Through leading a Black Lives Matter protest in the Alief area to being Hastings’ Class President of 2021, Clinton Oreofe strives to raise awareness to topics that have been overshadowed by the media. With much excitement coming from the young scholar, he is soon to launch a YouTube channel with guest speakers and more coming together to talk about issues around the world. Under the name “Protrude Paradox,” Oreofe is looking forward to making an impact, especially in the middle of a pandemic.

For many students all over the world, it can be observed that the pandemic has affected their work ethics and life routines. For many cooped up in their rooms to keep safe away from the coronavirus killing millions across the nation, Texas has now just lifted its mask mandate, approved by Greg Abbott. As the divided state argues over the morality of this decision, Oreofe acknowledges that being in a pandemic has raised his awareness on issues around the world.

“With the rise of a global pandemic we hope in a year that our podcast show can reach as many people as we can while also inspiring them,” Oreofe said. “One of the main issues that we’re gonna talk about is how the global pandemic has impacted the way that we communicate and how accessible things are overall across-the-board and in the end, every each and everyone of us hope and believe that this podcast will set a platform and use rice as a platform for the youth to be able to speak out and speak about any opinions they have on any social issues.”

On a platform such as YouTube, all that is needed for it to be accessible is wifi and an electronic device. Uploading to this platform that many already have access to can increase his channel’s exposure and reach out to many different audiences that may even beg to differ.

“Some of the main issues we attempt to discuss will definitely be about race, religion, politics, and the topic/philosophy altruism and what it means to be a good human because as teenagers, people see and deem us as irresponsible or not old enough to really comprehend the issues which brushes aside what’s really going on in our everyday lives.”

During the year of 2020 and 2021, there have been many world issues. Scaling from a global pandemic to new presidential appointee, Oreofe narrows down more on what topics he hopes to discuss throughout his channel with guest speakers.

Senior Hayam Zaydom, 2021 class treasurer, will be a regular guest speaker on this channel and has shown leadership in the community. Being the face of Alief’s wellness program, she is set to soon launch her own waist band business and star on this channel.

“I hope that Protrude Paradox can create this platform that everyone will use and look not just right now but for years to come to actually see how opinions can differentiate but still be the same under one platform which is this the channel,” Zaydom said.

With high hopes, this group of high school students hope to make a change throughout their own community. Alief is predominantly POC inhabited and there are many issues that have surrounded the basis of hate crimes and racism. On this channel, they have chosen to spread their opinions in the form of educating others and even amongst themselves.

Zaydom expresses her high hopes in success through the channel affirming.

“If this channel were to blow up, a political figure I would love to have is Donald Trump. Trump’s following base has had a history of being pretty questionable and I would love to contradict his arguments. Overall though, we would like to reach any type of audience, any audience that listens at the end of the day. Mainly the youth in hopes of inspiring them day by day.”

Launching soon, Oreofe and Zaydom ask that readers stay tuned into updates of the channel, or if anything, be a leader overall. They wish to use their platforms and leadership to make a positive change through the youth, starting right here in the Alief community.