Edward Fishman, Period 5, 1/8/2021

Edward Fishman

Period 5

1/8/2021

Day B

 Literacy & Learning                       

When I saw in the syllabus that we we're going to be reading the Book of Revelations, I was excited to see the apocalypse side of Gods, Monsters, and the Apocalypse. I've seen many interpretations of the book, whether it be in movies or TV shows, serious or satirical but before this class I have not actually read the original story. After reading I had a thought about religion in general, it all seemed very cult-like to me, the only difference is the people who created them are no longer alive. The idea that to avoid the literal end of the world you need to pray to the lord everyday and live your life by a certain set of rules just put me off. I don't mean to insult religious people, if the word of God is what gets you through the day, I will happily support you and your choice. However my problem with it lies when people try to force it onto others, claiming that they're helping save our lives from the soon to come wrath of god that will eliminate anyone who does not worship Him.

Reading this has changed my perception on religion as a whole, being raised in a house with a Christian mom and Jewish dad I've never been forced into either one, experiencing a little of both cultures growing up. Now I am more grateful for them not pushing anything onto me as I have seen happen many times with my friends, and going further into my life when religion is brought up, I will look at it from a non-biased point of view. There is also, in Christianity at least, the fear of God. That unsettles me because how can one be happy in life when you are always in fear of something? The idea that there exists a being in the universe with all knowing power and knowledge is a very fearful thing, and once again if its something that you believe in go for it, but forcing it onto others is overstepping boundaries and making the life of someone else harder than it has to be. Religion as a whole however, is a very good thing, keeping peoples morals in tact it has helped grow our society and keep it in check.

My learning of the book of revelation will likely not have an impact on my other classes, but its actually vice versa. Learning more and more about physics and the way that the world works is led to me taking a more skeptical view of the texts given to me. All religions are based on faith, your unwavering faith that there is a plan set in motion for you and your loved ones. I, as a person, am faithful to science. Some books from long ago, translated into the dirt sometimes not even keeping the ideas that were conveyed in the original, are not enough for me to subscribe to that way of thinking. The application of what I learned from the text to the world around me, is to live life to the fullest. If there is going to be a world ending event, why live a boring life? Personally I would want to be doing the things I love until the end, and knowing that after all the madness there will still be a world here for our innovations and knowledge to live on is enough for me to be at peace.

                            

                     

Colleen Wang, 12/14/20, PD 8, Day C

Colleen Wang

Period 8

12/14/20

Day C

Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

“We love you. You're very special ... but you have to go home,” Donald Trump said to his extremist supporters when they stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Stormed as in violently rioted, vandalized, and looted parts of the building (resulting in five deaths the very same day). This “protesting” was all in an attempt to prevent the confirmation of Joe Biden’s election victory. Baffled, I watch as these primarily white extremists proudly identify themselves to media outlets and take selfies with seemingly supportive white police officers outside of the Capitol building. 

But to the peaceful Black Lives Matter protests, Trump had tweeted, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” These protesters had been met with tear gas and rubber bullets as soon as they even walked up towards a police officer. The hypocrisy in these differing responses to social unrest strangely aren’t surprising to me, just frustrating. While the Trump extremists shamelessly streamed their siege on social media with no fear of retribution, BLM protestors had been tackled, arrested, and pepper-sprayed for a whole lot less this summer, not to mention history in general.

When BLM protestors are fighting for their basic Constitutional rights, federal and state police immediately prepare for unrest. But when Trump supporters attempt to overthrow the proceedings of democracy, Capitol police plan for peaceful demonstrations. These past events have shown me that there are two systems of justice operating in our country today. And despite the media attention these issues have received, the social and racial hierarchy is still being maintained and actively enforced. 

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Although I would rather avoid current events given the moral corruption exhibited and exaggerated by recent police response, I am attempting to be informed and to inform others. I am also working towards dismantling my own prejudices that I have subconsciously absorbed from my environment, namely the Asian “model minority” narrative that promotes the myth that non-white Americans can succeed and overcome racism by striving for success. In reflecting on the anti-blackness that exists in my own Asian American community, I have realized that I have been conditioned to ascribe to this systemic power structure by well-intentioned but misguided influences. While there aren’t clear-cut answers to the problems I am identifying, I am working towards educating myself and being intentional with pursuing improvement.

Beata Verkhavets, Period 2, 11/30/2020, Day A

Beata Verkhavets

Period 2

11/30/2020

Day A

Goal Setting & Growth

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

With the hectic nature of our lives today, I feel that it is important to set certain goals for ourselves. These can be more short-term goals that can be focused on in the moment, or long-term goals that can be worked towards. I tend to set a lot of different goals for myself at once, which makes accomplishing these goals extremely difficult for me, seeing as it can get pretty overwhelming to keep up with such a large amount of them. Thus, recently I’ve decided to put my body and physical health first. A specific goal that I have for myself during this time is to expand my dance ability, as dance is one of my biggest passions. I want to be more experienced in my field of dance (hip-hop), and feel more confident in my movements; confident enough to freely take videos of myself dancing and not feel the need to scrutinize my every move! I’ve been dancing with my team for around 2 years, and I still find myself not being able to confidently show off my ability. A serious goal of mine is to be able to learn how to take choreography and apply it to my own body, instead of mirroring what I see. I feel that once I am able to do this, I will be able to work towards complete confidence in my dance ability, and see a significant improvement! Besides just dancing, I’m striving towards improving my overall physical health, because feeling good in my own body is extremely important towards the aspect of confidence. Seeing as dance is my creative outlet, safe space, and freedom, my goal is to be able to feel that freedom without limiting myself to my insecurities, and I feel that the ultimate way to achieve this would be to work on my physical health as well as my mental health/confidence!

