Election 2020–One like no other–JSEC Teens Voice Their Opinions on Health Issues that may be Effected by Election Results

This past election season was probably the most volatile one we have seen in decades.  We had Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take on the incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.  To date. 11/18/2020,  we have a President-Elect winner Joe Biden.  The current President, Donald Trump who doesn’t have enough electoral votes to have a 2nd term, is contesting the election and has many law suits in motion questioning the validity of the election.

Regardless of political views we thought to survey some JSEC students to see how they felt the election or any election could effect the health and well being of American Citizens.  We asked JSEC students their thoughts on the election and issues such as personal views, communication, race, abortion, health, wellness, sports,  Here are some thoughts and views from some of our very own JSEC students:

FUTURE HEALTH OF TEENS-

“JSEC teens, in grades 9-12th have been paying attention to the latest election and have put their thoughts into words when asked what this election and it’s elected leader could mean to the future health of teenagers and other American citizens.”

-Johayley Bonilla

PERSONAL ISSUE-

“For most people, thinking about health and health care is a very personal issue. Assuring the health of the public, however, goes beyond focusing on the health status of individuals; it requires a population health approach. America’s health status does not match the nation’s substantial health investments. The work of assuring the nation’s health also faces dramatic change, systemic problems, and challenging societal norms and influences. Given these issues, the committee believes that it is necessary to transform national health policy, which traditionally has been grounded in a concern for personal health services and biomedical research that benefits the individual. Approaching health from a population perspective commits the nation to understanding and acting on the full array of factors that affect health.”

-Angelis Rodriguez

COMMUNICATION-

Health is important in the life for all who live in the world, because people need to be in a good physiological state of a living being to work well and healthy.   Healthy living now allows you to live well and become an older healthier adult.  As a teenager,  if I am not healthy, or if  I can’t even read then that will surely effect my health.  I will be unable to understand labels,  read signs, and my communication would be very weak.   Also, if I take may use an example like the Covid-19 epidemic, if you have suffered from some other serious illness and also tested positive for Covid-19,  there is a chance that due to Covid that other illness could get worse and potentially result in hospitalization and in the worst situation could cause death.

-Cesar Olivares

RACE-

“There is also another disease that the world knows, it is related to  race, and often consists of a person who is white, or non black,  who may be humiliating person who has the color black in their skin.  This also is a disease which affects the morality of a person who is of black color and who gets mentally beat down and unfortunately could result in a person of color who may consider committing suicide”

-Schnieder Macombe

ABORTION-

Leaders must bring a solution and a positive change on it’s actions  to address racial biasness and discrimination.  Leaders must also lead on health issues such as abortion and anti-abortion issues.  For people in my community, people need more education on all of these issues. Just like health, physical education, health care, abortion , and racism along with issues that may be effected by our morals.  It’s always healthy to see both sides of issues then make your own personal decisions on health topics.   The government and electing key leaders is important because we have the power That’s why health is important in life that I said at the beginning”

-Schneider  Macombe

SPORTS-

“I think that sports are effected in many ways in the decisions leaders make.  It may affect JSEC sports,  for example if the President closes schools that would affect the sports because if they close the schools student athletes will not be going to play anymore.  This could effect their health, fitness, and potential scholarship opportunities in the future.  Many high school sports offerings serve as a motivator for students to even get up for school so ensuring a President is very health, wellness, and fitness conscious is very important because often participating on a team it really does add for a well rounded adult.  Many cannot even begin to imagine schools just being on line with no sports.”

-Edgar Martinez

DISTANCE LEARNING-

“If they close the schools it is bad for a lot of students because there are a lot of students that maybe don’t have the internet. Maybe they have some issues at home so school is important to them because they can’t do it at home.  Some do well at home while others do not.  The government would have to ensure all students had WIFI available to them so they could keep communication open with themselves and their classes and teacher.

Many families would be affected by the President closing the school because it can be families that the school helps a lot by giving food for them to take home,  like JSEC is doing, so if they close the schools they may not be able to assist families who are struggling with feeding their families.

I think that if the newly elected President closes the school for Covid 19 related reasons that a lot of people would be affected because some people need to go to school in person to learn.  Many don’t learn as well on line or they may have issues at home”-Antonia Mitogo

EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS-

“For starters, everyone can be effected by who wins the election.  Whoever becomes the next President will make significant changes that will effect lives. For example lets take our last President, Mr. Donald Trump.  He had the opportunity to use his executive, administrative, and political power to shape education policy. But instead, when Trump got presidency Trump’s education policy agenda aimed at weakening federal oversight and reversing Obama’s commitment on civil and student rights in public schools. This could effect myself and many teens. In fact it could everyone around the world because it was a wrong decision, and many saw it as a  cruel action that wasn’t was what was best for students.   Previous to Trump’s decision on this,  Obama made an original commitment to assist all citizens with their education and assisting in providing a means to fund education.  He sought to give students to tools to gain knowledge that they need to thrive and advance equality in education.  He thought this strengthened schools. Therefore, my community and family could have a major impact on this decision especially when it comes to showing up to vote on our next set of leaders.   It also reflects on racist actions.”

