while safeguarding the welfare of its citizens. OBJECTIVE: According to the Texas Health Presbyterian Denton Emergency Operations plan their objective â€Å"is to maintain the continuity of patient care operations and meet the medical needs of our members and the community.† In order to accomplish thisRead MoreEmergency Responders Face The Difficult Task Of Ensuring The Safety And Wellbeing Of The Citizens1645 Words   |  7 PagesEmergency responders face the difficult task of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the citizens they serve. Natural and man-made disasters augment the daily threats that responders face. The threat of disaster poses an especially large risk due to their massive sizes and therefore, additional susceptibility to hazards. The Kansas City government created an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to combat the most likely dangers they are likely to face based off of their Threats, Hazards IdentificationRead MoreThreat And Hazard Identification And Risk Assessment Paper1089 Words   |  5 Pagesfloods, torna dos, active shooters, and fires are all threats discussed. Brazos County has a population of around 220,000 people with College Station containing around 112,000 of that total population. Texas AM University has enrolled nearly 65,000 students and is therefore this majority is why The Texas AM EOP will be used. The Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) provides the necessary framework to define and identify threats or hazards concerning the community of interest

Ethical and Legal Practices and Capacity

Question: Severe Exacerbation of his COPD with Dyspnoea on Minimal Exertion. Answer: Introduction: Healthcare professionals are bound to undertake ethical and legal exasperations from patients, associated family and the healthcare administration. The interventions that are to be imparted upon the patient must be in accordance with predilection of the patient and associated family. Furthermore, but such penchant cannot always been considered by the healthcare professionals as in many cases such predilection may not be justifiable. The example of this can be insufficient knowledge towards prevailing health condition and affect to decision due to advanced age, social, cultural, psychosocial and financial factors (Herring, 2014). The report is an analysis on the refusal of treatment and beneficence ethical and legal practices that affects the intervention treatment regulated by the healthcare professionals through the case study of Mr. Gray who is suffering from COPD. This report outlines an overall analysis on maintaining the ethical approach while provisioning the treatment. Furthermore, two ethical and legal practices with the care that are refusal of treatment and beneficence have been undertaken for the analysis of the case study of Mr. Gray. Importance of Ethical Approach: Ethics is a philosophical approach that believes in preventing and safeguarding the moral principles of a human being that are based on their social, cultural, psychosocial, economic and financial experiences. Furthermore, ethics provide an order, recommendation and prevention of the rights of an individual in order to protect them from any misconduct by another human being (Miravitlles et al., 2013). In accordance to this concept, the healthcare professionals conduct and impart the treatment to the patients with distress. Furthermore, keeping this viewpoint in mind, the first establishment of the principles of ethics was conducted by Tom Beauchamp and James Childress in 1985 (Ebbesen Sundby, 2015). Such principles are interrelated and provide the healthcare professionals optimal framework and guidelines for the formulation, implementation and regulation of optimal remedial treatment to the patients. The two chosen ethical and legal practice framework are refusal of treatment and be neficence (Entwistle Watt, 2013). Condition of Patient: Mr. Gray is an old man who is 67 years old and is suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) along with dyspnoea. Additionally, he is suffering from dysphagia, nocturnal pyrexia and dysphasia (Incalzi et al., 2014). Furthermore, he has signs and symptoms such as high temperature, lowered oxygen saturation levels, tachycardia, high respiratory rate, normotensive and pneumonia. Additionally, along with such condition he has severe refusal towards treatment and meeting his family members, other patients in the hospital and staff members of the hospital. Refusal towards treatment is towards the consumption of the medication and undergoing Enteral Feeding. The healthcare professionals are undertaking optimal steps such as providing consent to the family members regarding the treatment require to be imparted to Mr. Gray (Pagano, 2016). Comparison of Refusal of Treatment with the Care: The right to refusal of treatment is the basic right provided to the patient in order to prevent and prohibit the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions as per their will. This right preserves the moral ethics, provides protection and privacy during the conduction of the treatment. In addition to this, such right preserves the integrity and decision-making of a patient but unfortunately, this right usually gets misused by the patient having no knowledge on their medical condition. Certain factors such as no awareness, advanced age, influence by social, cultural, ethical and psychosocial experiences and others affects the decision-making of a patient to a large extent. Additionally, this condition locks and prohibits the healthcare professionals from undertaking decisions related to safeguard interventions (Ryan, Callaghan Peisah, 2015). Similar, situation has arisen in case of Mr. Gray who has severe refusal towards pharmacological intervention of paracetamol and conduction of Enteral Feeding through the inserting of nasogastric tube. The evidence based practices need to be implemented such