YOUNG VOICES: Focus on school work, not distractions

As another school year winds down and comes to an end, I know that I, along with a majority of students, find it hard to keep focus in school and complete the work that needs to be finished in order to be done with school and enjoy summer. The end of every year is the same: I lose focus and …

YOUNG VOICES: FIRST program builds more than just robots

As the world becomes more connected, secrets become harder to keep. However, my generation has a secret: FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).

YOUNG VOICES: Youths will always need advice

There is a lot of good in today’s youths. Often, adults don’t see it.

YOUNG VOICES: Service is local, global issue

Meet Brian: A child not unlike most, he loves playing soccer and hanging out with his friends. Energetic, feisty and kind, he must have played soccer with me for five hours.

YOUNG VOICES: Hiding behind screen won't bring social change

Generation Y. Millenials. iGeneration. Apathetic. All of these terms have been used to describe people my age. We have survived Y2K, observed the changes of our post-9/11 world, used technology in ways that older generations only dreamed of and have achieved the reputation of being political…

YOUNG VOICES: Take action instead of affirmative action

The U.S. government’s situation regarding affirmative action policy, which favors groups who are prone to discrimination in education and employment, is a predicament comparable to that of a student whose classmate is struggling on an exam. The student wants his classmate to perform well on …

YOUNG VOICES: High school seniors will leap into adulthood

For thousands of high school seniors, me included, high school is soon to become just memories. We are about to take a major leap into “the adult world,” whether it is college or the workforce.

YOUNG VOICES: Parents should let nature determine child's gender

Preconception sex selection is an interesting topic that yields various opinions. Being able to determine the gender or biology of a child based on an erroneous preconceived notion changes the birth spectrum.

YOUNG VOICES: Equal rights more important than love

Recently, the Supreme Court heard the arguments in the case of Hollingsworth v. Perry. The case stems from the debates of the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8.

YOUNG VOICES: Mali is another al-Qaeda battleground

Have you ever heard of the expression “out in Timbuktu”? In case you did not know, Timbuktu is a city in Mali, a former French colony, that has been in the news recently. March marked the third month of French military involvement in Mali.

YOUNG VOICES: Learn of history from people who lived it

It’s not every day that you’re impacted by the words of another person, much less a person you've never met before.

YOUNG VOICES: Trip to Indian reservations opened my eyes

Every year, thousands of college students head off campus to vacation during their spring break. At Valparaiso University, we have a different tradition.

YOUNG VOICES: Summer school turned out to be good experience

The word "summer" usually has a positive connotation. It makes teenagers think of sunshine, swimming, the smell of sunscreen and the feel of sand between your toes. It's amazing how adding one other word to it can create feelings on the complete other end of the spectrum.

YOUNG VOICES: I hope Obama's charm offense brings compromise

After recent events, a change might be on the horizon of the American political arena. The beginning of March brought about the sequester. Congress could not come to a consensus, so President Barack Obama signed the budget cuts into law on March 1.

YOUNG VOICES: Instead of small talk, discuss some big ideas

I am not a big fan of small talk. I understand that when people don't really know others very well, they tend to ask simple questions like "Hey, how's it going?" or "How are you?" But what do we really get to know about people by asking those questions?

YOUNG VOICES: Charter school HAST exceeded expectations

If you've read any of my previous columns, you'll know I'm no friend of public education. I used to have the same attitude toward charter schools.

YOUNG VOICES: Dedicated teachers should be prized

When did schools become a business instead of being a place for children to feel safe and find adult mentors?

YOUNG VOICES: An awkward column about being awkward

I’m awkward. Throughout high school and now as a college student, I have gone past the stage of denial and come to grip with my regretful fate. The inappropriate chuckles, the misplaced words, and the stuttering that often encompasses my daily speech plague me to the point of insanity.

YOUNG VOICES: Calumet New Tech's The Collage is amazing club

The Collage is Calumet New Tech High School’s poetry club and literary magazine. Charmaine Wierzbicki is the sponsor, I’m the senior editor, and Tania Flores is the junior editor. Joining this club was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

YOUNG VOICES: You are the key to your own happiness

For as long as I can remember, I have been on the pursuit of happiness. I have searched endlessly for the things in life that will give me long-lasting happiness.