iSchool

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/how-technology-has-changed-education/

What stands out in this article is the very awkward style of writing, starting with a sentence that is a dependent clause: “Can make things a little easier by automating them.” The author is also vague in his points, overusing analogies and examples without explicitly saying his ideas. However, despite the broken english and unique style of writing, the author conveys very relevant points about the importance of technology in our everyday lives and discusses how teachers can take advantage of technology to improve the learning experience. Choate, being an elite boarding school, utilizes a lot of things the author points out. For instance, the author talks about the mobility of learning, which has been realised for a long time at Choate. The school use apps such as Canvas and Outlook to help organize class files and help students communicate with their teachers outside the classroom. Classes could potentially take place without physically gathering with the use of with technology. The author also mentioned the importance of using different media to make work more convenient. Mr. Arcand, an english teacher at Choate, is known for his peculiar style of teaching and usage of all types of media. He has his students to make vlogs, blogs, drawings, interactive images instead of simply writing them out on Word or Pages and even encourages them to spread and advertise their work using social media. As you have probably guessed, this response to the article was an assigned by Mr. Arcand. This style of teaching may not suit all teachers, but it has many advantages in helping students become accustomed to modern tools. The styles of teaching that this article suggests may not be suited for all teachers, but they should at least be considered given the technology we have today.

Sexism in the Workplace: Why?

Although I was aware of gender disparity in the workplace, I was shocked to see the exact figures of the wage gap between male and female Ivy League graduates in a recent article by the Huffington Post. Even Ivy League graduates experience a wage gap of upwards of $50,000 per year. Just because women are subjected to better working conditions than ten years ago does not mean we have established a system in which women and men are treated equal. This article showed that even women that are deemed to be the most educated in our society are not able to contend for the same pay as men.

The first identifiable cause for the massive pay gap between men and women is how jobs are labelled in society. People subconsciously relate jobs with genders, through exposure that is hard to discern consciously. I remember perceiving in elementary school, although there was no logical reasoning behind it, certain jobs as “girl jobs,” such as teachers, and others as “boy jobs,” such as bankers. Humanities and social sciences are deemed feminine, and STEM subjects and hard sciences are deemed masculine. According to the article, a majority of women choose to major in humanities or social sciences, losing the opportunity to have higher paying jobs in the STEM industry because of this preconception. Even within students of the same major, “women often end up taking less lucrative jobs after school.”

It was relieving to read that universities have identified these problems, and are working to encourage women to major in STEM subjects. I consider myself lucky to be attending a school that enables students to explore a variety of interests, and is investing in a state-of-the-art STEM facilities. But I also know that a lot of people are not as lucky as I am. I hope by the time I have my own job, the landscape of the working world looks drastically different from what it looks like now for both my generation and for future generations to come.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ivy-league-income-gap-by-gender_55f860c0e4b00e2cd5e82ae2?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067

NYPD's Actions Prior to the Pope's Arrival

9/29/15

Response to ThinkProgress’ article “NYPD Expels Homeless People Encamped near Pope Visit Site”

Pope Francis’ first time setting foot in the United States has been one of the most talked about news stories for the past few weeks. This Papal visit will have been very important for many Catholics within America. However, prior to the Pope’s arrival in Harlem, the New York Police department forced a number of homeless people to leave an area of the city. The homeless were warned that they would be arrested if they didn’t follow these rules. Many people viewed the police’s actions as wrong. The homeless should be treated just like regular people should, and the Pope’s visit shouldn’t have been affected by them. It’s somewhat ironic, because forcing homeless to leave seems like exactly the kind of thing that the pope wouldn’t want. Along with this, many people in the city of Harlem aren’t Catholic, so why should they view the Pope’s visit as something that matters to them?

Certain people believe that the police are using the Pope’s arrival as an excuse to remove the homeless from that are of Harlem. The NYPD has dispersed people in that area before multiple times. The police department has stated that this was done in an effort to help the homeless find housing. This brings up another topic about whether or not the police’s procedures of dispersing the homeless are right. Police should not do this to the homeless, because it doesn’t cause as much good as they would expect, and it only becomes an inconvenience for the homeless. Overall, the police should really rethink their actions against the homeless, whether or not it has anything to do with Pope Francis.

