Sarah Vafiadis, Period 1, 11/15/21

Literacy & Learning
1. Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class.
2. Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.
3. How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

I remember first hearing about the story of Cupid and Psyche in middle school when an animation of the myth popped up in my Youtube Recommended feed (the video is by Overly Sarcastic Productions — I would definitely recommend watching it!). I found the story fascinating for two reasons: the fact that it has a happy ending when Greek myths seldom do, and its parallels to many modern fairy tales, primarily Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I happened to be obsessed with Greek mythology when I first discovered the story, so the idea of a Greek myth ending in anything but tragedy piqued my interest. I also loved fairy tales when I was younger, so this myth seemed to perfectly match my interests.

Now that we have covered fairy tales in this class, I find this story even more interesting because similar themes seem to appear across time and cultures. The story of Cupid and Psyche and various Cinderella stories follow similar frameworks: a girl who is pure of heart is tormented by sisterly jealousy and a cruel mother figure. She has a deep connection with nature, and is assisted by nature due to her beauty and kindness. By the end of the story, love triumphs and her trials are rewarded with a happy marriage. From Yeh-hsein and the aid she received from a fish to the Brothers Grimm’s Cinderella, the core elements of the story are the same. The story of Cupid and Psyche also contains some elements of Beauty and the Beast, such as the idea of not judging a lover by their appearance. 

Comparing these stories leaves us with the question, why do these themes appear in stories so frequently? I didn’t realize the extent to which mythology reflects inherent flaws and struggles of humanity until we started diving deeper into symbolism within myths in this class. The story of Cupid and Psyche explains the relationship between the human heart and soul, which transcends time, perhaps explaining why similar themes appear in stories again and again. The nature of humanity has not changed much since these stories were written, and many of the flaws depicted in stories can still be seen around us. For example, the story of Narcissus is certainly relevant in a society dominated by social media, where one is constantly trying to improve their appearance online.

I believe that analyzing Greek mythology, and folklore as a whole, allows me to better understand the people around me. I have always loved reading and listening to stories, but I only viewed them on a surface level. I took them at face value and read them with the goal of being entertained. However, now I better understand that myths are a reflection of the societies that they were created by and serve as a window into the past. Since so many ideas covered in mythology are still relevant today, I believe that analyzing them has helped me view societies of the past as more “human” than I did previously. It’s hard to conceptualize the lives of people in these societies, but analyzing folklore has helped. For example, we have discussed different forms of love and how they are reflected in mythology. There’s paternal love and the grief of letting go of a child as they reach adulthood, as shown in the story of Demeter and Persephone. The story of Cupid and Psyche exemplifies romantic love and the work that it takes to maintain a strong relationship, but their child Hedone, meaning pleasure in English, shows the reward that comes from it. The different ideas of love displayed in mythology help us understand that humans in the past felt and loved just as deeply as we do, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of how they lived. As cheesy as it sounds, I think that analyzing folklore has allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for the complexity of humanity and human emotion, which I find especially refreshing after a year and a half of isolation.

Selina Zheng, Period 1, 11/22/21

Literacy and Learning 

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

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

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

So far, we’ve read a compilation of different cultural variants of Cinderella, an assortment of Greek Myths, and the beginning of Oedipus Rex. As a child, I was gifted an anthology of different fairytales from around the world, but aside from enjoying the text, I never participated in any deeper interpretive reading (obviously, being five.) Having the opportunity to revisit old classics like Lin Lan and discover new versions of the same myth that I loved now that I was older, more mature, and more capable was extremely eye opening. I had dabbled in critical theory outside of class before, but had been too intimidated to try and start any of my own work. Instead I preferred to read the analyses of others, but our final fairytale project gave me the push I needed to read through the lens of critical theory on my own. Now that I think about it, I suppose it would be a little inaccurate to say I had never written any kind of piece involving critical theory before, but I would call modern mythology my first true exposure to exploring the intersection between culture, society, and literature. As I realized through my self assessment of my fairytale piece during our progress check, before, I was just identifying pieces of literature that were connected to my critical theory, now I was considering it’s consequences, significance, and implications. The application of critical theory to literature undoubtedly had not only an academic impact, but one in the real world as well, inherently, since the very definition concerns the critique of society. Literature is like a mirror for the real world. Just as we learned with Fahrenheit 451, the lines between the ‘material’ and the ‘fictional’ can become blurred enough for us to use one to understand - and enact change - in the other. 

I was extremely excited to start Oedipus Rex - I love tragedy. My first introduction to it was The Oresteia. I had read plenty of Greek epics and plays before, but tended to stray away from tragedy, not really for any particular reason. However, I read snippets of Anne Carson’s translation of the Oresteia online and became instantly fascinated - a pipeline straight into the appreciation of darker works which I had never approached before (coincidentally, perhaps this is where I can trace the beginning of my decision to rank modern mythology as my first choice.) While I don’t count these as tragedies based on the criteria we were given (plot, character, thought, diction, melody, and spectacle, primarily missing melody), I became drawn to literature that explored more intense topics and emotions, like Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, or Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Now that we’ve begun exploring tragedy in class, I find myself wishing to revisit those works with my new knowledge. Although we only briefly discussed catharsis so far, I find it the subject that is most interesting and consuming of my thoughts. Both The Bell Jar and No Longer Human are, as I’ve already mentioned, intense. For me at least, they were both an extremely profound experience that I still remember with complicated emotions. No Longer Human especially had an impact on me. Oedipus Rex, though I remember we abstained from calling it a comic tragedy, was at least amusing because of dramatic irony. We felt bad for Oedipus, but (and this may be dark humor) our mutual cringing at his ignorance alleviated the pain somewhat. No Longer Human had no such moments. The narrator, Yozo, starts off miserable, and continues falling deeper and deeper into a spiral he can’t climb out of. Even worse, just as we’ve mentioned is common in tragic works - everything is his own fault. So while we haven’t been able to fully discuss catharsis yet, I’m excited to learn more about it and apply it to my own experience with No Longer Human, especially because I had an interesting case where the ‘purgation’, or cleansing of emotion didn’t happen immediately after I finished reading, but gradually over a series of months as I continued to think about it.

Modern mythology keeps revealing new things about topics I thought I had already understood. One reason plays do so well with conveying tragedy in comparison to movies (not to say that movies are terrible at tragedy) is because of the audience. There is a world of difference between standing on stage and proclaiming your dreadful loneliness to a sea of quiet voyeurs, silently spectating your pain but unable to, or unwilling to reach out, in comparison to a movie screen, where we’re often brought up close to the face of the agonized individual. There is a more personal connection in plays, which I feel that I’ve missed out over the past 2 years with classes held on Zoom, that I am experiencing now. 

Rachel Yang, Period 7, 11/17/21

 

Rachel Yang Period 7 11/17/21

Goal Setting & Growth

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

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

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

    As my high school journey slowly starts to come to its end, my current goal is to live in the moment by managing my stress better. Although the phrase “live in the moment” may be a cliche, it truly summarizes how I want to make the most of my last year here at Tech. Prior to senior/junior year, I had stressed my academics over every other aspect of my life. If I saw anything other than the bright blue squares on PupilPath, it would stress me out for a while. While in the moment the high grades were all that mattered, I realized that all the academic pressure I placed on myself caused me to miss out on the fun parts of highschool. Once everything turned remote, I had regrets about not joining in on certain school activities, team traditions, or even just small hangouts with my friends. However, instead of dwelling on things I missed out on, things I can’t change, I’ve decided to focus on things I can control: the way I choose to spend my remaining time at Tech. 

 In theory, this goal sounds simple, but my environment as well as other important priorities cause an obstacle. As college applications deadlines quickly approach with the combination of my load of normal schoolwork and the commitment track requires, it would be a lie to say stress levels haven’t been high and that I’m currently fully enjoying this year. Though factors like these have made my goal more difficult, it hasn’t steered me away from it. I have found small ways like utilizing my free periods before practice to spend time with friends or even just staying after practice for a few extra minutes as ways to prevent myself from being too overwhelmed with the academics in my life. 

The advice from other people in the world around me has also helped me keep this goal and mindset through the past few months. Fortunately, I have been able to grow up in a family that stresses the importance of one’s happiness from things they want rather than the constant pressure to live up to someone else’s standards. This value has helped me feel more sure in my own goal as I slowly lighten the academic pressure I held upon myself. In addition, the words from mentors and previous bosses helped me realize that there's still years ahead of me. Though people have previously told me that multiple times, the advice never really resonated until recently as I started to worry over who I wanted to become after high school. As my senior progresses, I hope to successfully keep this goal in the back of my mind.

Vivian Zhou, Period 8, 11/22/21

Hello Holly!

