YuJa Announces 2022 Scholarship Winner

Students entered essays on a variety of topics, including artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, video conferencing, medical advancements, deep fakes, and more.

A panel of judges selected Alexis (Lexi) Curran as the winner. Lexi is a student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, where she is majoring in hospitality management. Her essay was titled “Emerging AI in Healthcare and its Impacts on the Modern World.” In it, she highlights the development of technology such as Google Health, along with the advantages and disadvantages of such technology. 

Read more about Lexi below. 

Tell us about yourself.

“Because of my unique perspective, my goal for the future is to become a travel agent who specializes in helping disabled people travel the world. “

My name is Lexi, I’m 20 years old, and I’m a hospitality management major at Kennesaw State University. I love to travel and go on adventures with my service dog, Nova. 

Nova helps me navigate life living with epilepsy, and really opened my eyes to the world of the disabled community and how often we are discriminated against. Because of my unique perspective, my goal for the future is to become a travel agent who specializes in helping disabled people travel the world.  

What has been your best experience in school? 

As for grade school, my favorite experience by far was being a part of my high school marching band. We became two-time grand champions my freshman year and there’s nothing quite like that feeling you get seeing all your months of hard work pay off in the best way possible. As for college, I’ve only been here for two years, but so far, my favorite experience has been connecting with other service dog handlers around campus and learning from them.  

What influenced your choice of major? 

I really enjoy planning vacations for my family, and my mom suggested one day that I could make it into a career. So, I combined my love for traveling and my want to help people into the perfect career path for me. 

How do you envision yourself in five years? 

My main goal is that I hope I am happy. Ideally, I would be traveling the world with my service dog and helping others do the same, living somewhere I love and feel safe. 

What do you hope to learn from your college experience? 

I really hope to learn how to interact with people from all walks of life, and how to navigate important conversations with people who won’t agree with me. 

What extracurricular activities do you enjoy? 

I love board games, playing with my dogs, building Legos, painting, reading, and playing video games. I also love any adventuring I get the chance to do, such as traveling, snorkeling or ziplining.  

10 Tips for Recording Engaging Content in Your Classroom

A key component to the success of e-learning is video content, and while there are many similarities with in-classroom learning, there are often different obstacles as instructors learn the ropes of teaching to a remote audience.

Whether you use live streaming, recorded lecture capture or video conference tools, these tips will help you create engaging, effective video content and resources to help you and your students be successful in an online environment.

  1. Keep your videos focused and on-topic.

    Students are most likely to engage effectively with shorter videos. The optimal video length is six minutes or shorter, according to research, which also highlights that engagement time decreases as videos increase in length. To keep students engaged, instructors may find it more effective to create a number of shorter videos to cover the content typically included in a class session in a brick-and-mortar classroom. This is known as chunking or creating micro lessons. Review YuJa’s learning analytics to assess the success of different videos in an individual class.

  2. Check your tech.

    Screenshot of Enterprise Video Platform Software Capture Video Source and screen information.Make sure that all cameras and microphones are connected and functioning well before starting a recording. Cameras should provide a clear view, and audio should be crisp, with minimal interference. Try to reduce or eliminate white noise and outside noise so viewers aren’t distracted during your video.

  3. Add interaction.

    Interactive features, like in-video quizzing, can help keep students focused and engaged with video learning. Deep analytics can assess student interest and understanding, and inform you of where to focus future lessons.

  4. Make it collaborative.

    Take advantage of features like Real-time Discussions to get students talking about material presented in a video. Hashtags allow students to more easily search the Discussion Feed later.

  5. Be creative.

    Use a variety of visual aids, play with camera angles, or incorporate a SmartBoard, document camera or other media into your presentations to increase engagement and help students retain information.

  6. Get comfortable.

    Being on camera can be difficult for some instructors. Practice, ask for feedback from students and your peers, and find tools that help you feel comfortable, whether it’s a pointer, document camera, lectern or something else.

  7. Watch your video content.

    Lecture capture allows you to assess your teaching style. Take the time to watch your own video content and evaluate your tone of voice, speech patterns, and mannerisms. Small changes can make you a better e-learning instructor.

  8. Demonstrate skills.

    Don’t just tell your students about the material in your course. When possible, show the students what you’re talking about. Screen Sharing can help illustrate various topics, or even a close-up camera could help demonstrate a hands-on skill.

  9. Maintain accessibility

    Ensure students can access and use videos by adding audio descriptions, captions and other accessibility features.

  10. Relax!

    High-quality video content is important, but instructors should remember to let go of perfection and be content with engaging and educational content.

University of North Dakota Improves the Campus Experience: A User Friendly Software Lecture Capture Solution

“I’m not an ‘IT’ person; I’m not even that ‘techie’ a person,” said Stupnisky. “But I’ve found YuJa to be really easy to work with. And I like how easily it integrates into Blackboard.”

YuJa Enterprise Video Platform allows users to create and share video-based lecture capture content that can capture multiple videos, audio, and screen sources with a powerful – yet simple – desktop lecture capture software application. As mentioned in the University of North Dakota’s original blog post, Stupnisky placed himself in the shoes of an online student and pictured a student who wanted to establish a real connection with the instructor. By delivering recorded lessons, students can visually see Stupnisky teach are provided a more engaging learning experience. 

Image Source: How UND IT improves the campus experience

Scholarship Submissions 2020

Vote For The Best 2020 Scholarship Program Submissions

YuJa has launched our annual Scholarship Program to provide one lucky winner with a change to win $1,000 towards your college education. This year, we wanted to hear your thoughts on the steps we can take to ensure that the technology we develop benefits society.

Thank you to all of the participants for their submissions. Please share this link with your friends and family to vote for your favorite essay. Out of the three essays with the most votes, a winner will be chosen by us to win $1,000 towards your college education. 

You can view all of the essay submissions below and vote for the best submission in the poll at the bottom of the page. Voting ends on July 1st.

Steps to Ensure Technology Is Used Beneficially

By Hope Graham

     “81% of Americans say they go online on a daily basis (Perrin & Kumar 2019).” This proves that Americans rely heavily on technology. Consequently, Americans are using technology for everything and anything: to research how to do something, to take notes, or to even watch television. Technology has many positives but it also comes with its negatives: self-esteem issues and many hours spent (or wasted) on the device itself. Therefore, the steps that we can take to ensure the technology that we develop benefits society are to: create software that decreases self-esteem problems and decreases screen time usage.

     The decline of self-esteem in America is a growing issue especially due to the utilization of social media. “60% of people using social media reported that it has impacted their self-esteem in a negative way (Silva 2017).” As a result of this, apps have been made to increase confidence levels. For example, the Thinkup app “uses your own voice to give you positive feedback and affirmations (2017).” While this app may be assisting in developing a better mindset, overall, it still won’t help how you feel when you go on Instagram or Facebook. A better solution than self-care apps would be to insert a type of filtration software into social media apps. Twitter has implemented a feature where a potentially inappropriate or offensive post is blurred out until you click that it is okay to see it. Furthermore, Instagram could have software that could do the same thing. For instance, Instagram could have software to track face posts (such as selfies) and blur out the photo until someone consents to see it. This way, people who are struggling with their self worth won’t see the Photoshopped, triggering images.

     “American adults spent about 3 hours and 30 minutes a day using the mobile internet in 2019… (Molla 2020),” according to Vox.com. That’s precious time wasted and that can never be retrieved again. There is a solution to this problem; set a time limit. However, the current resolution has one significant fault to it; it doesn’t work. The reason it doesn’t work is that it is too easy to get out of the limit. I can set a limit for Instagram of 30 minutes from my iPhone settings. However, after the 30 minutes are up, I can easily press dismiss. Therefore, the best way to fix the screen time problem is to have a time limit built into future phones. This limit wouldn’t be placed on the internet itself since that might prove counterintuitive if you need the internet for your job or something of important value. The limit would consist of an hour a day and it will be placed on social media apps.

     In conclusion, technology is only beneficial when it is being used for growth: spiritually, physically, and emotionally. However, most Americans are not using it for growth; it is instead being used for entertainment purposes. If Americans limit screen time, not only can more be done in a day but self-esteem levels will rise. Keeping this in mind, I challenge everyone to put the phone or iPad away for one day. Let’s see how much of a positive difference we can make in our mental health and productivity together.

“7 Apps To Help You With Your Self-Esteem In 2017.” Bon Vita, 7 Sept. 2017, www.bonvitastyle.com/7-apps-to-help-you-with-your-self-esteem-in-2017.
Molla, Rani. “Tech Companies Tried to Help Us Spend Less Time on Our Phones. It Didn’t Work.” Vox, Vox, 6 Jan. 2020, www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/6/21048116/tech-companies-time-well-spent-mobile-phone-usage-data.
Perrin, Andrew, and Madhu Kumar. “About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Say They Are ‘Almost Constantly’ Online.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 25 July 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/25/americans-going-online-almost-constantly/.
Silva, Clarissa. “Social Media’s Impact On Self-Esteem.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 22 Feb. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/social-medias-impact-on-self-esteem_b_58ade038e4b0d818c4f0a4e4.


Using Technology to Unify Society

By Samuel Klaczynski

Technology is often mistaken for any invention succeeding the second half of the 20th century. Though now the production of recent technology has become all quite cryptic to the average consumer, the bare roots of technology have always been the premedative human actions of manipulating one’s environment to better suit their needs. When technology is epitomized in such a format, it becomes apparent that such a basic principle can never really be controlled in humans, people will always be driven to push boundaries in every aspect. It is evident sheerly from the metaphoric explosions of technology that occur usually following one unprecedented discovery. Stifling this innate human passion leads to disaster and letting technology develop too quickly can result in a collapse which is why I divulge a solution based on improving society’s ability to share the burdens of our technology that rests on the occupants, home, and legacy of the human race. Sharing the payload, sounds simple enough, but literal meaning implies, together society needs to fund the future of providing more space in the colonization of Mars.

A sci-fi idea some would say, however that is usually a response prompted by a lack of information on the subject. With the birth of SpaceX and its Falcon rockets, the most powerful in existence, the project has sparked public interest, a step that cannot be undermined in its importance. Regardless, I predict these rockets will not be the solution no matter how massive they become primarily because they aren’t using the right fuel. The right fuel is the exact invention that would encapsulate the first step towards ensuring the future of technology is benefiting society. That fuel is nuclear fusion, an endless, powerful, clean energy source that requires creating the environment of a sun at a subatomic scale to generate atoms moving fast enough to override electroweak interaction forces and fuse into a new element. The technology exists in places such as Switzerland and France with the Large Hadron Collider or in Illinois at FermiLab but the future development to make it of practical use will cause an explosion of technology replacing outdated harmful energy sources for a cheaper, cleaner, and more powerful one, something the Earth desperately needs.

In the midst of this technological explosion, both private and government owned space exploration agencies will need to grab hold of the reins of public interest and funnel it into a colonization frenzy. They will need to market this off the belief that Mars is not to be a city upon a hill or utopia but instead it will improve the quality of life for the entirety of the human race by making concerns over or limitations of resources obsolete. It is foolish to think that technology could be at fault for the success or destruction of society, technology is but a tool but this does not mean that technology can not be coerced in a way that aids society. To ensure the technology of tomorrow continues to benefit society, steps such as sustainable nuclear fusion and mars colonization must be taken to make people realize that the concern is not making technology to unify society but rather unifying society to create technology.


Technology as the Engine for Learning

By Jonas Lee

In 2012, when I was 4th grader, my school became among the first districts to utilize iPads in learning. We used applications like “Keynote” for digital presentations, “Notability” for typing out papers, and even interactive educational games such as “Stack the States” to advance our geographical knowledge. No one could have predicted back then how the Digital Age would come to evolve and how crucial it would be today during a pandemic.

There are 6.3 million K-12 students in California. Without technology during COVID-19, millions of students would literally be without a learning environment for the foreseeable future. Teachers would not be able to communicate assignments, lectures, proctor tests on cameras, or socratic seminars during quarantine. The negative impacts of education without technology would be insurmountable. High schoolers seeking to take AP tests would have to wait another year and seniors would not be able to fill graduation requirements before college. But when else did technology push the boundaries of my own learning environment pre-quarantine? Look no further than the world of Model UN.

