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What’s Going On in This Graph? | Dec. 11, 2019

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | Dec. 11, 2019

These graphs about what we eat for protein and about what we waste by throwing out food appeared elsewhere on NYTimes.com.

By Friday morning, Dec. 13, we will provide the “Reveal” — the graphs’ free online link, additional background and questions, shout outs highlighting student comments and headlines, and Stat Nuggets.

After looking closely at the graphs above (or at this full-size image), think about these three questions:

  • What do you notice? If you make a claim, tell us what you noticed that supports your claim.

  • What do you wonder? What are you curious about that comes from what you notice in the graphs?

The questions are intended to build on one another, so try to answer them in order. Start with “I notice,” then “I wonder,” and end with a catchy headline.

2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment online. Teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students’ comments.)

3. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.

4. By Friday morning, we will reveal more information about the graphs at the bottom of this post. Students, we encourage you to post an additional comment after reading the reveal. How does the original article and the moderators’ comments help you see the graphs differently? Try to incorporate the statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets in your response.


  • Read our 2019-20 introductory post, which includes the archives of past releases by topic and graph type.

  • Learn more about the “Notice and Wonder” teaching strategy and how and why other teachers are using this feature from our on-demand webinar.

  • Sign up for our free weekly newsletter so you never miss a graph, and add our 2019-20 “What’s Going On in This Graph?” live-moderated discussion Wednesdays to your Google calendar (1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/26, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8). Graphs are always released by the Friday before to give teachers time to plan ahead.

  • Go to the A.S.A. K-12 website, which includes This is Statistics, resources, professional development, student competitions, curriculum, courses and careers.

Under the Ice

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Under the Ice

What story does this image inspire for you?

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem based on what you see. Or, tell us about a memory from your own life that this picture makes you think of.

Post it in the comments, then read the related article to find out the real story behind this image.


Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan. You can find all our Picture Prompts in this column.

Writing Comparative Essays: Making Connections to Illuminate Ideas

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Writing Comparative Essays: Making Connections to Illuminate Ideas

Notice how this student focuses. Instead of starting with a broad thesis like “We can see many parallels between the themes of ‘The Odyssey’ and our world today,” he looks only at how the Greek concept of xenia echoes today — and does so by examining just one article about Uganda. Below are the first two paragraphs, but we suggest you read the entire essay, paying close attention to how he describes both texts solely through this lens.

Try this: Once you choose a manageable focus, make sure all your details and examples support it.

Example: Alex Iyer, Geneva School of Boerne, San Antonio: Homer’s “The Odyssey” and “As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them

In literature, we learned that in Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” Homer uses the tribulations of the hero Odysseus to illustrate the Ancient Grecian custom of xenia. This custom focused on extending hospitality to those who found themselves far from home. As Odysseus navigates the treacherous path back to his own home, he encounters both morally upstanding and malevolent individuals. They range from a charitable princess who offers food and clothing, to an evil Cyclops who attempts to murder the hero and his fellow men. In class, we agreed that Homer employs these contrasting characters to exemplify not only proper, but also poor forms of xenia.

For the people of its time, “The Odyssey” cemented the idea that xenia was fundamental for good character, resulting in hospitality becoming ingrained in the fabric of Ancient Grecian society. I saw a parallel to this in a New York Times article called “As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them” published on October 28, 2018. Similar to the prevalent custom of xenia in Ancient Greece, Uganda has made hosting refugees a national policy. The country is now occupied by up to 1.25 million refugees, many of whom are fleeing the violent unrest of South Sudan.

We know it’s tempting to resort to a generic statement like, “In this essay I will compare and contrast _________ and _________ to show that …”

Not only is that deadly dull, but if you are participating in our contest, you also don’t want to waste any of your 450 words on a sentence that doesn’t say much.

Consider, instead, four more powerful ways to introduce the two things you’ll be connecting, and show right away how they work together.

