[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 24 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S595-S598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           VERMONT STATE OF THE UNION ESSAY CONTEST FINALISTS

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the 
Record some of the finalists' essays written by Vermont High School 
students as part of the 14th Annual State of the Union Essay contest 
conducted by my office.
  The material follows:

                               Finalists


                LILIANA DICKS, OXBOW HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR

       Mental health is still a problem in America. Even in 
     today's progressive society, mental health may be noticed, 
     but is never truly acknowledged. Citizens are still feeling 
     sad or hopeless, or even contemplating taking their own lives 
     at such a young age. Bringing more awareness to our youth 
     before they hit adulthood of how social media is affecting 
     their mental health, and teaching them healthy habits of how 
     to handle social media in their lives, would help with the 
     impact of social media.
       There is proof that the stories being told on social media 
     of sad and despairing topics are contributing to the rise in 
     suicide rates. According to the National Library of Medicine, 
     ``Hawton and colleagues (1999) conducted a study in emergency 
     departments in the United Kingdom, examining the pattern of 
     suicide attempts before and after a fictional Royal Air Force 
     pilot took an overdose of paracetamol (i.e., acetaminophen) 
     in an episode of a popular weekly TV drama. Presentations for 
     self-poisoning increased by 17 percent in the week after the 
     broadcast and 9 percent in the second week (Gould).'' Another 
     study taken place in Japan reported, ``After 8 April 1986, an 
     increase in the number of suicide cases was observed for four 
     days among 10 14-year-old females ().'' April 8th, 1986, was 
     the date a popular singer committed suicide, and her death 
     was broadcasted on social media. Both fictional and 
     nonfictional stories are contributing factors to this rise in 
     suicide rates. Meaning social media stories period have an 
     effect on our mental health.
       There is no getting rid of social media, but there is 
     implementing safe habits. The American Psychological 
     Association recommends teaching children social media 
     literacy skills. These skills with teach children that social 
     media is not real life, what is safe to share online, what 
     too much social media use looks like, how to handle and 
     prevent online conflicts, and to only find things about 
     health both mental and physical, from credible physicians and 
     doctors. I think these skills would be very important in 
     helping children understand the impacts of social media, and 
     how it affects them as a person.
       Social media is deteriorating our citizen's mental health, 
     but there is a solution. Implementing good and safe habits 
     during youth and while people are being introduced to social 
     media, will help protect them in the long run. Social media 
     can be fun, but it can also be dangerous. It is important to 
     teach and understand the lines we have to draw to keep our 
     mental health safe.


     PATTERSON FRAZIER, CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR

       One Vermonter every two days. One hundred and forty 
     Americans every day. One hundred and fifteen thousand 
     Americans a year. All of them have died. This is not a war, 
     or a pandemic, or a car crash statistic. These are fatal drug 
     overdoses, which since 1999 have increased by approximately 
     470%. For comparison, the U.S. Population has increased by 
     20% in that time. Drug crime has unequivocally worsened, and 
     the entire country is paying the price. Cities are no longer 
     safe, first responders are at critical risk of exposure-
     related overdose, and as of 2009 the United States was 
     collectively spending half a trillion dollars a year on 
     substance abuse management. Drug abuse has grown to a 
     national crisis and needs to be swiftly curbed.
       The issue of drugs is highly complex, and is a result of 
     decades of poor public policy, corporate greed, and 
     government interference. America should by every measure be 
     more capable in solving drug crime than other nations who 
     have successfully handled the issue. We are wealthy, with 
     developed industries and capable medical professionals. So 
     what are we doing differently? U.S. Policy has been 
     historically focused on prosecuting and demonizing addicts. 
     Newer approaches such as decriminalization are a step in the 
     right moral direction, but often lack enough follow-up 
     support and resources to be effective.
       President Biden successfully increased the Substance Abuse 
     and Mental Health Services Administration budget by three 
     billion dollars for FY 2024, proving that money can be found 
     to support national reform. The ideal national reform will 
     supplement or overhaul the current substance abuse reduction 
     policies. It needs to be built around the fact that addicts 
     are victims of exploitation and should be shown compassion. 
     In stark contrast, drug traffickers need to be prosecuted 
     viciously.
       The actions taken to help drug users need to be focused 
     around a long-term vision for each individual. This requires 
     state interdiction, which in turn needs justification. One 
     place to start is to ban open air drug use, and fund the 
     creation of safe injection sites nationwide. If a person is 
     found using ``Hard drugs'' in a public place, then they 
     should be considered for a mandatory rehabilitation program. 
     After achieving sobriety, previous users need sources of 
     stability. The federal government could create programs to 
     match sober people with in-demand jobs. Safe injection sites 
     will in turn help prevent open air drug use and clean up the 
     streets.

