Brandon Luo

Period 5

Day B

Modern Mythology

4/27/21

Goal Setting & Growth

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

Currently, my goals include preparing for the AP tests and getting ready for college. Since college is about to begin in just a few months, I have no idea what to expect and I’m unsure as to whether I should feel anxious or excited about experiencing the taste of the real world. Throughout my entire life, my parents have decided which school I must attend and made most of my other decisions. However, now, I’ll be able to do whatever I want, but I won’t have my parents to guide me for any of my decisions. Complete freedom is like a double-edged sword: you can become extremely responsible and disciplined, but on the other hand, you can lose all self-control by attending greek life. 

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

I’m constantly doing research on what college life is like, how to fit on, what things I should be doing, and what things I should be avoiding. For example, I’ve planned out a rough guideline of the courses that I might want to take for the next few years to fulfill my Bachelor's requirements and prereqs for dental school. Although I have no idea on what dorming would exactly be like, online videos on campus life provided me a keen insight and picture of dorming and how I should be most efficient spending my time and money. 

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

In pop culture, college is viewed as the golden period of one’s life, when you can do whatever you want because you won’t have to worry about your parents telling you what to do. Many people tend to go to college with the intention of partying all the time. However, in my opinion, it’s important to attend college with a serious mindset because going to college is like taking the first step into the real world. How much effort you put during college could greatly impact your attitude toward work and life. Nevertheless, while you shouldn’t stress out too much about your grades, and should have a social life, it’s important to not get lost in one direction.

Abdallah Safa, Period 2, 4/29/21, Day A

Abdallah Safa
4/29/21
Period 2
Day A


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

At this current moment I am mostly absorbed in long term goals that will benefit me throughout my college experience. Due to the college application season being finished I do not really have anything to do despite waiting for college to start and that has resulted in me having a lot of time. While in the short term I have to maintain my grades and involvement in my classes in order to prevent my acceptances from being rescinded and to keep myself competitive for some of my waitlist schools I do not have much outside of that. While controversial I am not devoting myself to AP test preparations unless they are a homework assignments, I feel as if AP tests have been stressed too much since credits are not guaranteed. Therefore, with the remainder of my time I have been allowing myself to rest after the strenuous college application season and focus on learning skills I will need as an adult such as the stock market. I have been devoting money I have and seek a job in the summer in order to begin building a portfolio early on. I have also been devoting myself to going to the gym in order to improve my physical health and fitness. These two goals will have a much greater impact on my life compared to studying for an AP test I will not take.It is definitely possible and admirable to learn the stock market and attend the gym while studying for the AP tests I would rather devote time I would spend studying just resting. I could be looking into the college classes I will take or research opportunities at University that would assist in my ultimate goal of attending medical school but, I would rather focus on skills/challenges that I can currently work on as opposed to looking too deep into the future. Compared to my past self I am currently moving very slowly which many may not agree with but, I believe this is the time to work on yourself whether it be your mental or physical state. 

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

In terms of resilience I only have my friends and family to thank as they make achieving my long term goals a fun experience I wish to partake in. For example, going to the gym with friends ensures I do not miss a day and remain consistent and resilient on my grind. Discussing stocks with older cousins seems rather boring but it is fun discussing companies we individually find and looking back eventually seeing how those companies/stocks ended up doing keeps me involved in the market. As for my shorter term goals my resilience has been lackluster, despite an abundance of time I frequently miss interpret “recharging” and just being flat out lazy making me miss deadlines or stay up late doing assignments. This has been changing since I am now frequently starting assignments before they are due (unfortunately this was not one of them) leading to me enjoying my free time more since I do not have to stress about doing something at 3 in the morning.

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

The world has contributed to my involvement in my long term goals, without quarantine I would not have ever touched a barbell or the stock market. At the start this world led many of us to an unproductive lazy state which still has not completely gone away but, now I see it as a way to work on myself so that when the world eventually reopens I come out with something positive. The world at its current state has led to me not seeing many people whether it be friends or family but, has also led to me seeing the people that truly care more often than ever before. This world has provided me with time and space to work on myself without unwanted judgement or attention. While this current isolated, quarantined world has been incredibly negative it has also been a building experience for me and I believe many others.

Skyla Marie Profita, Pd 8, 5/3/21, Day C

 Skyla Marie Profita

PD 8 

May 3rd, 2021

Day C

                  Learning and Literacy Blog 

    As of a cycle or two ago, we began reading Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. I’ve been ecstatic to discuss the book in such an in depth manner, considering that it’s been one of my favorite books since I first read it years ago. So, I was very excited to talk about it further in this blog. Instead of focusing on a certain chapter or reading cycle, I’d like to focus on what we’ve read so far as a whole. More specifically, I’d like to focus on the toxicity and development of Lestat and Louis’ relationship, because not only is it one of the more interesting dynamics of the story so far, but it has also sparked discussion that changes my perception of the characters in this book and the world around me. 