Try this: Pose a question or questions that both texts are asking.

Example: Connor Stevens, Sunset High School, Portland, Ore.: Comparing “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and “How Egypt Crowdsources Censorship” (Read the full student essay.)

How can you control ideas? In today’s world, you scroll through feeds, finding any information available: government trade deals, local restaurants, movies, and TV shows. We are in an age where the power to find any fact, answer or piece of information that floats into question is available anywhere. If this privilege was stripped by a bodying government, how would freedom of information change?

Try this: Make a statement that is true for both, and then explain why briefly.

Example: Jack Magner, Flint Hill School, Oakton, Va.: Comparing biological feedback loops and homeostasis with “After #MeToo, the Ripple Effect” (Read the full student essay.)

All it takes is a single action to spark innumerable reactions. In the case of Jessica Bennett’s “After #MeToo, the Ripple Effect,” it is the publishing of a 2017 article in the Times that launches a revolution, changing the treatment and recognition of women for the better. In the case of AP Biology, it is the connection of a ligand to a receptor protein or a drastic change to an organism’s environment that sends millions of signals that protect the organism from harm.

Try this: Explain how or why you’ll look at a classic work through a new lens.

Example: Zaria Roller, Verona Area High School, Wis.: Comparing “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe and “The Boys Are Not All Right” (Read the full student essay.)

Colonial-age Nigeria and modern day Western society have more in common than one would think. Although the buzz phrase “toxic masculinity” did not exist at the time Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” was written, its protagonist, Okonkwo, might as well be the poster boy for it.

Try this: Trace your thinking about how you came to connect the two things. Please note: For this contest, use of the word “I” is not only permitted but also encouraged if it helps you explore your ideas.

Educator spotlight: Using online learning to improve mental health

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Educator spotlight: Using online learning to improve mental health

Deakin is one of Australia’s largest universities, rapidly rising in the international rankings and currently featuring in the top 2% of the world’s universities. A quarter of their students study predominantly online and they offer 9 degrees, 1 program and 41 short courses on the FutureLearn platform. They recently launched a new 3-week course on Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition. One of the course educators, Tetyana Rocks, answered our questions on how she found the process of creating a course on FutureLearn and why she feels it’s important to spread the word about the impact our daily diet has on our mental health:

“Creating and developing Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition has been one of the most enjoyable and challenging experiences of my career as an educator. Right from the earliest stages, this course provided endless opportunities for me to learn and grow myself while crafting an engaging and informative social learning experience. The main challenge has been to design inclusive and accessible opportunities that are interesting and useful for a broad global audience on FutureLearn. I tried to develop a knowledge springboard for learners to recognise and identify the latest evidence, and to deliver a scaffold for them to carry out sustainable changes to an essential human behaviour – eating. I also endeavoured to create a culturally appropriate as well as open content that encourages learners to reflect on potentially sensitive content around mental health with hope and positivity. Our vision at the Food & Mood Centre is a world in which nutrition is recognised as fundamental to mental and brain health. FutureLearn provided us with an essential platform to translate the current evidence on the topic, disseminating our research and knowledge to reach a global audience, and I look forward to more learnings from facilitating the course over the coming weeks.”

Category Research insights

Online Learning Consortium: Can affirmation help online learning?

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Online Learning Consortium: Can affirmation help online learning?

Author: Holly Shiflett, Director, North American Partnerships at FutureLearn

This year was the 25th anniversary celebration of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). OLC is one of my favorite conferences, and not just because it’s in warm, sunny Florida. I really enjoy the opportunity to discover new ways to engage students and create great experiences online. As I participate in these conference experiences, I always look for one key theme that ties everything together. My one key takeaway for OLC is “the power of encouragement.” This core idea was illustrated in a variety of ways at the event. From skills based degree programs which allow learners to capitalize on what they already know and align to future jobs to AI technology that helps teachers focus on the most critical interactions, it’s really all about enabling learners to be successful.

