However, at winter con, they couldn’t attend unfortunately, so we didn’t expect much when we stopped at a Buc-ee’s in Ennis. Yet, as we were walking to the restroom, we ran into Pranav, Kyle, & Kaitlyn (state directors/executives) from the Plano chapters! Now, we’re wondering about who we will run into on the way back from spring state! Haha!

Thank you,

Phillip Pham

Lakeview Centennial Chapter President

Lakeview Centennial Chapter’s Spotlight Moments at Buc-ees was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

From Houston to Dallas in 90 minutes, Boston to NYC in 100 minutes, and Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than 3 hours. This is the future. Countries worldwide, from Japan to the UK, have implemented high-speed rail (HSR) projects across their lands. These projects are heralded as successes, but the prevalence of fast, efficient trains abroad begs the question: should the United States Federal Government substantially increase its investment in high-speed rail?

The history of HSR started when Japan opened the first HSR line (Shinkansen) in 1964. The original Shinkansen connected three of Japan’s biggest cities: Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Within three years, the train carried 100 million passengers, and today, all major cities in Japan are connected by HSR. Rail took a different turn in the US. The only HSR line in the US is the Acela line, which runs between Washington, DC, and Boston, MA. Outside Acela, the most visible high-speed rail project is the California High-Speed Rail Project, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. Plans for HSR in Texas have been formed but have yet to see implementation.

The benefits of HSR center around two main things: economic and environmental advantages. Regarding economic benefits, transportation infrastructure is associated with 79% of economic growth. This originates from diversified aspects. First, HSR’s ability to connect cities creates megaregions, increasing productivity and enhancing the mobility of goods, people, and knowledge. Second, HSR promotes access to opportunities across geographies. Currently, distance limits the scope of plausible jobs a person can obtain. By shortening commute times, HSR allows people to access a greater pool of jobs that would otherwise be unavailable. In terms of economic benefits, HSR affects all aspects of our fossil fuel usage. First, HSR is known to be more energy efficient than other forms of transportation. Rail can be 100% powered by renewable energy, is nine times more efficient than planes, and four times more than cars. HSR directly reduces carbon emissions by taking millions of cars and planes off the roads and out of the air. Second, HSR decreases the US’s reliance on oil. We use 18 million barrels of oil every day, with transportation taking up the largest share. Through HSR’s increased energy efficiency, HSR will save us billions of dollars by reducing our oil consumption.

The negatives of HSR are focused on gentrification and high costs. Regarding gentrification, we’ve already seen displacement occur in Texas and California. It’s a story of supply and demand. The demand for accessible and efficient transit has never been higher. So, when HSR is supplied, everyone wants to live within an accessible distance. This causes prices and property values near its stations to skyrocket, pushing out the original residents. In terms of costs, HSR is extremely expensive. California has spent over $100 billion and 20 years on its rails, yet only a few miles have been constructed. The projected costs of a national infrastructure plan such as HSR would cost trillions and decades. Environmental reviews, land conflicts, and uncertain political support would delay the project by years. Spending trillions during dire times in the US would have unforeseen consequences. Funding would trade off with government spending on education, welfare, and healthcare programs. Studies have found that only 2% of Americans will ride HSR, so there’s no reason to spend that much money on obsolete technology when we already have the most advanced car and plane infrastructure.

For these reasons, I strongly urge a PRO/CON ballot.

Works Cited

Dai, Emily, and Kevin Kurian. “America Needs High-Speed Rail.” Washington Square News, 26 Mar. 2021, https://nyunews.com/opinion/2021/03/25/high-speed-rail-necessary/.

Impact of High Speed Rail Stations on Local Development: A Delphi Survey. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23289700.

Kandel, Alan. “Restoring Unity, Order, Smarts, Meaning, Sanity and Balance in the Space We Call Travel — 1: High-Speed Rail.” Air Quality Matters, Air Quality Matters on ScienceBlog.com, 13 June 2020, https://alankandel.scienceblog.com/2018/10/17/restoring-unity-order-smarts-meaning-sanity-and-balance-in-the-space-we-call-travel-1-hsr/.