    From the start, we see that Lestat and Louis’ relationship is quite odd. Lestat is the reason that Louis is a vampire, and at the start, Louis was infatuated. In those first moments of his existence as a vampire, Louis is utterly obsessed with Lestat’s presence, and the unearthly aura he seems to give off. However, just as soon as this infatuation builds up, it quickly dissipates, leaving Louis to realize that not only is he unhappy, but more importantly, that he is stuck. Louis makes clear his distaste for Lestat, revealing that he is a vampire mad at the world, with no care for human beings, or anyone/anything around him. They get into frequent arguments, starting shortly after Louis has been turned (and trapped) by Lestat, about killing people instead of animals for food, the treatment of Lestat’s father, and everything in between. At one point earlier on, Louis tries to leave, but is manipulated by Lestat, who knows he holds power and knowledge, and tells Louis that there is no way he would survive without him, and that he could even kill Louis if he so pleased. Louis barely tolerates Lestat, sticking to his side because he has no other choice, while Lestat takes advantage of the situation, indulging in the physical items and luxuries Louis’ property has to offer. This goes on for a while, until we hit the next major point of this dysfunctional relationship: Claudia. After forcing Louis to feed on this child, Lestat drags her away, and turns her into a vampire. This innocent child is now immortal, and Louis is further bound to Lestat because of it. 

    Naturally, we speak of Louis and Lestat’s relationship as a toxic couple dynamic in class. All of the signs are there: the power dynamic, the infatuation, the fighting, and most importantly, the manipulation. At the start Louis is inferior to Lestat, and therefore is bound to him. As Louis grows stronger, they begin to fight and Lestat reveals his true colors. Eventually, we see the “abused” (Louis) get strong enough to tell the “abuser” that they are leaving. Only when Louis tells Lestat he is leaving does Lestat turn Claudia, as a last ditch effort in keeping Louis with him. In class, we discussed this in comparison to two people having a child as an attempt to save a failed marriage. I think Anne Rice was brilliant in her writing here, because she was able to perfectly reflect on a toxic relationship between two people, and our discussions in class have allowed me to fully understand this viewpoint. Lestat is truly portrayed as a character that only cares about himself, whereas Louis has regard for others and caution, which ultimately ends up hurting him in the end, because now he is stuck. 

    Because this parallel is so clearly drawn, I am able to use this reading to reflect on the world around me. I’m lucky enough to have two parents who love each other very much, and have had over 20 years of successful marriage. As a result, I haven’t been directly affected by the type of relationship portrayed by Anne Rice. However, this book has opened my eyes to the fact that this sort of relationship occurs so frequently, and while obviously not going as far as turning a toddler into a vampire, they’re harmful to everyone involved. I’ve seen friends my age or a few years older become trapped in a relationship that mentally harms them, and I’ve been friends with children who were “Claudia,” a last ditch effort at saving their parents’ marriage. Seeing this relationship written out has made me more grateful for my own, and more aware of the negative parts of the world around me. Not only is Interview With the Vampire one of my favorite books, but through class discussion, I have gained a better perspective on Louis and Lestat, as well as the real world, and I can’t wait to continue our readings. 

Catherine Prigov, Period 8, 5/3/21, Day C

 Catherine Prigov

Period 8

5/2/2021

Day C

Modern Mythology 2021

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

1. At the current moment, my biggest goal is to become more comfortable with my relationships both with myself and with others. As vague as that sounds, this is a goal I’ve been working on for the past year or so, in practically every sphere of my life. For starters, I’ve begun to actively work on my platonic relationships, mending broken broken hearts between friends and trying to approach new situations with a fresh perspective. Covid-19 ruined a lot, and I didn’t realize how much of my life depended on seeing people everyday. Only so much could be said when everyday is exactly the same, and I began to lose touch with people I thought I’d stay inseparable with at least until graduation. As these next couple months conclude an era of our lives, my short term goal would be to reconnect and work on the relationships that fizzled out, and either get closure or reignite them for the years to come. Secondly, my relationships with others romantically. This year I ended a relationship that could’ve been better for me mentally, but I simply didn’t know any better. I might not be looking for any sort of partner soon, but I guess I’m still instilling a long-term goal for myself: not to let others treat me in a way that shows they don’t respect me. My last goal is to continue working on the way I view myself. This goal isn’t short- or long-term, but rather one I’ve been working on through all of high school. Eighth grade was a low point in my life mentally that I hope I never have to get back to, and throughout the past four years, I’ve been doing everything to come to terms with everything about myself. As high school comes to a close, I look back on the goals I set for myself four years ago, and I evolve those for the next four years. As simple as it sounds, my ultimate goal is to be and stay happy. I foresee obstacles in my path, but what’s hopeful is the fact that they’re merely obstacles, and not complete barriers standing in front of the road in front of me. 

