Center for Principled Problem Solving

Future Health Professionals: The Early College at Guilford HOSA Club

Times are changing quickly. A Forbes study concluded that two-thirds of doctors in America expect the quality of healthcare to decline.  With the recent horde of healthcare reforms and insurance complications, many healthcare providers worry for the future of patient care.

Considering the need of the hour, the Health Occupational Students of America (HOSA) organization strives to ensure a qualified work force for tomorrow’s health care industry. The Early College at Guilford HOSA chapter (ECG HOSA) is one of the organization’s 3,200 chapters across the nation.

Each year, the State Leadership Conference is ECG HOSA’s most-anticipated event. The conference inspires club members to explore specific elements of the healthcare system, including Forensic Medicine, Clinical Nursing, Biotechnology, and Medical Photography.

Rooted in a high school of only 200 total students, ECG HOSA faced a shortage of funding sources. A daunting $800.00 state registration fee threatened to bring progress to a standstill.  Through a timely partnership with the Center of Principled Problem Solving (CPPS), ECG HOSA received a grant to sponsor 16 competitors to attend the 2013 State Conference. Held at the Joseph Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC, the 36^th annual State Leader Conference began on of April 11^th and culminated on the 14^th.  

Competitors arrived at their events, dressed in business attire and ready to demonstrate newly acquired knowledge of a host of other medical specialties. 

Through the course of one action-packed weekend, ECG HOSA students would be involved in everything from mock trauma surgeries to eye refraction demonstrations to nail-biting Medical Spelling bees.

For many, participating in the State Conference was the exciting first milestone in their HOSA "careers." These club members described their experiences as "enlightening," "nerve-racking, but rewarding," and even "life-changing." 

For other veteran members of the club, the State Conference was the capstone in a memorable journey with HOSA. Senior students like Matthew O'Neill (Treasurer) and Colin Hayton (Parliamentarian) still reflect upon their experiences and hope to found HOSA chapters at their undergraduate schools.

While the conference was an enriching experience for each and every competitor, it was beyond rewarding for a few privileged students. 7 HOSA club members were distinguished at the Grand Awards Session as finalists in their events. Even more exciting, three students (Danielle de Preez, Matthew O'Neill, and Rishab Revankar) will represent ECG HOSA at the National Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN. 

With an exciting year behind them and plenty more to come, ECG HOSA has demonstrated the initiative to lead the healthcare community in the not-so-distant future.

Thoughts on the Importance of Public Education by Ali Haridopolos

Brazilian education theorist Paulo Freire writes about the action and reflection praxis.  Through the process of reflection and action, Freire explains, liberation happens. I feel this accurately describes how I have been feeling this academic year. My community in high school, though it still exists when I return home, feels like a different life. This distance has allowed me to begin reflecting upon my analysis and what has influenced it. Accepting Guilford as my community now has encouraged me to act, as I have come to care about it in a deeper way.

Guilford invited Geoffrey Canada to speak for the Bryan Series on the 10^th of February. Though Canada touched on a number of topics, what resonated with me was when he spoke about his football coach’s influence on him growing up. Canada explained that his coach was someone who he felt had faith in him. Reflecting on what has modeled me most, what comes to mind are my mentors; people who took the time to engage with me in a meaningful way. 

Of course, in many ways this is a product of my privilege. I move through the world as a white female. I can look around and see people who look like me doing important things. Through grade school, my race probably influenced how teachers spoke to me.

I grew up on the Upper West Side of New York and went to a public high school that was exempt from taking the statewide exams. The school was characterized as an alternative and progressive public school that encouraged critical thinking. However when a group of students, community members, teachers and education organizers came together to critic the selective admissions policy, our administration reacted with hostility.  Our principal threatened students with suspension, threatened to call universities that seniors had been accepted to and harassed family members. I had been in the vice principal’s advisory group, but was asked to leave when he found out about my involvement in organizing. It was through this experience of organizing in my high school that I met adults who became my most influential mentors. They challenged my analysis, supported me when our administration was particularly hostile and encouraged me to not doubt myself.