-Enrique Mitogo

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH-

“A real life problem that could be effected by an elected by an leader is if the elected leader decides to put PE Health class as an elective, as in not being a mandatory class. If this happens only a few students might take PE and probably for not longer than a year or two. This class is a very important part of each child’s life because it might be the only way for most of us to get our daily workout by exercising.  During Covid back in March we were given at home fitness and health assignments and it really was helpful and assisted me to stay fit and healthy by learning about viruses, diseases, and we used the safety measures we learned in class and used them in every day life.   I would want to keep PE because by not having it, it would affect my physical and emotional health because without the weekly exercise my mind is out of focus and my muscles would become weak or as Mr. Moreau, my PE/Health teacher says, they would atrophy.

Also for those students don’t have to take this class they would have a higher chance of graduating. On the other hand, if they don’t have this class which for most of them is the only way of getting a workout, there is a big chance for them to suffer health problems such as obesity, heart problems, cholesterol, diabetes, fat in the liver, and gallstones.”

-Geremi Espinal

FAMILY-

“This could affect my family as well as thousands of other families by giving them problematic health situations. By having so many kids with physical and emotional health problems their family members will have to sacrifice a lot to get them the treatment that they need. This could result in bankrupts of families thus resulting in the shut down of business. Their economic life would go downhill because they would need all the money necessary for the treatments.”

-Enrique Mitogo

OVERALL HEALTH-

“Health issues decided on by the government can effect my education here at JSEC and can affect me even more as a teenager in many ways. First of all without health class or physical education teens wouldn’t always be able to fully understand about keeping our bodies in good shape and condition. Secondly, health and PE  can also teach us about our bodies and educates us about what is happening on the inside of our body and how to take care of the outside.  Also promoting overall health shows us that we can be healthy and not addressing aspects of health could be fatal to us in the long run.  Many good and bad things could come with local, state, and federal leaders.  They can in some way effect changes in our school so it’s vital that we elect great leaders.     The elected leader could make a lot of changes for the good or the bad. An example of a good change is adding new activity that young students could participate in and have fun while learning at the same time. A bad change would be decreasing gym classes and again cutting exercise time for teenagers to learn.  One of the best parts of overall health and wellness being taught is that we usually have fun in class and  aren’t figuring out math formulas.  Elected leaders could make a major difference with their choices and not only will us teenagers be affected by it but also the community and the surrounding schools as well. Our community could be affected by their choices because if they adopt a rule then it goes for all the schools in their controlling area, which will be positive especially if those changes were approved by the majority of the people.”

-Sheila Miranda

FITNESS-

“Electing a new leader could be difficult sometimes. You could elect someone who will do bad for the world and that would negatively affect people.  In this community you should be able to take care of the world. You would have to be able to have a good relationship with others and strive to get good advice. The person who would want to be elected would have to notice problems so that person could prepare to either fix it or put a team together to address it.  Great leadership is the ability to recognize problems to see situations where change is needed and to anticipate potential snares in advance. Electing a leader who highlights the importance of exercise and health is important.  Everyone needs physical education because it improves physical fitness. Without physical education people wouldn’t be in good shape.”

 -Antonia Mitogo

REAL WORLD ISSUES-

“Who the elected leader is might affect the health and PE topic because like health insurance, many do not  have the money to pay for the service but need it.  In case of an emergency,they will probably have to borrow money from the bank drenching them in debt.  The country’s national health service and delivery  system has shown that health care does not need to be massive financial investment.  It’s important to remember that the United States, a democratic government, delivers health care through its political systems. You may think that all the decisions are coming from the White House, and yes, a lot of the big decisions are made there, however;  it is important to remember that state and town governments also have elected officials who implement health care decisions that effect us as students.   We can advocate for ourselves through our local city leaders.

These issues can and do affect me because as a teenager who is involved in athletics.   I’m at risk of getting an injured everyday because I actively participate in athletics and need to say if elected leaders do not assist in medical care for high school students then there is no guarantee of our safety regardless of how careful you are not to get hurt.  Health care to protect ourselves are very important to us so we can continue participating in sports.”