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

Working towards goals that intertwine both physical health and mental health can be extremely challenging. The drive to improve on myself physically (consistently improving my dance ability, increasing my skill level) has always come from the drive to improve on myself mentally. I realized that without building on my mental health, I would not be able to consistently strive towards my physical goals. Thus, lately I've been working on the mental aspect of achieving my goals: I've been actively trying to avoid undermining myself and my abilities, and rather building up my confidence in how I look when dancing. With the slow progression of the mental aspect of my goals, I've found myself getting better at the physical aspect. No matter how difficult things get for me, or how stressed/overwhelmed I get, I'm always at the studio whenever I need to be. I've actively been working on my skills both in-studio and at home, constantly increasing my flexibility and strength. Through the consistent efforts that I put towards dance, I've formed extremely close bonds with my teammates and coach. In fact, my efforts paid off greatly! A while back, I was selected for the position of captain of my own competitive dance team, and I was beyond ecstatic. So you can imagine my excitement when just a few months later, I was asked by my coach to be the assistant coach of the younger competitive dance team at our studio! Nevertheless, I continue to work towards improving my dance ability, expanding the range of styles that I'm able to do, and building my confidence to eliminate that self-doubt. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

To me, it seems that the world around me is stuck in a continuous loop of gaining motivation, and then losing it again. Many people around me tell me how they want to achieve certain goals and how they plan on doing it, then take on way too much for their own good, and months later tell me how they gave up. In the midst of all this, I saw certain people who did not let the lack of motivation stop them from achieving their goals. For example, seeing my coach consistently work to get better at new dance styles, new stretches, and gain strength has always inspired me to work on myself in the same way. Seeing how other people are confident in their dance ability, radiating that self-assurance in their movements and taking control of dance inspired me to work towards doing the same. Watching others' performances on YouTube or other social media platforms also has pushed me towards achieving this goal. Before observing others, I always perceived my goal as a physical goal. I'd work myself to exhaustion in order to learn how to do choreography better. However, observing how others dance and display that confidence through their movements has taught me that a big portion of this goal lies within my mindset. I can learn how to do a choreography perfectly, but without being in the right mindset, I cannot make that choreography mine (my own style). I've made significantly more progress towards achieving my goals when I implemented my mindset and realized how important it is! 

Jade Lombardo, 1/14/2021, PD8, Day C

Jade Lombardo
Modern Mythology
Period 8
Day C
1/14/2021

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

Throughout the past year, there have been many examples of inequity and oppression of certain groups of people. The most prevalent one that I could think of is the BLM movement during the summer. Everyone, including myself, was signing petitions as well and trying to learn more about black history as well as the history of their oppression and what it stems from. As an American, for a place that is “advertised” as a place where people can free and express themselves as they want, I am ashamed of some of the people in this country. People are so quick to judge off of things like race, the color or your skin, or your sexuality and I don’t think that this should be the case. I believe that everyone should have equal opportunities no matter who you are and what you identify as, as long as you are not hurting people with what you believe in. I also hope that with the awareness this is getting and with the recent storming of the capital, that people can learn to recognize when something is inherently unjust and treat everyone, no matter race, sexuality, or gender equality.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

I reflect critically on my own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experience by asking myself if what I am doing would offend anyone or cause unnecessary harm. I never make judgments of people based purely on first impressions, and always try to get to know them better to understand their personality and who they are. I also try to educate myself using either informative social media accounts or documentaries on Netflix. When doing this, I am always keeping an open mind because it is not my place to place judgment on other people and their beliefs. Currently, I feel as if I am still developing my own beliefs and values because I am still learning so much, either from school or the internet. I am not sure if I will ever stop learning, but I think that in the near future there will be a time where I am confident in what I believe in.

