Ashley Luo, Period 2, 4/21/21, Day A

Socio-political Consciousness

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

Now more than ever there are advocates for equality everywhere, especially on social media and I think it is so important to bring awareness to the people around you. Whenever I'm on Instagram, I see posts on everyone's story and I know some people get called out for not posting on their story. I don't post on my story but I make sure to have conversations with my family which I feel is way more important than posting something on social media where so many people are only performative. Coming from an Asian household, we've been called the model minority and we've certainly haven't experienced the oppression and inequality to the extent that other POC has faced. My parents don't agree with what is going on around us with all of the protests and rallies due to their own stereotypes they have built around other minorities. Whenever I bring up that difficult conversation to my parents we almost always end up arguing since our views are so different and it is hard to change their mindset. A lot of people decide not to have that difficult conversation with their loved ones in fear that it will end up in arguments and although I understand that, I think it's better to have them hear your thoughts and your reasoning. The reason we live in so much oppression and inequity is because no one ever does anything to change the mindset of those who are in the wrong. People who are racist will pass that mindset onto their children and onto the people around them and no one is ever brave enough to go against them. I also feel like those in power and hold that privilege refuse to do anything about all the inequity around simply because they aren't the ones facing the inequity. White privilege exists and white people need to actively step out and have their voices be heard because in our society it is more likely that they will be heard compared to a voice that belongs to a minority. Those who sit back and enjoy their white privilege or even refuse to acknowledge that it exists are the whole reason why systematic oppression is rooted so deeply into our everyday lives. POC shouldn't have to be scared for their lives when they step out of the comfort of their homes. Children shouldn't have to be taught to abide by certain rules in case they bump into the police in the future. There is so much oppression rooted in our society and unless more people start to stand up against it, it will always be present and more people will die and be covered up by those who hold power in our world.

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

With the surge of Asian hate crimes in our everyday lives, I fear for the safety of my parents and my grandparents. It hurts my heart when I see Asian elders get attacked on the street for absolutely no reason but looking the way they do. Not only do our oppression get pushed to the side, but in our Asian culture, we were always taught from our childhood to mind our business so that way we don't get involved and hurt. I remember the instance of Zheng who was killed when he tried to help a bunch of Asians who were getting attacked and robbed by someone. When I told my parents what had happened, instead of being outraged they simply told me, "Ashley I know this stuff makes you upset but please when you're outside never ever try to help or interject when you see a conflict like that. This is how you get killed so just pretend you don't see and keep walking." While I know my parents just want me to be safe and they said to protect me, I also saw the problem within our own community. Even with the surge of hate crimes and violent attacks, our community doesn't want to speak out against it in fear of being shut down or even worse repercussions happening. That is also a part of the problem. In order to bring about change, we need to speak out and we need to stand up against all of the wrongdoings done against us. It's time for Asians to stop being the model minority and it's time we speak up. Even growing up, the racism I've faced was pushed to the side and I was made to feel stupid for trying to speak up. This time, however, we need to fight against that so people can hear our voices for the first time. We can't silent if we want things to change. I shouldn't have to be scared for myself, my parents, my grandparents, and other people that I care about. We shouldn't have to walk out and be scared about whether or not we'll be able to come home.

Tiffany Lo, Period 2, 4/21/21, Day A

Goal Setting & Growth

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

As the school year is inching closer to the end and summer is approaching, I have been trying to find something to do over the summer. Because of COVID, I missed last summer’s plans to find a job. Hopefully the current situation will be better than last year, and I will be able to start working over this summer. I really think that working with other people will help me a lot, especially because I have difficulty approaching people and interacting with others. In addition, college applications are finally over and I have committed to a college already. The next step is to finish off senior year without slacking off or falling behind. At this time of the year, I can not see the purpose of working hard anymore. However, I still want to put in some effort, maybe not all but enough to get me through the year. I would rather not let college see me slacking off. My last goal is to maintain a consistent workout routine. Since the start of the pandemic, I began to workout at home using the extra time that I now have. It would be a shame if I suddenly quit a year into working out, therefore I hope to see myself remain physically active for as long as I can. 

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

At the moment, I am still searching for internships or job opportunities near me. I am going to make sure that I get a job this summer. As for my second goal. I have been keeping up with my classes and studying so that I don’t fail. I submit all my assignments, attend classes on time, so I can finish off my senior year strong. And for my last goal, I follow weekly workout plans so there is no excuse for me not to workout. I also have plans to run or hit the gym this summer as well to continue maintaining this routine. 

