By Jay B, Second Year, Sophomore As Black History Month 2021 comes to a close, I wanted to take this article to recognize an important thing that occurred this month. On February 18, 2021, NASA’s Perseverance Rover landed on Mars. You might think to yourself, “What does any of this have to do with Black History Month?” It has everything to do with Black History Month because a black woman played a pivotal role in the Perseverance’s landing. Breonna Ivey is a senior engineering major at Georgia Tech who got to intern with NASA last summer. As reported by news station WGXA, Ivey was on the mobility team who were responsible for the rover’s key functions. The mathematical work that Ivey did alongside other engineers at NASA helped in getting Perseverance to land. There is so much importance in what Breonna did. Earlier today, I got the opportunity to participate in a live discussion with other students that was hosted by Columbus, Georgia, Black Student Union. The overarching subject of this discussion was on black history in the conversation. There was one thing that one of my peers said to me that truly resonated with me. The student was talking about how students are not taught the wide range of things that black people have done throughout history. They used themselves as an example, saying that they were not aware that black people could have occupations, like Astrophysiology and Aerospace Engineer. This student’s statements resonated with me so much because I know that this is a truth that many black kids are taught in school. It is unfortunate that many black kids do not have the opportunity to see the wide range of things to do when they grow up. There is so much more to the talent and excellence of black people outside of the entertainment and sports industry, and black youth aren’t being taught this enough. The accomplishments of people like Breonna Ivey matter so much because of the lack of representation of black people in fields that a white male dominated, like STEM. Ivey’s role in the Perseverance landing is so important because there are many black kids out in the world who unfortunately do not know that there are black people contributing to studies on Mars. There are so many black children who do not know of the greatness of their people and the rich, deep history of black people. What Ivey did will be an inspiration to many. I am sure that somewhere out there, in this big wild world, there is a child who is saying, “Look, this person looks like me. This person is doing amazing things. Therefore, I can do amazing things too.” It is my belief that Black History Month is something that should go beyond the bounds of the shortest month of the year. Black History Month is only 1/12 of the year, black accomplishments are happening year round. It is important that we highlight the innovators, the people who are everyday pushing forward history. We must show the black leaders tomorrow that they can do it, and that anything they want to do is very much possible. Whether it be becoming the greatest entertainer of all time, creating the super soaker, or assisting in the calculation that brings Earth one step closer to the moon. It is all possible, anything is possible. Black history and black innovation is something worth celebrating yesterday, tomorrow, and forever. Happy Black History Month.
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by Mrs. Richardson, guest bloogger, Media/Outreach Coach For years, people have been studying the effects of social media on (especially) young people. In this pandemic world, it seems the chickens have come home to roost. And as a result, depression and anxiety for ages 15 – 22 is the highest ever. Considering that we’ve had alarming results before COVID, this is a topic affecting more than a generation. Don’t believe me? A study conducted in 2016 – 2017 of people aged 15 – 20 shows numbers that will take you off guard. Before COVID, 39% reported depression! Before COVID, 60% reported anxienty at least once the previous week! Before COVID, 31% of high school and college aged kids had seriously considered suicide! Worst of all, before COVID, 60% reported feeling “very lonely.” This is a crisis that is ignored by too many. Why are they suffering? We’ve known that the prominence of social media was a lot of it. But why? I can only speak for the young people I know but considering how many folks report their friends “live on their phone”, it makes sense. With COVID, you’d think young people would be “doing fine” with the lockdowns and digital connections, but that’s not what’s happening. Social Media has exacerbated the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). When you only see stuff you can’t do or places you can’t go or people you can’t meet, you compare that with the lack of fun and lack of companionship you live through daily. Of course, you forget that time in social media shows someone’s highlights not their reality, and with filters and photoshop they actually make it look BETTER than reality! Add to that the “serial monogamy” and “hookup lifestyle” that the media promotes, so “friends” is a confusing relationship status that can’t adjust naturally because of digital availability alone. Let’s say you are willing to accept that reality and that there are people interested in more than a hook up, your only choices right now are Tinder or nothing! There is no informal socializing. You can’t join organizations. The people you can manage to come across in this generation were never taught to engage with people that they don’t know face-to-face. They’re digital natives – but reality tourists. This world situation theoretically has tons of opportunities. You can “talk” with people all over the world. You can find people with similar interests even in the smallest towns or where you are different from those around you. But PEOPLE (like our simian friends) are social creatures. In the time of our youth, we are looking to make connections