Brice Joseph, 1/12/2021, Pd. 2 Day A

Brice Joseph

Modern Mythology

1/12/21

Period 2

Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

The issues relating to inequity, oppression, and/or power has been around for many, many years. Stemming back to our founding history, these issues have been prevalent on a politically and socially local and global scale. Personally, I never got to invested into these topics as I preferred to steer away from political issues and similar arguments. However, this year has definitely been a year where almost everyone was exposed to these situations. The ideas of equity and equality have been put into question by events that have taken the globe by storm. Is there really any equity or equality in our ideal society? Will there ever be? The way I look at it, there is not. Through the enormous amount of media coverage, it can been deduced that we have made little to no progress since the founding of America, the land of the free. I view everyone the same and equally as we all should. While equity is something we hope for, it shouldn't be something we have to beg for. On too many occasions, we have found ourselves questioning the morals of others and questions the true equity. I believe the bigger idea is equality in society. Equality is treating all people the same no matter and differences; seeing everyone the same. In todays society, I feel like this is something we lack indirectly. Of course there will be the people who do follow this way of living but there will always be people who will not. I believe the differences in classes and ways of living as well as beliefs is to blame for this disparity. I believe we need to understand each other instead of finding a way to argue about every small or big things that happens. Another thing is that I believe there are two sides, one side which expects too much, and the other who expects too little. The side who expects too much seems to create problems and make everything an on going issue. The side who expects too little, do not contribute to solve injustices and cannot see what is wrong.. This clash of sides results in the events of this year. Although, I have not been totally committed into these issues, I hope one day we live as an equal society where equality is a human need.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

I found that the best way for me to reflect critically on my beliefs is to understand all the arguments. I have my beliefs and someone else may have theirs. By keeping this difference, no progress in make a compromise or sharing a viewpoint will ever arise. I like to understand both sides of something and place myself in the shoes of the other side to see where they are coming from. Without doing this, you will become quick to judge and never really understand. I feel like this understanding is the solution to many problems today. If we took the time to understand the other side instead of being limited and so determined on one belief, a idea of "peace" may be formed. Of course, this will influence your perception of others. Seeing something from a different angle can always change your mind. While someone may not look good from one angle, there's always that one angle where they do. Personally, I do not let my beliefs influence my perception of others or myself. Your beliefs  necessarily don't always reflect your character. I believe we shouldn't judge someone for their beliefs as you never know the whole story.

Ryan Hourican, Period 5, 1/13/21, Day B

 Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

Before these past couple of years I thought these issues were a thing of the past but I've realized that that's not the case. I have done my best to inform myself on these topics but there still a lot that I don't know and will try to learn. I don't have strong opinions on a lot of these matters due to the fact that I still have to be educated and don't want to share my opinions without knowing all the sides of the story. The one thing I can truly talk about is that I want a world where everyone is treated as equals but it saddens me because I know this won't happen. I view everyone as equals and never think of someone as below me. I hope that one day we all try to think this way. When talking about equity though, I hope that one day we wont need this. I understand the benefits of equity and that it promotes fairness but I hope for us to one day not need this and to instead focus on equality. This is all about opportunity and I'm hoping that one day everyone gets an equal chance at each opportunity so that everyone has an equal chance to succeed and those who struggle are there not due to race, religion, or gender, but because of what they did with their opportunity. The thing that I dislike about all of this is knowing it most likely wont happen. There are some people out there that just wont be able to think differently and think some people are just better than others due to race and gender. Those who think this way have created many problems within society and knowing there are still those out there who think this way crushes my hopes for a future with equality because the only way to reach it is with everyone working together as equals.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

My beliefs are something I keep mainly to myself because I know that there are someone people who think differently that will judge me. I instead try to focus on being a better person so people can look past my opinions on topics and instead see me as someone who is trying their best to be a good person. The people I do share my opinions with are those I am close with so I know that no matter what, our friendship wont change even if we think differently on specific matters. At the moment I am still forming some of my beliefs because I am still not educated on some matters. I like to think that forming opinions with knowledge of both sides is what people should start to do more because it makes opinions unbiased. I believe this is a good way to reflect on my beliefs because learning about both sides will keep me unbiased and, in the end, might make me rethink my opinions.

Vicky Zhou, Period 5, 1/12/21, Day B

Vicky Zhou

Period 5

2/12/2021

Day B

Literacy & Learning

Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class.

After reading the article “Viking Mythology: What a Man Can Learn From Loki (About Unmanliness ),” written by Jeremy Anderberg, I found it particularly interesting that the author would compare Loki to Satan. Before exploring Norse Mythology, I knew Loki to be the trickster amongst the gods. I didn’t see him as the embodiment of evil but rather a prankster, his actions comparable to that of siblings. However, his small simple actions, often lead to poor consequences. In the case of Baldur, Loki went out of his way to bring mistletoes into Asgard, the one thing that can harm Baldur. He then convinced Hodr to throw a spear made from mistletoe that ultimately kills Baldur. Even worse, when every creature in the world wept for Baldur to return, Loki disguised himself as a giantess and denied it. Anderberg describes him to be “hedonistic,” because his actions weren’t rooted in hatred, but simply a means to exercise his cunning mind for entertainment. He embodies all that man should not be, as the trickster amongst the gods. 

Going back to the comparison between Loki and Satan, I found it interesting how their actions paralleled. In the Book of Job, Satan appears before God and convinces him to punish Job to test his true devolution. God allows Satan to torment Job: he loses his livestock, servants, and children. Job represents the most excellent of God’s followers: despite the loss of his wealth, the death of his children, and the lack of explanation for his suffering, he continues to devote his faith and praise him. The story of Job explores the idea of doubt and faith. It teaches Christians that despite the temptation to sin, they have their own choice to make the right decision; no matter how grim life may seem, it is important to keep their trust. It also teaches the idea of suffering without an explanation. In the story of “The Master Builder,” written by Neil Gaiman, Loki convinces all the gods of Asgard to allow a stranger to build Asgard a wall in exchange for the moon, sun, and Freya. Both Loki and Satan represent the temptation of man. Job was stripped of his riches, yet he continued to praise God, not falling for the bait. Unlike Job, the gods were easily convinced by Loki’s plan. 

Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

It is easy to blame Loki for almost losing the moon, sun, and Freya or even Ragnorak. He was the one to convince the gods to strike a deal with the stranger. He and his children destroyed the world. However, when we step back and look at all the events leading up to the downfall, he is not the only one at fault. He brought the plan to the table, but the gods all agreed and allowed him to execute it. When the gods noticed how big Fenrir the wolf grew, rather than placing their trust in him, their paranoia of his overwhelming strength led to his imprisonment. They bounded him to a rock with a magical chain and stuck a sword in his mouth. The god’s fear of Fenrir’s strength becomes one of the catalysts to Ragnorok. Fenrir’s hatred and anger will build up until the day he is freed. Similarly, the serpent, Jörmungandr holds an equal level of hate towards the gods, especially Thor. Thor had seen the serpent as the ultimate challenge, which led to countless fights. In addition, the Aesir gods are at fault for hunting down all the Giants, leaving Jörmungandr one of the last to survive. He continues to live harboring hatred and vengeance. Lastly, when the gods became fed up with Loki’s tricks, they decided to chain him up along with a poisonous snake which dripped venom onto his face. This became his fate until the day of Ragnorok when he is finally free. If the gods had approached each situation differently, then perhaps Ragnorok would have not have occurred in such ways. However, the gods will continue to blame Loki and his children for the death of many. Loki, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr may be the enemies the gods are fighting, but they fail to see how their own actions led them to this rivalry. Even in Christianity, followers often blame greed and any source of ill intent on Satan. We as humans are drawn to the concept of attributing blame to others. It is oftentimes easier to point fingers and say it is another’s fault than to take a step back and consider where we could have faulted ourselves. Rather than making rash conclusions, I learned to explore past events in order to understand and access the situation fully. By perceiving the problem from every point of view, I will be able to understand how I arrived at the problem.  

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

In my response to the previous question, I talked about how it is part of human nature to blame others than to take a look at ourselves and see where the fault truly lies. In school, it is easy for me to blame teachers for long assignments or hard tests. However, instead, I should reflect on how I approached each challenge; did I procrastinate the project or study enough for the test? My mom has always taught me to keep looking forwards: rather than dwelling on a bad grade, I should see what led to a low score and how I can change that for the future. 

When we look at the first couple of months of the coronavirus, the blame was heavily placed on China. We fail to see our own mishandling of the pandemic that led to the rise in numbers and death toll. For instance, our president made countless remarks on why masks were not needed. Because of this, many people followed him and refused to follow safety precautions. We can’t fault China for the spread of COVID when it is our own administration that doesn’t enforce safety requirements. Before we look to others as the ones to fault, we should first consider whether we ourselves are doing everything we can to prevent it. 

Jolie Huang, Period 2, 1/12/21, Day A

Jolie Huang

Modern Mythology

1/12/21

Period 2

• Socio-political Consciousness
• What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?
• During a time where our world is becoming more divided than ever politically, socially, and economically, there’s bound to be rising issues of inequity and unbalanced power that we need to address. As a young American, I’ve been trying to educate myself on what exactly caused and is still causing this inherent divide in our country. I believe that inequity and oppression solely based on someone’s gender, race, and religion is abhorrent. As a country based on liberty and freedom, we are completely going against the ideals we built our nation on. I may not be someone who strongly prefers one side of the political spectrum over the other, but I do believe that equal opportunities given to everyone to the country is a key factor in mitigating our inequity problem. We don’t need to necessarily hand out resources for free without work, but we could at the very least give the people sufficient opportunities to get themselves going and reach their own goals. As cheesy as it may sound, I do believe that if one person could do it, any person can do it if they were given the proper resources as preparation. Thus, as a country, we should strive to fight for a system that doesn’t discriminate based on race, gender, sexuality, or religion in a police justice setting, in economics, in politics, and in society. 
• How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?
• In order to reflect critically on my preexisting beliefs, I definitely try my best to listen to what the other side is saying and how exactly they formed their opinions. Even though it’s obvious to say, it’s true: in this day and age, it’s important to be open-minded to other people’s beliefs, even if you disagree with their opinion. Baselessly assuming that someone’s views are wrong without seeing how exactly they formed this viewpoint is ignorant. Therefore, whenever I’m educating myself on a topic, I try to look for sources that are both legitimate and different than mine. It’s a bit hard to distinguish whether something is wrongly biased or just stating an opinion, but there’s a reason why so many sources exist and it’s our job to be exposed to all sides of a topic’s spectrum and formulate our own opinions based on our own values and beliefs. I also think it’s important to stay unbiased until I have enough objective information in my mind about a topic and to consume as little biased information as possible, no matter if that source is supporting or against my views. We are all humans who know how to think for ourselves and if we have an outside source swaying our opinions, we’re going to turn into sheep who eventually blindly follow whatever other people say. 

Celina Lin, 1/11/2021, PD 8, Day C

Celina Lin

Period 8

01/11/2021 Day C Modern Mythology 2021 At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why? The biggest goal I have for myself is self-care because of everything that is going around, I have neglected many things especially myself. Mostly because of work on weekends, I barely have time to accomplish schoolwork. Trying to attempt to finish up work and be productive on the way home is not enough. When it comes to trying to balance between work and school, it always leaves me in a state of hopelessness. I never know exactly what I should do. Sometimes, I tell myself that I should just quit and utilize the weekends like a typical high school student would. But, there are other times where I genuinely enjoy the experience and the learning that I gain from my work so much that I would not want to quit the job. These opposing thoughts have resulted in an accumulation of stress. I want to stop pulling all-nighters and get a good night’s rest. Although my friends are always insisting that I should take a break and just forget about everything momentarily, it’s just so difficult. I don’t simply want to complete schoolwork, but I want to do extra things. But as of now, being unable to spare some free time for myself, it’s hard for me to invest time in other extracurricular activities. So, self care is definitely something that I have prioritized right now and I will try to work towards that goal. How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

There are times where I would get really frustrated with myself for being unable to accomplish schoolwork at a given time that I’ve set for myself. When that usually happens, I would say that hopping on social media would account for the time lost to being productive. Occasionally, I would get distracted by a notification bell and instinctively, I would reach for my phone and check for new updates or messages. This has been a habit because I usually have my phone next to me while I do homework or study. But, I have been trying to change that. I have tried to delete social media off of my phone because I wanted to experience how it’s like to be free from all those notifications. I can say that it was actually a good decision because although I was tempted to download these apps again, I could actually invest time into doing work. I would also turn my phone onto airplane mode so I wouldn’t receive any new notifications. I hope that through minimizing distractions, I could utilize my time appropriately. How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

I think that especially during a time like right now, a lot more people are doing things remotely. This gives people more opportunities and time to cherish family time and accomplish more things. But at the same time, everybody just seems so productive and knows the exact direction that they are heading in. By that, I mean everyone is using that time efficiently. I think that this puts more pressure on me because there are times where I think to myself, “ Do I really have to do this?” But yes, I have put effort into doing things because it doesn’t benefit anyone else but myself. Also, I think this applies to a majority of high school students but there is ongoing pressure with getting admitted to a “good” university. Even though college applications are done, I feel as if I am still in the process of doing it. That’s because my parents are constantly asking me about that and mentioning zoom meetings from certain universities. Especially recently, a lot of the conversations that I hold my parents all revolve around colleges. I want to try to de-stress by talking about what happened at work or school with my parents, but it somehow winds back to talking about colleges. I can't help but feel burdened. I have constant thoughts about the fact that I must get into a good university so my parents would be pleased.

Susanna Kasparov, 1/11/21, Pd. 8, Day C

 Susanna Kasparov

Period 8 - Day C

01/11/2021

Modern Mythology 2021

1. What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

Growing up in New York City, the heart of different cultures, beliefs, and other forms of expression, I have met many people from various backgrounds and appreciate the beauty in all of them. I have always admired how in New York, truly anything goes and how unbothered we are. No matter who you are, you have a home here. That’s what my parents, who are Armenian and Russian, hoped for me and my sister when emigrating here after surviving through a genocide and war. Many people know of the Armenian genocide that occurred in the 1910s caused by the Ottoman Empire, (even though it has not been recognized by most countries). However, Armenians were persecuted again by Turkish-Azerbaijani soldiers back in the ’90s in Baku, where my family lived. Hearing their horrifying tales of suffering and injustice all my life, I have learned to not hold hate in my heart for anybody. Now, seeing the state of our country, it’s hard for me to fathom another place as unaccepting as the one I have been forced to witness. Though unity is what our country needs right now with this pandemic, waking up to many devastating headlines on the news everyday surrounding police brutality, hate crimes, people protesting to not wear masks, and currently the riot that occurred at the Capitol, makes me realize how desperately our country needs change. There is so much corruption happening behind closed doors, such as the lack of prosecution against cops who clearly demonstrated brutality on the basis of race. There is so much violence, towards Asian Americans as a result of the coronavirus, towards African Americans from police and ordinary citizens, towards the LGTBQ+ community, and so many other groups and identities. What’s even scarier to me is the reemergence of hate organizations such as the KKK and Nazis. Though people are more educated and accepting now, the appearance of these organizations again is an indication that our country’s foundation on slavery and oppression is much deeper than just putting bills or amendments in place. It’s a mentality that unfortunately many people refuse to change. I believe change has begun, and the Black Lives Matter movement has brought a lot of attention to the ongoing systematic racism our country is built on. To some, removing symbols of our country’s dark origins, such as confederate statues, is erasing history. However, I believe it’s a start to healing from the oppression caused, and a way to stop idolizing the wrong side of history. There is a long way to go, but as long as our generation and futures ones become more educated, I have hope. Hope that one day, our country will become a more accepting and safe place for not just my own kids, but for all of them. 