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

1. One of the most important things my mom has taught me was to stay true to myself and to my opinions. In my opinion, the best thing she’s taught me has been to prioritize myself in most situations, while still staying kind and selfless in others. The balance between the two has been my biggest obstacle in achieving goals of any kind. I’ve been too adamant on prioritizing myself when it came to friends, while I remained too selfless when it came to boyfriends. Throughout these past couple of months, seeing few friends and being single, I began to analyze this fine line and how to function with it being so prevalent. 

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

1. The world around me vaguely affects my goal because of how personal it is to me. Revolving around ideologies I’ve been raised on and goals I set years ago, the main basis of it has stayed the same no matter what has been going on around me—through different schools, different friend groups, and different relationships with myself. However, I must admit that some world events haven’t made my goals any easier. For instance, Covid caused many faults in my relationships with others purely out of the lack of seeing others. As I continue to work on my goals, I hope that the outside world will do little to negatively impact the way I address issues and hopes that I have, but rather aids me in both the mental and physical adventure I have laid out in front of me for at least the next couple of years.

Nicholas Lofaso, April 27, 2021, Day B, Period 5

 Nicholas Lofaso

April 27, 2021

Period 5 Mythology

Blog 3

Goal Setting & Growth

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

   

Right now, I’m really just focusing on wrapping up high school on a strong note and finishing everything that I need to before graduating. I’ve been pretty busy/stressed trying to decide on a college, and as of right now I’m still not entirely sure where I’ll end up going. I’ve always been indecisive so the fact that I’m going to end up deciding right before the deadline to commit to a school definitely isn’t surprising. I also feel like it’s much harder to decide on a school now than in normal years—I haven’t been able to get full tours of any colleges, and they all start to mesh together when all you can see is the outside of buildings. 

The main thing that I still haven’t been able to decide on is how far away from home I’m comfortable being, and I think this is something that I’ll only be able to answer with confidence once I’m actually in college and living away from home for the first time. This is the biggest issue that I have with actually committing to a school—I really don’t know what to expect from college, and everything being virtual makes it feel like I’m almost choosing a school blind. I’m sure it’ll all work out though, and I believe that most people can be happy in a lot of different places, so this decision hopefully won’t have as much of an impact as I think it will right now. 

Once I make up my mind, though, I won’t be anywhere near finished with school. I’ll immediately have to inform the other colleges that I got into that I won’t be attending, and then complete the graduation survey for Tech and finish filling out my Naviance data. Then come AP tests, and I’d like to do well on them to be able to get credit that I can use for college, which means I’ll have to spend a decent amount of time studying for them. My major goal right now, though, is just choosing a college. Once this is done, so much stress will be taken out of my life and I’ll be able to really enjoy my last few months of high school. 

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

I demonstrate resilience towards achieving my main goal by continuing to research more and more about the schools I’m heavily considering, trying to find what I’d prefer and what I don’t care so much about. It’s been a long time of thinking about college almost constantly—since I first created my Common App account in August, I’ve had college on my mind nearly nonstop, with only a real break in February when no decisions came out. As the process comes to a close, I have to think about what it is I really want out of a college experience, and which school would be best at achieving this for me. 

In terms of my other goals, I demonstrate resilience by continuing to do my school work and pay attention in class. It’s hard to convince myself to continue doing all of my work sometimes, since school is practically over and we’re almost through college season, but this is important to remember to finish out the year strong. Remembering that we’re all in the same boat definitely also helps. 

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

The world around me specifically is mostly made up of people the same age as me, so it’s helped my sanity knowing that we’re all in the same boat when it comes to making a college decision. But everyone always shows the fun side of college decisions on social media—you never get to see the extremely difficult choices that people make when choosing a school, or the fact that most people don’t have one school “calling” them, and find that they have to pick between a few colleges where they can see themselves being happy. This reality that exists online sometimes brings me down, almost making me feel like I’m the only one who struggles with hard choices, even though the reality is much different. I have to remind myself of this often to keep a level head and make the best decisions for myself. 