Millsap, Adam A. “Biden’s High-Speed Rail to Nowhere.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 15 Apr. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2021/04/15/bidens-high-speed-rail-to-nowhere/?sh=5d6b6b8c108c.

“Multiple Crises Pushing Millions into Extreme Poverty, Economic and Social Council President Warns as Financing for Development Forum Opens | UN Press.” United Nations, United Nations, https://press.un.org/en/2022/ecosoc7078.doc.htm.

“Public Transportation Boosts Property Values.” Www.nar.realtor, 16 June 2014, https://www.nar.realtor/articles/public-transportation-boosts-property-values.

“The U.S. Is Not Ready for High Speed Rail.” VICE, 19 Apr. 2021, https://www.vice.com/en/article/3aqz8y/the-us-is-not-ready-for-high-speed-rail.

Wiseman, Paul. “Rising Interest Rates in US Will Hinder Foreign Economies.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 5 May 2022, https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-business-international-monetary-fund-sri-lanka-ab562cd9e16592e40ec8c6d842c74b7a.

Yu, Xiaolin, and Kai Wan. “High-Speed Rail Opening and Green Innovation-Evidence from China.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 1 Jan. 1AD, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.901879/full.

Pro/Con: HSR in the US was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Get ready for another weekend of fun debates, late-night activities, activism workshops, and more at this year’s Fall State! The convention will be taking place in person on Nov. 13 at the Omni Hotel in Austin, TX, and will be held virtually for the 14th as a hybrid event.

To give attendees a better glimpse of what to expect, we’ve interviewed Kyle Letterer, the current Director of Chapter Internal Affairs (CIA). Letterer starts off by giving an overview of what his position entails.

“Essentially, I am in charge of serving as a liaison between Cabinet and Chapter Presidents (CPs), and I’m charged with ensuring that CPs have access to all the pertinent information that they need,” Letterer said. “For instance, we’re distributing information about Fall State right now to CPs so they have everything that they need to successfully register their chapters and get ready for Fall State.”

Because last year’s Fall State was held virtually, many JSAers missed out on many of the aspects that made the in-person convention so enjoyable. As a junior this year, Letterer was able to attend Fall State his freshman year before school went into lockdown and experience the best of both worlds, virtual and in-person.

“My first Fall State was in my freshman year, and it was certainly an experience to remember! I recall being completely blown away by the sheer amount of people who were all so dedicated to coming together to not only fight political apathy but also to just discuss the various issues that exist in the world we live in. I don’t mean to sound cliché, but it really changed my perspective on so many things, and that’s why I initially fell in love with JSA.”

The form to sign up as a main speaker or moderator is currently available and will be closing on Nov. 5. The discussions planned for the event are already released on the @texas.jsa Instagram, and feature resolutions and thought talks such as: “Resolved, the United States should prohibit the consideration of standardized testing in college admissions,” or “Should the U.S. adopt a similar gaming restriction like the one China has imposed on their under 18?” For Letterer, the debates were his favorite part of the convention.

“Each and every debate that I attended was filled with people who were just so passionate about the things we were discussing,” Letterer said. “But at the same time, everybody, regardless of their opposing viewpoints, was all so respectful of one another, which just represents everything that JSA stands for as an organization.”

The convention brings together chapters and JSAers from all over the state and even some from out of state, connecting people of all ages and backgrounds. Letterer strongly recommends it for anybody who wishes to attend this year.

“Fall State is such a wonderful opportunity to not only learn new things and meet amazing people but also to become more involved in such a wonderful organization. On a personal note, Fall State turned out to be so influential in my first few years of high school life, and I highly encourage everybody to take advantage of this truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

Buckle Up for Fall State 2021 was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In a world where young people have become agents of urgency for social progress — finding our voices on issues from climate change to gun violence to mental health — realizing the power of uniting within our communities to enact change has never been more important. While words like “activism”, “awareness”, and “change” can seem like abstract concepts with no true metric of success on the individual level, the JSA Activism Department endeavors to provide all Statesmen an opportunity to collaborate on the issues that incite them the most with people who share their same passion for progress.

