Kanye West, school lunches and more: Letters to the editor from Fresno-Clovis students

The Bee Editorial Board is pleased to print the following letters to the editor from high school students enrolled in the Center for Advanced Research and Technology.

Every fall a cohort of students at CART — a special program of both Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified school districts — participate in an advocacy project. The students identify current issues, research solutions and offer their opinions on the topic.

Here are issues important to this group of teens, as selected by teacher Adam Higginbotham:

Alana De La Cerda, senior, Edison

Ethnic studies is a class where I am learning the truth for the first time in my life. Ethnic studies are the critical and interdisciplinary studies of race, ethnicity, nationality, and indigeneity through the perspective of people of color. Last October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 101, making ethnic studies an A-G requirement for California high schools. This class has allowed me to speak about my experiences as a Chicana, where I am taught this country’s history without giving colonization the benefit of the doubt. The majority of the students are of color and can see themselves reflected in the curriculum.

As a student of color, ethnic studies show a break in the cycle of oppressive education. To understand that ethnic studies in all aspects of school are necessary is to understand we deserve more than “racial equality” in the classroom. Until this point, ethnic studies was just an elective in schools, but its principles are everywhere. This is essential because if you don’t learn about the people around you or yourself, you may never learn about the true history and the identity of a nation.

Students, enroll in this class; it will open up a whole new world to you.

Ria Sidhu, junior, Bullard

We all love cell phones, whether we want to admit it or not; however, they can’t always be for the best. I’m bringing this up regarding the phone policy recently implemented at Bullard High School. This policy consists of students locking their phones away the entire day inside a magnetic pouch called “Yondr.” Students are expected to keep their phones locked up all day. They cannot unlock them during lunch and have to wait in lines to open them by staff.

Now you may be thinking, oh, that’s good for the student’s well-being; they can have a better attention span when it comes to learning. However, it was discovered that cell phones help students in learning environments, making it easier for them to access resources for particular classes. For example, science and literacy has talked to teachers about how they have used cell phones to improve the student’s learning environment. Students can quickly look up some information and verify its validity.

Students who might not have access to computers at home can type and submit essays on their phones. Furthermore, students can also use their cell phones to collaborate with their peers.

This policy is a complete atrocity and should be ended immediately.

Ariel Rosas, junior, Bullard

Kanye West is a person who many people have diverse opinions on based on his actions in the world. Even though Kanye may be a controversial topic, this does not cross over with the fact that Kanye West is still the best artists of all time.

From Kanye himself, “I feel like I’m too busy writing history to read it.” He has 140 million records sold, is the winner of 21 Grammy awards, and has been named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine. Kanye has had 56 top 40s, 18 top 10s, and four No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100s list.

His first album, “The College Dropout,” reached No. 2 on the US Billboard 200s list. His most popular album, “Graduation” sold over 6 million copies.

Kanye West makes music for anybody and everybody to listen to, and for any occasion. You may not be a Kanye West fan, but there is no doubt that you will know the lyrics to at least one of his hits.

Kanye’s actions in the world do not affect the fact that he is the best artist of all time. He is a lyrical genius that changed the world with his music. You might cancel his political views, but don’t miss out on his music.

Keirah Jones, junior, Edison

Black Student Union programs at Fresno Unified schools are extremely underfunded. Fresno Unified was given $2.02 billion dollars for the 2022-23 school year. Bob Nelson, the superintendent of Fresno Unified, claims to want to provide his students with the things they need to thrive. Yet when it comes to Black students, they can’t even get funding for a club created to encourage them to be comfortable with who they are.

In the last semester of the 2021-22 school year there was an incident with a student from Bullard High dressed as a KKK member and it surfaced on the internet. He faced no consequences until multiple schools protested, demanding justice for the emotional trauma this may have caused Black students. Nelson was against the protests and asked students not to proceed with the plans to protest.

However, when said protests did occur later that day, he made various empty promises, which we still have not seen put into action to this day.

BSU programs receive no support from Fresno Unified, there is a lack of acknowledgment as well as economic support for these clubs. Fresno Unified and Superintendent Nelson must do better.

Natalie Tippins, senior, Clovis

Let’s play a fun game. You owe me money, but I’m not going to tell you how much, you have to guess. If you guess wrong, you’re going to prison. Welcome to being an adult and paying taxes.