by informing the patient and associated family on the importance of safety of the treatment and the recovery of patient, the required voluntary treatment by the patient are not effective anymore, the benefits or advantages are way more stable and outweighs the associated risks (Loke, 2015). In conclusion to the prevailing scenario, Mr. Gray comes under the case of an adult with capacity that determines the refusal by a patient in order to satisfy themselves irrespective of the degrading repercussions that can originate ahead. Consistent and prolonged refusal by Mr. Gray has led the healthcare professionals to approach Mrs. Gray regarding the imparting of effective intervention. Mrs. Gray is open to such safeguard interventions an d wants her husband to recover as soon as possible. Additionally, under such circumstances the associated healthcare professionals are open to undertake the safeguard interventions as per the consent and approval from Mrs. Gray. Furthermore, the concept of coercion must be separated from this situation as coercion is regarded as invasive and a term usually used for the treatment of the patients suffering from medical conditions but in the case Mr. Gray the treatments are non-invasive and must be conducted in accordance with the approval of Mrs. Gray (Soininen et al., 2014). Conclusively, the procedural measures for the conduction of remedial treatment for Mr. Gray have been undertaken in accordance with the rationale of refusal of treatment. Comparison of Beneficence with the Care: Beneficence is one of the four principles of ethics formulated by Tom Beauchamp and James Childress in 1985 (Ross, 2016). This principle provides effective remedial actions that are essential and required to be implemented to benefit and provide relief to the patient under distress. Beneficence is a broad concept that allows the healthcare professionals to provide effectual concoction of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in accordance with the circumstances, somatic and mental wellbeing of the patient. Such interventions are required to be implemented with the help of experienced skills and high level of knowledge towards the condition and effective interventions (Martela Ryan, 2015). Beneficence principle goes in accordance with the case of Mr. Gray as this ethical approach has provided every possible measure to the healthcare professional for the conduction of the treatment in Mr. Gray. Furthermore, the concept of consent is also attached to the beneficence as consent allows optimal awareness of the existing condition, possible safeguard interventions and their extent of affects on the patient. In accordance with the beneficence, Mr. Gray has been optimally diagnosed and treated well. Furthermore, patient-oriented strategies and protocols have been formulated in respect to different medical conditions occurring in Mr. Gray. Additionally, consent has been implemented in Mrs. Gray regarding the continual refusal towards treatment by his husband. Such communication over consent has provided approval of treatment by Mrs. Gray that legally allows the healthcare professionals to proceed with the treatment irrespective of the approval by Mr. Gray (Corvol et al., 2013). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is a condition that affects the lungs and degrades it making the patient incapable enough of breathing (Dharmarajan et al., 2016). Certain signs and symptoms of COPD are wheezing, shortness of breath, severe weakness, coughing and tight chest. Maintaining optimal nutritional level and healthy diet under such condition becomes extremely tough and provision of enteral feeding is undertaken when oral feeding is not possible as in the case of Mr. Gray. The level of nutrients is manually handled by the healthcare professionals (Prince et al., 2015). This is mainly a non-invasive method and is frequently undertaken by various healthcare professionals to provide remedial treatment and has fewer side effects. Provision of nasogastric tube for Mr. Gray will allow optimal levels of nutrients in the body as he is continually refusing for the intake of food orally. Furthermore, optimal level of nutrients will allow the regulation of the antibiotic th erapy in Mr. Gray provided for the treatment of pneumonia and other prevailing severe health condition in him (Reeve et al., 2016). Conclusively, the procedural measures for Mr. Gray in order to conduct remedial treatment have been undertaken in accordance with the beneficence rationale. Conclusion: The right to refusal of treatment was made to preserve the ethical integrity and likings of the patient while it has been manipulated by patients with the help of voluntary and involuntary refusal. This right also provides provision of continuum of care in accordance with the approval by the associated family members. Mr. Gray is an old man who is 67 years old and is suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), dysphagia, pyrexia, dysphasia, pneumonia, dyspnoea and haemoptysis. Such condition requires consumption of antibiotics orally and intake of optimal healthy diet. Refusal to both has been seen in Mr. Gray in order to satisfy themselves irrespective of competent enough regarding the degrading consequences of the refusal. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezes, weakness and others has led the healthcare professionals to come up with enteral feeding and must be regulated by the approval of Mrs. Gray. Besides this, beneficence also goes along with the case study of Mr. Gray that allows the provision of effective treatment by respecting the ethical and moral integrity of Mr. Gray and his family by not forcing Mr. Gray on consuming oral antibiotic and oral consumption of food. Additionally, another possible method of treatment is enteral feeding that is non-invasive in nature to which patient is again showing refusal. Beneficence allows generating and enhancing the consent of the family members as in this case is Mrs. Gray and proceeding further with the treatment in accordance with the approval by Mrs. Gray. References: Corvol, A., Moutel, G., Gagnon, D., Nugue, M., Saint-Jean, O., Somme, D. (2013). Ethical issues in the introduction of case management for elderly people.Nursing ethics,20(1), 83-95. Dharmarajan, K., Strait, K. M., Tinetti, M. E., Lagu, T., Lindenauer, P. K., Lynn, J., ... Krumholz, H. M. (2016). Treatment for multiple acute cardiopulmonary conditions in older adults hospitalized with pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or heart failure.