Blog Feed

Create a Post

Hope

Posted by Niah Lombo on
​
                


Today America is facing the greatest test of them all, while a happy ending looks like a lifetime away. Some are able to look past the storm and see the sunshine on our lands.  Some can still see there kids playing on the swings or learning to ride their bike. They believed in something that didn’t yet exist but they were able to imagine a happy ending. How can some believe in happy endings during hard times, what gives people hope? I interviewed a variety of different people but one answer that stuck with me the most is about hope vs faith. 

                   

Religions have been around since human existence, it's the idea of living for something of higher power. Having faith in something that may or may not exists. In today's society, people have a choice on if they would like to practice any religion they want. Giving them the choice to pick and choose their faith. If faith is believing in a higher being to give you a good outcome and hope is believing in that outcome. What separates them?  The thing with faith is that without religious faith is nonexistent. To have faith you must believe in a high being of some sort, but if you don’t believe in such then you have no faith. While hope doesn’t need followers, it just needs oneself. It's possible to have no faith but still have hope. 
While religion is the same, hope varies for different people. Which is why hope is easier for people to connect to. 

                             

Everyone is fighting a battle that you can not see, it can be mental or physical. One doesn't overpower the other, they are both equally destructive. But fighting a mental battle is more complex because in society we don’t know much about it. So it is rough for people that are fighting metal battles, some make it out and some don’t. Even at their lowest, they were able to push themselves to something that wasn’t there. How could they think of happiness when they are in a lot of pain? Hope doesn’t necessary mean a happy ending, for other people it could mean just to make it until the next day. We all have different hopes and goals, and that stems back to our personal and emotional life. A little girl could wish for the rain to go away so she could play at the park, while another little girl could wish her step dad to stop abusing her mother. Hope can let people see the light in their darkest hour. 

                  

Social media plays a huge role in today's society, as it is everywhere. Technology has advanced drastically for the past couple years. People resort to social media to express feelings, opinions, photos, and moments. The biggest trend right now is Donald Trump and his family. Most people took Donalds Trump champagne as a joke due to lack of political experiences, bankruptcy, his theory of building a wall, and much more. So it was a shock to us all when he won the elections. Some were even making jokes on media saying that we had two months to assassinate Trump before the inauguration. Trump becoming president was like breaking our last beacon of hope for the next generations. Compared to previous years we’ve made amazing changes but there is still stuff we need to work on. It feels like once we get 3 steps closer, our aspirations move 8 steps ahead. While we could give up and just accept our “faith” but why give up now. We as a nation grew in so many ways, that compared to other places it seems crazy. Our problem is that we don’t accept the past nor do we recognize it because it shows a time where we weren't as good of a nation as we are now. You can not grow or have hope for a better future if you can’t acknowledge the past, that is how we grow. 

    Yes Trump is our President, yes we value prisons over schools, yes we have corrupt people in law enforcement, yes we contribute to climate change, yes we do all these bad things. But that doesn't mean we should accept that, especially when we don’t want to. It may seem like your voice is not heard but there is always someone listening and being inspired or given hope. Hope is to believe in something that has yet not existed, believing that we can get through trials and error. Fight for what you believe in and others will join as well. 

Below is a Photo gallery of what hope means to these individuals:
 

How My Sister's Illness Changed My Life

Posted by Ibrahim Aldakhil in Reading, Writing and Rising Up · Block · Y Band on

DYOL-How My Sister's Illness Changed My Life from Ibrahim Aldakhil on Vimeo.

Introduction: 
​Whenever I speak to people in English, they hardly ever guess I was from Saudi Arabia. This Design Your Own Learning piece reveals the full story behind how I managed to self-educate myself into becoming a fluent English speaker. As a new transfer at SLA, no one is familiar with my past and my peers don't know enough about me to get a general idea of my personality. The purpose of this project is to open myself up to others and have them acquainted with who I am and the tragic events in my childhood that influenced me to make life-changing decisions. Aside from revealing my past, the goal of this project is to also inform people that even when they go through tragic events where they reach the point of giving up, they can turn things around by taking advantage of their bad experience and using it as motivation to become stronger. In my case, I took advantage of the horrendous experiences that started with my sister's illness to become an avid English speaker with full responsibility for my family in the United States. 

This was an exciting project for me to make because it reveals things about me that not even my own family knew about. With feedback assistance from Mr. Block and Ms. Jeanette, each draft I made for the script was more thoughtful and concise than the previous one, until I reached the final draft presented above.  

Transcript: 
Being from Saudi Arabia, learning English and speaking it fluently without an accent was an enormous challenge. I went through the most difficult time of my life to become an avid English speaker succeeding in an American high school. It all started in the summer of 2006 when my sister was diagnosed with a form of cancer called Lymphoma. At the time, I never saw myself coming all the way to the United States, but due to my sister’s illness, my father decided to admit her to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Because of the extensive duration of the therapy, we stayed in Philadelphia for several months and I was enrolled in an American school for the first time. 

My first day at McCall school was a nightmare I will never forget. I was scared and nervous like I had never been before, to the point where I couldn’t even take my jacket off in a hot classroom, because I was unable to speak or understand English well. Due to my weakness in English, I couldn’t make any friends and always sat alone staring at the American classmates lively conversing with each other, sometimes glancing at me and following with a giggle. Not knowing what was being said and constantly wondering if I was made fun of tormented me. This resulted in a severe academic and social struggle that left me devastated.
 
In January of 2007, my sister was in complete remission and we returned to Saudi Arabia. I couldn’t be any happier knowing I would go back to my friends at my old school and not spend another day at McCall. I put the horrendous experience behind me and moved on. A year and a half later, we were shocked to hear that my sister’s cancer had relapsed and come back even stronger. Immediately, we were set to go back to Philadelphia, and as luck may have it, I was back at McCall once again. Even though almost two years had passed, nothing had changed. I was horrified, depressed, and often came up with excuses to miss school. 

There was, however, one day I was eager to go to school: the day before christmas. The class planned a big celebration, but I never got the chance to attend and finally socialize with my classmates. When I woke up that morning, I saw my mother in the kitchen, which was unusual because she was staying with my sister in the hospital. Intuitively, I assumed my sister was finally back home. Each time I asked my mother where my sister was, she stared at me with suspenseful silence. When I raised my voice, she said with a tear falling on her cheek that my sister passed away. 

The next day, I was aboard the most torturous flight of my life back to Saudi Arabia. Words cannot describe the anguish of being on the same plane with your only sister, whom you’d seen less than 48 hours ago, but is now beneath you in a coffin. At this point, I was willing to throw everything away and never come back to the United States. However, I kept thinking of how my sister loved to teach me English. I looked back on my time spent at McCall, and being a person who hates failure, I never wanted to experience that hell again. These thoughts drove me to make a decision that would change my life. I set a goal for myself to learn English so that when I spoke it, no one would guess I was from Saudi Arabia. By achieving that, I would become the youngest and first person in the family to fluently speak English and never again struggle in an American school. 

My school taught all subjects in Arabic, so I had to come up with my own methods to learn English. I implemented the language in all of my daily activities, like reading books or online articles and watching TV or listening to music. Moreover, I had to give up a native part of me in the process. We each have an inner voice or a voice of consciousness that always communicates and resonates within us in our native language. I took a big step and changed that voice into English, a decision that would result in a permanent effect. Ever since then, I always “communicated” with myself in English and hardly ever in Arabic. I was able to lose the accent faster than I could remember and after years of daily practice, I finally understood English just as much as I understood Arabic. 

When I was in middle school, my school opened an international program where all subjects were taught in English, and I immediately enrolled. I demonstrated significant academic performance and continued to improve even more now that the school was also teaching me English. Eventually, I became the most avid English speaker in the family and this gave me a lot of responsibilities. My father put me in charge of fully orchestrating all our trips to the United States, but most importantly, he made me in charge of communicating with hospitals, health centers, and insurance companies for my little brother who has Down Syndrome and Autism. Managing to turn tragic experiences into motivation, discover my own ways to solve problems, and experience the responsibility of a father without even turning 18 as a result of my childhood dilemma shows that even if you think you’ve experienced the worst, you have the ability to utilize that experience for your own advantage. You can grow up into a person you never envisioned yourself to be.

Advanced Essay #3 - Education Has Failed Us

Posted by Tia Roberts in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Introduction:
In this essay, I will be exploring the concepts and situations of how education does not fit all types of children from different backgrounds. Also, it explores how once a child is considered a ¨problem¨ we no longer help and/or try to make a difference in their education. It allows kids who are apart of these situations to realize there is a way out and you are not confined to a failed education.  

¨You should know this already¨

I hear it everyday, we hear it everyday. We are not here to be successful; the world of education is not made for us. By us I mean, kids in situations that not everybody faces. Kids who haven't had the advantages most kids are enabled to have. The kids who are deprived a rightful education from this current education system. We are enrolled in these classes but not much learning happens in these classrooms. D’s dramatically placed down upon a paper every marking period. Teachers passing along the river of trouble to the next available teacher. No knowledge, no chance to succeed;but it continues until it's too late. You hit high school and realize, high school is made for children who already know the material. There is only a slight chance of achievement for those who lack that subject of knowledge.

Growing up in a charter school, many people believed I had a wonderful educational experience. The big classrooms filled with  white walls and a gorgeous interior. The big staff and crowds of smiles as you would tour through the halls. Everything about the school would make you think it offered students the very best education.. But as you dig deeper into each classroom you realize, “To be educated… mostly meant always packing an extra number 2 pencil and working quietly.” As long as you complied with adults and acted remotely focused, you will pass. Kids who knew the information but remained silent throughout the school day averaged A’s; the quiet students with no knowledge of the material averaged B’s; the ones who never listened or learned passed with C’s. The likelihood of passing was always in your favor. It was more difficult  to fail than to pass. A school built on the foundation that, “no child gets left behind” became a reality. Teachers become more interested in getting the problem out of their hands than solving the problem. Lack of control became, lack of knowledge which leads to a lack of success. In the end you always leave wondering, ¨Who is successful here?¨


Meeting others with unique backgrounds in education, you tend to learn which kids had a valid education and which ones were deprived of that privilege. All the kids who more privileged in education were more involved in class as a whole, while many who weren’t too familiar stayed back in silence. But once you hit high school, being quiet was no longer a passing grade. You needed to know the material, every last attribution was essential. Once you allow people to know your disadvantages you are now labeled as lower than the rest. “I have a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to grammar mistakes that make people look stupid.” Yet you can not get to a higher level with no help. You are stuck and the society of education allows it. They batter you down and restrain you from succeeding yet preach and teach you about how they want you to succeed. Kids are expected to know things as a first nature kind of thing but are never introduced to these topics. Our brains do not form and confine information it is never introduced to. Yet education standard judge you as if they do.


As life goes on you begin to wonder, “are there anyways for these type of  kids to succeed?” With a lot of studying and preparing for these subjects, kids may be able to succeed. But in the reality of it, not all kids have these advantages or tools to prepare correctly. They all may not be able to absorb and maintain the information in a short period of time needed to succeed. Kids who succeed have encountered these subjects for a long time through their life, so it may be familiar and easier to keep knowledge of. Whereas through, kids who are not familiar don’t have these simple understandings and are not given the effort and/or attention to learn these basics. Most often, kids who lack certain abilities are thrown into these smallers classes, which is supposed to be an efficient way to keeping them up to date with the rest of the class. When in reality they are just, “a place for those who are just not making it, a

dumping ground for the disaffected.” There is no time given to actually teach these kids. Our education becomes lazy and we are no longer effective to be affected by the information we are supposed to endure. There is only way around this. Schools need to add classes which teach the bases of every subject and it is a place that allows kids to keep a hold on their education. A chance that was once taken from them is now given back.