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       Ultimately, there are no drugs without distribution and 
     production. Law enforcement needs to receive increased 
     funding with the specific goal of reducing the production of 
     synthetic opiates. Rhode Island has been relatively 
     successful in reducing drug use, in part due to stricter 
     sentencing. The production of fentanyl results in prison 
     sentences of up to fifty years and fines reaching 500,000 
     dollars. Strict and swift punishment can disrupt supply 
     chains, while a combination of asset seizures and fines can 
     help reimburse efforts. The facts are clear; drugs not only 
     destabilize the country, but threaten our national security.


                 JACK FRENCH, ESSEX HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR

       Per US Senate data, the first half of 2023 saw lobbyists 
     spent a record 2.1 billion dollars at the federal level 
     alone, coming most substantially from the pharmaceutical, 
     insurance, and energy industries. With the 2024 election 
     cycle fast approaching, this is far from the only corporate 
     funding that will be funneled into government this year; ad 
     spending by federal campaigns are expected to eclipse 15 
     billion dollars, and following the several landmark Supreme 
     Court decisions, the source of this money has never been less 
     transparent. The increasing role of private finance in 
     policymaking and the legislative branch is one of the great 
     challenges facing America today.
       Private investment into political campaigns threatens the 
     efficacy of the democratic process. Though it was once used 
     to promote democracy, the lobbying system has become a form 
     of legal bribery, in which money is exchanged for undue 
     influence and policy is catered towards private interests. 
     Lobbying funds elections, where the advent of mass media and 
     invasive advertising techniques have created a situation 
     wherein the victor is often the candidate with the most ad 
     investment; in other words, a candidate's financers play a 
     greater role than their constituents do in keeping them in 
     office. In a country that prides itself on its democratic 
     ideals, the money of corporations and the fabulously rich 
     should not vote louder and more directly than the voice of 
     the people.
       In order to protect the integrity of our democratic system, 
     we must pursue both political and cultural change surrounding 
     our regulation and perception of elections. First, the 
     Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act--a 2002 act responsible for 
     regulating campaign finance that has been methodically gutted 
     by pro-lobbying legislature and judicial decisions, most 
     notably Citizens United v. FEC (2010)--needs to be 
     supplemented with a wide-reaching piece of legislation, like 
     Senator Warren's Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act, 
     that will close loopholes and restrict financial actions of 
     policymakers, both in the midst of elections and during their 
     terms. This will keep our elected officials focused on the 
     interests of their constituents as opposed to the highest 
     donor.
       Unfortunately, there's a reason that Senator Warren's 
     proposal died in committee and campaign regulation comes 
     under judicial threat. Those responsible for enacting such 
     legislation are the same people that benefit from lobbying, 
     and the same firms that lobby have the funding to challenge 
     restrictions in the courts. In order to cause meaningful 
     change, such an effort needs to come from the people. Funding 
     plays less of a role in elections when the voting population 
     is educated on the issues and has a high turnout, so 
     participating in the democratic process will fortify the 
     system from bad actors and wealthy individuals. In the long 
     term, constituents need to advocate to their representatives 
     in favor of tightening campaign restrictions, which will 
     pressure legislative action. We cannot sit idly, watching our 
     political representation be bought by big business; a 
     government held accountable by the rich will not work for the 
     people.