How does the government expect teens to understand financial concepts, yet does not require those courses in high schools? Teens are stressing out trying to “solve for x” and typing essays on the author’s theme, when they should be learning financial literacy. Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted, “More tutoring. More arts and music. More counselors in schools. More before and after school programs. We are literally transforming California’s education system.” Currently, California does not require students to learn about personal finance management. As someone who is soon going to be a legal adult, I have no idea how to do taxes, how to take out a loan, or what a mortgage is. Education is a fundamental aspect of our adolescence, as we utilize what we learn in schools for the rest of our lives.

So why aren’t we receiving the most important type of education? Newsom needs to get off Twitter and start focusing on the future of California students.

Jadyn De Leon, senior, Clovis East

President Joe Biden says that he wants health care to be a right, not a privilege. He believes that everyone should be given the opportunity to access quality and affordable health care. However, he has not done anything about the 165 million people in the United States alone who wear glasses and have reported on paying $100-$150 dollars on their prescription.

This number is tremendously high and needs to be changed. Many people cannot afford this cost and resort to not going to the doctor at all. Those who do not see an ophthalmologist are missing out on so many things because they are not able to see clearly. They cannot get a driver’s license because they have to pass an eyesight exam, they cannot see the board clearly in school, or see their loved ones’ faces for what they really are.

So I am asking you, Mr. Biden, to lower this outrageous cost of prescription glasses. Help Americans take back our sense of sight.

Jase Ploharz, junior, Clovis

A sting operation in Fresno County sent 19 men to jail for an attempted meet up with minors to have sex. One member of this disgusting operation was 38-year-old Mark McGill Jr., a U.S. Forest Service employee. A man who might seem like a local hero, turns to be sexually attacking the thing we value most, children.

One might think, how are these situations even being created. The answer to this is hiding in plain sight: Cell phones. Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smitcamp stated,”The greatest evil and the greatest threat to children is the cell phone. This is how children are exploited, this is how they are violated and this is how these predators get access to our children.”

Many of these men have been bailed out and sent back to live their lives amongst the children in our community. Fresnans must put their faith in the hands of H.O.O.K. (Hands Off Our Kids). Bringing light to this organization can help prevent the exploitation of young people.

Together, we can put these criminals behind bars where they belong, instead of behind the screen waiting for their next victim.

Analise Ramirez, junior, Hoover

An issue that should be discussed is school lunches. We go to school to learn new things, learn new topics, talk to a few friends, take tests, take pop quizzes and after it all we go to lunch. But once I step into the cafeteria, all I see are bagged foods that are cold. I look over to our drinking section and there’s only milk … what a great day to be lactose intolerant.

Our food options are limited and we aren’t asking for a cooked turkey or McDonald’s food, but better nutritious meals. Students go into the cafeteria to eat and regenerate for their next periods, but the majority of students who walk into the cafeteria, walk straight out empty handed. Why? Because the food isn’t great.

Many students may not even have the opportunities to eat at home and their only food provider may just be the school. A half-cooked burrito will not fill a student up, and with milk? That may just hurt a student’s stomach.

We are grateful for our lunch ladies and men, but the district must step up their food lunches.

Jaz Singh, senior, Clovis North

I’d like to discuss racism directed at the Sikh community. It can be challenging to be a Sikh in America at times. Only a few people are aware of our religion and culture. Turbans are worn by Sikh men because they keep their hair clean and protected. We get told to return back to our own country on a regular basis because we stand out and are distinctive in our own way. The 9/11 tragedy had a significant impact on the Sikh community and continues to do so today.

On June 21, 2021, a PBS NewsHour piece detailed how a white man singled out a Sikh man from Denver for wearing a turban. The suspect, a white male, allegedly targeted Singh because he thought he was “Arab,” according to law officials.

The public and the police frequently have misconceptions about Sikhs because of their distinctive religious practices. Local law enforcement agencies reported 7,314 hate crime events nationwide in 2019, the most recent year for which the FBI has published national numbers.

America is home to an estimated 500,000 Sikhs, and hate crimes committed against people of color must end.

Adriana Perez Hernandez, senior, Hoover

Hoover High and other schools have a restroom policy which is the 10-10 rule. Which means you are not allowed to use the restroom for the first 10 minutes of class and the last 10 minutes of class, although other schools have visits that are longer than 10 minutes.

The problem is that if students need the restroom, they only have five minutes to use the restroom and go to class. Some students avoid getting to class late, especially because the restroom lines are long sometimes, and some are just using a restroom stall for unnecessary reasons. However, that makes the student wait approximately half an hour to go to the restroom.

They should remove that policy because sometimes students really have to go, and also let more than one person go to the restroom if they really need it.