2. How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

If someone were to ask me what I feel when I watch the news, all I can think of is frustrated. For most of my life, I have felt helpless and trapped. Anything I believe or say has constantly been dismissed because I’m just a “teenage girl” who doesn’t have any life experience and doesn’t know what they’re talking about. And to some extent, that’s probably true, since I do have my whole life ahead of me. But I’m frustrated with my life being dictated and being unable to help people because I’m just an ordinary person. Joining Junior Statesmen of America was an outlet for me to express my discontent with the world and different social and political issues. I also was able to learn on both sides of specific issues, and create a more educated perspective. I have always been a open-minded person and one without judgement and now, leaving to college, I realize I want to do more. I wish to have a glimpse into a world outside my own, and meet others from all walks of life. I also want to raise awareness and create a change, helping those who are oppressed and don’t have a voice. I have always been frustrated with how issues are handled, and I realize that I am tired of waiting for someone else to create a change. It begins with me, and I hope to start pushing for change in my own community, and carry that to college and beyond and leave a more wide-scale impact.

Mitchell Hayutt, Period 5, 1/13/2021, Day B

                                       Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

I think that the issues of inequity, oppression, and power have been quite prevalent in the recent years, especially with the ongoing political debates and the global pandemic. Firstly, I want to state that I am somebody who prefers to stay out of politics and have no strong opinions on it. I believe that any extremists are the ones causing drama and chaos, no matter what side of the political scale they lie on. Moving on, I believe that equality is something that we should continue to strive for rather than equity. Although the idea of equity is sometimes beneficial in promoting racial and social fairness, I generally believe that the ideal community is one full of equal opportunity no matter what the origin. This is known as equality, where everyone, no matter their race, gender, or religion, is given the same opportunity rather than helping those who struggle. Then, it is up to the individuals to decide how hard they work and whether or not they take advantage of their opportunities. Of course, it is still important to help those who struggle, but I believe that if we can achieve a state of equality, then everybody will have the chance to become a better version of themselves. At that point, the people who are left struggling are there not because of their race or gender, but because of how they chose to use their opportunity. I think that by implementing this complete equality rather than equity, we can lessen the oppression in our society because people of all origins and cultures will have the chance to succeed and climb the social ladder.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Personally, I try to put all beliefs aside when I initially meet somebody new and learn more about them. In today’s world, there are way too many people who will socially distance themselves from people just because of their contrasting political or social beliefs. Because of this, I try to be aware of the people around me and choose selectively who to share my true ideas with. However, I do often listen to and read articles that people share even when they contrast with my opinions. I think that this is a fair way to reflect critically in my own beliefs, because I know many people completely avoid opposing media and don’t even take their opinions into account. I think that this is a terrible trait because it leaves you with a completely biased opinion. I like to take in all of the information I can get and analyze it to understand what makes sense and what doesn’t. This is a trait of mine that I believe is rare but helpful, because it helps me formulate an opinion that takes many ideas into account and is unbiased. Additionally, it helps me in situations where I meet new people whose political opinions I am not yet aware of, because I understand both sides of the debates and will not allow my political ideas to give myself a bad impression.

Tiffany Pan, Period 2, 2/5/2021, Day A

Tiffany Pan

Period 2

2/5/2021

Day A

Literacy & Learning

Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class.

For our Egyptian mythology unit, we had to watch this National Geographic Film on the Book of the Dead. It was quite a long watch, around 40 minutes of content to consume. I decided to separate the video in half: 20 minutes for each time I sat down and watched. The first half of the video was mind-boggling to say the least. I couldn’t for the life of me understand how an entire population and further generations could place that much emphasis on death and then therefore have so little regard for life itself. The protagonist was dedicating his entire life and savings into preparing for his death, which might’ve not come for years. That means he was choosing to life more frugally during his actual lifetime, but with the security of the knowledge that he was going to have a good afterlife. It seemed completely absurd to me that people could prioritize the afterlife over death. After I shut the video down and went to sleep, I gave it much more thought. 

As a kid, I had been “deathly” (pun intended) afraid of death itself but over time, I’ve learned to accept that it’s a part of life and will come eventually. With this thought in mind, I could slightly see the perspective of preparing for death. It’s a practically unknown idea: no one knows what it’s like. With this idea in mind, I decided to finish the second half of the video the next day. The motives of the Egyptians cleared up more for me. Since there was no saying what actually happened after death, they were left up to their own culture and values to decide what they thought would happen. Hence, Egyptian culture placed a lot of emphasis on the afterlife and it had been that way for generations, starting with the importance of Anubis, the god of the afterlife. It made sense for them to heavily prepare for the unknown: they were driven by both fear and respect for the afterlife. 

Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

Through both National Geographic videos on the Book of the Dead and the Egyptian Secrets of the Afterlife, I’ve learned quite a lot regarding how high of a pedestal the Egyptians placed the afterlife on. In my response to the previous question, I mentioned the fact that I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around their culture and the significant amount of resources and time dedicated into preparing for the afterlife. However, after considering the topic more and giving it more thought, I was able to better understand their perspectives and why the afterlife was so big to them. From this development, I realized that it’s important to keep an open mind and understand other points of view when it comes to all types of topics, whether or not their ideals clash or agree with my own. With this same mindset, I’m able to better critically perceive other topics or events happening around me since I’ll be much more open-minded about topics that I would typically at first find as confusing and hard to justify. This way, I’ll be able to consider the critical thoughts that actually matter, rather than forming opinions based on my own beliefs first. 

