Rhobie Toussaint

November 29, 2019

December 1, 2019December 2, 2019 by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Feature

Native American Heritage Day

November 29, 2019 will serve as Native American Heritage Day—a holiday dedicated to acknowledge and celebrate Native American culture, and their contributions to the United States, something calendars failed to notify.

In 1986, President Reagan declared that the week of November 23 to November 30 would serve as American Indian Week. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush declared that November will be Native American Heritage Month, and it has been approved to be so annually.

“This month, we recognize the contributions made by Native Americans since long before our founding, and we resolve to continue the work of strengthening government-to-government ties with tribal nations and expanding possibility for all,” said former President Barack Obama in his 2015 proclamation.

“Thanksgiving and the month of November, Native American Heritage Month, are an important time for the nation to renew a year-round commitment to honoring and strengthening the relationship between tribal nations and the United States,” said Jeferson Keel, President of the National Congress of Amderican Indians (NCAI), during a statement.

More often than not, the contributions of Native American tribes to the United States are forgotten. It was these tribes who played a role in providing democratic ideas which were used by the framers of this country’s constitution. These are also the same people who first grew crops such as potatoes and helped the Europeans survive by showing them how to farm effectively.

“They used techniques such as burying fish and burying different metals which was useful because it gave nutrients for the plants and kept the soil rich,” said Jiles Colemen, who is from Native American descent and has recently posted a now viral TikTok video on the realities of Columbus day.

They have made contributions to the U.S. military as approximately over 24,000 Native Americans served during World War Two. In current times, there are over 240,000 Native Americans who serve in the US Armed forces, according to the US Department of Defense.

These are just some of the many things Indeginous Tribes helped with in the country, which would make them and their actions vital to the United States even before it became the United States of America, and are many of the reasons to pay attention to Native American Heritage day.

Despite the significance of their contributions and traditions to our lives, there is not enough focus on Native American Day and month. There are a multitude of schools that fail to include the teaching of said contributions in the history curriculum.

“Native Ameircans are not given the recognition that we rightfully deserve. We’re looked at as more of a laughingstock and historical figure than we are as a people. I think that’s because we were so diminished in history. The educational system has failed to educate our youth on the contributions of my people,” said Maya Gillogly, whose family is part of the Sauk tribe and is an activist for Native American Awareness through social media.

It is important that we know and understand our history, and for everyone in the U.S, whether we care to admit it or not, Native Americans are a part of that.

“It breaks my heart that we were the main force that built the country and now the country lays on our backs,” said Gillogly.

Native American Heritage Day was a few days ago, but this story is still important. I think it is important to recognize that Native Americans are indeed still here and have contributed a lot to the United States. They should not be forgotten, so I wanted to take the time to bring recognition to Native Americans and their Heritage Day.

Black-lash Towards the Press

November 12, 2019 by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Uncategorized

Recently, the newspapers of Harvard (The crimson) and Northwestern University (The Daily Northwestern) have been “under fire” for reporting on stories that caused controversy, and dismay among the student population. In Harvard, some of The Crimson’s journalists reached out to ICE, who the student government protested against, for comment. In response, the student government made the Act for a dream (look up) petition against the Crimson.

In Northwestern University, The Daily Northwestern, reported on a event in which Jeff Sessions, who is not supported by those on campus who are liberal-leaning, made a speech. Reporters from the newspaper also uses the student directory to reach out to those who protested at the event. Both publications received heavy back-lash, and eventually apologized.

In my opinion, the outrage among the students is understandable, as they probably felt that the publications were not empathetic enough. However, not all the criticism these publications received was deserved because it is the responsibility of journalists to report all sides of the story. Controversy will always be present and there will always be stories that certain people frown upon. This should not inhibit the press from upholding their responsibilities. Journalism and the press are being more scrutinized as the days pass by, and a lot of it is truly unnecessary.

Glaciers

November 5, 2019January 23, 2020 by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, News

Melting Glaciers and Climate Change Effects

Glaciers are melting at alarming rates, the global climate is steadily and consistently rising, and mass extinction is nearly inevitable.

Just this summer, there was a memorial held in Iceland for Okjökull (OK), a glacier that melted there in 2014. Its cause: climate change.

“ OK is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years, all of our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it,” said the memorial plaque.

Global warming comes from the excessive amounts of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. These releases have resulted in the melting of ancient glaciers, that previously stayed intact for numerous decades.