Ramim Tarafdar Period 2, 5/3/21, Day A

Ramim Tarafdar
Period 2
5/3/21

Goal Setting & Growth 

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

At this point in time, I'm honestly just feeling lost. Even though college app season is over and I've decided on which college I will spend my next four years, I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I made one of the biggest decisions of my life recently to commit to CCNY for civil engineering. I already had my choices set out and I knew that if I didn't get into any of the Ivy's with their "100% Need Met" policies, I would settle for CCNY since it was the most cost-effective option. Telling yourself that six months in advance versus making the final decision are two very distinct feelings. It definitely is very bittersweet but my goal is to be grateful for and happy with the decision I've made. I chose this school because it offered the best opportunity for me to graduate debt-free while also remaining close to my family so I want to make the absolute best of it. It is also currently the month of Ramadan, a time when I'm usually excited about strengthening my relationship with my religion. However, with the state of things, I'm finding it harder to effectively do so. My second goal is to get back in touch with my beliefs and appreciate the beauty of Islam. 

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

If I'm being completely honest, I really haven't consistently stayed resilient towards my goals. I don't think I can count the number of times I've experienced burnout and regret in the last few months or even days. Even while typing out this blog, I've had to rewrite multiple parts because the tiny Grammarly icon in the corner of my screen indicated that my text was too sad and gloomy. Whenever I catch myself falling into these depressive moments, I think about all the positives that I overlook. When it comes to college, I made the decision to pay for everything myself so my parents wouldn't have to lift an extra penny in my name. I chose to commute rather than dorm so I could take care of my aging parents so they had more time to relax. We sometimes fall into the trap of stressing over irrelevant issues to fit the ideas of others without giving attention to our own needs and prioritizing ourselves. I find that the best way to remove myself from these worldly problems and gain gratitude is simply by praying. It is my best method of meditation while connecting to my religion. I hope to continue on this path to make the most of my time left here in high school and in college. However, I understand that having setbacks and feeling stuck is completely normal, so long as I can bounce back harder each time and keep moving forward.

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

Going to a competitive school such as ours really skews our ideas of what success is and what we have to do to be content. So many of us, including myself,  became obsessed with this notion of getting into Ivy's or other "name-brand" colleges to gain validation from our peers and society. Ever since middle school, we've had the idea of prestigious "specialized high schools" pounded into our heads, which carries over into the college app process. You end up feeling like you aren't worthy unless you go to these big-name colleges. "You spent all this time at Tech just to go to a 'regular' college." On top of that, I feel like the need to make my parents proud blinded me for a bit. I wanted them to be proud of my college and boast it to others but I never stopped to realize how content they were of me for everything else. They've been so supportive through all my decisions that I was really worried for no reason. I always believe that everything happens for a reason so I'm going to try my best to walk towards this next phase of my life excited to see where it will take me. :)

Merna Moustafa, 4/23/21,PD8, Day C

Merna Moustafa 

Period 8 

4/23/2021 

Day C 

Modern Mythology 

Goal Setting & Growth 

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

This month I am celebrating Ramadan with my family. Every year I take this month as an opportunity to focus on my mental health. My goal in this month is to focus on all the little things I have and to be grateful for them. I like to set the goal every year to become close to my friends and family and build on my connection with them. My main goal of the month is to find my place in my religion and reevaluate what it means to me. Besides my goals from Ramadan, I have set a goal to become more independent. I will soon be going to college so it is better to start getting used to doing tasks on my own and becoming more responsible.

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

In order to achieve my goals this month, I have to set time aside to focus on my mental health and religion. For the past few years Ramadan has occurred during the summer. This used to allow me more time to set aside. However, now my schedule interferes with Ramadan. Balancing the holiday with my school responsibilities has been difficult. I have demonstrated resilience towards achieving my goals because I have set specific times for me to do what I want to. I decided to go fully remote this month because it means I would start my classes later, enabling me to sleep for a longer period of time during the day. I need this because I tend to sleep after sunrise, because that is when my fast starts so I eat before then. Doing this allows me to have around 7 hours of sleep a night. After my classes I try to complete my work before sunset. This is because after sunset I take the time to just be with my family and friends and focus on the religious holiday. Generally sticking with this schedule has been very difficult to manage with my workload and if I have any exams, but half the holiday has already passed by and using this schedule has helped me find a balance. 

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

During this month I know I am not alone. I see people in my community and in the world in general who are celebrating the religious holiday while also handling their day to day tasks. Knowing that I am not alone, has motivated me to try to become even more in touch with my surroundings. People use this month not as a time off but rather as a motivation to focus on doing good for themself and those around them. They complete all their responsibilities, while also fasting, volunteering, and even helping bring people together. This month is the main time I feel a sense of community and love from the people around me, which motivates me to reach my goals and do more.