Sheila Cholico, Period 8, 10/1/2021

Modern Mythology 2021

Sheila Cholico, Period 8, 10/1/2021

• Literacy & Learning

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

I’ve read through the versions of Cinderella covered for our homework, and I thought it was very interesting how many different variations of the story exist in history throughout different cultures. There are male and female Cinderellas, and Cinderellas of different ethnicities. It’s interesting to see which aspects of them stay the same, such as losing an article of clothing at the ball, and how different they are. One version of Cinderella boiled her own step sister alive! It’s intriguing how the different versions of the story vary so much. It shows how much we differ as independent cultures, yet take inspiration off of each other and how historically this story has changed and been borrowed from its original source. 

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

I think that the ideas we’ve learned so far in English class have influenced my critical perception of folklore and how it develops. I’ve come from a point where I know one side of Cinderella, and accept that side, to knowing many different variations of the story, and picking apart each one and being able to read into the fairy tale on a deeper level. In addition to learning more about this fairy tale, I can connect this to other fairy tales which have also been adapted and changed across cultures and times. This makes me view the history of fiction in a different lens as I see the similarities and differences they maintain in different origins. 

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

What I am learning in this class applies to other classes such as history because it is important to see how these tales developed and were influenced as they interacted with other sources. History has similar aspects, such as different cultures and languages being influenced by each other. We can even observe aspects like this in the real world, such as when a song is adapted into a different language, and thus, the lyrics and instrumentals may be changed around to fit the new language and culture. It’s very interesting to see the real world application of what we are learning in this class, and it makes me view the world around us in a different way.

Jayden Huang, Period 7, 10/1/21

 Jayden Huang, Period 7, 10/1/21

Goal Setting & Growth

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

A goal I have for myself right now is to stay motivated, so that I can be able to accomplish my other goals, like doing well in school or getting through college applications. At this point in time there’s a lot occupying my time, whether it be school, work, or college applications. I’m confident that I can get through it all, but the challenge lies in remaining focused. I know that I can get a lot done while motivated, so I’ve been trying a lot of different things to get myself there. One thing I’ve started doing is just keeping a constant list of things I need to get done. It makes it easy to keep track of everything, and the gratification from checking things off my list helps me want to keep going with whatever else I need to do.

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

There are definitely times when I feel overwhelmed and don’t want to do anything productive. I tried different things and came to the conclusion that forcing myself to work while feeling overwhelmed only decreases the quality and quantity of what I produce, which is the opposite of what I intend. I tackled this issue by giving myself clear boundaries of when to work and when to relax, so that neither of them leak over onto each other. It allows me to be a lot more productive, which is definitely something I’m happy about. 

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

The world seems to always throw obstacles in the way of our goals, which can be demoralizing. Throughout the year of remote learning that was my junior year I definitely felt myself slipping at times, easily becoming distracted and unable to focus on schoolwork. Knowing this version of myself has only helped me to realize the importance of staying focused. I could say that because of the world around me I’ve been able to realize what I want to achieve, and what I need to do to get there. For instance, I want to get through college applications, and being aware of how being lazy or distracted affects my productivity has pushed me to try to be more motivated so that I can achieve this. 

Maddox Garetti, Period 7, 9/27/21

 Maddox Garetti

7th Period

9/27/21

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

At this current point in time, my specific goals revolve around preparing for the future: for my future.  I have begun to dive deeper into becoming “college-ready” in regards to requirements like the common application, writing supplements, portfolios, and other items of necessity.  The largest goal I have at this moment in time is getting a personal endeavor of mine up and running, more specifically a business of mine.  There are a plethora of factors that will play into my business, which is essentially the automation of content creation, not only working but being self-sufficient and a source of passive income, with things like the hiring process and the work my employees create.  I’m in the early stage of it all, although this is most definitely the point at which I need the most resilience.

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

The most effective way to power through the lack of motivation I sometimes have is to get myself back on my schedule.  I frequent the gym after school with my cousin who just finished his final year of college and not only does the exhilaration and satisfaction I receive from the workouts motivate me to keep pushing myself, but our conversations to and fro always involve me keeping him updated on how my business is going.  I know already, that lacking those updates and having zero answers for someone who I look up to, I would most definitely feel an awful lot of guilt for not keeping up with my endeavors.  Not only does this help with my proactivity in my business but it also helps me stay on top of my college applications because those are also a frequent topic of conversation.

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

My mentor, who is nineteen years old, makes over $40,000 a month.  With no 9-to-5, just his business that he built from the ground up, he rakes in numbers that some people never do in an entire year.  The world around me affects my perception of this goal in both positive and negative manners.  In regards to the former of the two, there are countless, countless, countless examples of success without your traditional 9-to-5 at essentially any age, which shows that what I have in mind for my future is most definitely possible.  However, I’ve heard from multiple people that these sources of income are “unsustainable” and essentially “only seen on TV.”  My mentor is two years older than me and we went to the same middle school.  No matter what I’m told, nor who it’s told by, my drive is not affected by the world around me.

Nicole Duran, Period 1, 9/30/21

I’ve never been much of a goal-oriented person. Shocking, for someone who goes to a school in which you could probably pull almost anyone to the side and get a fairly straightforward idea of what the next four years of their lives are meant to be like. Even if it’s not an exact plan they more or less have an idea. That’s not to say I don’t have a plan either, albeit a much more loose one. 

The way I think back on it, I’m not very goal-oriented because the idea of constantly having goals stresses me out. I don’t think it’d take more than about a few minutes with me to understand that I’m deeply uncomfortable in most situations. I’ve definitely gotten better with it, but looking back I think if I were to be in a one-on-one conversation with someone in ninth grade I’d last for about a minute before spontaneously combusting. The point is I’m anxious. The more thought I put into things like that the worse I do. I’m much more of a “go with the flow” type of person.

The plan, for now, is as follows: Finish high school, get accepted into the College of Staten Island (preferably by scholarship but if not, no big deal), get a bachelor's in psychology. If I find something I like a lot more than psychology, then I’ll look into that, maybe a dual major if the school I go to allows it. If not, I continue my master's at a separate and more credible school. 

That’s about it.

It’s not that bad of a plan. There’s definitely worse. I could decide to take a gap year from college, end up never getting a degree at all and live in my mom’s basement for the rest of my days playing Minecraft 2 or something. Then again, streaming has gone on the rise so even that wouldn’t be too awful. 

I feel weird talking to people about it though. “What career do you want” has become less of a one-worded answer and more of a multi-step plan that still skips around the question to the point where you don’t even really notice it. The rational part of me understands that this is completely fine. Very few high schoolers really know what they want to do by the time they leave high school, why would I be any different. Well you see, it all goes back to anxiety.

Anxiety! There we go! Always in our corner, telling us how we’re meant to eventually fail and that you can only scrape by so many times before you eventually can’t grab hold and fall into the desolate pit of no return. Cheerful, I know. It’s not as dramatic as that most of the time. Most of the time it feels more like a bored and accusatory college and career counselor tiredly interrogating me.

What job do you want?

Where will you live?

How will you pay for it?

What job will you get that will pay enough for the house you want to have?

When will you have the house?

If you want to have a house by the time you’re 30 what job will you need to have and furthermore what will your yearly salary have to be?

How will you survive in a world in which the housing market is a mess and prices rise faster than wages? How will you pay for utilities, food, clothes? To move on from that, how will you make enough money that you’ll be able to do what you want, while also having enough time to dedicate to doing it?

Will you have a job you love or will you wilt away behind a desk making a meager 40K a year, working 9-5 every weekday, and spending the weekends doing chores?

It’s a lot. 

It’s not exactly easy trying to be goal-oriented when whenever you think about the future you’re assaulted with that kind of an inner monologue.

The point of this isn’t to sound pessimistic though. It’s not meant to discourage anyone or make the world seem unbearable and terrifying. I think if anything I want it to do the opposite. If I can be an anxiety-ridden mess and still kind of know what I want to do with my life, then honestly you can’t be doing much worse! 

A joke of course. The point still stands though that I still try to work towards things, albeit nothing exactly major. Whenever I have something I’m interested in, and I mean REALLY interested in, I try to look up ways it can be applied in the real world. From broader topics like animating and comics to slightly more niche things like world-building and tabletop RPG games. I want to do something. Whether that be with my life or just in general. I’m not one to just sit twiddling my thumbs for hours on end. At some point, I need to get up and go somewhere, make something, read, watch, sing, anything and everything. Not to mention I want to be a lot more social, and I’ve been trying my hand at that with various levels of success. I guess these all kind of stack up as smaller goals, like little side quests. I don’t need to do them, but it’d be fun! Might get something out of it.

So I think it’s okay that I don’t have any giant goals or grand plans. I don’t think I need to. I mean I’m in high school and the stuff that I plan to do here can only go so far before being stopped by whatever happens after I graduate. For now, I’m going to enjoy what I have, and that’s good enough for me.

Mindy Chin, Period 8, 9/30/21

 Mindy Chin

Pd. 8 

09/30/2021

Modern Mythology 2022

Goal Setting & Growth

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

Similar to many students applying to college this fall, one specific goal that I have for myself is to initiate and push myself a little harder when it comes to college applications. Since summer of 2021, I implemented a mental goal to complete my personal statement before school started. As August 1 quickly approached, however, I decided it was too early and put off my essay due to a lack of motivation. As September 1 approached before my eyes, I realized that I do not have as much time as I initially thought. Realizing that October 1 is just a couple of days away, I now feel immense pressure to complete and finalize my common app essay as well as other aspects of my college application. My goal is to set hard deadlines for essays, supplements, etc. into my school and extracurricular schedule, ensuring that I follow through with it. Aside from school, I also want to be more mindful of my mindset. Oftentimes, I anticipate the worst-case scenario, even if that scenario has not happened yet. I have also noticed that I rush through day-to-day activities, such as homework and even casual conversations in hopes of having more time at the end of the day to unwind and relax. I have since realized that is not the case, as I realize that rushing through life means losing sight of the present moment, or life as it is right now. Other non-academic related goals are to pass my US figure skating tests in MITF and freestyle and continuing to prepare the colorguard for the upcoming competitions in October/November. I am still trying to juggle these extracurricular activities into my schedule, but I know that taking the time to invest in activities that I genuinely enjoy will be better in the long run for my overall wellbeing. 