This is my blog that is due tomorrow morning:

Vivian Zhou, Period 8, 11/22/21

Modern Mythology 2022

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

         At this current point in time, my goal is to manage my time better, as well as look after my health a little more. With piles of exams and quizzes packed on top of my workload that consists of projects, homework, and college applications, it has been very difficult to be able to manage my time, as well as get a nice long rest. Remote learning allowed me to gain extra hours of sleep, but it also led me to develop procrastination habits since assignments for a class were usually not due until three days later. Since I had more time at home, I was able to procrastinate until the last minute and still manage to submit my work on time. However, with in-person learning, my newfound habits have worked against me. By spending nearly two to three hours every day just traveling to school and back home, my time to complete homework and assignments has decreased tremendously leading to sleep deprivation and a lack of personal time. If I am able to manage my time better, I will be able to gain more hours of sleep and be more awake for school.

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

Achieving these goals has been extremely difficult due to an increased workload, as well as my habit to spend minutes and hours on YouTube or Instagram before starting homework. I have tried to counteract this by creating little schedules for myself to follow, so I can manage my time better. Instead of just pushing everything until the weekend, I create a schedule of how long I should study for an exam or quiz or how long I should complete my homework. With this, I have more free time on the weekends for me to rest and be able to watch the YouTube videos I have longed for. Every day after coming home from school, I will sit down on my chair and give myself an hour or two to complete homework before doing what I want to do. Whenever I feel my stress accumulating, I go on to read a book and calm myself, making sure I am more relaxed and focused before I start working again. As Thanksgiving break comes around the corner, it will be a time for me to destress and spend more time for myself. 

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

         I had always been surrounded by the mindset that I need to achieve good grades in order to succeed. This perspective had always hindered my process in creating more time for myself, as I would find myself studying in my room for hours on an exam or the SAT. The prolonged study times create more irritation and frustration in me which creates more unnecessary stress on myself. However, there is the perspective of some of my friends who put their own mental health over academics. Seeing how they are able to make themselves happy and joyful, as well as manage school life, motivates me to do the same. Seeing them succeed pushes me to succeed, as we become motivating forces for each other, pushing each other throughout the college application process and the rest of senior year.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Vivian Zhou

Holen Yee, Period 7, 11/18/21

 

Holen Yee, Period 7, 11/18/21

Modern Mythology 2022

Literacy & Learning

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

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

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

For the past few days, we have been reading the play “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles and learning about the components of Greek tragedy. At first, when reading the play, I was struggling to understand what was happening and where in the story of Oedipus we were. It felt like I was dropped right into the thick of it without being given any direction when people were suddenly pleading with Oedipus to deal with a plague. Only after I read a little further in could I orient myself using the knowledge from previous lessons about Oedipus’s story and realize that we are at the beginning of the point where he starts to search for the murderer of the previous king of Thebes. However, I do feel like it is rather disappointing that the beginning of the play was after Oedipus arrived at Thebes, defeated the Sphinx by solving its riddle, and became king. I thought that the riddle was very clever and I would have liked to see it in the play and not just hear about the event after it has already happened.

In these lessons, I learned that Greek drama has quite a few elements that I did not know of before and which I thought were quite unexpected. For example, Aristotle, in his book Poetics, defines rhythm and harmony as one of the seven characteristics and identifies melody as one of the six component parts of a Greek tragedy. When first hearing of this, I thought, “What does music have to do with plays?”, but I learned soon after that Greek drama originated from ancient Greek hymns, called dithyrambs, being sung in honor of the god Dionysus. I thought that this piece of information was very interesting, since I never would have guessed this myself. I also learned that one of the important points of Greek tragedy is that everyone that comes to watch the play already knows the plot, and come to watch solely to see the characters go through misfortune and watch the dramatic irony unfold. This was a pretty foreign concept to me, since to me, knowing the plot beforehand defeats the purpose of experiencing a story, whether it be reading a book or watching a play. Rereading a book has no point if you already know what is going to happen. But, I think that watching a play that you already know the plot of is a bit different from rereading a book. In a play, you can always appreciate the actors’ acting and the atmosphere that is created, while the only things books have are story, characters, and setting, which don’t change with the rereading.

Learning about Greek tragedies, all that goes into them, and the reasoning behind how they work made me appreciate plays and playwriting more. I thought that it would be pretty simple to do and didn’t realize that there is a lot of thought that goes into making sure that both the performance of the play and the play itself are high quality. This also taught me to be less fixated on the idea that plot is the only thing that matters about a story. I can bring this mindset with me when reading a book, viewing a play, or even watching a TV show and try to pay attention to and appreciate the underappreciated components that go into it.