Each year, we organize the Fight Apathy campaign and statewide activism initiatives, including an Activism Block at both Fall and Spring States. The Department also works on several Activism Guides throughout the year to provide chapters with a toolkit for potential local projects (voter registration drives, food bank drives, political fairs, etc.) Last year, we composed a Chapter President Election Menu for election season, a Virtual Activism Menu to help chapters adapt during the pandemic, and a mid-year Social Justice Guide. These resources are all a central component of how we seek to popularize activism for everyone in the state, starting with simple, on-the-ground initiatives in our local communities.

If you are interested in experiencing the Activism Department’s impact firsthand, our Activism Block at the upcoming Fall State in Austin is the perfect chance to do so! We have organized three initiatives to choose from for the hour-long block: collaborative protest poster-making, a foreign policy crisis roundtable, and (one of our most ambitious in-person initiatives yet) a handmade, reusable menstrual pad workshop to produce feminine products for women’s shelters around the state.

Our generation is the most opinionated, involved one yet — and the Texas JSA Activism Department is excited to be a vehicle for this ever-expanding movement.

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”

— Malala Yousafzai

Department Promo: Activism was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

How did you first get involved with the JSA? Perhaps there was an interest meeting for your school’s chapter, joined under the guidance of an older sibling, or with a friend. Alumni Pranav Konduri’s JSA origin story is a bit different: he was neighbors with the Governor of the Texas JSA at that time.

Konduri became involved with the JSA through his neighbor’s involvement during freshman year. He fell in love with the organization after attending his first Fall State convention. In fact, Fall State seems to be an important part of Konduri’s JSA experience. He recounted his favorite JSA memory as the time “someone walked up to [him] and told [him] that all of the new debate styles [his] department introduced that year made her feel like JSA was fun again.”

From debate agent to debate director and then to the lieutenant gubernatorial chief of staff, Konduri has held many positions on the Texas JSA cabinet. His influence on the JSA at the time is apparent, but not only did Konduri’s involvement with the JSA help others, it also helped himself.

Konduri describes his JSA experience as extremely positive.

“JSA showed me the dangers of political apathy and the importance of being involved in your community from a young age.”

Pranav Konduri is now a sophomore attending UT Austin. He majors in Government and Economics. After being a major part of JSA throughout his high school years, Konduri had this advice for all current JSA members.

“My best advice for current JSA members is to disregard any potential stage fright they have and sign up to debate at a convention or subsequent speak; it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can get from the organization.”

Alumni Spotlight: Pranav Konduri was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The JSA Expansion Department serves as the first building block for gaining membership in JSA. Every chapter in JSA currently was once an expansion chapter! Expansion helps with not just reaching out to schools but also helps to facilitate the starting process by holding meetings, exchanging info, etc.

The Expansion Department efficiently gathers numerous contacts from all over Texas (and the nation!) and sends out messages to prospective chapter schools. These contacts are found using personal friends/connections, contact interest forms, even social media communities like Discord servers! Once we have helped create a new chapter at the school, we then collaborate with the Chapter Internal Affairs Department (CIA) to maintain those chapters.

The best part about the Expansion Department is the flexibility of the work. No matter what activities you pursue, the expansion department allows you to act as an advertiser of JSA wherever you are, finding potential high schoolers that are willing to work with you to start a brand new chapter! So far, we have collectively reached out to more than 80 schools across Texas in less than two months! With your support, we can reach out to/begin even more new chapters across the Great State of Texas, preserving the mission of JSA by expanding political education.

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

— Greek Philosopher Plato

Come start a new legacy of JSA with the Expansion Department!