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

Right now, I hope to set goals that are attainable and realistic; to do that, I will break down my college to-do list into daily tasks that can be accomplished within a reasonable time frame (ex: writing only one supplement a day, dedicating one week to revising my college essay, etc.). Rather than worry about impending college essays/supplements, I can take a more active approach by setting aside time everyday (whether it be just 15 min. to an hour) to reduce my anxiety towards it. It will also help me be more present, as I will worry less while invested in other obligations. By utilizing positive thinking, I can change my mindset to appreciate the fact that I have the opportunity to pursue higher education Instead of thinking of college apps a hefty task on my to-do list. In order to be more intentional, I hope to become more aware of my thoughts by meditating at least once a day and focusing my attention on only one task at a time. Non-academically, I will communicate my skating goals with my coach and work alongside her as well as with my co-captains and drum majors to establish a realistic plan for marching band now that our first competition is less than two weeks away. Overall, I will try to set hard deadlines in order to complete tasks that are imminent. 

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

Many students my age are in the same situation as I am, so it feels reassuring to know that I am not the only one struggling to do everything with limited time. Additionally, knowing that there are resources available to help (ex: my older brother, relatives who have gone through the college application process already, etc.) is comforting. It also makes me happy knowing that my friends are also applying to similar schools, as it gives me hope that we might be able to pursue higher education in (hopefully) similar geographic areas. Even more, because others are striving to get into top colleges/universities, I feed off their motivation and zeal to do the same. In terms of mindfulness, the world as it is in the 21st century has become more open and receptive to mental health and wellbeing. Knowing this, I am comforted knowing that we, as a society, all struggle through similar issues and that we can help each other overcome them. There are also many mental resources available on the Internet - from meditation apps to 501(c) nonprofit organizations such as Child Resilient that focus on spreading mental health awareness and general knowledge about mental health. As for my extracurricular goals, I look up to world-renowned figure skaters like Alysa Liu and Alexandra Trusova for inspiration and watch colorguard videos to gain inspiration and remind myself why I enjoy partaking in these activities.  

Eric Huang, Period 7, 9/30/21

Eric Huang
Period 7
9/30/21
Modern Mythology 2022

Goal Setting & Growth

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

As I start my senior year, my goals are to finish all of my paperwork for college applications, finish my Eagle project paperwork, and to prepare for the upcoming swim season. As of right now, I feel that these three goals are my main focuses as I go throughout my day. Although I have a little over a month before Early Decision applications are due, I also have other paperwork to fill out before that deadline. With the yellow pages being due on 10/4 and potential supplemental essays needed by the 11/1 deadline, I don’t have much time to slack off and procrastinate any assignments. On top of college paperwork, I have recently completed an Eagle Scout project and I am currently working on the last stage, which is the write-up. While I have until my 18th birthday, which is in January, to submit the paperwork for my Eagle project, I would like to have it all completed by the end of October, as I would like to be able to include being an Eagle Scout on my Common App. The most tiring out of my three goals would definitely be my preparation to get my body back in shape for swimming. Even though I have been slowly working on my technique and endurance over the past 2 months, I feel that there is much to improve on in the next month before the season starts. After nearly a year and a half off due to quarantine, it’s taking me extra time to get back my endurance that was once always there for me.

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

I demonstrate resilience towards achieving my goals by not giving up even when it gets very tough, both mentally and physically. For example, writing my college essay was very tough for me, as I usually didn’t enjoy sitting in one sitting and typing out an entire essay. I’m more of the type to do little bits at a time to help keep my brain fresh and avoid using the same phrases and words over and over again. But when school started and all I had were ideas for a potential essay, I sat myself down and tried to write an entire essay all at once. I almost gave up after the first paragraph, as I felt very exhausted, but I ended up taking a 10 minute snack break and when I came back, I was able to push through and finish the essay. An example of a physical obstacle was when I first started practicing swimming again. When I first got back in the pool, I felt lethargic and out of breath. Although I was very tired and I desperately wanted to stop and grab food instead, I knew that I only had about 3 months to get in shape. I pushed through and eventually, those long sets that I was struggling with turned into my warmup and now I feel like I am back on track to end up where I wanted to be at for the start of the season.

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

The world around me has affected my perception of my goals by giving me the confidence that I am working just as hard, if not harder than, those around me. I say this because of my conversations with my peers, where many of them are holding off doing their college applications and/or essays because they either think that they have plenty of time, or due to laziness. On the other hand, there are those around me who are far ahead of me, as they’ve got both their applications done and their essays all completed. Overall, I think that I am in a good place, as I know that I will have ample time to submit my paperwork before the deadlines. This applies to my Eagle Scout project as well, as I have seen my fellow scouts struggle with just finishing their projects and getting their paperwork in just weeks or even days before their 18th birthday. I feel that with having a little over 3 months to get everything done, I am on track to achieve my goal. Lastly, I have been working out everyday and swimming every other day trying to get ready for the upcoming season, which isn’t something everybody can say they’ve been doing. Although I am not the fastest, I feel that with me putting in the hours, I will stand a chance when the season finally begins.