I guess this really came into focus for me with the first keynote speaker Talithia Wlliams from Harvey Mudd College. Dr. Williams shared an encouraging story of how one professor shared one affirmation “you’re good at math and you should pursue it,” and this was all it took to pursue a career as a PhD in statistics. Dr. Williams is a frequent TED Talk speaker and inspirational voice for STEM careers. I have my own similar story. I too was inspired by an individual comment that led me to take an unexpected journey. Like many students nearing graduation, I was pretty much willing to try anything just to get some experience for my resume. And so, I applied for a job as a newspaper reporter at the Maryland Coast Dispatch. I didn’t like writing (I still don’t!) and had never taken a newspaper writing class. No one thought I’d get the job — not even my Mom! BUT, hiding in the back of my mind was an offhand comment from a faculty member who told me that I was a good writer. And so, I went for it. I got the interview and somehow convinced them that in spite of having no experience, I could do the job. Full disclosure, it is a tiny little weekly newspaper in a tiny, little, seasonal beach town, but to me it was a HUGE success!

Both Dr. Williams and I had the confidence to try based on the power of one small compliment. That’s what encouragement can do. A recent article in Psychology Today, called Using Self Affirmation in the Classroom shared a similar finding – value affirmations in teaching, particularly in STEM fields can lead to success. It’s important to mention that affirmation can come externally like in Dr. Wiliams’ case or internally as a way to encourage ourselves forward. But, how can affirmations help us in online education? As online learning is often a very solitary activity, I think that it is a perfect environment for the practice of affirmation. Classmates, instructors or student support liaisons, can all provide affirmation.  We can even do this in very small ways, the micro-affirmation. It’s like a micro-aggression but positive. As discussed in an article by We Are Teachers, individuals can use these small acts – greetings, encouragement, inclusive language, using names – to have an impact on student achievement.

So what does this mean for online education?

To me, it seems that while we are getting better at using technology to support students, we need to remember the human side and connect with learners on an individual basis. A simple “you can do it” or just an understanding response to a frantic email from a learner can help them to succeed. And whether it’s a chatbot automatically responding with an auto-generated reply or a real person providing content specific support, it’s still an enabler of success. If fact, chatbots can successfully be used for encouragement and you may have interacted with a caring bot already! Affirmation works. For example, a recent online class that I took required that participations share one affirmation or positive thing that happened that week before asking a question. It was a great way to keep the mood positive and implement the idea of affirmation.

Of course this theme fits in really well at OLC and they had a number of different tracks related to this topic. The conference covers leadership, instruction strategies, student support, tools and technologies and research. One specific session that I found very interesting was by Western Governors University (WGU) about skills based degrees. WGU is innovative in this area and they had a number of sessions exploring the topic. They differentiated this from competencies based degree as it’s more about the skills from a degree matching the skills required by employers. WGU gleans these insights from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Burning Glass by merging skills from job postings and aligning these particular skills with a number of degrees and with 120,000 students, they are good at caring and affirming.

In closing, I wrote down one thing from the keynote, the power of affirmation. For those of you who were there, yes, I did cry when she shared the story of her mentor. We all need that person to look up to who encourages us and challenges us to be our best. It’s a lesson to all that we can make a difference. The great thing about keynote speeches is that they give us a theme and an inspiration, a lens through which to view the conference experience. So, be kind to yourself, be kind to others. I can’t help but share this message from icon Dolly Parton who urges us to affirm ourselves but let’s also remember to give a little encouragement to others. The affirmation you share could be the one small nudge that moves another to a better future and isn’t that what education is all about? Who can you affirm today?

Category Research insights

OEB Global 2019: Should skills and lifelong learning be top priorities for universities?

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OEB Global 2019: Should skills and lifelong learning be top priorities for universities?