              TALIA GIBBS, VERMONT COMMONS SCHOOL, SENIOR

       I contracted COVID-19 in 2022, and my life has not been the 
     same since. I went from dancing 16-20 hours a week to almost 
     fainting when standing, full body pain, and struggling with 
     stairs. I stopped dancing for some time. Later, a PT 
     determined those were flare-ups of chronic illnesses caused 
     by COVID-19, putting me in the long COVID group.
       Long COVID is the persistence of symptoms for months after 
     initial infection of SARS-CoV-2. Up to 23 million Americans 
     suffer, and it has such detrimental medical and economic 
     impacts that it is the next public health catastrophe and 
     needs immediate intervention. It can manifest in a variety of 
     forms, such as respiratory problems and Post-Exertional 
     Malaise--when preexisting symptoms worsen up to forty-eight 
     hours after activities. It can also trigger Postural 
     Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome-a chronic disorder involving 
     dizziness, fatigue, increased heart rate, fainting, etc. All 
     symptoms of long COVID severely affect everyday functioning.
       Long COVID is not only affecting the health of Americans, 
     but it is also impacting our economy. Long COVID prevents a 
     dangerously large group of people from working; 71% of long 
     COVID patients could not work for six or more months, and 18% 
     were not back after a year-the majority were well below 
     typical retirement age. Additionally, long COVID causes 170-
     230 billion dollars of annual lost wages, and it is estimated 
     that the total economic cost of long COVID is $3.7 trillion.
       The first step towards helping the long COVID crisis is 
     improving treatment and access to treatment, meaning we need 
     more COVID clinics that provide personalized treatment and 
     more funding, such as The National Research Action Plan on 
     Long Covid, which involves Congress giving $1.15 billion to 
     the National Institutes of Health to research the illness. 
     Income is another issue, which is why a reconsideration of 
     paid sick leave is imperative. If people are worried about 
     losing wages, they could go to work with COVID, increasing 
     the number of long COVID patients. Additionally, current 
     rules regarding paid sick leave are not sufficient for the 
     timeline of long COVID. Solutions could be financial 
     governmental intervention if working from home is not offered 
     for certain jobs, or compensation if the workplace was where 
     they contracted COVID-19, ultimately leading to long COVID.
       Accommodations are an unquestionable necessity for 
     approaching the long COVID disaster. On a smaller scale, they 
     should include: choice between standing and sitting, working 
     from home, and flexible hours. While long COVID is officially 
     acknowledged as a disability, obtaining disability status 
     with it is extremely difficult due to uncertain definitions 
     and proof of illness. Additionally, the usual requirement for 
     disability status is a minimum of one year, but long COVID is 
     relatively new. We need to increase accessibility by 
     acknowledging that this cannot follow normal rules, lowering 
     the one-year limit, increasing coverage flexibility, and 
     providing education about disability status and long COVID. 
     Long COVID should be a national priority. Without this level 
     of response, long COVID will continue to silently undermine 
     society and destroy lives.