Sarah Danilov, Period 1, 09/29/21

Sarah Danilov

9-29-21

Goal Setting & Growth

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

Since this is the beginning of my senior year, I have much more to think about regarding my future than any year prior. I have now been catapulted into the reality where I have to make a decision about what I should do, as well as, what I want to do. One goal I set for myself this summer was deciding on a college that's right for me. I understand that this is a step that all high schoolers have to go through, however, I am determined not to regret my decision. I have heard many stories about high schoolers who applied to colleges because their friends or significant others were going, high schoolers who were restricted by family from going to their dream school, and high schoolers who simply weren’t able to find their dream school and regretted not doing enough research immediately after. This after all will be the first life-impacting decision I will be making and I would hate to make a mistake.


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

Although I set my goal of finding the school that's right for me in the summer, I have not gotten close to the finish line. Procrastination is one of my fatal flaws, and I did not understand how bad it had gotten during the pandemic until I started my senior year. Procrastinating my work turned into a daily routine for me, which I haven't been able to break out of. However, I started to work past that in order to achieve my goal. I realized that one of the many obstacles in the college application process is to manage time wisely and get a better grip on the reality of how long it will take to apply. I have been actively researching schools that have not only the academics that I am interested in pursuing but also the environment and atmosphere that I want to experience for the next four years of my life. Over these fast two weeks, I found multiple schools that I would like to visit and learn more about. Additionally, I met with the school guidance counselors in order to receive advice about the research process. I have used their tips to be able to find colleges that might fit my expectations better.


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

I believe that our classmates have the most impact and influence on one’s college application process. Everyone is on a different path and step of the process, which can be stressful. For example, I am currently undecided about my major for college however, most of the people I know from my school were sure about what they wanted to pursue since freshman year. Due to the different stages, we each are on, it is sometimes difficult to achieve or work towards my goal. Earlier this year, I was afraid of getting criticism for applying to schools that have previously not been popular with students from our school. However, I realized that I put too much emphasis on others' outlooks, which connects to the reason I set this goal. I wanted to learn more about schools that I haven’t heard of before.

Su Yee Htun, Period 7, 9/29/21

Goal Setting & Growth


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


As a senior in my first semester of the school year, there are a lot of stressful events happening and deadlines that need to be met. This leads to one of my goals, which is to fill out my common application which is due very soon, especially for the schools where I want to apply with early action. Another major goal of mine is to gain weight, preferably to get back to 100 lbs by the end of the year. I have always struggled with my weight, especially during quarantine where I lost weight, most likely due to me losing any muscle weight I had because I did not go outside as much as I used to. Lastly, I want to get an afterschool part-time job by the end of the fall season. I did not get the chance to work at an internship or find a job over the summer so I want to work during the school year to compensate for the lost time.



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


There are many things that have proven to be obstacles as I am trying to achieve my goals. For example, school itself is a constant obstacle for my first goal of filling out my common application. I haven't had a lot of free time to keep researching and solidifying my choices in colleges for the common application. I do try to make free time by getting my work done earlier and attempting to get better at time management, however, there are some days where I forget an assignment or miss something. In my opinion, it is in part due to the readjustment to the 8-period schedule, which is difficult after spending so long only worrying about 3 periods a day. I believe that as the school year progresses I will get into the habit of things and be more on track in terms of school assignments. School is also an obstacle to my second goal. In my sophomore year of high school, I would usually skip breakfast and sometimes even skip lunch if I did not like the food as I am a picky eater. I fell into that routine again for the first week of this school year and I saw that I was rapidly losing weight. I decided to start to pack my own lunches to make sure that I ate and that I was full for at least most of my day. I have done this for about one and a half weeks now and I am pleased that I am eating more. While I have not seen any changes in my weight yet, I believe that it is better than losing weight and becoming more unhealthy. I hope to continue this and hopefully gain weight and get back to my pre-quarantine weight which was around 100 lbs. My last goal has the obstacle of scarce availability. It has been difficult trying to find places that would hire me or had any openings. I did recently interview for a frozen yogurt store near my school, in which I hopefully get a position at but I am still nervous as I have not received any results yet. Hopefully, I do achieve this goal soon so that I can earn money and save up for college.


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


In my opinion, my surroundings have given me warped perceptions of my goals. As I have mentioned, being a senior is stressful, I feel like all of my peers are ahead of me and that I am falling behind in terms of completing the common application and knowing what schools I want to attend. However, I also realize that there are a lot of other students that are also in my position who also don’t have a solid list of schools that they want. In my opinion, the college application process is a very daunting task but it is important to not feel alone and to remember that it isn’t a race since everyone has their own pace of completing the process. Moving onto my second goal, to be completely truthful, sometimes I feel guilty for having this goal mainly because of social media and societal standards where the ideal body is a skinny one. It is also reinforced by different clothing brands that run small or the influencers who permeate the idea that being skinny means you are more attractive. Obviously, since we are in the 21st century there are more body-positive clothing brands and influencers but the standards are still there. Going back to my goal, while I occasionally feel guilty, I do recognize that I will continue to lose weight and become severely underweight if I stay with my current lifestyle. I need to change my habits not only because it is for my goal, but also because it will help me take better care of myself and respect my body more. Finally, for my last goal of being hired for a part-time job, it is similar to my perception of my first goal in that I feel a sense of urgency to get it done. A lot of my peers also have afterschool jobs so I feel that I also need to get one. Although, I did have the idea of getting a part-time afterschool job during my senior year since sophomore year, but seeing all of my friends getting hired makes me feel hastier to get a job. But as the saying goes, “Good things take time” and I hope that as I am working towards each of my goals, my hard work will pay off in the end and I will be able to look back at myself at the end of the school year and be proud of what I have accomplished.