Yes, I should already know this, but being stuck in an education system where educators only seem interested in when their next paycheck will come, instead of the learning of their students motivates me to reach my full potential. I refuse to be a victim of a failed education, I will strive and get the education I rightfully deserve.  Not giving up like education has done to me, their is always a way around it. I must continue on and so should the education of our world; we as students of this education system deserve a chance at a life of fulfillment and success. Although a fair chance might not be granted to everyone, we have to fight and change this system that only aids the privileged, and give the less fortunate a chance for prospering.  


Cited Work:


  • Sarikas, Christine. "The Complete List of High School Classes." The Complete List of High School Classes. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

  • "I Just Want to Be Average Mike Rose." Google Docs. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

  • "I Won't Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here's Why." Harvard Business Review. 23 July 2014. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

  • Duckworth, Angela Lee. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." Angela Lee Duckworth: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | TED Talk | TED.com. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

  • Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015. Print.

#5 - Reflection on Media Fluency

Posted by Amayah Woodard in Technology - Freshman · Hull · c1 Band on
DANCE IS LIFE (3)
  • what you learned                                                                                                         I learned about constrast and don't leave a lot of space open       
  • why you made the changes you did to your second slide.
  • I made the changes because for me to improve on my slide
  • how important research is when beginning a project 
It's important because you needed to know what your doing.

Reflection on Media Fluency

Posted by Amayah Woodard on
DANCE IS LIFE (3)
​
  • what you learned
I learned about contrast and don't leave a lot of space out on your slide 
  •  why you made the changes you did to your second slide 
I made the changes  because to improve on my slide
  • how important research is when beginning a project                                              research is very important because you needed to know what your doing for you to research for our slide.

Adil Shamsuddin Reflection

Posted by Adil Shamsud-Din in Technology - Freshman · Hull · d2 Band on
Untitled presentation
 

My image includes a lot of different things that allows you to tell you who i am, what i like to do. I was told to make all of my pictures transparent or, make everything colorful. I learned to pictures look better when they bleed, that's because, it allows your corners to pop out. I changed the background color, the format, and made my words bolder. My slide is way much better than the beginning. Thank you for teaching me this information.


Advanced Essay #3: Nothing We Know is Real

Posted by Lyle Seitz in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Introduction:

It took me a while to find a topic relating to identity that I was really passionate about until I came across an article online that talked about how people were using ‘fake news’ to confuse and manipulate people. I thought this was interesting because it talked a lot about how our society is changing since the time when the internet was not as much of an asset to our everyday lives.


No one is real, an almost infinite number of fake people climbing through a tangled web. They give a feeling of worth to some insignificant person that lives on another side of the planet. This lets us hide from ourselves, the people that we want to become can now be who we really are, just by hiding behind a screen. Now we can be defined by what a number of pixels and some piece of hardware says about us.

Now that the internet has become a piece of everyday life, people are allowed to live through the persona they create for themselves. It has become a part of life, that we must look at a person we meet through the internet and have to wonder whether they are real or not. Though some have different reasons for lying about who they are, some just want to create the person they wish they were in real life, others use it to manipulate. There is still one thing all of these people have in common--they can hide from the rest of the world without having to get out of bed. You can do anything, be anyone.

Along with the fact that you can no longer trust people you meet on the internet, your activity is also constantly being tracked. Advertising companies can learn anything about you, take your search history and create a completely personalized viewing experience for each person based on what information they are able to dig up about you. It is almost something out of George Orwell’s 1984, which illustrates a dystopian world in which none of your actions are private.

Journalist Curtis Wallen from The Atlantic writes a fascinating article dating back to July in 2014 about his experience creating a fake identity online, in which he talks about the way anyone can access information about you. In his writing he says “It’s not an exaggeration to say everything you do online is being followed. And the more precisely a company can tailor your online experience, the more money it can make from advertisers.” This tells us how almost everything that you see on the internet everyday is an effort for an advertising company somewhere to make money off you.

The depressing truth about what happens today is that identities are created or stolen, and it is becoming harder and harder to weed your way through and find real people. There are websites that are used for dating all over the internet that help match people up, hopefully leading to a relationship. A big fear between people that use these dating sites is that someone is lying about who they actually are in order to attract people to them. They might do this by using a picture of a model instead of themselves, or by speaking in a way that might attract a certain type of person, instead of speaking as you might in real life. This has been a dangerous game for people to play for a long time, though it is becoming easier and easier to get away with. Anyone can sit and hide behind a screen and pretend to be anyone they want, and usually without any repercussions.

Another recent issue that connects to false identity is fake news. People who claim to be high power officials spread news that has been completely made up in order to make a point of their own. Through social media sites like Facebook we are handed a lot of information about what is happening in the world, and it turns out that most of it is not true, but because we see it there and hear it from something we trust, we automatically believe that it is the truth. Pui-Wing Tam a journalist for The New York Times writes in a recent article from early January 2017, “The phenomenon of fake news is reinforced by powerful figures who cite the false information and help spread it. That includes Mr. Trump himself, who has invoked fake news when it has suited his needs.” Now we are faced with the issue of not knowing what is real or not online, are the people real, is what we see and hear actually accurate?

This leaves us as a population with the question: How has the use of the internet and the ability to have access to the largest portion of the world we have ever had, changed the way we think of our own identity, and the way we perceive others? This is a question that should be explored deeper throughout the next coming years because it has led to issues like cyberbullying, which has allowed people the right to act like monsters towards one another online because they have the protection of the screen between them. The little monitoring that goes on is also staggering, there are little to no consequences for people who commit these types of crimes over the internet.

Throughout the coming years I hope that we are able to find a way of solving this problem, this issue that leading us into the world that George Orwell foretold, where we can trust no one. Identity means nothing anymore because through the internet we are able to be whomever we want to be.



Wallen, Curtis. "How to Invent a Person Online." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 23 July 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2017. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/how-to-invent-a-person-online/374837/

Tam, Pui-Wing. "The Continued Creation and Dissemination of Fake News." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/technology/daily-report-the-continued-creation-and-dissemination-of-fake-news.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share


A Bond That Can't Be Broken

Posted by Kara Lazorko in English 3 · Pahomov · B Band on

With the sun gleaming over our us as we make our way towards starbucks. I’m slowly getting excited, because he’s always busy, so him making time for us to hangout together was a really big deal at the time. It was the middle of the afternoon, he holds the door, and we walk in. It was him and the shy quiet shadow following him, me. Starbucks is usually crowded with people with suits and all that fancy stuff.

Minutes go by,

“can I help you?” He turns around ask me what I want, as I whisper “I’ll have a green tea frappe,” barely allowing him to hear me.

Suddenly it felt as if I became prey to everyone in the place, and the slightest bit of noise out of me, would make them all attack me. He repeats it to the cashier, and orders himself a pumpkin spice latte. I reach for my wallet,  since I already assumed I was paying for my own order. Once again, he turns around, looks at me, and hands the lady the money. Then left me standing there awkwardly with my wallet in my hand almost as surprised as I am.

Trust me, I had no intentions of letting him pay for my drink, and he went ahead and did it. I look around before releasing the arriving smile to myself. Now I’m super shy, everything that I am not I became. Then we wait, we wait for the emotion, the day to fall into our hands, and for the drinks of course.

A friend walks up, he’s liked by many, and they talk, exchange hugs and we wait again. It was hard standing in the back knowing my voice was locked somewhere deep inside me, and the hug I was holding in refused to come out of me. Instead, I still stand there, waiting for the drinks, and being everything that I am not.

Suddenly, his name is called, our orders are finished and are slid onto the counter, as we both go over there and retrieve them. Felt good for some reason, the feeling that they don’t make these type of boys anymore. Something so small, became something so big to me and something that I have never been used to. We walk out, and he goes towards his bike waiting for him.


“ I have to go get my bike fixed,” as I stand there beside him watching him struggle with the bike lock. Using the voice that didn’t come out earlier, I offer to hold his drink to make the job easier. That did the trick! He got it! And I handed it back proud to at least help him in the way I could.

We make our way towards Breakaway bike shop, and he holds the door, and I walk in. Never being in the place, where all types of bike gear is hanging from the walls and sitting tempting on the shelves took me by surprise. He knows what he came for, and he knows what he wanted, he had a goal. We walk into the back of the shop, the guy inspects the bike and tells him that the rear wheel just needed to be adjusted. The two of us take seat next to each other, and no words are coming out of my mouth as I snapchat my best friend where I am.

The guy comes back up saying,

“It’s going to take a while,” and he responds “I’ll just take a walk around the city, and I’ll come back.” The guy agrees, and we make our way out of the shop. Just him and the quiet girl he made me.

With no certain way to go, we just walk where our way takes us, and jokes are exchanged back and forth. He was that important to me, that walking around with him, with the time that he made for me, was meant to be used to its fullest. We approach the painting shop that catches my attention, and I rush inside to see if they had any art created of Michael Jackson. He waits outside, and I constantly check to see if he's still there.  It was satisfying to have him all to myself with no feeling of his attention being directed towards anyone else. He knew how I acted and how I was, so it took me by surprise that he wasn’t trying to break the wall I had put up.

The swinging thought of whether this person had any feelings towards me is what kept me really from being myself. Then again, we were best friends for two years at the time, and I wasn’t trying to jump to conclusions. After time ran past us, we returned to the bike shop, conversation is swapped, and purchase is made. Fifteen minutes really went by, and what seemed such a long time was so short. It was like telling yourself that you are only going to watch two episodes of a season of your favorite show on Netflix, and you end up watching the whole season. In the end, you are so satisfied, but at the same time so shocked at the fact that time was walking right by you. That’s how it felt with him, the time we were spending made me ignore time only making me crave more of it. We both had more time to waste, and we both figured why not go Forever 21. The two of us make our way there, and I want to make a purchase. Keep in mind, the two of us started joking with each other more, and opening up more.  Similar to the conversation, we are escalated to the second floor. So many options, so much variety, and whatever caught my eye I picked up. As we progressed through the clothing pieces, his arm became a hanger.

He was gentleman to hold the clothing items that I was more than capable of holding. Something about the fact that he was following me and helping me, made him stand out. There are not a lot of guys who are willing to even step foot in a clothing store with a girl. First, time is actually made for me, he treated me to Starbucks, and now he is helping pick out clothing items. I pick out about eight pieces of clothing that I like that stuck to my style. Quick question and answers are traded with one of the nice ladies who worked there. She guides us to the dressing room, and I rush to try on each piece of clothing, stepping out into the giant mirror on the wall, letting the floor become my own runway. I rush back in, enjoying modeling some of the shirts, but I put on this one green dress, and it made my shape look super weird. I wasn’t feeling the way it had me looking or feeling. I turn to him, and ask him to go pick out something cute for me to wear. A few minutes go by, and I’m thinking to myself he wouldn’t even do it, and he comes back with a short black dress with no sleeves that was tight fitted on my petite figure. As soon as I tried it on, I loved it, I was the girl in the little black dress, and he seemed to like it too. I valued his opinion, after all he is someone who I trusted with a lot of things, my secrets, daily thoughts, and things you can’t tell a regular friend. We just had a bond that was so strong, that I didn’t have to filter anything I said to him.