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

I have a few friends who currently have a part time job while learning remotely and they inspire me to look for a job. Sometimes I think to myself that if my friends can find a job, then I can find myself a job as well. Therefore, I want to be like them and earn money and spend it on myself instead of asking my parents for money. They are also doing well in their classes and it motivates me to not give up before them. My friends have mostly influenced how I perceive my goals and inspires me to pursue them without giving up. These goals are also focused on myself and what is best for me. If I give up on these goals, then I am essentially giving up on myself and giving up on making myself better.

Teresa Crisantos-Prudencio, 4/15/21, Period 8, Day C

 Teresa Crisantos-Prudencio

Staten Island Technical High School

April 19, 2021

Mythology

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

    At this current point in time a specific goal I have set for myself is to continue doing all my schoolwork so once graduation comes I have finished everything and can move onto the summer. At this point I have already committed to the college I will attend the upcoming fall so I have to focus on making sure my grades remain high for my last report and I prepare for this transition. In addition, another goal I have set for myself is to study enough to get 5’s on my AP exams in June. This is important because this may allow me to get credit in college and to show what I have learned this year in these classes. One last goal that I have set for myself is to enjoy the last couple months of my senior year. With everything going on in the world with the COVID pandemic having a senior year has been hard. However, I have made it a priority to enjoy the time I have left at tech, as this year is the end of my high school journey. 

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

    I have demonstrated resilience towards achieving my goal of keeping my grades high and doing my school work by making sure I complete my assignments in a timely manner. I have worked on my procrastination and started doing my assignments a little at a time so they do not all add up and become stressful. By doing this, I can complete all my assignments on time and not be working on all of them the day before they are due. This is all important, so come June all my grades remain high for my last report. I have shown resilience towards doing well on my AP exams by setting aside at least an hour a day for studying for these exams. By doing this, I believe I am preparing myself for the exams come June. Even though this senior year looks very different with everything going on, I still have tried to make the most of it. I have done this by making sure I stay in contact with my friends and doing as much as I can safely with the whole pandemic. Lastly, I have been working towards my transition into college by buying stuff I will need for my dorm. I have also started making choices on room and bored and have even reached out to new people who will also be attending. 

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

    With everything that has been going on this past year, my goals seemed hard to attain as this affected many things. For example, with school being remote and in person being able to enjoy my senior year has been hard. However, with this it has taught me how to make the most of what we have. Even though not being able to have a regular year has been hard, it has also shown me how your choices ultimately determine how much you enjoy what you have. If you sulk around wishing for what’s not possible, you are doing yourself harm instead of enjoying what you can. So the world around me has shown me that you determine what you make out of the current situation. In addition, these goals allow me to control things in my life whereas a lot of other things, no matter how hard you try, you can’t. So they allow me to feel like I am making an impact even if it is only personal.

Raquel Jimenez, 4/20/21, Period 8, Day C

Raquel Jimenez   

4/20/21

Period 8

Day C

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

     At this point in time, my goals are mostly centered around college and preparing for that. I still have a few months until I leave but I’ve always been a planner so I’m thinking about this stuff now. I’ve been looking into housing and with housing comes looking for roommates. In my last blog, I mentioned wanting to be more social which still remains one of my goals. Another goal of mine is to stop procrastinating. I used to be the type of student who would do everything as soon as it was assigned. Being at home has changed me, but not for the better. I tend to keep pushing my assignments to what feels like the last second. Before college, I want to change this new behavior I have developed. 

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal?

     I’ve worked on my first goal by putting myself out there more. With social media, it is super easy to be able to find new people even before meeting them physically. I am actually starting to take advantage of this. I’ve followed a few accounts run by students to introduce the incoming freshmen to each other. Additionally, I’ve completed surveys to allow people to get to know me better so I can find a roommate. After completing these surveys, I was able to find some girls that match me and have actually connected. 

      As for my second goal, the best way I get myself to start working is just by writing out what needs to be done. Being able to see everything that I need to do lets me visualize the work. Having a To-Do list gives me motivation, once I complete a task I get the satisfaction of crossing that off the list. When I am really in a time crunch, I make an actual schedule that I tend to stick to. Knowing that I have set aside a certain amount of time makes me push myself to start working which is what I need. 

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

     My goal to be more social was probably formed partially from social media. It helps to meet new people but it also lets me see other people’s lives which can add some pressure to want to be the same. I see people that know people going into college. While there are people from my school going to the same college as me, I am not close to them. This is what is pushing me to try to get to know others before I arrive in the fall. I know that I shouldn’t try to be like other people, but social media has just allowed me to see that I don’t have to go into college with that extra pressure of not having any familiar faces. 

