Cortland tech students' political cartoon links drug abuse to unemployment

political-cartoon

This political cartoon, which links unemployment in the Cortland area to drug abuse, was created by Jake Startwell, Brainna Bovay, Samuel Turck, William Rogers, and illustrated by Phoenix Rice.

A group of students at Seven Valleys New Tech Academy in Cortland recently created a political cartoon to highlight the problem of unemployment among young adults in the community.

Seven Valleys New Tech Academy, which opened this fall, has been described as one of only two 'new tech' high schools in central New York. Located at 240 Port Watson St, it serves high school students in Cortland County and also serves as a site for teacher training.

"Our message is that teenagers are stereotyped as immature, not dedicated, and unreliable," said Samuel Turck, a student at Seven Valleys and one of the co-creators of the cartoon. "This bias has severe consequences on young adults because it results in potential employers turning us down."

In most cases, young adults who are unable to find work will resort to using or selling drugs, Turck said.

The political cartoon was created by Jake Startwell, Brianna Bovay, Samuel Turck, William Rogers, and illustrated by Phoenix Rice.