“The natural greenhouse effect has been interrupted by humans who have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the air, the most common being carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is trapping too much heat which in turn leads to the melting glaciers,” said Edelma Saenz, a senior at MLEC who studied climate science over the summer.

As the glaciers around the globe begin to melt, sea levels also start to rise.

“The oceans tend to absorb a lot of heat so as the average temperature continues to rise the ocean has more heat to trap. This leads to thermal expansion in which the volume of the water rises,” added Edelma.

Although OK is the first glacier to melt in Iceland, there have been others in areas such as West Antarctica. The rise in sea levels that comes from this puts the environments and people around the globe at risk of suffering from the negative effects.

One of the main risks of sea level rise is the possibility of areas with residents going underwater. islands, and peninsulas such as Florida will likely be the first to experience this.

The health of residents in different areas may become threatened as a result of glacier melts and sea level rise. Organisms that were once trapped in said glaciers will have the ability to get into other places, possibly posing health risks.

“There could be dormant microorganisms residing in the ice that because the glaciers are melting can come out of the ice. We’re not sure if they are going to be detrimental to human health or not. We might potentially have bugs in there that could become a problem,” said Genesis Perez, the AICE Environmental Management teacher at MLEC.

In response to the many effects of climate change, such as the Icelandic glacier melting, already becoming noticeable in many countries, many teens are taking it upon themselves to demand for change. Videos and photos urging the community to take care of the environment have gone viral, Students in Florida have gathered for climate change strikes.

“We can’t continue living like this. Earth is our home and it feels like we’re just neglecting it. We should come together and work together to help our environment,” said Catherine Mena, a Junior at MLEC.

The effects of climate change are becoming more apparent, and the melting of glaciers is just one of them. The harming of animals, people, plants, and all that is in the Earth will stem from these effects. Polar bears will continue to lose their homes. Sea levels will continue to rise. The Ozone Layer will continue to deplete. I wanted to put up this article because we cannot afford to avoid this problem forever, and I want to spread awareness in every way that I can.

Photo Source: https://observers.france24.com/en/20190621-iceland-photos-skaftafell-glacier-climate-crisis

Virginia & Washington, D.C.

October 28, 2019October 29, 2019 by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Experience, Photo Essays

There’s something beautiful about having the opportunity to get away and see new places.

This is exactly what I got out of the experience of being in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland over the weekend. I don’t travel much, but when I do I always have a good time. Going out of town for a few days, away from any pressures and responsibility, is freeing and relaxes me in a way that can’t be accomplished in my house. It’s also always interesting to see how other places differentiate from where I live, starting at the structure of buildings and going into the population. Whether the place I’m visiting is a different city, or a different state, the visit itself never ceases to be a fun learning experience, and this time in the DMV area (Maryland, Virginia, part of West Virginia, District of Colombia) exactly the same.

My trip to the DMV area is one that I will never forget, and the experience is one I will forever treasure.

Our day started in Alexandria, Virginia.

The first destination was Van Dorn Diner, where we had breakfast.

We then made our way to Washington D.C., where majority of the sightseeing was done.

The Art Museum of the Americas was our first stop in Washington, D.C.

Here

October 20, 2019October 21, 2019 by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Creative Writing

Here they stand.

One girl and one boy, face to face.

And here they are standing hand in hand, with fixed gazes. They look at each other, close in proximity, and warm smiles are exchanged. They are the kind of smiles that reach the eyes, that’s how the pair know they’re real. Nothing but bliss is being shared between the two.

Here they stand in the living room, unintentionally ignoring the noise coming the T.V. and the sound of kids laughing outside. In this moment, the sounds of the characters on the television show yelling at one another and the chatter outside all fade away.

In this moment, no words are said, no comments are exchanged. The mere presence of one another is enough to fulfill them both.

Here they stand.

One girl and one boy. They are facing each other with their backs against the world because right now, the moment being shared between the two is all that matters.

This week I wanted to write something on the more sappy, romantic side. When I think of true, pure love, I think of moments like the ones the characters in the piece of sharing. Sometimes, the simple act of just sitting by, or in this case, standing near one another is enough. It doesn’t always have to be expensive outings. The little things, they matter too.

I think that once you are able to enjoy your time with someone, whether you two are out and about, having a simple conversation, or laughing after an intense staring contest, it is clear that a connection has been established.