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

Although we’ve mostly explored fiction texts with the exception of a few non-fiction texts, I’m still able to apply what I learn in this class within the world around me. Very recently, we dove into Norse mythology and I learned about these fearless beings who didn’t back down from any challenges. They were the embodiment of heroism and taking the strong winds and cold waters head-on. I’m sure they were aware of the risks of their adventures but decided to pursue that type of lifestyle regardless. That type of heroism and confidence when tackling challenges is one that the world definitely needs right now. As we’re sucked into more and more chaos, it gets harder to stand up and speak for what we believe in. For the Northern people, they believed in heroism and fighting till their last breath, so that was what they did. For us, although it’s not to the same degree, I definitely believe that we can all do more and act more on what we believe in, and what we learn within English class undoubtedly encourages those actions. 

Christopher Fulco, Period 5, 01/07/2021, Day B

Christopher Fulco

01/07/2021

Period 5

Modern Mythology 2021

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

    As we enter into the new year, I feel my specific goals changing. I not only want to solidify my own social opinions, as well as beginning to push myself forward socially, but focus on finding my own personal happiness. The events of yesterday are still fresh on my mind, and honestly, they deeply shocked and disturbed me. To see the nation's Capitol, a building meant to embody freedom and democracy, flooded with individuals meant to overturn a democratic election, it terrified me. I want my own opinions on the world to be solidified, as I've grown, I felt myself distancing myself from political and social issues. I became a bystander to the great problems of the world, and distanced myself from the issues plaguing society as a whole. The events of yesterday made me rethink a lot of my own beliefs. I want to become someone proud to share his beliefs, not someone who is too scared of backlash to tell those around him how he feels. In addition to this, I hope to become more confident, and feel as if this attempt to branch out politically and socially will bring me my own happiness.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

    Resilience in this aspect is being confident enough to keep discovering how I feel about the social issues plaguing the country. The ability to press on day in and day out and know that the ideas and beliefs I am fighting for are the morally and intellectually correct ones. The ability for me to look out at those around me and mold and mesh my opinions and beliefs to match what I personally believe in, as well as being confident enough to tell those around me how I feel, and sticking up for the beliefs I believe in. As well as this, resilience is being able to be strong enough to make the tough decisions about which opinions are right. In the current world, many of the political and social opinions of those around us have been very much stratified. You're either left or right. Right or wrong. That's a very basic way at looking at any sort of opinion, there are nuances in life. Nuances that cannot be discarded or simply thrown to the side for the sake of supporting one or the other party. You have to believe, truly believe, what you think is best for the nation as a whole, and that will be a different belief than the person to your right or left. At the end of the day though, respect for all is very important. People will disagree on a lot of things in life, and although their opinions may be slightly different than yours in some aspects, you have to find common ground and come to a compromise. Resilience in this case is finding the greatest possible compromises.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

    Once again, recent events have really molded and shaped this goal of mine. I've seen what can only be described as the worst in people brought to light. Destruction, violence, the glorification of authoritarianism, among other things. It has terrified me to think that a nation founded on the principles of democracy, freedom of expression and speech, and the right to peaceful protest, would resort to lengths such as authoritarianism, suppression and censorship, and political violence to achieve useless and uncaring goals. I believe in the nation. I believe it has the power to do better. My goal is, at its simplest, to be a better citizen. I pray and hope that things for this country improve. I want to see everyone prosper. I want to see those around me treated with respect and receive justice, which even now, seems so fleeting. For every day that this political turmoil becomes worse, the world looks on in pain and in shame. However, it makes my resolve, my perception that this is what needs to be done, it makes that ever stronger.

Raquel Jimenez, 1/11/21, Pd. 8, Day C

 Raquel Jimenez

Modern Mythology

Period 8

01/11/21

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

     It is a new year, so this typically comes with resolutions and creating goals for the year. At this current point in time, I didn’t create specific goals for the year but I do still have goals that carried on from 2020. 

    I want to be more social. I am a senior in high school and about to go off to college. It feels like I’m running out of time with the people I have formed strong bonds with. I have always been the type of person to form few but close friendships. While I do enjoy having such tight relationships, I want to put myself out there more. 

     Additionally, I also want to think about what I need more. Not only do I want to stop buying stuff just because I want it or a sale may be going on, but I also want to assess what I already have and see if I can make more room for myself. To me, college is a new chapter so I don’t want to hold on to stuff that isn’t of importance and is just taking up space. 

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving these goals?

     My friends and I have done our best to make the most of our time left together, especially considering we are in a global pandemic. We facetime to watch movies together or just to talk. Occasionally we meet up and try to do so in ways that are safe. Right now with one of the colleges to which I was accepted, I decided to utilize the opportunity to communicate with other accepted students through an app. I’ve joined different group chats that are specific to interests I have so I can get to know people near and far from me. 