Mira Costa Model United Nations is a top-5 ranked program nationally. Competition is fierce. A select 20 students out of 150 are invited to participate in prestigious travel trips. I have been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to interact and compete with delegates in Davis, Chicago, Washington DC, New Jersey and New York. In MUN, I learned an applicable life skill that no other class teaches: the ability to network and problem solve diplomatically with complete strangers. These experiences would be impossible without technology.

I spend roughly 16-24 hours preparing the week before a debate. To find knowledge about a UN topic, I have to scour the internet for data. I have to learn about the topic inside and out. I must read current events pertaining to the countries and organizations involved. I must delve into 3-page Google searches to understand my country policy. I need to craft 10-12 solutions to tangibly solve aspects of the issue socioeconomically, efficiently, and diplomatically. I must find meaningful statistics I can speak about in debate to elevate these solutions. Without ability to research at my fingertips, I would be unable to educate myself. In the actual debate, Google Docs is used to write and format our “resolutions”, where the delegates compile all of our final solutions into a document after discussing what is most important. All of this is done through an online medium.

I am 1 of 11 people in our program to win Best Delegate in my program. I have spoken at the UN Headquarters in New York. Such experiences would be sacrificed without technology available to enhance my learning environment in MUN and beyond.

Both my school district and the world of Model UN used technology to benefit society by providing opportunities for growth in knowledge. We can ensure technology benefits society by continuing to use it as a tool to teach. Doing so builds a better tomorrow for our world.


Future Technologies as Seen Today

By Emre Tichelaar

In today’s new normal, the benefits of technology are very evident. The Coronavirus pandemic has led us all to social distance; however, technology over the past two decades has brought us closer than ever. Families across the world, across the state or even in another room inside their house, use modern technologies to communicate regularly and efficiently. With employers forced to adopt the working from home model, a lot of businesses will be more lenient to allowing their employees to work from home in the future. The technology that makes this possible will allow things such as parents to spend more time with their children and disabled workers to still contribute to their team. This is a benefit to society because more present parenting leads to children going up to achieve more. Less disabled individuals will be relying on government support as well. These two things are only scratching the surface of the benefit that working from home technologies will provide society.

Moving forward, technology makes society more efficient. Video conferencing technologies, for example, have lessened the need for business travelers to fly across the world for meetings (not to mention better for the environment). However, we must be careful that we understand that video calls are not the same as in-person interactions. This sort of thinking could become more and more prevalent as new generations grow up with the technology. For example, in the future, a busy mother might misunderstand that spending time with her kids over a video call is vastly different from being there in person. This technology is not a replacement for in-person interactions; instead, it’s a tool to advance and supplement. If we keep this in mind, we can ensure that technology brings us closer and not slowly further apart. Increasing the education we give in schools about things like this will go far.

Furthermore, we must understand that technology creates anonymity. Individuals whose identities are hidden are more prone to harassing others. According to Pew Research Center, roughly 41% of Americans have been harassed online. This number will only go up as society moves more and more into the cybersphere. The beauty of online anonymity is authoritarian governments will be less able to track down individuals who speak out against them. However, online bullying and harassment must still be tackled in some way so we can maximize society’s benefits. Advocating for individuals effected by online harassment and those who partake in the harassment to seek mental health counseling will go a long way in today’s society.

On the other hand, proponents of technologies coming into the workplace say that they may replace jobs. According to the British Office for National Statistics, 70% of individuals in the UK are at risk of losing their jobs to automation over the next decade. To make sure automation benefits society most positively without creating massive unemployment, we need to educate and inform those who may lose their jobs retroactively. If there is foresight into where else they can fit and provide in society, they will have time to retrain in a new field. Over time, society will benefit because more people are providing more advanced labor versus more straightforward tasks that can be automated.

All in all, the benefits of current technologies such as video conferencing and future ones such as robotic automation far outweigh the benefit. This is especially true when education at all levels of life accompanies when new technologies are introduced.

Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47691078
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/07/11/online-harassment-2017/
https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/is-videoconferencing-still-the-future


Technological Advancements for the World

By Briley Olson

Technological advancements provide new opportunities, communication, and give new abilities to the disabled. Throughout many decades technology has been used for good. There has been a burst in production of quality instruments. Advancements have been created for immobility, hearing imparities, and visual disabilities. Technology created for those purposes can be assumed to ensure benefits for society. Safety measures can be applied to all kinds of technology so that it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands and used for bad. These measures are put in place for the good of society. However, trying to ensure that technology is always used for good would be like trying to drain the ocean with a straw. Unfortunately, the character of people is what decides if technology is used beneficially for good or as a detriment.

As we have seen in our world lately, people know how to abuse their technological powers to cause havoc and aggressive behaviors. The perfect example of people abusing technology is currently with the rioting, violent protests, and anarchy surrounding the murder of George Floyd. Technology is an amazing tool that provides the ability to create, but when it’s used incorrectly, too much damage can be done. Negative actions stem from a person’s character. Unfortunately, in our world there are people that simply don’t think twice about their actions; or worse, they purposefully use technology and social media to create chaos and aggressive behavior. This is when technology becomes a detriment to society. Only the test of time will determine if someone is going to sabotage good technology for evil purposes.

To ensure all technological use benefits society, many limitations and security checks would need to be used. The only person controlling the actions taken on their devices is themself. There are a plethora of security checks on most financial or business websites that help protect against viruses and cruelty. This type of security could be taken one step further to provide safety and well-being to society; security questions, passwords, fingerprints, and more would be most strategic. To ensure that society is benefited, advancements in mobilization, auditory, and visual technology for disabled people would be necessary. Another area for technological growth is with the environment; water filtration, air purification, and solar panels each benefit our globe. If something as serious as a pandemic can open the eyes of society to protect the Earth, then let’s use it as an advantage and educational time. Technology can provide ample information to educate and reach people across the globe. Security based technology, technology that benefits the disabled community, and technology that improves the environment can be used to ensure the improvement of society.

Our greatest hope is that society would utilize technology and its developments to ensure the greater good. Over the past century, our society has experienced an avalanche of technological advancements; most of those have been used for good, however, in today’s culture we can see technology being intentionally twisted for evil. Some steps to ensure that the development of technology would benefit society are: requiring more security, providing the disabled community with more resources, and focusing on environmental health. Technology stems from creativity of members in our society. My greatest hope is that we could ensure all technological advancements would be used for the good of society.


Technology is Art

By Kathryn Hoang

Technology is evolutionary art that is created in order to strengthen efficiency, intelligence, creativity, and many more aspects of our everyday lives. I am currently a freshman, Electrical and Computer Engineering major at the University of Arizona. In the future, I strive to create bigger and better things through artificial intelligence that will that help benefit and develop life in our future society. One of my grandest dreams is to become a Disney Imagineer and creatively design new way to make people happy. It is inevitable that companies are consistently striving to improve productivity and performance. New ideas and technology arise everyday but it takes more than a single person to bring these ideas to life. I believe one of the most important steps in ensuring new technology will benefit our society is team work. Throughout the first two semesters I have experienced in college, I have learned that working as a team add so much more to a project than if one were to work alone. Working as a team allows for multiple point of views, input from a variety of perspectives and most importantly allows you to grow a bond with the people you work with. Having the responsibly of being accountable and openminded to others ideas is the most beneficial skill a person can have that allows the working process to run smooth and seamless. Communication is another important factor in producing beneficial technology. The ability to address goals and motives as well as concerns to a team strengthen and creates trust within all the members. It builds the bond needed to respect each other’s values as well as prove each member dedication to the success of any new technology.


Technology powered by Kindness.

By Dara Nicole Díaz Ríos

Stone tools were the first technology devices humans developed in the search for better well-being and ease of life. Also known as the science of crafting, tech has a tremendous influence on the ways we build and organize our societies. Nevertheless, not all of us reach the benefits of it, and sometimes we perceive our lives affected by its mismanaged power. Still, we have the potential to define what technologies are truly needed and how we want them to be applied, but to achieve this we must generate more positive and beneficial new practices on our relationship with technology.

Conscious consumption: Most of the technology we use daily is regulated, yet few of us take the time to read the norms and small print of the things we buy and use; some of the products we innocently accept are causing irreparable damage to minorities, creating modern slavery and depleting natural resources. These actions violate the principles of sustainability and human rights. If we adopt more conscious habits of consumption the companies that create products will also adjust to our more sustainable standards. Hopefully, they will stop releasing new phone models every week and protect our planet and people living on the margins.

Transparency and dialog: Nearly all the big technologies have global consequences; therefore there should be a global dialog to ensure that these technologies and their related policies benefit all people and not transnational corporations. Additionally, we need to ensure that we create standard processes to test and evaluate the impact these technologies will have on the people. Technology is today’s most marketable product and we need to keep an eye on it, to ensure we’re not feeding another horrible monster like pharmaceuticals.

The democratization of science: Instead of politicizing science, we should be looking for its democratization, this means that citizens engage actively with science and technology, therefore it becomes popular and participatory. It is in our hands to become analysts, scientists, creators and researchers, so we encourage rigorous politics that serve the public objectives and invest in our own ideas to bring technological innovation out from within our communities instead of passively waiting for ethical technology to save the day.

Suppress anthropocentrism: Technology doesn’t have to destroy the world, there are other ways we can do things, a radical shift to sustainable tech is not only the smarter option but the only one. It is possible to escape from toxic anthropocentrism and support nonhuman biological beings in order to make more balanced societies. Ethical choices will lead us to inspire connections and identities to empower citizens, not to manipulate and distract them from what’s really important: community and connection.

By all counts, and with proved results we can rely on technology to extol the greatest facets of intelligent life and it is in the duty of all to ensure we gain wise at the same time we develop the next technologies that will shape the world.


The Steps to Take Concerning Technology

By Hope Graham

 “81% of Americans say they go online on a daily basis (Perrin & Kumar 2019).” This proves that Americans rely heavily on technology. Consequently, Americans are using technology for everything and anything: to research how to do something, to take notes, or to even watch television. Technology has many positives but it also comes with its negatives: self-esteem issues and many hours spent (or wasted) on the device itself. Therefore, the steps that we can take to ensure the technology that we develop benefits society are to: create software that decreases self-esteem problems and decreases screen time usage.

The decline of self-esteem in America is a growing issue especially due to the utilization of social media. “60% of people using social media reported that it has impacted their self-esteem in a negative way (Silva 2017).” As a result of this, apps have been made to increase confidence levels. For example, the Thinkup app “uses your own voice to give you positive feedback and affirmations (2017).” While this app may be assisting in developing a better mindset, overall, it still won’t help how you feel when you go on Instagram or Facebook. A better solution than self-care apps would be to insert a type of filtration software into social media apps. Twitter has implemented a feature where a potentially inappropriate or offensive post is blurred out until you click that it is okay to see it. Furthermore, Instagram could have software that could do the same thing. For instance, Instagram could have software to track face posts (such as selfies) and blur out the photo until someone consents to see it. This way, people who are struggling with their self worth won’t see the Photoshopped, triggering images.

“American adults spent about 3 hours and 30 minutes a day using the mobile internet in 2019… (Molla 2020),” according to Vox.com. That’s precious time wasted and that can never be retrieved again. There is a solution to this problem; set a time limit. However, the current resolution has one significant fault to it; it doesn’t work. The reason it doesn’t work is that it is too easy to get out of the limit. I can set a limit for Instagram of 30 minutes from my iPhone settings. However, after the 30 minutes are up, I can easily press dismiss. Therefore, the best way to fix the screen time problem is to have a time limit built into future phones. This limit wouldn’t be placed on the internet itself since that might prove counterintuitive if you need the internet for your job or something of important value. The limit would consist of an hour a day and it will be placed on social media apps.

In conclusion, technology is only beneficial when it is being used for growth: spiritually, physically, and emotionally. However, most Americans are not using it for growth; it is instead being used for entertainment purposes. If Americans limit screen time, not only can more be done in a day but self-esteem levels will rise. Keeping this in mind, I challenge everyone to put the phone or iPad away for one day. Let’s see how much of a positive difference we can make in our mental health and productivity together.


