Essay Writing for Change

Year 10 English

Thought provoking writing 

Year 10 Essay Writing for Change students have been working hard on expository and persuasive essays on a topic of their choice. Enjoy reading some of the examples of their great work. 

Space Tourism by Lee Pennefather

Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world, and now it’s expanding out of it. Since the flight of the world’s first space tourist, American businessman Dennis Tito on April 28, 2001, space tourism has gained prominence as more suborbital and orbital tourism opportunities have become available. Companies like Virgin Galactic are aiming to run up to 400 flights per year, sending whoever can afford the $250-450,000 ticket into space for recreational purposes. And while many lower class people would argue that it's a waste of money, the “overview effect” has encouraged the upper class to join the space tourism trend and reflect on the world with an environmentally-conscious lens. Ironically, these space trips could have devastating impacts on our environment, which begs the question; are we willing to put the Earth at risk just to joyride into the stratosphere? 

Read all of Lee's essay here: 

 Hate-watching by Ravi Sondhu

“Hate is a strong word”. Everyone has been reprimanded with this one before, especially during childhood when screaming out “I hate Timmy!’ was met with the same reaction one would receive if they had uttered out a string of swear words. But hate is a strong word because it’s a strong emotion. A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology explored the ways in which we conceptualize feelings of hate versus feelings of dislike and the research found that intensity and morality are what separates the two. When you hate something, it’s the clash of beliefs and values that fuels the fire. It’s the strong desire to eliminate the obstacle, as opposed to simply avoiding it. In terms of hate-watching, what so offends us to our core is what keeps us clicking next episode.  

So what are the benefits? For starters, hating is a bonding experience. What better way to make friends than unite over our shared hatred for this character, or that storyline? When our hate is validated by someone else in this context, stronger connections can be built because we face a common enemy. Additionally, hating something as harmless as a TV show is a great outlet for suppressed emotions. In fact, intense emotional reactions like hate can actually result in the release of “happy hormones”, such as serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine. As well as this, exploring the things on TV that make us angry can aid us in being more self-aware in real life. Or maybe we just enjoy reveling in that “it’s so bad it’s good” feeling. 

Read all of Ravi's essay here: