Work by High School Campers

Stories From Our School Workshops

A Lover Of Science And Math, Sidhi Aspires To Be An Engineer

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Sidhi Dhanda, 15, a rising sophomore at Hopkinton High School, has a passion for jazz music, robotics, and engineering. She’s been playing the electric guitar in a jazz band since middle school, made it to nationals in the Invention Convention competition this past January, and participates in yearly competitions with her school’s robotics team. “I really love robotics, engineering, in general, really love coding, and I’m also really into music and guitar,” said Sidhi, of Hopkinton Mass. Sidhi even created an invention in a 24-hour period that made it to national Inventathon Convention. “In January I entered with my friend in the Inventathon, which is kind of like a hackathon where you have 24 hours to invent something that solves a problem related to COVID in schools.

Ava Aims To Be A TV Anchor

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Ava Roulier, 15, a rising sophomore at RHAM High School in Hebron, has always had an interest in journalism. She’s written multiple articles and done several interviews. More recently, Ava has been looking into broadcast journalism and hopes to learn more about the people and society around her. “Many of us watch TV more than we read now, especially younger generations, due to advancements in technology, and [I want] to be able communicate to all different crowds,’’ she said. Ava’s mother, Laurie, is a counselor at Manchester High School and runs her own clinic while her father, Kenneth, works as an insurance regulator.

child marriage

Child Marriage Is Rooted In Gender Inequality, Advocates Say

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In 2012, in Dosso, Niger, a 13-year-old girl named Mariama discovered that she was to be married in a few days.   She was sad and afraid and could not eat or sleep. She didn’t want to be married, but her mother insisted thinking it was the best way to protect her, Plan International, an organization that works to advance children’s rights and equality in the world, reported in a story and video. Child marriage is a complicated. But child marriage isn’t just something that happens in faraway countries like Niger, it is happening here in the United States, in states such as Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, and even here in Connecticut. From 2000-2010, there were an estimated 248,000 child marriages in the U.S., according to Unchained at Last, an organization dedicated to ending forced and child marriage in the U.S. In Connecticut, 980 minors were married, the youngest a 14-year-old, according to data on Unchainedatlast.org

Each state has its own legal age rule, in Connecticut, child marriage is prohibited for anyone 16 and younger.

Zoom Disruptions On Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Will They Continue Or Changed?

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During its Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, Common Ground High School’s Zoom meeting was disrupted by student trolling. To gain insight into the disruption, the Journalism Class at Common Ground interviewed Sharyn  Lopez, the high school’s student engagement and out of school activity manager. “[Distance Learning] requires us to be our best selves, and this [meeting] was not a moment when we were our best selves,” Lopez said. “The focus was taken away. It became centered on the [disruptors] sense of entitlement.’’

Lopez described what happened on Oct.

Hispanic Heritage Zoom Assembly Disrupted

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A virtual celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month was disrupted with a series of chats and music blaring as presenters attempted to speak. From the start the chat, which was for answering questions, sharing information and providing a vehicle for students’ feedback, took an ugly turn. Users sent a series of smiley faces, and before long lots of spam chats including some with profanity were showing up on the Zoom screen – a distraction for everyone in attendance for the celebration. The chat function was disabled. But once the chat was disabled, another issue occurred.

How The Pandemic Has Changed Our Entertainment Experience

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Since the spread of the coronavirus across Connecticut and the country, many businesses have shut down, then partially reopened including most of the entertainment industry. From concerts, movie theaters, film sets and more, people have decided to stay home and are now relying on the convenience of entertainment online, using at-home technology such as smartphones, laptops, TVs, and more. Total internet hits have soared – between 50% and 70% – during the first months of the pandemic, according to news reports.  And about 80% of those aged 35 and younger are watching more streaming content than before the pandemic hit in March. “I would say that I watch movies a lot more,” Thomas Small, 17, of East Haven said. “I become almost indulged.

Video: UConn’s Dairy Bar A Great Place To Be

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The University of Connecticut’s Dairy Bar opened in 1953 to sell dairy products made by the Creamery. The Creamery was established in the early 1900s and bottled milk until 1991. Today, the Creamery makes ice cream according to its original recipe and sells this ice cream at the Dairy Bar.  — Video by C-HIT campers Luis Mila, Ephemia Nicolakis and Kevin Barahona. Luis Mila is a student at Miami Lakes Education Center, Florida; Ephemia Nicolakis of Woodbridge is a student at Amity Regional High School and Kevin Barahoma is a student from Riobamba, Ecuador.

Work by High School Campers
Students from Ecuador

Photo Gallery: International Students From Ecuador Explore Journalism In Connecticut

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At its ninth annual week-long high school summer journalism workshop at the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Health Investigative Team trained its first-ever group of international students – all of them from Riobamba, Ecuador. The five students – Christina Huisha, (18), Leslie Parra (17), Kevin Barahona (18), Mikaela Romo (16) and Mikaela De La Cruz (16) – had their trip sponsored by the Sister Cities International program. Riobamba is a sister city of Norwalk. Sister Cities International’s goal is to strengthen relationships around the globe based on cultural, educational, informational or trade exchanges. 

While at the summer journalism workshop on UConn’s main campus in Storrs, the other campers made them feel welcome. Brian Ruiz, Luis Mila and Danny Ruiz were three C-HIT students who helped translate and explain American customs so the students from Ecuador were never made to feel excluded.

College Students Turn To E-Communities For Mental Health Support

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About 26% of young adults 18-25 years old have a mental health issue, but only 38% of those affected actually receive treatment, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Colleges across the U.S. have felt the weight of the statistics.  Counseling centers are flooded by an increasing demand for a limited amount of mental health resources, resulting in students getting placed on waitlists. At times, students are turning toward e-communities, particularly ones on Instagram, for support and recovery. Many accounts are dedicated to raising awareness and offering support for eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Instagram users communicate and bond through their captions, stories, and private messages on their mental battles and physical struggles.

Work by High School Campers

Video: A Look At Storrs Center

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Located a short walk from the University of Connecticut, Storrs Center is a mixed-use town center that includes residences, restaurants, shops, businesses and educational, recreational, and cultural offerings. — Video package by Quentin Leahy, Danny Ruiz, Maeve Cox and Cristina Huisha

 

The video team: Maeve Cox attends Cheshire High School, Danny Ruiz attends John F. Kennedy High School, Waterbury; Cristina Huisha is a student from Riobamba, Educador and Quentin Leahy of Southington attends Conn. River Academy in East Hartford.