Department Promo: Expansion was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

While the 20-month experience most students lived through was mostly filled with sleeping (or not sleeping), procrastinating, and watching TikToks, the increasing rate of high school dropouts presented the flip side of the nearly 2-year long quarantine and the difficulties students had while struggling to make ends meet.

Although many schools were able to start off the 2020–21 academic year with in-person attendance, high vaccination rates, and mask policies in place, the pandemic’s lasting fallout has taken a devastating toll on education and will be remembered as one of the most challenging years for educators and students.

While for some, remote learning meant sleeping in or turning in homework a minute before midnight, for others, the closure of classrooms meant a drop in priority, which was only worsened by the lack of digital devices or resources required to attend classes.

With more than 600,000 Texas public school students leaving assignments incomplete or remaining unresponsive to teacher outreach during lockdown, administrators had no way of contacting students after the abrupt dismissal of schools left districts to go off of outdated contacts and old addresses.

Nearly 15,000 students were missing by the new school year in the Houston Independent School District alone, and some schools would have dozens of staff members visiting houses door-to-door in search of students.

For some, the economic impact of the pandemic involved stepping up to raise money on behalf of the family, meaning schoolwork and class attendance would have to come second to an income.

The overwhelming amount of research on teen labor supports that more work hours means lower grades and a higher chance of dropout, and while jobs can provide an invaluable learning experience, working for more than 20 hours a week would drastically change students’ school lives and not for the better.

Oftentimes, the time commitments of a job entailed a disengagement from classes and led to dropping out in many cases, seemingly inevitable as unemployment rates began to rise and students searched for work to make up for the job losses. Before the pandemic, an estimated 114,055 Texas students were considered homeless in 2019, with 7% of those students living in hotels or motels.

With this number only rising during the lockdown, the loss of income for many families forced them into extended-stay hotels and other types of temporary housing, leaving several students without internet access or devices. Schools were forced to address the disparity between students and their apparent differences in resources by communicating the requirements of classrooms, which only became increasingly harder as attempts to contact families and students repeatedly failed.

In an assessment of over 1.6 million students across 40 states, results showed that the “time equivalent” of points behind in math and reading — 10 points behind in math and 9 in reading — was 5 months of learning behind in math and 4 months for reading compared with previous years. Students’ reading progression performed relatively better than math, which could be attributed to the more independent education reading requires, along with parents being better equipped to support learning in reading compared to other subjects like math.

With such a significant loss in learning, the Texas Senate recently passed a bill that allowed a parental option for student retention in which high schoolers can repeat any course they were enrolled in during the 2020–2021 school year. While parents’ written requests for course retakes may allow students to strengthen their academic foundations and relearn topics for a better understanding, studies have shown that students are 50% more likely to drop out if they’ve been asked to repeat a grade. This number jumps to 90% if they’re asked twice due to the internal questioning of their own abilities that ensues.

With 33,742 students in 55 Houston school districts still unenrolled by the start of the 2021–2022 school year, many high schoolers are simply “lost from the system.” While the reasons for these disappearing students may vary, the fact remains that COVID left a detrimental impact on education everywhere.

Learning During COVID: A Cut-Off Experience was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A pleasant, familiar atmosphere greets her as the crowd of high schoolers behind her starts to file into their seats, all eager to start what will be a long but fun-packed day. A few slack-jawed students take in their surroundings with awe, and as she walks up to the wooden podium at the front of the chamber, she recalls what her first experience with JSA was like.

The monumental room that students were finding themselves in was the Texas State Capitol in Austin, and the day that Shilpa Gunuganti had ahead of her was what would be her last Fall State ever. As the decorative walnut desks of the House Chamber became packed with enthusiastic JSAers, Gunuganti sat at the left-hand side of Lucy Ding, the 2020 Governor, and prepared for yet another exciting Fall State.

As the Deputy Director of the Debate Department and President of the Saint Mary’s Hall chapter, Gunuganti played an essential role in Texas JSA as a junior, one that became even more prominent as she began to serve as the Lieutenant Governor her senior year. Working alongside Lucy Ding and Vivian Zhao as the Big Three, Gunuganti remembers a few of the unforgettable memories she made with JSA.