Amanda Cheng, period 8, 9/29/2021

 Amanda Cheng

Period 8

9/29/2021

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

As college application deadlines approach closer and closer, I feel like I am dedicating almost all of my time to school, essay writing, and keeping up with my extracurriculars. Especially after 2 years of remote learning, I have been struggling with adjusting back to a 5-day 8-hour school schedule. And most importantly, waking up at 6 AM. If I could wish for anything right now, I would wish for more time. However, if this was granted to me, I feel I would end up allocating my work towards this extra time. I think what I want is to spend time in the present instead of worrying about the future. I tell myself to push for the next 3 months, submit my applications, and then I can finally relax. I keep staring at the light at the end of the tunnel. I think it makes me feel more miserable by not enjoying myself at the moment, and instead of chasing future happiness. It is why my goal is to focus on the present and mindfully enjoy the process. My focus is to be content with where my life is right now, instead of stressing about my future happiness.

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

I attempt to hang out with my friends at least once a week, and with my family at least twice a week. It motivates me to keep a better work-life balance, and still have fun during the busiest time of my high school years. Whether it is having deep conversations while eating in a restaurant or playing mahjong with my family, I strive to ignore the stress on my shoulders so I can truly be in the moment of enjoyment. I try to convince myself that delaying “happiness” into the future wouldn’t work, as I will always have something to do and look forward to something else. It makes me feel better that I am not “wasting time,” but I'm improving my mental health and my mood. Time for myself feels so little, but it is so valuable to help me survive during this stressful time. 

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

Especially during quarantine, I have had an increased amount of leisure time. I began to recognize spending time in the moment, as I don’t think I was very successful doing pre-covid. Last year allowed me to reconnect with my family, strengthen my bonds with friends by actively reaching out to chat with them, and gave me a better understanding of myself. I understand the privilege to consider the pandemic as extra free time when other people have lost everything to it. It made me recognize how valuable my life is and how precious time is. The pandemic prompts me to spend my own time more carefully.  I want my time to be filled with exciting memories and satisfaction, which is why my goal is to be able to look back on high school with pride and no regrets. 

Valerie Chen, period 8, 9/28/21

 Valerie Chen 

8th period 

09/28/2021

Modern Mythology 2022

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

At this point in time, my goal is to start on my personal statement, common app essay, and supplements responses. There are so many factors to the college process that I feel unsure about and yet I never find the motivation or time to complete it. The idea of college always makes me uneasy because I know I am not doing enough and that can be detrimental in the long run. Most of my stress comes from college-related topics like scholarship deadlines and SAT scores. I really want to outperform those tasks and get over them so that I can peacefully enjoy my senior year without my parents pressuring me. Another goal I have is to get ahead of myself on long-term school projects, such as the portfolio and group presentations so that I don't have to rush it and produce poor-quality work.  When I am in this situation, I always feel overwhelmed and my quality of sleep greatly reduces as well. For the sake of my mental and physical health, I would like to achieve that goal.

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

I plan to achieve my goal of not procrastinating on my college work by creating a consistent agenda for myself. If I run into a problem while completing this goal, I would ask my mentor, who’s a junior in college, for advice. She gives me genuine advice that I can rely on depending on my situation. If I am ever under too much stress, or the schoolwork is overwhelming, I would take a day or two off from the college work so I can breathe. I plan to achieve a high SAT score by studying a minimum of four times a week for an hour. This can include reading a book or doing practice math problems. Sometimes, I feel no motivation because I get a lot of questions wrong and my score doesn’t improve. I overcame this mind block by taking short breaks and watching Netflix shows or talking to friends. I also feel extra motivated at night, so if I don’t complete it during the day, I would do it at night. For the school projects, I plan to start working on the portfolio checkpoint starting next week because I have an SAT this weekend so I will be spending most of my time studying. As for the group presentations, I would try to reach out to my teammates more often to make sure everyone is on the right track and to make sure that I am doing my part. If there ever is a problem, I would first contact my teammates to come up with a possible solution and ask other teams if they have the same problem. If I still don’t have an answer, then I would contact Mrs.Fusaro for further instructions.