          DELIA GOULD, BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL, FRESHMAN

       Why does the cycle of disadvantaged, low-income kids versus 
     privileged kids continue into adulthood? All over the world 
     there are inequalities in education, this applies to America 
     and in our state of Vermont. The impact this has on students 
     needs to be recognized. The more resources create more 
     opportunities, resulting in more successful students. In 
     Vermont and throughout the country, low income towns are 
     unable to provide money for their students to get the 
     education they deserve. In contrast to richer school 
     districts where they do have the money to provide and 
     ultimately create a better education and environment. This is 
     the reason why many American public schools are unequal as a 
     result of social class and resources available for students 
     in school.
       In Vermont this becomes evident when rural schools in lower 
     income towns find it is much harder for students to get 
     access to quality education. This affects the students 
     because only those who have the motivation and support will 
     be the ones to succeed, ultimately creating this inequality 
     within the school system. According to the latest five-year 
     ACS data statically West Brattleboro is the poorest part in 
     all of Vermont with the typical household making 46% less 
     than the state average household income. These students are 
     already starting off at a disadvantage and many with minimal 
     support at home, in return it is the schools responsibility 
     to make sure these students don't fall behind. This is why 
     more funding for schools in these areas should be a priority. 
     Moreover, the only way to break this cycle is creating 
     schools with the resources students need to thrive and be 
     successful. Alternatively, schools and districts with more 
     funding are more easily able to achieve this, with less of 
     the pressing issue of students in poverty. Another factor is 
     more students in these schools and towns are easily able to 
     seek support outside of school as well, as a result they will 
     have the opportunity to better succeed. This creates a cycle 
     where the privileged kids grow up to be privileged.
       The way to equalize public school systems in America and 
     within Vermont is to recognize the low-income towns and 
     schools with this issue and make this a priority to help 
     provide the resources needed for students through the 
     schools. Along with this, students at these schools who do 
     want to succeed often are not challenged to their full 
     potential because the school cannot offer the same 
     opportunities for them. Importantly, these schools need not 
     only the bare minimum resources but also the opportunities 
     that will set students up for success and a better chance at 
     higher education. It is crucial to address this problem 
     because the youth is our future and every kid deserves a 
     quality education.


          OLIVIA GRAY, SOUTH BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL, FRESHMAN

       Has the government ever decided your future? 1970 is when 
     Roe v Wade was brought to the Supreme Court, and 1973 was 
     when it became legal to have an abortion. 2022 is when the 
     law was overturned, and 2024 is now when women are again 
     having to fight for rights to their bodies. Our nation has 
     just undergone such a big setback in our history. The leaders 
     of our ``free'' country shouldn't be able to determine what 
     we do with our bodies, they need to make abortions safe and 
     legal for every woman.
       14 states have a full ban on abortions, 2 states have a ban 
     after 6 weeks, 2 states have a ban after 12 weeks, and 3 
     states have a ban after 15-18 weeks. The average woman, 
     according to WPTV, finds out they are pregnant between 6-8 
     weeks, and the majority of states have bans before the 6-8 
     weeks. Say a young woman finds out they are pregnant at 5 
     weeks and they are considering an abortion, is one week 
     enough time to make that

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     life-altering decision? Or in states where it is completely 
     banned, is no time at all enough to decide if they are ready 
     to become a mother or go through the physical and mental 
     changes of just being pregnant? The government of your state 
     shouldn't decide your future.
       Some people's argument for why abortions should be illegal 
     is ``You can't kill a living fetus.'' Well, pregnancies 
     aren't always safe, what if the mother's life is at risk? 
     Forcing a woman to choose a fetus's life over her own isn't 
     fair. Making a mother give birth even if the baby is 
     stillborn and forcing the mother to go through that 
     traumatizing event isn't right.
       The government shouldn't dictate what women do with their 
     bodies, we should have freedom with what we want to do. Women 
     are capable of making decisions for themselves even if 
     someone doesn't agree with them because at the end of the 
     day, it's their choice and it affects them the most. If a 
     woman gets pregnant and chooses to get an abortion it doesn't 
     change the life of a politician, it will change the life of 
     the mother, if they are choosing an abortion they should have 
     that right and they know the consequences and that is their 
     choice.
       Abortions will happen no matter what, whether safe and 
     legal, or dangerous and illegal. Abortions will happen and 
     the government needs to make it safe and legal to protect 
     women. Being able to get an abortion legally was a freedom 
     for women for decades and now that is being taken away, if 
     our country wants to progress there have to be easily 
     accessible abortion clinics throughout the nation, and easily 
     accessible birth control to prevent women from getting 
     pregnant if they choose to take birth control. Women in our 
     country deserve to have control of their lives and to be 
     given choices about their bodies, not have them be taken 
     away.