Author: Tom Rees-Davies, Educational Partnerships at FutureLearn

It’s not every conference that begins with a Keynote on Agitprop in the world of EdTech, but that is exactly the way OEB Global 2019 was opened, by Audrey Watters who’s claim that she was going to “kick the hornets’ nest” was right on the mark. This set the scene for two days of intensely interesting, challenging and at times controversial talks and discussions at the world’s largest educational technology conference.

It was a truly eye-opening experience to share discussions with learning technologists and academics from some of the world’s most innovative higher educational institutions. In part, it was encouraging to see that we, as an organisation, are heading in the right direction. On the other hand, it was revelatory to see just how much some European universities have already achieved, for example, some of our colleagues in the Netherlands.

The conference was a hotbed of thought leadership and lively debate and I was lucky enough to take part in a seminar led by Jörg Hafer and Sohia Rost of the University of Potsdam and Ulf-Daniel Ehlers of Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, in which we discussed what the focus should be for the future of higher education institutions. Up for discussion were:

  • lifelong learning
  • inter-institutional pathways
  • personalised academic learning
  • future skills focus

This led to a natural discussion around the need for alternative credentialing and a clear consensus that future skills and lifelong learning should be the priorities for universities in the coming years. It also gave me an impromptu opportunity to outline FutureLearn’s approach to microcredentials to the seminar, which was welcome!

Further sessions covered everything from the reinvention of teachers as coaches to using AI to personalize the learning experience of students in China. There was also a keynote from Ifyad Rahwan that controversially posited the idea that jobs that require more physical skills than social and emotional were inherently ‘bad’, but that it was possible to learn new skills to cross the divide between physical and social and earn more in ‘good jobs’. During and after Ifyad’s talk the #OEB19 surged with lively discussion and heated debate – following the conference’s hashtag not only enriches the overall experience, but also allows one to interact with more attendees than would have been possible offline alone.

In the exhibition hall, a diverse myriad of different providers and organisations set their stalls out. The usual suspects (Moodle, Microsoft, D2L) were all there of course and were joined by companies from the steady hands (Turnitin) to the innovative and quirky (Labster and Open Sesame).

Thursday evening kicked off with the annual plenary debate with speakers from diverse backgrounds for and against the motion that an obsession with economics is harming education. I caught up with one of the speakers during the subsequent free bar along with many other interesting attendees from all over the world. Strangely, many of these conversations came back to the same topic – current post-graduate higher education does not represent value for money, nor is it as applicable as learners need it to be.

OEB appears to be an industry leading conference with genuine thought innovation and leadership. The conversation is happening, education is changing, and we all need to be a part of it. This can all be summed up by a great phrase I heard over the week: “if we’re not at the table, we’ll be on the menu.” I think that the idea that we are either eating or being eaten is directly linked to finding more value for learners and how we, as an industry, address this in the coming year will shape the industry itself for decades to come.

On a personal note, I thoroughly enjoyed my first OEB experience. Hopefully, the contacts  and friends I’ve made and conversations that have been started will bear fruit in the future and I’m already looking forward to my next dose of Döner and Glühwein next year!

Category Research insights

GUEST POST: Learning Styles and Differentiated Instruction

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GUEST POST: Learning Styles and Differentiated Instruction

References:

 (1)  Kirschner, P. (2017). Stop propagating the learning styles myth. Computers and Education, 106, 166-171.

(2)  Macdonald, K., Germine, L., Anderson, A., Christodoulou, J., and McGrath, L. (2017). Dispelling the myth: Training in education or neuroscience decreases but does not eliminate beliefs in neuromyths. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. 

(3)  Willingham, D., Hughes, E., and Dobolyi, D. (2015). The scientific status of learning style theories. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), 266-271.

(4)  Arter, J., and Jenkins, J. (1979). Differential diagnosis-prescriptive teaching: A critical appraisal. Review of Educational Research, 49(4), 517-555.

