Search for a specific topic or youth author you're looking for

Volume 1 Publications Fall 2025 Editors: Thy Nguyen, Nandini Kondisetti, Sofia Su, & Professor Regina Hillman Thy Nguyen "Human Need for Social Comparison" Click to Read Stephanie Springer "Lowering the Current Voting Age" Click to Read Sofia Su "The Other Alien" Click to Read Lauren Cody "McNeil Vs. Florida Law Enforcement" Click to Read Nandini Kondisetti "Effects of Environmental Negligence: A Corporate Analysis" Click to Read Paola Kattar "The Cost of Saving Lives: The Economic Disparities Between Doctors and Public Service Professionals" Click to Read Liam Sizemore "The American Education System" Click to Read Diana Rojas "Migratory patterns between U.S. and Mexico" Click to Read

Other works By Sofia Su About : Professional Outreach Coordinator for the 901 Law Review. Graduate of Collierville High School. Publications: "The Other Alien" Date: 10/17/2025 Genre: Advocacy Writing/Policy Analysis/Contemporary Issues/Civic Engagement/Personal Memoir Click here to read "Vanishing Libraries" Date: 1/21/2026 Genre: Philosophical Essay/Literary Nonfiction/Cultural Critique/Argumentative Essay/Technology & Society Click here to read "Don't Weed Your Garden" Date: 1/21/2026 Genre: Philosophical Essay/Literary Nonfiction/Cultural Critique/Argumentative Essay/Technology & Society Click here to read

Volume 2 Publications Winter 2026 Editors: Thy Nguyen, Nandini Kondisetti, Sofia Su, & Professor Regina Hillman Srishti Mulgund "Children’s Online Privacy and COPPA" Click to Read Rashmi Surineni "CyberBullying in America" Click to Read Sofia Su "Vanishing Libraries " Click to Read Prathiksha Jagadeesh "The Trafficked: A Global Human Trafficking Crisis" Click to Read Nandini Kondisetti "Reviving the Humanities: Cultivating Critical Thinking in the Age of AI" Click to Read Thy Nyugen "An Analysis of Media Literacy" Click to Read Emery Benson "The Future of Horse-Drawn Carriages" Click to Read Devin McNeil & Nandini Kondisetti "The Evolution of the Diamond Industry" Click to Read

-The 901 Broadcast - - We interview public policy, and legal based professionals across West Tennessee - Tune in for bi-monthly interviews with transcripts provided for your convenience Head Journalist: Journalist(s): Sofia Su, Nandini Kondisetti, Thy Nguyen "Interview with attorney Clive Stafford Smith" Host: Sofia Su Watch Here "Interview with Law Professor Regina Hillman" Host: Watch Here "Interview with Judge N.A." Host: Watch Here

Frequently Asked Questions _______________________________________ Who can submit to this publication? Answer > How should I format my draft for the initial submission? Answer > What does first draft mean? Answer > Is there a word count for my article? Answer > Can I submit a paper I wrote for a class? Answer > What are the rules for using generative AI (like ChatGPT) in my writing? Answer > What is considered ethical writing? Answer >

Is there a word count for my article? Yes there is a word count limit of 2000 words. There is a minimum word count of 500 words. Historically, submissions have typically ranged from 600-1200 words. Back

Who can submit to this publication? Any highschooler around the globe can! We started this publication off in Memphis, Tennessee hence the "901" area code in our title but we accept work from anywhere (except AI of course)! Back

How should I format my draft for the initial submission? Submit your draft without your name or any identifying information to ensure a blind and un-biased review. Please follow standard MLA format guidelines (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font). Please paste sources on a separate page from the document. You may format them in APA 7 or MLA9 style if you wish to but it is not necessary. Back