-Antonia Mitogo

ABORTION OPINIONS EFFECTING HEALTH-

“Pro Abortion or Anti Abortion? Well I believe that getting an abortion isn’t the best choice because you are ending an innocent beings life due to whatever reason you may have. Some may argue that a baby isn’t living until its constructed in the womb but as soon as a women discovers she is pregnant there is a baby.  You can’t be pregnant without a fetus growing inside you.  A baby has to start as something to grow into someone. So saying a baby isn’t alive until its formed just doesn’t make sense to many, but some who are pro-abortion feel that some women get abortions because they simply don’t want the baby. It is also important to note that instead of abortion, anyone could just put the baby up for adoption.  Killing an innocent being due to the fact that you simply don’t want the baby can be seen as cruel.  On the flip side many feel that a person has the power to decide what happens to their bodies.  There is also an issue related to  women who are victims of sexual assault and conceive a child after should have the option of keeping it or not.  This is a hot topic issue because some feel it’s not the babies fault.   Some feel way it came to be wasn’t the best situation to be in; however,  the baby itself is innocent and didn’t make the decision to be born. It is my opinion that infants shouldn’t be killed regardless and they could always just put them up for adoption.   Regardless of your issue on the topic the governments influence on this topic is powerful especially when it comes to potentially reversing the decision on Roe Vs. Wade which directly relates to legalization of abortion.  Whatever way you decide, it’s important to listen to the opposing views and at least try to understand, not necessarily agree, with the opposing point of view.”

-McKenzie Pizarro

PRO-LIFE VS PRO-CHOICE-

“This year  the presidential campaign has been an emotional time especially for the people affected with Trump’s way of thinking during his presidency. Having  Joe Biden as our upcoming president as well as having a female first president after decades of females having to feel discouraged in these “man” made jobs has emphasized opportunity for the women population.  I feel like having these two people as our elected officials will help us see change in the world after being divided for so long. I think one effect they will have in physical education is increasing the accessibility for physical education along with more education on current health topics.

Research is important now more than ever because there are so many controversial topics that are in debate more and more as the days pass by. For example, abortion contains two sides which are pro choice and pro life. Not many people understand these sides because it separates people into two groups based on their political, moral, and religious beliefs. Pro-choice is the belief of having the ability to have an abortion for a person’s personal reasoning whereas pro- life believes in abortion being a murderous option. It is important to have an increased amount of research topics in Health to educate students of all age groups because most of the time there is a small amount of educated students when it comes to popular topics like this.

I personally think the more research and education we all are will help lower the number of disagreements we all have in serious topics such as racism and even human rights. Having a political knowledge on every topic not only helps families that are in danger but it also develops a stronger support system for those who don’t understand much about these controversial issues. Teaching this in school will also teach everyone to be open-minded and respectful of another’s personal beliefs rather than reacting in a violent manner”

-Marieliza Alvarado

“With‌ ‌the craziness‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌election‌ ‌nobody‌ ‌thought‌ ‌about‌ ‌teenagers and it seemed like nobody cared about the opinion of a Hispanic teenager and the stress that this election and Covid 19 was bringing to us.  ‌  ‌To be honest things have been really‌ ‌stressful‌ ‌and‌ ‌we are worried about the future.  We are worried about what‌ ‌was‌ ‌going to ‌happen‌ and  ‌if‌ ‌everything‌ ‌was‌ ‌gonna‌ ‌stay‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌with‌ ‌President Trump or change with the new potential President, Joe Biden.  I personally was hoping we have a new star in the Whitehouse.

‌This‌ ‌election‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌stressful‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌the‌ ‌time‌ ‌for‌ ‌me‌ ‌because‌ ‌we‌ ‌all‌ ‌were‌ ‌like‌ ‌what‌ really‌ ‌is‌ ‌gonna‌ ‌happen‌ ‌what‌ ‌we‌ ‌gonna‌ ‌get‌ ‌through‌ ‌this‌ ‌is‌ ‌this‌ ‌gonna‌ ‌get‌ ‌better‌ ‌or‌ ‌worse‌ ‌we‌ ‌were‌ ‌really‌ ‌anxious and ‌ ‌some‌ ‌people‌ ‌got‌ ‌were so anxious they had to shut down the media because it was non-stop and causing anxiety. ‌ ‌

