- After succesfully completing this blogging assignment, I realize that blogging really is its own unqiue genre. You have to mantain a respectful etiquette when writing and interacting on the internet, so this assignment served as a useful teaching tool for expressing your opinion and providing constructive criticism in a responsible manner. It has been a really interesting and eye-opening experience to the world of blogging. I feel as if it is a really unique way to connect to your audience, and is very much personalized and tailored to your own tastes and interests. For this reason, I really have enjoyed this assignment. I particularly enjoyed being able to comment on other’s posts and see if we share any interests. Being able to write a post about literally anything you want and having complete freedom to express your opinion differs greatly from the majority of our other writing assignments in school.
- Throughout this blogging experience, I have come across some really intersting and memorable blog posts. One of the last posts that I read particularly stood out to me because of its interesting formatting. It was unlike other blog posts that I had read because it was a list of different things about the author. I think that this was such a unique idea that was both interesting and informative. I really enjoyed reading it because I was able to compare some of my likes and dislikes with the author’s preferences. Another memorable post that I read was called Snail Mail. It was all about how communication is constantly evolving and changing, especially with the help of technologies. I thought that it was a really interesting and well-explained Free Choice post. It made me realize the multiple effects, both positive and negative, that technology and social media has brought with it and how it influences and/or changes our society as a whole.
- As for my own writing, I am simply proud of the sheer amount of writing that I accomplished over the course of this assignment. As Mrs. Kervina explained, those who completed this assignment have written over 4,000 words. That seems like an incredible number to me, and I am really proud of it. I think that my writing has benefitted from this experience not only because of the increased amount of writing, but because of reading numerous other blog posts and being able to provide as well as recieved constructive criticism. Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment and I wish that we did more of this kind of ongoing assignment in other classes, as it allows you to write what you want to talk about. Because it was so interesting to do, it didn’t seem like too much of a chore.
I used the a prompt from a blog that provides daily prompts for bloggers. Here is the prompt that I chose to write about:
When was the last time a stranger did something particularly kind, generous, or selfless for you? Tell us what happened!
Although it is certainly cliché, I believe that a simple act of kindness can go a very long way. Imagine one of those days that the universe just seems to be against you, and nothing seems to be going your way. Now think about what would happen if a stranger held the door for you, payed you a compliment, or even payed for your drink at a coffee shop on one of those days. Recently, I experienced a particularly hectic day in which I forgot to set my alarm and had to rush to get ready for school, and was subsequently bombarded by a series of tests. With a particularly poor start to the day, it was difficult to keep a positive mindset. However, I experienced a real kindness from a total stranger who had picked up my phone which I had left on my desk. They easily could have taken it, but instead they returned it to me and I was really grateful for that. That event got me thinking about the ways that I could try to brighten other people’s days. To me, one of the best qualities a person can possess is selflessness, and yet another cliché that comes to mind is to treat others the way that you would want to be treated. One of my goals for this year is to be a kinder person in general, and I think that keeping in mind how I would want to be treated is a great way to initiate random acts of kindness.
It is important to remember that you don’t really know what a person is going through just by looking at them on the outside. Maybe they are having a particularly bad day, and I want to be the kind of person that makes there day just a bit better.
As the end of the school year rapidly approaches, I cannot seem to get my mind off of summer and how excited I am for it. This school year has gone by far faster than I expected, and it is almost unbelieavable that Senior year is coming so soon. With that said, I want do dedicate this post to summer and the different opinions on whether or not it is more beneficial or harmful to students.
On the Scholastic website, it discusses the option of switching to year-round school and the benefits that it hols versus sticking to tradition. It begins by stating how American schools are lagging behind in comparison to those in China, South Korea, Germany, etc. Year-round schools are starting to become a reality for over 3,000 schools in the U.S., and the article states that transferring to year-round schools is inevitable because educational expertcs and even President Obama are calling for “big changes” in our educational system. Although most students, like myself, would immediately and whole-heartedly oppose this idea, tje article explains that year-round schools would actually have more vacation time, with a three-week break during the winter, fall, and spring. In addition to calander benefits, some year-round schools offer “intersession” classes, which you can choose to take over breaks so that you don’t lag behind or even potentially get ahead. Another option is the “multitrack” system, in which students and teachers are divided into groups and each group runs on their own schedule.
The other option would be to stick to tradition. The multitrack system may appear to be a better solution, but critics worry about having to pay for “extra weeks of everything, from buses to air-conditioning and teachers’ salaries”. Some people argue that summer experiences such as camp, travelling/vacations, and visiting places such as museaums are just as enriching as school because they provids valuable, hands-on experience without the stress of a classroom. The end of the article leaves the audience with a resonating question: The world has changed. Could it be time for summer vacation to change too?