Why not every child should go to college

Why not every child should go to college

Vocational High Schools are the solution to one of our youth’s biggest problems; college. There are millions of students who were forced into college by their parents, driven mad with student loans, and ended up getting a job such as a plumber, electrician, or the hundreds of other professions offered in Vocational high schools. These students are most likely not going to get higher pay or special treatment because they went to college, and they will only have to carry with them loans for the next decade or so. It does not help that so many colleges have requirements, forcing someone who knows they will be a mechanic or a hairdresser, to learn about Homer and Linear Algebra. Although there is something to be said for exposing students to every opportunity possible, they are not going to realize their life goal during french two hundred. Our college system still strives to produce well rounded, collared shirt wearing boys, who know Latin and can recall Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, however we are then sending them into a world where you can not impress your interviewer with your suit choice because it is a Skype session, where manners leave no impression on your boss that wears a T-shirt to work. We are in a new world. In order to navigate higher culture today, language and math requirements should be replaced with computer navigation and taxes 101. Vocational high schools offer students the choice of their own future. They still can take calculus, French, whatever they want, however their core classes are centered around what their life will actually be like. It would be great if every child became a physicist or doctor, but not everyone is meant for that.. College should not be expected today, and Vocational High Schools should be looked to more often as solid futures.

Happiness Myths

While therapist Sherry Amatenstein’s article “Everyone wants to be happy. Almost everyone is going about it wrong,” attempts to expose the variety of mistakes made in the pursuit of happiness, it fails to live up to its premise. Instead, through a series of repetitive and unfulfilling examples, the article repeatedly emphasizes a single, unimpressive thesis. This compilation of the common myths about happiness is formatted in a list style, supposedly outfitted with six different mistakes made when finding happiness. However, the items on this list are far from unique; Amatenstein lists “[They won’t be happy if] they keep saying ‘I’ll be happy when…’” (Amatenstein “Happiness Myths”) and “They think a four star meal… will make them happy” as two distinct points, as if expectancy and materialism are distinct entities. Though these two points could’ve easily been combined into one category, they’re instead haphazardly strewn at different points in the article, each complete with a long-winded and analysis-strewn dialogue from a patient who has experienced this issue. Due to the word-count requirements of list articles, this repetitiveness would be excusable if Amatenstein was actually saying something. Instead, the article reads more like the words of an optimist than a therapist, complete with discussions about a patient’s “inner warrior spirit” and the parallels between Amatenstein’s dog and happiness alike. Despite its attempts to the contrary, this repetition and filler makes Amatenstein’s article a test on the reader’s happiness itself.

The Elimination of the SAT

The Elimination

By: Jack B.

Having low SAT and ACT scores is a common worry that plagues the minds of high school students across the United States. The financially-advantaged invest thousands of dollars in tutors and preparatory classes which makes the process resemble a game. A great deal of the SAT, in particular, requires memorization and does not assess a student’s ability to learn. Colleges (and universities) would generally prefer a student body that has a certain set of moral standards and capacity for acquiring knowledge. Neither of which does the SAT or ACT test assess. Thus, Hampshire College, in Western Massachusetts, went one step further than making the inclusion of test scores optional, but eliminated them from the application process. The school justified this by sharing how their most recent class (which is the first under this new set of guidelines) is the most diverse and, although the school received less total applications, the applications of the freshmen class were superior to those of years past. This is because the school emphasized essays and short answer questions in the acceptance process. Hampshire College sacrificed their school’s rankings in order to ultimately create a community based off more than just a test score. I support their action, not only because I am about to embark on the college application process, but because the SAT and ACT are a flawed way of assessing one’s character and capabilities.

What Will Really Make America Great Again

Link to Article: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/vocational-education-high-school-philadelphia/407212/?utm_source=SFTwitter

This kind of high school, one which prepares students to go out into the world and get a job, should be more common. High Schools now are gearing students to go to college more than in past generations. Many students go to college and do not have the money for it, so they take out student loans. These loans will get larger and larger, it takes people years to pay them off. Graduates of colleges often do not immediately get employed. However in this high school, students are engineered for success. There was even a class that had a 100% success rate where all senior got jobs. Programs such as these high schools actually help students for what is ahead, and not just for college. Instead of students getting anxiety over grades for classes that they will never need, students can receive knowledge and information that will benefit them for years to come. We need more of these high schools all around the country, it will benefit everyone involved.

Becoming More Productive in the Busy World of Social Media

Social media is a major aspect in the lives of people around the world. It increases external communication, allowing users to share details about what is going around them with friends, families, or just more people that don’t have access to the given information readily available to them. As an avid social media user, one can use their time in a positive or negative manner, depending on how they express their thoughts and emotions on the internet. In the article, “Five Types of Social Media Influencers,” by Raymond Morin, the characteristics of social media users are categorized in a chart by klout.com. In this chart, users are categorized into different sections that express how each individual uses their accounts to spread their message. For example, the chart names two categories as “curator” and “celebrity.” These two, of twelve, subdivisions each define an aspect of social media sharing that is specific for the given title. A “celebrity” is described as a person who is up to date on the latest information and “has the height of influence,” (Morin) as compared to a “curator” who develops on undiscovered topics and brings them to light. Morin uses this article as a way to shed light on the highly broadcasted topic of social media. This topic is one of high controversy, as several people are not in favor of social media and how much time is spent on it. By writing this article, Raymond Morin expands on the benefits of social media and how everyone can create their own name for themselves in this new and upcoming world of technological advancements.

Christina Cauterucci Contradicts Herself

My Response to Feminism and Christina Cauterucci’s Article

In the title of her article, Christina Cauterucci asks the question, “Why are we always asking rich famous ladies if they are feminists?” But why would we not ask rich famous ladies if they are feminists? Cauterucci writes, “The feminist movement is broad and strong enough to serve both of these women…” but yet she questions the validity of the two rich and famous women, who are supposed to be served by the feminist movement. Cauterucci contradicts herself by saying that these women are supposedly served by the feminist movement, but that they do not deserve to voice their opinions about the cause. The problem with the feminist movement is the lack of a set definition of feminism. Everyone has their own idea of what feminism is and they form their opinions accordingly. If the feminist movement had a clear cut set of goals and a more universally understood definition of feminism, the world would be better informed and each person would be able to decide their standings on one, universal concept. Currently, people are hearing different definitions from different people and are becoming confused about the true meaning of feminism. It is impossible for them to have a true opinion on a topic that they do not completely understand. Until the movement's goals are clear and the people are informed, it is not fair to judge or persecute people based upon their opinion on an unclear definition of feminism.


Further reading: "Why Are We Always Asking Rich Famous Ladies If They Are Feminists?"
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/09/29/marion_cotillard_says_she_s_not_a_feminist_should_we_care.html

Education That You Can Use

On September 24, The Atlantic published an article examining a high school where getting into college was not the goal. A headline that leaves not only Choate students flabbergasted but many adults and parents as well. The Randolph Technical High School in Philadelphia teaches its students English, Math, and Science similar to other schools; in addition students also choose a discipline. These disciplines are all areas that teach skills students can learn right out of high school, for example dental assistance, cooking, and welding. This approach to learning seems to answer the age old question, “When will I use this in real life?” students ask all too often. Randolph has seen an increase in graduates since implementing the program and still sends 40% of graduates off to a four year college program. The program is geared toward teens with learning disabilities who were unable to excell in the normal public school program. The program shows impressive statistics in comparison to other Philadelphia high schools and gears students with live skills. Most students who do not continue with their education have a job right out of highschool making $40,000 to $50,000 per year; compared to the average 18 year old making anywhere from nothing to $10,000 these students have considerably raised the bar. Randolph has proved that it is entirely possible to set students up with life skills while filling graduation requirements. Unfortunately, this method of educating teens doesn’t seem to be picking up speed, though demand to enter the program is high. As stated in the article “it isn’t PC to say, ‘After high school you don’t have to go to college.’” This is an interesting point given that as a society we have attached a negative stigma and dump, and poor to people who haven’t finished or gone to college. There is a huge need for employment in the US instead of leaving young people unemployed and in debt after college, America should destigmatize and make it an option for young people to skip college in favor of a career straight out of high school.

Pope comes to New York City

In order to prepare for the Pope's arrival, the NYPD kicked all of the homeless out of the streets. The pope visiting the United States for the first time in taking his position is a huge event. The police threatened to ticket anyone who did not vacate the area that the pope was walking into this past week. The homeless have nowhere to go and they have developed their homes where they were staying a few blocks from where the pope was visiting. This was the first time that Pope Francis was visiting the United States in his time of being the Pope. The New York Police Department went to extreme measures when the homeless refused to leave their chosen spots by threatening them with tickets as well as put up metal spikes where the homeless people slept so that they could not return. Later in the day when the Pope arrived, he discussed that it is everyone's duty to help the poor and New York had done quite the opposite. The NYPD got rid of the homeless where the Pope would be visiting, sweeping them to the side. The homeless were furious because their homes were being disregarded and as one argued in an interview, "they are our homes, the pope doesn't live here, we do." If New York City wants to be seen in a good perspective by the Pope, they should build affordable living establishments rather than kicking them off to the side. 

https://twitter.com/nicole_mcguigan/status/648866752626081792

Everyone wants to be happy, but people are going about it wrong

After reading Sherry Amatenstein’s article about how “Everyone wants to be happy,” I was able to apply what she said to my own life on a profound level and provoked some of my own thoughts on how to be happy. It is true, me, along with the rest of the world, yearns to be happy. We try so hard to attain happiness that we even forget to enjoy life in the present.