  

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

The school environment motivates me to achieve all of my goals because there will always be people that are ahead of me or on the same boat as me. For example, one of my friends had finished their supplements for multiple colleges and was ready to submit, but at the same time, I didn’t really do much. This can go both positively and negatively because I would get motivated but also stressed out by comparing myself to them. There are a lot of resources online taking into account many people’s experiences and opinions on college. This was very helpful when I was choosing which college I plan to apply to. As for getting ahead of myself on school projects, our peers and teammates make the projects seem less intimidating because you know there are people in the same boat as you.

david burns | period 1 | 9/28/21 | the modern folklore of indie games

  

disclaimer! read this on desktop instead of mobile for full impact!

        artistic vision is a phrase that’s lost most of its meaning in the past decade, specifically when referring to games. you’ll probably notice how this blog is written in comic sans, and doesn’t use uppercase letters at all. now, this isn’t just to be lazy, rather this is what “me” feels like; it’s my artistic vision. nobody else had input on this. nobody was taking my words and doing all the work for me (though that would be pretty sweet). no, this blog is the work of one person, and one person alone, from brain to fingers to document. this is what i would classify as artistic vision, when the will of a single individual sees itself through to a project’s logical conclusion. modern, big-budget games can have dozens or even hundreds of people working on them, causing the director’s intentions to become watered down and muddied by each person who works on it. that isn’t to say, however, that collaborative projects such as these can’t be good, rather that they’re oftentimes not genuine, and can feel almost hollow. alright i’m gonna drop the comic sans all lowercase shtick for the next paragraphs because i think you all got my point.

    That’s better. More professional. Clean. Sanitized. Much like how AAA games can feel, almost as if they’re simply playing it safe so they can cash in their paycheck and call it a day. On the other hand, indie (or independent) games can be much more raw, emotional, and form deeper connections with the player, since oftentimes they’re passion projects made in the developer’s free time, or an idea that’s been brewing in the mind of a young programmer since they were a kid. Games made completely or almost completely by one person have a practically indescribable feel to them, like the developer is thanking YOU specifically for playing them. Maybe they’re struggling at their day job, living paycheck to paycheck, bored out of their minds and feeling trapped. They pour all their free time and energy into the one thing keeping them going and… you like it! Maybe you picked it up as part of a game bundle, or heard some of your friends talking about it, but either way that sole developer’s work wasn’t for naught. It lifted your spirits, comforted you with its characters and its world, and gave you a slightly altered perspective on how you view the world. This is artistic expression. Being able to feel and understand the artist’s motivations and lived experience solely through gameplay and silly dialogue trees. Understanding that the funny bug you found isn’t necessarily a flaw, but a quirk that makes this an experience like no other. Knowing that every little thing is due to a conscious decision on the developer’s end to give you a better understanding of them, yourself, and the world around you. THAT is what artistic vision means to me.

    Indie games provide people with an immensely powerful tool, the ability to communicate with and touch others. Much like how the paradigm of painting has shifted throughout time, I believe games will follow a similar path. As I talked about at the start, in my opinion artistic vision has been lacking in modern “high quality” games. However, at the same time independent games have been gaining in popularity. As our world trends more towards soulless capitalism as a whole, people are finding solace in smaller, warmer, solo-developed games, where the boundless creativity of the human mind can truly shine. that was pretty cheesy, so let's go back to this style for just a sec. maybe you shouldn’t try to optimize the gameplay hours over cost ratio, getting the most bang for your buck. instead, why not try something smaller for a change? a cute little game made with love and passion can be leagues more impactful than the newest game with the best graphics and hundreds of hours of gameplay, and i know this from experience. hell, maybe even try developing for yourself! everyone has the capacity for worthwhile creation, you’ve got this :)

Roger Brown, Period 1, 9/27/21

Folktales are as ubiquitous in a society as language or culture. Every society has its own collection of stories and tales that are widely known and passed through oral tradition to the next generation. Because of this oral tradition of folktales, and their uniquity, they can provide a fascinating insight into the cultures of prehistoric peoples. Specifically, they can be used to trace back the cultural lineage of societies with shared folklore. 
        In “Comparative phylogenetic analyses uncover the ancient roots of Indo-European folktales” (Sara Graça da Silva and Jamshid J. Tehrani), the authors use statistical and analytical methods originally developed for tracing biological genetic ancestry to trace back the lineages of folktales. The folktales analysed were from the Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index, a catalogue of folktales compiled by folklorists for use in folklore studies. They selected tales indicated to have been a part of Indo-European cultures, which covers an area from Scandinavia to South Asia. 
        The results of this study lined up with pre-established cultural lineages based on linguistic and archeological evidence, giving credence to this strategy of historical study. One interesting discovery made was about the tale of “The Smith and the Devil”, a tale that concerns a blacksmith that makes a deal with a supernatural entity to be able to weld any two materials together in exchange for his soul. When he is granted the ability however, he uses it to meld the entity to an immovable object so that he does not have to keep his end of the bargain. This story could be traced all the way back to Proto-Indo-European, the common ancestor of every culture studied. This implies that the story and it’s main plot has remained intact since the Bronze Age, nearly 6,000 years ago. Another interesting fact is that the, perhaps more familiar story of “Beauty and the Beast” can be traced back to Proto-Western-Indo-European, which covers an area from the Baltics to the Mediterranean, placing it nearly as far back in time as “The Smith and the Devil”. Further use of this technique to analyse folktales could be used to gain a deeper understanding of the origins of certain narratives, myths and legends, as well as offer greater anthropological and historical insight into ancient civilizations.
Though this study is fascinating from a scientific and historical standpoint, it also serves as a great reminder of how connected we are to people far away from us in both space and time. These stories, passed down from generation to generation, spread thousands of miles across continents and thousands of years into the future, connect us all in a way that nothing else can. The power of folktale is to allow people to share in a universal experience, even if they may never, or could never, meet.

