3rd Sethe

Disparity in Power Have you ever heard the phrase: “if we all try, we might make a difference to stop climate change!” This is an example of personal action, like riding a bike to school or becoming vegan by choice. In 2004, British Petroleum (BP), a multinational oil giant, unveiled a new metric to track a “carbon footprint.” Their narrative was that big corporations do not contribute to climate change, but individuals are responsible. You are responsible. By calculating and mitigating your carbon footprint, you can help save the planet. Before that point, “carbon footprint” was virtually unheard of. Still, the PR team at BP thought it would be a great decoy to change peoples’ mindsets from regulating highly destructive corporations to pushing the blame to individuals. This PR campaign was highly effective, and you have probably heard that term many times in your life. Although taking personal action will help battle climate change, the people do not have the power to fix climate chan

Effective Memorization As someone occasionally burdened by the task of memorizing scripts and monologues for my drama class, I've noticed a few patterns correlating certain memorization methods to more successful results. I've performed three formal scenes so far this semester; one monologue and two partner scripts. And from experience, certain approaches have definitely proven to be more effective than others, which can also apply to studying for other subjects. https://uploads.letters2president.org/1476557314972-Stress.jpg Meeting memorization check deadlines was significantly more difficult for my monologue performance, which consists of only one person. Working with partners has made the process much faster. What would usually take me several days to memorize alone would take only a handful of rehearsals with duo scripts. Memorization by association has been an effective tool, where certain lines would remind me of side conversations I've had with partners in the past.

All About Memory For the first blog of the quarter, I was not really sure what to write about. I did not really see a direct connection between memory and power, nor did I see alternate interpretations of either the word “memory” or power in relation to memory. So for this week, I just wanted to establish a base on memory and its benefits.  According to MedlinePlus , memory is “the process of storing and then remembering this information.” They also say that memory doesn’t always work perfectly and worsens as you get older. To be honest, I have a terrible memory, and I don’t consider myself old, so I often wonder why I have such bad memory. So, part of writing this blog is to encourage myself to better my memory skills.  I came upon this article regarding the benefits of a good memory, called “Higher grades and other benefits of a good memory.” Of course, I clicked and read the article, because I want higher grades. In it, bestselling author Eran Katz says that students can benefit he

Recently my relatives from India came to visit America, and they are pushing me to speak in my mother tongue Kannada. Kannada was the first language I learned when I was little, and I spoke fluently at a young age. However, after attending schools that taught solely English, my fluency slowly slipped away, and I felt I had lost it. My perception of my ability came out to be false when speaking to my relatives as words and phrases in my native language started rolling off my tongue with ease. How could I retain this information that I had not practiced in many years? When researching this topic, I came across a recurring theme: stimulating the mind to a language at a very young age helps one learn the language better. According to Dr. Sandra, a neurobiologist at Carnegie Mellon University, humans have “gatekeeper circuits” which choose “whether or not to rewire the brain” based on an experience (Patterson). When children are younger, they are in the “critical period, " making it ea

 Riddhika Parmar Week 13 - 3/23/22 Collective Memory  September 11, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. My parents lived through this tragedy, but we were not born yet so we didn’t personally experience it. Americans vowed “never to forget” the day that our nation was attacked. Commemorating this moment in history every year ensures younger generations will collectively remember its significance. Likewise, if you ask people who were alive at the time, they will tell you exactly where they were when President JFK was shot. Younger Americans didn’t experience this event directly but they feel it deeply by virtue of living in American society and hearing news stories and documentaries with images from that horrific day. Unlike these two events above, the 2020 pandemic is an event that we have experienced personally, and our memories exist in a first person point-of-view. The next generation, though, will not have experienced this event. Collective memory , co

Carolin Pan 2022 March 23 Chinese Chinese was the language I was first introduced to and the only language I spoke when I first started talking. But now, although my Chinese skills are deteriorating, the language is still engraved in my mind and memories. I remember the daily Chinese lessons at my rigorous after school program and the summers filled with annual trips to China. Though being bilingual can be quite pleasant at times, there are, of course, difficulties accompanying the learning of a language. Perhaps this blog post will just be me unpacking childhood trauma.  Sorry I really could not find any other good pic to use. There are certain things I will never forget as they happen every year I go to China. The rude comments and uncomfortable stares I get from the people in China, regardless of whether I know them or not. They tell me things like how they think I look too tan to be Chinese. (How do I even respond to that?) When I am with my friends or parents, I take less notice o

