【推荐1】The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the woman to sit on the high court, felt like a personal loss to generations of American women, as well as young girls.

“For women, she was the most important legal advocate in American history. She changed the way the law sees gender,” said Abbe Gluck, a Yale Law School professor and former clerk of Justice Ginsburg. “The United States Supreme Court did not even recognize that the constitution prohibits discrimination based on gender until 1971-and that’s Justice Ginsburg’s case.” Young Ginsburg spoke out loud her dissent (异议) in the face of all the honorable judges in the court, “The court takes away women’s right to make an autonomous choice, even at the expense of their safety. This way of thinking reflects ancient ideas about women’s place in the family and under the constitution.”

In the 1950s, Ginsburg went to Harvard Law School, where she was one of nine women in a class of 500 students. There she became the first female member of the Harvard Law Review. Despite finishing top of her class when she graduated, she struggled to find employment. Eventually, in 1963, she became a law professor at Rutgers Law School, where she turned her attention to gender discrimination.

In the 1970s, the young Ginsburg convinced the entire nation, through her arguments at the Supreme Court, to adopt the view of gender equality where equal means the same--not special accommodations for either gender. She argued six cases before the Supreme Court as a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, winning five.

Gluck said, “Ginsburg cared deeply about our work lives and our personal lives. She got to know our children. She taught me what it means to lead a life committed to the causes of social justice. She demanded a lot from us, but she demands more from herself. I think it is absolutely extraordinary that Justice Ginsburg was both a hero to the women of the 1970s and then an icon to the little girls of today.”

【推荐2】Omar Vazquez grew up in poverty on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. He watched his single mother struggle to put food on the table, and today the memory inspires him to help those in need. When an invasive (入侵的) seaweed called sargassum showed up on Mexico’s Caribbean beaches, Omar looked past the matter of it all and saw an opportunity to help others.

Sargassum is not dangerous, but it has an unpleasant smell and can become so thick that it keeps people from entering the water. Mexico has experienced record-setting amounts of the seaweed in recent years, and it has made its way to Florida’s beaches as well. Experts say there could be as much as 100 tons of sargassum blocking Mexican shorelines in 2023.

With tourism dollars at risk, officials and locals alike were eager to remove the seaweed, but only Omar saw its true potential. The professional gardener organized a beach cleanup that provided jobs for about 300 local families, but he knew there was more to do. Since people’s attitude towards the seaweed reminded him of his own life experiences, he decided to become an agent (推动者) for change.

When sargassum started arriving, everyone was complaining. “I wanted to make something good out of something everyone saw as bad,” Omar explained.

In 2018, Omar found a way to turn sargassum into building blocks that he calls Sargablock. He creates these blocks by mixing 40% sargassum with other materials like clay, then putting them in a block-forming machine and baking them in the sun for days. The end result is an organic, sustainable, and ecologically friendly building material that experts say could last for 120 years.

To date, Omar’s company, Bluegreen Mexico, has used 700 tons of sargassum to build low-income housing for those in need. Omar said he would take on more projects, and donate more houses to single mothers like his own mom.

【推荐1】A talented teen painter in Waterbury is helping her very sick father with her love of art. The 15-year-old girl from Waterbury could become a well-known artist one day. For now, though, part of her love for painting is the chance to help her dad, who’s ill. “It’s kind of like an ache-a heartbreak,” she said. “You never want to see one of your loved ones get hurt. ”

Her father is suffering from type-one diabetes (糖尿病) and is having trouble affording his mounting medical bills. “I’m suffering from heart disease, and blindness from my diabetes,” her father said. Angie has decided to put her talent as an artist to good use.

On Saturday, Sept. 23 from noon to 4 p. m., she’s hosting her own one day art exhibition (展览) to sell her paintings and raise money mainly for her father’s medical bills. “Angie’s Art Exhibition” will be at the North End Recreation Centre, located at 262 North Main Street in Waterbury. She’s also using it to help the Fairfield Animal Shelter. Angie loves animals—you see that on many of her paintings.

This isn’t the first time Angie has put her paintbrush to good use helping others. Her mother tells News 8 that Angie has also used her work to help her community: a local family who lost their father, and children who needed school supplies.

“She has an angelic heart. If there were more people like her in the world, there wouldn’t be so much chaos (混乱) and hate. I just look up to her and say ‘I’m very proud of you,’ ”her father said.

“My dad’s a great person. Though he goes through this, he still loves me and supports me in any way he can. It makes me feel important, “she said.

【推荐3】Going to the post office is usually a weekly event for me. However, our world has changed and now I must give careful consideration to this journey, as my age and health condition put me into the “vulnerable” category. There are decisions that I need to make. Is this a package that must go out now? Which of the post offices is closest to me? Before I set out from my home, I need to make two decisions!

On the drive over, I determined that I should wait for someone to come out and ask them to take my package in. One more decision was made. Then I realized that I would be making contact with a perfect stranger, and what is the difference between talking to that stranger and just going in and talking to the clerk? Another decision was made and then I walked inside and waited for my turn.

Shortly, I was called to the window, where the postal clerk was aware of the fear in my eyes. She quietly stepped back from her station and signaled me to come forward. I stepped up to the counter and placed my package on the scale. She then signaled me to step back. I moved away and she began the process of weighing it and determining the proper postage. She told me the price and signaled me forward as she took a step back. Again, I believed she saw the terror in my eyes and said, “One moment, Ma’am. ” She leaned under the counter and picked up a wipe. She thoroughly cleaned the credit card machine and the entire counter around it. She then stepped back and again signaled me forward. As I inserted my card, my tears started to roll down. I was so moved by the care with which she accomplished this usually very simple task. When I had completed the transaction(交易), she again signaled me back as she stepped forward. She took the receipt, wiped it down, and lay it on the counter. Beside it, she placed a clean tissue as she could see my tears were still streaming down my cheeks. She again stepped away from the counter. I picked up the receipt and took a step back.

In gratitude, I bowed to her. She bowed to me with equal respect.