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Show OMIrAITIO Internet streaming brings light to the dark ages ii H ave you seen 'Orange is the New Black'?" "A buddy of mine watched every episode of 'Breaking Bad' from FIONA u. start to finish" "You're watching 'Grey's Anatomy?' What season are you on? Did you know about Christina and ... oh, sorry, I should have said `spoiler alert:" If you are a living human being who occasionally leaves their home, I'm sure you've heard people use this jargon on the bus, on campus and especially in line for coffee at Starbucks. Netflix has become a way of life in millennial culture. It has become essential that every college student own a laptop for academic purposes, but that remarkable piece of machinery may as well be useless if you don't have Netflix. What are you supposed to do during the unlimited amount of free time you have as a college student without Netflix? How are you going to occupy your ever-wandering mind in the late hours of the night and make the next morning absolutely miserable if you can't stay up and watch an obscene amount of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episodes? What will you use as an excuse to put off doing laundry and wearing the same pair of underwear for three days in a row? Netflix is essential to the "college experience:' What did students do before online streaming? Waiting for DVDs to come in the mail seems like an eternity. And even before that, you would have had to ride TRAX down to Blockbuster and rent a VHS tape. That would have been such an inconvenience. You would have had to get up and put on real-people clothes, even shoes, and be willing to do it all over again when you had BOOMER SATIRE to return the tape. You would have even had to rewind it. The horror. And before that, you had to get all dressed up and look presentable to go downtown and watch a movie with other people. You couldn't even fast-forward through the coming attractions. You just had to sit there in the company of others and breathe recycled air while the people behind you spilled popcorn in your hair. That would have been the biggest hassle — not fun in the slightest. How did people live? Could you imagine having to rearrange your entire life around your favorite television show and having to wait a week for the next episode to air on Wednesday at 7 p.m., Eastern Standard time? It would have been absolutely miserable.You would have had to turn on the television and watch the program with your entire family, laughing, crying and sharing an experience together. You would have had to watch a show to know if you liked it instead of having it recommended to you by the magic Netflix Elves that keep track of your most-watched shows. I don't know about you, but to me that just sounds vile. I guess we are lucky to have Netflix. Without it, we would have to have social experiences with our friends and grow closer to our family. At least this way, we can confine ourselves to our beds and laptops and enjoy the beauty that is "Downton Abbey" without any of that "human interaction" nonsense. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Juvenile detention centers don't encourage positive change T hose who intentionally commit crimes should pay for their misconduct. Most of the time this punishment occurs within the prison system. However, while incarceration has its merits for violent offenders, it should not be used in the case of juveniles. Minors who commit crimes should be required to undergo psychiatric evaluation and extensive counseling if needed before receiving their sentence. Juvenile detention centers often resort to a strictly punitive action, leaving disturbed and violent youth without the proper care they need. If these detention centers were instead substituted for behavioral rehabilitation centers, there would be fewer second- and third-time offenders. Money that would have been previously spent solely towards removing youth from a larger social sphere could make it possible for these same youth to re-enter society as valuable individuals one day. This is not to say that young people who are a risk to themselves or those around them should be allowed to roam freely. But violence isn't usually a common factor in those who end up in these juvenile detention centers. Over 30,000 youth are sent to juvenile detention centers each year. Seventy percent of kids in "juvie" are detained for non-violent offenses. These youth are sent to detention centers almost identical to prison (42 percent of centers use mechanical devices to restrain inmates, while 45 percent locked some inmates in solitary confinement) in an attempt to straighten them out, but often the time spent there only furthers them down a path of destruction, illegal activity and violence. The way to get troubled teens to make a positive change in their lives is not to surround them with hundreds of other troubled teens, but to equip them with the tools to become integral parts of society through counseling and vocational training. The entire concept of juvenile detention centers is cruel, ineffective and has no proven success in the past. Youth who are detained are 37 times more likely to be arrested again as an adult. Along with the fact that incarceration does nothing to 10 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 } prevent further crimes, it also has a massive impact on a youth's mental and physical health. Confinement and separation from family at such a crucial point in a young person's life is detrimental to their recovery and makes them more susceptible to the influence of peers within the institution who have committed the similar crimes, or worse ones. For one-third of the youth who were diagnosed with depression in detention centers, the onset of the disorder began postincarceration. In addition, 40 percent of incarcerated youth have learning disabilities that will inevitably affect them if and when they attempt to progress in their education. Detention centers do not foster change or progression. They lump young people from disadvantaged areas who have grown up alongside substance abuse and violence together in an attempt to stifle the muted cries for attention and understanding that landed them there in the first place. Creating centers for teens who have committed illegal acts that implement therapy, training and opportunities for their futures will give them the chance of redemption that "juvie" would not provide. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Salt Lake air is literally BREATH-TAKING JONATHAN PARK S alt Lake City is a magnet for outdoor recreation enthusiasts of all stripes. Nestled at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, SLC serves as a prime launching pad for bikers, climbers, hikers, skiers, snowboarders and many other nature aficionados. Yet, as most of us know all too well, there is another breathtaking element of Salt Lake City besides its beautiful mountain range: its evil winter air quality. While we all suffer from and complain about the valley's pollution problem, we also contribute to it by driving our cars, charging our gadgets, heating our home, etc. These things are, for better or worse, the realities of modern life. However, our conveniences do not have to condemn us to an existence predicated on disgusting air, ugly inversion layers and chronic health problems. The Utah Student Clean Air Network is an organization on campus that is leading the charge against air contamination. The folks at USCAN are currently recruiting members, so if you want to help fix our afflicted atmosphere (and perhaps absolve some personal guilt in the process) you can join the group, like the USCAN Facebook page and engage in some empowering activism. USCAN's primary objectives and activities include attending/organizing protests and rallies, lobbying for and promoting clean air legislation, hosting educational events aimed at raising awareness and conducting legislator letter campaigns. The group is currently starting a campaign to distribute free air-filtering masks to the student body. Most of us associate these surgical-style masks with the densely populated and highly polluted streets of Beijing, but they're becoming increasingly common in our own city. It's striking to see people wearing these dystopian-esque accessories, and it may even seem a bit extreme. However, as more information continues to surface about the dangers of inhaling particulate matter in our inversion-stricken valley, the notion of not wearing some kind of filter is starting to seem surprisingly reckless. A 2011 study published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" showed a correlation between PM2.5 exposure and cardiovascular disease as well as lung cancer. Some media sources have even reported that breathing in PM2.5, which is prevalent in the Salt Lake Valley during smoggy inversions, is comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Enlightening students on the severe health risks associated with inhaling PM2.5 air will inspire them to embrace the masks. If the trend proliferates, it could help enact effective clean air legislation. After all, what politician wants to see his or her constituents walking around wearing post-apocalyptic masks? These somewhat silly-looking masks could send a powerful message and potentially inspire some much-needed change. As beneficial as surgical masks might be, both in terms of physical health and raising awareness, they are not a requisite for inducing change. Concerned students, faculty and community members interested in putting some pressure on the Utah legislature to implement strategic plans for cleaning up our air should attend the 2nd Annual Clean Air, No Excuses Rally this Saturday. The rally will be held at the Capitol building from 12 to 1:30 p.m. USCAN organizers are helping to promote the rally, which is being hosted by several advocacy groups, including Clean Air Now, Utah Moms for Clean Air and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. The rally is designed to show our politicians that we mean business, and that we are fed up with Salt Lake's distasteful air. There will also be fun, good food and masses of enthusiastic supporters. The first Clean Air, No Excuses rally made waves last year, as over 5,000 people stormed the Capitol building and called for legislative action. The first rally inspired a cascade of new clean air legislation proposals, many of which will be considered during the 2015 legislative session. One notable bill, HB 49, would provide $20 million to replace diesels in Utah's fleet of school buses with cleaner burning, more energy efficient engines. The primary purpose of the rally is to express community support for this, and similarly refreshing pieces of legislation. Organizers are hoping to double last years participation, so come to Capitol Hill this Saturday and make your voice heard. All of us want to breathe a little easier, and thanks to the Clean Air rally and USCAN, we have the opportunity to realize that ambition. If you are interested in being an active force for positive change, take a deep breath and join the USCAN club. letters@chronicle.utah.edu UNIVERSAL WIN ADVANCE SCREENING PASSES! 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