1. …
Tattoo and Piercings
Tattoo and body-piercing are very popular in
several countries. For example, in Korea, body-piercing is done by popular
singers and artist. They do that because they want to look different and
exceptional. But, tattooing for young people should be banned because tattoos
can affect their health and skin.
Many countries, including the U.S.A, urge that
underage youngsters should not be allowed to get piercing and tattoos. People
feel differently about tattooing and piercing because criminal groups, like
gangsters, usually have tattoo, so youth might be apt to join bad circles.
From the facts above, it can be concluded that
young people should not get piercings and tattoos. They can’t get them without
parental consent.
2. …
Nuclear Power
There are three separate sources of hazard in the
process of supplying energy by nuclear power. The radioactive material must
travel from its place of manufacture to the power station. Although the power
station themselves are solidly built, the container used for the transport of the
materials are not. There are normally only two methods of transport available,
namely road or rail. Unfortunately, both of these involve close contact with
the public, since the routes are sure to pass near, or even through, heavily
populated areas.
Next, there is the problem of waste. All nuclear
power station produce wastes that in most cases will remain radioactive for
thousands of years. It is impossible to make these waste nonradioactive, and so
they must be stored in one of the inconvenient ways that scientists have
invented. For example, they may be buried under the ground, or dropped into
abandoned mines, or sunk in the sea. However, these methods do not solve the
problem, since an earthquake could easily crack the containers open.
Finally, there is the problem of accidental
exposure due to a leak or an explosion at the power station. As with the other
two hazards, this is not very likely, so that it does not provide a serious
objection to the nuclear program. Nevertheless, it can happen.
Separately, these three types of risks are not
great cause for concern. On the whole through, the probability of disaster is
still high.
3. …
Higher Education for
Women
In this modern era, there are still some parents
who are hesitant about sending their daughters to college. The narrow attitude
shown to women’s education is largely due to the traditional role of women in
society. A woman is expected to be a wife and a mother. Most parents believe
that if their daughter gets married and does not pursue a career but instead
chooses to be a housewife, then the higher education will be a waste. However,
an educated woman is not only a better wife but also contributes to society.
Nowadays, more and more women are successfully
combining career and marriage. Educated woman are richer both emotionally and
financially. They are able to find an outlet outside the drudgery and monotony
of their homes. They bring more satisfaction and contentment to their lives.
Depriving girls of higher education is crass
discrimination. Times have changed; modern’s society needs the talents of its
people regardless of gender. Today, women work alongside men. In fact, in the
last few decades, women have made outstanding contributions to society.
Woman should be given the freedom to be educated
whether or not they get married or go to work after finishing their education
because it is only through education that a woman will find herself useful and
discover what she wants in life. Women who work is not an insult to her
husband. Conversely, her husband should feel proud of her achievements since
marriage is actually an equal partnership.
Therefore, parents should not think that girls
should receive less education just because they will get married one day.
4. …
Smoking
For many youngsters, smoking might seem a cool
thing to do. They might pick up the habit due to peer pressure and the need to
fit in. As they become addicted, they might feel that it is their only way to
unwind and overcome their problems.
However, smoking is a bad and even
dangerous habit. It may cause a variety of diseases, not only respiratory but
also pulmonary. It also increases the risk of other diseases such as cancers of
the throat, mouth, nasal cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder,
and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia and erectile dysfunction.
Smoking not only affects physical
health but also mental health. When a smoker feels anxious, he or she might
smoke to get rid of the anxiety, which may increase the risk of anxiety
symptoms in the long run. Although people have claimed that nicotine in
cigarettes can improve attention and concentration, it is short-lived and
cannot justify the habit.
From the reasons above, we can
conclude that smoking is a bad habit that should be avoided.
5. …
Global Warming
Global warming is a phenomenon used to describe the
gradual increase in the temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans. Global
warming is not a new problem but lately people are acknowledging that we are
facing a serious problem. Climate change is apparent everywhere. Failed crops,
economic slowdown, and deforestation are among the several impacts of global
warming.
First of all, there is irrefutable evidence that human activities have changed the atmosphere of our earth. Since the time we have been industrializing, we started polluting our waters and air, and have been releasing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Secondly, according to research by the green peace
organization, there is evidence of extensive deforestation being carried out in
Indonesia and other tropical countries around the world. These forests are used
to grow crops like palm sugar, palm oil, and coffee-the lifeline of Western
society (Greenpeace report, 2007). The impact of climate change is noticeable
throughout Asia-Pacific, either during hot days or too much rain accompanied by
wind and thunderstorms. This has started to affect the economy as well.
Furthermore, the shifting weather patterns have
made it difficult for farmers to grow crops. A recent study has shown that due
to unpredictable weather patterns, there have been a lot of failed crops
(Reuters, 2007).
In conclusion, global warming is not a new problem
nor are we solely responsible for it. But as the citizens of the world, we have
to take every possible action to help overcome this issue. It is not only for
us but for all the future generations to follow.
6. …
Environment
As we know, the environmental conditions that we
live in today are very different from the environment several decades ago. In
the past, we could easily find trees, but now the land containing plants has
been replaced with housing.
