1. The Incorporation of Minecraft Education in Classrooms
   • Minecraft, a popular sandbox game, has been increasingly popular to help students learn hands-on in classrooms. As the incorporation of this game grows popularity, some debate has been sparked on whether or not it’s beneficial for students to use in classrooms.
     • https://www.wired.com/story/government-education-advisor-condemns-minecraft-in-schools/#:~:text=We%20need%20to%20drain%20the%20swamp%20of%20gimmicks.%22&text=%22I%20would%20say%20to%20teachers,focusing%20on%20the%20wrong%20thing.%22
       • This article follows and argues with Tom Bennett’s comments about the addition of Minecraft to education. Tom Bennett is a director of researchED and Chair of the Department of Education’s behavior group. The article explains how many kids enjoy playing games often, and Minecraft provides a more hands-on learning experience of “doing” rather than memorization. It argues that Bennett’s comments are ignorant of the value Minecraft brings to classrooms, and in general, the value of gaming to education.
         • “I would say to teachers: ‘Do you need to use this game or is there something that is cheaper and better – like books?’,” Bennett continued. “By offering a game and a gimmicky way of learning a subject, you run a real risk of children focusing on the wrong thing.”
2. Matcha vs. Coffee
   • Matcha, a powdered green tea originating from Japan, has been growing popularity in the west. Some people have replaced matcha teas over coffee for their go-to drinks to start the morning. However, which one is the healthier choice?
     • https://www.outsideonline.com/food/drinks/i-swapped-coffee-for-matcha/
       • This article follows a girl who usually drinks coffee, but wants to see if she can switch to matcha tea, after seeing her dad drink it. She documents every week from the process of quitting coffee to making and trying different types of matcha. In the end, she found herself drinking matcha and she didn’t have an itch to go back to coffee.
         • The number one thing Ravella warned me about was the side effects of drastically lowering my daily caffeine consumption. On average, one cup of matcha contains 70mg of caffeine, compared to coffee’s 95-100mg.
3. Should menstrual products be free?
   • Menstruating is something all or most women go through in their lives, but many agree that these products are growing increasingly overpriced, especially since its a necessity for women’s health and wellbeing. This also raises a question to healthcare, and why it is so expensive in today’s society, when the government should be more efficient and helpful in basic necessities. Part of the reason could be that many people are not educated on menstruation and the pain/complications it could bring to many women.

Ideas:

1. The History of MMA

Mixed Martial Arts is now one of the most popular combat sports in the world, with prominent promotions like the UFC reaching all over the world, with fighters being in a plethora of media, expanding their brand. Like all arts, MMA has an origin, a beginning, that was slowly shaped throughout history. How has this art evolved, and what can it’s journey teach us about life?

“Hand to hand combat has roots in prehistoric times, influencing every culture since the dawn of mankind. Ancient inscriptions reveal that some type of fighting has always existed, seemingly embedded in our DNA.”- MMA History

The History And Evolution of MMA

MMA History

2. Punisher vs. Daredevil: Who is Right?

In Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil, the titular hero, Daredevil, and the anti-hero Punisher get into a rooftop battle, eventually leading to Daredevil getting caught. Punisher and Daredevil then proceed to have a philosophical debate about the concept of vigilantism and whether we can trust the law to uphold justice, or are things better left in our hands?

“The characters of the Punisher and Daredevil can serve as examples of how flawed perception of justice can lead to different approaches to seeking justice.”

https://impresario-global.com/blog/the-battle-of-law-and-justice-daredevil-and-punisher

https://toktopics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/15-punisher-vs-daredevil-handout.pdf

3. Why Colleges are on the Decline

For years, people have slowly come to the realization that college as an institution appears to be slowly declining. Many colleges have begun to shut down for a number of reasons, people have begun looking for other alternative paths in order to find a career, and the colleges that haven’t closed down are getting more and more expensive. What is going wrong with higher education, and how can this be fixed?