I pack up my stuff, and I leave the other options on the hanger, including that dress I didn’t like. The black dress though, I knew I was going to get it, I had to. It was his word I believed, because he has never lied to me about anything at all. It could be the dumbest question or even a test, and he would flat out tell me the truth. I never had the idea that him and I could ever be so close to the fact that I put an outfit choice in his hands. An admiration for him and his characteristics I had no idea about developed for me. There was hardly ever tension between us, which is probably why the relationship was questioned by so many people. Him nor I owed any explanations, because we really didn’t have any ourselves. We are still super close to this day, and not much has changed except for that we have gotten even closer. I wouldn’t ask for a better guy to have as a best friend, because I know the one I have now has so many amazing characteristics to him that simply can’t be replaced. That day, the little black dress wasn’t the only thing I left with. I left with the feeling of knowing that my bond with him could not be broken.


Advanced Essay #3: The Leaders and the Followers

Posted by Jessica Guarino in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Intro: 
For my essay, I wrote about how people's actions can affect others' individuality. My goals for this essay were to show how people can grow up and not getting a chance to express and explore their individuality for themselves. I also showed this through my personal experiences that I have dealt with. When I first started to write this, I was unsure how to get my larger idea across without making the essay sound bland. I decided to write some ideas down that popped into my head that had some relation to my larger idea. Once I started to type them up, everything flowed smoothly. I think that people will be able to relate to my essay because of some experiences that they have also had.
Essay: 

In every group, there are people who have roles, the leaders and followers. There are people who are the followers, that do whatever the leader tells them and rely on the leader to make all of their decisions for them. This affects the followers negatively because they just rely on the leader which affects their individuality, and essentially making the decision about who they are. It doesn’t affect the leaders because they are the ones affecting the followers and telling them who to be, what to do and how to become what the leader wants them to be.

When I was younger, this happened to me a few times. In each of these situations, I was the same person. Even though I experienced this several times, I still didn’t know when to recognize the signs. “When an individual plays a part he implicitly requests his observers to take seriously the impression that is fostered before them. They are asked to believe that the character they see actually possesses the attributes he appears to possess, that the task he performs will have the consequences that are implicitly claimed for it, and that, in general, matters are what they appear to be.”

In elementary school, I had a best friend and her name was Anya. I had known her since we were babies and we had been best friends ever since then, at the time. We loved to do everything together and we were both young and impressionable. Whenever our class took trips or we went out for water ice on a hot day, I always got what she ordered because I couldn’t decide on what to get. This started to happen more often and with other things besides these, and it became harder for me to make decisions for myself. I guess she noticed this happening to me, and started to use this against me for her own benefit. We continued our elementary years like this, she would tell me what to do and I would do it for her. The only time I noticed what she was doing was when my mom told me, because I was so oblivious to it.

It was my first day back to school and I was finally in middle school. I noticed the new students that were going to be in my class and one of the new kids I recognized, it was a girl from my old elementary school. She recognized me too and as the weeks and months went by, we did almost everything together. One day she came up to me, pointed out that I always had my hair up, and told me to take it out. I told her that I really didn’t want to because it made me slightly uncomfortable, but she ignored that and forcefully grabbed my hair tie and pulled it out. She said she wouldn’t give it back unless I wore my hair down for the rest of the day, and I kept my hair down for the rest of the day. Every since that day, she saw how I reacted to her actions and kept doing things like that, but it started to become too much to the point where I would do something she didn’t like and she would tell me that she wasn’t my friend any more. After I would react to her statement, she would always claim that she was “just kidding” and that I should always take things so literally. From Flowers for Algernon, Charlie was in a similar situation. “I think it’s a good thing about finding out how everybody laughs at me. I thought about it a lot. It’s because I’m so dumb and I don’t even know when I’m doing something dumb. People think it’s funny when a dumb person can’t do things the same way they can.”

Freshman year of high school I wanted to be my own person and do things for myself, but it didn’t end up being like that. At first, I only knew a few people, but over time, they became friends and we stuck together. We would always hang out and go to the same place after school. After a while, I would just hang out with them because they would always ask if I could somewhere with them. But when I said no, they would just comment that I was no fun, as if they were almost stating those things on purpose so that I would change my mind. Of course because I wanted them to stop, I went with them, even though I really didn’t want to. We used to share things about ourselves and they would always make me go first, even though they knew I didn’t like to. After I said something, they would completely change the subject and not say anything. “Professional sports offer a big tent. It has room for racists, homophobes and misogynists as well as the people they hate. And hate or judgment would seem to represent a wall that the self-identified don’t want to hit. In the case of, say, a job application or a census report, reluctance can become principled refusal: My sexuality is none of my boss’s business.”

Morris, Wesley. "Why 'Self-Identifying' Is Different Than Coming Out." NY Times. N.p., 29 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2017. <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/magazine/why-self-identifying-is-different-from-coming-out.html>.

Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. 293. Print.

NBA v WNBA (The Fight For The Winning Lay-Up)

Posted by Madison Harris in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Intro: For my essay, I explored the topic of basketball and the gender identities. It is hard for women to create an identity for themselves in sports especially very popular sports like basketball. Basketball is an identity that is most seen to be with men and not particularly women. I wanted to express the facts and I how I feel about this situation. If I could change anything about this paper, I would probably add more of my opinion in the paper and more of it makes me feel even though I explain some of it but probably more.   


NBA v. WNBA


The sports industry is something that was always branded by the face of men for a long period of time. It was hard for women to come into this industry without issues pertaining to gender roles and the segregation between men and women. From this the WNBA was created which is the Women’s National Basketball Association. The identity of basketball has always been attached to the specimen of a male. The NBA was originally founded in the 1946 and 50 years later in 1996 the WNBA was founded. This means that the NBA is way older than the WNBA which made the sport of basketball molded in the image of just being a male’s sport. Women are trying to gain their own identity in the basketball industry which is very hard due to them using a male’s face of sport to boost their identity and wanting everyone to be supportive and acceptable to this.

The WNBA are still fighting to be viable in the society of sports. In areas like attendance of fans. The WNBA averages 7,318 fans in attendance to games whereas to the NBA, they average 17,319 in game attendance. New York Times explored the viewing WNBA games and have made observation stating: “But as its 20th season gets underway, the W.N.B.A.’s modest attendance and television viewership (just below 200,000 on ESPN’s networks last season) illuminate a stubborn imbalance between men’s and women’s professional leagues, adding to the expanding debate about the place of women’s sports in society.” The emphasis of gender identity is something that is still being put into place by woman in sports and also the players in the WNBA. One of the founders Adam Silver, which is now the NBA's commissioner quotes: “As much as we’ve done in lending the league our name,” he said, “the people who have been in the sports business for a long time, and I’m one of them, historically underestimated the marketing it takes to launch a new property.” This quote gave much insight on the understanding of how the WNBA are underestimated and they are not holding the fans attention into helping them create the identity of basketball.  Even down to the salaries there is a major gap between the NBA and WNBA. The average NBA salary is $4.9 million whereas to the WNBA their salary averages to $72,000. That is no way near how much NBA players make. They would make over $1.5 million dollars overseas which is 15 times as much as they make now. WNBA players like Maya Moore, Skylar Diggins, and Swin Cash gain more money due to the endorsement they receive with many sports brands like nike, under armour, etc. The endorsements do not endorse all WNBA players which has many WNBA players questioned on to who they are and others not even knowing who they are. I asked several people in the SLA community, my family, and my friends if they could at least name three WNBA players off of the top of their head and same for the NBA. There was much hesitation to even name at least three WNBA players but when it came to the NBA, that was very natural off of the tongue. This ensures me off the identity of basketball and how us as a society are very informative with the NBA and knew players immediately when asked, but as for the WNBA it is very hard to even name at least one player or one team.

The identity of a woman is seen mostly with dance, the fashion industry, and also makeup and beauty. At a young age, I was not very interested in those things while growing up. I was like the tomboy/ a little girly type of girl. I was very sporty and involved with sports. In the fifth grade, I found my passion for basketball. I started out just learning how to even make one lay-up to now starting for my high school's basketball team. My inspiration to play has came from the WNBA and watching my favorite players like: Skylar Diggins, Maya Moore, and Elena Delle Donne. I became very attracted to watching the WNBA , but I found myself like society attending to watching more NBA than WNBA. I really don’t why it have dawned on me to do this especially because I am female that plays basketball. “Nobody discusses the WNBA. Nobody seems especially interested in the WNBA. If a basketball league falls in the summer and nobody cares, is it still a basketball league?”... Jeff Pearlman.


Bibliography:

Sandomir, Richard. "After Two Decades, WNBA Still Struggling For Relevance." The New York Times, 28 May 2016. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

<https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/28/sports/basketball/after-two-decades-wnba-still-struggling-for-relevance.html?_r=0>.

Pearlman, Jeff. "Why the WNBA Isn't -- and Will Never Be -- a Popular League." SI.com. Sports Illustrated, 16 June 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <http://www.si.com/nba/2010/06/16/wnba>.

Walters, John. "A Lawsuit from the U.S. Women's Soccer Team Reveals Deeper Issues with Gender Equity in Sports." Newsweek. Newsweek LLC, 02 June 2016. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <http://www.newsweek.com/womens-soccer-suit-underscores-sports-gender-pay-gap-443137>.

Advanced Essay #3 Opportunities

Posted by Jonathan Saldivar in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Introduction:

For my essay I wanted to talk about how cultural background affects on how you are viewed in society. My goal is for my classmates to understand how us different skin color different backgrounds are viewed and what opportunities we get. I enjoyed making this piece. The process was way different than I expected. I did not think

Essay:

Who would to say being born from 2 undocumented immigrants would be such a hassle. So much pressure on my shoulders, looking for opportunities they missed out on. Learning the dominant language in the country, english. Parents don’t even want to teach me about our culture-I mean their culture. Americanization is what decided my name, my mother and father thought Jonathan was a perfect name for a non-white kid could have to fit in in order meet their expectations. However they gave me their last name to also show I’m latino. Saldivar not pronounced saldvador or saldevar, etc. Jonathan or Johnny that’s what I go by now. Preferably Johnny. Your name is a white boy’s name, however your last name fits you well it has that spanish tone. Make up your mind, am I a latino or a wannabe white boy. At some point I would wear the same clothes everyday or at least pants and sweater. Everyone would questionly ask me “

Johnny why do you wear those clothes everyday?” That’s looking down on me, making me feel like more at a disadvantage. I remember reading an article talking about social standing in america and it asserts that “Many American immigrants imagine their new country to be a land of opportunity, but those opportunities, it seems, are not available to everyone equally.” I agree with the quote. I felt at a disadvantage because I’m not white, second where I am placed on the ladder of society. Mexicans, we are seen as immigrants, as minority's. The first phrase when people find out I’m mexican. “You’re an illegal immigrant! You’re latino? You must be mexican. You jumped the border?”