“Some of my most memorable experiences came from traveling with my chapter — stopping at Buc-ee's without fail on the way to Fall State, eating Ethiopian food at Winter State, and going to the dances and events together. Many of my best friends were in JSA, which made it a blast.”

A passionate debater, Gunuganti went on to place fourth in the nation for Congressional Debate at the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Fighting against political apathy was a central theme of JSA, and she demonstrated this theme through her chapter’s work.

“I loved the activism aspect of Texas JSA. My favorite project was working with my chapter to organize drives and events for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).”

Now out of high school, Gunuganti currently attends Harvard University as a sophomore and studies Economics and Government, hoping to attend law school and/or work in public policy after college. JSA became a valuable stepping stone in developing her current passions.

“It helped me do what I love most — public service and political activism. It definitely solidified my interest in those fields and still shapes my interests and course of study today,” Gunuganti explains. “Although I don’t have a clear vision of my future, I definitely want to serve my community in some way, and JSA has given me the foundation to do so.”

With JSA being a substantial part of her high school years, she describes how the experience affected her post-graduation.

“JSA gave me life-long friends. I’m actually best friends and currently rooming with Vivan Zhao, who was Texas Speaker of the House when I was Lieutenant Governor,” Gunuganti said. “JSA has given me the tools to be a proactive global citizen with the confidence and skills to foster change on issues I care deeply about.”

Alumni Spotlight: Shilpa Gunuganti was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

After years spent not performing, Bo Burnham released a Netflix special on May 30, 2021. It was created during the pandemic and filmed entirely on his own. Inside covered mental health, social issues, and his own personal problems. It was visually beautiful, had well-written music, and was an instant hit, even being shown in theatres months later.

The special purposefully enhances the fact of Burnham’s aloneness: he’s shown changing lights with his foot as he performs, setting up shots, and sitting on the floor of a cluttered room staring at his laptop. Although you, the viewer, know the footage has been pre-planned and pre-written, it feels so candid at times. The musical numbers are amazingly polished and visually stunning, but in between, there are shots of him outside of his musical performance. Burnham is disheveled, constantly working, and most importantly, alone. Of course, this is staged. He set up the shots, he knows what he’s doing. But you also know that these shots aren’t all faked, they are reenactments of what Burnham has really been doing the entire pandemic. In fact, they’re reenactments of what almost everyone has been doing the entire pandemic: alone, working.

Inside was a success because it was true. Its songs about social justice, feeling inadequate, deteriorating mental health, and so much more were relatable to so many people. The special is very depressing; it is talking about real life, after all, and real life isn’t doing so great right now. But people gravitated toward it. Inside is far from being escapist; Bo Burnham pours raw emotion and it is filled with moments that genuinely feel like watching a mental breakdown. Still, seeing it laid out like that, knowing you aren’t crazy, that the world has been terrible for everyone the past year, must have been something everyone needed.

Other than the message of the special, Inside was artistically amazing. The lighting and set of each song seemed to change the room entirely every time. The fact that everything was being set up by Burnham alone is very impressive. Of course, the songs themselves were so well-written and performed. It also includes quite a few different formats. For example, a bit in which Burnham acts like a video game livestreamer, playing a game in which he controls a character that looks like him and does nothing but stay in one room, crying. These formats and lighting changes from song to song makes it easy to forget that the special was filmed in one place. Technically and artistically, Inside deserves every accolade.

Of course, with the special came criticisms of Bo Burnham. He started his online presence young, posting on Youtube when he was a teenager. His content included some offensive bits, which he was vocally apologetic for. However, this is a reminder that Burnham is still a celebrity. He has privilege and influence and money. In that way, it isn’t possible for Burnham to be completely relatable. Nevertheless, he still managed to create a special that struck a chord with so many different people. In fact, he acknowledges his privilege and previous failings in the special itself multiple times. I think this improves the special and keeps it from being another unrelatable celebrity moment — the “Imagine” incident comes to mind. Many privileged celebrities refuse to acknowledge their privilege at all, and it’s refreshing when one does. It doesn’t mean he’s perfect, or that people are required to forgive him for his past mistakes, but I do think it’s a credit to him and to his special.