Brightest Memories      Memories. When I think of memories, several events flood my head. But the clearest one at the moment is certainly my cousin’s wedding. In February this year, I took two weeks of independent study to travel to India in what had been over 2 years. Not only was the wedding one of the greatest experiences and events of my life, but I was able to see and spend time with family that I hadn’t seen in over 2 years.       I ndia started off with a week filled with doing independent study work and spending time with my cousins when they got home from school/college. Even though we had loads of work to do over the course of that week due to the fact that my cousins also took a week off from school for the wedding, we made the best of the free time we had that week by going to malls, movies, and arcades in the evenings. As the wedding approached and there was only one week left, our family started coming to Chennai from all over India. Thankfully, having finished all our wo

 How Much Can Time Truly Heal Trauma? coloradoservices.org      Reading Beloved and seeing how much of an impact Sethe’s past in Sweet Home has on her present made me interested on how beneficial time truly is in healing wounds and how different people deal with PTSD. Throughout the first few chapters, Sethe is bombarded with old memories of Sweet Home by the smallest of triggers in her life after as a runaway slave. She gives up hope on ever truly moving on from her grief and resigns herself to the fate of being haunted by her past forever. This made me contemplate the potential of Sethe's life had she taken efforts to embrace and move on from her past and if truly moving past the grief of enslavement was ever truly possible. Even when Sethe asked her mom if she should move neighborhoods to hopefully find a more encouraging environment for herself and her daughter, Baby Suggs objects saying that her trauma and memories would haunt her in any house she tried escaping to. While Baby

 Life as a Memory-based Conversation I like to imagine my life as a conversation with myself. As I search through my memories for the events that truly impacted my identity, I find myself lost in the story of my life. Memories are strange in that the older I become, the more their significance changes. My perception of reality expands while my memories stay frozen in time. This conversation I have with myself molds my identity from those memories. I look back at who I was, where I was, or why I did something in order to keep putting my best self forward. Some memories I appreciate for reminding me of my capabilities and desire to combat life, while others remain mentally burdensome, reluctant to fade from my subconscious. Memories forever alter how I perceive the world. Such effects can be seen in the form of nostalgia from memories I could never forget, déjà vu from memories I can never remember, scars from moments ingrained in my heart, fears, regrets, dreams, love, p

                                        Can You Train Your Brain?    https://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-MBG4664-8-Original-Memory-Game-Hasbro/dp/B004LD7KUA When I think of memory, the childhood card game where matching cards with the same symbol is what comes to mind. This is a common game that is introduced to young children for the objective of strengthening memory and simultaneously aiding children in learning the words associated with different symbols ranging from animals, vegetables, and even colors. Children stop playing these games after they reach adolescence, and the next time people generally seek to play memory games is when they become elders and are starting to lose their memory.   While it seems logical to play memory games to prevent memory loss or even postpone dementia, both disorders related to a loss of memory in relation to old age, are these games actually effective in training one's memory?  According to a scientific article on the American Psychological Associ

The PPE Oxford University has a degree called Philosophy, Politics, and Economics  (PPE). People with the degree make up an “astonishing proportion of Britain’s elite” according to The Guardian. Getting the degree immediately boosts graduates’ power and it's an easy ride into the ruling class. Riz Ahmed, David Cameron, Bill Clinton, Elena Kagan, Imran Khan, Rachel Maddow, and Rupert Murdoch all share one thing in common: they have graduated through the PPE program offered at Oxford University.  Despite its apparent acclaim, the degree has recently been called “elitist, impractical, inadequate.” The curriculum doesn’t deal with contemporary issues and often focuses on the past. There is a lot one can learn from the past, but if your entire education is based on history, how can you make modern decisions, especially if you have a high probability of being in charge of public institutions? People also argue that an Oxford PPE degree—a golden ticket into every major institution in the

Death and Decision "The Congress shall have Power . . . To declare War" —U.S. Constitution, Article 1, section 8, clause 11.  The Constitution tries to balance power between branches of government, so how exactly does Congress, the legislative branch, have the power to declare war?  In short, the President must make a formal request to declare war and appeal to Congress through a speech or written report. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs or individual members of Congress have the ability to discourage war through legislation and debate. Congress then gathers and discusses before holding a vote ( “Power to Declare War | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives”). Ultimately it is the Congress's decision whether to declare war. Once a decision is made, neither the executive branch (president, vice president, cabinet, federal law enforcers) nor the judicial branch (Supreme and Federal Court) have the power to overrule.  Every time I learn about War, th

Emily Nguyen Week 14 Decision Every decision we've made in our lives has led us up to where we are now. From major life decisions, to something as simple as choosing , every choice we've made has influenced us to some degree. It is estimated that on average, an adult makes about 35,000 conscious decisions in a day. Yet so many of us, including myself, still struggle with indecisiveness. https://previews.123rf.com/images/stocking/stocking1209/stocking120900794/15444443-retrato-de-un-hombre-pensativo-con-signos-de-interrogaci%C3%B3n-en-torno-a-su-cabeza.jpg      Indecisiveness is defined as a "dysfunctional personality trait characterized by a generalized difficulty to make decisions." It can be caused by a multitude of factors, such as fear of failure, a lack of confidence, or even simply overthinking. Nevertheless, I've noticed that even the simplest of decisions, such as ordering at a restaurant tend to overwhelm me.  Approaching the time of course registration