That’s only the beginning. My self esteem crumbled before my very eyes. Self esteem- confidence in one’s own worth or ability; self respect. I lost the respect I once had for myself. I eventually started making jokes about my culture, dressing in ridiculous clothing. I’m great at math, however I didn’t bother trying anymore. One of my teachers noticed a difference in me while being in the class. The teacher eventually came to me and pulled me to the side. “Johnny?” worriedly asked my teacher. “What? Is there something wrong?” I asked quietly. “Do you notice a difference in you?” I asked my teacher. “No not really.” I responded. “Johnny!” (Silence roamed the room.) “I can’t believe you don’t realize what’s wrong with you?” my teacher exclaimed. I raised my voice as I said a word within my sentence. “Why should I try in this class if I’m settled for a job as a gardener, or selling drugs. Better yet why am I even learning this language for christ sake, can I just speak like my parents. Also I’m sorry that I am not whi(te)-” I left the room before finishing my sentence. A sense of deja vu appeared. I once read the story of  and some random kid quoted a sentence in the story. “Only I feel sorry because hes all alone and has no frends.” This quote reminded that some people are not offered the same education, some teachers may care to help everyone, however there are some that only helps those who they think will succeed. The kid didn’t have the best pronunciation, I don’t blame him since he’s also a minority.” This was the opportunity he got, he didn’t care about getting the best education like the rich kids got and take it for granted. There has been many definitions of the american dream. The most common one is everyone gets an equal opportunity to achieve success from hard, determination. This dream is false, hard work can lead to being stress, burning yourself out. He just wanted to learn even if it was a bad school, education will lead to better future. The american dream is not what it’s meant to be. I walked up to him because he clearly was talking about me. “Hey dude.” “Wat?” “I wanted to know if you wanted to hangout sometime” I asked shyly. “Shore” he responded.  After that day I somewhat see myself becoming the guy who I once was. My friend was from the black community living in a beat up house. I felt bad for him. One day I was walking up to pay see him and these kids were talking badly about my friend so I decided to join the conversation that was happening between them. “This kid can barely speak english haha. No wonder your dad left when you were born. Now you’re stuck here being a nobody.” “Hey why are you talking to him like that? What's does it matter to you, you lowlife immigrant.” I wanted to help but I couldn't I was frozen. Staring at my friend getting tortured. I didn't have the confidence to step up.  

Advanced Essay Bibliography Add when I get time

Advanced Essay #3: Who and what are we really?

Posted by Yafang Wu in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Introduction:

My goal for this essay is to explore who and what we are from a scientific and philosophical perspective, and make the reader think. For this essay, I think I had asked too much questions, but I couldn’t figure out another way to express these ideas and still make the readers think.



The real thing:

When someone is ask who they are as a person, they most likely respond with something like “My name is …...”, or it may be more specific. The answers are most likely along the line of race, gender, and whatever is special or different about them. But who we are is far more complex than what most people think.The question of who we are is far more than just the things that appeared on the surface.


Who are we really? Are we residing in our own body?

Our bodies are made of tens of trillions of cells, and many times more microbes live inside our body, organisms that aren’t us, that is. Our cells die at different rates, and when new cells are created, mutations can sometimes occur.

If the cells are mutated, are they still a part of us anymore? Are we still considered “us” with all these microbes living inside of us? Did that previous “us” die when our cells died?

When people have seizure, parts, even half of their brain with seizure can be removed, as a way to treat it. If people are able to live with half of their brain, so imagine this scenario: person A’s brain was taken out, each half of it was putted into person B and person C, two brainless bodies. Person A no longer exist, person B and person C are now both alive. Which one of them is person A now? Who owns everything person A used to own? If person A was married and have kids, who is person A’s spouse’s spouse, and who is person A’s children’s parent?

If a scientist were to make a clone of you, or change every single cell in you, which one is you?


Or maybe, we are not our physical body, but rather our DNA, we survive as our DNA survive. But what happens when mutations occur in our DNA, are we still us? Since our DNA passes down to our biological children, so are our children a part of us? But can multiple quantity of you exist at the same time?


Maybe, we are our consciousness. Consciousness is basically our awareness to our surroundings and what is going on around us. But who and what are we when we don’t have our consciousness? Are we something that is considered “unknown”? Do we still exist if we lose our consciousness? When we fall asleep, or how about before we have any consciousness, like when we are small babies; did we exist back then?


Are we what we remember ourselves as, our memories? But what if we don’t, what if we lost all our memories due to Amnesia, are we still us? How about when we don’t have any memory, like when we were little babies, who and what are we? If you remember yourself as, say a god, are you really a god then?


Are we still the same person as who we were yesterday? Are we going to be the same person as who we will be tomorrow? Have we died every night when we went to bed and reborned when we wake up the next day?


Or maybe, we are just bodies of thoughts that think we exist, but we don’t actually exist, and we are not real. Who knows.

But one thing we do know is, who and what we are is far more complex than what we thinks. As scientists and philosophers are still trying to figure out who and what we really are, here is one thing to be certain: you are you, whatever you think you are, your physical body, DNA, memories, consciousness, belief……. Whatever it might be, you are just you, doing your best to survive in this cold and cruel world.


More sources to watch + reference:

Crashcourse. "Personal Identity: Crash Course Philosophy #19." YouTube. YouTube, 27 June 2016. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trqDnLNRuSc>.


WirelessPhilosophy. "PHILOSOPHY - Mind: Personal Identity (The Narrative Self) [HD]." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcIqoN9oRgo>.


Vsauce. "What Is Consciousness?" YouTube. YouTube, 06 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjfaoe847qQ>.


Advanced Essay 3: We aren't what we Choose to be

Posted by Asher Swartz in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Introduction:

My goals for this paper were to convey my ideas in a way that would make them make sense. That’s basically the entire purpose of the first few paragraphs ands the last one. I also hope I related some past ideas to the audience. I’m not unhappy with my product, but it could be better. If I had more time and more words to use (frankly 750 isn’t enough to do this paper justice, and I’m already way over that) I could make it a lot better. There are a lot of parts left unfinished here that I wished could have been finished. Other than that and a few other things, I am relatively happy with it.


Essay:

People have asked the question “Who am I? Who are we?” for centuries, maybe for all of human history, and for obvious reasons. Humans are curious creatures by nature, and question everything from the stars in the sky to the dirt on the ground, so it would make sense that eventually someone would turn that curiosity inwards, towards themselves. This eventually grew so large that practically all the categories of philosophy have some fingers in the pie of questioning what a human is. Other fields of study do as well; sociology, psychology, biology, chemistry. Needless to say, it’s a complicated question with many hypotheses and ideas dedicated to determining who we are.
Sociologist Erving Goffman has some opinions on this matter. Goffman believes that “we display a series of masks to each other, enacting roles, controlling and staging how we appear,” and that “we play a range of different parts determined by the situations we take ourselves to be in.” He also believes that “we adapt what we are depending on who we are interacting with.” Many people share and have adapted this idea of the masquerade, that no one displays their inner self. But Goffman’s not done. His idea of the Performed Self is set apart because “in his [Goffman’s] view, there is no true self.” That is quite different than a fair amount of the imitators. But in addition, Goffman also details how our social interactions work according to this idea.
Another part of the identity question has less to do with how we interact with others and more to do with how we interact with ourselves. In fact, it specifically questions who “ourself” is. This idea is the idea of Personal Identity. Personal Identity is the notion that a single identity persists over someone's life. There are a few theories about the specifics of this. They are Body Theory and Memory Theory. Body Theory states that “identity persists over time because you remain in the same body from birth to death.” and Memory Theory states that “identity persists over time, because you retain memories of yourself at different points, and each of those memories is connected to one before it.”
While many people support theories of or Personal Identity, just as many vehemently oppose them. Philosopher Derek Parfit claims “that each of us has a psychological connectedness with ourselves over time.” Parfit’s idea that while we may have a psychological connectedness to any of our past selves, we are still not the same person and don’t keep the same identity. Part of any one identity may be the same for other identities, or parts of identities may even be transferable. Part a new identity could even be the fact that the old identity existed. But while these identities may be separate, they exist in the same vessel and people don’t instantly know if you have a new identity so that vessel does have a duty to be a thing.
These ideas are the product of years of work by many people, and if there’s one thing we know about human nature besides their curiosity is there innate hostility towards those with ideas that disagree with their own. Goffman’s theories of the Performed Self directly contradict the theories of Personal Identity, yet they each have their own merits. So, assuming they are true, do the theories of Personal Identity and the Performed Self interact? And if any of these ideas are true, in any combination, what does that mean for how we perceive interactions with others and groups in everyday life? As with many things, cherry picking certain parts of multiple ideas can create a product superior to its separate parts. In this case, we are discarding the common theories of Personal Identity such as Body and Memory Theory, leaving us with simply the idea that an identity persists over time and combining it with the core concept of masks from the Performed Self. Combining these two will smooth out the flaws in each. Body Theory and Memory Theory don’t make sense, and many don’t take to the idea that people have no true identity.
The basis of this idea is that even if we only see the masks people put on, that still reflects on who they are. Just because anyone can put on any mask doesn’t mean they will. Goffman’s idea that there is nothing under the mask is partly true. While there may not be anything inherently basic under it, no underlying identity that existed before and creates the mask, there is still something. That something is a reflection of all the masks it puts on. If you spend enough time around someone you’ll notice that some of their mannerisms and ways rub off on you. You might start to say some phrases they say, do some motions they do. This works in the same way. Our inner selves may start off as a black mass devoid of anything, but as our lives go on and as we are forced to assume certain masks and ignore others, those “other selves” start to mold our “inner self” into some sort of something. As for how this affects our interaction with others, that’s for each individual to decide, or rather for their surroundings and experiences to ultimately decide. And since everyone’s situation is different, everyone turns out differently. So you are special and unique, in certain ways.
The ideas of self, personalities, and what-in-the-world-are-we are big ones, and have been discussed and debated for a long time. Sometimes certain people, such as Erving Goffman and Derek Parfit propose ideas that make a large impact, catch on and ride the wave of popularity for a while until they get forgotten or replaced. But the thing about these questions is that there are no true answers. How can you prove something entirely subjective? We can’t even prove that everyone sees colors the same way, much less large concepts of humanity. This means all ideas are equally valid, from the D- college student sitting in his room late at night to the esteemed psychologist in the lecture hall. The world may never agree, but the search for the answers proves a certain something about us: that we care.


Citations: 
Erving Goffman and the Performed Self. By Nigel Warburton. Perf. Stephen Fry.

YouTube. BBC Radio 4, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Personal Identity: Crash Course Philosophy #19. Perf. Hank Green.

YouTube. PBS Digital Studios, 27 June 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Arguments Against Personal Identity: Crash Course Philosophy #20. Perf. Hank Green.

YouTube. PBS Digital Studios, 11 July 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.

Garden City: Doubleday Anchor, 1959. Print.


Advanced Essay #3 First Among Equals

Posted by Avery Measley in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Introduction:

My goal for this paper is to introduce the idea of personal identity struggling against a larger groups. I want to jump start a discussion within my peers. My original idea was almost entirely different; I restarted with a stronger point, and less repetitive statements and observations. I struggled with finding a structure that tied all of the quotes together, but eventually managed to find common ground. If I could change anything, I would delve deeper into the idea of a community deciding your self worth.


