Charlotte Seid, Period 8, 6/1/22

Charlotte Seid 6/1/21 Period 8

Modern Mythology 2022

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?
My current goal right is trying to prepare for college and spend as much time with my friends before I go. The school year is ending and I know that I’m not very good at keeping in contact with people as seen throughout quarantine. Another goal is to start a crochet business with a friend that we are planning over the summer. 

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)
Well seeing that resilience is the ability to come back from a setback, I think that my resilience toward these goals will be tested, especially in the crochet business as we need to be as prepared as possible so we don’t fail as soon as we start. I plan on working on what we might need in starting a business and solving potential problems before they happen. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)
Knowing that many people that I know are going through the same things that I am, preparing for college and getting ready to leave home, I feel more confident and self-assured that I don’t need to be perfect at any of this. Having that understanding helps me not have as much stress as I would think that I have. Also for our crochet business, I think we can succeed seeing how many people would buy items already in our school. Because of quarantine, there have been many small businesses that have started and are doing well for themselves and to me, there isn’t that much to lose since we have most of the materials already. 

Charlotte Seid, Period, 5/24/22

 Charlotte Seid 5/24/22 Period 8

Modern Mythology 2022

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?
Sometimes we think we know everything about how the world works with its issues. But we need to take a step back and perhaps look at the problems with more than just us in our minds. Everyone experiences oppression and power differently. But that shouldn’t mean that we should compare what experiences we have with these issues with each other. I think that these issues will continue to exist but we shouldn’t add to them. We should understand that people are different and that their points of view will differ from ours.


How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?
My beliefs, assumptions, and values often come from the people around me. Knowing that people don’t see the world the same way as I do helps me understand where I stand in the world. My beliefs aren’t always unshakeable as they may change with every new information I get. I understand that I live a fairly comfortable life, with my parents working hard to afford a decent lifestyle. And I know that not everyone gets the same treatment.

I often emphasize the value of differing perspectives in class and in my writing because I know that my perspective can be very limited and biased. I try to understand these perspectives to further understand myself and how the world works. To me every perspective, whether I like them or not, has value and I should look into it and have an open mind about it.

Brian Wu, Period 8, 6/2/22

 Brian Wu

Ms. Fusaro

Modern Mythology 2022, Period 8 June 2, 2022

Goal Setting and Growth

Blog 4

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

With the end of the school year and graduation nearing and as I am going through the

process of preparing for college, the biggest thing that has been on my mind is how different my next four years will be in comparison to my time at high school. Soon to step into the world by myself, I cannot help but be worried about myself not meeting others expectations and even my own expectations. College will be my first step into independence and I need to make sure that I walk a straight path and not do anything dumb that will get me kicked out of school. Of course I am still going to have fun in college but I let my fun affect the ultimate goal of graduating college and doing adult things afterwards.

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

I am a big believer that everyone acts differently around different groups of people.

People naturally adjust themselves to fit into the larger crowd they are in and that is something that I do as well. So in order for me to achieve my goal, I feel that I will need to surround myself with people who will not allow me to go astray. Now with college, it is natural for many to party and dabble with alcohol and other substances. I understand that and am not against people participating in activities as I would want to have fun as well, but I need to make sure that nothing is pressured onto me. It is also helpful to have people that will only not pressure you to do dumb things but also tell you not to do it.

How do you demonstrate resilience toward achieving this goal?

When looking at a bigger picture, a big reason that some students in college end up

using and abusing substances is not to have fun but to help them deal with mental health problems that they have from everyday life. When first heading to college, it is most people’s first time living and managing themselves. Learning to adapt to a new lifestyle while worrying about passing classes, making new friends, and paying off tuition really takes a toll on a student and I am sure it will on me as well. Currently, I am trying to learn about my own mental health as much as possible and what works for me to control it and keep it ast a good pace. I’ve been

   

 going out more to learn about what makes me feel at ease and I have been meeting people of my incoming class early so that when I am off at college, I already know people there which I feel will help keep me at ease.

Vanessa Tam, Period 1, 5/27/22

Growth & Goal Setting

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?)

When I glance over my initial goals from the beginning of the year, I’m amazed by how ambitious I was. I notice that a lot of the motivation and ambition I’ve had back then slowly dissipated. I had dozens of goals, most seemed attainable to September-me, and looking back, they do still seem attainable if I had put in all my effort to achieving them. A few months ago, I came across a video on procrastination; the narrator of the video explained why procrastination may be effective for some people, as well as how to utilize the “sense of urgency,” a procrastination tactic, to develop better study habits. Many of the goals I’ve set in my blog had no due dates or deadlines. Two of the goals were related to dance and reading . I didn’t have any upcoming dance performances since I stopped going to the studio, so there was no need for me to learn challenging acrobatic tricks other than for my own satisfaction. Similarly, I didn’t have any impending reading examinations I needed to ace, so I didn’t have any reason to speed through all the books I’ve bought. Since I felt little to no sense of urgency for many of these goals, I, like many, procrastinated. 

After seeing how enthusiastic I was in my first blog, I believe I’ve acquired a little more motivation to pursuit the same goals, as well as new ones. I still pushed myself to take part in as many dance-related activities as I could, whether it was dancing with cover groups or performing in multiple dances at the Multicultural Show. But, because they were primarily hip hop or urban, neither of which had any choreography that required much flexibility, I didn’t feel the need to work on my flexibility, and as a result, my flexibility suffered greatly. With the upcoming senior showcase, I’ll be compelled to stretch for at least an hour every day for the next several days, as one of the dances I’ll be performing in demands a great deal of flexibility, and hopefully this will become a habit rather than a chore. In terms of reading, whether it’s by setting a schedule for myself or reading with a friend, I’ll find a way to create a false sense of urgency to push myself to finish all seven books I’ve purchased this summer. I’m certain that once I start to read it, I’ll finish it in no time. Along with these goals, I hope to enjoy the final weeks of my senior year before we start college in September. Like many high school seniors, I also hope to spend as much time as I could with my friends before we go our separate ways. I aim to check of every single thing I have on my bucket list these next two months. Because there is a deadline now, I’ll feel obligated to complete this bucket list mission, and as a result, I will do so.