Terrence Zhang, Period 1, 11/18/21

Goal Setting & Growth

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

At this current point in time, my goal is to complete my college applications and to get back to a steady working pace. For many months now, college applications have been a thorn in my side, as I have to constantly take time out of my day to complete them. As a result, many of the homework from my classes are starting to pile up, resulting in unwanted stress. This usually never happens because I tend to finish my homework early in order to prevent such stress from occurring. However, like I said, because of college applications taking up my time, I currently don’t have the time to complete all of my schoolwork. While I am successfully juggling all of the work right now, I don’t know how much longer I could last and so I believe that it is in my best interest that I complete the college applications as soon as possible.

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

While it is stressful to deal with all of the unfinished work constantly looming over me, I have made plans for myself in order to complete all of them in a timely manner while also giving myself plenty of free time. I did this by allotting a certain amount of time every day, whether it was two hours or four hours, and in that time frame, I did my best to complete as much work as possible. While it may not be the most efficient and quickest way of completing work, it provides the best balance between work and free time, thus allowing me to cope with all of the stress I currently have. 

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

I know that I am not alone in trying to accomplish this goal. My friends and many other students are all currently dealing with the same thing, and while it may be selfish, it provides me with a sense of security as I know that I am not the only one. In addition, while it may not be an entirely positive influence, I feel like my family environment should also be noted. My parents have high expectations for me and want me to do my best in the applications in order to get accepted into a good college. While this environment motivates me to try my best in order to make them proud, it also causes me to stress as I often question whether my application is good enough, hindering my progress in accomplishing my goal

Cesar Velez, Period 8, 11/16/2021

 Cesar Velez, Period 8, 11/16/2021

Goal Setting & Growth

At this current point in time, what specific goals do you have for yourself? Why?

These past few months have been stressful for me because one one looming presence that has been over me for almost an entire year. College Applications. The time has come when I need to be done with them, especially because I am applying for an early decision. My goal is to be able to finish my college application in totality including all of the little details as well as the big essays. I want to do this because Four the past three years, I have been putting in all the work and finally this is my time to show it off. Everything that I did, I did it because I enjoyed it but as selfish as it sounds, I also want to be recognized for it. Everything I did proves that I am ready for the next step, and I want to show everyone that. Additionally one of my other goals is to be able to establish a daily routine for myself. With everything that has been going on in my life, I have neglected some of the little things that don’t really serve a greater purpose other than for myself and I know that if I keep going on this path, I’m going to collapse. That’s why I’ve been trying to go for a run everyday, do ten minutes of yoga, practice guitar for thirty minutes a day, and read for thirty minutes a day. I want to do all these things because I want to better myself and as soon as I started this routine, I instantly felt better.

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

The main problem with achieving these goals is time management. I do admit that sometimes I have free time at home when I have nothing planned and all I have to do is sit down to get all my stuff done. But instead, “one more” youtube video, turns into 2 hours. But oftentimes I don’t get home until 10 o'clock and I barely have enough time to do homework before I need to sleep. Something that has really helped me this year has ironically been my phone. Specifically the calendar and the reminders apps. The calendar app allows me to put a strict deadlines like application deadlines or interviews. The reminder app lets me set small goals that will eventually lead to the completion of my application. Because of these apps I have not only managed to set a reasonable timeline, but it has also helped me keep everything esle in doing in order. Now I can confidently say whether I am free on a certain day or if I need to start/finish something later in the day. This has also helped me with setting a routine because I can work around all the other things I have in my day. For example, If I have practice at 7, I know I have to finish my homework by 5 to be able to practice guitar and read before I need to start getting ready.

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

One of the most motivating factors for me to accomplish my goals has always been my sister. I always remember her waking up before me to get ready for school, picking her up after all her club meetings at 6, only to drive her to gymnastics or dance where she sometimes didn’t

    

 get home until 11. This didn’t stop her from being one of the best in her class and getting a full tuition scholarship to her choice school. Knowing that she was able to do it motivates me everyday to push myself to do better and be better than I was yesterday. But she not only stands to motivate me but I can always count on her, the rest of my family, and my friends to support me whenever I need. I can also count on my friends, and my dad, to always keep me accountable for when I don't stay on track. This criticism is just as important because sometimes I feel that without that little push, I let everything slide and nothing gets done. There is always a desire to better myself, but with the help of everyone around me, these desires become reality and I know I can accomplish them.

Daniela Yevdaev, Period 8, 11/18/21

 Daniela Yevdaev, Period 8, 11/18/21

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

● Today in class, one of our beginning topics of discussion was focused around Dalia

Ravikovitch’s poem, “Pride” and it corresponds really well with one of the goals that I have set for myself this year. The idea of forgoing a prideful personality in order to set boundaries in a way that will prevent you from ending up with an “open wound” after time of buildup is important to me, this year more so than ever. Being in the middle of college application season as well as focusing on senior courses and extracurriculars after a year and a half of remote learning has been a hard adjustment for all of us I’m sure, so I’ve been taking those extra precautions to make sure that burnout doesn’t become something that I have to deal with on top of everything else.