Before reading this article, I would be entirely against the idea of offing summer vacation and I would run for the hills as soon as the idea of year-round school was mentioned. However, I now see the benefits of year-round school, and the potential for extra vacations time doesn’t hurt, either. The truth is that American schools really are falling behind those in other countries. Although many high schoolers complain about excess homework, I think that this could be due to the fact that teachers are forced to cram a large amount of information into our brains in a short amount of time. So although their appears to be obvious benefits to switching to year-round schoools, I am still inclined to choose tradition over this new system. There is something about having that extended summer break that enables me to prepare for the next school year and relax that I just don’t want to give away. Honestly, I would be fine with either option, because I don’t believe that large changes like the multitrack system will be put in place by my Senior year next year.
So is summer vacation really harmful to students? I don’t think so. It allows them a much-needed break to rest their minds and rejuvinate. But I wonder what changes could be implimented in the future, and if those changes will really result in a better education system and more effective way of learning.
For this weeks post, I am addressing the question of when it is appropriate to break the law, and what is the role of civil disobedience and protest in our society. I narrowed the topic by looking specifically at this article on the New York Times website. It explores the possibility of wealthier people being treated with more leniency when involved in legal discrepancies than those that are not as well-off. This article references a sixteen-year-old from a wealthy family who killed four people in a drunk-driving crash but got off with a meager ten years of probation from the judge. The judge refused to give the suggested twenty years in prison to the teen despite Tarrant County prosecutors avid efforts. This begs the question of whether or not the outcome of this case would have changed if the offender was not in such a well-off financial position.
Personally, I believe that the outcome of this particular case would be different if the teen was not from a wealthy background, but not simply because of the fact that they are well-off. Inevitably, people that are wealthier are more inclined and capable of hiring a better acclaimed lawyer and/or legal team to support their case. With experts on their side, the chances of them getting off with a lesser punishment greatly increases. I believe that this was a contributing factor to this particular case, as it mentions in the article that the defense argued that the teen suffered from affluenza, which was described as a term that “dates at least to the 1980s to describe the psychological problems that can afflict children of privilege.” Although they made this claim, I do not believe that it is a valid point to make. Although I believe that wealth is more than capable of corrupting a person, it doesn’t regularly lead people to commit such serious crimes. Therefore, I think that the teens wealth cannot be used as an excuse for their behavior.
On the subject of civil disobedience, I believe that it is actually very important in our society to be able to express and protest about what we believe to be wrong or unjust. That is, as long as the act of pretesting stays civil. People are often quite passionate about what they believe to be right and wrong, what they like and don’t like, and it is quite easy to get carried away. I think that if you deem it necessary to display your thoughts on a subject, then you should do it in a civil manner, much like the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Acts like these are often necessary to make major changes and strives toward a a more peaceful society.
To look further into the role of civil disobedience in our society, I took a look at an article on the Tar Sands Action website. This group actively protests against the Keystone XL Pipeline. The article discussed how many people sat outside of the White House to protest the building of the Pipeline, but several people were arrested as a result, as shown in the picture below.
Although acts like this sometimes end in in such a way, I believe that acts of civil disobedience are still justified if they do, indeed, remain civil. This is because as Americans, we have a right to protest and express our opinions, even if others do not agree.
I used the same website that I discovered in an earlier post to get an idea of what to write about in this this free choice post. This prompt, in particular, sparked some interest:
“If you could return to the past to relive a part of your life, either to experience the wonderful bits again, or to do something over, which part of your life would you return to? Why?”
This prompt holds so many possibilities for discussion. To start, there are certainly things in my life that I regret doing or saying (or in some cases not taking action), but even if I were given the chance to go back and time and change them, I don’t think that I would. I believe that you can only grow as a person if you make mistakes and leave your comfort zone, and having those experiences defines who you are and can make you a stronger person. However, I think that it would be extremely interesting to revisit parts of my life that I don’t remember from a spectators view. For instance, I remember hardly anything from when I was a toddler, so it could be interesting to go back and observe some of those memories.
This made me question what our world would be like if we did possess the ability to go back in time and alter things. I think that if that was possible, our world would be entirely different than it is today. One example is the many wars that have plagued our world’s history. Several major differences are apparent to me if we went backwards in time and altered things so that conflicts were not solved with fighting. Specifically territory, because war often results in the changing of boundaries and formation of new countries and geography also heavily influences culture. These factors can be considered at an individual level as well. Without war, there would inevitably be less loss of life which results in higher population levels and possibly faster industrialization. This would change the lives of so many people in places that are not as developed.