These mentors had a deep faith in public education; something they do not share with Geoffrey Canada. They believe public education as the potential to be a great equalizer, however because of their intimate experience with the NYC school system they are under no disillusions about its problems. Hearing Canada speak this weekend reminded me of the importance of a public education. Not once did Canada speak about his school’s curriculum. Not once did he explain his educational pedagogy, philosophy or the importance of critical thinking. Canada has the ‘luxury’ of being able to fire ‘bad’ teachers, but what kind of a climate is created in a school where teachers are not unionized? Stan Druckenmiller, the chairman of Canada’s Board of Trustees is a hedge-fund manager. Gary D. Cohn is the President and COO of investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs. Have we forgotten who caused the economic crisis of 2008? Why should these same people be trusted to run a school?

Last September the Chicago Teachers’ Union went on strike. In the most recent issue of Rethinking Schools an article entitled “New Teachers’ Union Movement in the Making” described how the strike of last fall was a turning point for union organizing. The article detailed that politicians of both parties in Chicago are for “the marketization and privatization of public schools; pockets of “success” valued over educational justice; teaching discounted as a profession; compliance trumping professional responsibility; free market competition as the arbiter of all; and test-centric, data-driven regimens that crush student-centered quality teaching and learning.” What made the strike in Chicago so successful was the organic community involvement the teachers had. Activists from the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (CORE) intentionally reached out to parents and community leaders, listening to what they felt issues in education were. It was because of these relationships that the strike was larger than the teachers union, it was about community justice. The strike last September was also not afraid to make bold demands. They identified institutional racism as the root of school inequality, demanded the end of the “educational apartheid” and that the “whole child be educated, demanding more art, music, and physical education teachers.” The need for brave, sustainable and all-encompassing education organizing is urgent. The strike in Chicago offers many lessons.

The private sector is encroaching on public services. Water, health care, prisons, and energy have all been privatized. Canada claims his reasoning for not allowing his teachers to unionize is so he can fire bad ones. However, is this rhetoric isolated from the anti-union politics in Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Florida and Tennessee? Laws to curb collective bargaining, end seniority and limit tenure are popping up throughout the country. In a country where the wealth gap is wider than ever, the role of unions as an advocate for working people is essential. Conservative Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Democrat Chicago Major Rahm Emmanuel are politically identical when it comes to educational reforms. The conservative versus liberal discourse does not have a place the educational movement. Like in Chicago, there needs to be organizing against applying the free market system to children’s education in a way that can bring communities together in a meaningful fashion. I do not claim the public education system is perfect, but it is what we pay taxes for.

 

 

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/27_02/edit272.shtml

Surviving Violence, Trauma, and Loss through Creating New Discourses for Women's Empowerment! by Bianca Harvey

I was honored to have the privilege to attend along with several other classmates, this year's South Eastern Women's Studies Association (SEWSA) conference at UNCG.  The overarching theme of the weekend-long conference was Outrage! Discources, Practices, and Politics of Protest and Social Transformation.  I attended both required sessions on Friday, the opening day of the conference: 4/18/2013.  My first panel of choice was titled "Creating New Discourses for Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking" led by various authors, associate professors, and social work professionals.  The main take home message from this session, I interpreted was the often male dominated practices of sexual assault, female parter violence (domestic violence), and human trafficking serve as a perpetuating system of oppression that maintains women in a certain capacity within societal boundaries. Deanna Stoker, one of the guest panelist spoke specifically on the topic of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Avoiding the Trap of Rescue and Redemption. From her presentation in particular, I learned some striking evidence about rape myths, such as the alarming high rate of 1 in 4 women that have experienced some form of physical/sexual violence in their lifetimes.  She also emphasized the importance of "consensual sex" among adolescent victims of sexual abuse/assault.  She stated that it is not inherently about the word "No", but rather about the absence of "yes" that equates to nonconsensual or forced sexual activities between two parties.

I agree with Deanna that in order for a more equal and just society for all, we must seek change in the Human Rights sector of public discourse presented to youth, children, and adults regarding sexuality, rape, abnormal behavior, consent, and support networks for unexpected crisises.  This topic closely relates to Gender and Sociology of the Body as it intersects with embodiment, violence, oppression, and sexuality.  One aspect that also stood out to me from her presentation was the resistance of the survivors they encountered within their agency from being depicted as being "saved" by a heroic figure from their trafficker. Thus, the girls that are forced into sex slavery are often expected to praise the sex trafficker or be thankful that they have been saved from immense poverty in their homeland situations in most cases. This reminds me of the story of Jessica Lynch from the US Military who was used by the media to appear as a "heroine of war".  It perpetuates the stereotype that females are weak, feebleminded, dependent of male assistance, and irrational.