Sarah Danilov, Period 1, 4/25/2022

Sarah Danilov

Period 1

4/25/2022

Modern Mythology 

Creativity and Fiction

As the hands tik by

And the night gets closer

We start our routine

Wash, brush, change

We get in bed and crack open a book

Or turn on our phones

Yet, slowly our eyes begin to shut

As our inevitable alternative state chases us

We get tired

Our eyes finally close

We open our eyes to a different world

Where anything is possible

While that used to be a refuge from the stress of the world

It started to become a nightmare

Where numbers chase you, stomp on you

Where the problem you got wrong in third period math catches up to you

And looks you in your eyes as it slowly gets bigger

And bigger

Until you can’t see the top anymore

There is no chance of escaping

Yet your dream takes you somewhere else

You feel yourself touching your hair

However this time you truly feel how small a strand of hair is

How can it be so small

How are my hands so big

How big am i

You suddenly wake up

And run to the bathroom to stare at yourself

Your hair still feels funny

You feel as if your hands are swollen

Yet suddenly I can feel every bump on my face,

Every hair on my arm

A scratch on your finger that you didn’t know existed

You climb back into your bed for some relief

Hoping you don't get placed in the same alternative reality

Holen Yee, Period 7, 6/3/22

 

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?

Recently, we’ve finished reading the book World War Z by Max Brooks. It is a very enjoyable story about the world’s efforts to defeat a world-threatening zombie virus outbreak told after the fact through firsthand accounts from multiple people involved in multiple facets of the effort to fight the zombie apocalypse. Honestly, I enjoyed reading this story and could see myself really getting immersed into the world that the author has created even if this book was not required reading for school. All of the characters in the book are realistic, even if some are not very likeable. The way that the author creates slang and in-knowledge that is known to everyone that is fighting the zombie apocalypse and introduces it to the readers is also a minor detail that I appreciated very greatly while reading, since it made this all feel so much more real. 

In class, we focused mainly on the parallels between this fictional global crisis and the real life global crisis that we all experienced, the pandemic. We also talked about all these people’s responses to a crisis like this and what it says about humanity. In World War Z, humanity’s initial response to the zombie virus was not the best. The Chinese government, where the outbreak first originated, decided to repress information about the zombie virus and hide it from the public and other countries. This allowed for the spread of the virus to other countries and overall worsened the situation. Another man took advantage of the situation in order to fuel his own greed, putting out a “vaccine” for African rabies, which did not work for the zombie virus. In the end, the situation eventually got so bad that all the countries had to abandon part of their country and the people in those parts in order to retreat and regroup, a sacrifice for the greater good. Not all things were bad though. During this time, some great people emerged, like the American president, who pushed not only for the survival of the people, but for the reclamation of their land from the zombies, so everybody can have hope for the future. 

From this book, I have learned that humanity is a mixed bag. There are some bad people, who take advantage of crisis situations to prey on people for their own gain, and some good people, who risk their own lives and safety in order to try to rescue others. I learned that in crisis situations, I have to be as open, honest, and truthful as possible, so everyone is able to make the best decision possible at that moment. I learned that if the situation is bad, I have to try to make the best of a bad situation. 

Joseph Kang, Period 7, 5/17/2022

 

Goal Setting & Growth

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

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

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

I am currently working towards a goal to lose 20-25 pounds from my original weight of 190lbs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have gained over 20 pounds due to binge eating and a lack of physical activity. Over time, I started to become more self-conscious about myself. My mindset about myself may not be the best at times, but I thought it would be best to use the insecurity as motivation to get started. So, I started working towards this goal to lose all the quarantine weight and perhaps lose even more than before. 

One of the reasons I am working towards this is for aesthetic purposes. For the longest time, I was always out of shape and have wondered how I would fit in a “sculpted” body frame, factoring in the potential change in everyday interactions with other people. Not to mention, I felt that my confidence was compromised in a conversation when the topic of fitness came up. 

To reach my goal, I plan to keep a calorie deficit by eating low-calorie and nutrient-rich meals while exercising for at least 40 min a day, whether it be going to the gym or simply running around my neighborhood. 

To maintain my nutrition, I plan on minimizing my intake of carbohydrates and fats because excessive intake of such can lead to weight gain and poor cardiovascular and digestive health. Instead of consuming simple carbohydrates (foods with a high concentration of sugar and starch), I will continue to eat complex carbohydrates to fulfill my daily carbohydrate intake goals. Also, I will be sure to include protein-rich foods to maintain muscle mass while losing as much fat as possible. 

In order to burn the calories I consume, I plan to continue attending [the/my] local gym and going for runs on alternating days. At the gym, I plan on engaging in high-intensity weight training exercises to maintain, if not gain more, muscle mass while burning the calories I consume. 

Working towards this goal is much easier than I thought, as I have support from my parents to do so. Through their support, I have become more mindful of my  caloric intake, which will help me create a deficit between the calories I consume and the calories I burn. They have been the primary financial support for this process, whether it be groceries for nutritious foods or the gym membership that they pay every month. Without it, I don’t think I would have the same mindset towards this whole process. I don’t think I would have the same motivation and persistence that I currently have.