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,64(8), 1574-1582. Ebbesen, M., Sundby, A. (2015). A Philosophical Analysis of Informed Consent for Whole Genome Sequencing in Biobank Research by use of Beauchamp and Childress Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Entwistle, V. A., Watt, I. S. (2013). Treating patients as persons: a capabilities approach to support delivery of person-centered care.The American Journal of Bioethics,13(8), 29-39. Herring, J. (2014).Medical law and ethics. Oxford University Press, USA. Incalzi, R. A., Scarlata, S., Pennazza, G., Santonico, M., Pedone, C. (2014). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the elderly.European journal of internal medicine,25(4), 320-328. Loke, P. C. (2015). Refusal of Treatment by Critical Patients.Encyclopedia of Trauma Care, 1398-1402. Martela, F., Ryan, R. M. (2015). The Benefits of Benevolence: Basic Psychological Needs, Beneficence, and the Enhancement of Well?Being.Journal of personality. Miravitlles, M., Soler-Catalua, J. J., Calle, M., Soriano, J. B. (2013). Treatment of COPD by clinical phenotypes: putting old evidence into clinical practice.European Respiratory Journal,41(6), 1252-1256. Pagano, F. (2016). Therapeutic compliance in elderly patients with COPD.Official Journal of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 147. Prince, M. J., Wu, F., Guo, Y., Robledo, L. M. G., O'Donnell, M., Sullivan, R., Yusuf, S. (2015). The burden of disease in older people and implications for health policy and practice.The Lancet,385(9967), 549-562. Reeve, E., Denig, P., Hilmer, S. N., Ter Meulen, R. (2016). The ethics of deprescribing in older adults.Journal of bioethical inquiry, 1-10. Ross, L. F. (2016). Theory and Practice of Pediatric Bioethics.Perspectives in biology and medicine,58(3), 267-280. Ryan, C., Callaghan, S., Peisah, C. (2015). The capacity to refuse psychiatric treatment: A guide to the law for clinicians and tribunal members.Australian New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,49(4), 324-333. Soininen, P., Putkonen, H., Joffe, G., Korkeila, J., Vlimki, M. (2014). Methodological and ethical challenges in studying patients perceptions of coercion: a systematic mixed studies review.BMC psychiatry,14(1), 162.

New School free essay sample

Ardrey Kell. Those two words, synonymous with new school,O made my stomach turn. Switching schools, in the middle of high school, was a nightmare. But in one of the nationOs fastest growing cities, Charlotte, North Carolina, I had no choice. New schools were being hastily scraped together everywhere, and I was re-zoned to a new school. After two years of establishing my leadership and participation roles at Providence High School, I would have to make new friends, meet new teachers, and, worst of all, join new clubs and activities at Ardrey Kell. Suffice to say, I was not too thrilled at the prospect of changing schools. I had learned to love my old school. I loved everything about it, from the black and gold school colors to the panther mascot. And I was trading in all my school pride for a purple knight, the trademark of my new high school. We will write a custom essay sample on New School or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When I first walked into the front hall of Ardrey Kell on August 26, 2006, I looked at the garishly gleaming walls of clashing color palettes, took note of the countless suits of armor lined up against the walls, and I realized I had no hope. None at all. And rightly so. All the clubs and extracurricular activities that I had been involved in at Providence, such as Spanish Club, Key Club, and marching band, did not exist. All the leadership positions I had worked so hard to attain over the past two years meant nothing here, at my new purple prison. Frustrated, I moaned and groaned for about a week. Finally, it dawned on me. An epiphany of sorts, I realized that I had two choices: I could complain and ruin my last two years of high school, or I could embrace my new situation and try to enjoy my time at Ardrey Kell. I decided to choose the latter. I took the initiative and started talking to teachers and administrators about my ideas for the school. With the help of my Spanish teacher , I established the Ardrey Kell Spanish Club. I laid the groundwork for a club constitution, basing it loosely on the constitution of the club I had left behind at Providence. I worked with my club advisor and set up a tutoring program to help students who needed personal help learn the curriculum. I spoke to my band director, and he worked to help establish a marching bandO of sorts, a pep band to play at football games. I joined the Interclub Council, as a club representative, and helped Ardrey KellOs own mini-UN organization change school policies. At the same time, other students were embracing the new school and working to create more clubs and extracurricular activities. A Key Club was founded, as well as an Interact Club and a Mu Alpha Theta. Almost everything I had left behind at my old high school was replaced with a new, improved version at this new school. Suddenly, my purple prisonO did not seem quite as jail-like. By making my voice heard, I was able to establish progra ms that improved and expanded the school. I was able to effect change, a power I had never before held.