Essay:

Individuals that are a part of a group have an inherent conflict between acting in their self interest, as an individual, and following a group’s ideals. In this environment, there is a delicate playing field of striking a balance between being yourself and still belonging to the group. We see this conflict play out in satire, science fiction, and in our daily lives.

The selfish behavior of forced superiority is especially difficult to control. A review of the popular book ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell analyzes interactions within the group of animals. “The thoughtful reader must be further disturbed by the lack of clarity in the main intention of the author. Obviously he is convinced that the animals had just cause for revolt and that for a time their condition was improved under the new regime. But they are betrayed by their scoundrelly, piggish leaders. In the end, the pigs become indistinguishable from the men who run the other nearby farms; they walk on two legs, have double and triple chins, wear clothes and carry whips.” In the beginning, the pigs act in the best interest of the group; help conduct a revolt, and devise a new system. As time goes on, they see the benefits of acting for themselves as individuals. In their quest for self gain they became the oppressive farmers they had supplanted. The pigs claim to be a part of the group, but have seized a more powerful role. This is a clear case of Primus inter Pares, meaning first among equals, someone who is above the others in their likeness. While the pigs claim to be group members like all of the other animals, they clearly develop a sense of self that they are “more equal” than the others.

Your being is often decided by those around you; affecting your interactions and ideas of self-worth. In ‘Flowers for Algernon” written by Daniel Keyes, the main character Charlie Gordon expressed very little self interest beyond the benefits of being a part of a group. Focusing almost exclusively on fitting in did not bring the lasting happiness he craved. “How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibility, who­ would not take advantage of a man born without arms or legs or eyes-how such people think nothing of abusing a man born with low intelligence. It infuriated me to think that not too long ago I, like this boy, had foolishly played the clown. And I had almost forgotten. I'd hidden the picture of the old Charlie Gordon from myself because now that I was intelligent it was something that had to be pushed out of my mind. But today in looking at that boy, for the first time I saw what I had been. I was just like him! Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined with them in laughing at myself. That hurts most of all.” In this moment Charlie realized that he had never truly been accepted. He had unknowingly made fun of himself to be a part of the group. His focus was always on belonging, even when he grew intelligent and didn't feel like he belonged, he yearned for it.

Not all individuals choose one path or the other. They adapt to their surroundings to survive. This habit is often used in social situations, like changing speech patterns or body language to best fit the situation. In the new york times article, Why ‘Self-Identifying’ Is Different From Coming Out by Wesley Morris, Bill Kennedy, a professional basketball referee, has different identities for different groups. In public life he allowed people to assume he was heterosexual, until recently when he publicly came out. Those close to him knew about his homosexuality beforehand. His decision to have two separate identities most likely spawned from an effort to gain acceptance into two different worlds. “There was no ritual to Kennedy’s announcement. He’s a self-identified gay man who, again, has a job best done with little to no identity. News reports reverted to ‘‘coming out,’’ which, clearly, is what this was. But it was also something more complex. ‘‘Self-identified’’ alters the tenor of the outing. Not only does it imply ownership of the identity. It also implies that the person coming out was, under the circumstances, not actually in. He just wasn’t out to you. If you’re self-identified, you might have cultivated a life that’s self-selected, meaning the people aware that you’re gay know because you’ve told them.” In his personal life he was able to act more selfishly with less risk of rejection. Kennedy could focus more on his individuality, while as a referee there was more pressure to conform to the group ideology. His existence was considered irrelevant unless someone was there to validate it.

The complex actions of individuals assimilating into a group or a set of groups are split between acting with themselves in mind or adopting the mindset of a community. Balancing these two behaviors is critical to an individual's identity within a group and whether or not they will be accepted by that group. Without it, you aren’t even the beginning of a concept.


Works Cited


  • Keyes, Daniel. "Flowers for Algernon." New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. Print.

  • Soule, George. "In 1946, The New Republic Panned George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'." New Republic. N.p., 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

  • Why ‘Self-Identifying’ Is Different From Coming Out. New York Times, n.d. Web.

Advanced Essay #3: The Foundation of Nationalism

Posted by William Dos Santos Figueiredo in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Introduction:

In this essay, my goal was to explain what comes along with nationalism, and how it relates to patriotism. While writting this essay, I was able to understand the world slightly better. Being in SLA allows me to interact with different people while giving me willingness to learn about others. These are experiences that many people might never experience outside of this school, city, or country. In a sense, I was brought back to the real world. Writing this reminder that the world, is not perfect.

Essay:

Throughout the world, people are separated into different categories, which impacts their lives completely, in a good or bad way. Possessing a classification is completely inevitable, especially when the whole world is built around classifications and division. There is a reason why people are divided in this world, and it's all because of something most of us, see no problem with. Nationalism.

When a nation comes into being, an invisible barrier appears at the border of this nation. Inside of this barrier, lies a certain kind of belief. Thought. State of mind. A mindset that all of those, inside of this barrier possess. This mindset isn't unique to this nation, as all of the other nations also possess the same kind of mindset. People in these barriers are connected to one another when it comes to their own nations. They feel pride, love, and hope, as their nations succeeding could mean their own success. When they accomplish any great dead for their nation, they feel patriotic. These people would give their lives to keep those inside of the barrier safe, and to keep the barrier from shattering. Political activist, Emma Goldman, who criticizes the mindset behind patriotism, states, ¨“When the child has reached manhood he is thoroughly saturated with the belief that he is chosen by the Lord himself to defend his country against the attack or invasion of any foreigner…” This quote perfectly touches upon the mindset of those in a nation. Inside of this barrier people will be shaped from young, to protect it from any other outsiders who are not from within the barrier. This mindset isn't something new either as it reaches as far back as ancient times when knights would protect their homeland from intruders.  The moment you become part of a nation, being patriotic becomes something extremely important. Especially when trying to fit in. When everyone possesses the same mindset, the only way to fit in with everyone else is to possess the same mindset as well.

Nationalism plays a huge role when it comes to people's refusal of understanding other nations. These people are completely blind when faced with the truth. They believe in something completely imaginative. A concept, which restraints and shackles them to their own nations, preventing them from interacting with one another. Making learning and understanding each other much less probable. These are done through various ways as social media, education, books and many other things within a certain nation can cause a person to be this way. Especially if purposefully created to guide someone´s mindset, as we see today in North Korea and China.

These shackles and these barriers could be easily taken down as long if their ignorance and arrogance were to disappear. If they didn't allow themselves to become mindless sheep and followed their own thoughts, they wouldn't be like this. A quote from Benedict Anderson´s book, ¨Imagined Communities,¨ uncovers this, “It's an imagination because the members of even the smallest nations, will never know of their fellow members, meet them, or hear about them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion” These people will never truly be capable of truly understand one another. They share the same mindset and choose not to go through the barriers of other nations to understand them as they are patriotic towards their own, even though, not a single one of these people know everyone in their own nation. “Indeed, conceit, arrogance, and egotism are the essentials of patriotism. “ This quote from Emma Goldman and her piece, ¨What is Nationalism¨, is perfect for this idea because it shows the reasons why many of these people, choose to not understand others. Even though patriotism can be seen as prideful, successful and helpful, in truth, patriotism is formed from arrogance, segregation, greed, and other evil ideas.

There is a reason we go to war. This idea of being better than others that nationalism brings, allows countries to become greedy, causing conflict with one another. Russia going after Ukraine, England and the many places it colonized many years ago, colonizers. The greed overshadows their emotions as even the cruelest of things, becomes something acceptable, just because they are doing it for your own nation. Emma Goldman declares ¨We Americans claim to be a peace-loving people. We hate bloodshed; we are opposed to violence. Yet we go into spasms of joy over the possibility of projecting dynamite bombs from flying machines upon helpless citizens.¨ This quote is a complete summary of how nationalism can turn people into beasts. Normal people who have never seen blood in their lives, from young to old, accept other citizens being killed for the sake of their greed. As long as nationalism exists, humans will never be able to come together and live in peace as Benedict Anderson states, ¨No nation, Imagines themselves, continuous with mankind.”





Bibliography:

Anderson, Bennedict. "Imagined Commmunities." Rebels library. N.p., n.d. Web. Jan. & feb. 2017.

"Emma Goldman: What Is Patriotism?" Emma Goldman: What Is Patriotism?N.p., 1908. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

Advanced Essay #3 Wes Midgett

Posted by Wesley Midgett in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Intro - 

In the beginning, my goals were for this paper to explore a side of me that I never really have before. Although this writing process was sort of non-existent I discovered things about feminism both within myself and out in society through research. The one thing about my essay is that I wished it was more personal.

Essay -

It all began in the year of 2013 when Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines was released and was a major hit on all of the radio stations. I heard it going to and from school all the time and I always thought it was super catchy but I didn’t really know what the song was about. However, that all changed one day when I was in the car with my step-mother, the feminist, and she was ranting about how the song was normalizing rape and in a way that everyone can enjoy. A few weeks later I was at a family and friends party and Blurred Lines came on. I started to get really angry when everyone was dancing and singing along and asked them if they knew what it was about. They said they did, but it was ok for us to listen because they were feminists. But how could they listen to such a degrading and oppressive song and still consider themselves feminists?

In an article from Vice magazine, Monica Potts talks about what it was like to grow up being one of the only feminists in redneck country. Potts talks about how people in her town would make sexist jokes and remarks and many people would just laugh but she would feel uneasy about it. Similar to my Blurred Lines story, Potts deals with being surrounded by normalized sexism and misogyny in her community, although mine is a little lower scale.  I believe that this kind of upbringing can affect anyone’s identity, it just depends on where they go with it. Potts says in her article that “The subtle messages women pick up starting from an early age are part of the reason women become nurses instead of doctors, and teachers instead of engineers.” This quote tells us a lot about how being a feminist can get you further than you would have if you had not been. Engineers and doctors are normally roles taken by men. However, any woman can become head of a male dominated career with feminism by proving that her abilities are just as valid as any man.

Even though feminism in the end is how you see yourself, in this day and age it is hard not to be influenced by what we see in media and through social interaction. Being a feminist can put you at the top of some social pyramids and on the very bottom of others. According to a recent Harvard study “While young Americans have strong opinions on gender advantages, however, they appear to reject labels. Only 27 percent of young Americans consider themselves feminists (16 percent of men and 37 percent of women). However, 49 percent of those polled "support" feminism.” The entire meaning behind “supporting feminism” has never been fully clear to me. However, this is what I get from it; If you support feminism you can see the reasoning behind it, but can’t fully commit to it yourself, and if you are a full-fledged feminist you support the ideas and reasoning behind feminism. Anyways, So being a feminist and learning that only 27 percent of the young U.S. citizens are feminists made me feel as though I was some sort of minority, especially that the other 73 percent either support feminism or are not feminists. In another article the author states “She is focused on getting women into boardrooms and into high-level jobs, doing away with the idea that there's something wrong with women being bosses or ‘bossy.’” This idea that women are “bossy” when really they’re just doing their jobs is another reason for women to let feminism affect their identity. “Bossy” is such a negative word that as soon as most women hear it being used to describe them they back down and let men take the stand. Though, there are the few who simply reply with “insert clever feminist remark here” and continue with doing the jobs they were hired to do.