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

● With this goal in mind, I’ve had to hold myself to a standard that would ensure that I use

my time in a way that will be most beneficial to me. I’ve cut down some of the time I spend after school in order to make sure I finish my work on time. I have continued to sleep at a reasonable hour, even when there are a number of reasons I could find to stay up later than usual. Making myself stay on top of deadlines, so as to not have to be freaking out when the deadline actually arrives; going home after a day at school when I feel exhausted even when some of my friends choose to stay longer; relaxing on my off-days to give myself a break from everything else. All of these “mini goals” have been in the back of my mind all year just so that I could achieve that main goal of setting boundaries for myself and avoiding “cracking.” However, if that wound ever does open up regardless of all the ways I try to prevent it, I make sure to take the time to let it heal, just like the Greeks did with their catharsis.

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

● The world currently seems to place a huge emphasis on productivity and I think that

plays a role in my perception of necessary goals for myself. My choice to value tasks that will help me get ahead in life such as prioritizing homework, extracurriculars, and college applications is largely impacted by our societal view of the “proper future” that everyone should aim for. However, another way to look at my goal is through the mental health

 perspective: focusing on setting boundaries, taking breaks when needed, and having a decent work/sleep schedule are all major factors that can contribute to a person’s mental health. This, similar to the productivity mindset, is pretty heavily valued in our current world. I feel as if recently, there has been a huge rise in bringing awareness to mental health and mindfulness on a number of platforms that I interact with on a daily basis so I have adapted this kind of mindset as well. Due to this rise of discussion around the topic, I feel the need to prioritize it now more than ever. I maintain this idea that if others value it so much and talk about it so often, it must be important enough for me to engage in as well (a kind of herd mentality!!). I feel as if focusing on both productivity and mental health, along with setting this one specific goal is a huge step in achieving my more long-term goals so I am grateful that past-me chose to take that first step.

Brian Wu, Period 8, 11/17/21

 Brian Wu

Ms. Fusaro

Modern Mythology 2022, Period 8

November 17, 2021

Blog 1

Goal Setting & Growth

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

At this current point in time, one of my main goals is to work on my time management and get my act together. Over the last two years of learning from home, I have gotten very lazy as a person and my work ethic is no longer what it used to be. I find myself holding off a lot of assignments till the last minute even though it would not take me long to do them if I just put my mind into what I am doing. This has become a big problem for me because I have a lot of writing to take care of for my college applications. There is a month and half until all my work is to be handed in and I have yet to start my Common Application essay and any of my dozen supplemental writing assignments. If I do not start working hard again and in an efficient manner at that, I will fall behind in everything and this will create a very stressful situation for me that I do not want to deal with. Ultimately, I want to bring myself back to what I was during my freshman year of high school, where the fire burning in me to work was stronger than any obstacle that came in my way.

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

This goal has existed since the beginning of the school year and I have been progressing little by little towards my goal. One of the many things that has helped me is having an hourglass. Whenever I am doing an assignment, I give the hourglass a flip and that is the amount of time I have to finish said work. If I do not finish before the time runs out, then I hand in the assignment as it is and get a bad grade. As a student, I take my grades very seriously and always strive to do the best that I can even if that is not the best out of everyone else. I do not like seeing red marks or a bad grade when I know that I can do better. This want to do good is a drive for me to complete all my work in the given time and it has been working really well for me. For assignments that I believe will need the extra time and care for, I make a schedule and an outline for the steps I must take to complete my task. Being organized and seeing everything that I have to do makes my work a lot more digestible and I seem to work faster when I feel organized. Whenever I complete anything in a given amount of time, I feel very relieved and a bit proud because I know that I am moving in the right direction.

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

One of the most motivating things for me is actually seeing others around me succeed, especially those that I know well. Whenever I see a friend do something great I always think “I have always stood side by side with this person. If they accomplished their goal, what is keeping me from doing the same?” And the answer to that is that nothing is holding me back but myself. Knowing that I am my own problem means that I have every solution to my problems and all I need to do is take a step forward. These same people who are succeeding are also sometimes the same ones who reach out to tell me that I am doing good or to help pick me up whenever I fall behind on something, which I greatly appreciate. Besides seeing others succeed however, seeing others fail is also a bit of a motivating factor to push forward in whatever I am doing. Seeing others do poorly creates this fear in my heart, a fear that if I fail, that will be the end of me. So sometimes, I am not only working towards my goals but also trying to run away from my downfall.