1. Banning harmful chemicals in the U.S
   1. Banning harmful chemicals is essential for protecting public health. Other countries ban a lot of junk that is allowed in our country. Those countries come out healthier while the US has the highest obesity rate.
      1. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/its-time-to-ban-these-toxic-chemicals-from-our-food 
   2. This article discusses reasons on why we should ban certain chemicals, and why the FDA isn’t doing enough.
   3. “For years, the FDA has illegally ignored Earthjustice’s petition to ban these chemicals. In 2021, we sued to force the FDA to decide on banning phthalates. Last year it declined to do so, so we need your help in telling the FDA to get these hormone-disrupting chemicals out of our food.”
2. AI taking over jobs, inevitable, and beneficial?
   1. Increased Efficiency, Job Evolution, Economic Growth, Addressing Labor Shortages. 
   2. but on the other side, Mass Unemployment, Widening Inequality, Loss of Human Connection, Ethical Concerns: 
3. The pros and cons of daytrading
   1. Beneficial: Potential for High Profits, Independence and Flexibility, Market Liquidity, Education and Skill Development: 
   2. Con Argument: Day Trading is Risky and Unstable, High Risk of Loss, Stress and Mental Health Issues, Inefficiency Compared to Long-Term Investing, Regulatory and Tax Challenges
      1. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/053115/average-rate-return-day-traders.asp#:~:text=While%20day%20 trading%20offers%20an,time%20commitment%2C%20and%20regulatory%20requirements.
         1. This article outlines the benefits of day trading, including the potential for high profits, independence, and flexibility. It highlights the success stories of skilled traders who have made significant earnings through careful strategy and risk management.
         2.  “Day trading isn’t a hobby or an occasional activity if you are serious about making money. While there is no guarantee that you will make money or be able to predict your average rate of return over any period, there are strategies that you can master to help you lock in gains while minimizing losses.”

1. early access to technology
   1. The negative impacts on how early access to technology at a young age can do. It blinds the space between tweens and teenagers and maturing way too fast.
   2. https://thevermilion.net/2024/01/25/why-are-there-no-more-preteens/?amp=1
      1. The article shows how tweens mimic what they see on social media. They follow trends and styles marketed towards teens and use them. There is no longer a concept of childhood because everyone is looking at social media, and they appear older than they actually are.
   3. “They were forced out of hangout spaces and were sort of forced to spend most of their formative years online. It only makes sense that they learned how to be teenagers ahead of time from teenage influencers.”

2. school omny cards
   1. Omny cards should be more widely distributed not just for high school students but teachers and college commuters. 

3. federal government minimum wage
   1. The minimum wage of the federal government doesn’t reflect today’s economy. Talk about how it should be changed.
   2. https://drexel.edu/hunger-free-center/research/briefs-and-reports/minimum-wage-is-not-enough/
      1. The article discusses the logistics of minimum wage. It goes into depth about the background and differentiates living and minimum wage. They argue that minimum wage doesn’t represent that of inflation as we know it.
   3. “The federal minimum wage has remained stagnant at $7.25 per hour for the past 12 years. While the U.S. minimum wage was never truly a living wage, over time it has done less to reflect the true value of workers and no longer supports families in a way that promotes health and keeps them out of poverty.”

• Rank three specific topics of interest to you – describe your idea for each in 1-3 sentences
• Choose two of the topics and find a potentially juicy article to dig into for each
• Post links to the articles and briefly describe each article in 2-4 sentences
• Cut and paste one potentially juicy quote from each article below the description
  • (Don’t forget to select the correct “category” before posting)
  • (You can make your post public or private, but it might be nice to share ideas!)

Non-scholarly sources across the spectrum:

PERSONAL GO-TOs: The New Yorker, Democracy Now!, Jacobin, The Intercept, Vox, BBC, NYT, Guardian, The Atlantic, NYRB, LARB, NPR, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, National Review

MORE: