Power

Power is the rate at which work is performed or energy is converted, though the connotation of power is commonly perceived negatively. Without power, our world would hold no structure; the world would be nothing like the world we currently inhabit. But what is it that makes the connotation of power half negative and half positive? What power does the word POWER hold that allows it to have an ambilateral meaning?

Power is in the hands of the individual; decided by the individual of what use they will use it for or exert it upon. This concept of power is hard to grapple with, since power can extend past the infinity of evil or the infinity of good. Power is what produces fear, because power cannot be contained and habitually monitored.

Power, without a doubt, gives one strong leader qualities. Whether the leader is a dictator or genuine role model is entirely up to them, this illustrates the endless opportunities of power.

Power is hard to decipher in my life. Of course, in some aspect of life, I hold power, but as the world rotates, my power shifts from object to object. It is hard for me to find a definite power which I can bound and define. I have power over my schoolwork: I can either choose to perform at my best, or disregard my work. I have power over my relationships: I can make efforts to see my friends and family or I can cut myself off from them entirely. Everyone has powers, maybe not superhero powers, but power that lets them regain an insight from elementary physics: transfer their energy and perform work.

The purpose of villains

All commendable stories contain a villain that the story whirls around. Villains serve various specific purposes depending on the story, but nearly all villains share a broad purpose: to ruin or disrupt the protagonists goal or plan.

Without a villain, the protagonists job would be too simple. Without a villain, the story would represent an "ideal world," which clearly no one lives in. By incorporating villains into text, readers have a chance to connect with one of the characters, whether it be the protagonist or antagonist. From a scientific view point, the earth has no true center that it revolves around, and therefore, the earth literally revolves around every individual. From a logical standpoint, humans are selfish and self-centered, and keep their own best interest in mind at all times. This concept ties in to the rational of one reading a story where the villain has robbed the story of its perfection and purity. As humans, we have only grown to know an imperfect world, therefore can only relate to such fiction. Without relation and similarity amongst the text and the reader, the focus and interest of the reader is lost, and thus the story is useless.

Philosophy

LOGIC:

1. How do we rely on our current beliefs to be truthful if the "truths" of our past have been proven false?

2. How do we know that objects in one person's eyes are the same in another's?

EPISTEMOLOGY:

1. How can we prove a thought to be knowledgeable? 

*Dylan was my partner for this in class activity, and posted the other half of our thoughts about ethics and metaphysics.*

Academic Literacy

-Students entering universities in the current era have seemingly one track minds; students thoroughly explore the subjects of their immediate interest.

-Students do not communicate effectively and rely on themselves to retrieve all the necessary answers without reaching out to others.

-Students may have the intelligence that universities require, but they do not have the skills to use their intelligence to their complete advantage; students do not think critically.

Our culture is at fault when it comes down to the way students act in school, specifically on the account of students' who lack critical thinking skills. In America, laziness has become an evident and habitual lifestyle for many. Although many Americans undoubtedly succeed in the cut-throat workforce, many might be afraid to fail when committing to this lifestyle. The slogan "go big or go home" is too prominent in America. Yes, there are ultra successful people like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but they shouldn't be setting the 'standard of living' for the rest of the American people. Our society lacks moderation: either one drowns in complete failure or they swim in mega-success, but there is no happy medium.

Students are most attentive to the subjects they are good at, because there is a good chance they will succeed in that particular subject. This is a major reason for why students do not develop the necessary well rounded skills that universities look for. Students are focusing in on subjects they will most likely pursue later on in life and forgetting the rest of what education is about: developing a set of versatile skills.

The Wanderer Above the Mist

This painting reveals the current point in my life: the start of senior year. Like the man who is standing on a mountain top, I too am on the top of a mountain as I have approached the last quarter of high school. As a senior, one is older than the rest of the school, taller, wiser, and one observes the younger students struggling, just as they had, to reach the top of the mountain.

The Wanderer carries a walking stick, his crutch and aid to help him reach the top. The walking stick symbolizes all the wonderful teachers at BHS that help students get to their senior year. It symbolizes the difficulties one manages in order to reach the mountaintop. Most of all, the crutch symbolizes the strength one develops once they forgo the challenging high school journey. One must fail in order to succeed, and one must move past their disabilities and accept their flaws in order to achieve maximum success. The Wanderer has accomplished his goals despite his ailments.

I have created a blog!

I have created my AP LIT blog. Woohoo! 

I have also been keeping up with my summer reading. I am in love with The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.