The second session I attended on Friday afternoon was titled Violence, Trauma, Memory, and Recovery.  As my undergraduate career is nearing its end, I am preparing to pursue my MSW with a concentration on Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence within families and communities.  Therefore, this session really spoke to my career goals and the passion I have for serving this population of society.  In a round table discussion, we debated the effectiveness of domestic violence shelters and their security tactics from outside perpetrators gaining access to clients and entry to the establishment.  We also touched on the subject of racial trauma and how the "black" sinlge mother is stigmatized in society.  Presentor, Winsora Blanford gave a personal account of three minority women's lives and struggles whom she had documented for quite some time and found noteworthy evidence of racial trauma and oppression as a frequent occurrence within their daily lives as a result of their double minority status as minority women within society.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this conference and will definitely consider returning in the future! 

Finding Your Place in the Universe by Khadija Carr

     In the fall I attended the Sullivan Foundation's Social Entrepreneurship Retreat held at the Kanuga Conference Center. Initially, I felt a bit mediocre compared to the other "changemakers" but as my stay progressed I realized that the difference between me and those future business leaders of America is that I had yet to create a personal story through passion. The problem that continued to stir in me was this terrible fear of rejection. As an Ethics of Capitalism scholar, I was informed about the Ashoka U Exchange. Yes! The Ashoka U Exchange, one of the biggest social entrepreneurship retreats in the country, and I would be among the 600 trying to make the world a better place.

     Soon enough, February 21^st was here and I was headed to the airport. Destination, San Diego, California. 30,000 ft. in the air, there was no turning back. I made a declaration; I was no longer going to wait for anyone to ask my passion. I had done myself a huge disservice by shutting out others from my growth. Though I had ideas of how to make social justice a reality, I still had questions. "What’s a good society?" "Who am I in that society?" "Do I have what I need, if not how will I get it?" This weekend was going to be perfect because these very questions would be answered, in a few hours I would be surrounded by a community of innovators and changemakers deeply invested in the potential and values of social impact. I closed my eyes and began to dream; I was soon to be enticed by an even bigger journey.

     Four hours and a stiff neck later I was waking up to the turbulence of our landing. Walking in the direction of the breezy air, a sense of hope engulfed my clouded mind. At the hotel we were given our nametags and itineraries. Tomorrow I would be attending a TEDx  event, an opportunity of a lifetime. Once there I began to think about my life and the impact I would soon have on the lives of others. Speaker Alex Bernadotte’s talk resonated the most with me.

     Bernadotte is the founder and CEO of Beyond 12. She focused her talk on education and the idea that zip code and level of education that one’s parents have should not dictate or be an indication of where children will end up in the world. In today’s corrupt society, many often fall victim to everyday pressures. This system seems to be so broken that many college eligible students are often not college ready, thus leading to their demise. Alex Bernadotte learned first hand the importance of an education and its ability to break the cycle of poverty. Because of her experience, she works hard to increase the number of low-income students who graduate from college.

     Bernadotte and the other speakers truly helped me answer some of the questions I posed before. A good society is one where everyone’s voice is heard equally. The needs of every individual are met. Access is not for the elite. Though I am one person, I am starting to believe that "[I am] the universe, expressing [myself] as a human for a little while," I have finally come to understand my purpose…service. What’s yours?

Let's Learn NC Joyce Medina Allard

On March 9, 2013, I attended the Let’s Learn NC Summit in Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC. Let’s Learn NC is a campaign to get equal in-state tuition for undocumented NC resident students.I attended because it was a part of my job description for my Internship at American Friends Service Committee to work on the Let’s Learn NC campaign. I also went because if I was going to work on such a meaningful campaign I wanted to learn more about it. I heard about it through Jorge Zeballos, the Multicultural Education Department's Latino Coordinator.  I attended with Jorge and four other Guilford students.