Know the People

By Kasia Janey

I believe that the best way to ensure that the technology we develop benefits society, is to listen to society itself. It is important for developers to learn what people need and want; then the proper steps can be taken to make technological advances that will benefit a larger number of people. Technological developments may fail if consumers do not see a need for the product. To prevent this from occurring, proper planning must be done beforehand.

First, a problem must be identified. A developer must ask, what is a problem that needs to be solved? If technology does not solve a specific problem, its use or value may be diminished. Developers should conduct thorough research to learn trends in society in regards to what is needed. It is also important to take into consideration if a product is what society wants. Advances in technology that are unwanted, no matter what the supposed purpose is, may not do well and in the end will receive backlash, rather than being beneficial. The product must be able to effectively solve the problem it sets out to eliminate with little to no downsides. If there are flaws in the design, features that are undesirable, or even if the method of delivery is off, the product may flop. A product can only benefit society as much as people let it. If people reject the product, it cannot do anything to help them.

Secondly, a developer must figure out how the new product may fulfil its purpose best. A well developed technological advancement should clearly present the issue it is trying to solve. It must be able to effectively tackle the issue in its functions. A product should be tested extensively before release to the public. The trial and error process should work out any bugs or inconsistencies in the product. It is also important to know who the demographic is. If the technology is to be used by a specific group of people with expertise, then those people should be able to use the technology to their benefit. If the product is simple and can be used without specific training, it should be relatively easy to understand and utilize. Technologies that are hard to understand may not be received as well by the public.

Overall, the best way to benefit society with technological advances is to know what the people want. The voice of society is the best way to understand how to benefit it. Technological advances should make life more simple rather than more difficult. To ensure technological advances benefit society, developers must reach into our world and really define, plan, and tackle the problems that we as people face in our daily lives.


What Takes Priority?

By Elia Sanchez

 As society advances, so does the technology around us because it evolves with us. To keep technology advancing beneficially, we must ensure that the technology we develop has a purpose. Schools, hospitals, or anyone in their every day lives may find a need for it. For future inventions and advancements, the creators and researchers developing it should consider a few things before proceeding. These aspects may include the efficiency of the creation and the necessity, along with some others.

Looking back at the history of a particular advancement, such as a computer or a household appliance, may be the key to furthering those innovations. For example, when companies look to release a new product, they analyze their previous ones and improve on them. But, to help society get the most out of these products, the designers must look to see how each new feature would benefit the majority of consumers rather than a select few. The inventor can take an already existing product and modify it to suit the changing needs of current consumers better. Companies also should take all of their feedback and create something new and useful for everyone if more and more people find the need for a particular appliance in their home.

Inventors and researchers should go to schools and hospitals because they are two of the central institutions that would benefit greatly from new technology. A school receiving something that helps students learn is an example of how new technology would benefit everyone. Additionally, hospitals having new machines or equipment to save lives will benefit society as a whole. Because technology can help so many people, it should not be wasted, and those resources should be allocated to a better purpose.

A set of questions in the form of a chart should be created to help creators use their skills to the best of their ability. These question charts would help guide researchers in the direction best suited for their particular invention. The first question would ask about the potential to help; would the invention work to improve a person’s life, or is it recreational and optional. If optional, then the researcher may still proceed, but that project would not take priority over more crucial technologies. The chart would accommodate for the different technology fields as well–from the size of the product itself to the category.

Another approach to guaranteeing that technology supports society is testing the technology before its release to the public. The creators should run tests on a broad demographic of its users to understand which improvements must be made and whether the product is helping. They can then create a comprehensive before and after chart with the data collected, monitoring the participant without the product and with the product. This process would show the researcher the efficiency of their creation.

Technology is remarkable in the sense that it improves the quality of life for many. Technology is not limited to entertainment and leisure and should, therefore, not be treated as such. Establishing guidelines for what type of technology and purpose should take priority will ensure society continues to benefit from new advancements.


The Power of Technology

By Hannah Yim

         I have constantly heard the phrase, “Technology destroys society and young people’s lives” from my parents, teachers, and the elderly throughout my childhood. Although this phrase can be true in certain circumstances, something I think is also important to consider is that technology is entirely capable of benefitting us, not just creating harm. There are still multiple issues with technology; However, it is important to consider what steps can be implemented to ensure that technology can benefit society for the better.

        Something many people don’t often consider is that technology is seen in almost every aspect of our daily lives and that years of research is one of the main factors that allowed for the creation of many innovations. Technology includes things such as the glasses we wear, running shoes, and common medicines. These necessary items have all been designed by scientists and engineers, and have already benefited society for countless years, and we can use these examples to understand what we should continue to do for future technological developments. For instance, medical technology covers an extensive spectrum, ranging from items as simple as band-aids to  CRISPR. These technological innovations are products of years of research and experimentation, which is why they are considered to be so beneficial to society today. Overall, one of the key methods to ensure future technology will benefit society is to continue to research and experiment with new items, which will allow for innovations of better quality and efficiency.

        Besides the tangible aspect of technology, the Internet also carries many social issues such as cyberbullying, the proliferation of fake news/misinformation, and increased surveillance of citizens. As I mentioned beforehand, I believe it is the abuse of technology, especially regarding the Internet, that has resulted in many of the aforementioned issues today, rather than the technology itself. A common issue hindering technology, especially the Internet, from benefitting society as a whole is that laws regarding technology are relatively slow in development in comparison to the rapidly expanding technology. This is why society needs to ensure that cybersecurity measures, as well as technical regulations, need to be implemented faster to accommodate the new developments.

        Lastly, technology can be used to better society through consideration of global issues. I believe educating people/students is one of the best ways to inspire them to create innovations that have the potential to solve major issues. This is supported by examples such as Boyan Slat, a student who designed a plastic-waste trap when he was 18-years old, helping to address the issue of plastic waste pollution in oceans, or Fionn Ferreria, an 18-year old who used ferrofluid to remove harmful microplastics in water, effectively reducing health risks associated with microplastics. These students were inspired to create these innovations through their experiences learning about these issues within their schools and through their own experiences. Overall, I think educating as many people on global issues can help inspire many to create something that will improve society for the better.

        In summation, I believe technology can indubitably benefit society for the better through the implementation of steps such as continuing to research and experiment extensively, increasing cybersecurity efforts regarding Internet use, as well as educating and inspiring more people to create new and improved innovations for society.


The Creation Shall Reflect the Creator

By Caley Soria

Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? I believe, in a more general sense, the former. That creation comes from a creator and therefore possesses elements from the creator. In the book the Consequences of Ideas, R.C. Sproul on discussing Soren Kierkegaard, says, “It is no accident that the history of art, music, and drama follows the history of philosophy. The artist picks up new philosophical ideas, employs them, and communicates them as part of a particular movement.”

I will go further to say that it doesn’t just have to be art, music or drama; but anything man brings into existence will reflect his philosophy and that he doesn’t even have to be intentional in reflecting himself in whatever he creates. Whatever man creates will reflect who man is; what he wants. This can also be referred to as man’s philosophy. That is why the world of technology could be in trouble because we, today, are a people of a poor philosophy. So, anything we create will show for that. In a technologically booming society, we see our poor ways of thinking in what we have created. Technology mirrors our narcissism, our materialism, and our desperation for comfort.

In order to take steps to ensure that technology will benefit society we must manage our narcissism. Perhaps we don’t realize the insanity of the plethora of apps that exist solely so that we can document every minute detail in our lives. But more than that, we rely on the validation that comes from the design of these apps in the form of likes, shares, retweets, etc. Social media platforms could benefit society but only if the philosophy, the drives of man, change. We could greatly benefit from the spreading of factual information, positivity, and awareness of social issues if we change our mindset from thinking only about ourselves.

In order for technology to be beneficial we must address our materialism as well. We are a society driven by our mad cravings to possess the latest and the greatest. The newest flat-screen, the newest iPhone and the newest car with the greatest number of buttons and touch screens. We live in the age that is capable of ending world hunger, curing deadly diseases, and providing sustainable energy but instead we are consumed with having the newest thing that will make our life easier.

Technology could relieve so many of the world ailments but the human folly of desiring comfort has to also be corrected first. Think about it, other than the fact that our neighbor doesn’t have it, why do we want the flat-screen, phone, and car? Because it has so many appliances that allow us not to employ brain power and deter any trace of discomfort. The advancement of technology can lead to the salvation of many but has instead led to the stupidity of few.

In conclusion, the steps that need to be taken to make technology beneficial are addressing the issues of human nature. Because whatever we create will only reflect who we are and the philosophy we live by; currently that philosophy is consumed by ourselves. We must grow out of childish narcissism, materialism and desperation for comfort. In doing so, we can push the advancement of technology into a direction that can truly benefit human life.


About Me

By Madison Val

When you are younger, you never expect to grow up quickly. The years you experience make you who you are. Everyone goes through issues, hard time, and difficulties but that’s what makes us who we are. They often say, the more hardship you go through makes you stronger as a person. Looking back to the age of seven, I remember it was more like terrible twos for my parents and me. My parents separated a few long days after my birthday. I remember it like it was yesterday, moving out of my home and having to say goodbye to the memories that lived in that house. It was going back and forth every other week and always having a bag to carry back and forth or not being able to find my favorite sparkly shirt from Justice. That was just the very beginning of many more back-and-forth trips to come.

At the age of ten I had gotten so use to this routine that I often would not forget anything and was happy to see each one of my parents. It was not till a major fight that had broken out with my dad, I lived with my mom a solid year and a half only visiting for early breakfasts at a local old gas station restaurant in Cave Creek, Arizona. I had gotten use to this life once again feeling relieved and happy. I would  always here negativity brought into any discussion with my mom, but as a ten year old I figured it was normal. Once i started figuring out and learning that not everyone does speak the truth and not everything is the way it seems I developed my own perspective.

When I turned fifteen I had made another huge life change to live with my dad realizing the manipulation I had been put through. All of the nights crying, always taking the blame, and the threats it was the best decision. I had finally had the best life possible and felt truly happy. I would wake up every morning to the smell of coffee and to the sound of the news. I would leave my house with a chatty trip to school. On the hard days, the one person I needed most was always there. He looked out for me and protected me from the sadness and hard parts of the world. I learned everything I needed to know.

I often would not have to feel all the pain brought on through my mom even tho it was still their. I was taught to have a positive outlook and accept what we can not control. I would still have brunches with her always hearing about something going wrong. To me as each year I grew and changed and would mature. I loved coming home to a place I could call home and where I felt safe. I loved late night movie watching and the family dinners. I would always clean the kitchen and wash the dishes. Late at night I stayed up being quite for those who had to go to work early the next morning.

To me, in some ways our parents do define us and we learn everything we know from them. It has made me who I am today. Yes, we are not supposed to say who we are in this essay, but why not? I am strong, forgiving, happy, and open hearted to change. I have learned more and grew more in high school then I would ever expect. I have had the heartbreakers, the stress, and the love but everything we go through makes us what we are today, and i would not change me for anything.


Waiting Room

By  Victoria Johnson

 Every day for me was a new adventure, I spent all my time with my friends doing as we please. From going out every weekend to sleepovers on school nights. I was never home. Until September 9th, 2018, I got home from being gone all weekend. My mom called me to her room and the moment I saw her face I knew everything was about to change. She started the conversation with “ you know how Bill (my stepdad) went to get a colonoscopy last week”. She immediately broke down and I knew what that meant. My step dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.  I could not believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Because of this, my whole life changed. My everyday routine slowly was consumed by doctors’ appointments and random trips to the ER. Some days my stepdad would be laughing and playing with our dachshunds, other days he would not even be able to get himself out of bed. Every day was a guessing game, with no idea of what was to come next. A waiting room soon became our Safe Haven. A waiting room is an interesting place, so much commotion going on around you, yet all you can think of is what is going on behind those two closed doors. Some people may see this place as daunting because you have zero control and are left in the dark on what is going on behind those two doors. Although for me, this was a place I was able to connect most with my mom and my brother. It was that one time of the day where we had to drop everything else and just be present. Did I also mention how horrible the cell phone reception is in a waiting room? All jokes aside, it was a time where I could rebuild the lost relationships I had created between my family members and I. I would be lying if I said this did not change my entire life. In situations like this, it is hard because the end result is so unsure.After months of chemo and radiation, everything finally felt like everything was going to be okay. Currently my Stepdad is off chemo and radiation and every day is like sitting in a waiting room. Only a few more weeks until he takes his final scans and our lives could change for better or worse. Life is like a constant waiting room, we are never sure of what is to come.