Bradley Vaval, Period 1, 11/16/21

Hexafluoride, Installment 1:

Your memory is hazy. You’re not really sure where or who you are, or even what a “you” is. It’s practically pitch black and freezing cold. The only things you can see are distant dim light sources and a small box on the ground before you. You recognize it and instinctually palm it in your cold, almost lifeless shell of a hand. The one glowing button on the box entices you to indulge in it, almost enchantingly so, almost like a smoker to his cigarette box, not that you know what either of those are. You’re not sure what the button will do, but somehow you’re sure it will do something. The button clacks. The box clicks. 

“Is this thing working? I’m assuming so, the light is flashing,” says the box. You keep listening.

“Yeah, looks like it. You should be good.” This time it was a different voice.

“Alright good,” the first voice replies, “Log date twelve, two, one seventy-three. We are currently aboard the Anchor descending kilometers on kilometers below the surface of Theta one sixty-eight G. We’re about to commence an expedition with the hopes of gathering intel. We as in Space X Sector B Exploration Squadron Manta. I’m here with my four squad members.”

“Is this when we’re supposed to—”
“Yes, go!” interrupts the first voice.
“Uh, my name is Davey. I specialize in marine biology,” says Davey. This is the second voice that you’ve been hearing.
“Sarah, I’m a forensic scientist,” a third voice adds.
“Hi, I’m Alex. I’m mainly here as an archivist but I know a decent amount of botany,” a fourth.
“I’m Raj. I’m the expedition leader,” and finally, a fifth. “Ben, why are you recording this again?”

The first voice, Ben, answers, “Just in case we make a massive breakthrough, I want people to see our humble beginnings. He just ruined my introduction, but I’m Ben, the lead engineer in our sector. As for where we’re headed, Theta one sixty-eight G, or Tisa as we in the facility call it, is a planet near the edge of our sector that we’ve been monitoring. It’s a planet of just water inhabited by small aquatic creatures not unlike ones native to the deeper regions of Earth’s oceans. And while normally we wouldn’t need to visit a planet like this, our sensors picked up an anomaly that might have catastrophic implications, to say the least.”

“We’re nearing the seafloor,” exclaims the expedition leader, “Everyone prepare for deployment!” The box clicks. It startled you, as you had gotten rather attached to the voices in the box. It made your cold, desolate surroundings feel a bit warmer. The box clicks again.

“Ben again. It’s about ten minutes later. We should be hitting seafloor anytime now.”
“How much longer Ben?” asks Raj.
“Uh, I’m actually not too sure,” answers Ben “the sensor’s readings stopped around here. From the readings, we’re in the seafloor?”
Raj significantly louder and noticeably perturbed, “What do you mean in the—”

The box abruptly bellows thumping and metallic crumpling which echo through the abyss you once again find yourself sitting in. The walls seemingly shiver as all speaking from the box came to a halt and the noise impersonates a broken record in your head. The scuttling in your environment that you’ve been ignoring seemed to jump in unison with you. You push your back up against the wall, catch your breath, and wait for the box to pick up again, but it doesn’t. After the sound fizzled out, all that was left to break the silence was the occasional dripping and distant scuttling. Whether it was your brilliant intuition or remnant fragments from your once not-broken mind, you play whack-a-mole with the other buttons on the box until it speaks again.

The first voice again, Ben, but he sounds shaken. “Ugh,” he coughs “Ben again. Log date, not really sure, we’ve lost contact with HQ, but I’d guess it’s been about a week. I come to you with a different reason this time. If you are listening to this either we made it out of here in one piece, we found a way to broadcast the signal, or… Or—”
“Ben, don’t push yourself.”
“I’m alright Sarah… We were wrong. There was no seafloor. It’s straight out of science fiction. There is a layer of dense air resting below the ocean. It’s practically pitch black and freezing cold. The only things you can see are the distant dim lights of fungi and other creatures. Speaking of which, there is an entire thriving ecosystem down here consisting of a plethora of fungi, bovine-sized arthropods, and what I dare call amphibians that are capable of transitioning between the air and the water above. We’re assuming that we mistook the air for a solid seabed simply due to its density, and had it not been for our suits, we would’ve been crushed much like the Anchor and… And… And,”

“Ben,” says Sarah with a motherly, comforting tone. Her voice echoes in your head for a bit. You keep listening.
“Right,” Ben sighs and takes a deep breath. “T-The other day, Alex... They had taken notice of a geothermal vent. It was our first source of heat since the crash, our first source of energy, and our first source of hope. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to build a generator and utilize the vent at all, so I told Alex to stay put and set up tent while Sarah and I went to bring back materials from the crash to hopefully get something working. What we saw on our way back, it-it wasn’t… The vent, it heated up the air around it, making it lighter, and well, like oil under water, the scorching air burst out up into a pillar of destruction. Alex… Alex… I’m sorry.”