             MADDY McHALE, BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL, FRESHMAN

       The overuse of juvenile incarceration is costing America 
     more than just money. After the 1980's war on drugs, America 
     has become a world leader in youth incarceration, having 11 
     times the incarceration rate of Western Europe. Certain 
     states spend up to an astounding $214,620 per child annually. 
     Additional reports show that this yearly price of detention 
     costs 9 times as much as it would if that same child was 
     enrolled in k-12 public education. Despite the focus America 
     puts on juvenile detention, extensive research shows that the 
     penalty is not only ineffective in preventing future crime, 
     but shows a 70% to 80% chance of reoffending within three 
     years after release. As the practices often employed in 
     incarceration are punitive, they neglect to address the root 
     cause of the child's behavior, and only reinforces their 
     label as a criminal. Furthermore, these measures have been 
     proven detrimental to the child's stability mentally, 
     physically, and financially in adulthood. Shifting the focus 
     from incarceration to a more restorative approach would not 
     only be more beneficial for the child's rehabilitation, 
     reducing future reoffending, and increasing public safety, 
     but also could help to alleviate the heavy cost that juvenile 
     incarceration requires. In order to do this, incarceration 
     must be used as a last resort.
       New Zealand is a prime example of successful reform. In 
     1980's, New Zealand had one of the highest juvenile 
     incarceration rates in the world. Since then, New Zealand has 
     restructured their juvenile justice system from retributive, 
     to restorative, and have seen a drastic decline in crime. An 
     instrumental factor in this systematic shift was the 1989 
     legislation: The children's and young people's well-being 
     act. This act requires police to respond to minor crimes with 
     a warning or court diversion, incorporating the stakeholders 
     in the crime to create a plan of requirements to best repair 
     the harm done. Currently, 75% of youth who come into Name 
     with the police are handled this way, this correlates with a 
     2017 study that found a 33% decrease in youth crime.
       Some states in the US have already taken from New Zealand's 
     example, implementing court diversion into their own justice 
     system. Washington Pierce County, Washington diverted 82% on 
     delinquency changes from 2017-2019, 60% in Multnomah County, 
     Oregon. Studies show youth enrolled in these diversion 
     programs show a 45% reduction in recidivism comparatively to 
     those incarcerated. Not only is diversion more effective, but 
     it's significantly cheaper. at $75 daily, as opposed to the 
     $558 per child in detainment.
       Following New Zealand's model, America should hold youth 
     accountable by funding restorative alternatives that avoid 
     the long-term ramifications of incarceration. This investment 
     would instill higher public safety, equity for our youths' 
     future, and help to reduce the heavy financial toll detention 
     puts on taxpayers. With approximately 60,000 children 
     incarcerated on any given day, it's imperative we make this 
     shift now. If not, we will continue on this trajectory of 
     perpetuating the self-fulfilling prophecy of criminalization 
     that juvenile incarceration enforces on our youth.


        ANDRES MIGUEZ, MOUNT MANSFIELD UNION HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR

       July 10th, 2023, was a day that would change the future of 
     our little state, with severe weather warning Vermonters 
     around the state prepared for heavy rainfall. The Lake 
     Champlain tributaries and vast array of streams and rivers 
     quickly began to flood much faster than anticipated, and 
     unbeknownst citizens were the victims of the ruthless 
     floodwaters. The flood left thousands of homes flooded and 
     destroyed major parts of local infrastructure. In the midst 
     of winter, Vermont was just hit with another flash flood. 
     This instance was unexpected and left those in flood zones 
     flooded during the cool temperatures of the Vermont winter. 
     These instances beg the question: What is the future of our 
     state if repeated flooding continually bombards our people 
     and infrastructure?
       According to the national weather service, the state has 
     risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the past decade. Each year, we 
     see increased rainfall in correlation to global warming as 
     well as shifting weather patterns. Therefore, the flooding 
     can be attributed to changing weather patterns and climate 
     change. With the rising temperatures and weather patterns 
     affecting the future of our state, a flooding solution is 
     crucial to the future of our state's prosperity.
       I propose the Flood Land Management Act, an act that would 
     ensure the safety and prosperity of future generations of 
     Vermonters who will also face the adverse effects of climate 
     change and flooding in our state. The act will implement new 
     zoning permit regulations and require structures to be flood 
     code-compliant, as well as require existing structures to be 
     altered to become compliant with the new flood code. This 
     management act would apply to the areas previously affected 
     by the two floods we have endured in the past six months, as 
     well as other areas prone to potential future flooding. By 
     requiring watertight foundations and elevating structures, as 
     well as rebuilding our river banks and drainage systems under 
     the Flood Management Act, we can inherently improve the lives 
     of current and future generations while unifying our state to 
     confront an alarming issue in the era of a new environmental 
     crisis.
       The Flood Land Management Act will initiate action 
     necessary for the future of our state; flooding will 
     repeatedly affect Vermont citizens until necessary action is 
     taken. The Flood Land Management Act is the next necessary 
     step in improving the future of our state and promoting the 
     safety and prosperity of our people.


            OLIVER NICHOLS, BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL, FRESHMAN

       Limited medical access is one of the leading causes of 
     death in the U.S. This issue is important because it affects 
     around half of Americans, that's 165,950,000 people. But we 
     could help with the accessibility of healthcare if we 
     invested in mobile health clinics.
       Healthcare access and mistreatment are major issues in the 
     U.S. I've personally experienced problems in healthcare in 
     the U.S., as have many Americans. The U.S. had an 88.7 rating 
     in healthcare quality and access in 2016, which is lower than 
     the average for most big countries. Limited medical access is 
     one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Healthcare 
     quality and access ``measures preventable mortality rates for 
     32 causes of death. A higher rating suggests fewer deaths due 
     to a higher standard of care and access.'' This means that 
     the U.S. has more fatalities and medical mistreatment than 
     the rest of the larger countries in their group. Doctors are 
     in short supply and doctors rush through their medications to 
     get to the next patient, misdiagnosing and misdosing 
     patients. All of these factors contribute to why healthcare 
     is such a problem in the U.S. Per the KFF, ``About half of 
     U.S. adults say they have difficulty affording healthcare 
     costs. About four in ten U.S. adults say they have delayed or 
     gone without medical care in the last year due to cost.'' In 
     2021, 40% of adults in the U.S. didn't have immediate access 
     to health care. The big reason for so many people is cost, 
     many people don't have the money to get medical help and 
     millions of Americans are at risk.
       Congress needs to invest in mobile health clinics--
     converting campers and busses into mini hospital rooms. If we 
     had enough of these clinics, people in faraway towns and 
     rural areas could get healthcare locally, instead of driving 
     for hours to get medical help. Imagine someone has a stroke 
     in a small town--the further the hospital, the less chance of 
     survival. With a clinic right in town, that person can get 
     almost immediate healthcare. Per Tulane University, ``Mobile 
     health clinics provide quality care at a lower cost than that 
     of traditional healthcare delivery modes . . . for every $1 
     spent on mobile health, $12 is saved.'' Mobile health clinics 
     would be beneficial in care and in cost. Per the USC 
     ``Historically, providers have been unwilling to establish 
     services in small, rural communities because they lack large 
     hospital systems and populations with money to pay for 
     services . . . [and] small rural towns may not have the 
     latest technology to offer the highest level of care. This 
     means people have to travel away from their home community to 
     get medical care.'' With mobile health clinics, rural 
     Americans would finally access healthcare.
       Healthcare access is a big problem in the United States. If 
     the government issued more mobile health clinics, we could 
     have more widespread healthcare at lower costs, while 
     maintaining quality and accessibility.