To finish off this essay, In the end feminism impacts my identity by giving myself and other women a choice. A choice to stand up for myself and the women around me or to let men rule our society. Being a feminist has helped me get so many places in my life and to quote Alayna Welker, “Because of feminism we can strive to be who we wish to be regardless of our gender.” Who doesn’t want to be what they wished to be?

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/ a57459/harvard-iop-poll-gender/

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/fe minism-isnt-bad-word

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ho w-trumps-america-will-hurt-women

The Economic Life of Identity

Posted by Saamir Baker in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Introduction:
If I could change anything about this essay, I would develop some ideas that I talk about even more, I feel as though I could have written out my paragraphs more descriptive. My process was sort of iffy. I had a main idea of what I wanted to talk about and say but I wasnt sure how to go about it and I had troubles really establishing my ideas and writing at times but I was able to get a lot of edits and help which helped me make my essay amazing

Essay:

“You boys know if I could afford it I wouldn’t hesitate to get it. I don’t like saying no and making you sad”. This was something we always heard from our mom if we couldn’t afford any luxuries then the week we would be facing was going to be a tight one.

“We know mom”, I knew majority of our money had went to bills and food. We did need the essentials after all. While sometimes we do live paycheck to paycheck, we aren’t poor it’s just our bills that decide to try to pull us under for a few moments. But somehow we make it through. We budget and save, budget and save to make sure we have enough money to do things we want. But it's not just me who goes through life like this. There's articles that talk about classes in america, particularly the article “The Secret Shame of Middle Class Americans”. A quote that showed how this issue of funds beintg drained is something that many middle class families is supported with this statement “I know what it is like to have to juggle creditors to make it through a week. I know what it is like to have to swallow my pride and constantly dun people to pay me so that I can pay others.”. When families like mine go through this, it creates an extra drive in children and teens, like me, to make sure they don’t go through what their parents go through, and be able to afford what they want. So they can be more successful and have a better life for themselves and their future families.

When children that are economically disadvantaged, sometimes they face extra walls and hoops they must climb. In a quote also in the article “The Shame of Middle-Class Americans”, it says “I know what it is like to be down to my last $5—literally—while I wait for a paycheck to arrive, and I know what it is like to subsist for days on a diet of eggs.”. While not everyone has to survive off of eggs, and there are different alternatives still not being able to have a fridge with varieties of food affect the way of life for children. While all is bad in the current time however, families and specifically children that go through this gain more resilience towards issues they may experience later in life and know how to solve things (like this) better. And because they’ve already experienced this stuff they will know and be able to handle situations along the lines better. Which influences how they handle money to be able to continue to eat and affects their money situations, and ability to stay afloat.

“Saamir I hope you know you’re gonna have to work to help pay for college right?”

“I know mom, I’ll do what I have to”

“I’m just letting you know because money will be tight.”

“And college is expensive, I know. But I want a better life, we both want me to have a better one so it will just have to happen.”

Commonly I have these discussions with my mom about paying and affording college when I’m with her. We have established that we aren’t able to go over $30,000 but even something close to that is somewhat pushing it. When I talk to my dad however, he doesn’t have much interest in budgeting for college and max tuitions. In his eyes he only cares about it being cheap and would rather have me go to CCP. But will support whichever choice I make for my future. Both of my parents, obviously, are different people and have different ways with parenting. They’re separated so they have different financial capabilities, and responsibilities. In some ways this is good because if one parent can’t afford something I can ask the other, there’s more Christmas presents. While I have these different aspects of living different financial living environments, I reflect on what life is like in both environments what it is like to live in different neighborhoods and realize I want better for myself. Both of my parents are right below middle-middle class if not bordering that but, after living this way for 16 years I know life would be better by working harder to achieve my goals in life, and be above what my parents economic status is. I know the struggles of sometimes living paycheck to paycheck to being spoiled is sometimes. A life of financial unpredictability is a life I want to strive not to have. Although we all have many aspects that influence our identities the undermining one of economic status shapes our drive, sometimes what opportunities we have, and experiences we can have. Though economic status is a touchy subject it influences our lives in many ways that we can and can't explain.

Sources:
Cohen, Patrick. "Middle Class, but Feeling Economically Insecure."Https://www.nytimes.com. NY Times, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 15 Jan. 2017.

Advanced Essay #3: The Rules Unbeknownst In Our Society

Posted by Alexander Gomez Torres in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on

Introduction

My goals for this paper were to make sure my analysis and evidence was well balanced. Also to make sure there isn't more evidence then there is analysis.I feel like I did a great job process wise completing this assignment considering I had it done a couple days early. I had plenty of time to revise and I think that will play a big part in the outcome of my essay. Overall, I believe I did a better job balancing my analysis and evidence and had a great topic to expand on.


The Rules Unbeknownst In Our Society


Advertisements combined with the media are constantly flooding our brains with ideas, stories that influence the way we think, unbeknownst. These influences impact what we like and how we think. It alters what we believe is right and what we believe is wrong. The media constructs rules on how we’re suppose to look and act in our society. If the guidelines are broken, we are judged and looked at differently, making us feel isolated from society resulting in a system where people need to change who they are and what they do to fit in and not be called weird or different.

As advertisements influence us without our consent, standards are being built. Whether its watching a commercial about clear skin or a commercial about underwear where they only show “slim” and “skinny”models, you are constantly seeing this, making you think if underwear is only for those kind of people. While advertisements build standards and create rules, social media is what basically enforces it. You might not or might notice how advertisements influences you, but in social media people would go post with the idea of the standards that were built with the advertisements. Now the posts on social media are reflecting back upon these standards.

In a article “Teen Girls And Social Media”, by Nancy Jo Sales talks all about teenagers and their struggle in social media. “She says girls face enormous pressures to post "hot" or sexualized photos of themselves online, and she adds that this pressure can make the Internet an unwelcoming environment.” From experience I have seen girls get more likes on pictures that were “hot” or “sexualized” photos. I'm not saying that you can not get attention or fit in with not posting “hot” photos, but it is difficult. It was almost like if you weren't posting any sexualized or hot photos, you wouldn't attract a lot of attention or you would not be fitting in. The more of these posts that are seen, the standards ore being pressured upon girls in social media.

It's a similar standard for boys as well. In a story “It's Complicated”, it has a short introduction titled, “Why do teens seem strange online?”. They questioned, why would the boy lie to the admission committee about what he's about, when the committee could easily find out online?. “perhaps this young man is simply including gang signals on his MySpace profile as a survival technique.” Survival technique in this situation would be fitting in. The young man’s posts included gang signals, but the reason behind it was to fit in. He was trying to blend in with his local community, and if he did not try to blend in and post the things he posts, he would be looked at differently and judged.

Being judged and the pressure to be someone you not is hard for some people. Especially when there's advertisements showing you what's perfect, right and pressuring you to be someone you not. In a short blog post, “False beauty in advertising and the pressure to look 'good'”, by Jo Swinson, she takes us through her perspective on advertising on beauty. “From smoothing skin and erasing wrinkles to enlarging muscles and slimming waists, airbrushing, or "photoshopping," men and women to so-called perfection is the norm in advertising. These images don't reflect reality, yet from a younger and younger age, people are aspiring to these biologically impossible ideals.”. In this quote she shows how advertisements paint a picture of what perfect is and set a standard for people to obtain. Although, these standards are nearly impossible to reach. “People unhappy about their bodies can develop eating disorders, turn to diet pills or steroids, or try cosmetic surgery and Botox injections.”  People using steroids so they can have that nice toned and muscle to getting a botox injection, so they can have a nice butt, these standards are now casting standards upon people to change their lifestyle just so they can fit in this society.




Annotated Bibliography


Keyes , Daniel . "Flowers For Algeron." Pdf. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2017. <http://www.sdfo.org/gj/stories/flowersforalgernon.pdf>.




Boyd, Danah. "Its Complicated." Pdf. Yale university Press, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2017. <http://www.danah.org/books/ItsComplicated.pdf>.




Sales, Nancy Jo . "Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny." NPR. NPR, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

<http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/02/29/467959873/teen-girls-and-social-media-a-story-of-secret-lives-and-misogyny>



Advanced Essay #3: The Value of "Self"

Posted by Israh Mohammed in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
​Introduction:
For this essay, it took me some time to come up with a topic I felt strongly about. I was looking through some brainstorm notes and talking to my sister when I came up with it. I had some many ideas, I had to center myself and stick to a central theme. I had about 500 words at first, I looked up some articles about twins and read a lot of things that applied to my life. I had an interesting time confronting this side of my life and writing about it aswell.

Essay: 

“You guys are twins right, how come you don’t dress alike”, a phrase I’ve heard all too often growing up. I remember me and my sister side-eyeing each other every time, a routine that became so second hand I could do it with my eyes closed. We would reply politely, teeth-gritted, hands clenched, and somehow explain the need for us to wear our own clothes, annoyed that this even had to be explained. It seems as though nobody got the memo when it came to twins. Whether you came one fertilized egg or two, twins affect each other which shapes how they are individually. A study on twins also mentions similar findings, “In such a twin-defined bubble, you learn at a very young age to accommodate and compromise. Your perspective is that of a twin couple, so that you habitually think of yourself in relationship to your twin. You may find that you are in constant collusion—enabling, accommodating, and depending on each other—rather than feeling free to act on your own or make your own decisions.” (Friedman pg.23)The impact  on each other really builds up each others personalities and the way in which they interact with one another. No matter if the twins are identical or fraternal, same or opposite gender, having a twin no matter how small, for your entire life. Society will always see twins as one unit, ignoring their individuality.

In mainly all pairs of twins, there is almost always a more dominant twin. This dominant twin will tend to always make final decisions, will be heard more over the other. The less dominant twin might even look to the other for guidance and approval. For example, imagine an identical set of twins, named Katie and Kenna. Katie is more dominant than Kenna. Katie is more loud and aggressive than her, causing Kenna who is generally more soft spoken and shy to always obey her sister. This causes major tension and a feeling of insufficiency for Kenna throughout her life. She would generally be more dependent on Katie and show more sympathy towards her, or always giving in because she’s done it her whole life with her sister. Having that one person who is the same age as you, being raised in with you, doesn’t allow the less dominant twin to be comfortable or feel as if they have a voice. Our societal views don’t help either.

Society promotes twins to compare themselves to each other, and even compete; whether that be for the approval of their parents, in school or just daily life activities. It’s as if it is a norm, for when greeting twins to point out the ways in which they don’t act or look alike, whether they be identical or fraternal. I believe this is stemming from the ideology that since they were birthed together and look the same (in cases of identical twins) that they must act, talk and dress alike, as if twins are each others clones and can’t be independent individuals. For example, as a child my mother would always dress my twin sister and I exactly alike, she would always buy us the same clothes and in this way I always felt attached to my sister, but in the same way tied down to her, and that yearn for independence only grew stronger and firmer as I got older. I wanted to develop my own sense of style and free myself from only being known as someone else's other, so I started with my clothes. I was tired of always being looked at as someone’s twin, I wanted to be known for being just me. I didn’t want their to be any similarities in which someone would notice we were twins, because that would automatically diminish my value from one whole to a half.

However, this didn’t stop people from asking the most obnoxious questions that fraternal twins get: “Why don’t you guys look alike?” As if we would hold the answer in the back pocket of our matching Children’s Place jeans. There were many common misconceptions when it came to twins, and fraternal twins weren’t really as known as being identical. My sister and I have very vast distinctions with facial and bone structure and skin complexion. As I got older I thought this would help me be seen as more of my own person, in did in some ways, it didn’t most of the time. I became dependent on my sister and vice versa, we did everything together, we were with each other all hours of the day, we made all decisions together. Making the transition into high school a bit more challenging.

For our freshmen we were forced to part ways and attend separate high schools. My sister and I would always rely on each other, walk home from the bus together and sit with each other at lunch. Our school wise relationship was severed, and it took some time for adjusting, but we are finally seen as individual units. Although some people know we are twins, aren’t put together in the same location, no one group's us together as one. We can be wholes, while still being twins.

This idea would seem unbelievable to some people who are still stuck in that mentality, that individuality can’t exist in the case of twins. Nonetheless, having a twin sister has really shaped me and affected in both negative and positive ways, which I am sure it did for every other set of twins, who have lived with each other their entire lives. In most cases twins depend on each other more than anyone else in their lives, this unspoken agreement that they will care and protect each other against whomever; parents, friends, other siblings. Sometimes you can’t be to see yourself as a half in your own life. Your identity is combined with theirs. We as a human race need to recognize individuality within each human, no matter if you think they’re two halves of a whole.


Works Cited


Friedman, Joan A. The Same but Different: How Twins Can Live, Love, and Learn to Be Individuals. Los Angeles, CA: Rocky Pines, 2014. Print.


Advanced Essay #3: Social Constrictions on Identity

Posted by Zoe Chernowski in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Introduction:

The goals of this paper was to bring up the issue of pre-chosen identities based on the values and standards we as a people created and implicated in society. Reflecting on my final product, I think my goals were met, however next time I have a stronger sense on how to achieve those even more. I believe my process was good when working on this essay and that my main idea was interesting to explore and write about.


Essay:

Identity is how we as a species have changed throughout life and tried to individualize ourselves. However, what if our identities are pre-chosen for us based on the standards of the old society we created? In the dominant American society, we can see patterns of identifying based on socialism throughout the entirety of our history as a nation and as a people. All people want to do is to fit into boxes and limit themselves based on what is more desirable in certain communities.

America has had the system of classes for as long as people can remember. High class, low class, middle class, these are just everyday terms Americans discuss frequently. However, the classes might not be as clear cut as they seem. Patricia Cohen points out, “The feeling of comparative deprivation and the ultrarich separating themselves from the rest of society helps explain why only 1 percent of Americans accept the rich or upper-income label. Even most people earning over $250,000 — the top 5 percent of wage earners — identify as middle class. There’s always someone wealthier around.” (Cohen). This ties into the feeling of wanting to identify with someone else or a larger group of people. In the United States it seems like people don’t want to be shamed for having a certain amount of money so the majority more or less puts themselves in the middle. This idea of wanting to fit in can not only be seen within the classes of America, but as a species, humans do it all the time. Everyone tries to fit in because they are scared of not fitting that standard society places.

Not only do we notice the behavior of trying to fit into society’s view of having the most popular or desirable identity in America’s political system, but it also makes itself known in American literature. Flowers for Algernon, a popular book written by Daniel Keyes, explores identity in terms of being intelligent and how that self proclamation affects the community and other people. One quote states, “Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart.” (Keyes, 1) As seen here, Charlie (the main character) believes being “smart” is the best thing to be. This point of view can also be taken out of the book and into real life as well. It is drilled in every student’s head that they need good grades to get into college, that students have to go. And the idea that “smartness” can be measured by a number is also a way society has pushed us to identify as. And once again, people usually like to be near the middle of that spectrum of between a genius or being stupid.

Trying to change your identity on the surface is also another way people want to fit into a larger group or system. In another book, Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg, the idea of changing your outward label was a major decision the main character, Rafe, decided to pursue. He was not satisfied with being labeled as different and wanted to fit in in the “normal” crowd. This idea is immortalized in the following quote, “I was thinking about how snakes shed their skin every year, and how awesome it would be if people did that too. In lots of ways, that’s what I was trying to do.” (Konigsberg, 11) Trying to change people’s views on your own identity can show that you are in fact, trying to transform yourself, no matter how small, to fit in with the popular option.

Throughout American culture, the idea of fitting into a system which is deemed more likeable and/or popular fuels how people identify today. This idea has increased drastically in the current generation due to the rapid and ever changing social media fads and trends. What is considered acceptable or not in terms of identity has always been based on the society standards we created as a people. And in reality, just having society to blame for this constriction of self is untrue. We have always been constricting ourselves.


Works Cited:

Who We Are, Is Where We Are

Posted by Zahirah Poree in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Introduction:

I wrote this essay with a newfound motivation for this particular unit. Personal Identity fascinates me and learning about where our identity lies, and what makes us really us is one of the key things to understanding life itself. You have to know yourself, before you try to know bigger things about the world. I really want people to question everything they thought they knew when reading my essay, and come away from reading it with a new, clearer idea of their own personal identity. 

Zahirah Poree
English 3 - Mr. Block & Mr. TB
Advanced Essay #3

Throughout the entire existence of humanity, the question of personal identity has been in the back of our minds, whether we realize it or not. Personally, I believe that question is basically a matter of opinion based on the type of person you are and what you believe ink. Where you choose to believe your personal identity lies- in your body, or in your mind, memories, beliefs and values. If we are the only us we can be, then what exactly makes us unique? Is a person’s body & physical appearance their identity, or are your memories, beliefs, values, and personality your identity? Rutger’s Professor Elizabeth Camp realized this, but also challenged it with a question of what we are:“...that I am my body, or that I am a thread of overlapping psychological states.”  We have challenged ourselves for decades over what truly makes us human, where the core of who we are, lies inside our body or our minds. In the end really, it’s basically an opinion based on the type of person you are and what you believe.

Is your body your identity? If someone were to actually replicate your thoughts, your memories, and put them in a new body, would it still be YOU? Psychologists have come up with what is called the Body Theory, which states “personal identity persists over time, because you remain in the same body from birth until death.” If this is the case, does that mean without our body, we don’t have an identity? If we are the only us we can be, then what exactly makes us unique? Is a person’s story their identity, because if so that’s messed up because stories get mistold all the time. Everybody has a story, it’s forever getting told everyday we live. Your body tells a story, it is who you are in physical form. People make changes to their bodies all the time, trying to express themselves to the world. That new hair color, the tattoo that you may have gotten during a night of bad decisions, losing those last 5 pounds, all those are changes people want to make to themselves. We all make changes to our bodies, and with every change comes a reason behind that change, and a story. These stories, the stories of our bodies, are they our identity? Stories can either be good, or be bad, and we all have both.

The mind is a powerful thing, It holds the entirety of our lives within it. Our body acts out our actions, but our mind is what controls us, records what we learn, and helps us make decisions that help us act out whatever we feel. Psychologists have also come up with a mind theory which states that: “Personal identity persists over time because you retain memories of yourself at different points, and each of those memories is connected to one before it.”. Our minds hold the things that can’t be touched such as our memories, our beliefs. our experiences that we hold close to heart, our secrets. Nobody knows what’s in your head but you. The other part of the mind theory is that, if your memory is your memory, then you must be the same person who experienced that memory. So if you have a memory from your first time you met your best friend, is part of you the same person you were when you met said best friend? Some people fully believe that yes you do remain the same in a way, but what happens if you lose your memories? Just how accurate are our memories really?  Elderly people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease are unable to remember events in their life clearly, but instead relive a similar, but not completely accurate version of that memory. If the mind theory is something you are willing to commit to believe then you also have to accept that people stop being the same person if they lose their memories.

The question of where our personal identity lies will probably be around for as long as humanity is. It depends on the person what they choose to believe, and where they feel the most of their self is. Do you exist in your mind, or do you exist in your body? When you make the choice you must also think about whether you are, and have always been the same person from birth to death. Psychologist David DeSteno asks, "Can the present you trust the future you?", and when we think about where we exist, this is something we have to take into account. We all probably have the same common thought that we’ll be the same person from birth until death, and it’s this thought that we must go deeper into to get to the truth of where our personal identity truly lies.



Bibliography:

  1. WirelessPhilosophy. "PHILOSOPHY - Mind: Personal Identity (The Narrative Self) [HD]." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

  2. Crashcourse. "Personal Identity: Crash Course Philosophy #19." YouTube. YouTube, 27 June 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

The Ship of Theseus

Posted by Aidan Williams in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Introduction:
My goal for this paper was to explore the idea of self and existence, and to try to define the conditions of the preservation and annihilation of a life. As I wrote the paper, I found that there was no answer to any of the questions that I had. Regardless of what I believe personally, there is no way for me to prove any side to the argument aside from stating my point of view, so I chose to illustrate different sides of the issue of existence rather than clearly argue one side or another. It is up to the reader to decide how they define their existence. My goal was to give the reader options.

Essay:

There is no way to prove that the world was not created yesterday. Like a dream, we could have memories of things that did not happen: Information filling in the blanks of our non-existence. Imagine a divine, omnipotent, omniscient creator, such as God. Imagine the creator placing the Earth, and all its inhabitants, into existence just as they are now. The creator could conjure humans with memories of the past; things that never happened, but that each individual can remember. Phantom memories: Things they have learned, people they have met, experiences they have had, all of it untrue. Yet, the argument could be made that because that people have perceived these things, they are just as real.

Consider the idea that you were created as such yesterday. All of your memories from before you woke yesterday never happened, and, before your eyes opened, you did not exist. Can you prove that is not true? Do you believe it isn’t true? One could argue that who we are is a collection of our past experiences. However, this isn’t quite true. We are shaped by the memories of our past experiences. What we remember shapes who we are. We are not constantly re-learning things, we remember learning things, and our memories are often warped. We are constructed of memories and perceptions, true or false.

“Schizophrenics suffering from “thought insertion” and “alien voices” delusions report that they are not in control of their thoughts. Indeed, they often envisage a particular individual who, they claim, is doing the thinking for them, or implants thoughts in their mind.” Explains Uriah Kriegel, of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. This perceived construction could be an example of created thoughts and memories, or even an artificial self. Many would disagree, stating that the thoughts come from within them, whether or not they perceive it that way. However, what happens when they lose that “particular individual,” developing their ideas and their selves independent of the entity they believed controlled them? Would they still be themselves? Many would be inclined to say yes, of course they would be themselves, but it begs a deeper question of which parts of them are them, and which parts of them can be replaced or removed before they become a new entity.

This idea has been explored through the story of The Ship of Theseus, a paradoxical thought experiment. Theseus, an ancient Greek king, thought to have founded the city of Athens, fought many naval battles on his ship. As a tribute to him, the people of Athens kept his ship on the water as a symbol. However, as the wood of the ship began to deteriorate, planks were replaced one by one, until all the wood had been replaced, and the ship had been entirely reconstructed. There is much debate as to what defines the Ship of Theseus as being the same ship, whether the ship’s physical form is what causes it to be what it is, or if there is some incorporeal quality which gives it the title of “The Ship of Theseus,” or if it is solely human perception that gives it the qualities of the Ship of Theseus, and no ship is the Ship of Theseus absent the perception of a sentient mind.