“It rained for a while after that. Kinda poetic if you think about it,” Ben laughs. “That God finds a way to make it rain after someone’s death even in the deepest reaches of hell.”

Stella Vayner, Period 7, 11/16/21

Stella Vayner

Period 7

11/16/2021

Modern Mythology 2022

Goal Setting & Growth

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

New Year's Resolutions are a staple. Once the clock chimes and the month changes from December to January, everyone has a list of goals in their mind that they are trying to make a reality. Eating healthier. Watching less TV. Learning a new language. In January, these goals reverberate through our minds and pollinate the air with hope. Everyone is achieving their dreams. However, as February and March roll around, the resolve fades and these resolutions are left on the back burner. It’s a fact. A familiar, cyclical phenomenon which I am shamelessly a part of. However, this year, I wanted it to be different. Coming off a global pandemic was not easy for anyone. I wanted to inspire hope in the future by crossing off resolutions I could not fulfill in a regular year. My list started out simple. Tasks I knew I could complete. Learn to drive. Read more. Get better grades. These resolutions have always been long term goals of mine. Improving my grades would help me be a better student, while learning to drive and reading more were always important to me. Those simple phrases encouraged me to transform my life and become a more determined, successful person throughout the year.

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

As the year progressed, I found myself striving toward these goals without even realizing it. In junior year, I took the most challenging classes of my high school career: AP Physics 2, AP Calculus BC, and AP US History. During the first semester, I felt the immense weight and pressure of these courses, almost crushing me. However, by the time second semester rolled around, I felt more confident and excited to undertake the challenge. I began studying every night and engaging during class. I raised my grades and overall attitude.

In the break between classes, I would ask my older brother to teach me how to drive. He took me to an empty parking lot the first time. I sat in the driver’s seat, equal parts excited and scared. When I pressed the gas pedal, the rough lunge of the car startled me and almost broke my resolve. However, I swore to myself that I would not give up. Driving proved to be a mental challenge, an exercise of faith in what I’d learned and my ability. After time, I grew more comfortable behind the wheel. I drove on local streets until I graduated to highways and suddenly I was driving across the Verrazano Bridge without a second thought. I loved it. The feeling of independence and freedom.

Finally, the abundance of time I had gained through online schooling proved useful in the completion of my third goal. I opened a library card in mid-January and checked out a single book on my first trip. I was in awe of the shelves: so many books to choose from! Transfixed by the enthralling stories and entertaining characters, I was reminded why I loved to read as a child. Reconnecting with an old passion was nostalgic as well as euphoric. I read less than 20 books last year. This year, I am going to break my lifelong record and read over 100 books. I already have 90 done. From fantasy to poetry, memoir to historical fiction, I have read them all.

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

Having good grades is vital to your success as a student. I have always been encouraged to try my best and work my hardest in school. Throughout the years, I have takens the hardest courses and studied for nights on end. School has always been an exciting challenge, and I am proud of my many accomplishments and self discoveries. Afterall, it was in high school when I first explored my love of physics, a passion that has encouraged me to continue an education in that field. Similarly, in a middle school creative writing class, I discovered the power of prose and the beauty of literature. Those two experiences changed my life forever, forging passions and interests that will last a lifetime.

Additionally, my love of reading is encouraged by my friends and family. As immigrants, my parents always placed a large emphasis on literacy. They would buy me children’s books and read to me while I fell asleep. They were always so proud when I returned home with A’s in my report card for English. When I got to high school, I found friends that supported my literary habits and kindled my fervor with their own reading interests. Oftentimes, we shared books, swapping titles and recommendations as the seasons passed. I am grateful to have people in my life who encourage and inspire my hobbies and habits.

Finally, driving is an essential part of teenage life. It always has been. Sitting behind a wheel has almost become synonymous with freedom and independence: a coming of age. My older brother earned his license at 17 and inspired me to follow in his footsteps. He has always been gratuitous enough to sit in the passenger seat while I rode around Brooklyn. He taught me about road signs and turn signals, always offering a helping hand. My friends have already begun driving and my parents are happy that I can finally drive myself to school. My goals, in the face of the world and the people around me, are all positive additions to my list of hobbies and interests. Thus, I am encouraged to reach for my dreams and conquer my goals. I will finally be able to cross off my resolutions this year!