        THOMAS SCHEETZ, MOUNT ANTHONY UNION HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR

       ``Just leave it, then,'' the exhausted woman said with a 
     sigh before walking away from my register at Price Chopper 
     and out the door. When I read her total, she realized she 
     could not afford her modest grocery

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     order; defeated, she left the store immediately, her cart 
     still in the middle of the aisle.
       The Bennington Price Chopper, and other grocery stores 
     across Vermont and this country, host similar sad scenes 
     every day. Grocery prices went up nearly 25% between the 
     beginning of 2020 and mid-2023, including a 10% increase in 
     the single year of 2022. The major increase in basic food 
     prices is compounded by massive increases in prices for other 
     necessities. Housing prices are stratospherically high; the 
     median sale price of a house nationwide nearly doubled 
     between Q4 2012 and Q4 2022, and median rents for one-bedroom 
     apartments nationwide soared by more than 20% during the 
     pandemic. Heating oil prices, moreover, have increased in 
     Vermont by nearly 50% since January 2020. And families incur 
     even more burdensome expenses; the cost of child care in 
     Vermont and many other states takes up 20% or more of the 
     median family income, and college tuition has risen to absurd 
     heights in recent decades. For many people, it is too 
     expensive simply to exist in this country. Consequently, 
     recent surveys suggest that more than 77% of Americans are 
     anxious about finances, 68% worry they will never afford 
     retirement, and nearly 30% suffer negative mental health 
     impacts due to financial concerns.
       Overall, the recent sudden, meteoric rise in cost of living 
     in America is unsustainable; it causes drastic, sweeping 
     harms to nearly all segments of the population. It must be 
     swiftly met with calculated, multifaceted action. Large 
     corporations and overly wealthy individuals, powerful yet 
     unelected, are among the most responsible for the crisis, so 
     they must be held accountable. They must be forced to pay 
     their employees a living wage according to new legislation 
     that raises the minimum wage annually with inflation. 
     Corporate taxes must be heightened, furthermore, and these 
     revenues must go towards the construction of new housing 
     developments with units for low- and middle-income families. 
     The new supply will ease housing costs, the single biggest 
     monthly expense for most families. High housing costs can be 
     further alleviated with new legislation to prohibit the 
     ownership of single-family homes by corporations and with 
     increased property taxes on vacation homes and investment 
     properties.
       The insidious cost-of-living crisis poses a complex issue 
     that can only be solved with a bold multi-pronged approach. 
     Each aspect of the problem--from corporate greed to housing 
     and everything in between--must be assertively addressed with 
     legislation. These legislative acts, in addition to assuaging 
     the situation by themselves, will beg the question: should 
     wealthy corporations be allowed to enrich themselves by 
     driving up individual costs, paying lousy wages to the 
     working class, and generally assaulting the American Dream? 
     When societal attitudes towards this question change, the 
     cost-of-living crisis will be solved once and for all.