 Riddhika Parmar Week 12 Hard Power vs. Soft Power According to foreign policy expert Joseph Nye Jr. , soft power deals with using diplomacy or negotiations to persuade another country to do what is essential. And smart power strategies can be most effective because hard and soft power are used together, as we see in the current invasion of Ukraine. Examples of hard power include military bombing, imposing tough economic sanctions, closing air space to Russian planes, or using threats. An example of soft power is what the UN did when the Russian ambassador spoke recently— 100 members walked out  when he spoke in order to demonstrate how isolated Russia has become. Now, after several days of watching the news, I wanted to write about Ukraine’s President Zelensky, who has become an extraordinary president and leader, one who is projecting so much bravery and power through his words, courageous actions and steadfast character. President Zelensky is commanding the attention of the world wh

Stereotype Threat                    For my very last blog of this quarter, I wanted to explore a more societal power—stereotypes. I came across this very interesting article named “ The Terrifying Power of Stereotypes – and How To Deal With Them ,” and I agreed with a lot of their points and actions.  Firstly, it mentions stereotypes like air, “always present.” This signifies the presence of stereotypes at the back of our minds permanently. Trying to escape, it leads to a human phenomenon scientists call “stereotype threat,” referring to a fear of actions that confirm negative perceptions of their own marginalized group. Interestingly, in a study comparing black and white participants’ performance on a diagnostic test, black participants performed worse than their white counterparts when told the test was a “diagnostic,” measuring abilities and limitations; this trend was not visible when this description was omitted from the test.  The article then shows how “stereotype threat” a

Carolin Pan Week 12 Money “Money can’t buy happiness” is a phrase that we hear quite often but is it true? People say that money is not the most powerful nor is it the most important thing in life, but a life without money is arduous and worthless as it will be difficult to attain even the necessities. However, those with an abundance of money but have no direction in life also seem quite miserable. To be honest this is one of those topics that can really be argued both ways.   source: https://time.com/nextadvisor/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/na-how-to-save-money.jpg “Money is a universal medium of exchange” (Rakoczy). Many people tend to profess that they do not care for money as society has deemed the love for money as the root of all evil. A rich individual may be morally corrupt and selfish, using underhanded ways to gain more wealth, but society, blinded by wealth, will still deem them admirable and worthy of praise. Conversely, homeless people are often looked down upon as people a

This week, I reflected on how having a strong mindset affects day-to-day and critical situations. While scrolling through Spotify, I came across the audiobook Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins, and I was mesmerized by the 40% rule he described. The rule describes how even when the body feels exhausted or tries to give up, you are only using 40% of your true potential.  I found Goggins's story fascinating as he overcame the obstacles of being overweight, facing an abusive father, and undergoing chronic stress. Despite facing such challenges, Goggins had a successful career in the military, working in both the Air Force and the Navy  SEALS. Using the lessons he gained from working in the armed forces, he became a top endurance athlete—completing 60 ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons (There Is Only One Goggins). The idea of pushing past one's limits is incredibly potent in the realm of accomplishing one’s goals and dreams. However, small mindset changes can go a l

What the Crisis in Ukraine Means for the US Hegemony PC: independent.co.uk Since the Cold War, the United States has taken it upon itself to become the "guarantor of security" and the country that would not only serve as the role model for democracy but also help other countries maintain peace and democratic values (Guyer). There was a short period of time where the United States was seen as all powerful and Americans got used to the idea that the United States could be consistently successful in influencing and "fixing" other states, especially in Europe. However, the global perception of America as an all encompassing hegemon has been on a decline for decades now. From the United State's superfluous war with Iraq and failure to fend off the Taliban in Afghanistan, experts are questioning the status of the United States' power and how the Ukraine crisis may affect it.  There have been some contentions that the United States purposefully incited the Russia i

  How Important is Power? When we think of power, we think of it as the power people hold. Even being teenagers, our minds don’t go to the power that is being used to run all the necessities of life such as electricity first. Well, how important is power? In both aspects. Let's start off with the power that people hold. Is it important? Honestly even though it is abused at times, we fail to realize that it’s crucial to keep this world stable to a certain level. If there was no one that had the power to enforce rules on citizens, every individual would do exactly what they felt was right to them and it would lead to a world full of chaos which could potentially lead to the end of this universe. Until I thought deep into it, I realized how much I talked about individuals having power as a negative circumstance. In all honesty, even if this world isn’t perfect, power is holding up this world in a large amount of ways. For example, if we didn’t have enforced speed limits, everyone