Alice Wei, Period 1, 11/17/21

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

Currently, I’m struggling to find the right balance between school, friends, programs, and college applications. As I sit hunched over my keyboard at 2:53 AM in the morning writing this, I realize that I could’ve managed my time better; if I hadn’t played iMessage games for an hour while laying on my bed, and instead relocated that time towards completing homework for calculus and macroeconomics, I probably would’ve been able to sleep by now. Ever since middle school, where the commute would take from an hour on good days to up to two hours sometimes with bad weather, I’ve had a battle with time management. Should I listen to music while staring out the window and relax before I get to school, or should I cram for the science test that’s in 3 hours? It’s always a struggle, since the carefree happy-go-lucky part of me wants to relax, and the academically-validated part of me wants to study. Sometimes, I find myself wishing we had more hours in the day so that I have time to finish all my work while maintaining an 8-hour sleep schedule.

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

Multiple attempts at getting better with time management have all failed. Through multiple calendar schedules, self-punishments, and parental guidance sessions, I’ve found out that they don’t work. If I start a daily schedule and plan out my day, the schedule ultimately never gets followed. If I “punish myself” and abandon my phone, I would find myself texting my friends within an hour. However, recently, I discovered that if I have a friend to accompany me throughout my tasks, it’s easier to stay on top of assignments. I think this is because we’re able to motivate each other as we power through, as well as feed ideas off of each other; as soon as we’re in a flow, work becomes much easier, and we fly through our assignments. Then, the rest of the time can be dedicated towards after school programs or free time.

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

I’ve always admired my parents for their ability to meet deadlines while completing all their responsibilities. In one day, they send me to school, go to work, pick me up, shop for groceries, make dinner, and clean up, while completing other tasks like filling out tax forms and taking care of our backyard garden. I think part of their success comes from their strong teamwork; they’re able to fill in the empty holes for each other in their duties. My parents inspire me to build a relationship as strong as theirs one day with my partner, because I’ve seen how far they’ve been able to come just by communicating with each other. For now, though, I hope to finish off college application season strong while pushing through the day with my friend. I’ve seen how poor time management skills have affected my friends’ schedules, so I hope to learn from their mistakes before making a drastic mistake of my own. It might take me a long time to fix my time management, but it’ll be one of my proudest achievements once I get on the right path.

Brandon Wu, Period 8, 11/16/21

 Brandon Wu, Period 8, 11/16/21

What is inequity? Inherently, inequity is defined as the state of being unfair or unjust, usually caused by systematic disadvantages. This is not to be confused with inequality, which simply refers to unbalanced conditions/circumstances. In other words, inequality is caused by a state of inequity. But there is a key difference between these two. Inequity can be solved. Think about the issues of homelessness or child hunger. These issues could be completely solved if enough resources were allocated to them. But of course, we sit around on the sidelines doing more arguing about how to solve these issues or who is going to pay for them rather than working to solve them. I find it dreadful that countless lives are suffering, in many cases, due to factors out of their control. That anything from the country that you were born into to the color of your skin could affect your future. Take education, for example, a topic that we are all familiar with as we all go to school. Across the country, minority students are less likely to graduate high school than their white counterparts. Now, what is the explanation for this inequality? Inequity in school funding. It may not be common knowledge, but school funding largely relies on local property taxes. But homes in predominantly minority neighborhoods are often valued significantly less than similar homes in neighborhoods with fewer minority residents (the reasons behind this are for another time). The disparity in funding between schools means fewer teachers, textbooks, and overall lower quality of education. By tackling problems like these, and many more, we can ensure a brighter, better, and more equitable future for all those who are less fortunate.

Looking around, it is easy to find examples of inequity in our everyday lives, from the homeless man down the street to the high school senior who can’t afford to go to their dream college. It has made me reflect upon my past experiences and realize just how privileged I am compared to those who are less fortunate. Privileged to be born into a middle-class family with enough money to put food on the table and a roof over my head. Privileged enough to have tutoring outside of school, which likely helped get me into Staten Island Tech. In more recent times, I was fortunate enough to have a computer to partake in online classes, a privilege many others don’t have. Even a vacation is often a luxury many cannot afford. I know I can’t take these things for granted when others would do anything to be in my situation. And for that, I am grateful. For the fact that I was born in the United States, for the fact that I have such a

 supportive family, and for the fact that I could not only survive, but thrive in a world that many others cannot.