Free 10 points yay

Funny quote of the week: "Everyone line up by color!" - Ms. Valentino 2k16

On a more serious note, let's talk about our education system. There's a reason America's education is only ranked 14th in the world. In fact, the highest Western nation on the list comes in 5th (Ranking America). The main problem is that our country fails to distribute the education funds equally to all socioeconomic groups. The gap between each social status is getting bigger and bigger, but the government does nothing about it. As Rebecca Strauss, an associate director of a CFR program, states that "wealthy students are achieving more, and the influence of parental wealth is stronger in the United States than anywhere else in the developed world." While the majority of developed countries invest more resources into lower-income school districts, the U.S. does the exact opposite. Here, most K-12 public schools are funded through local property taxes while the private schools are funded by rich upperclass families.

In STEM fields, the US is ranked 36th globally.

This chasm, however, does not stop at high schools; it continues to get larger in college. The gap in annual per-pupil spending between the most and least selective colleges is now nearly six times larger than 40 years ago. Even though it is becoming increasingly necessary to have a college education for success, fewer people are able to afford the hefty costs to essentially get a piece of paper. This results in a vicious never-ending cycle that will continue through generations. Since the poor parents will never have earned a college degree, they will not make enough money to send their kids to school, in turn causing their kid's kids to not get an adequate learning experience either. America's government needs to find a way to provide higher-quality education for all Americans, rich and poor, without expending the tight budget.

The Budget Brunch

In light of political campaigns going on right now, I have decided to talk about a political cartoon depicting the two different parties. This drawing has both of the animals saying, "Oh, you made this?" and then promptly dumping their "food" to portray how neither one likes what the other one has created. Obviously the elephant here represents the Republican Party and the donkey represents the Democratic Party. The cartoonist has also put a sign in the middle of the table saying "budget brunch" to emphasize that both parties dislike the other's budget plan just because it was produced by their own party. However, neither of them are discarding the wine on the table as they do have a focal point that both parties agree on: to cut spending.

The main message of this drawing is that Congress is at a deadlock when it comes to making a budget plan everyone is happy with. For example, the Democrats believe the "Republicans' reckless spending plan would cost jobs and make communities less safe" (Reid) while the Republicans state that the "Democrats put government budgets before family budgets" (Democrat vs Republican Budget). This point represents the huge chasm between the two parties in Congress and their dislike with one another. They might agree on some ideas but it's overlooked completely, like the wine glass, because they are from different parties. Therefore, the cartoon is bashing both sides of the political spectrum.

The artist is asserting the need for politicians to stop hating each other because of their political party names. If this trend continues, America will not maintain its status as the #1 superpower for long.

Restrain the World?!

Chet Raymo's piece, "A Measure of Restraint," provides tragic anecdotes where curiosity kills the cat (which in this case are a bunch of humans). He argues that "the unexamined quest for knowledge is hemmed with peril" which portrays his worry for the unrestrained advancement of science. Raymo doesn't want new scientific improvement without the necessary precautions and research to back it up. However, I strongly disagree with his stance on this topic.

To me, it seems like Raymo is too afraid of change. You need to take some leaps in order to discover something astounding. If past inventors or scientists had followed his point of view, then we wouldn't have things like electricity or airplanes. Benjamin Franklin and the Wright Brothers both took dangerous risks to advance the human race. Also, diseases and cancers would be ravaging the world because vaccines wouldn't be a thing. If it was up to Raymo, he probably would have declared that the cons outweigh the pros as the vaccines could do more harm than good. He would be too worried about having another incident like the discovery of radium.

I agree that we need some evidence for these projects but being overly careful isn't a good thing. By believing that "Beauty's nothing but the beginning of Terror" (Rilke) is way too pessimistic. Now, I'm not saying that we should suddenly build bigger nuclear bombs or weaponized robots. It's just that being excessively cautious would hold back the world's progress. Go big or go home, right?

Videotape

The piece "Videotape" reminded me of Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle. Just like how the Video Kid was a Lone Ranger by filming the shooting herself, Walls also did quirky things alone during her childhood. It seems like they fare do well at a casino; the Video Kid gambles if she will get a cool video or not and Walls gambles her life with fire. Okay, maybe that wasn't that great of a comparison, but my point is that both stories gave me new perspectives on life and on media profiling. The media profiles the girl in "Videotape" as Video Kid "because they have to call her something" (DeLillo). However, if the media had profiled Jeannette Walls, she would have been seen as an unfortunate child with bad parents. While others might say what I'm about to do is very childish, I don't care; this is my blog.     

I'm going to parody the Pokemon theme song and title it "Videotape". (Sing this with the Pokemon tune and make Videotapes into 3 syllables, not 4:say vi-deo-tapes). Here's a link to the song if you forgot the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ8heSeHX48

Videotapes

I wanna be the very best

Like no one ever was

To film things is my real test

To share them is my cause

I will travel across the land

Filming far and wide

Teaching kids to understand

The message that's inside

Videotapes (Gotta film 'em all), it's the camera and me

I know it's my destiny

(Videotapes!)

Ooh, they's my best friend

In a world we must defend

Videotapes (Gotta film 'em all), a heart so true

Our courage will pull us through

You watch them, and I'll teach you

Vi-deo-tapes!

(Gotta film 'em all!)

Gotta film 'em all! 

Yeah...

Every challenge along the way

With courage I will face

I will film every day

To claim my rightful place

Watch with me, the time is right

There's no better team,

Camera in arm, we'll win the fight

It's always been my dream

Videotapes (Gotta film 'em all), it's the camera and me

I know it's my destiny

(Videotapes!)

Ooh, they're my best friend

In a world we must defend

Videotapes (Gotta film 'em all), a heart so true

Our courage will pull us through

You watch them, and I'll teach you

Vi-deo-tapes!

(Gotta film 'em all!)

Gotta film 'em all! 

Gotta film 'em all!

Gotta film 'em all!

Gotta film 'em all!

Yeah!

Videotapes (Gotta film 'em all), it's the camera and me

I know it's my destiny

(Videotapes!)

Ooh, they're my best friend

In a world we must defend

Videotapes (Gotta film 'em all), a heart so true

Our courage will pull us through

You watch them, and I'll teach you

Vi-deo-tapes!

(Gotta film 'em all!)

Gotta film 'em all! 

Videotapes!

On the Want of Good Grades

DISCLAIMER: I wrote this after getting only 7 hours of sleep this since Friday (basically 7 hours of sleep during the past 65 hours). I hope this makes sense...

Anyways, literally and truly, one cannot get on well in the world without perfect grades. This is what I have been constantly told while growing up. However, after reading "On the Want of Money" by William Hazlitt, I realized a life set on an unhealthy goal is not a life worth living. Now I understand that even if I get good grades and become president of the world, I still might not get into the college of my choice. I can't be scared of failing as high school will become a place of "little credit or pleasure" (Hazlitt).

By junior year, everyone has the formula of good grades=good college=set future drilled into their minds. Grades are like bullies, they make you feel depressed and you end up beating yourself up for getting knocked down by them. Hazlitt's piece about how life becomes a blur is very relatable to high school. During the first week of first semester, I get extremely motivated to study and not procrastinate at all. I think I can "change" from my past habits so it's a very clear period of time. However, as the weeks progress, the year becomes muddy. This middle section goes by without much thought. To put it bluntly, I wake up, go to school, and go to sleep. This mundane schedule shows that "one cannot get much more mechanistic than that" (Didion). By accepting the need of a 4.0 is to "accept, consciously or unconsciously, a deeply mechanistic view of human behavior" (Didion). My actions become reciprocated so many times that I don't feel anything while doing them anymore. I don't get to experience high school to its fullest extent or even hang out with friends. The time between the first and last week of school can be seen as the worst, because I can rarely enjoy pure fun. Finally, at the end of second semester, my memories become clear again due to finals. I gain newfound ambition to give myself the decisive push to an A.

Just like how Horace Miner satirizes the ridiculousness of American culture, I feel as though I am following the "body ritual among the [stneduts]" (aka students). I may believe that this is the best way to succeed, but to other people, it seems like "an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go" (Miner).

  

Silly Bandz: An American Fad

As I was reading Jennifer Price's essay, my first thought was that Americans in the 1950's were weird. I mean who would buy a flamingo when there are so many other cool things out there? But then I realized that I don't have the right to judge these flamingo buyers because I've done the same thing before (not that I have bought fake flamingos but that I have bought into a trend before).

Silly Bandz. Ah these two words bring the feeling of nostalgia. I still remember trying to convince my mom 6 years ago to buy me all the different types of Silly Bandz. These rubber bands were so fun and colorful that all the kids wanted them in 2010. They came in many different themes such as sports, dinosaurs, rainforests, or cars. I think I still have some of them stashed away. Anyways, they were cheap and enjoyable to play with just like how the "sassy pink" (Price) flamingo was "the hottest color of the decade," (Price) showing "leisure and extravagance" (Price). The Silly Bandz parallel the unique popularity of the flamingos as they were once considered boring and mundane. I still can't believe how both of these items became popular just because they were different. The flamingo because it could be "tangerine, broiling magenta...methyl green" (Price) and the bands because of its cheap price and variety.

This is why American culture astounds me as anything can become popular overnight. On the other hand, these types of fads can also die within a few months, never to be seen again. I am very excited to see what else United States culture has in store for us.

The Fault in Our Identity

The search for identity is a journey taken by everyone. The first major "identity crisis" usually takes place during high school-a place where students are trying to determine what they want to do in life. Many teenagers are insecure and scared about their future. They ask themselves, am I going to go to a good college? Am I going to be able to have a bright future? Is this worth it? Meena Alexander's piece, Fault Lines, is very relatable as I feel like high school students, like me, are going through the same issues she mentions in the essay.

Every day I worry about my grades and standardized test scores. My life is composed of waking up, going to school, eating some food, checking schoology, studying, and then going back to sleep. This cycle repeats, making my mundane life even more uneventful. Just like how Meena Alexander "caught [her] two eyes crooked, face disfigured," I see myself littered with flaws. Just like her, I've lived in different cities and countries since birth: Daegu, South Korea; Rochester Hills, Michigan; and now Troy, Michigan. Just like her, I ask myself "what of all the languages compacted in my brain" (Alexander): Korean, my parents tongue, the first language I ever learned; Chinese which I started to study as a middle schooler; and English-the one I picked up from ESL classes.

Daydreaming is also an unhealthy hobby of mine. I imagine scenarios where I become a famous doctor or rich engineer or even a talented athlete. However, I'm fearful that I will never amount to anything, that "everything I think of is filled with ghosts, even this longing" (Alexander). I sit here writing my 11 AP English blog at 11:39 on Valentine's Day, knowing that in a year, my future will be set. All that is left are the same questions that I cannot answer. Will I succeed? What could I ever be but a mere extra in this world? How am I going to discover my true identity in this chaotic society?

After finishing Alexander's work, I just sat down and thought about life. I realized I have two choices going forward: I could either be depressed about my shortcomings, or I could embrace my faults and enjoy life to the best of my ability. I wholeheartedly believe this path is better than slipping back to "the shelter of memory" (Alexander). I want to lead a life where I take charge instead of sitting in the back seat. I will not let my fractured identity hold me back; it will be used as an advantage instead.