“[You’ve] replaced your outer layer of skin hundreds of times… Your red blood cells only live for about 4 months before they’re cycled out… Even your skeleton is constantly being remodeled… Just like The Doctor, or the Ship of Theseus, you’re constantly being replaced by new physical versions of yourself.” Hank Green of Crash Course Philosophy believes. It takes approximately seven years before all the cells in one’s body have been replaced, and no part of that person is the same. However, that person would most likely continue to think of themselves as themselves, and that person’s stream of consciousness and perception is the same as it was seven years prior. The individual holds all the same memories, with seven years of new ones, so this must be the same person.

Ultimately, the only thing that makes us us is the way we, and others, perceive ourselves. We perceive ourselves however we do. Some believe that the Ship of Theseus has some inherent, incorporeal quality that makes it the Ship of Theseus, and they would believe that the same is true for themselves, and their own physical beings. Others would believe that there is nothing that inherently makes us us, that we are an amalgam of our perceptions and experiences, and that there is ultimately no true self. With no way to determine the truth of anything outside of one’s head, all anyone can do is be the person they see as themselves, and carry on existing.







Works Cited:


Crashcourse. "Personal Identity: Crash Course Philosophy #19." YouTube. YouTube, 27 June 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.


WirelessPhilosophy. "PHILOSOPHY - Mind: Personal Identity (The Narrative Self) [HD]."YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.


Gilkey, Charlie. "The Ship of Theseus and Personal Identity." Productive Flourishing. N.p., 09 May 2008. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Advanced Essay #3: Living a "Checkered" Life

Posted by Menduyarka Dennis in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · C Band on
Into:

While writing this paper, trying to depict a life with family members who don’t look the same as you was one of my goals. Living with the denial of “the way you came out” vs how everyone else had. Seeing if the differences between you and maybe your second cousin would change how the people treat you when you’re together, opposed to when you’re separated.

By saying “checkered”, I did it with regard to skin color, instead of the common “black and white” or “black and red” reference with any checkerboard. Since it was pale skin and dark skin, then that would still work in conjunction with the title.

I think the essay went well. I think incorporating another language in it for the first time was rather difficult, but still came out well. Trying to find the proper translations and the correct “romaji” for the Japanese symbols was probably the hardest part of the entire essay. And also giving more insight on the interracial marriage aspect of my family was also very relieving.


Essay:

A feeling. A warm feeling. Mainly towards my lower body. The glare of the sun shields the lower half of my body, as the escaping darkness of the room fleets from the oncoming forces from light. Altogether, the shades are ripped open. The glare overtakes the room, as the golden sun shines on the disarranged items.

“おはよう、サムーくん！” (Ohayou, Samu-kun!; Good morning, Sam!) A voice tore through the silence, exactly the same way that the sun tore through my seemingly ransacked bedroom. Books tossed, animal hair on the ground, a tan, illicit fluid dripping from the pipes of my bedroom, and onto my clothes in the closet. An indistinguishable mess.

“What are you still doing in bed, man? We have an event today! Don't tell me you forgot?”

“I did. I’m sorry. What time is it?”, I asked.

“11:37”

“Oh, shit. I’ll go into the bathroom now, then.”

Snatching the blanket from the cover of the bed, I jumped off the bed frame and scurried to the door. Long, rather fake nails dug into my skin as she attempted to reach for my shirt collar. I jumped back, the blanket flying forward from my abrupt pause of motion. I turn to see her pale face. With one hand digging into the skin covering my neck, her other hand clutched a half-drunken can of 仲介 (chuchai; fruit-flavored, alcoholic drinks). I tried not to face her, scared of what might erupt from her alcoholic-fused nature.

Alcohol was always a driving factor for our family, and the inducer of all the arguments that spurred out of control in our home. Casablanca, Choukachou, Chibuku, Ibwatu, Happoshu (発泡酒), Sake (酒), and Umeshu (梅酒). These names became more commonly spoken than the names of those who lived with us. A “brewer” which uprooted more problems in our family with every sip someone took, alcohol took its place as “the one who calls the ‘shots’”.

“You should try and speak your native tongue with me. And your parents, toooo. You can’t try and hide yourself in an abyss, which we can consider your skin.”, she said, her voice slurring with every sentence exiting her mouth

Thinking about a time when I would converse with both parents in two separate languages came to show that I wasn’t in touch with my roots as much as I used to. Hearing heavy, throat-exerted “gua”’s form the African dialects, Gio and Mano, and the eerie, sharp ringing of “違うよ” (chigau-yo; wrong), heard from all the way from downstairs in the basement, so we can't hear the arguments shifting from one race to another.

I began to observe the hand on my shirt. It was pale. Very pale. Even more pale than someone on their deathbed. The contrast found between her skin and mine would give the term “checkers” a run for its money. I grab her hand and hold it tight, trying not to let go. This is family.

This is the difference between the two sides of the family. This is…

“...What I should be.”, I muttered to myself.

My cousin snatched her hand away and shoved me into the bathroom.

“Stop talking about ‘what you should be’, before I ‘should be’ you into next week!”

The door slammed behind me, and I was left with the confusion of her last statement. I grabbed my towel and turned on the hot water. Diving into the bath, I began to ponder my own existence, and if I would ever find a crossroad like that again. Would I ever find a comparison like this outside my own family tree? Would the term “race” even appear to be something that is pinned on me for only one specific group?

“Love has no barriers, I guess. Nothing can separate two people from one another. That’s why I’m here. That’s why we’re all here.”

I sunk into the scalding water held in the fiberglass covered bathtub, the same way I would hide myself behind the representation of my personality, my way of speech, and my seeming “first impression”. My own skin would speak for me, and even write my stories.

The thoughts of future achievements with life taking place in the United States, or “The American Dream” has been different for multiple members of my family ever since they were bonded together by marriage, and even before that. There was never a certain  degree of agreement between the two, and it only brought about more flaws and cracks in the family. Someone was always right, and someone was always wrong. And when you were considered “right”, then you molded the family into what you wanted. An empire of truths and lies were forged right before our eyes. Well, maybe below them. 2 floors below them. As the smell of alcohol rose through the house, the children fled to the top floor, hoping to survive another night in the endless battle of the “right vs. wrong” household. The house becoming a checker board. Spotting the different colored pieces across the board, confused as to what their correlation is with one another.

And someone is, and always will be right. Someone will always win.

Bibliography:

The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/05/balancing-integration-and-assimilation-during-the-refugee-crisis/482757/>.

"How Fluid Is Race?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 June 2015. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/16/how-fluid-is-racial-identity>.

The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. <https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/will-immigrants-today-assimilate-like-those-of-100-years-ago/495746/>.

Advanced Essay #3 : The compromise for Identity

Posted by Taytiana Velazquez-Rivera in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on

When assigned this essay, I wanted to take a step back from descriptive scenes. I also began to wonder “Does society destroy your sense of self in compromise of your belonging?” since none of our driving questions exactly touched on this, which is why I named this ” The compromise for Identity”. I hope that my point gets across without being repetitive, and I also hope my comparisons of being a part of a bigger picture tied well into the piece.

              The compromise for Identity

Society makes you choose between a high sense of self and the sense of belonging, for a compromise of both. In this I can see that one will construct their own self for it to be rejected, because their self won’t let them belong, striving to be too different can cause you to be an outcast in a community or in all communities said people/person strive to belong to. Everyone has an identity but society makes you choose what it is tied to. Being your true self limits you from being in communities; Interchangeably, one must have both, belonging and sense of self; however generally gives more than the other in exchange.Trying to be yourself and being vetoed by the community, teaches one that they must compromise compromise the two thing’s tied to identity for the other. This theory is proven that one lies atop the other, when someone asks about identity “I am…” one will either describe their self or ]describe something they are a part of, either “I am puerto rican puerto rican” or “I am an optimistic optimistic person”. In most cases, people will identify as either “I belong” or “myself is”, though you can have both people tend to battle the other. Though they both contribute to your identity, we tend to either choose sense of self or belonging, when it comes down to answering answering the question “Who am i?”. Am I from SLA? Am I a writer in a high school English class? Am I a Woman? Am I brilliant? Am I Puerto-rican? Am I optimistic? The answers to all of these are yes.

Shaping identity is dependent on self perception. The things that you tell yourself about your identity become your self along with the belonging that you can help and the belonging you can’t help for example being born into a community and joining a community(social belonging). These thing’s that you tell yourself become a piece of you along with the pieces you gain from belonging.

  The kind  of belonging you can't help seems to be held to a higher importance than societal belonging( the one you can help) as demonstrated in,  Mark Hugo Lopez’ Hispanic and Latino Identity Is Changing, he stated “Hispanics prefer to identify themselves with terms of nationality rather than pan-ethnic monikers .” This emphasizes the idea that, some people in particular groups of culturally similar ethnicities prefer to tie themselves to a specific culture within this subgroup of people. They tie identities to their nationality due to the different cultures within the group of ‘Hispanic or latino’, the reason this is a basis of offense to these cultures being lumped in one because their identity is belonging to these groups, such as Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban, Dominican and much more which society wants to lump together - though similar; their identity doesn’t seem to matter without their originating environment. They can't help this sense of belonging because they were born into it, so since it will forever be their identity they prefer identifying with nationalities, with their communities cultured prevented from being blurred with others- who just don’t cooperate in the same manner. If they were to let every piece of their and pan-ethnic names used to assimilate these “related groups” they would have a piece of them that really didn’t belong- causing a wider assumption that all Hispanic and Latino traditions, foods and ways are the same.

   Coexistence  of self and belonging comes with  the compromise of the other. The demand of belonging in society or to somewhere will always outweigh self, since it is ever changing. However when explaining identity, people tend to interchange self and belonging, and by doing this you tend to compromise the other part of yourself to identify with one of the two. If one compromised their self to finish the sentence “I am…” you lose the other parts of yourself building the image with others by belonging. 

 On the other hand one has a high sense of self, you tend to spend time getting to know their self, for if they didn’t they wouldn’t be in touch and knowing of self. You can build and change yourself to the self you want to be. You are in charge of your self-identity. However, when you have a sense of belonging, you identify with somewhere someplace or someway, you believes it lives in you and that’s  what makes you, yourself. This idea was illustrated in Thandie Newton's TED Talk ‘Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself’  when she touches on the interactions of ‘self’ and ‘the society/word” in which you’d essentially  be ‘belonging’ in, she elaborates that “The self that I[she] attempted to take out into the world was rejected over and over again. And my panic at not having a self that fit, and the confusion that came from myself being rejected, created anxiety, shame and hopelessness, which kind of defined me for a long time..” After you ‘shape’ your identity, you will see yourself getting accepted and/or rejected. Even if, that  identity is created by belonging,  and is not something you can change, such as a social belonging, you just must break yourself down into lesser parts and see which one of those pieces of yourself belong in something else. In this instance ‘being rejected’ simply means try again; some pieces obviously will fit but some have to be connected, broken and sculpted to fit; while these pieces look like nothing more than pieces they fit together to make the masterpiece of a mosaic, called Identity.

Lopez, Mark Hugo. “Hispanic and Latino Identity Is Changing.” Nytimes. NY times, 11 June 2015. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/16/how-fluid-is-racial-identity/hispanic-and-latino-identity-is-disappearing.

Newton, Thandie. “Embracing otherness, embracing myself.” Thandie Newton: Embracing otherness, embracing myself | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., July 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. https://www.ted.com/talks/thandie_newton_embracing_otherness_embracing_myself?language=en#t-560227.