With Advanced Placement (AP) exams just finishing, high school students in Brandon and around the world are nearing the end of their university-level courses.

The AP program first started in the United States during the Cold War as an academic program for high-achieving, typically wealthy, white students who demonstrated readiness for university-level work. The U.S. feared that high schools were not adequately preparing their students for university or post-graduate studies. Over the years, the program has expanded to numerous countries and has become more inclusive with a focus on equity and diversity.

On March 20, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education. This has since been followed by further cuts to higher education and research. As students both local and international are preparing for the summer, beginning post-secondary plans or eagerly waiting for graduation, these developments south of the border are something to consider as impacting future plans.

The decision to dismantle the Department of Education will greatly affect low-income students, students of colour, students with disabilities and students from rural areas with less funding. Trump states on the White House website that taking out the Department of Education will drastically improve program implementation in higher education. By closing the Department of Education and returning authority to the states, he hopes to help “children and their families to escape a system that is failing them.” He says that the American education system through federal programs has failed their children, teachers, and families.

Luigi Mangione is in some circles being celebrated as a modern-day Robin Hood.

The 26-year-old stands accused in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last week. Following news that Thompson had been gunned down moments before he was to attend a board meeting, social media erupted with postings of unbridled glee. Someone who was the face of an industry known for making despicable decisions that affect people’s lives had been taken out. Justice at long last.

Except, it’s not, of course. It’s not justice in any sense of the word.

There’s little doubt the health-care system in the United States creates unnecessary stress. The No. 1 reason for declaring bankruptcy in the U.S. is health-related debt. According to some studies, nearly one in five U.S. health-care claims is initially rejected by health-care companies.

Housing is an important political issue. Politicians and experts now talk about it as a major crisis that could threaten our economic and social well-being. But this is nothing new. Another housing crisis raged at the beginning of the 20th century.

Back then, it concerned working-class slums. Today, it’s much more widespread: many households are struggling to acquire property, while others are spending too much of their income on rent, and still others are living in substandard housing, or simply have nowhere to live.

As a specialist in the history of urban planning and a full professor at the Université de Montréal’s School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, I hear arguments today that are similar to those made 120 years ago, although there are new elements now.

The promise of decent housing

Discussions about mental health in the workplace have surged lately, driven by growing awareness of its impact on employee and organizational success. As occupational health researchers, these discussions have helped us shed light on the precursors and consequences of mental health challenges.

One such critical but often overlooked aspect is the relationship between mental health challenges and work injuries — a relationship that goes in both directions: struggling with mental health can increase the risk of work injuries, and work injuries can give rise to, or worsen, mental health challenges.

We aimed to shed light on this crucial bidirectional relationship because it undermines the sustainability of an organization’s most crucial asset: its people.

Mental health and work injuries

Languages are the foundation of communication as we know it. Humans have always had ways of communicating, whether that be through sounds, gestures, or symbols. Language has evolved with complex syntax. Language allows us to express our thoughts and feelings. The internet has made it exponentially easier to communicate with people who speak other languages, whether that be in person, using translation software, or via a messaging app. Because of this vast web of communication and modern translation technology, it is easy to forget that not all languages are direct translations of one another and that some languages are vastly different from one another. In spite of this, it is possible to learn any new language. It may be difficult, but there are many resources and techniques that are available to help. There are many benefits to learning a new language, from improving cognitive abilities to increasing cultural understanding.

Before one learns a new language, it’s beneficial to understand the differences and intricacies of languages. They are determined and influenced by multiple things, which form the differences we see today. One of the key differences between languages is their grammar, or simply, the rules that hold a language together. For example, take French and English. In English adjectives go before the noun, whereas in French adjectives go after the noun. Furthermore, languages make use of tones, which are essentially when one changes the pitch or slightly alters their pronunciation and that changes the meaning of what is said. An example of a tonal language is Mandarin Chinese. If one does not use the correct tone, then the meaning one is trying to convey could be completely butchered. You could accidentally be asking someone to sleep rather than asking for a boiled dumpling. Another thing that differentiates the languages is their alphabets. There is Latin, which is used in both the Canadian national languages, French and English. According to worldstandards.eu, approximately 36 per cent of the world uses the Latin alphabet. Some other alphabets include Cyrillic, Arabic, and Bengali, all with their own quirks.

Now that the basic differences between languages have been established, understanding what resources are available for language learning is important. There are many ways to learn languages, but usually the best way is a balance between multiple resources. One resource is language learning apps. Regardless of the features that the app possesses, it is extremely difficult to learn a language to fluency using only an app. Usually, by only committing a few minutes a day, one can learn a few basic phrases but not be able to hold conversations with native speakers. This leads to the next point: if it is possible, you should be practicing with someone who speaks your desired language. Even if you can’t find someone in person, there are many websites where you can find tutors or coaches who are very helpful resources. Absorbing media, whether that be watching videos or movies in the desired language, is also very helpful; anything to get the language imprinted in the mind. It is important to note that becoming fluent in any language takes a considerable amount of time and dedication, ranging from hundreds to thousands of hours.

But why learn a language if it takes so long? There are many benefits associated with learning a new language. According to a study at the University of Edinburgh, people aged 18 to 78 studying a language improved their attention span. Furthermore, as language learning requires memorization of words, a language learner’s memory is also improved. However, there aren’t just cognitive benefits; more job opportunities are available to those who speak multiple languages. In addition, learning languages can also help increase understanding and eliminate prejudices towards other cultures. It is important to remember that even with all these benefits, you should only learn a language if either you need to or you really want to, and if you’re passionate about that language.