In-state tuition is necessary because undocumented students can’t go to college or universities unless they pay out-of-state tuition, even if they meet all other requirements for in-state. Out-of-state tuition is four times more than the price of in-state tuition making it unaffordable to undocumented students.

The organization of Winston-Salem, El Cambio, organized the meeting. At this summit I learned that the campaign Let’s Learn NC was started by the Adelante Education Coalition. The first year they  presented an in-state tuition bill was in 2003 and the second time was in 2005. Now in 2013 it is the third time they are making this effort. El Pueblo and Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) are other organizations that came before Adelante Education Coalition and have also worked on education and immigration rights. 

Since we ask if there are organizations that are for the cause, we must also ask if there are organizations that are against the cause? We learned about NC Fire that is anti-equal tuition and NC Listen that is anti-immigrant. This conference, Let’s Learn NC Summit, was held to come up with a strategic plan in order to obtain the support of the council members of cities and counties.

The Let’s Learn NC Campaign is divided into three teams; lobbying, communication, and organization. At the summit they began by separating us in two groups, one was communication and the other was organizing. I participated in the organizing group. In this group we had to name different work places, universities, and religions that have  great influence in the community.  They planned to ask these organizations for their support and to use their support to try to change the minds of other organizations and people so that they would support the cause. 

When our two groups came back together we began to answer the question, How can we convince NC which is a rural state that equality in education is necessary? “Avoiding the politics,” many said. Others suggested, “we could use the youthful movement, economic and religious aspects, and being united behind the American dream.” With this we began to create a power map to analyze the positions on education of members of the Winston-Salem City Council. We did this for various members of other counties as well. Then we joined all of them in the power map. 

This is only the beginning of this campaign. All the students and organizations that were present in the summit made a goal for their schools and their counties to obtain the support of many. Here in Guilford County we are seeking support for the petition, but we are also doing videos of the people who support, saying why they support Let's Learn NC.

Why do I support or believe you should support? I support Let's Learn NC because education should not be a privilege, it should be a duty. I support because we all should have an opportunity to have a higher education in order to look ahead. Why should you support?  Because EDUCATION is necessary in this life and is not something to distribute among only some of the people. This is still a fight to get equality  - something Guilford College believes in and everyone should start to believe in. Support in-state tuition equality for undocumented NC state residents by signing the online petition at letslearnnc.org, by making a video with AFSC which is shown on the website and youtube.com/NCAdelante! 

http://letslearn.adelantenc.org/

The Reality Behind Business by Byron Hamilton

Over the past winter break I began my search for a summer internship.  However this was no ordinary search.  Seeing as I still do not know what field I want to go into I felt that I wouldn’t be able to figure out a career path that interested me by filling out an online form.  Instead I was able to set up personal meetings with individuals in the environmental sustainability field, a practice I am finding more and more attractive and prospective.  While all three went well, overall I was hit by a very realistic barrier.  While I was aware that this barrier existed, I did not want to believe it.

This barrier is the fact that no matter what, all the decisions that these representatives wanted to pass had to be backed up by prosperity for the business.  While this seems like a very obvious concept, I figured that companies who rave about their environmental sustainability and giving back to the environment would be more invested or have a few projects focused on increasing their sustainability.  It seems that all three of the representatives I talked to had a difficult time communicating the benefits of practicing environmental sustainability within a business.  Ultimately, every decision or tactic used by these three representatives has to increase business, or else their supervisors would not approve of their decision or tactic.

While it seems obvious that business decisions should be made in the best interest of the company, all of these factors combined have caused me to question my faith in business tactics.  However, I know that I will eventually come to terms with the fact that this is the way that businesses are run. 

I found it shocking how business leaders shoot down sustainable ideas because the ideas seem too expensive or too much of a hassle when leaders do not see the refund offset in the future.  By this I mean that generally environmental sustainability business practices are expensive at first but they pay off over the course of a few years.  This idea may seem simple to you and me, however, as described to me by one of the environmental sustainability employees, upper management struggles to grasp this idea for they fear that they may be risking too much to step into new technology.

Ultimately my view of a career focused in environmental sustainability in businesses is morphing from the idea that the environment is the focus of their jobs to the idea that they implement new technology, which first aid the business and then help the environment.  Along the way the businesses then utilize the fact that they are “environmentally friendly” in order to make their customers happy.  However, there is hope.  A newer type of corporation is immerging which is a benefit corporation (B-Corp). These corporations are required by law to create a benefit to society.  With a focus on the environment, a benefit corporation could be the next step towards increasing a focus in environmental sustainability in the business world.

 

Should We Hold Ourselves More Accountable? by Rebecca Dozier

     Ever since starting my internship at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library (website here), I started thinking more and more about accountability.  Yes, we are expected to be accountable for our work, our internships and our academics.  And most of us are.  But are we accountable to our environment?  Are we accountable to ourselves?  My guess is that the answer for many people is no.

     Accountability seems to be a popular topic in many aspects of my life.  Most of us do not even think about accountability beyond showing up for work and/or class.  While being accountable to work and school is important, being accountable to self and to our environment is equally important, but not addressed very often.

     In order for us to perform at our best, we need to take care of ourselves.  Sleep, nutrition, exercise and happiness are all important aspects of our lives that are often forgotten about or pushed further down the list of priorities.  However, physical and mental health should be at the top of the list.  Why do we hold ourselves more accountable at work or school than holding ourselves accountable to our health?

     In today’s society, having a good G.P.A. in school is seen as more important than having good cholesterol levels.  When people are faced with stresses at school or work, exercise is usually the first to get pushed down our list of priorities.  We often do this even though we all know that exercise is a stress-reliever and health-promoter.

     Perhaps we do this because we are more focused on short-term goals of economic and financial success rather than long-term health.  Our focus and attention on short-term goals is also apparent in the way we treat our environment.

     Even though I am an Environmental Studies major and self-proclaimed environmentalist, I still have trouble with living an environmentally sustainable life.  I know that I can always do something better for the environment, yet I have such a hard time with this.  I live more sustainably than the average American, but I do not believe that is enough.  This became especially apparent to me when I started interning at the environmental library.  Through the internship, I have worked on program planning, outreach and advertising, all relating to environmental events at the library.  We all work very hard to make these programs run smoothly and to educate the public.  However, am I actually practicing what I preach?  Am I accountable to the environment?

     In March, the library had No Impact Week (website here) filled with events about reducing our impact on the environment.  One of the main events was a talk by Beth Terry, blogger and author of Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too.  She gave an amazing, inspirational talk about why plastic is so bad for the environment, what motivated her to transition to living plastic-free and how she did so.  I found myself wondering “since I helped with this event, shouldn’t I be living a more plastic-free life?”

     The answer is yes.  We all should.  Even though it is very difficult to eliminate plastic from our daily lives when it is so prevalent.  It is difficult to make yourself put in that little extra effort to avoid using food products sold in plastic packaging, for example.  However, if we wish to be accountable to the environment, we have to make the extra effort and keep those long-term environmental goals in mind in our everyday lives.

     As the old cartoon character Pogo once said, “we have met the enemy and he is us” (IGoPogo.com).  If we are going to solve our environmental problems—and the burden is on our generation to do so—then we all have to become accountable to ourselves and especially to the environment.

Our new fancy plaza

Recently The Guilfordian announced that Guilford would be constructing a fountain and plaza between Founders and Milner Halls.  For those of you who do not know where on earth this is, it is smack in the middle of campus between Guilford’s largest residence hall and its student center.

“Imagine a wooded area. Paths and low walls stretch between Milner Hall and Founders Hall, a cool mist floating through the air between.

This will soon be the Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Plaza, a small wooded area to be built largely around a 30 feet by 30 feet water feature with 40 natural stones scattered in a circular sitting area.”

Sounds scenic, does it not?  Following a feature on Greensboro’s soon-to-be premier water feature, there has been some uproar around campus beautification as it pertains to the always important budget.  Even though everyone that attends Guilford College, knows someone at Guilford College, works near Guilford College, or passes Guilford College on their way to Menchies Froyo is an expert on our budget and financial standing, it would not hurt to go over it again; we are poor.  Or so everyone thinks…

No matter who you ask on campus, students and faculty alike argue that too much money that Guilford just does not have is spent on facility renovations and new football uniforms.  Sure, this may or may not be true to some extent.  Hege Cox has been falling apart for going on two decades now, Dana does not even have a handicap ramp, and the health center is too far for sick people to walk.  But what the new Guilfordian article Administration makes plans to build fountain, plaza clarifies is just where these funds come from and why.