Environmental problems are not only limited to
plants. If we are sensitive, many fauna or animals lose their habitat. Humans
seize their place of residence so animals have difficulty getting a place
to live again.
Not infrequently, animals that cannot get a house
will attack humans in order to get food. Therefore, we should start with
ourselves to foster a sense of love for the environment.
Use methods that are easy and simple, for example
by throwing garbage in its place, not using plastic when shopping, and saving on
water use. So my speech about the environment from me, let's take care of the
environment together.
7. …
Education
Education plays an important role for the progress
of a nation. If the education of the people is left behind, then the population
will experience difficulties in adapting and facing pressure from the outside
world.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the government
holds many programs to support the progress of education in Indonesia, one of
which is by allocating large amounts of funds, so the dropout rate can be
reduced and more students can get the right to education.
Actually, education can not only be obtained at
school. Even outside of school we can use technology to access education. Take
advantage of an online platform that can be accessed for free to get free
knowledge from various parts of the world, so that we can compete with the
people out there.
Developed countries are also very concerned about
the quality of the education of their people, so it is not surprising that the
quality of campus abroad is quite good, even many Indonesians decide to gain
knowledge out there. Thus, we must learn to be able to catch up, especially if
we have not yet had the opportunity to distribute education.
8. …
The dangers of drugs
On this special occasion, allow me to say a word or
two about the importance of protecting myself from the dangers of drugs. With
the rapid advancement of technology, it is not unusual for information
development to make it easier for us to get something.
Now we don't have to bother to get things even
though it is constrained by location differences. Therefore, it is only natural
that we are careful about drugs.
At present, forms of drug trafficking are
increasingly alarming. The main target of drug trafficking is no longer adults
but children. Therefore, it is only natural that we also supervise and provide
education about the importance of protecting ourselves from the dangers of
drugs.
The easiest way to socialize the dangers of drugs is to provide
education at the family level. The role of parents and close people is very
important. Knowledge of various types of drugs and their effects must be
conveyed to prevent the spread of drugs more widely.
9. …
Bullying
Ladies and gentlemen, bullying may seem like a small problem for some
people. Most people may not realize that the damage caused by bullying can be
so serious. It can be as serious as "death" in extreme cases.
If you think that bullying is not a serious matter
to deal with just because it merely hurts "feelings" then I have to
tell you that you are completely wrong. This "merely hurt your
feelings" thing can be the beginning of various worse scenarios such as
physical assault, suicide, or any other kinds of violent acts carried out in
the name of revenge.
As I said just now that bullying is not a serious
problem for some people, just because we simply don't see the damage. But the
thing is, based on my experience as a teacher, I learned that the effect of
bullying can stay undetected for years.
During this time, the effect of bullying keeps
corrupting the soul of the victim. They may hold it inside as a grudge, or they
may also develop trauma which may result in self-withdrawal.
I believe that this is something that we don't want to happen to our children. That is why we have to act right now to stop it, and I mean all of us with no exception.
Every
year, we hold a farewell party for our senior students a couple of weeks before
their graduation. Have you ever asked yourself, why do we hold it before their
graduation? Why not later? Well, the answer is actually pretty simple: the
essential meaning of the event itself.
This farewell party is a family
event, and we are family. This event is not about the dance or the music
performances. This event is about appreciating the chance that we have to
gather around together for maybe the last time.
I don’t know what will happen
tomorrow, nor I know what will happen in the next five or ten years. Some of
you might already be somebody of your dream living so far from this place. Some
of you might still struggle with your dream, fighting so hard to achieve it.
But I do know one thing: that our prayer will always be with you, that we will
always be hoping for the best for you because you are family.
10. …
Hero
Every
November 10th we always commemorate our The Day of Hero. We know that
Independence is not free. There are so many struggles and sacrifices to get it.
They, who died fighting for our independence, are called heroes. A hero didn’t
ask anything. They dedicated all their lives for our freedom, Indonesian
freedom.
As
students, we have to respect and appreciate our heroes. We can continue their
struggle by studying hard. We must pray to them every day. Even before we
started our lesson. Don’t forget to hold their pictures on the wall. I don’t
want to hear that a student can’t answer the questions about heroes. I don’t
want to hear that students don’t know their heroes.
11. …
The importance of seeking knowledge.
Education
has an important role to develop our personality. It decides and shapes what we
think or see in life. It also helps us to solve our problems or obstacles in a
good way. As Francis Bacon said, knowledge is power.
Especially
in Islam, we are required to seek knowledge and practice it. The obligation to
seek knowledge has existed since the time of the Prophet and Allah has
promised, for his servants who seek knowledge in His way, Allah will increase
their level.
The most
important thing you need to know is, being well educated does not only mean you
have to obtain a certificate or a good salary. But it helps us to determine
whether something is good or bad for other people related to us.
You should
know seeking knowledge can be seen as a passport to get a better future.
Finding knowledge is considered a lifelong learning process. So, there is no
excuse to stop seeking knowledge. Ladies and gentlemen, to end this speech
today. I would like to give the quotation by Benjamin Franklin “an investment
in knowledge pays the best interest”.