     Since I am a remote student, I don’t have to physically submit assignments as I might have before. This has made me procrastinate which I did not before being a remote student. Time, in general, has just turned into what seems like infinity so in my head, I have all the time in the world but I really don’t. Luckily, I’ve come to the realization that I’m not going to be able to do this in college, and if I do, I’m just going to stress myself out by piling on all my work at once. As a future engineering major, I know I’m going to have a lot of work so I need to manage my time better than I am currently.

Edward Fishman, 4/14/21, Period 5, Day B

 Edward Fishman  

4/14/21    

Period 5 

Seniors 2021

Socio-political Consciousness

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

Being a straight white male, I often see on the internet that I have had a significant advantage in my life over my peers, referred most commonly as "white privilege." This is the idea that because of the color of my skin and the actions of those that came before me with the same skin color, society gives me an easier time to live my life. It's a weird feeling being told that you have it better off than others because that is certainly not the way I view my life. Throughout my experience being alive I have faced multiple challenges whether it be bullying or mental health issues, none of which could be helped with the fact that my skin is lighter than others. The idea of white privilege also comes attached with a hate towards white people. This is what I have trouble understanding, if the goal of movements across the country is to bring our races together, why foster even more hate? Racists are not born, they are made. Many children in urban areas don't care whatsoever what you look like as long as you are kind and a good person.

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

Being from a big city myself and integrating with many different cultures when I was young, helped me expand my view on these issues. Racism is still a prevalent problem in America as seen with the recent George Floyd and Daunte Wright cases. However fighting these problems with more violence will only lead to a worse outcome for both sides. Everyone in this country wants to walk the streets without fear of being targeted or even worse killed for something they have no control over. In my house, if there was a problem between 2 people, we would sit and talk to each other. In this situation however, both sides feel as though the time for talking is over and that action needs to be taken. This ideology will just lead to more fighting and furthers the divide between people. What needs to be done now can only be done at a national level, through congress and the senate. With such a huge amount of government funding going to the military every year, it leaves very little for police to be properly trained and vetted, as well as for the youth to be educated on the country's history with the goal of never repeating what happened before us.

Ryan Hourican, 4/19/21, Period 5, Day B

 Goal Setting and Growth

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

My goal for right now is to start going out more. I've been looking forward to everything that I would've done this year but sadly most of it never had the chance to happen. Now that there's a vaccine for COVID and that the weathers starting to get better, I finally have the opportunity to get outside and have some fun. Also, the stress of where I'm going to college is gone so thats an even bigger reason to get out and do something; it's time to celebrate. Of course I will be remaining safe the entire time but I just can't wait to see all of my friends again.

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

There isn't much that I can do at the moment because all there is to do is wait. I've kept in touch with everyone and they're all just like me in the sense that they can't wait to start doing things again too. We've thought of a lot of ideas of what we can do and where we can go so once the weather starts becoming nice I know that I'll be outside almost every day.

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

The world around me has a mix of helping me achieve this goal and slowing me from getting there as well. Most of the people who are close to me have the same feelings as I do which is that I should go out as much as possible. They want me to see my friends, go do something fun, and enjoy my senior year. The part that's slowing me down and stopping me from getting to my goal is the fact that COVID is still a thing and we can't just ignore it. I'm hoping that things become the way they were again soon so that I can enjoy my last summer before college.

Mitchell Hayutt, 4/19/21, Period 5, Day B

 Goal Setting & Growth

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

At the moment, one of my major goals is to get back into great physical shape. Just before COVID, I was steadily losing weight and looking/feeling better. Then, not only was I forced to stay inside for months, but the cartilage in my knee had scraped, which meant that I wasn’t allowed to walk for at least 2 months. Unfortunately, it took almost a full year for it to heal completely, and I was only able to start getting back to running and fitness in late February. Sadly, this injury caused me to gain weight during the past year. Now, I’m excited to be back and I’m working hard to achieve my goal of getting into better shape. My main purpose of this is not just to look better and more attractive, but mostly just to feel better about myself and feel confident.

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

For the past few weeks, I have been working hard to stay consistent with my diet and stay in a calorie deficit. I have been working out at least 6 days a week and keeping myself busy instead of staying home all the time. At times, it is hard to get up after school and head to the gym or on a run, but I have been able to motivate myself to get up and work hard, because I know it is for the best. Also, it’s always tough to stay consistent with diet, especially when you go out with friends, but I think I have stayed consistent and fair with myself in terms of eating healthy and allowing occasional cheat meals to keep me sane.

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

I think that for the most part, the world around me has a positive impact on me and aids me in achieving my goals. One example is social media: because I have been very involved in fitness and diet recently, a lot of my Instagram suggested content is related to fitness and health, and this helps me a lot because it gives me ideas on how to improve. Also, I see YouTube videos and content creators that are very transparent about their fitness journeys, and that helps and motivates me a lot.