After considering these factors, I wonder if a world without war really is desirable. Of course, world peace seems like great idea, but is it really even achievable? If we could go to the past and fix conflicts not by means of war, would we be living in a more peaceful world today? These are all questions that have sprouted because of this prompt, and I’m not sure if there is a solidified answer for any of them, however it is still interesting to ponder.
Summary
I came across a blog about curious places around the world. The particular post that I found was all about the Crooked Forest, located near Gryfino, Poland. This is a forest that consists of about 400 tress, all mysteriously formed with a near 90 degree angle twist at the base of their trunks. Here is a picture of their odd formation:
This blog post claims that carpenters shaped these trees when they were planted (approximately in the 1930’s) to use for furniture. However, after reading some of the contradicting comments, I became skeptical about the valadity of this statement and decided to do some further research. I found on the Ripley’s Believe It or Not website that these pine trees are indeed a complete mystery. Although the dominant theory is that the forest resulted because of a “man-made curvature”, other less-popular theories suggest that there was some sort of magical factor involved in their odd uniformity. The intriguing explanation that their was some human interference in their formation is further explained here, where it states that a group of farmers intended to harvest them after ten years. However, it is theorized that World War II interrupted their plans.
Response
I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about this forest that is intriguing. There are only a few places in the world that are like the Crooked Forest; places that are characterized by odd qualities with little explanation as to why they are the way they are. For instance, the mystery of Easter Island in Polynesia. Nearly 900 elephantine statues, called moai, were constructed by the Rapa Nui people. We know this, but there is still no solidification as to why the statues were erected in the first place. We explored and assessed some case studies on this in APES towards the beginning of the year, and I was extremely interested in it. I am the kind of person who likes to ponder the possibilities of a situation, but I also want an answer. These kinds of places around the world are frustrating because there is no clear answer as to why they possess these quirks, but at the same time I truly enjoy exploring the theories and possibilities that surround them. Something that I would love to do is a visit one of these mysterious locations. I believe that being able to have that experience would be almost enlightening in a way, because it allows you to see some of natures true mysteries.
Summary
The article that I read was called How art killed our culture, and is primarily focused on how the new age of consumerism that America entered after World War II led to the development of pop culture, which censors emotional depth. It explains in reference to the development of this new age that, “Abstract Expressionism had to die,” and that art was previously used as a tool to convey different perspectives of the world, but has now been seemingly dumbed down this level of higher thinking. The novel, cinema, and drama have all been, for the most part, untouched by the ailment known as pop culture. In fact, the article states that modern day pop culture has become “so popularized that even intelligent people accept that reality television is a form of culture”. For these reasons, the modern world has lost the ability to ponder and methodize new thoughts that people such as Francis Bacon and Mark Rothko once achieved.
Response
Exploring this topic has enabled me to contemplate the effects of pop culture and consumerism on our society. I agree that, compared to eras such as the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, new ideologies and theories seem scarce. I am not entirely sure if the evolution of pop culture is what’s to blame, but I think that it is certainly a contributing factor to this decline in the arts. This post-war period has caused us to adapt a society that revolves around consumerism and the lack of ability to recognize “needs” versus “wants”. Pop art seems to have literally painted a picture that money and mass-media is what is most important. The article implies that reality television is not a form of culture, however I surmise that, although it may not be as sophisticated as some former aspects of the arts that erupted in the past, it is nonetheless a part of our culture. I do not agree that it has “killed” the arts. In fact, it appears simply appears to be a new form of art. This drastic change in the arts is understandably difficult to accept and easily criticizable, but that does not mean that it is any less valuable to the development of our society than art in the past.
Pop Culture in Political Cartoons
This political cartoon is also criticizing pop culture and is implying that it negatively effects our society. Indeed, compared to how things used to be in America, pop culture seems to be full of scandals. Because of the incredible amount of influence that pop culture has on our society, in particular with young people who are still highly impressionable, it is quite alarming to think of what message the media is sending. While young people often accept these things as an absolute and believe that this is “just the way things are”, older people are more likely to criticize this major transformation of mass media, as illustrated in the picture.
Reflection
Considering both of the sources that I analyzed, my conclusion is that art has clearly and evidently changed from what is was in the past. Although it may not be all positive changes, it certainly has some high points. By adapting to our new lifestyle which is based on consumerism and widely dominated by the use of electronics, mass media has become a major influential factor on peoples’ lives. The ability to keep people updated with current events and convey new ideas, just as artwork once did, is especially valuable. So in a way, pop culture replaced art rather than killed it.
While attempting to find an objective article about how we should treat our environment, I realized how difficult it was to accomplish this seemingly simple task. There is a plentiful amount of articles about the environment that are available, but few that presented information from a totally unbiased perspective. However, after a little bit of digging, I found one here that provides different points of view.
Background
We still do not have complete knowledge about how our fragile environment works, but what we do know is that for the past twenty years, our country has been rapidly industrializing. Although this is good for some reasons, such as the fact that it lessens the amount of laborious jobs in fields, it does bring several negative effects, like air and water pollution. Many of these harmful impacts are irreversible, so the best approach is prevention rather than waiting until their needs to be intervention. The article also states that there is a need for not only government involvement and incentives, but individual awareness and action. Using China as an example, we are able to see the harmful effects of pollution in water, soil, and air. Because China is highly industrialized, there is always a risk that factories may release harmful chemicals that can lessen soil fertility. Also, China’s government has come up with a system to reward people who purchase a green car and to “desulphorize” power plants that use coal.
Response
This article is calling for us to better protect our environment by joining together, “government, business, nongovernment organizations and individuals to act with better laws and regulations, better implementation and better behavior of our individuals.” I agree that we need to takes steps towards making our environment healthier, and reduce the negative effects that we are causing. I think that it is especially important for countries like the U.S. and China that are rapidly industrializing to take steps towards the prevention of harmful environmental impacts and begin the implementation of more environmentally-friendly behavior.
Corporations on the Environment
After researching about an objective view on the subject of environmental treatment, I decided to look at another article that presented a different view about this. I found an article about corporations and their effects on the environment as a whole. Although it clearly leaned towards the idea that many corporations are causing negative effects on the environment, it still provided lot’s of valuable information and drew some eye-opening parallels between politics, consumerism, and environmental impacts. It talks about how political systems can seriously impact how corporations treat the environment based on what regulations and laws are put in place and enforced. A major problem that was discussed was when the U.N. created a project in order to get corporate collaboration and sponsorships in development projects while supporting the welfare of the environment. Unfortunately, companies were able to repair their image without actually fixing environmental problems, and it fell under harsh criticism. Although major corporations bring many positives to our lives, “There are countless examples where corporate involvement in various issues could contribute to environmental problems as a result.” This article made me question if people are not as informed as they should be about what some corporations may be getting away with in terms of negative environmental impacts.
Reflection
Reading these two articles has made me think about all of the things that I can do to make a difference in the environment. It can be as simple as trying to drive less. The first and most important step is to simply try to make changes, whether they be big or small. I believe that because our Earth is so fragile, it is imperative that we preserve it and prevent negative effects on the environment as much as possible. Taking steps to raise awareness and even getting the government involved to enforce regulations (in particular with Corporations that are causing harmful environmental discrepancies) is what is really going to help make a difference. Because we all live on the same earth, and we only have so many non-renewable resources, we should treat it as such with respect and caution. Personally I don’t think that means we need to stop industrializing or make other drastic changes, but instead we need to use more caution and try to look for more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
While deciding what to write for this free choice post, I came across a prompt that I thought was both interesting and relatable. Here it is:
Sometimes, we act on impulse: it could be something as small as ordering that special dessert on the menu, maybe asking out that cute boy or girl, or as large as quitting your job and selling everything you own to become a shepard in New Zealand. What’s the most crazy, outrageously impulsive thing you’ve ever done? If you’ve never succumbed to temptation, dream a little. If you gave yourself permission to go a little crazy, what would you do?
First off, I am the kind of person who doesn’t enjoy a lot of change. I heavily rely on routine and structure in my daily life, so I rarely make impulsive decisions. That is not to say that I don’t think about going a little crazy, though. For instance, the other night I was getting frozen yogurt. I always get the same thing every time, but this particular night the machine with the flavor that I so desired was out of order. I was suddenly faced with a dilemma of elephantine proportions- or at least it felt that way in the moment. For some reason I couldn’t bare the idea of trying a new combination. Although I have thought about changing it up a little on multiple occasions, I could never bring myself to do it. To no surprise, this time wasn’t any different and I ended up not getting anything.
In contrast to the comforting feelings I receive from the normalcies of everyday life, “quitting your job and selling everything you own to become a shepard in New Zealand” sounds oddly appealing. Well, not literally. The idea sounds interesting, but I don’t think that I would ever do that. As far as taking the challenge of giving myself permission to go a little crazy, I think that I am going to try it. Not at an extreme level, of course. Sometimes, a little change can be nice and refreshing, so I think that I will benefit from this. I think that a continuos routine can also become laborious and cause people to lack motivation. Also, I think that you can’t better yourself or grow as a person if you never leave your comfort zone.
