Bay Students Present: Research in the Community

This week, tenth grade students hosted Research in the Community Night at Bay, delivering individual 10-minute presentations on a wide variety of research topics from their semester-long course. With parents circulating throughout the building to watch some of the more than 50 presentations, each student speaker addressed salient issues regarding public health, the environment, civil rights, political life, and economic challenges in the Bay region.

All tenth grade students take Research in the Community, a course that builds a foundation of research skills while allowing each student to choose and explore an issue that is both interesting to them as well as relevant to their communities. In preparing their research, students define a meaningful question and use both traditional academic and field-based research techniques, including interviews with experts, to develop a thoughtful response.

Eliza ’21 examined the rationale and possible implications of SB 10, legislation abolishing cash bail in California. Eliza  looked at how such legislation enacted in other states affected incarceration to understand the pros and cons of this new legislation intended to minimize socioeconomic (and correlated racial) discrimination in the justice system. And she shared her hope that the disproportionate incarceration of people of color may change as a result of the new law.

Aly ’21 presented on youth and family in Chinatown and the role the YMCA plays in providing important programs and resources for both. Her expansive, historic framing and understanding of Chinatown’s and the YMCA’s history, along with the stories she gathered through interviews and her original images of Chinatown, created a compelling portrait of the residents and life of Chinatown and the YMCA–places where young people develop lifelong friendships, strong community ties, and leadership.

Julius ’21 addressed the impact of the tech boom on small businesses in San Francisco. While he began his research with a clear perspective that the tech boom is bad for small business in the city, and was able to find evidence to support it, he came to a different though not transformed perspective through an interview with a Bernal Heights small business owner named Ken. Ken had been in the neighborhood for many years and changed his business as the needs of the community changed. Ken felt small business owners needed to creatively adapt to the changes afoot rather than protest the fact of change. Ultimately, while he found Ken compelling, Julius still expressed uncertainty about losing San Francisco’s identity as a place for arts and culture to thrive.

A complete list of the intriguing presentations is below. Congratulations to Bay students and teachers for an evening filled with education for all.

Unreadable: Foreign Languages and Dyslexia Just One of the Many Reasons Why Voting Matters: How Brett Kavanaugh Will Impact Roe v. Wade Hugs Not Drugs: The Effects of Stress and Substance Abuse on Teens Global Warming in the Bay Area: Understanding our Rising Sea Levels Why Can’t the Homeless Find Housing in San Francisco What Factors are Contributing to San Francisco’s Housing Crisis? The Mental Health of LGBT + Youth The Three Letters Nobody Wants to Hear: MSG Justice for Juveniles: Improving the Juvenile Justice System Man’s Best Friend: The Way Fear and Anxiety Impact Our Dogs Breaking Barriers: Life as a First-Generation Student What are the Effects of Concussions? Should the Homeless be Allowed to Have Dogs? Carving a Path for First-Generation Students The Advantages and Disadvantages of “Diet Detox” The Effects of Alcohol on the Teenage Brain The Achievement Gap: PTA Funds in Public Schools Homelessness in the Bay Area: Has it Been Normalized? Chlorpyrifos: The Chemical Menace Sociality in School: Ideals, Ideas and Everyone’s Perspectives Who Impacts a Student’s Education How the Tech Industry has Affected the Bay Area California’s Cracking of Climate Change The Morality of the Prison Industry Gun Violence: An In-Depth Look at the Effectiveness of California’s Gun Laws The Negative Effect of Social Media

A Bite Out of the Truth: the Population Decrease of Sharks High or Dry: Legalization of Marjuana, Its Effect on Teens The Melting Ski Industry: Thoughts on California’s Drought The Youth and Democracy: Voting Among Youth in America A Common Addiction: Causes and Consequences of Caffeine Addiction Cats and Dogs: Stray Population and Shelter Euthanasia Food Deserts: What Can be Done? The Toxic Profits of the FAst-Fashion Industry Breaking the Bank: What Spiked the Exorbitant Cost of SF Living? Romeo and Juliet: The Resurgence of Teenage Nicotine Addiction Kitty Kitty Bang Bang: The Overpopulation of Cats in the Bay Area Stressed Out: Teenage Anxiety and Academic Performance Plastic Planet: The Effects of Ocean Plastic on Humans and Wildlife Taking a Stand: Racial Protest in Sports Changing the Law for Graffiti Video Games and Violence Welfare and Drugs? Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Living on the Street: San Francisco’s Growing Homeless Population Challenged: Censorship in Public Libraries Bee Conscious: The Bee Crisis in California Don’t Sleep on This: Sleep and the Health of High School Students Junked: Auto Recycling and Governmental Regulation Truth in Media: Misrepresentation of Blackness and Its Effects on Local Youth The Impact of Sexual Trauma Sexual Abuse in Female Sports Taxing Growth: The Effect of Tech on Small Business in the Bay Area