Atlas - Core Final: What issue are your passionate about? by Catlin Tucker

Paloma Velasquez

2014-10-13 23:14:02 UTC

Over the past decade, I have grown a deep passion for ballet. Since I was four, ballet has continued to shape my character by teaching me discipline, gracefulness and self awareness. The beauty of an art form, combined with the intense training of a sport is what separates ballet from all other arts or sports. However, the history of ballet has led it to become a classist activity. I wish to break down the cultural barriers and biases established hundreds of years ago when ballet was used as a form of entertainment to the aristocrats of society in the Italian Renaissances courts. By breaking down these cultural barriers, we can grant more people access to ballet so that more people will be aware of the universal lessons learned and taught through ballet.

Derek Neidlinger

2014-10-14 21:43:21 UTC

Since I was five years old I have developed a love for the game of soccer. Soccer has taught me many things in life like; having to put in hard work for success and to not give up. Soccer has driven me mad at times and has mentally and physically crushed me. But it made me get up and respond by working harder for my success. Over time as soccer has developed for competitive soccer the prices have sky rocketed. What used to be a game for everyone at the competitive level has now become only for middle class people and above. Families that are in the lower social class money wise kids have been unable to play in the United States. By lowering the prices everyone will be able to play; which is why they invented the beautiful game

Grant Sandwina

2014-10-14 23:12:20 UTC

On a global scale nothing will effect all of us like global warming. It is not a mysterious far off event, but is happening before our eyes. In my talk i would like to bring awareness to the misinformed or confused and call to action people, who with one small change, can improve our world today, and for future generations. This world wide issue is of upmost importance and needs to be recognized for what it is. With small changes and greater self awareness we can change the world for the better.

Sammie Moore

2014-10-14 23:13:16 UTC

I have always liked music but over the past few years I have grown to love it. Not only is music fun to dance or listen to, it also improves students ability to learn and remember things. I really believe that playing or listening to music can help with studies, particularly math and science. Somehow, certain songs can bring back memories. For example, my sister works in a memory care unit at an elderly home. One day she came home and said that she put on some music and one of the residents started crying. I asked why and she said it was because the resident said she remembered her life. The music triggered the memories. Music is important and needs to be saved because less and less people are learning about music because of government funding for schools.

Gracie Easton

2014-10-14 23:37:53 UTC

Since I was little I have always had a passion for animals. I also have always loved to make a difference. So, I've combined both my love for animals and helping out. I volunteer at animal shelters.

At Green Dog Rescue I get to help dogs that come in abused and abandoned. It just brings back why I'm here doing this. Not only can I make a difference in a dogs life, I can also make one in a persons life by providing them with a life long friend.

Josh Michaels

2014-10-15 00:16:52 UTC

From a very young age I have always been passionate about sports. I love playing around with friends and playing organized sports with a team. I like the joy of winning as a combined unit that you have practiced and trained with. Sports are great for exercise which is well known to be a big factor in good health and team sports also help with cooperation. Team organizations also give you a greater need to practice and get better to stay at the skill level with your group and to not let your team down. This is why there needs be more places and opportunities for people to play these games. If more organizations were to be built and provide for the people who either do not have a place to play or don't have the money to participate and be able to join in and play with a team, exercise, and enjoy themselves in a friendly environment.

Makayla Stevens

2014-10-15 00:55:22 UTC

In the last year, I have started to pay significant attention to gender inequality and bias in society; mainly towards women. It seems that in our society males are viewed superior to females. This idea has been present throughout history and still effects us today. For example, a woman (on average) makes 81 cents for every dollar a man makes. That is just one of the many examples of gender inequality. This idea of one gender being superior to the other needs to stop, and evening out the income differences, along with many other actions, can help us achieve a society where all people are treated equally.

Aliezah Hulett ∞

2014-10-15 00:56:45 UTC

One of my greatest passions is learning more about the world around me in my debate class. Recently, it has struck me that I am soon going to be on my own, with no parents or guardians to help me with every little thing. Sure, they'll be a phone call away, but I've realized that there are so many things that I should have learned if not in school, then by my parents. How am I goigg to know how to make conscious decisions when I vote? How do I balance a checkbook? Do my taxes? This topic of "Things I Should Have Learned in School" will hopefully be something that sticks in the mind of some of my peers and teachers as things that should be taught in schools or taught by parents; with an emphasis on current events and our political system. The message that I'm attempting to portray is that I may be able to recite the quadratic formula, but I have no idea how to take out a loan on a car or house.