Nikita Erastov, Period 7, 9/27/21

Nikita Erastov, Period 7, 9/27/21

Literacy & Learning

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

On Thursday, we discussed the very common pattern archetypes for fairy tales. In most cases, the main character is usually a child that experiences some sort of transformation by the end of the story. That transformation can be understood using the Axes of Transformation, which are broad characteristics of the changes that can happen in the story. For example, while discussing “Where the Wild Things Are,” it is seen that Max, the main character, undergoes a change of identity and power. At the beginning of the story, he enjoys making noises and causing ruckus and yells at his mother when she tells him to stop, which causes her to send him to his room without supper. At this point in the story, Max wants to control and feels like he’s been wronged. He imagines his room was a forest, and he travels on a boat to the island where the wild things are. He becomes their king, finally getting the power he desires. Then, he and the wild things begin having fun throughout the night. However, Max eventually gets tired of the noises and smells his mother’s supper. He steps down from being king and returns to his room to find his supper waiting for him. This signifies a change in identity, during which Max understands his situation from his mother’s perspective. It is a sign of growing up and finally seeing how your actions affect other people. In terms of power, Max finally gets control but understands that he can’t control those around him and also keep them safe. He realizes that his mother tells him to do things not out of power, but out of love. This makes him appreciate her more, and come back to reality to eat his food. Overall, the story follows a traditional fairy tale archetype in which a character experiences a change towards the conclusion of the story. Although the story had a basic plotline, I enjoyed the unique feel of the fairytale and the overall idea. 

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

I learned that challenging the patterns set up by fairy tales defines the basis for critical theories. For instance, in the many variations of the Cinderella story, the main protagonist’s validation in society is based on her beauty. In the beginning, she is a princess who is as wise as her deceased mother, making her worthy of marriage to her own father. When she goes into hiding and puts on a disguise, she is shunned and disrespected, treated as a lower member of society. At the end of the story, when she is revealed to be a princess in hiding, she is once again respected and praised. Before class, it had never occurred to me that a fairy tale could have information that relates to feminism since the concept of feminism would probably go against validation through beauty being an important aspect of social hierarchy. This shows that many critical theories probably arose from people challenging prior beliefs that were deemed correct for generations. 

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

Understanding the concept of dynamic character patterns has allowed me to actually spot them in other works of literature and media. I was always aware that a character goes through some kind of change in most works, but I never noticed the repetitiveness of the changes until actually understanding the axes of transformation. Studying fairy tales and the values displayed in them has also allowed me to better understand different cultures since fairy tales and folklore are a representation of the common group of people at the time. Reading the different variations of Cinderella allowed me to understand what each culture valued at the time, and it was surprising that many of the different cultures shared some values. 

Stanley Chen, Period 8, 9/27/21

 Stanley Chen, Period 8, 9/27/21

Goal Setting & Growth

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

A specific goal I have for myself would be to become more healthy. Health can mean many different areas of life. The most urgent areas for me to focus on currently are physical and social health. We will always want to be physically healthy, not just so we can enjoy life now, but for our lives to be easier in the future. Social health is something not brought up nearly as much as it should be but is important nonetheless. We will always need to call upon other people for help in our lives, whether it be classroom groups for schoolwork or projects, or outside of work and school when we need somebody to confide in.

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

I have demonstrated resilience towards these goals by interacting with more people, participating more within my groups, and talking to people more, especially outside of the classroom via extracurriculars and hobbies. However, I still need to push myself to have more interpersonal interactions and relations, not just group chats with classmates for schoolwork or a small friend group that limits me from seeing many different perspectives that could shape me as well. As for the physical aspect, I started a workout routine over the summer that I have continued, even with school.

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

School starting in person again has made me realize the importance of the many personal interactions and relationships formed over the pandemic, as many of my classes require a lot of group work and student collaboration to answer a multitude of questions. COVID has also changed my perception of how important physical health will always be, not just for the future or through a lockdown, but in how can affect even young people physically. I’ve read stories about how it can cause lasting damage to lung capacity even after COVID goes away, and while exercise can’t simply get rid of all COVID symptoms, it’s important to stay active so you have a chance of avoiding more serious complications and symptoms.

Daniel Briskman, Period 1, 9/24/21

Literacy & Learning

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

Today in class, we read a profound piece of nonfiction—a poem written by Ms. Fusaro herself—called “2020.” The poem begins by listing some of the well-known tragedies we all experienced during 2020, such as the upsetting deaths of basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter, the devastation that the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked upon the world, and the stress inflicted on students and teachers alike as they struggled with remote learning. The poem even mentions the short-lived threat of murder hornets—the slightly humorous reference to which made me hesitant regarding the direction of the rest of the poem. In reality, the poem takes a direction I did not imagine. It becomes less about worldwide or nationwide experiences and more about the heartbreak and suffering that the author personally went through herself. And it shook me to my core. One important rhetorical device used by the author was the repetition of the phrase “Day into night, night into day” at the end of each stanza. It took on several meanings. For one, it conveyed that time didn’t stop each time the author mourned or struggled. Instead, time kept “marching on,” as a classmate put it, leaving more suffering in its wake. A second possible meaning was that the chain of hardships was endless. The last meaning, which was the one that resonated the most with me, was that each day blended into the next, as if days and weeks became insignificant because the pain was constant. 