outside of our families. In the COVID world, this is a crisis that is not being addressed enough. You, it’s important to be safe – especially around compromised individuals. But we can’t leave behind healthy ones out of fear. They can’t get this time in their lives back. We must look for ways to help and support young people – or they will never grow old. So that’s the challenge. I’m looking for ideas. There have to be options that will work. I have too many young people in my life struggling with loneliness. As an introvert myself, I dealt with feelings of being alone in the world, but I’m not 15. Or 18. Or 20. Don’t just say Call a Friend or Call Family. That’s what they’re already doing, and it does NOT fill the void. Staying busy on “stuff that matters” (school, work) is all that seems to help. So, here’s the appeal – especially at Valentine’s Day – what works? We can’t lose a generation to loneliness. by Maggie F, Third Year, Junior GEMS, or Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science, is an afterschool program dedicated to encouraging and strengthening passion for engineering, math, and science within girls by providing a positive representation of women interested in STEM and creating a supportive sisterhood. Moreover, GEMS helps girls understand possible STEM fields by providing opportunities to explore various fields. In 2017, GEMS was established at Richard Middle School here in Columbus, GA. The club helped encourage girls to explore STEM fields by working closely with their community, including tours of the labs at Columbus Water Works and Skype calls with female professionals at NASA. Over time, the GEMS club moved from Richard Middle School to Columbus High School. Now, the GEMS club operates out of Columbus High to encourage high school and middle school girls to explore STEM. The GEMS club has started several new initiatives designed to provide girls with various opportunities to explore STEM. Last year, GEMS and Build Brave Girls partnered to create various posters and in-person presentations that encourage Columbus High girls to take AP STEM classes. This initiative helped create a more than 30% increase in the number of girls enrolled in AP STEM. Moreover, the GEMS club has recently launched a podcast and YouTube channel. Both of these platforms allow GEMS to highlight the STEM community's achievements; specifically, these platforms make it easy for young girls to be inspired by successful women. Moreover, GEMS has launched a tool kit and middle school mentorships that make it easy for anyone to start their own GEMS club. Ultimately, GEMS is a diverse group of girls that share a love for STEM. This passion drives the GEMS club to make learning accessible to every girl, and it creates an environment where girls feel empowered to be themselves. To learn more about GEMS, visit their website at https://colgagems.weebly.com/. By Jay B., 2nd Year, Sophomore This past Thursday, January 28, 2020, marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the fatal Challenger Space Shuttle explosion that tragically killed Dick Scobee, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Ron McNair, and Christa McAuliffe. On Thursday, I spent a lot of time thinking about the influence of Challenger, what went wrong, and it’s crew, specifically Ron McNair. McNair served as one of three mission specialists on the Challenger. Born and raised in Lake City, South Carolina, McNair was inspired by his family and a teacher that saw potential in him to work hard in his scientific studies. McNair received his bachelor’s in physics from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and his Ph. D. in laser physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He went on to become one of the first African Americans selected to be astronauts along with Guion S. Bluford, Jr. and Frederick Gregory. In addition to these accolades and the work McNair did for NASA, he has received three honorary doctorate degrees and numerous distinctions. And to me, McNair is, and will always forever be, a great inspiration. McNair was born and grew up in a struggling family that lived in a racially segregated city. To be living in that environment comes with a wealth of adversity and hurdles that one must go through. To overcome great tribulations can be very difficult and sometimes discouraging, however, McNair was able to overcome these challenges and receive a wealth of accolades and become the best of the best. In this way, McNair inspires me so much, and in some ways, I see myself in him. I, like McNair, did not come up in the best circumstances, of which were statistically impossible to overcome. However, I overcame. To see someone like McNair, black and from a struggling household, be able to become highly successful in a field that did not at first have space for minorities, is empowering and inspiring, especially to young black kids who have an interest in STEM. His legacy is one that many can look at and say, “Wow, I can do that too.” We can look back on Challenger thirty-five years later and ask ourselves the “what if” or “what could have been prevented” questions, but I believe that those questions don’t matter as much as the legacy that the crew members left behind and the influence that the Challenger crash had on the future of space exploration. McNair truly did leave behind a lasting legacy, one that shows that anyone can make a difference, anyone can make it to the top and achieve greatness with hard work and dedication. To McNair and the rest of the Challenger crew, I thank you all for your service to the many generations that have been inspired by your courage, bravery and strength. I thank you for showing people, like myself, that anything is possible, and that anyone can shoot for the stars and aim for the moon. |
AuthorThe CSP Blog is written by members of the CSP Media team, with guest blogs by alumni and other guests. Archives
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