"Betting Against the Future" _______________________________ By: Anvita Papannagari Collierville Tennessee _______________________________ Copy link Introduction: Horse racing is known and loved by many as the “sport of kings” with the fancy hats and the high stakes, but only a few are really aware of the hidden suffering of these majestic creatures. The first thought that many people get when they hear horse racing is the Kentucky Derby, Triple-Crown Series, or maybe even the Breeders' Cup Classic. However, behind this billion-dollar industry lies a systemic culture of overbreeding, abuse, chemical manipulation, and disposable lives that prioritizes profit over the welfare of sentient beings. Analysis: To begin with, we must talk about what truly goes on before these animals are even born. Thoroughbreds are bred on such a massive industrial scale that approximately 18,000 foals are registered in North America alone as of 2023. This is largely because the racing industry only permits live cover (no artificial insemination), resulting in such a large surplus of foals that many are culled early (slaughtered). Additionally, the amount of ‘byproduct foals’ produced is alarming. To keep elite "champion" mares ready for immediate re-breeding, most of the time their foals are moved to "nurse mares”. However, for a nurse mare to produce milk she must have a foal of her own. These “Byproduct foals" are the unwanted offspring of mares bred specifically to produce milk so they can act as surrogate mothers for high-value Thoroughbred foals and are often considered of no value to the industry and rather a drain on money. When a nurse mare is hired, and her own foal is separated, often leading to neglect or death. Historically, most have been killed shortly after birth or left to starve so they can be skinned for high-end leather. Generally, racehorses are broken in at around 12-18 months and start racing at 2 years old. Thoroughbreds, on average, reach full physical maturity and skeletal maturity between 4 and 5 years old. These horses are put into intensive training before their skeletal systems are fully fused and yet are still raced at maximum speed as 2 years old. This leads to a lifelong vulnerability to fractures. Approximately 60% of young Thoroughbreds sustain at least one injury during their first year of training. Caused by intense speed and repeated loading, often affecting the front limbs, most injuries are musculoskeletal. Some injuries include bowed tendons (tendonitis), suspensory ligament desmitis, bucked shins (microfractures in the cannon bone), and fractures of the fetlock or carpus (knee). These issues often stem from repetitive stress rather than a single event, with catastrophic breakdowns—shattered bones or ruptured tendons that can’t be repaired—commonly linked to pre-existing injuries resulting in immediate on-track euthanasia in most cases. And as if that wasn’t enough, due to the extreme exertion that these animals undergo 90% of racehorses are diagnosed with Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhages (EIPH)—bleeding in the lungs. To top this further, EIPH does not have a cure. As many investors or owners don’t want their efforts to be wasted, to keep injured horses running, some trainers resort to “masking agents” or banned substances to hide pain. This brings up yet another ethical issue where the use of anti-inflammatories and painkillers (like Lasix) to mask injuries, forcing horses to run past their physical limits and leading to catastrophic breakdowns is legal in most races. Besides this, most owners illegally dope their horses with performance enhancers, dangerous substances like cobra venom or clenbuterol. They resort to many chemicals like Anabolic Steroids (e.g., Stanozolol, Boldenone): Used to increase muscle mass, strength, and stamina, and to improve recovery times. Clenbuterol: A bronchodilator (used for asthma in humans) that is sometimes abused in horses to build muscle and reduce fat. Milkshakes (Sodium Bicarbonate): A mix of baking soda, sugar, and water given via stomach tube before a race. It reduces lactic acid buildup in muscles, delaying fatigue, and improving endurance. Thyroxine (Thyroid Hormones): Used to increase metabolism and improve performance, even if the horse does not have a thyroid condition. When all these drugs are combined on a daily basis, it creates a deadly concoction of chemicals with possible lethal side effects. Subsequently, these horses undergo physical abuse in all aspects of training and racing, which has been deemed acceptable in many jurisdictions. For example, the use of whips to enhance performance can cause serious pain as seen in the Liandra Gray case of 2022. Gray was seen on CCTV footage leading The Bolt (7-year-old thoroughbred gelding) into a sand roll – an enclosed yard filled with deep sand where horses are allowed to roll after training – and, holding him by the bridle, appearing to unreasonably whip him 40 times in 4 minutes, where the sound of the whip could be clearly heard. Although many believe whip use in races is acceptable due to the number of regulations on the number of strikes and that only padded whips can be used, there are no rules for the last 100 meters where there is no limit on the number of times a horse can be struck. There is also no limit on the number of times horses can be slapped down the shoulder during a race. Although the use of shocking devices is strictly prohibited, in 2013, PETA documented that top trainers and jockeys admitted to having used illegal electro-shock devices on horses. Shocking devices in horse racing, often referred to as "buzzers," "batteries," or "jiggers," are illegal hand-held, battery-powered tools designed to deliver a strong high voltage electric shock to a horse. Trainers or jockeys use the device on the horse, often