Casandra Vargas

2014-10-15 01:02:53 UTC

One of my greatest passions lately has been to help take care of children. These past few months i have been helping my aunt with her day care and i really enjoy it. Kids have this great affect on me. I am very passionate about this because love to see each child's personality grow. I also practice a lot of problem solving with them because they always tend to start arguments with one another. Although i am tired at the end of the day, i feel so accomplished because i used a combination of patience and sense to teach the kids whats right from wrong. The message i would like to share with every one is that even though it takes an incredible amount of patience, working with kids is so amazing because they show you so much love which makes it extremely worth it, atleast for me.

Katie Dodge

2014-10-15 01:21:06 UTC

As I have grown up, though I am still a kid, I know the world isn't as nice as we were told. The main issue I see our small sleepy town and over all the world is bullying. I want to help really remind everyone how much of a painful and scaring thing it can be to get bullied. It is what gets kids switched out of schools or can push them to even commit suicide. I personal have been bullied over many years and even though I have never felt such far emotions to harm myself I know many people who have. After such a long time dealing with the topic and getting to know so many people who hid their sadness from the outside world I feel a passion about it. Many people say it is just a phase that kids grow out of, to these people I say Ha, or double Ha ha. This is just a dirty lie and bullying can scar people on the outside and in their heart. It is the reason people can't accept complements or feel beautiful/handsome any more. I know the topic is generic but it is one topic that needs to be known before a parent or child find out by the TV advertisement or when their kid comes home crying about someone bullying them. That is why I feel passionate about it and I hope by speaking up about it we can all stop this epidemic of bullying before it gets further.

Anna Kaufman

2014-10-15 02:15:52 UTC

Sixteen years is but a small tidbit of one's life. It is far too young to know how one's life will go and how it will be lived. I do not claim to know much, but one philosophy to which I cling is that of chaos. My personality lends itself to incessant planning and compulsive organization. Yet life has taught me, albeit the hard way, that no number of lists or charts can remedy the hurt that unplanned circumstances may inflict. I want to share with others in my core final that messiness is not a mere side affect of life, it is rather evidence of a life well lived. With the introduction of new technology and the high pressure climate of schooling, it is easy to be sucked into the mass of individuals hurrying to nowhere and manicuring their applications to be accepted to such a place. I want to teach about the undervalued role of chaos and the beauty it has the potential to create.

Adriana Espinoza

adriana26 — 2014-10-15 02:34:04 UTC

Most people in this country are tired of their monotonous life without realizing how fortunate they are to be surrounded by such wonderful opportunity. For my core final I decided to have my topic be gratitude of life. Growing up in this country and being a teen, I've witnessed the great amount of people who don't appreciate what they have. Sometimes they do in Thanksgiving, but even then they do not stop to love and cherish what they have. Not simply just the materialistic objects we own, but also the human rights and the chance to live in a civilized and well organized society. I'm passionate about various things, and one of them is human life. Humans created this earth, but we as individuals shape society. Human rights are the rights we get from birth, and it is in my pyramid of most appreciated for me. Overall in this sort of TedTalk I'd really like to show how rights, equality, and having a stable government really tie together and how they change our daily lives. I'd like to emphasize on the importance of gratitude and even how gratitude helps the human body.

Sarah Tomaszewski

2014-10-15 02:44:35 UTC

Ever since the 4th grade when I had started to run as a sport and competitively my dad was the one who trained me. I had always ran to please him and satisfy what he wanted me to accomplish. As his intent was for good reasons and too push me. But I realized I didn't really love doing it. I always spent so much time and hard work on the wrong reasons; I wanted to praise and approval from my dad. Then in high school my views changed and I realized that I should be doing it for myself and love it. For this core final I chose "Seeking the Approval of Others" as my topic because I know that every person wants other peoples approval one way or another. Whether it's the way you look, act, dress, etc. Our society has led us to ask others about what to do before you do it. I think it's important to do what you love and forget about the others looking upon you.

Ariana Licea

2014-10-15 02:50:43 UTC

For my ninth birthday i received a present. I was given the opportunity to begin piano lessens. This cataclysmic event in my life was something that brought out my love for music. I have loved to sing for as long as I could remember, and with my grandmother as my teacher, I began to appreciate the sense of sound and the feeling that it grants you. Beginning to learn the soul of the piano increased my love for this wonderful thing that I was discovering. With the help of what I like to think as my third grandmother, my current piano teacher, I am still learning about the fascinating and awing beauty of music. For the core final, I want to focus on how music can stimulate the most vital essence of feeling and emotion. This abstract yet tangible outlet of emotion has a power that is striking and absolutely essential for a spirited life.

Brianna Stearn

2014-10-15 03:13:48 UTC

The topic that I am passionate about is, gaining a true education. I believe that learning about the things we learn in school are important to an extent. We should be learning about things that we will need to sustain a life outside of school. One day we will all be on our own, we should be prepared in our teenage years to live as adults when we grow up. I am passionate about this because I realized I am only a few years away from going to collage, and being on my own. We should be taught how to pay bills, how to budget our savings, and other valuable lessons.

Katie Tembrock

2014-10-15 03:25:13 UTC

Recently in my life, I have been able to serve other people. It has not always been easy, but it feels amazing. I feel that we need to think less about our own needs and to think more about the needs of others. If we all would look for ways to serve other people, our world would be much more pleasant. Serving other people is not always hard. Little things that we do can brighten someone else's day.

Jorge Jimenez

2014-10-15 04:43:46 UTC

The topic im passionate about is,deforestation.At the rate this is going on in the world we are going to be running out of trees and without trees that means no oxygen.I just want to inform people about what is deforestation and how it is going to affect the human race in the future.I also want to inform people on how this process can be slowed down or even stopped by using alternative materials.

Gabby Giddings

2014-10-15 04:44:47 UTC

A topic I am passionate about is being able to speak your mind with the cruelty of society today and being there for others. I have always observed different situations since I was a child. I noticed the different types of body languages and the way people respond to uncomfortable topics/scenes. I was curious why people held back what they wanted to say or why they did not step up in a time of need. As I age, I continue to examine the way others act, while observing my own actions. Going through middle school and high school we all have developed our own habits while communicating. Some of us are outgoing and love to say what is on their minds, while others face anxiety and struggle daily to produce the thought within our heads. I believe it is important to be able to verbalize the things we think about but at times it is difficult. In society today, we constantly tell each other what is and is not right. Having this constant fear of judgement lingering overhead effects how people choose their words. Sometimes people around you are screaming out for help inside but are so scared of how society will react, they keep it all inside building up this pile of emotions. Making yourself available to others and allowing them to see that you are there for them and they can trust you, could just be enough to pick them up. Next time you notice something that is not right, step up and speak what you believe in. You never know who is listening.

Sahil Prasad

2014-10-15 04:58:55 UTC

The topic I am most passionate about is how social media and the evolution of communication is causing less personal connection. I am passionate about this because in middle school I started joining many social media sites like my fellow peers. However I felt many people were growing distant from each other and less face-to-face communication was taking place. I would like to share the message that social media is causing less human interaction to take place and we should all unplug more to connect better on a personal level.

Wutthiphong Chaturaksamai

2014-10-15 15:20:40 UTC

The topic I am passionate about is how others sports can impact one another. I grew up playing soccer, think that it was the most need for speed and a lot of running. My love for running drove me to do other sports such as football and track. My advantage was speed and stamina, I love the hard conditioning after practices the longer the faster I run the more my stamina and speed increases. Later in football I realize that the different in football and soccer was the weight. Football pads and helmet is about 5 pounds. Its a big differences once you taking out all that weight. For Track I just enjoy running hurdles, it gives me something to do during spring. I'm looking forward to this year track season as I am going to race our fastest hurdler.

Dylan is the best

2014-10-15 15:38:33 UTC

I am passionate about movies and how piracy is hurting the revenue taken in by studios. I have been passionate with movies for a while as I feel I really enjoy them, connect with them, and become engrossed in them. I want good films to be successful enough to where the studio profits and if possible a sequel will be made. However lately piracy has been hurting pictures and studios have had a difficult time keeping finished films from being leaked before or during their theatrical runs. For example the Expendables 3 had a final copy leaked and it was downloaded over two million times before the film hit theaters. If all these downloads were replaced with 10$ tickets it would have made 20 million more. However the hacker severely hurt the film and was part of the reason the studio lost money. I want to encourage everyone to not watch pirated movies. If you want to see a movie pay the price and give the filmmakers the money they deserve.

Aubree Lujan

2014-10-15 17:28:40 UTC

For the core final project, I would like to discuss the very real issue of "beautification" of women in advertising and it's effect on women. I am very passionate about this, because I believe that it is very wrong that companies purposely make women feel insufficient so that they purchase more beauty products, and it actually effects women mentally. The major message I would like to share through my speech would be that every woman and girl is perfect the way they are, and that "beauty" is a made up concept.