‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the nation High schools paused in writing some new legislation Those hard at work took a much-needed break But they’d return to it soon, for so much is at stake. The New Voices Campaign is beginning to gain traction It’s starting to spread; it’s starting to be… Continue reading ‘Twas the time for New Voices
Many high school students, particularly those in low-income communities, are not afforded the opportunity to access journalism courses. Additionally, many low-income high schools do not inform students of their free speech rights. Schools that allow students to contribute to their media often limit the content that the young journalists can produce. As a former student of a low-performing… Continue reading Why I chose to get active with The Active Voice
Usually, there is nothing more gratifying than being validated, than knowing you aren’t alone in your sentiments and experiences. But this time, there was nothing more gut wrenching either. We all know there is a gaping disparity between genders. It’s no longer a controversy that shocks us. It is a vestigial structure of a national… Continue reading First Thoughts
Being talked over, spoken for, dismissed and ignored is all too commonly experienced by women and as an Arab Latina, it just comes with the territory. One of the main reasons I got into journalism was because I wanted to be a voice and vessel for those in my community who feel silenced. Succeeding in… Continue reading Active Voice and Me
"Activating girls' voices" was the advertised title of the gathering, a Saturday morning at a high school journalism workshop in Indiana. It was our public "coming-out party" after months of groundwork by our student fellows, a chance for our most-wanted audience -- high school girls -- to see what Active Voice is all about. Optimistically,… Continue reading Building a community: the Active Voice listening tour rolls on
“Sweetheart.” “Honey.” “You can’t be serious.” “That’s an inappropriate thing to say.” I’ve received these comments in actual professional settings, as well as in my positions as a student journalist. I’ve been disrespected, ignored, and not taken seriously on the basis of my gender—this bias being expressed in statements such as these. In high school,… Continue reading Why I’m Here
I don’t have a story of being personally censored. I was fortunate enough to attend a high school where my adviser trusted his students to be completely responsible for the paper and the administration did not subject us to prior review or censorship. Our student paper, the North Star, has printed stories about the legalization… Continue reading Why I am an Active Voice Fellow
By Shea Smith Sindhu Shivani Ravuri was born in Los Gatos, California, but lived her entire life in San Jose. She attended the same school, The Harker School, from kindergarten until 12th grade. Now, a rising sophomore at the University of California-Berkeley, she is working her way through the media studies department. During her two… Continue reading Introducing Active Voice Fellow Sindhu Ravuri
By Shea Smith Sophie Gordon was born in Fuzhou, China and moved to the United States when she was just ten-months-old. After living roughly a year-and-a-half in Iowa, her family moved to St. Charles, Missouri before she left for college to attend Ball State University. She is a rising junior at Ball State in Indiana… Continue reading Introducing Active Voice Fellow Sophie Gordon
By Holly Speck Sunshine Cho has a confession to make. Before she was a rising sophomore at the University of California, San Diego, 7-year-old Shine ‘borrowed’ her father’s credit card and subscribed to a two-year TIME Magazine subscription. Luckily, Shine’s father pardoned the young Shine after she plead temporary insanity due to her thirst for… Continue reading Introducing Active Voice Fellow Sunshine Cho