Mercedes Molina, Scholarship Essay

By Mercedes Molina

“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, There are no limits.”(Micheal Phelps)  Ever since I was born I feel as if life has tested me, I say this due to the fact that I had died for a minute and a half at birth. Then fast forward eight years later and I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. As time goes on more and more things seem to happen but although these curve balls have been thrown my way I would still consider myself a very fortunate, happy and lucky person. By now reading this it may not be the essay that was wanted but it is one that I feel is important because it lets a person know who I am. I feel like for the sole purpose that when investing in a person to get an education it is crucial to know the individual, not their views on a random subject matter. Knowing this is why it is important to look into who I am as an individual and to ensure whom it may concern if I were to receive this scholarship that their funding will not be taken for granite.

My name is Mercedes Molina, I am a twenty year old mexican american who lives in Arizona. I am currently a full time student majoring in nutritional science at the University of Arizona who is in the process of transferring to Arizona State University in the fall. With my degree I plan to become a sports Dietitians for a professional team in the near future. Ever since I can remember I had always wanted to go into the medical field. When I was five it was a doctor, then at age eight it was an endocrinologist and then freshman year of college it was a pharmacist. The reason why I had originally entered college wanting to be a pharmacist was due to the fact that I had wanted a good paying job to be able to not have to worry about student loans or really money in general. For the purpose of wanting to be a pharmacist is why I had originally selected  to attend the University of Arizona. When entering the university I was advised to major in nutrition since it was said to be an easier transition into the pharmacy program later. While taking my nutrition classes it was becoming clear to me that I loved nutrition. I was enjoying my classes and I found myself always reading health books and articles, plus counting carbs and watching my diet because of my diabetes. After completing these classes I started to reflect on what I wanted out of life. I had then came to the conclusion that it wasn’t the money that was important because all in all I would find a way to get financially stable, but the key point was the fact that I realized that I wanted and needed to be happy and I want to want to go to work each day and for this is why I had chosen dietetics and have decided to transfer because ASU has a better program and more opportunities in order to pursue my career goals along with obtaining my masters.

Although knowing my educational goals is crucial it is significant to know a little about me as well. I am not your average quirky student, I say this for the fact that I enjoy being with my friends and family, I would say without them none of my dreams would even be possible. I love Disney, superheros, Ironman being my favorite. I also love football and baseball (go Dodgers and Vikings!), hence the reason why I want to be a sports dietitian. But overall I have been a very hard working dedicated student. All throughout middle school, high school and now college I have always gone above and beyond what is expected of me to do my best and to succeed in school. What I mean by this is I have always been involved in many clubs and leadership organizations and have partaken in opportunities to help enhance my education such as participating in an internship at the universities Mckale center Fueling station, while also being a preceptor for a processor, along with taking advantage of opportunities such as enhancing my skills and experiencing new cultures by studying abroad for a semester in London, England. In general I have always been involved in anything school and I love it, I have always been that strange kid who loved going to school and had never wanted to miss a day of it.I would also stress cry about my grades, because the way I thought was my education is what is going to set me up for success not anything else.

Overall, the reason why I should receive this scholarship is for the fact that no other candidate will be more dedicated and more appreciative than I will be if I were to receive it. Meaning, that personally my main goal and priority in life right now is my school and as I have grown that hasn’t changed. Knowing this it means that I will not stop working and giving my all until I receive my degree and eventually even my master’s degree as well, because I know that not every individual has this opportunity and because I am able to I don’t want to waste it when someone else is out wishing that they were able to do what I am.


Little Digital World We Call Home

By Iva Marinkovic

When I was growing up, I was not having opportunities that technology provides to children in the current times. The only way to reach a friend was a home phone and even that was a commodity of an upper class. Born and raised in a small Serbian home, I began to value little things like conversation with friends, going outside for a bike ride or walking to school. However, as I entered my teenage years technology began spreading and becoming part of the every day life. Having a phone in my hand was as common as eating or drinking water. It was the first thing I checked in the morning and the last thing I looked at at night.It consumed my life more than I could ever expect.

Although some people, I like to call traditionalist, believe technology haven’t brought anything valuable to today’s society yet only created little human machines unable to hold a decent conversation with each other for five minutes straight, my opinion differs for couple of reasons.Primarily, social media is its own little digital world being surfed by billions of people from all over the globe. Without things like Instagram and Facebook, we would never be able to make a connection with a person who lives thousand miles away from us. Share experiences, learn from each other, and finally become a well rounded individuals.I will share a personal story with all of you.After moving to United States at 14 years of age, I am happy to say that I became a very close friend with Japanese Exchange student who truly changed my life.We met in dance class and thanks to social media we were able to stay in contact even after she returned to Japan.Now she is someone I call my best friend.In conclusion, when trying to create a new technology we should ensure that it would work on making many new connections because these networks can be beneficial in business, friendship,relationship and family.

Second, I plan to pursue medical path in my future years of college and I am a big believer that technology can be the cure of many medical dead ends we are facing today. With this new generation, the wave of new technological developments will bring new, unique and creative ideas that will open the door to new discoveries that can be life saving. If we thinking about history of medicine for a moment we can see the exponential growth of people who are saved and cured as the technology got introduced to the field.For example, before defibrillator was developed by William Kouwenhoven we were unable to restore a normal heart beat in cases of life emergency. This shows how technology can be used to create life saving machines without which medicine can not grow.

Finally, looking at the business side of this we can see that new developments like planners, emails, variety of programs allowed for good organization and much faster accomplishments of tasks that would otherwise take too much of time.Entrepreneurship is a new profession in business that is growing in today’s world and is completely relying on technology. It includes things such as promoting brands and products using social media as the platform to using programs to run their transactions.It allows for people from all over the globe to participate and connect which is as I previously mentioned is the most beneficial role of technology.

I do not want to be one sided and therefore I do have to agree that there are setbacks to growing of technology such as declining of human interaction, however we all have to see all the benefits it brought with it as well.I believe that not even in our wildest dreams would we be able to do all the things we are doing daily if technology wasn’t growing and developing with such a speed.


Enhancing Technology to Ensure Our Future

By Maesy Ramirez Macias

As a society, it is in our human nature to want to better ourselves, that much is obvious when you look at our history and see how much humanity has matured and developed since our primitive days. One of the notable, key factors that has ensured the development of people, is the advancements of technology that have been made throughout the years. Life as we know it today would not be the same if we did not have the amount of technology that we rely on. People now have all the knowledge and help they could ask for at their fingertips. Overall, the enhancement of technology has helped our society grow in ways we did not think possible. However, there have also been some hampering to our society due to all these advancements, such as an increase in laziness or people relying too much on technology that they do not think for themselves anymore. How can humanity guarantee that the progress we make daily is a moral one? And what are the steps that we can take to ensure that these technological advancements benefit and help society grow? A step that can help us grow in the right direction is making sure our creators and developers go into the field of creating technology with the correct knowledge about what they are doing. One way that can happen is for those scientists to get the correct education, so they fully understand what they are doing and to truly make sure they are improving the technology they are working on. Getting an education and having the proper background is vital and crucial in almost every field, and development is no different. They could also go back to the basic level of the technology that they are working on and see if there is any way that they could improve that technology from the rudimentary level. With something in its most basic form, there is always room for improvement that could be beneficial. Scientists can also think about the problems with the perspective of a person in society, not a scientist, and ask themselves “what is a problem that needs to be solved or made better for other people, myself included?” With that mentality, they can work on solving the problem while also making sure that they will complete their goal of making sure that their developments truly benefit society. By attacking these problems with the mindset of a normal person in society, they can think of ways that will have a positive effect on the world and how it impacts their daily lives because they are doing it for people like themselves. Of course, there is more to advancing technology than just thinking about it like an average individual, but each person can consider what they could do to make sure that our society a better place with developing technology. It could be as simple as preparing yourself correct and thinking of different ways to solve your own problems.


Technology in a New Light

By Julia Banach

As many people know, technology is growing at an incredibly high pace. Many professions and schools have implemented technology into their foundations. So, technology has already begun to benefit many different people.In addition to that, technology can be used in more monumental ways. Researchers and scientists have started utilizing technology to help with engineering, the building of planes and buildings, technology is even being used in the medical field. With our advancements in technology, people are starting to see just how much it will be able to help the world. In order to ensure that the technology we developed benefits society, we must make sure that the right people have it available to them. A big advancement that has come out is the finalization of 3D printers. These contraptions can assist with many different things, from building intricate and complex parts that would help form a bridge, to creating an artificial organ that can be used to save a person’s life. From that, we can see that alongside with the upcomings of new technology, it must be put into the hands of the right people. These people are professors or researchers who have the creativity to allow this new technology to help the world in ways that have never been thought of before. I believe that the younger generation should be more exposed to technology. I feel that young kids should learn how to operate different technological devices so that when they get older, they could take our technology even further. With how much technology has become a part of everyday life, it is crucial that everybody has a basic understanding of how different things work. Many people have access to a lot of different technology, however they have no idea of the magnificent amount of things they can do with the technology they have. If more people were knowledgeable about what they had sitting right in their homes, I feel as though people would be more willing to utilize it. Anybody in the world could have one crazy idea to put it to the test and find out that it just might work. Anybody could invent something new if they have the determination and resources that it takes. Technology can be used to improve school work. Laptops and computers can and are being used in classrooms to help with research and writing papers. Technology can also be used with homework and can be an amazing study tool. Kids can look questions up and find videos, diagrams, and graphs to help explain the answers. Technology can also be used in more professional careers. If a person has a presentation at a meeting, they can use an abundant amount of resources on iPads, tablets, or laptops to help them in displaying different information. Technology is being used to help the world become a better and more secure place for everyone.


How technology impacts certain parts of society

By  Alexa Giron

 Technology today has impacted the whole human race and is continuously expanding. It has helped and improved our ways of living. It’s played a big role in today’s medical field, our education, entertainment and the way of our everyday lives. Technology is a wonderful thing however it does not benefit everyone in our society. Especially in the minority group. It’s not talked about a lot and it should be. Not everyone has the resources to access technology and in order to make technology beneficial we need to make it accessible for everyone. That’s a big step forward to ensure that the technology we develop and create benefits not just certain parts of society but all. We create so many products of technology and not everyone has accessibility to it. Why would we want to create more of it if not everyone is using it? A big part is the education system specifically in schools that are low income and have a majority of minority students. We need to develop certain programs to generate resources and the closest resource they have is the public library however not every library has up to date technology. Some rely on the library to complete assignments but it can be hard to access a computer right away. Due to the library not having enough computers for everyone or simply because they are out of service. Now today in the 21st century everything is online. From textbooks to homework to contacting your teachers. Growing up being part of the minority group and not having access to technology I would constantly be at the public library. Me and my mom would always be there because she depended on the library’s computers, printers and scanners to complete her homework assignments for college. For that I am forever thankful for the library but now I see how much it can impact individuals for school and work. Even after my mother graduated college I would still go to the public library because we never had access to a computer or laptop. Now that I am 18 years old and starting college soon my parents got me my first ever laptop. Technology is a big part of who we are today and how things function currently. But let me ask you this. We are asking for ways to develop technology to benefit our society right? But how is it impacting us negatively? Without proclaiming the negative side of technology we can’t reach the peak of being able to move forward and create something big and innovating. I know we can create a new technological system for many people who need access to computers, printers, WiFi etc. and it would be a complete game changer. Using technology to help others gain technology.


