Dec.

11, 2019 The Pulse Page 7

Learning new languages can improve your life

Stephany Mandujano
Staff Writer
Learning a new language can prove to be a very difficult
thing to do. Not only because you are learning the gram-
mar, pronunciation, and translation of words, but because
you also have to learn the culture and mannerisms of the
country from which the language originates.
It can be both a lengthy and daunting process but at the
end of the day, it is a rewarding one. Learning a new lan-
guage can prove to be beneficial and is worth the struggle
since the knowledge will follow you throughout your life-
time.
Research shows students that studied a foreign language
scored higher on the English and math portions of the ACT,
according to a 2017 report from the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences, an organization that recognizes achieve-
ments of members and functions as an independent research
center to connect professionals from many backgrounds.
The study of foreign languages can also prove to be a
benefit when traveling abroad. It makes it easier to com-
municate with native speakers, to ask for directions, and to
learn about the area. It can also be helpful to understand the
culture that the language is from and what isn’t acceptable
in the different countries.
In the United States, just 20 percent of students study
a foreign language at the K-12 level. At the college level,
that percentage drops to 7.5 percent of students learning a
foreign language, according to the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences.
This gives the individuals who continue to learn a for-
eign language an edge in the workplace. Since they know
a second language, it sets them apart from those who only
know a single language. It allows them to provide services
or sell goods efficiently to more people as well as make
connections with individuals who work for foreign com-
panies.
Lead With Languages, a national campaign that hopes
to make language proficiency a national priority, reported
that between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. job post-
ings specifically geared toward bilingual candidates more
than doubled. Adding to that, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics predicts that between 2018 and 2028, the need
for interpreters and translators will increase by 19 percent.
Learning a foreign language takes a lot of dedication and
can be a struggle, but it can prove to be highly rewarding in
the end. By learning a new language you can communicate
with more people and make long-lasting personal or work-
related relationships. Also, learning another language has
been proven multiple times to have a direct link to higher
academic achievements from students.
Not everyone in the world can speak English and live
with the same lifestyle that we do, so by learning a new
language, we can understand more about the world around
us and the people within it, as well as better ourselves.

Piercings popularity on rise again in recent years

Yessica Banda
Staff Writer
Ever since the 1900s, piercings have been a popular piece of fashion in Western
Lesli Garcia
culture. It may not be as popular as it was a couple of years back, but piercings are still
growing in popularity within our society. As a person that has piercings, I can tell you
they can be harmful and painful, but they also help express one’s personality.
You can get piercings pretty much anywhere around your body. From your face to
your lower body, any place can be pierced. The most popular piercings are a helix, for- Staff Writer
ward helix, and tragus piercings, the area in front of the ear canal.
Not only are ear piercings being normalized in young adults, but nose piercings are
also becoming more fashionable. About 19 percent of women have a nose piercing, while
15 percent of men have one.
Getting your ear pierced can be scary. The pain will be more severe, depending on
how hard the cartilage is and how fast the piercing heals. In order for it to heal properly,
you must take care of it. The more you clean it, the faster it will heal and the less likely it
will get infected. My advice comes from experience; I didn’t pay as much attention to my
upper ear piercings and they are still healing after four months of being pierced.
Overall, piercings can be a great way to express yourself and keep up with fashion
trends. From stars to turtles, anything can be an earring. Not only do piercings show
off your ideas and likes, but they can also look stylish and adorable. They help bring out
other features on a person and add extra charm to the individual. Picture of Yessica Banda showing her right side ear piercings.
Photo by Lesli Garcia

Younger generations see tattoos as positive form of expression

Lesli Garcia
Staff Writer
Walking during the summer in downtown Kenosha, I often see both men and
women wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts. As they showed off their beautiful tat-
toos in public, it made me look at them in admiration, as they were able to fill their
bodies with such an expressive art form. However, I realized that many others don’t
see it the same way as I do.
Surprisingly at this modern age, some people look at those with tattoos with dis-
gust. I had thought the stigma around tattoos had disappeared and they were more
accepted. Yet, it turns out the stigma around tattoos may still be around.
Older generations see tattoos as a bad thing because they are permanent and think
younger generations aren’t responsible enough to get them, while younger genera-
tions see tattoos as a form of expression and artistic freedom that we weren’t al-
lowed to show growing up.
Tattoos are expressive art. From just a name to a random doodle, if you see the
value or even just find a tattoo cute, then just get it! Nothing should hold you back
from wanting to get something done to your own body.
Your body. Your control. Your decision. A tattoo does not define who you are.
Tattoos should not be seen as something inappropriate and something to be covered.
Photograph of Stephany Mandujano’s shoulder tattoo. The body is a beautiful canvas it’s your decision whether or not you want to make
Photo by Paulina Barrera it yours.

“You are good enough. You

have always been good
enough.”

— Stephanie A. Sarkis