(5)  Kavale, K., and Forness, S. (1987). Substance over style: Assessing the efficacy of modality testing and teaching. Exceptional Children, 54(3), 228-239.

(6)  Husmann, P., and O’Loughlin, V. (2018). Another nail in the coffin for learning styles? Disparities among undergraduate anatomy students’ study strategies, class performance, and reported VARK learning styles. Anatomical Sciences Education, 12(1), 6-19.

 (7)  Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., and Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105-119.

 (8)  Dekker, S., Lee, N., Howard-Jones, P., and Jolles, J. (2012). Neuromyths in education: Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 3.

(9)  Schmoker, M. (2010, September 27). When pedagogic fads trump priorities. Education Week.

(10)  Bjork, R. [Lastinglearning.com] (2015, 28 October). The myth of individual learning styles, Dr. Robert Bjork . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvM4mnEIxuQ

(11) Willingham, D. (2009). Why don’t students like school? A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(12)  de Bruyckere, P. (2018). The ingredients for great teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

(13)  Rosenshine, B., and Stevens, R. (1986). Teaching functions. In M. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching. New York, NY: MacMillan.

(14)  Coyne, M., Kame’enui, E., and Carnine, D. (2011). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

(15)  Bjork, E., and Bjork, R. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. In M.A. Gernsbacher (ed.), Psychology and the real world: Essays illustrating fundamental contributions to society. New York: Worth Publishers.

(16) Agarwal, P., Finley, J., Rose, N., and Roediger, H. (2017). Benefits from retrieval practice are greater for students with lower working memory capacity. Memory, 25(6), 764-771.

Word + Quiz: regatta

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Word + Quiz: regatta

: a series of boat races

_________

The word regatta has appeared in 21 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Oct. 24 in “No Wind. No Problem. The Sailing Race Must Go On” by Jason Horowitz:

TRIESTE, Italy — The Bora wind blows so fiercely through Trieste, a melancholic port town on the Adriatic Sea, that some sidewalks are lined with handrails. The wind maddens pedestrians, but it also fills the sails of skippers who come from all over to compete in Italy’s aquatic equivalent of the New York City Marathon.

… Last year, the 50th anniversary of the Barcolana, as the race is called, included 2,689 boats with 16,000 sailors, making it the largest regatta in the world by some counts. Mr. Faraguna and his friends finished in 15th-to-last place.

_________

Film Club: ‘Broken Heart Doctor’

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Film Club: ‘Broken Heart Doctor’

Find all our Film Club films here.

What can we learn from heartache and suffering?

“Broken Heart Doctor” is a two-minute animated film that touches on themes of love, loss and wisdom. It profiles a young doctor who works in the cardiology unit of a children’s hospital while coping with a heartbreaking breakup with his longtime girlfriend. In this setting, among children with cancer and other maladies, it is the doctor who learns from his patients how to heal.

Students

1. Watch the short film above. While you watch, you might take notes using our Film Club Double-Entry Journal (PDF) to help you remember specific moments.

2. After watching, think about these questions:

  • What questions do you still have?

  • What connections can you make between this film and your own life or experience? Why? Does this film remind you of anything else you’ve read or seen? If so, how and why?

3. An additional challenge | Respond to the essential question at the top of this post: What can we learn from heartache and suffering?

4. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

5. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

6. To learn more, read “Nursing a Wound in an Appropriate Setting,” the 2013 Modern Love essay by Thomas Hooven that this week’s short film is based upon. The essay begins:

I started my pediatrics residency on the cardiology unit, which was appropriate: my heart had a giant hole in it. Just after I graduated from medical school, as I was moving into my fiancée’s New York apartment, she ended our relationship. We went out to dinner that night, and after we came home, she told me we were through.

She and I had been together 12 years, engaged for two; we had a wedding planned for three weeks later.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” I said from the edge of her bed.

“I know we’ll always be best of friends,” she said.

I left just after sunrise, suitcase in hand, feeling as if I had just fallen from a moving train. It seemed unimaginable that I was meant to report for duty at the hospital in less than a month. My new employers were expecting a freshly minted physician full of knowledge and an eagerness to heal. As it was, I could barely remember my name.


More?

See all the films in this series.

Read our list of practical teaching ideas, along with responses from students and teachers, for how you can use these documentaries in the classroom.

Want to make sure you never miss a film? Add Film Club to your Google calendar to receive weekly reminders and see our full publishing schedule for the 2019-20 school year.

What Students Are Saying About Desegregating Schools, Reading the Room, and Saying ‘I Love You’

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What Students Are Saying About Desegregating Schools, Reading the Room, and Saying ‘I Love You’

We are in a progressive standstill. While we are finally starting to see major changes in women’s rights, the fall of the past patriarchy where men held more power. And especially the legalization and HUMAN RIGHTS for LGBT people to get married, there is still a stigma around masculinity and connection between two straight, cisgender, men.

Ethan, Pinkey, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

As a girl, it’s so easy to let my friends know how I feel. It’s what I’ve been doing for my whole life and nobody has had condescending remarks against it. But for boys, its seen as “gay.” These jokes of “love you, bro” and “no homo” have been made for a while now. Guys “expressing” how they feel but all in good humor. When Ricardo and his friend were told that holding hands was gay, they then had to regulate how they showed their care for each other. Directly hearing a positive affirmation does affect me differently. I know that my friends care for me, I can tell in their loyalty and honesty, but hearing the words is always positive and reassuring. Something that most guys seem to struggle with.

Avery Lemley, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

No matter who you are and who you love, you should be able to comfortably share how you feel without strain. It’s a wonderful thing to have friends who you love, and who reciprocate. However, many teenagers may grimace to themselves if they ever let the common truth slip out in a casual goodbye. They often try to save themselves from an accidental “love you” with much more intentional “bro.” I feel that it’s necessary to stop the stigma around feeling as it leads to “uncoolness.” Honesty and empathy should never lead to social ridicule.

Matalin Bloomfield, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

If “Love you Bro” lets someone who is concerned about that perception express themselves in a way that makes them feel comfortable, then that is a good thing. Yes, it is too bad that males just don’t always feel comfortable saying “I love you,” but it does seem to be trending towards being more acceptable.

Mr. Kingston, Lodi High

When’s the last time you told someone that you loved them? Who was it? A friend, a family member, or a significant other? See most people when asked this question have no trouble coming up with a situation involving love. But the difficult part is not saying the word love, instead it is understanding the true meaning and complexity of this simple four letter word. Love isn’t just one feeling, love is a multitude of feelings that are felt for many different types of people in our everyday lives.

Ellie Saguto, Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn Illinois

In our heads: I love you

Out loud: “See ya dude”

The picture is showing how society has censored the way we express our feelings. It’s made rules. No holding hands. No hugging. No saying I love you. Why?

Shivani Patel, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

Sometimes we love silently. It’s not always communicated in those three little words, but in a hug, one more joke, words of advice, or so many other small gestures that are actually colossal. If I’m upset and my friend pulls me into a hug, I know I’m loved; the verbal affirmation is nice but I don’t always need it. Actions speak louder than words, anyway. However, according to the author of the essay, this is only partly true for him. He knows that his friend, Kichi, loves him, but it hurts him that Kichi refuses to say those words, unlike him.

Grace Robertson, Hoggard High School Wilmington, NC

As a female, I’ve never had a problem telling my friends I love them. Now, looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a male tell his male friend he loves them without making a joke about it and shrugging it off. While I can’t relate to the despair of Ricardo yearning to hear Kichi say he loves him back, I can see why it would be so hurtful. After putting your heart out on the line not once, but six times and the other person shutting down and replying with “Yeah bro, I’ll catch you soon,” I would be a little embarrassed.

Simone Cronier, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC