Ethan Friedman Public Feed

Ethan Friedman - Capstone

Posted by Ethan Friedman in Capstone · Pulley/Giknis/Spry · Wed on

For my Capstone, I created an application that brought together my love for programming and problem-solving. I created a desktop application for SLA teachers to allow them to manage their student rosters by class. It allows them to create a visual representation of the classroom’s layout along with student profiles for easy access. I was able to learn a completely new programming language over the course of the last 5-6 months and apply it to this project. Computer Software is one of those things that can never be “completed”. This application will forever be a work in progress as there are always new features to include.

Capstone Link: Link

Bibliography: Link

Advanced Essay #2: Home Base

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 3 · Block · Y Band on

Ethan Friedman English III Mr. Block January 2020

Authors’ Note:

In this essay, I wanted to connect my life and my nostalgia linked to my home with the experiences of people around the world. I wanted to stress how lucky I am to be able to call a place home and be able to experience my 17 years of life there. There are many people in the world who are forced out of their homes, and it’s important for me to highlight the issues in the world when I have the opportunity.

                                 Home Base

As he heard the bells from the departing train, he leaps off of his make-shift cot and scrambled toward the tracks. His limbs clothed in the murky mud from the swamp-like ditch he and his peers had slept in to stay warm. He got to a full sprint as he lept at the perfect time to make it in-between the ultimate and penultimate cars. He ascended the rusty ladder and sat down with his legs crossed facing the newly formed home behind him. That is where the signature picture was taken. He leaves a world of poverty and danger and heads for one with opportunity. I do not live in that same world. My world gives me more opportunities. My world gives me an education. My world provides me with friends of all different kinds. My world even lets me say and do whatever I want. There is a reason that I love my home. Philadelphia reminds me to be strong, to be caring, to be confident, and to bleed green. There will never be another home this meaning fun to me. I do not have to worry about where I am going to sleep, what I am going to eat. I have grown up to understand that there are people on the same planet that I live in who do not have those same privileges.

Some are forced to make a large magnitude of changes in their life to be able to have what I have by default. A Nigerian girl, who’s family moved to New York City to raise her and her sister, did not have the same life. Their names were not pronounced right, they were judged based on their skin, and nobody understood their language. Over time, after her father died, she started to go back to Nigeria and write about her community there. She slowly started to feel like she missed her real home. Just like I feel, you can never replace your true home. She said, “Each time I boarded the plane to return to the states it was with a surprising hint of sadness” (A Return to Nigeria). The problem is, we do not always realize that not everybody has the ability to go back to their home. Sometimes, they are forced out forever. Those are the people that we need to help.

In America, we should be willing to assist refugees. During our schooling and through the news, we learn all about the struggles the migrants and refugees have to endure just to have an opportunity to work and survive. America is most certainly not full. We should be looking for people around the world who need an opportunity. Who cares who is making your clothes? Who cares who builds your cars? Who cares about who where people are from? People are people. As long as they are not causing a problem and are not affecting your life, why does it matter? At the end of the, you never know what could happen to you. In each others’ shoes, you would beg for America to take you in and save your life. We need to understand the damage we are doing by denying immigrants. A significant majority of immigrants want to come to America to work just like everyone else. They want to go to school. They want to be happy. They do not want to hurt anybody.

There are refugees from everywhere on the planet. Not everyone can go home. We think that all of them come to our countries successfully and the struggle is whether or not we want them. The reality is what Enrique said, “Every day, hundreds of families are not as lucky. They are again being torn apart”, in Enqirue’s Journey. There are many groups who become stranded with nowhere to go. We need to look at this issue from other perspectives to understand that home is not guaranteed to everyone. What we take for granted is an incredible privilege.

Works Cited: Nazario, Sonia. Enriques Journey. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014.

Okoro, Enuma. “A Return to Nigeria.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2014, https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/a-return-to-nigeria/?hp&rref=opinion.