Inside has a near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the initial buzz has died down by now, it is still appreciated completely by nearly everyone who’s watched it. The songs are still listened to on Spotify, and art is still being made inspired by them. Bo Burnham’s Inside is a beautiful piece of art that captures the general feel of the Covid-19 pandemic and everything that came with it. It encompasses a period of time that is very hard to encompass, and it records a little bit of human history in a beautiful way.

Bo Burnham’s Pandemic Masterpiece was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you are an avid reader of this Medium account, which I doubt many of you are, then you would have read an article I wrote after New Year’s Eve 2020. In this article I reviewed the past century’s 20s and how, wait for it, our 20s would be absolutely nothing like it. Here’s when it gets even better, I stated that the 2020’s couldn’t possibly compare because there wasn’t an infectious disease on the loose or an event so catastrophic to so many peoples lives like a war or global pandemic that could bring people together. Well 1920s, we almost had World War 3, we’re still amidst a global pandemic and who knows, maybe a prohibition is right around the corner.

A part of the hundred year old 20s that really defined the entire decade was the flapper. This free and feminist spirt drove not only the women, but the music and social culture as well. With vaccines being rolled out across the world and some countries already walking in Covid-free communities like New Zealand, that travel itch that made last summer the “Summer of The Road Trip” has grown into the need to see the world from above. Some people haven’t been on a plane their entire lives, if there’s a time to get out and fly, it’s now, or at least in a few months.

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel this past summer even with Covid. My mother is from the Czech Republic (middle-of-nowhere Europe but really pretty) and so my siblings and I have dual citizenship, allowing us to cross the borders. The same goes for this summer, have an EU citizenship? Off you go. Dad from Brazil? Wish I could see you there. Now for the rest of the population, more like the majority of eligible travelers, it’s going to be a little more difficult.

My two best friends and I have been planning a trip to Greece and my hometown in the Czechers for the past month now, and we’re all learning about how annoying it is to be 18 and to plan your own trip — let alone to be doing it during the pandemic. My own father said that one of the best parts of going on a trip is planning it. False. The best part of going on a trip is being on the trip and then thinking back on all the fun you had on the trip. Planning all of the hotels, AirBNBs, flights, trains, cars, bus routes, cheap activities, dining options and everything else to sustain us while gone, and also trying to make sure everything is refundable, is just madness.

At the moment most countries in Europe are open for tourists as long as they provide a negative Covid test 48 hours before they travel. Italy recently released that they will be opening up again for tourists on June 3rd. The country is still under strict lockdown restrictions and is not even allowing people in for family visits. So, the key for anyone wanting to travel this summer is to make sure everything is refundable and that you can actually get into the country.

Even though it’s not as glamorous, renting a beach house for a weekend or just going to a small town full of Texan charm can be just as fun with the right people. Traveling is all about what you make it to be. Don’t get your expectations too high and most of the time, the things we don’t anticipate are the best things to come out of a trip. One of my favorite quotes is by a woman named Sara Banks who started a luggage company called Steamline, “You take what you need, and you don’t need that much, but you want what you have to be lovely.” Her luggage is, of course, ridiculously expensive and small, but she has the right idea. We all want to get out of our small worlds that have been compressed by Covid and to see more than just the view from our bedroom window.

As high school students we have so much to look forward to, and ever since the pandemic hit we’ve seen and felt how hard it is to have it all taken away from us by something we have absolutely no control over. Over the past year and some months we have all come to realize just how much we used to have and what is actually important enough to keep and look forward to once the world returns to normal. Traveling is a vital part of embracing new adventures and right about now, we all need a new adventure.

Up, Up and Away was originally published in The Lonestar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.