     As mentioned earlier, I tend to impulsively buy. Instead of buying it right away, I plan to think about why I want it, need it, and how much I see myself using it. Additionally, I will wait a couple of days to see if I still feel the same about how much importance it has and whether it is worth spending the money. For the longest time, I did not want to get rid of anything because “you never know when you’re going to need it.” I’ve come to the realization that if I keep thinking this way, I’m going to just continue growing my collection of useless stuff. Now and then, I decide to go through one of my drawers and see what I should keep or get rid of. When making these decisions, I try to think of how much I’ve used it within the past year, will it make a difference if I don’t have this anymore when is the next time I can really use it. This way, I got rid of more stuff than I expected and started making progress. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? 

     The world around me is at a standstill currently. It feels impossible to achieve being more social because we have to be home more. I can’t go to school and participate in clubs or go out with my friends to do stuff I had planned. Half of my senior year is at home wherein a lot of my classes I can’t see my classmate’s faces because their cameras are off. Achieving this goal feels really limited and impossible if I’m being honest, but I’m trying to find that balance to make it possible. 

    When it comes to my second goal, I feel it is more important to think about this right now because of the pandemic. Having more time at home and spending a lot of it on the internet has allowed me to go to online stores and spend more time browsing at unnecessary items. Considering how bad people’s financial situations have become makes me feel that I do need to get my priorities straight. My mom has always told me to get rid of stuff because I’m going to have a lot less space in college and she’s right. If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have the motivation to even think about this goal. A lot of people tend to have difficulties letting go and because of my situation, I just want to look at it as a cleansing so I can have my new start without holding on to so much. 

Leonardo Gonzalez, Modern Mythology, 1/7/2021, Period 2, Day A

Leonardo Gonzalez
Modern Mythology
1/7/2021
Period 2

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

My previous goal was to focus on college applications but now that I’m finally done with that I can focus more on school work. My main goal is to make sure that I can maintain my current grades. In order to achieve this goal im gonna have to keep on studying and preparing for each class. I also need to work on my sleep schedule and time management so that I can efficiently study for each class. Accomplishing this goal can also help me with the AP tests that im gonna take in May.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

In order to achieve this goal, I have been planning out my schedule the day before each class. I want to make sure that I take the time to prepare for each class. I also want to make sure that I’m not overwhelming myself with school work so making a schedule can really help me set aside time to relax. I’m also trying to fix my sleep schedule by sleeping earlier than usual so that I can get at least 8 hours of sleep.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

I feel like quarantine has really made me lazy. I remember early on in the school year I was struggling to even get out of bed and this made it so I was showing up to class extremely tired. This also makes me less motivated to do my school work. I feel like now that we’re in winter I might get lazier which can hinder the progress I make to achieve my goal.

Abel George, 1/6/21, Pd. 8, Day C

Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

I think a major issue affecting us today in society is institutionalized racism. Institutionalized racism is racism expressed in the practice of social and political institutions, meaning in a way, it is embedded in our society. Institutionalized racism is seen through disparities presented in institutions such as housing, education, and the criminal justice system. By reading online I’ve seen many examples of institutionalized racism in action. For example, racism in housing has been around since the 1930s when the official policy of the HOLC and the FHA identified individuals of color as financial risks regardless of their social class stopping minorities from receiving loans negatively affecting these groups for years. I feel institutionalized racism is a major issue affecting America today and for this reason, we need more discussion on these topics.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Our personal beliefs, assumptions, and experiences can create implicit or unconscious biases. Our preconceived notions shape our outlook on others creating this unconscious bias towards other groups. Growing up in a Christian household seeing people practice different religions for the first time came as a surprise to me. This helps me understand why some people become very narrow-minded over time. When you spend your whole life surrounded by people who share the same ideals as you, you aren't exposed to new ways of thinking leading to these unconscious biases. In a way you are in an echo-chamber hearing the same ideas over and over again You begin to perceive things that are different as bad or incorrect. This is why I feel education is very important in breaking these unconscious biases and creating new ways of thinking.

Sarah Hanglow, Modern Mythology, 1/7/2021, Period 2, Day A

Sarah Hanglow 

Modern Mythology 

1/7/2021

Period 2

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

At this point in time I have decided that I am going to try to exercise more. My goal is to go

for a 30 minute walk at least once a day. I have decided to set this goal since it is important

for my mental health to get out of the house regularly. In the past I have found even short

increments of exercise can greatly improve my mood. It also gives me a chance to spend time

with my family away from the distractions that come with being home such as electronics,

and school work.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

I demonstrate resilience to my goal by setting aside time before dinner everyday from 430-5

that is strictly for walking. Instead of watching television or trying to cram in an extra half

hour of school work today I decided to go for a walk with my dad and my dog. It was

amazing to get fresh air after sitting in front of a screen for the past 2 days.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

The world around me poses a problem for me achieving this goal since it is becoming colder.

I will respond to this obstacle by layering up when I go out but also being realistic and

allowing myself to take days of during inclement weather. Another obstacle that the world

around me can pose is the urge to relax by watching television. While in the short term that is

more relaxing than going for a walk, walking improves my mood and makes me feel more

accomplished for the day so this is more rewarding in the long run.