Found Poem

A found poem is a type of poem created from words that already exist. People can make found poems from books, magazines, songs, or even advertisements. I created this poem from a Huffington Post article entitled “This Isn’t A Pay ‘Gap,’ It’s A Freaking Black Hole." It was written by Emily Peck and published on 4/10/18.

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Pay Equality

it’s Equal Pay Day

the day women “catch up”

to what men made in 2017

at Goldman Sachs in the U.K.

women earn 55.5 percent less than men

48 percent less at Barclays

36 percent less at HSBC

when it comes to equal pay

women aren’t just facing a “gap”

they’re staring down

a vast, dystopic hole of inequity

far too many women and men

think the reason women aren’t

making it up the ladder

lies with women themselves

they don’t “lean in”

women are not aggressive enough

dialing down ambition

because they want to have a family

women who become mothers

face huge disadvantages at work

they have to devote time to child-rearing

women leave because they’re sexually harassed

or quit because they’re not promoted

by the boys’ club at the top

because of stereotypes

men in charge hold certain beliefs about

what women want out of their careers

they don’t bother checking to make sure

beliefs line up with reality

at JPMorgan in the U.K.

78 percent of top-paying jobs

are held by men

many of those men have children

but somehow they’re making it work

women don’t stand a chance at pay equality

if they’re not making it

to the top

A Poem Calling for Change

I wrote this poem two months ago on the day I walked out to demand change after the Parkland shooting. It has been two months, and nothing has changed. Today there was yet another shooting, so I figured today was a good day to post this poem.

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Change

no need for gun control

the government said

when thousands of kids have died of bullet wounds in school

when the NRA funds politicians

when maintaining the rights of gun owners is the unspoken rule

and school shooters play video games,

so they say video games cause gun violence

the beautiful messages of hope are the future

if the teenagers spoke through tears

while recalling the bullets flying through the air

then WE can create meaningful change

and end gun violence in schools

WE can end the fear of schoolchildren

that a man with a loaded gun will burst in and shoot them

while their teacher acts as a shield

WE can demand more regulations

stricter background checks, longer waiting times

WE can continue to speak up

until school shootings fade from our collective memory

Second Semester Senior

I can't believe it has been a full five months since I last wrote a blog entry. Senior year got super busy and I just ran out of time. But, wow, so much has happened since my last post! I finished all my college applications and even decided where I'm going, and the answer is somewhere I was never expecting. I will be beginning college at Princeton University this fall, and I could not be any more excited! I love the academic rigor, small campus size, focus on undergraduates, location near Philadelphia and New York City, passionate students, acclaimed professors, and so much else. I plan on majoring in English and minoring in History & the Practice of Diplomacy, which is a minor in their public policy program. Since the last time I wrote, I have also begun to rethink what I want to do with my life. I had wanted to be a teacher for a long time because I wanted to make a difference in children's lives. As you know, I like to write, which is why I have this blog in the first place. I am also passionate about the causes I believe in, from women's rights to disability advocacy to gun reform and more. I have been thinking about combining my interests and going into a field involving nonprofit or government work so that I can enact change on a wider level. Part of this shift in careers was inspired by a Disability Advocacy Day that I participated in through BBYO, my Jewish youth group. I learned from leading disability policy experts and then lobbied staffers from two Virginia Representatives. I wrote about it in an article published on EJewish Philanthropy, and you can read about it here. I am excited to explore my career options during college, and I hope to get involved in the campus newspaper and political advocacy groups.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the next couple months as I end high school, enjoy my summer, and start college. It is an exciting and nerve-wracking time for my whole family. It has been a goal of mine to go to college independently for a long time, and now it has become more of a reality. I have four months left at home before I embark on a new journey! The Office of Disability Services has been fantastic, and I have full confidence that they will help me in any way possible. I actually created change on campus before I even officially enrolled. Last week, I stayed overnight during a program for potential freshmen. I couldn't find a key for a lift in one of the residential colleges, and now the public safety office will give all of the police officers a key to avoid situations like this. The campus is so old, which means I will probably have a few accessibility challenges. However, I will do my best to advocate for myself and other students with disabilities so we can improve accessibility on campus.

Senior year has really gone by quickly. I am beginning my last quarter of high school, so I am starting to feel nostalgic. I would not be where I am today without the support of my friends, family, and teachers. My senior prom is next week, and in a little over a month I will be making a speech on stage at graduation. I spoke at elementary school graduation, so obviously not much has changed. I plan to enjoy this last part of high school with my amazing friends and family by my side. I would like to think that senioritis has not affected me, but it is hard to be completely immune to it. Of course, one symptom of it is doing things other than homework, which is I am writing this post in the first place. I will do my best to post more regularly as my work in high school settles down, and maybe this time I will actually succeed in maintaining that goal!