on a treadmill or during training, accompanied by the, frequently, roaring noise of the trainer. Over time, the horse associates the feeling of pressure or the sight of the whip with this intense shock. During races some jockeys or trainers use the device—or mimic it with a whip—to make the horse feel the familiar pain. The horse, terrified of a higher-voltage shock, runs out of fear. These devices cause pain similar to cattle prodders, making horses, which are fear-driven flight animals, run until they drop. Additionally, tongue ties are widely used and more alarmingly unregulated. Tongue ties (an elastic or rubber band that temporarily fixes the horse’s tongue to its lower jaw) are used to help a horse to take in more air while running as well as immobilize a horse’s tongue to prevent the horse getting their tongue over the bit during a race and to preventing ‘choking’ during high intensity exercise. It is used because a horse is easier to control when pressure is applied via the reins to the bit on the horse’s tongue, which forces them to be compliant. There are some serious issues with tongue tie use, such as pain, anxiety, distress, difficulty swallowing, cuts, lacerations to the tongue, bruising, and swelling. These all lead to difficulty eating, which in turn leads to a decrease in muscle mass and when trainers see this, they end up pumping the horse full of a cocktail of steroids. At the end of the line, if the equine is not deemed worthy, they end up more than regularly on the slaughter pipeline. Horses that are not fast enough or are too injured to continue are often sold at low-end auctions. "Kill buyers" frequently attend these auctions to purchase horses for the meat market. While horse slaughter is currently banned in the U.S., over 20,000 American horses were shipped to Mexico or Canada in 2023 alone to be slaughtered for human consumption or pet food. Even the most productive horses are not safe by default. Some mares are bred every year over a period of ten years, after which their fertility decreases, leading to their slaughter. After the sale, the horses are subjected to a long journey, lasting between 24 to 36 hours, without any food, water, or rest. They are often transported in a trailer, which is not designed for equines, leading to severe injuries from over-trampling, broken bones, and exhaustion. Canada is a major hub for the export of live horses to Japan. These horses are crammed into wooden crates and flown for hours; recent investigations show they continue to suffer injuries, illness, and even death during these flights. Upon arrival at quarantine facilities in Japan, horses may be doused with harsh disinfectants that burn their eyes and skin, a practice animal rights groups claim would be illegal within Canada. At the slaughter plants, they often use captive-bolt stun guns designed for cattle. This is the most common stunning method used in horse slaughter plants. It involves a pneumatic-powered gun that shoots a metal bolt into the horse's skull to render it unconscious before its throat is slit and is hung to be bled out. Because horses are skittish and have a different head structure, they frequently require multiple "strikes," leading to prolonged suffering and terror. Primarily in Mexican slaughterhouses, horses are sometimes stabbed in the neck with a puntilla knife to sever the spinal cord, often paralyzing them while keeping them conscious before they are butchered. Conclusion: The costs of horses for providing entertainment to humans are quite substantial. These horses go through a multitude of traumatic experiences throughout their short lives of 2-3 years. Their lives could have been 25-30 years long. However, it is because of these horses' traumatic experiences that the success of the industry, measured in terms of billions of dollars in prize money and gambling revenue, is a result of the physical and psychological distress that these horses go through, which is not compensated by their lack of ability to provide consent to these risks. Bibliography : Five reasons why horse racing is cruel. World Animal Protection Australia. (2025, February 28). https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/news/five-reasons-why-horse-racing-cruel/ The Dark Side of horse racing – the story of Black Caviar. ’Til The Cows Come Home. (2024, September 2). https://tilthecowscomehome.org/resources/the-dark-side-of-horse-racing/ Horseracing: The unbridled truth. The Florida Bar. (2025, June 18). https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/horseracing-the-unbridled-truth/ Horse racing. PETA. (2024, September 27). https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/horse-racing-2/ Biggest American Horse races to watch after the triple crown | twinspires. (n.d.-b). https://www.twinspires.com/edge/racing/biggest-american-horse-races-to-watch-after-the-triple-crown-series/ Club, T. J. (n.d.). The jockey club. https://www.jockeyclub.com/Default.asp?section=Resources&area=10&story=1431 Home. (n.d.-a). https://www.avma.org/news/unregulated-horse-racing-continues-pose-risks McNeill, C. (2026, January 27). Tongue ties in horses: Welfare Implications & Ethical Training of racehorses: Mad barn. Mad Barn USA. https://madbarn.com/tongue-ties-in-horses/?srsltid=AfmBOortJCyv3jiN4FKiXo7B4i6EJarJASPz5PRWVnVINnHVh3rts3OY Roytz, J. (2022, April 27). Evolution of the nursemare business. TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/evolution-of-the-nursemare-business/ Ricard, Dr. M. (2026, February 4). 12 most common injuries in racehorses: Risk factors, treatment & prevention: Mad barn. Mad Barn USA. https://madbarn.com/racehorse-injuries/ comments debug Commenting Forum Please keep dialogue respectful & constructive Please keep dialogue respectful & constructive Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.