Why I’m Fit

By Madelyn Peters

I am Madelyn Peters, and I am a graduating senior at Cactus Shadows High School. I will be attending the University of Arizona next semester, but I am currently undecided in my major. I have a passion for writing, but my gut says I would make a great lawyer. As the new generations come, the desire for books diminishes. That’s why I have decided that being a lawyer would suit me best. I am hard-working and passionate. I put my all into everything that comes my way. I push myself to be the best version of me there is. However, the expenses to become a lawyer are too much for my family. My parents are recently divorced and very young. They spend a lot of the time caring for my younger brother and paying for the three sports he plays. My family is not wealthy, especially not wealthy enough to pay for my college. However, I refuse to let this stop me from achieving my dreams. I have a job as a hostess at a restaurant, but I obviously won’t be making a sufficient amount to pay off schooling. Now it’s going to be even harder due to the damage Covid-19 did on my family. I lost my job for a while which means no saving for college. I am trying my best to open doors to good job opportunities in my future, but the door is quite heavy for me to carry all by myself. That is why I believe I would be a great fit for the Yuja Scholarship. If I receive this scholarship, I can easily promise it will be put to good use. My career comes first above all else. I want to be the best version I can be so I can truly make an impact. I have faith that with a little help, I can do just that. The future is at my fingertips, and I know in my heart I was put on this earth to help fix it. Life has definitely not been easy for me, but I will not let anything stop me from achieving my goals. I am doing all that I can to get a good education and a great career. I work really hard to put forth my best effort at all times, and I hope one day I will be able to show the world that. However, I need a little help to help change the world.  I am not going to write a sob story of my long, hard, and traumatizing past to earn this scholarship because I don’t believe that’s what it’s all about. I do not let my past define me. While the past has not been kind, I firmly believe I deserve this scholarship because I know it will take me one step further to accomplishing my goals. I want to be able to go to college and pursue my career as a lawyer. After all, the world could always use another miracle worker.


Henrietta Lacks and her Relevance in Technological Safety

By Crystal Gong

 Henrietta Lacks, a woman from the 40s, is someone who has contributed to medical development and research without our many people’s knowledge. She helped create the polio vaccine, tell us how various infections and diseases affect human cells, and build upon the general knowledge base in medical science. Henrietta Lacks was a woman with cervical cancer, and during her treatment at John Hopkins Hospital, her cells were harvested without permission. These cells became the first “immortalized cell line” that can be used indefinitely for conducting research. Despite the contribution to society, Henrietta Lacks’s cells are an ethical issue, violating our safety and rights. How do we create technology where one person is not harmed in order for the whole society to benefit?

In current times, there are security issues over biological information, such as dna for clone and stem cell research. To prevent an incidence similar to Henrietta Lacks, we have to focus on the very first step in technology development, testing, and research. The solution is to make stricter regulations with experimentation through reevaluation institutional review boards(IRB) or ethical review boards(ERB) guidelines. These review boards make sure that no human rights are being violated by rejecting experiment plans and outlines. The only problem is that these boards only evaluate experiments funded through the federal government in the US, therefore not everything is filtered.

In order to create technology that is beneficial to society without it being detrimental to people, the IRB should be expanded to encompass experiments funded through other channels. They should also be re-evaluated through the process and completion of the experiment, as prevention is a better strategy than fixing harmful effects of technology. While this may not be a foolproof method, as mistakes happen, people with malicious intent bypass the radar, and so on, if society as a whole can work on voting to create these safety nets, we can reduce risk and prevent tragedies.

I must mention how marginalized people are often the ones harmed for the sake of “society” and technological development. Other instances in the past, like Henrietta Lacks, occur without positive results, such as the forced sterilization Latin American women in the name of eugenics, the testing of birth control on Puerto Rican women, and the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. These were all unnecessary, harmful experiments that targeted people of color and/or women specifically. As we create new technology, we have to consider from an institutional standpoint, social justice standpoint, and From these precedences in history, I have no doubt similar issues will occur, but what I hope to see is society to develop to deal and to adapt, because in the end, for technology to benefit society, we first have to ensure it doesn’t harm us in the first place.


Media Literacy

By Gillian Rosier

There is no doubt that we will see technology become more and more prominent in our society and every day lives. Steps are being taken for technology to do simple tasks around the house, to predict health problems, predict weather, protect our homes, drive our cars and so much more! Although these are seemingly great steps, what is going to happen if the internet fails or targeting electric outages becomes a war strategy? What is going to happen when our society can no longer function without technology? I think there are a few steps we can take in order to be prepared for these possible situations. First, teach children how to do things manually. They may not always have to do this but just the knowledge of how to do something without the aid of technology can make a world of difference in an unfortunate situation. Second, invest in your own generator or alternative power source. This is a great idea for many reasons. A generator could be used in the aftermath of a natural disaster, on camping trips, or in the event of a mass power outage. This is a great way to unsure some security in uncertain times or under shaky circumstances. Third, take advantage of the ever-improving cyber security technologies. Luckily, there are many options to choose form. Be proactive, protect your information and have backups.

It has already been established that technology will always be around. This ensures a stable and ever-growing industry. It is estimated that the technology industry will reach $5.2 trillion in 2020. Economies around the world rely heavily on the success and innovation of this industry. Hundreds of millions of jobs rely on this industry and it encourages minds around the world to think outside the box. This industry encourages people of all ages, genders, nationalities, and backgrounds to pursue careers in math and sciences. Generations are being raised to problem solve, trouble shoot, to achieve the impossible, and think the unthinkable. These characteristics will carry over into other areas such as medicine, entertainment, transportation, education, space travel, inventions, global warming, etc. continuing to benefit society.

I think governments should have some sort of restrictions on some aspects of technology. Keeping individual’s private information safe should be our top priority. When I think of taking precautions, the army of robots from the 2009 movie G-Force is the first thing that pops into mind. Close observation of production and intention of technologies should be set in order to ensure the safety for the users. Protocol tests in various settings can be arranged to unsure the safest product possible once it hits the market.

There is a world of possibility at our fingertips. It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these new technologies. Whether we are in a position to do this directly or to hold other accountable, we can all make a difference in caring for the future of humanity.


Using Technology to Create a Better World

By Malachi Daniels

Technology is advancing more and more every day. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to how you can use it to your advantage. It is our job as a community the ensure that everyone is using the technology in a safe and proper manner. First, I believe it starts in schools. It is important to teach the youth of our communities to create a safe and positive atmosphere when online. Schools need to teach them the effects and consequences of using the technology provided to bully or harm someone emotionally. Students will be able to use what they learn for the rest of there lives as technology will continue to advance and evolve the world we see today. Secondly, we need to ensure that men and women are using the technology provided to them in the workplace in a respective manner. By eliminating harassment over the internet in the workplace, we can ensure that employees are doing their jobs to the best of their ability and positively representing the business as well. Businesses do not want people who are going to represent them negatively. The workplace will function much more effectively without the negative distractions in the way. Finally, it comes down to reporting problems in the community. The best way to ensure the safety of our communities is to be open to report a problem to either the police or other responsible organizations. This is something that everyone with access to the internet or social media can help with. By reporting a problem, we can stop cyberbullying, illegal activities, and so much more. People do not understand how much of an impact they can have on the community just by stopping these dark and harmful acts on the internet. When you report someone using the technology provided to them negatively you could be stopping a kid from being cyberbullied and that could very well have saved that child’s life. In a time where suicide is at an all-time high, it is important that we make every person using any form of technology or social media fell safe and welcomed. As you can see, there are several ways to make the technology developed in our communities safe. We can start by teaching all of our students how to use technology in a safe and positive manner. Then, by have employers focus on keeping the workplace safe, we can ensure that working community members are bettering our towns and cities. Finally, it is important for everyone to work together to keep a positive atmosphere online and report problems when we see them. By ensuring that we are using the technology in our own communities safely, we can make this world a better place.


Learning In The Future

By  Ashland Johnson

 In the future, I believe that students will learn virtually through apps or online. Technology is already prominent in society today, so in the future, technology will only become more efficient, more useful, and more advanced. Today, millions of students around the world use the internet as a source for learning and studying, but thousands still cannot comprehend the material. To combat this, apps and websites will be created in the future to fit every student’s personal learning needs.

In other words, if a student cannot grasp a Math lesson because they are a visual learner, the apps and website will create lessons specifically for a visual learner. Of course, the apps and websites will adjust based upon the student and learning topic.
These apps and websites modifying to a student’s educational needs will allow more students to succeed in school because the app and websites are a student’s personal teacher.   

In the future, students will be able to learn and network with different students around the world. For example, instead of students learning French in a classroom, they would be able to log into a computer and learn French from other teachers and students in France. This virtual learning would have students engaged because they would be learning about the language and culture from someone who currently lives in the country that they are studying.

For subjects such as History, Architecture, and Humanities, students would be able to learn about different structures through an app that produces holograms of people, places, and objects. These holograms would range from the Ancient Times to the present. Since the holograms would be so realistic, students would have the opportunity to travel to different places without having to leave the comfort of their home or school. These holograms will impact students learning in a positive war because instead of reading about places and objects in a textbook, students would be able to go to an exact place and hold artifacts from a certain time period. Students would more likely retain the information better because they are learning through hands-on activities.

The possibilities for the technology are endless in the future, especially technology that would enhance a person’s learning. Using updated apps and websites, students around the world will have technology at their fingertips and be ahead of their time.


My Mission

By Noah Weaver

I have grand goals for my life, each one coming together to achieve my main mission — making the world a better place. Through each of my leadership positions, I have strived to create an inclusive environment, one that allows everyone to express their views on a variety of issues. There are a plethora of issues that face our world today, problems that will only be solved if everyone feels confident in sharing their voice. Although many issues pique my intellectual interest, the one that drives me the most is the current standing of health care and its relationship with AI. 

My ultimate goal is to connect my passions in medicine with my great interest in AI, understanding the role that technology will play in the future. Through majoring in Physiology and Medical Sciences, I will develop skills that educate me the importance of technology and treatment methods.  I have multiple ideas in mind to connect these two fields, ideas that will enhance medical care throughout the world. One idea is using AI to efficiently diagnose and reduce error among patients. The plan hinges on the ability of a robot to listen to the symptoms of the patients, and then diagnose the specific illness based on those symptoms. This idea demands the relationship of the physician and robot, as the relationship must be symbiotic if real change will happen. With this relationship, I am confident that we can decrease overall death rates and prevalent diseases like cancer. As a human race, we must not understand what steps must be taken to make sure technology enhances society as a whole.

I believe this boils down to two facets, components that are crucial if technology is to benefit society in the near future: communication and dedication to the end goal. Healthcare workers and technological workers must work together to see plans come to fruition. When ideas are disagreed upon, both sides must be unafraid to bring their unique voice to the table. It is vital that everyone feels comfortable and confident to share their voice on the specific issue. Additionally, individuals must keep their eye on the prize, not shying away from making mistakes. Failures must be looked at as positive things, as these events lead to personal growth on a variety of levels. When life presents me with struggles, I will take each one on without fear of failure and become stronger because of each of them.

I believe I deserve to win this scholarship due to my unequivocal dedication to excellence, always striving to enhance the world as a result. Our differences, not our similarities, are what makes positive change happen on a macro scale. Throughout my collegiate and professional career, I hope to grow as an individual and use my experiences to change the world for the better. Each of these experiences will provide me with unique lessons, each one aiding me in future success. I am beyond ecstatic for the next chapter of my life, as it will present me with building blocks to enhance the lives of many.


“My dream College”

By Aniyah Milton

For many years now my family has pushed me into going the college route.  “Go to college! Go to college!” was their favorite mantra.  Now I know you have heard this a thousand times: boring reasons as to why people want to attend college; but me, I am different, I like to think of my future as money.  The thought of college brings up money. I mean who doesn’t want to further their education to make more money? My success is what gives me the courage to say I can do it. There was a time when I considered the thought of not attending college – my junior year in high school. This year my life took a turn in a very tremendous way: I got pregnant and I was discouraged about having to deal with this and trying to keep my academics.

I started to get discouraged. I thought that the only way out was to give up. After months of thinking, I realized that I  wanted  to become something more in life. I started to reclaim my confidence again. In my reconsidering stage, I started to say that my life was over and that I had no one to turn to in order to make sure I was mentally stable.  I felt that I was all alone.  I felt as though college was overrated that I could attend a trade school or attend community college and get the same education. But I finally realized that it’s so much more greatness that has not been found. Now I know that I want to attend college! I have gotten accepted into 4 colleges already.