Shaded Emotions - Ethan Friedman

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 3 · Block · Y Band on

Introduction: In this essay, I chose to focus on my emotions and how I really thing. I didn’t want to sugar coat any of my feelings. My goal was to use the skills we focused on in class to compose two stories that mesh and form a single overall theme. I’m very proud of my openness when writing this essay. I feel like I left everything on the table. Many things I’ve never told anyone other than my parents. Not even my closest friends. I don’t like a lot of the words I used and I believe that I could do better if I wasn’t so focused on my emotions.

I didn’t know that I wasn’t the only one who hid their emotions. I thought I was alone. In 7th grade, hours after the last night of Hanukkah, my Dad called my brother and me into our parent’s room. Usually, we don’t have serious talks. Things come out as they happen, good or bad, but this time they’d been hiding something. My mom had a gloomy look in her eyes. She looked worried. My Dad looked weak. His shoulders were folded in. He always corrected my posture, so something instantly felt off. He started slow and soft, “So.. for about a month now, we’ve been waiting to tell you about something.” I continued to look him in the eyes. I glanced at my brother who didn’t realize what was going on. “Aunt Mindy is very sick… She has a rare type of lung cancer and unfortunately, she discovered it pretty late”. He exhaled quickly. I don’t think I took it in at first. I sort of thought it would all be okay. I just kept staring at his eyes. He could tell that he needed to say more. At the time I didn’t understand that he was choosing his words carefully. “It’s not curable”, he said gingerly. It hit me and hit me hard. I just felt a pull from my liver up to my throat. I squinted like I was looking at a fresh bed of snow with the sun shining on it. It never hit my brother. I left the room within seconds. I stormed up the steps, into my room, and onto my bed. I don’t remember how long I laid there and I don’t recall what I thought about. All I know is that my Dad called me back downstairs some time later. I washed my face off before opening the door to my parent’s room. He had a sort of smirk on his face. I was very confused. He pulled out two boxes stacked on top of each other. They were both wrapped in a Jewish Star filled wrapping paper. I gently unwrapped it as I tried to seem as excited as possible. Eventually, I got all of the paper off of it. They were new iPhones for my brother and me. For months, I had been wishing for a new phone and I couldn’t even feel grateful. My emotions were muffled. I smiled and thanked my parents. I couldn’t be happy. There was nothing to be happy about. It wasn’t feasible for me to take my mind off my Aunt. I went to sleep that night with mixed emotions. I was upset, but there’s always another road. There’s always another opportunity. Life surely will go on even if someone is missing. For the next few months, I didn’t worry. My family told me that my aunt was still living at home and still enduring chemo. I still went to school. We performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. I was happy. I was in the All-Star game for baseball that year. My aunt and grandmother came to watch the game. Bases were loaded, tie game, and I was at third base. Problem is, there were two outs. The third-base coach reminded me that I had to run as soon as the ball was hit, which I knew already. The first pitch was in the dirt…. There went my opportunity. The pitcher fell asleep after the pitch; I could have run home. All eyes were on me. I could feel the glare on my back. Chills raced down through my toes. The pitcher hurled a fastball home. I got a good jump, but the batter whiffed low. As I trotted back to third before the next pitch, I notice the coach looking at me from the bench. He reminded me that it’s my chance. He also happened to be the coach of the Little League World Series team from Philadelphia just a year later. The pitcher whipped his arm around just like the pitch before. This time, the batter slammed on into the top half of the ball just a bit late. The ball is pounded into the dirt with a tall hop in between the pitcher and the third baseman. I dash down the line. I’m not particularly fast, but I could feel myself flying. The world rapidly lagged in my mind. I could hear the ball deflect up off of the third baseman’s glove as he lunged for it. I instantly felt my knee. The same knee that I messed up a few years before. I had been afraid of sliding since, but the third-base coach hollered, “DOWN DOWN DOWN” as I got close. I slid on my hip instead of my hamstring at the last minute. All I remember is getting mobbed by my teammates. I don’t remember scoring. I don’t remember seeing the ball. I guess the third baseman didn’t have a chance. I could see the coach talking to my dad through the dugout fence. He wanted me to join a higher level team. I didn’t care about that. I was glad that my family got to watch me play. Primarily because I played well. I went home unsure of how to feel. She had been sick for 9 months. She was only expected to live for 8. I texted each of my grandparents before I went to sleep. Asking the same question, “How is Aunt Mindy doing?”. They all gave me the same answer. Something similar to, “I don’t want you to worry about her. She’s doing alright. But remember that in the end, no matter what happens, we will all be okay. Including you.”

Ethan's Monologue

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

My phone is ringing…


“Hello?”

(...)

“Okay..”


I’m really not hungry right now. I was actually focused on this project. By the time I get back from dinner, I’m not gonna wanna code anymore.

*Walks downstairs*


Ugh, she got those nasty chicken fingers from ACME. They’re so dry.


  (...)


Why does she care about school? She doesn’t care about me in the first place.



“It was just a normal day”


(...)


“I was hanging out with friends. I only got home at like 5:30”


(...)



“James and Raul”


  (...)


“How do you not know who I’m talking about. I mention them all the time.


(...)


“Why wouldn’t I hang out with other kids? I don’t need to join a club just because other kids do.”


(...)


“Okay, but I like the friends I have.”


(...)


“Why…”


(...)


“I do have a life and I do have friends. Why can’t you just be positive sometimes?”


*mom leaves room*


Ugh why can’t I just enjoy being myself?


Maybe I should try to spend the night with James tomorrow.


*logs into his mother’s facebook*


SHE SAID THAT I SAID I HATE HER??


Why does she make stuff up about me? What did I ever do to her? No wonder all of her friends ask me so many questions. She doesn’t seem to care about me herself.


Who should I talk to?


Will my dad listen? Will my brother listen?



I don’t think they will understand. I feel like something is wrong. None of my friends ever mention them feeling bad about themselves. Nor do I, but still. My friends are always posting pictures with their parents having a good time. I never post anything of my or my family. It just doesn’t seem right. I don’t want people to judge me. What if my brother makes fun of me for talking to him about it? If my mom knows that I talked to somebody about her, she might get mad.


I fell asleep…


(2 hours later)


Maybe I should just take a break. My grandmother won’t judge me. I know she can keep it to herself. She always asks how I’m doing. I always respond with “good” or “fine”. Fine means that I’m just not loving school. I never relate it to life at home. I’m sure she’ll understand.


*calls his grandmother*


“Hello?”

(...)


“Hey Grandma!”


(...)


“Yea uh… Like, do you think I could see you soon? L..”


(...)


“Like alone?”


(...)


“Yea I just really want to see you alone if that’s okay”


(...)


“Could I come over this weekend?”


(...)


“Yea 1 hour is fine. I’ll get myself there.”


(...)


“Okay bye bye! I love you!”


(...)


Oh no!


I hope she understood that I was really nervous. She might ask my mom if something is wrong. If I call her back, she will be worried.


Maybe it isn’t me at all. Maybe my mom is going through something. What could have happened? Her dad passed away 3 years ago now. She didn’t even like him. At least that’s what she told us. She quit her job last week. That was her choice wasn’t it? Maybe I should just go talk to her


Motivation - Ethan Friedman

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

Ethan Friedman

September 2018

Systems Essay



First grade was the first time I was told that I was great at math. My teacher put me in an advanced group so that I didn’t get bored of work that I already knew.

I wasn’t surprised by this move, I expected it. I knew my dad was good at math and logic questions. He wins all of the games we played at family events. He used to talk about how he used to come in second in the state math tournaments, losing to the kid in his class who had aced the SAT and is now a senior developer at Apple. I continued to be in the advanced groups in all of my math classes through fourth grade. That’s also the year I discovered Minecraft.


A couple days before starting fourth grade, I got the list of kids that were in my classes. Not one of my friends were listed. They were all in the opposite class. I was a very fragile kid. It hurt me a lot to know that I would have to make all new friends again. I had a good close group of friends since I started at that school in Kindergarten. At that school, they paired 1st and 2nd grade together and 4th and 5th grade together. That meant that every class but spanish and math were combined. Since I didn’t like any of the kids my age, my only option was to hang out with the kids above me.

The first kid I met was Joseph. It was around the time that minecraft started to blow up. We played on large networks with thousands of players. The people who created them were making millions of dollars a year. Me being my curious self, wanted to learn how to make a server just like the big ones. I did my own research and taught myself how to write Java fluently and created server mods and plugins.  Joseph helped me with everything. He wasn’t into Java as much as I was, but he wanted to be apart of my server and business. Since we is a year older than me, he knew more about grammar and punctuation that I did. He helped me make advertisements for my freelance services.

By this time, I had told everybody about what I learned. My family, my teachers, my friends, and even myself. Every night before I fell asleep, I would map out a bug or new project that I needed to work on the next day. Keep in mind that I was only 10 years old by then and Knew more about Java than math for my age.  My dad was excited that I taught myself something new because he also never really learned anything in school. He taught himself math and binary.

I started making a lot of money for a 10 year old. I was selling one plugin per week and making $10 for each. There were a lot of things I could do with $10. I bought lunch for my friends over the weekend, I ordered a new mouse, keyboard and bought myself Spotify Premium.

Just 2 years ago, I applied to SLA and made a presentation showing off my work. I was interviewed by Mr. Enzweiler. I was extremely nervous before my interview, so when I walked into the room, I didn’t really know how to act. First, I panicked. I couldn’t connect to the SLA internet because I didn’t know the password. Thinking about it now, It wasn’t even a weird question to ask, but for some reason, 13 year old Ethan was too scared. He kindly noticed the redness of my face and asked what the issue was. “Can I connect to the wifi so I can show you my presentation?”, I asked.

“Absolutely! The password is Philadelphia with a capital P”, He responded.


When I showed him my work and the list of people who wrote school recommendations for me, I could tell he was impressed. I wasn’t the best student in 7th grade, but I don’t think that really mattered after that interview. He was extremely interested in everything I was showing him. I instantly felt comfortable talking to him and I gave him a demo Java lesson. I rushed out of the room and down the block to see my dad who was waiting in the car for me. He was eager to hear about the interview. I didn’t really know what I tell him. I was excited inside, but I didn’t want to talk myself into believing that I would get in no matter what. There were over 1000 more kids who still needed to be interviewed. Most of them probably worked harder in 7th grade. I told him that I was really nervous and that it went fine.

Reflecting on it now, I’m really proud of being able to impress such a smart person as it is. And I’m also proud of being able to make money from nothing. I dedicated myself to something that I cared about. I couldn’t learn Java in school. I needed to learn it my own way at my own pace. That’s part of the reason why school mostly doesn’t work for me. I need to content to myself. Today, I make almost $300 a month selling the same old Minecraft plugins to sometimes 30 different people a week.


Making a Difference in the Pennsylvania Economy

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 1 · Giknis · D Band on
​

Ethan Friedman

May 2018

Throughout the past couple months, I have been researching and revolving the minimum wage issue in Pennsylvania. I researched issues regarding minimum wage and living situations in Pennsylvania. I conducted a survey among my classmates and other kids my age that live in and around Philadelphia that focused on personal experiences with minimum wage. Finally, I wrote a well thought out letter to Gov. Tom Wolf providing supporting evidence on why the minimum wage in Pennsylvania must be raised to $10 if not double.


The 2017 minimum wage by state in the United States. Pennsylvania is tied with many other states for the lowest minimum wage.

According to the Huffington Post, you would need to make just under $60,000 to support a family in Philadelphia and $15,000 certainly isn’t enough. America ranks 11th in the world for the highest minimum wage according to OECD. Australia's minimum wage is over $15 an hour and 80% of the country makes over 5% more than the minimum wage.

Pennsylvania is 1 of 3 states who host one of the 10 largest cities in America who have the minimum possible wage. When growing up and going to inter-city schools, I notice how some kids can’t go out with their friends, because they don’t have the money to. The government is limiting the amount of money people can make, and it is causing children to be unhappy with their lives. Everybody deserves to spend time with their friends, to go get pizza or see a movie.

When working on issues regarding income, it is important to take other factors into account, such as location, opportunity, and sources of income. When I conducted a survey with students in Philadelphia, I found out that 1 in every 9 students only lives with 1 adult figure. Forms response chart. Question title: How many adult figures live with you?. Number of responses: 18 responses.

Source: Google Forms: Original Research Survey


When you only have one source of income which is that adult’s job, it is very difficult to support a family. The population of Pennsylvania is approximately 12.81 million people according to the United States Census Bureau.  That means that about 1.4 million families in Pennsylvania are ran by a single parent. There is clearly a problem in the system if 11% of families can’t afford to live.

To combat this issue, I decided to write a letter directly to the office of Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania. I introduced the issue and my personal experience with people who are affected by the issues, and I proposed the idea to double the minimum wage in Pennsylvania. I hope that he understands what families have to go through to support themselves.

In order to make a difference, more people need to stand up for what they believe in. If the governor receives 200 letters that speak from the heart on increasing the minimum wage, he is going to notice that there is a major issue. Throughout my work over the past couple months, I have built up evidence and reason to make a difference. He will not believe somebody who claims that we need change if they can’t provide a reason to make change.

Throughout this process, I have learned about issues in my own community and peers that I had not understood before. I believe that change is unavoidable. It is impossible to survive on $15,000 a year whether you’re alone or living with multiple kids. I am glad that there are politicians like Bernie Sanders who have spoken publicly about raising minimum wage as a country.

The letter that I mailed to Tom Wolf.


Annotated Bibliography

Positive/Negative Space Cut Out

Posted by Ethan Friedman in Art - Freshman · Hull · e1 Band on
 A. Negative space is a vision in art where you use the absense of art to create art. For example, if you have a black background and white text, you are removing the black color to present the letters within.

B. I found the negative space by cutting out the objects on the template with a dull color and placing the cutouts onto a vibrant background.

C. Negative space give the artist and the viewer another lense to see the art in. The positive space is just as important as the negative. They are equal.

D. Negative space enhances art by creating two images in 1. Two perspectives. Components stand out better.

Minimum Wage - Time to make change

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 1 · Giknis · D Band on

Ethan Friedman

Original Research


Over the past month, I have been researching the minimum wage issues in Pennsylvania. I’ve conducted surveys among teenagers in Philadelphia. Throughout my research, I’ve discovered many different perspectives on the issue and have come to a conclusion.

When working on issues regarding money, it is important to take other factors into account, such as location, opportunity, and sources of income. When I conducted a survey with students in Philadelphia, I found out that 1 in every 9 students only lives with 1 adult figure. Forms response chart. Question title: How many adult figures live with you?. Number of responses: 18 responses.

Source: Google Forms: Original Research Survey


When you only have one source of income which is that adult’s job, it is very difficult to support a family. The population of Pennsylvania is approximately 12.81 million people according to the United States Census Bureau.  That means that about 1.4 million families in Pennsylvania are ran by a single parent. There is clearly a problem in the system if 11% of families can’t afford to live.

Part of being a teenager is spending time with your friends. Whether it be going out for lunch or going ice skating, most activities cost money. According to my survey, most students are unemployed.

Forms response chart. Question title: Do you have a job?. Number of responses: 18 responses.

This is important because the ability to become a social person, you need to have the opportunity to interact with people. The money would have to come from family.


Forms response chart. Question title: If your answer to the last question was no, how much money do you receive from your parents?. Number of responses: 18 responses.


A majority of students don’t receive money at all from their parents, so that will tie into the future once they do need to get a job and live on their own, they won’t have the skills that they would have had from socializing.

It isn’t ethical for a system to take place where 11% of families are treated unfairly and have no way out. Not every kid who grows up in a minimum wage will have the drive to be a scholarship worthey student. Their families can’t afford college like other families can. The same cycle continues because nobody without a degree can get a well paying job. The system needs a change.



Annotated Bibliography: here


Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania

Posted by Ethan Friedman in English 1 · Giknis · D Band on

Did you know that the minimum wage in America is $7.25 an hour? Meaning that you make just over $15,000 a year for 2080 hours of work. And in Philadelphia, that is nowhere near the estimated minimum amount needed to live off of. According to the Huffington Post, you would need to make just under $60,000 to support a family in Philadelphia and $15,000 certainly isn’t enough. America ranks 11th in the world for the highest minimum wage according to OECD. Australia's minimum wage is over $15 an hour and 80% of the country makes over 5% more than the minimum wage.

The 2017 minimum wage by state in the United States. Pennsylvania is tied with many other states for the lowest minimum wage.


Pennsylvania is 1 of 3 states who host one of the 10 largest cities in America who have the minimum possible wage. When growing up and going to inter-city schools, I notice how some kids can’t go out with their friends, because they don’t have the money to. The government is limiting the amount of money people can make, and it is causing children to be unhappy with their lives. Everybody deserves to spend time with their friends, to go get pizza or see a movie.

Chart of the current minimum wage and the future of the US minimum wage. Source: US Gov.

When a father figure isn’t around, it is difficult to support a family when you have to take care of your children and also work. According to The Heritage Foundation, 4.2% of minimum wage workers are single parents. That is around 2 million people in the US.



Annotated Bibliography: here

Single Slide Remix - Ethan

Posted by Ethan Friedman in Technology - Freshman · Hull · e2 Band on
Single Slide of Myself
I noticed that a lot of people wanted me to center the cycle and put my name in the middle. It was difficult to look at because it wasn't in the common lines of sight. I made the changes so that my slide looked more professional. I put more time and effort into making this slide work. I have moved it around and researched new ways of presenting it and myself. After looking at presentations online, I have also learned how to present the slide physically, not just the slide. I need to project my voice and make sure I'm using my hands to point to specific points of the slide. 
I watched TED talks to understand how professionals present their slides. I also went to some classmates and wrote down their feedback so that I was able to remember what their opinion was. I also asked clarifying questions to make sure that I was understanding their feedback. 
I have noticed that people are very picky of what intrigues them. The smallest tangent or the slight change of color can throw somebody's interest off. I have learned that it is important to get somebody's opinion before you show it to a lot of people. Nobody will see your slide the way that you do.

Single Slide - Ethan

Posted by Ethan Friedman in Technology - Freshman · Hull · e2 Band on

My life doesn’t really change very much. Most of the things I do have stayed the same for the past 4 years. I spend most of my time programming or playing games to find new ideas. My goal for the last 4 years has been to become a programmer full time once I’m out of college. I want to be able to provide the    same amount of financial support that my family has provided me and my family when I’m older. I want to be able to go out to eat and travel the world. I want to be able to meet new people and understand different cultures than my own. My parents take my education very seriously and for a good reason. They have taught me to understand how important it is to work now. They didn’t have the same experience, both dropping out of college because they were making good money when working full time. Since they both regret it, they want me to go to college and study hard to become the best that I can be. I want to make them proud.

Coding also affects the way I speak. I think about things differently. I look into the backend of things more than what meets the first glimpse. I want to know why things work and not just know that they work. In math class, I like to know why ratios are equal just my multiplying the flipped opposite and then dividing by the remaining. I want to know why that method works without shortcutting. That’s how it relates to school.


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