Finally it seems like ‌weeks‌ after the election we‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌President or as they call it President elect.  ‌‌Biden‌ ‌ran‌ ‌a‌ ‌heavily‌ ‌policy-focused‌ ‌campaign,‌ ‌releasing‌ ‌dozens‌ ‌of‌ ‌lengthy‌ ‌and‌ ‌ambitious‌ ‌plans‌ ‌ranging‌ ‌from‌ ‌large‌ ‌scale‌ ‌economic‌ ‌and‌ ‌environmental‌ ‌initiatives‌ ‌to‌ ‌broad‌ ‌actions‌ ‌on‌ ‌racial‌ ‌justice,‌ ‌education‌ ‌and‌ ‌health‌ ‌care.‌ ‌A‌ ‌significant‌ ‌amount‌ ‌of‌ ‌Biden’s‌ ‌agenda‌ ‌also‌ ‌centers‌ ‌on‌ ‌reversing‌ ‌or‌ ‌updating‌ ‌positions‌ ‌taken‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Trump‌ ‌administration,‌ ‌especially‌ ‌on‌ ‌immigration‌ ‌and‌ ‌foreign‌ ‌policy which is very important to me and my Hispanic family and friends.  ‌Biden‌ also seems to be heading  ‌into‌ the  ‌office‌ ‌with‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌to‌ ‌address‌ ‌the‌ ‌COVID‌ ‌19‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌search‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌vaccine‌ ‌as‌ ‌well.‌  ‌The‌ ‌president-elect‌ ‌has‌ ‌also‌ ‌promised‌ ‌to‌ ‌begin‌ ‌working‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌coronavirus‌ ‌aid‌ ‌package‌ ‌before‌ ‌officially‌ ‌taking‌ ‌office,‌ ‌vowing‌ ‌to‌ ‌coordinate‌ ‌with‌ ‌state‌ ‌governors,‌ ‌mayors‌ ‌and‌ ‌other‌ ‌local‌ ‌politicians.‌ ‌ ‌Biden‌ ‌his‌ ‌plans‌ ‌are‌ ‌really‌ ‌good‌ ‌because‌ ‌he‌ ‌tryna‌ ‌help‌ ‌the‌ ‌community‌ ‌and‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ treat and eventually cure or find a vaccine to eventually win the battle against Covid 19″‌

-Rodolfo‌ ‌Holguin‌ ‌

HEALTH ISSUES & HEALTH PROMOTION-

“After the election being held November 3rd and also for several days after, we ended up having Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our leaders for the next 4 years of presidency. Having them as our leaders could mean having changes with specific topics and conflicts happening in our country. And even though there are a lot of issues happening in today’s world, PE and our health are also things to take in mind. Due to the pandemic several rules had to be held down when it came to school and things were held differently. As our leaders they could affect PE and also our health by deciding on cancelling having gym for the rest of the year. They could do this because from their understanding as much as you could clean equipment and rules are held down, the virus could still be transmitted easily. As a tennager this could affect me and others in my classroom because while growing up we need a source of exercise or we need to become more active. Working out and being active lowers the risk of having health problems and also helps you feel and be healthy.

Even though cancelling gym for the rest of the year may seem like a bad idea, there are pros and cons to this decision. Things like having a less risk of having Covid, less physical activity could give some students a break, and maybe even give a break to most teachers are pros but there are also a lot of cons. Things like the PE teachers losing their jobs, people becoming less active throughout the year, people having a high risk of having health problems, etc. Lastly, things like this could affect our families by causing us to not feel like doing anything and not encouraging our families to do it and it could affect our teachers’ families by not having the ability of taking care of their families because they won’t be able to get money.

PE class will definitely might have a change during our new election leaders. An example of this is probably going outside for walks. Because of Corona, the leaders will try to prevent the spread from happening. So they will curfew, or will not let that many people outside on the streets. You can possibly go into your car to go places, however, walking from one place to another is a different story. The curfew will probably go until 10pm and then no one can go outside until 4am. I don’t know why they would do this when people are already going outside in the morning and the afternoon, but I guess it changes a bit. This problem could affect me in many ways. It could prevent me from having a job. They will start to close down shops or stores, and that will involve me not getting employed by any of the jobs. The stores that are open are probably full with people already, or they can’t hire anyone at the moment because of this situation.For the community’s sake and my families sake, for one, the most important affection in this case is being unemployed. Without no money, people will end up going into poverty and will not be able to pay their bills, no food. This is a tragic way to go out because the leaders accepted the laws that they put on us because of this virus. Having no job whatsoever, will have a big toll for people with their normal lives.   In terms of comparison, The United States anti-abortion movement (also called the pro-life movement or right-to-life movement) contains elements opposing induced abortion on both moral and religious grounds and supports its legal prohibition or restriction.”

-Anthony Fields

It was refreshing to see our JSEC students in all grades chime in with their many different vantage points and ideas on many real world issues that government does effect.  We thank all those who have contributed to the story and shared their thoughts and views.