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

While I initially thought that the value of the poem lied in its grueling depiction of our common hatred towards the year 2020, I gained a deeper understanding of the poem during our class discussion. Just as the poem described events known to the world and events known only to the author’s immediate circle, we all shared universal experiences during 2020, but we also individually went through experiences and trauma that almost nobody else knows about. Even close friends or family members. We, as a class, realized that each of us has our own unique story to tell even if we all shared some things in common. Yet even though the poem talked about what the author personally struggled with, we were all able to relate to the poem and empathize with it. It even seemed as if the poem was purposely written in an anonymous-sounding voice so that it could be about anyone. Despite the differences in each of our experiences, sharing even some of that trauma was enough for us to envision ourselves as the person in the poem.

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

On a lighter note, another topic we discussed today was popular memes. Many of the ones that students in our class brought up were certain trends on TikTok. After identifying various popular memes, we had to think of possible reasons for their popularity, and we thought of a few reasons. For example, some TikToks are funny because they reference, add onto, or put a spin on others. Then, Ms. Fusaro posed a question: “Will you still find these memes funny in 10 years from now?”, and a classmate brought up an interesting point: at first, the memes would not seem funny, but as your nostalgia kicks in and you remember the context they might seem funny again. That’s when an idea hit me. Maybe it is not just the meme itself that makes it popular, but the positive feelings involved with being a part of something greater than yourself. Understanding and witnessing these kinds of trends makes you feel like you’re included in something—like you’re in on a joke. An example I thought of was a trend of people posting chair () emojis in Instagram comment sections. What prompted this curious behavior, you might ask? Someone made an Instagram reel (the Instagram equivalent of a TikTok) telling everyone to post chair emojis in Instagram comments whenever they found a post funny. Just a few days after I saw and forgot about that reel, I started seeing chair emojis all over Instagram comment sections. I only found it funny because I saw the reel. Unaware people would simply be confused, which adds to the humor. In this way, our interactions on the internet really are about forming communities. Different memes circulate in different parts of the internet, and part of the appeal of memes is sharing them with others. Thinking about it in that sense reinforced the idea that every tacky meme we publish contributes to the culture, or folklore, of our own internet communities. Thinking about the internet this way makes me feel more grateful for how connected we all are in this day and age. It makes me want to contribute positively to not only internet culture but cultures and communities in the real world, as well.

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Alexandra Doyle, Period 7, 9/24/21

Literacy & Learning


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


I was excited to start this year, as I was ready to dive deeper than ever before into different types of literature. What has stood out to me the most so far was reading the different variations of Cinderella. Seeing the interpretations change from culture to culture, while still keeping the same bones as the original story, was definitely different for me, but still very insightful and interesting. I’ve never compared stories like that, and seeing the illustrations and cultural-specific changes to the story that’s been so popularized really inspired me to look into stories from other cultures. It was also really interesting to see a story from my culture, the version titled “Rhodopis”, as I myself am Greek. Usually the only “stories'' associated with my culture are the ones from mythology, which are often misconstrued and just insanely popular nowadays. It was definitely nice to see something more niche. It reminded me of the story my mother used to read to me when I was younger, about a little lamb named Loukoumi. Covering these specific stories touched me, and made me yearn to learn more about them; their origin, and more about the culture they came from. I really enjoyed eating and analyzing these stories.


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


A lesson that stood out to me was the one where we discussed the difference between legends, folklore, mythology, fantasy, science fiction and fairy tales. Learning about the differences between different subcategories of fiction and non-fiction definitely gave me a new awareness of how little I actually knew about literature in general. I always lumped mythology, fairy tales, legends, and folklore into one big category, but after reading through the slides and discussing them as a class, I realized how different each one really is, and what they each contribute to our studies of the world. I found it particularly interesting when we also discussed how similar they were, but why they were categorized differently. What sticks out in each piece of writing that categorizes it as science fiction, or a legend, etc. I was hoping that this class could give me more knowledge and new perspectives, and the handful of lessons we’ve done so far have already done that for me.


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


I enjoyed the perspective that Mrs. McNeil shared with us through her TEDTalk specifically on folklore. It really opened my eyes to the fact that we as a society contribute daily to the folklore of our time, simply by posting things on the internet. Seeing folklore as a collection of things written by everyday people was definitely new to me, as I mostly associated folklore with just another word for fairy tales. Being exposed to this new definition made me realize that not everyone has to be Shakespeare to write enticing, realistic stories. In fact, folklore does not have to be a story at all. It can just be a thought, or an emotion. I enjoyed the feeling of knowing that folklore is forever changing and adapting with the times, because of how closely it is linked to people and society. People and societies change over time, so folklore and what it looks like/feels like changes as well. This notion also made me realize that by doing an action as simple as sharing a meme, I myself am contributing, therefore making a mark on the folklore of our time. It has made me really value and monitor what I post online, and helps me make sure my mark is a good one. The year has barely begun, and I feel as though I’ve learned so much already.