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Welcome to the Unsilenced Voices of CMSD, a blog for reporting, musings and other creative work by high school students with Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Interested in signing your student up, or have questions about the content? Contact project coordinator Conor Morris, cmorris40@gmail.com.
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Knock, please! Why children need privacy
May 20, 2025, Jamecia Peterson
Has your parent ever barged into your room without knocking, calling your name, or even giving you a heads up before coming in? That’s probably happened to the entire population of the world. As a kid, I grew up sharing a room and even a bed with my older sister. There was even a point where we didn’t have a door because it was faulty and broken. I wasn’t able to have my own, permanent space until the age of 14. It’s frustrating and sometimes embarrassing to have someone invade your space. Privacy is important to the development of someone’s mental and social well being, and that growth always starts in childhood. -
Immediate action is desperately needed to fix the global refugee crisis
May 19, 2025, Sana Bahadur
Over 8 billion people live in the world. Out of those billions, over 120 million people have been forced from their homes as of May 2024, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), marking the largest refugee crisis in history. This crisis is not just a political issue; it is a moral one. Despite the enormity of the situation, the world’s response remains fractured and insufficient. Governments, political leaders and citizens alike must do more to address the root causes of displacement and to offer meaningful, lasting solutions. The refugee crisis is not fueled by a single event but rather by an intersection of devastating forces—armed conflict, persecution and climate change. In places such as Ukraine, Palestine, and Myanmar, war has torn apart societies, leaving millions with no choice but to flee in search of safety. As of 2025, World Population Review 49,881 casualties in Ukraine, 22,386 in Palestine, and 13,049 in Myanmar. These aren’t just numbers.They represent lives lost, futures erased, and families shattered. And these wars are not isolated; they are symptoms of a deeper, global failure to maintain peace and address inequality. While powerful nations often turn a blind eye to the devastation caused by such conflicts, the human cost of inaction is measured in units of lost lives and destroyed futures. -
St. Herman House director discusses challenges, and triumphs, at men's shelter in Ohio City
May 18, 2025, Owen Pennington
The St. Herman House, a small Orthodox Christian-run shelter, has provided food and housing to the homeless for decades in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood on Franklin Boulevard. Despite its longevity, the director, Kirk Ries, says the challenges in serving the unhoused haven’t gone away; in some cases, they’ve just shifted. “I think the stigma of the population is a big thing,” said Ries, now in his third year as director. “[People assume] anything negative that happens between 38th and 45th in Ohio City is our fault.” -
How safe do CMSD students feel while riding on the RTA?
May 6, 2025, Ariel Sender
Hundreds of CMSD students ride the Greater Cleveland RTA every day to and from school, but how safe do they feel while riding it? In 2023, CMSD student Pierre McCoy was shot and killed outside of John Adams High School while waiting for the bus. Concern for students’ safety in the wake of that incident led to changes for both school and RTA security measures at bus stops outside several school buildings, Ideastream Public Media reports. Despite those changes, has it made an impact on students’ experiences while riding Cleveland’s buses and trains? -
Climate change: The time to act is now
April 6, 2025, Chaise Black
Climate change will not affect us in the far future—it’s happening right now. In this interview with Kirsten Mahovlich, who was once CMSD’s high school science program manager, I will ask, explain, and answer some of the main questions and issues regarding climate change and how it's affecting our everyday lives. Climate change is real and it’s not just affecting our future it is affecting our way of life now. The world is getting hotter, and people are to blame. Mahovlich said that this is a huge problem that’s already changing our weather, ecosystems, and communities. -
Why I believe men should be free to express the full range of emotions
April 6, 2025, Ariel Sender
“You shouldn’t cry because you’re a man!” Emotions are something that have been with humans for as long as they have existed. They are the defining part of someone’s personality and help shape people into who they are. Though emotions are - and will always be - a part of human identity, the topic of emotions is controversial. -
So what is CMSD's policy regarding ICE interactions?
March 31, 2025, Errion Edgerson
With U.S. President Donald Trump ramping up enforcement of immigration laws, what is the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's plan to handle interactions with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials. CMSD CEO Warren Morgan issued a statement in February acknowledging parents' concerns about potential ICE visits to schools. The Trump administration in January changed federal policies, allowing ICE agents to make arrests at schools, churches and universities. -
Beating Hearts, Episode 1: the importance of rest
March 1, 2025, Ariel Sender
Unsilenced Voices Blogger Ariel Sender will be blogging throughout the next few weeks with a diary of her life, with a focus on speaking about mental health and self-care. Her first episode, looking at the importance of rest, is below: -
Why TikTok should be allowed to stick around in the U.S.
Feb. 9, 2025, Errion Edgerson
As a regular user of TikTok, I typically spend around 18 hours per week on the platform. It has served as a space for freedom of expression, in line with the principles outlined in the First Amendment. The app has enabled 1.9 billion users, including 172 million Americans including myself, to create and share dance videos and other content, promoting connections across diverse global communities. I believe it is important for TikTok to continue its operations in the U.S. due to the numerous economic benefits it provides. -
What's the News Even Talking About? Episode 1 - Abortion in Ohio
Jan. 23, 2024, Marilia Tsirikos Karapanos
"What's the News Even Talking About?" is a new podcast from Marilia Tsirikos Karapanos, a sophomore at Cleveland Metropolitan School District. In it, she reviews the news of the day for her fellow high schoolers. In her first episode (recorded in late 2024 after the election), she spoke to an expert at an Ohio nonprofit providing help for people seeking abortions. -
What happened to the budget for after-school programs at my school?
Jan. 17, 2024, Marilia Tsirikos Karapanos
“We don’t have enough money for Model UN this year” is a sentence that shocked me. As a sophomore at Campus International High School, I have been an avid member of the Model UN (United Nations) team at Campus International since 7th grade. Admission into Model UN conferences had never been a question until the 2024-2025 school year, and this trend doesn’t stop here. -
Why we should care about homelessness in Cleveland
Jan. 16, 2024, Chaise Black
As I grew up I started to notice many things wrong with the world. One thing in particular that mattered most to me was homelessness. Recently, I have seen more and more people experiencing homelessness around where I go to school, on the bus downtown, and elsewhere in Cleveland. -
A high schooler's perspective on why you should study philosophy
Dec. 16, 2024, Owen Pennington
A few years back, if someone were to ask me about philosophy, I would just imagine Ancient Greeks with big beards arguing about jargon I couldn’t even fathom; however, when I was discussing my hopes and dreams with a friend recently, the concept of philosophy suddenly became much more real: “In the end, I just want to live a good life. That’s all that matters.” “What does it mean to live a good life?” To be honest, that was one of the last questions I could have expected. Surely he knew what I meant, right? -
Students, staff at CMSD see benefits from locking up phones this year
Dec. 16, 2024, Sana Bahadur
Instagram! TikTok! Snapchat! For many teenagers, daily screen time averages hours—hours that could be spent on homework, sports, or even much-needed rest. Schools are beginning to address this with phone policies aimed at improving focus, reducing distractions, and fostering a healthier school environment. -
Why CMSD's enforcement of its dress code is biased against girls
Dec. 15, 2024, Marilia Tsirikos Karapanos
You won’t find short shorts in the boys or mens aisle at clothing stores, or spaghetti strapped tank tops. But what girls like me find the most unacceptable is that if we break any of the dress code rules we get in trouble, but if the boys want to take their shirt off outside because it's hot, or sag their pants to the point where their underwear is showing, they get no punishment at all.