        MAGDELINA SHORT, BELLOWS FREE ACADEMY FAIRFAX, SOPHOMORE

       When faced with the thought of a life lost to fentanyl 
     overdose, many people think of an addict who never wanted 
     help, a criminal, or a life that was not worthy regardless. 
     The first thought that comes to my mind is my friend Grace 
     Riley, whose life was taken by fentanyl on June 2, 2022 at 
     age 21. Grace was hardworking, an athlete, a role model and a 
     friend whose kindness shone in countless people's lives. If 
     she had not been sold the singular fentanyl pill, which she 
     thought was a Percocet, she would be taking college courses, 
     making art, and working towards her goals of recovery so that 
     she could become an addiction counselor to help those in her 
     place.
       According to the CDC, drug overdose death rates involving 
     fentanyl increased by 279% between 2016 and 2021. These 
     dramatic increases will only heighten, unless more honest and 
     empathetic education is provided around the dangers of 
     fentanyl along with how to assist someone experiencing 
     symptoms of an overdose. Within mine and many of my peers' 
     education, the only information our school system has 
     provided regarding addiction and overdose has been minimal 
     and creates a stigmatized bias against those struggling with 
     addiction. Along with this our current education has not 
     provided information on what to do in an emergency overdose 
     situation. Only being shown short clips of vulnerable addicts 
     in health class or reading large statistics with no personal 
     story not only dehumanizes the tragedy of a life lost to 
     overdose, but encourages judgment. These methods of teaching 
     can overlook the struggles students or their loved ones may 
     face regarding substance abuse and overdose.
       Education must begin including lessons on how to administer 
     Naloxone to a person in an emergency overdose situation. 
     Naloxone, more popularly known as Narcan, is a nasal spray 
     which not only is easy to administer but according to CNN can 
     reverse up to 93% of opioid overdoses. If students are taught 
     how to administer Naloxone they're given the ability to save 
     the life of a peer, family member, or even a stranger.
       Impactful education must start with understanding the lives 
     taken by fentanyl overdose and addiction. The lives of real 
     humans who had their own struggles, lives, and possibilities 
     to offer the world. One method that can be used when teaching 
     students about the dangers of fentanyl is by sharing real 
     stories of people whose lives were taken by the drug. 
     Organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser found that learning 
     stemming from stories is remembered more accurately, and much 
     longer, than learning derived from facts and figures. This is 
     because stories like Grace's are ones that students could see 
     themselves or people they love in. Seeing the humans behind 
     large statistics at a more personal level creates more 
     urgency around such a pressing issue.
       Education without stigma is the necessary starting point to 
     ending fentanyl overdose. If these educational practices are 
     widely implemented many lives have the potential to be saved.


        JACKSON WHEATON, NORTHFIELD MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL, FRESHMAN

       All life is interconnected and Vermont is at the precipice 
     of an environmental calamity: our fish are dying. Climate 
     change in Vermont is significantly impacting our fish 
     population in streams and waterways. With increased flooding 
     and warmer temperatures, more and more damage is being done 
     to our lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Erratic weather 
     patterns caused by climate change are making our fish 
     habitats more unstable. As an avid fisherman, I am concerned 
     about the health and future of Vermont's native and non-
     native fish species and believe the government should step in 
     to save our food chain.
       According to an interview conducted by WCAX News of 
     multiple Vermont Wildlife Officials, the fluctuating weather 
     is causing alewives to wash up. They concluded, ``The non-
     native species are subject to seasonal fish kills because 
     they can't handle the lake's [Lake Champlain] cold 
     temperatures.'' Anecdotally, my great grandfather, James 
     MacMartin, was a biologist for Vermont Fish and Wildlife 
     during the 1950s and 1960s and conducted extensive studies of 
     Vermont watersheds and fish species. He found our lakes and 
     streams to be extremely healthy. An annual report from Fish 
     and Wildlife compared his research from the 1950s to the fish 
     population in the 2000s. They surveyed 205 streams, the same 
     205 streams that my great grandfather surveyed to compare the 
     changes since the 1950's. According to VTDigger, 50-60% of 
     brook trout in Pond Brook have died.
       While climate change is not an easy problem to solve, with 
     regard to our declining fish population, my solution to 
     protect the waterways and fish of Vermont is to include more 
     stringent protection of catch and release. If Vermont 
     employed more game wardens, there would be greater 
     enforcement of fishing laws and protection of those bodies of 
     water. The average brook trout stocking during the 1950's was 
     1,701,499 as compared to brook trout stocking in the 2000' 
     which was 243,435. Each year Vermont Fish and Wildlife 
     stocked 34,029 fewer brook trout over the 50 years. The 
     reason for this is habit degradation and fragmentation. 
     Another solution is more stringent protection of waterways, 
     including no boats on certain ponds or lakes, to help curb 
     the spreading of invasive species.
       When one part of our ecosystem is out of balance, it 
     affects the viability of all living things. Our delicate 
     ecosystem ravaged by flooding and erratic weather patterns 
     needs more protection now than ever before. All living things 
     have a purpose, and it is time we take action to protect 
     nature's most important resources.

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