I am looking forward to double majoring in Criminal Justice and Nursing. I am interested in these two majors because I want to help people in need of care. Criminal Justice has always been my passion because I want to help others get out of trouble if they find themselves in it. I find it very satisfying to solve crimes and see others win especially our black culture because there are a lot of hate crimes related to racism in our current society. My success is in my hands; I am hungry.  I want to be the first to say I have earned a degree. I will be the very first to attend college in my family. This is my ticket to win!

I am proud that I can say I turned myself around and found what can help me contribute to my success. I am a magnificent student that is capable of doing anything that I put my mind to.  I am coming for you Central Penn: the home of the Tigers . I claim Trinity Washington university to become my new home for the next four years of my life. I have also gotten accepted into Bowie State University, Livingston State University and Prince George’s Community College. Grateful students are happy students; no matter what situation you’re in, there is always something to be thankful for! I am thankful for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.


Cooperation

By  Francheska Quing

Ensuring that the technology we develop benefits our society is a difficult task, but definitely not impossible. The key thing to be successful on this particular task, is “cooperation.”  Not all of us have access on the newest technology, some have no access at all in any kind of modern technology. So to the some of us that are lucky enough to be able to use the convenience of technology, we should always let the big guys hear our voices. It is easier to have our voices be heard today compared to a decade ago or so. We should use that power to ensure that technology not only benefits the greedy people who wants to control everything. We should ensure that it benefits the society as whole. And if we cooperate with each other, rather than posting hateful things to each other online, we, as a society, can do a lot of wonderful things. If we watch each others back, we can help each other in ways we never thought we can.

While ensuring is a rather difficult task to tackle it is not impossible and with the cooperation of many we can ensure that our technology is evolving with in mind of helping the society as a whole rather than just that 1% of our population.


Class of 2020- Quarantine Resilience

By Oonagh Odom

My senior year has taught me a lot about adapting to a new way of life and finding balance in challenging circumstances. As a well-rounded student, I have always been involved in extracurricular activities, and finding balance through perseverance and channeling them into something positive like art have been my keys to a bright future. Something not reflected in my academic and leadership success record is how I have persevered with anxiety after the death of a parent. Dealing with unease forces me to focus harder as I strive to always improve patience and attention to detail. I am most proud of the hard work I put in to get great grades and improve my artistic skills. So it is frustrating when anxiety tries to stop me from my goal of becoming an artist. Ironically, anxiety has helped me grow as an artist and storyteller.

I value education at school or independently, I am an honors student, an artist, and musician. Recently I auditioned for section leader and brass captain and was honored to receive those positions. Just a month ago I was offered a contract with the Phenom Drum and Bugle Corp in the mellophone section continuing my competitive marching band dreams. I realize that there always room to improve, and the knowledge I gained from leadership and performance experiences like those helped me grow. I have anxiety,  yet I refuse to be defined by it or let it stop me from succeeding.

A few weeks ago I was dreaming of all the ways I expected my routine and life to change when I went off to college, how I would grow as a person and student facing new challenges. Daydreams of simple questions like what will my dorm roommate be like to how does campus food taste, to the excitement for new classes and academic expectations.

Then the year took an unprecedented turn with the outbreak of COVID-19.  Navigating senior year for the Class of 2020 has become completely unexpected, devastating many hopes and dreams. My high school canceled the rest of the year’s events, sports, prom, honors testing, even graduation is uncertain at this time. Everything I have worked the past 12 years towards from studying, projects, internships, extracurriculars, and AP class projects, all cumulating in walking across a stage to accept my high school diploma with honors…all uncertain. We had many more adventures planned, all have been postponed due to the need to socially distance to protect everyone which has taken precedence. Our routines and lives have been impossibly uprooted. I realize that my grades and transcripts remain and are the least of my worries while the world fights this pandemic. I am scared for those fighting for their lives, for those treating them, and worried about how our entire world will be adapting in the months and years to come. It is understandable that we all make sure to protect the students and community by keeping them safe and following CDC guidelines, it’s still heartbreaking after we have worked so hard to see it all gone in an instant. It is difficult not to mourn what has been lost in what was supposed to be one of the most significant years of my life.

This is a momentous time in history- it will be talked about for generations. My generation, my fellow classmates are feeling broken-hearted. So much has already changed- from the sudden closures and goodbyes to our friends we did not have a chance for, to realizing the last time we would be together on campus has already happened- that is the new normal for the Class of 2020. It’s ok to feel grief, to mourn that loss. Logically we know that like these hard times, that sadness and grief will not last. Like my classmates, I do what I can to be positive from online learning to personal enrichment, to taking care of myself or even just reaching out to friends via technology to reconnect. We find ways to have peace and serenity. I am encouraged to journal these moments in writing, video, or art because they will be looked back on as we try to make sense of all that has happened. We still have the power to make positive memories. While I navigate the five stages of grief for a year full of unexpected and unwelcome changes I wonder how I have dealt with this will affect my perceptions going into college. I have pivoted from classes on campus to online learning while maintaining my focus and grades- will that make my work ethic even stronger as I pursue higher learning? I have had to persevere through adversity in an ever-changing landscape where the old normal is not guaranteed- will that make me better able to face what changes will come in the next four years at University? How will I overcome this disappointment or obstacles in the future to thrive and shine in the years to come? I realize now that everything can change in a moment, a life can be at risk from a cough or lack of social distancing, a career can be completely altered by a business collapsing from drastic economic change.

Starting my college education in a few short months will be a big step, a transition in life that I have never faced before. This year has taught me that I am resilient. While not every moment or event from my senior year can be rescheduled, no one can cancel what I have already achieved. My dreams will not be on hold forever. I am more confident than ever before after navigating the current pandemic crisis that I have the skills to adjust, determination to persevere, and patience to succeed whatever changes come my way in college and beyond.


My life

By Darrell Branch

Football has been a big part of life. My dad was a blue chip prospect back in the day and his dream got messed up from the neighborhood he was in. He had nobody to look up to and nobody to get him the right direction. This just increase my Drive to the max cause I know his dreams didn’t come through because of his decision he made.So I didn’t start out playing football at all basketball was my dream I thought it was my everything and football wasn’t I mean I still played but never really organized football. My life has been a roller coaster I have some very ups and downs in my life my mom always kept a roof off my head regardless doesn’t matter at all she always found a way to keep food on the table and a roof over my head. I’m from Philadelphia PA my mom had several houses in PA and she would just get scammed over and over and over it was just bad for us it kept happening. Then we kept moving around and around.

Then my second older sister  moved with the oldest one then my mother thought she couldn’t have her house under control. This month’s go on I’m living at my Grandma’s house for now I was barely going to school in the 7th grade I might have missed over 50 days of school. I just hated going there I really did it was the worst every. Then months go and go my mom says she’s moving to Arizona. My grandmother and my nephew came to Arizona with just two bags I had left with my clothes in it that’s all I had was 2 Bags of clothes to move to Arizona with. Then we get to Arizona he have to stay with my Aunt for a little till we found our place then we do then my mom comes down my older brother my sisters my dad everyone does we all down there then we lose the house we are all homeless again my older brother got Incarcerated

Then my sister move back to philly both of them and my grandma. We were homeless for about 6 months living from hotel to hotel going to school cooking meals in a hotel with 6 people in two bedrooms with a pull out couch. Then we get it together then my mom been looking everyday to found a place she does we move back to Apache Junction we found a 3 bedroom apartment we been there till this day. But the moral of my story is that I don’t give up my family we are warriors we are fighters this drives me to the max I grind everyday for my family frfr I will grind for them always doesn’t matter when I get on that field I know what I gotta do my mind is on lock I get the job done regardless. I might have to walk on to a D1 college to prove myself and show them what I’m about cause I will for real I know that I got to make my family proud they look at me like they ticket I take that roll for real cause I know that been through a lot I got then to.


Detroit: Become Reality?

By Natalie Tachikabe

This prompt reminds me a lot of a video game called Detroit: Become Human. The premise of the game is that society has developed androids that are meant to be as similar to real human beings as possible, while still being under our control so that we can make them do anything we want. They are integrated into society as housekeepers, police detectives, and other common employment positions. However, these robots that were once made to simply serve us become self-aware and rebel against their human owners, eventually leading to a full-scale revolution. While this may not be the most realistic scenario, it poses a daunting question; as technology continues to grow more advanced, how can we ensure that its benefits outweigh its setbacks?

Technology, from its very beginnings, has been made for the benefit of its creators and the general public. However, Detroit: Become Human demonstrates, albeit a highly unlikely scenario, in which society has improved technology so much to the point that it is no longer beneficial to us and instead poses a threat. This idea can also be seen today, for example, in the overuse of social media. Social media was created to keep us connected even when we are apart, but it has become a platform where many of us spend hours upon hours looking at people who seem to lead much better lives than us. This constant exposure to such unrealistic lifestyles leads us to look down on our own lives, and make us feel as if we are not successful enough. As such, something like social media, which was made to improve our lives, has had the opposite effect and has caused us to feel as if our lifestyles are not enough in comparison to others.

But how can we stop this when technology has already become so integrated into our society? The answer is not to stop using our phones and retreat into some nature resort, rather it is to remember what the true purpose of our current, and future technology is. Nearly all technological advances are made with the greater good in mind. Improving cures for previously fatal diseases, new cars that can better protect its passengers in the case of an accident, more efficient laptops that increase productivity are all examples of how we are constantly trying to improve our technology to benefit others besides ourselves. The answer to this prompt is simple; technology should always be improved upon under the idea that it will be for the greater good. While this may be a hard principle to enforce, doing so would allow us to ensure that as society advances, our technology parallels our growth and continues to benefit both the individual and the community.


Steps To Success With Technology In Society

By Terry Si

In this day and era technology has taken over the world. No more kids outside on bikes , playing tag, meeting up with friends on bikes at a chosen location. Adults rather order off a screen then to socialize with workers, Were more focused on our cellular devices then life itself around us. I want to bring this new generation of kids and adults back to the way it was in the early 2000’s where technology did not have this tight of a grip on us. The steps we can take to ensure that technology we develop benefits the society is to think and be creative with ideas and to also consider what the people really need to make there daily lives are easier. We can gather data recorded from past years to see where the problem with technology is then we can have the people suggest ideas in a poll form but with certain rules regarding ideas that would benefit themselves and not society, Then we would take those votes from the poll and tally them up which would then help us “the inventors” a lot because then by taking the data from the poll we can then create something that the creators know would satisfy society because it is what they voted for and they had a voice in the invention, therefore society opinions matter because without the approval from society within, Then there would be no success due to others already judging the idea or they just don’t like it. This is why I suggested a poll form for technology ideas from the people because without them , success would be impossible.


Typical day in life in 2025

By Neha Pal

My day in 2025 starts with the automatic alarm that calculates my required sleep time and wakes me up. The environment has been deteriorated, so my alarm generates the natural sounds of birds and nature. Due to the scarcity of fresh water, there are automated machines to brush your teeth and take bath so that the limit of water consumption can be maintained. I can only consume a certain amount of water so; the food is prepared accordingly which includes vegetables to provide me with water content.

The sustainable usage of resources, which we should have started practising earlier when we had the option, is now enforced upon all the living creatures on the earth. Fifty percent of all the research taking place is dedicated to finding ways to increase the life span of human survival on the planet.

The uses of normal cell phones are long gone. Now we have a Virtual Reality phone display that we control from our wristwatches. Through this, we can cut down the usage of precious metals and the labour it takes to mine them. Also, there is a negligible amount of pollution due to toxic mine spills which makes the ecosystem stay in balance while saving wildlife and marine life. Furthermore, it has become easier than ever to communicate with your family and friends because through augmented reality it seems like we are sitting together.

Since the climate has changed so drastically, scientists have developed clothes which can keep you cold and warm according to the weather. We don’t need to layer ourselves in the winter which has resulted in less wastage of energy on clothes production.

We have also successfully stopped the usage of plastic by 100% and have found out its substitutes which are equally cost-effective and easy to use.

My idea of ‘changing lives through public engagement’ resonates with the Open Hand Monument designed by the French Architect Le Corbusier in my hometown Chandigarh. It symbolizes “the hand to give and the hand to take, peace and prosperity, and the unity of mankind”. This city has shaped me as a person and has given me beautiful memories and important values to hold on to, just like the hand symbolizes. This city has enabled me to become an active volunteer of the National Service Scheme and take part in campaigns for women and girl empowerment. I have also founded the unique idea of a website called “iDAAN” –I Donate And Alleviate the Needy (https://iDAAN.in). It is aimed at providing a web-based interface platform to donors and volunteers.

By 2025, I would have passed out Purdue’s notable mechanical engineering program and would be capable to make start-ups and make scientific breakthroughs.

I am sure in the next 5 years; artificial intelligence would have matured due to continuous neural network-based learning and would have become a highly intelligent expert system with virtual reality for meeting the challenges of the world.


London After Dark

By Aubree Slade

The cool, wet air of London brushed through her hair as her feet padded across the cobblestone streets of London. The rain had just cleared, exposing the vast sky above. The moon shone through the passing clouds as Rosie wandered through the over pass. London was a magical city full of life and diversity. Not a day passed when Rosie didn’t hear a mired of languages uttered in passing. The excitement of this city surpassed that of any thing she had conjured in her dreams. She glanced to the left and saw buildings full of color and wonder, and full of stories. Stories of those who once called this city their home, stories of people lost in the crowds of the hustle and bustle, stories of children’s laughter and love of their childhood. As Rosie neared the end of the road, she paused at the bright red door, whose paint had begun to cracker, showing the weathered wood underneath. As she watched the weathered door, all her memories began to flood her mind, and it was as if she was five years old again, waiting at that bright red door in her school uniform. She felt such longing to be that little girl with the red door, how much she would give to feel her mother’s soft hand in hers as she guided her across the busy London streets. What she would give to taste the cold rain on her tongue as she danced in the rain, without a care in the world. Rosie felt her heart sigh as she cherished these fond London memories, with no other purpose but to remember, remember that life she once knew. She slowly turned to walk away from that bright red door for the last time, when she heard the familiar creak, accompanied by that familiar voice although now weathered as had the door been. Rosie turned and without even thinking, she ran to her mother, who with open arms embraced her. The familiar peace and warmth washed over Rosie as tears streamed down her hot face. This was home, this was where love and laughter never seemed to cease. This is the place she belonged. How she had longed to feel those soft, yet strong arms engulf her in pure love and sincere longing again. She felt her mom’s soft and delicate hand gently wipe the tears from her cheeks, as she had many years ago, and in a familiar manor say, “I’ve been waiting for you to come.” Her sweet, soothing voice caused an immediate rush of relief and joy as she walked through that big, red door. She was home, and she knew she was safe, she knew she was where she belonged. Behind that red door, down that crooked cobblestone street, in that rainy, magical city of London. She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the cold, refreshing London air and closed the red door behind her.


The Regulation and Acceptance of Technology

By Philip Truong

        Technology has always been a hallmark of humanity. Tools used to help advance our goals and to sate our needs. As society advances, so does technology, but that technology could start to counter the interests of the average person in that society. The english proverb “Necessity is the mother of invention” is not for naught, however the needs of one could contradict the needs of many. For these reasons, the most essential steps to prevent harmful technology will become the acceptance of progress, then in turn the regulation of that progress.

        Accepting that technology will inevitably progress is an important step as preventing it will only damage our society. The problems in our current world are very obvious and advancements in technology will open up more solutions to these problems. For example, more efficient renewable energy in order to cease the irreversible harm fossil fuels are causing to the planet. Technology opens up doors that we’ve never had before and it would be detrimental to our needs if that process is ever disrupted. A problem arises when we act incorrectly in reaction to new technology.

        This phenomenon could be witnessed in the ever looming threat of automation. Inherently automation should benefit humanity as a whole, automatically doing specific jobs and opening up more labor towards other places of development. However, that is not what is happening in the current situation. Automation is displacing an incredible amount of jobs, jobs that will never be recovered back. To further that problem is the fact that these jobs are usually done by uneducated and low-income people, which harms the chances of them being able to find another job without having some sort of skill. This new technology is only benefiting the leaders of the companies as they are able to significantly cut the costs in labor without damaging their efficiency. As a democracy, the people have voices in government, so instead of acting towards technology, we need to start actions to prevent this inequality.

        Hence the call for government action towards these problems. There are solutions where everyone can benefit instead of just the higher-ups of these businesses. For example, a method that has become more popular thanks to a former democratic candidate, Andrew Yang, is to develop a universal basic income to provide for the people being displaced by automation. We need to recognize why some technology is hurting society and work to solve those problems. Enacting solutions similar to a universal basic income will help solve this imbalance of benefits. This way we accept advancing innovations and everyone benefits as well.

        Our problem with technology doesn’t stem from the technology itself, but from the fact that the average person isn’t benefiting from it anymore. First we have to accept that stopping the advancing process is damaging, then we need to recognize the inequality leading to technology harming society, and lastly enact methods to prevent an imbalance in benefits from technology. Ensuring we as a whole can benefit from the technology advancing our society.


The Unraveling of technocratic Humanity

By Natalie Nunn

     As our society continues to develop and our knowledge continues to grow, I believe that it is important that technology remains a relatively minor part of our lives. I know this might seem controversial, but I would like to begin this argument on the premise that humans can provide so much more wisdom than technology can. Sure, technology can help us care for the sick, build feats of architecture, or just make every day chores easier. But I think that a heavy reliance on technology in the future could be what potentially lead to a future where humans do not think, or feel, or react as we do now. I believe that no matter how far we develop technology, it is important that we never perfect it. I understand that this point of view is very controversial but I have 2 main reasons for this argument. Firstly, nothing can ever be absolutely perfect…it is impossible. Secondly, if society perfects technology, then what would be the purpose for humans? Technology could arrive at a point where humans need to do absolutely nothing. All we would do is sit on the couch and be fed, bathed, transported and medicated by pieces of technology. Understanding that technology is not what defines a society is crucial to comprehending that machines do not think like us, nor make decisions or feel emotions like we do.

    As technology develops, I think that it is important that society does not lose its humanity. Perhaps limit the usage of technology, or again, do not perfect it. Society would benefit from a future lack of technology because it is a fact that there will always be conflict in this world. Wars will still be fought, people will still starve and families will still be together on the holidays Technology can help with preventing things such as war or famine; but concerning face to face interaction and thought processes, technology should not be included. Society needs to always have a driving force of emotions, compassion and bravery to keep our species alive. Technology could compromise our humanity. And that is something that as a collective society we can not allow to happen.

    I would again like to reiterate that I am not against the advancement of technology. It is very evident that without it, it will be very difficult for people to move forward without it. As the Earth changes around us, technology will be our saving grace when resources become scarce. I just wish to emphasize that humans should not become  too dependent on technology. We could lose sight of ourselves and not hold ourselves accountable to mistakes we have made and just blame it on technology. Technology should be slightly limited in the future and perhaps only be restricted to desperate situations, so people can realize the strength within themselves and the wonderful consequences of being human.


The Better Technology

By Andrea Markovich

I believe technology should be used to educate people, bring people together, and help people communicate. In reality our world is not filled with perfect people but, we should still be able to make sure technology is being used for the better. Steps to keep technology in line should be fairly basic. I feel we should have a stronger system to decide which technology would be good for us and which would cause more harm than good. Technology can mean so many things from medical technology to social media so we should have different branches of this system. Along with a system we should have people give input on these ideas. There may be extremes but, they will be able to cancel each other out. The input from the public is always nice because these are the people living in the moment dealing with technology of all sorts all the time. An average person is able to not consider the money factors that a typical company would be considering. Their opinion is less bias in the long run. When it comes to being curious about something you pull up Google, when you need to plan a party you can pull up Facebook, you can text, you can set up appointments. I see all these things as being great for an everyday life. This is what the average population uses technology for. Our government and big businesses use technology for good things as well like advertisements, health of the population, safety of the population. They also use technology for destruction of others. They have made weapons big enough to destroy the planet with our technology. I feel most of our country would disagree with the weapons that have been made. These weapons do not benefit society and there are plenty other things technology has brought us that does not help our society.


The Benefits of a Video Management Library

Discover the Benefits of a Video Management Library

1. A Public Enterprise “YouTube”

With many industry leading platforms, your institution has a single place to store and share videos. A structured Platform provides users ease-of-use when accessing specific content.

  • With Course Channels, Campus Channels, and Public Channels, educational institutions help facilitate content search. 
  • Users can utilize Search-Inside-Video to find specific concepts within audio, slides, indexes, comments, and notes instantaneously.
  • Individual User Collections facilitates the search process to upload and share content within a centralized video library.

2. Media Storage

With cloud-based video storage, key features offered by leading providers gives your organization a Media Management library to store and share your videos.

  • Cloud-based storage grows at your pace over time and can be placed in the cloud or on-site.
  • The availability of support services within cloud-based hosting has eliminated the need to employ staff to maintain your institution’s hardware.
  • Consistent up-time delivers reliable access to your media content.

3. Uploading Content

Drag-and-drop capabilities ensure quick access and optimal playback on any device. Whether you are uploading one file or thousands of files each day, your Video Platform can quickly trans-code and process your media content.

4. Editing Content

With your all-in-one Enterprise Video Platform, editing capabilities for video content allow for users to revisit saved content to edit recordings, revise slide contents, and add and improve captioning.

5. Sharing Content

Media accessibility should be readily available to users. Using scheduling capabilities with your Enterprise Video Platform allows content to be shared on a practical schedule to keep users up-to-date with their courses.

Further, with your Enterprise Video Platform, the ability to share comments, videos, pictures, and links allow users to create social streams across each video.

Related Post: How to Record Lecture Videos

Why Social Learning Matters for Corporate Learning

Understanding Social Learning

While social learning may sound like a modern concept, in fact, it’s one of the most significant ways humans learn. You’ve been participating in social learning your entire life, from watching and engaging with your family as an infant and toddler to absorbing aspects of a new corporate culture. 

Most people don’t like learning in a classroom setting; it’s frequently defined as dry or boring, and retention rates are low. Swap that structured classroom for a more casual and interactive one and your staff will not only like their learning experiences but are more likely to retain information and integrate it into their daily work. 

Social Learning Face-to-Face

You might be surprised to realize that social learning occurs every day in the workplace. When one person asks another a question about the software, it’s an example of social learning. When someone on your staff takes the time to teach a new skill or provide information, it’s social learning. This kind of social learning occurs more readily when you create a collaborative and supportive workplace and provide opportunities for employees to interact with one another. 

Social learning can also be more formalized. For instance, you might host workshops to learn about new software, with open laptops and free interactions between coworkers, or designate specific times for learning and interaction in a more regimented workplace. That could look like a later opening time one day a week or a special event to show off and try out new products. 

Online Social Learning

While, on the surface, social learning sounds like something that requires people to be in the same building at the same time, that is far from true! In fact, companies with offices around the globe or with a remote workforce can still take advantage of social learning opportunities. These may look a bit different than social learning in person, but they’re just as valuable and offer the same benefits of collaboration, connection, and information retention.

What do opportunities for online social learning look like?

  • Using video conferencing technology to bring staff together in one place for conversation, interaction, or demonstrations.
  • Offering the ability to converse with others, both in and out of the office, through discussion feeds.
  • Live streaming work events and training so everyone is able to participate.
  • Enabling on-the-spot video chats for staff in multiple locations. 

Previous article: Winter 2019 Scholarship Winner – Anissah Surita

Winter 2019 Scholarship Submissions


From Medicine to Cars; Code

By Willa Campeau

The most influential piece of technology in today’s fast pasted society would be code. Coding is not only a technology but a mathematical language that happens to be the format of most of today’s app and online world. From Html to Javascript; it also happens to be part of a problem within the United States. The problem being occupational fields such as the medical field using outdated forms of code to where if one knows how to hack into the programming, they can easily corrupt files upon files of information. This information most likely being a patient’s vitals and their form of treatment which could then possibly lead to a lawsuit that could’ve been easily prevented if they’d taken the time to update their software. Coding also happens to be used in cars now-a-days. A few of these computerized components being the windows rolling up and down, the locking mechanism and even regulating the temperature. Thus the vehicles that 76% of Americans use on daily based can also be hacked. An episode of Criminal Minds was dedicated to the topic; and all the average civilian has to do is buy a device off of Amazon that allow them to override the mentioned locking mechanism. A simple click of a button a second right after you lock your vehicle, advancing faster than when the main way of stealing a car was hot-wiring it.

Now while code has allowed for problems to occur like those mentioned above, it has also allowed for our society to advance far than those in the past millennium could ever imagine. One of the many being in the field of medicine, those with diabetes can now make insulin pumps that regulate themselves. The way it does this is by sensors placed on the skin that measure the glucose. This has helped diminish the amount of patients going into a hyperglycemia coma. Hyperglycemia comas are what occurs mostly in patients with type 1 diabetes when their glucose levels get too high but it can also occur in those with type 2 as well. Coding has also helped society in more everyday use as well. A few of those being online shopping, transportations services such as Uber and Lyft along with helping people get into shape. One of those apps that helps people get into shape is Pokémon GO, which also has connected a ton of people on the basis of collecting creatures in Pokéballs and leveling up—a means of storytelling. Concluding all of this; code has its downfalls and it upsides and it’s the pros that outweigh the cons thus giving rise to products that some individuals wouldn’t dare to live without. One of them, I haven’t mention till now; the smartphone. So let’s see what the world has offer when it has the influence of coding within our society.


A Picture of Time

By Izabella Caruso

The lightbulb made everything visible, no one was to be left in the dark. My grandmother’s young hands pressed the camera’s button, capturing the smiles of pure triumph. Waiting to be developed, her fingers shook the imperfections into existence as the reality of flaws were accepted by all. Patience was compulsory and never questioned. Smiles were genuine, never staged.

The hands of my grandmother began to tell a story, much like the journey she took her camera on. Disposable and inexpensive, times were designated to process the memories but reduced to an effortless escapade. Being handed the pictures from across the drugstore counter, society began to be handed their livelihoods as well.

The hands of my grandmother are now weathered. She holds a posed picture instantly, contrary to the joy that once sprung from her fingers. How ironic it is that the selfie she took is more representative of the person next to her than of herself. Patience is nonexistent, the world can never be satisfied. An image must be taken a billion times because one will never be enough, and even that one will never be perfect. A lens is placed on the images taken today, altering the existence of pure triumph. How disastrous it is to live in a world where the camera my grandmother holds in her hands is more disposable than the disposable camera itself. If dropped, the memories will shatter. If disliked, they may be deleted. History has the potential to be lost, flashing before the future’s eyes before they even have the opportunity to appreciate the raw delight once encompassed in an image.


Information Technology Discussion Essay

By Destney Johnson

There is no doubt that social interaction plays a big role in every human’s life. It doesn’t matter whether they are more social online or in person how social you are or how social you aren’t plays a big role in how your personality develops and how you react to different things. In fact, people can actually be considered to be a part of social networks even when they are not online. Back then, people had roles in the social network in their society. However, things have definitely changed now and social media has a strong control on how information is developed, how people think, feel, speak and how they act.

This unit in my Composition Rhetoric Class we are learning about argumentative writing. We have been challenged to write an argumentative paper on our point of view of social media and the positive and negative effects of social networking on society. I have done some research and in the result of it, I have found out that in my point of view I feel that the old school social media has definitely been taken over as a result of the social media networks that are out now. In my first source, “Who Do You Think You Are?” I found a statement that supports my claim that the social media networks now have caused people to become more cowardly and less social ironically, “Our results reveal that, although both identities have similar effects on usage behavior, users with higher social identities are more oriented toward variety seeking, while those with stronger relational identities are more oriented toward reinforcement”.

Back then when everything was not based off of how many likes you have or how many people follow you, it was easier to be yourself and for people to get to know the real you. How can someone get to know you and become a real friend if all you do is sit behind a computer screens? As Dylan says in the back to the lake source, “Our results reveal that, although both identities have similar effects on usage behavior, users with higher social identities are more oriented toward variety seeking, while those with stronger relational identities are more oriented toward reinforcement”. These are the types of questions that you asked when you only know someone in the new social media and not meet someone in person like the old school social media.

After all, would you rather have friendly smiles and healthy relationships like back then in the old school, or would you rather an unhealthy selfish online social life? Many people would definitely pick the healthy lifestyle over the unhealthy one. In my second source, “Old school” meets “new school” the journal focuses on “Using books and tablets to improve information literacy and promote integrative learning among business students”. When I read about this I felt like this could be a very good way to improve the technology and social media sites nowadays. I do feel social media plays a huge role in how people behave and how people think as well.


The iPhone ́s effect on our society

By Anissah Surita

I believe the most influential piece of technology today is the smartphone and particularly the iPhone.I believe that Apple has become the most influential technology brand involving iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, and other items. A reason that I believe iPhone has the popularity is because in our society there has been a line drawn between iPhone and Samsung or any other brand of smartphone. People believe there is a better quality in speed, camera, apps, and other features of the iPhone.The reason why this is the biggest influential in today’s society is because it affects everyone including who do have an iPhone and those who do not. The iPhone allows users to call,text,surf the web, use apps, facetime (video chat), and other tools. One of the biggest problems in society has been produced from all of the uses that are available on this phone. In groups of people that are friends or family you would imagine interaction between them. In today’s society almost everyone in a room is noticed to be on an iPhone or other brand of smartphone. I have experienced situations where I am with friends and everyone is just sitting on their phone. I think to myself wondering what the point of being with each other is when everyone is sitting on their phone scrolling. One way I tried to solve this is I have told the people I was with to place their phones in a pile so that we could interact with each other.This is one way in which smartphones including the iPhone have affected our society while one more being the use of apps of social media. With so many people using iPhones it comes with the ability to use social media in an easier way that on the web. Social media influences our society in positive and negative ways. A beneficial way I have experienced is that it is an easy way to stay in touch with friends and family that are near and far. Of course you could call, but sometimes that is not always quick or they may not be available when you are. Social media is a quick casual way to see pictures and posts of how others are doing. One negative that has affected many people emphasizing young and older teens which is cyber bullying. With apps being at an easy access through iPhones and various smartphones people find it easy to say attacking words about or to people through their accounts on social media or even through text. Of course there was bullying before the smartphone, but this has given bullies an easy way to say what they want to people without having to face them. Social media does have the option to report, but unfortunately some people will continue the bullying. Through social media,the way people are interacting with each other, and the dominance Apple has over other products I believe that the iPhone is the most influential piece of technology.

Vote Here

Fall 2017 Scholarship Winner – Samantha Jones

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a college student studying English language and literature, which means I drink way too much coffee, I’m in a committed relationship with Microsoft Word and if you get me talking about literature, I can go on for hours. I’m also a sister, biologically I have a younger sister, on my campus I have a little over a hundred sorority sisters; I love both and both drive me crazy sometimes (it must be a sister thing). I am passionate about education outside of the classroom and I am an aspiring curator.

What has been your best experience in school?

I admit, when I began studying English at a Polytechnic school, I wasn’t expecting an amazing program, since the humanities are often a lower level concern on many similar campuses. I could not have been more wrong though. The small major has afforded me the opportunity to be on a fist name basis with many of my professors, who in addition to being amazing mentors, have been some of the most brilliant people I have had the pleasure of knowing. My classes have been incredible and the further I get into the major, the stronger my sense of sureness in my own expertise becomes. I have no doubt I will come out of this major a stronger writer, a more analytical reader and a confident participant in the literary conversations already going on.

What influenced your choice in major?

I am a third year English major, with a minor in interdisciplinary studies and plans to pursue museum studies if grad school. I am a voracious reader, a passionate writer, and I have been in love with the notion of storytelling for as long as I can remember. Initially I began my English career at Cal Poly with plans to pursue creative writing. Since then I have become entranced with my literature classes and picked up a minor, which has turned my attention toward the way museum education utilizes storytelling.

How do you envision yourself in 5 years?

In five years, ideally I will be finished with my graduate studies and working at a museum that includes some kind of historical/cultural studies component. I would like to be working in Exhibit design and curation. I believe museum culture has the potential to contribute powerful change and to promote greater cultural tolerance in society and I want to be part of that movement. I believe storytelling increases empathy and so I want to explore the narratively of museum exhibits.

What do you hope to learn from your school experience?

I am fortunate in that I have always loved school and learning. My education has not only been extremely important to me, it has been something I actively enjoy and seek out. From college, I am hoping for more than just a degree earned by specific units, more than just the collaborative skills necessary for interacting with others in everyday life. I want to graduate having gained understanding about who I am as a person, what I value and believe. College has been, for me, the opportunity to establish myself as an individual and what I hope for is that when I am through with school, I will have a greater love and appreciation for myself and the work I am capable of, as well as a great curiosity and a continuing desire to learn.

What extracurricular activities do you enjoy?

Philanthropy and sisterhood have always been extremely important to me. I high school I was involved in a youth sorority sponsored by the Freemasons and served as an officer on the State level. Now that I am in college, I have become very involved in my sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and I am currently serving on our Executive Council as Property Coordinator. I am also a new initiate in the Order of Omega, the Greek Honor society on my campus. In addition to my job as a tutor at the writing center on Campus, I volunteer as a docent at the local aquarium.


Samantha’s Essay

Through the Wardrobe

by Samantha Jones

As an English major, I have been exposed to an incredible assortment of literature. I have read pieces that have shaken me to the core, transformed the way I think, taught me empathy, and I am so grateful for these things. But for everything I have learned from my classes, I have learned just as much, if not more, from the fairytales that made up my childhood. My favorite storybook when I was young was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” by C.S. Lewis and it remains to this day one of my favorite stories.

The book was an escape into a world that was much more exciting and meaningful to me than that of my life. The book showed me that someone as seemingly insignificant as a child could be a hero, and have adventures and I could go on those adventures when I read the books. Every step a character took, I was walking right beside them.

The lessons I learned from my trips Narnia are innumerable and every time I read it, I gain new insights. I learned from Lucy to believe in magic, that you should be kind to strangers, and loyal to your friends. Edmund taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes, and be afraid. Then, he taught me to learn from my mistakes and grow. Peter showed me that leadership is not just telling people what to do or where to go, it is listening and understanding, so that you can be a guide to those around you. Susan reminded that while it is okay to be a little skeptical, I should never let that get in the way of what is important.

I learned many things but more than that, I realized that the intricate fabric of Narnia was woven with many of the same threads that make up real life. There is good and evil, there is temptation and there is redemption. When I first stepped through the wardrobe, I began to form a new understanding about how life works. As I get older, I am becoming more aware that while I cannot prevent the evil and the temptation in my life, I can make choices about how I respond to it. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is important to me because it has become part of the foundation on which I have built myself up. The heroes of this story have served to shape me as person and I hope that when I act and speak and think, I do so in a manner that would be worthy of a queen or king of Narnia.

April 2017 Scholarship Winner – Karlee Greer

Tell us about yourself

Name: Karlee Greer
Current School: Skyridge High School

I’m a ballroom dancer, an AP student, and ASL lover! I’m going to be a freshman at Utah State University in the fall, pursuing a degree in communicative disorders and deaf education. LDS and proud to be so, I am currently preparing to serve a full time, 18 month mission. I am also a certified dental assistant.

What has been your best experience in school?

I have made so many friends during school. Every choice you make impacts who your friends are, and who your friends are impact who you are. I am extremely grateful for my friends and the person they’ve shaped me into.

What influenced your choice in major?

Originally, I wanted to major in Neuroscience, but through choices I made and classes I took, I ended up in ASL 2. It was there that I discovered I have a love both for the language and for deaf culture. I looked in to it more, and decided to pursue a degree in speech pathology.

How do you envision yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I’ll be a near college graduate. I’m excited to be fluent in ASL and a more experienced dental assistant.

What do you hope to learn from your school experience?

I want to learn how to interact with others better. I’ve always been kind of socially awkward, so I’m excited for the experience to grow and mature.

What extracurricular activities do you enjoy?

I love dancing and ASL. I actually have an ASL YouTube channel where I post covers of songs I’ve translated into ASL. I’m also on my school’s ballroom dance team. This is my second year doing ballroom, after a long history of ballet, and I absolutely love it!

Join the Hundreds of Organizations Deploying High-Impact Learning Solutions