‘“The plaza will be 100 percent gift-funded,” said President and Professor of Political Science Kent Chabotar. “No money’s coming out of tuition payments. It’s a restricted gift. You take it or you don’t."

The gift is from the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, the same donor that was responsible for the Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Auditorium in Frank Science Center. The donation is split between the Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Plaza and the Center for Principled Problem Solving.”

As a PPS scholar, it is important for me to approach different situations with the idea of cultivating community in mind.  While many criticize the fountain and plaza, I believe that it will put Guilford’s campus over the edge in regards to campus beautification.

 

 

Gloria Chonay - Guatemalan Artisan Comes to Greensboro

 

 Gloria Chonay is an artisan who works closely with Fair Trade Organizations. Gloria is the leader of Mayan Hands, a cooperative of basket makers in Xeabaj, a rural community in Santa Apolonia, Chimaltenango, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Gloria is currently in the United States and making twelve stops throughout the Southeastern region. During these visits, Ms. Chonay will be sharing a basket weaving demonstration and a question and answer session. This will be a chance to interact with someone who can reveal a very personal perspective of what life is like for Mayan women, the impact of Fair Trade, and to see how intricate pine needle baskets are made. 

It just so happens that one of Gloria Chonay's stops is in Greensboro, North Carolina - at Ten Thousand Villages of Greensboro (1564-A Highwoods Blvd. Greensboro, NC 27410). This event on April 28 from 3 - 5 pm is free and open to anyone wishing to learn more about languages and cultures, handicraft traditions, or social entrepreneurship. 

Basket making is a skill that dates back as early as 10,000 - 12,000 years ago. The earliest baskets were found in Egypt, in addition to other locations within the Middle East.  Basket making is a skill that takes a significant amount of time to thoroughly master. Once mastered however, basket makers can create some of the most beautiful art pieces that the world has ever seen.  

 I am currently an intern at Ten Thousand Villages and I am majoring in Business Administration. Fair Trade is an intriguing topic and I have learned about many aspects of it during my time at Ten Thousand Villages. Fair Trade means that fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries. Buying items through fair trade can support countless families for years at a time.

Here is a link to Ten Thousand Villages Web page, where you will be able to learn more about this non-profit organization: http://greensboro.tenthousandvillages.com

Here is a link to Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade section of their website: http://rugs.tenthousandvillages.com/fair_trade_difference

If you have any questions, feel free to call Joelle Nealy at 336-275-1204

 Before coming to see Gloria Chonay make her unique baskets, check out these pictures of baskets she has previously created!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Violence Against Women Act

In the Winston-Salem Journal online, I read an article that informed me about the reauthorization of an important Act that has many different views on the safety and personal rights of victims who experience domestic violence. This Act is known as the Violence Against Women Act purposely implemented to provide more services and coverage for domestic violence victims including gays, Lesbians, and Native Americans. In some states the regulations for this Act are different, but in North Carolina people who are involved in a same-sex relationship can place restraining orders on the abuser as long as they live in the same household as the victim. But if they are in a same-sex relationship and are not living in the same household, then the victim cannot place a restraining order at all. 

Therefore, this law is leaving the gay and lesbian population with the short end of the stick showing more inequality and discrimination against certain groups of people rather than demonstrating one of our main core values, equality that accepts and treats everyone with fairness and respect without judgment or discrimination.

In the article, the executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Beth Froehling) says that the reauthorization of this law was a “thrill” to her because she believes that it is very essential for any victim to be protected equally, which I completely agree with as well. This world is full of diversity when it comes to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, therefore we can not afford to pick and chose who can and who can’t be protected by domestic violence laws no matter where they live. This is a very big social issue that I really wanted to be solved by voting it out last year (I voted for the Act not to be passed because I believe that each individuals rights should be protected whether you are in same-sex relationships or not and whether you live in the same house hold as the abuser or not).