Turning on the news after a long day can be a hard thing to do. Another tragic accident, more debates, and cruelties that are so unfortunately normalized. Navigating through the news can be so difficult to process these days, it’s easy to forget there is still good in the world.
So now, take a deep breath, check out these stories about some good stuff happening right now, and remember the world is still spinning.
Local: Yasemin Yildirim, Winner Of The Lilly Scholarship
Leaving college debt free is a dream that seems impossible for many students, but beginning college debt free is a miracle. Senior Yasemin Yildirim just received one of those miracles, as she picked up one of the state’s Lilly Scholarships, which grants her a full ride scholarship to any Indiana college of her choice.
“I plan on going into nursing. Hopefully when I start out I will work in ERs and trauma centers,” Yildirim said. “After that I plan to work as a travel nurse in the Middle East, and when I settle down I plan to work in labor and delivery and pediatrics.”
Yildirim is keeping her options open, but she says she no longer has to worry about student debt on the way to a higher education.
“This scholarship opened up so many doors,” Yildirim said. “I really want to think about all of my options now that I have them.”
Country: The Return Of Cursive
A decade ago, only 14 states required elementary schools to teach cursive writing. Today, 25 states are requiring cursive. So why is cursive making a comeback? Although students may claim the skill is a pain to learn, research seems to show many positives surrounding cursive. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration have been searching for volunteers who can read and transcribe cursive writing in more than 200 years worth of documentation, which hints that cursive could be more important than it has been treated. And according to the British scientific journal “Nature,”cursive also has many educational benefits including brain development, fine motor skills, and memory retention.
World: Green Sea Turtles
It’s been awhile since reusable straws, water bottles, and hair scrunchies were in style, but around the world, people have still been fighting to save green sea turtles. In 1978, green sea turtles were labeled endangered, but after years of being hunted for soup, eggs, and their shells, humans have done the necessary work to save these sea creatures. While they have significantly grown in population by 28% since being labeled endangered, two of the seven living species of sea turtles still face extinction and need help. One solution is to reduce plastic use and recycle as often as possible to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in the ocean.
“It underlines that marine conservation can work,” says Bredan Godley, a turtle expert and professor at the University of Exeter. “There is hope, and we should rightly celebrate it, sharing some ocean optimism.”