Growing up, I was never content with anything. That included my grades, my extra-curriculars, my family, and sometimes my social life. This was partly due to my parent’s idea of a “perfect” life. My father wanted me to invest all my time in academics and get good grades so that I could succeed in the future. On the other hand, my mom wanted me to participate in many extracurricular activities to find something I was passionate about. So I had an extremely busy childhood, trying to work hard yet fit all my extra curricular activities into the week. And with my extracurriculars, I never seemed to be good at anything whether it was arts or a sport, so these activities hardly brought me joy.

Although my Mom wanted me to do so many extracurriculars, she still wanted me to be happy. However she believed that my happiness came from materialism. Almost everyday, I came home from school with a gift waiting for me. It could range from something as minimal as a bar of chocolate, to a new IPhone. Initially, I enjoyed receiving all these gifts, but as time passed, I was never content. I learned from this that the more presents I received I became less satisfied, and the less special they seemed to be.

I was so invested in finding happiness that I even invested research into it. I came up with a list of reasons on how to attain happiness.

I thought that by completing and this, I would find eternal happiness. But I was wrong. The most important thing about happiness is that it can never be permanent. So by accepting that fact, and “living in the moment” rather than anticipating for your next vacation or new phone, you’ll find a longer-lasting, but not permanent, bliss.

Reaction to Article about Claire Boucher (a.k.a Grimes)

Grimes (also known as Claire Boucher) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Her style is unique, but she has been called “the next Lady Gaga,” due to her eccentric outfits, unusual voice, and her image in general. A few of her inspirations are Bikini Kill and Mariah Carey, proven by the fact that she enjoys playing “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey during her d.j. sets (even in August). Having only heard Grimes’ music (songs like “Genesis” and “Oblivion”) and watched her interviews and music videos, it is strange and exciting to get a glimpse of her thought process. She is passionate about her beliefs, in feminism, social injustice, and environmental issues. She is also very self-critical, judging her music harshly, trying to create a final product that meets her expectations. This is evidence that people who are very talented at what they do, who are even famous for it, still struggle with self-criticism. Grimes’ songs are inspired by her favorite genres of books, sci-fi and fiction, and it definitely shows in their haunting vocals and unusual sounds. She tends to avoid pop, her songs are darker, with lyrics that are often hard to interpret. Some songs stray towards EDM, but most are quieter, and almost eerie.

In this article, Pop for Misfits by Kelefa Sanneh, Grimes allows readers a glimpse into her life, both onstage and off. She admits to once telling her Catholic school classmates that she was the devil, and then spider-walking like Linda Blair down the stairs. This eccentricity (and morbidity) hasn’t faded as she’s grown older. Despite loving what she does, Grimes does have moments of exhaustion, sickness, and embarrassment, like any other person, and faces the fear that accompanies live performances every time she gets on stage. Grimes didn’t expect her song “Oblivion” to become famous, and now doesn’t really like to listen to it, due to the fact that the lyrics allude to a scarring assault she’d prefer to forget. Each time she performs it, she has to think about a traumatic experience. This article reveals a genuine, “normal” side of Claire Boucher, a side that isn’t shown when she performs under the name Grimes. This description of her life, entrance into the music industry, writing process, and experience with fame makes me appreciate her so much more. The fact that she hides when her Thai food is being delivered to avoid recognition, or that she has a Mongolian flag on her bedroom wall (in tribute to Genghis Khan, about whom she was considering writing a song), adds depth to my image of her. Grimes has always been an artist I admired and was curious about, but after reading this article, I have some new insight into the mind of Claire Boucher, and what it’s like to be Grimes.

Does Money Make you Mean?

September 29, 2015

Tweet Response 

Does money make you mean? Research into how people behave when they feel wealthy http://bit.ly/1zWpNfn 

    Based on the experiment Paul Piff and others did, rich people act differently than poor people. The wealthier you are, the more entitled you feel to that wealth. Therefore you are more likely to prioritize your own interests above the interests of other people. Paul Piff did an experiment with the Monopoly board game. With the flip of a coin, that would decide who would be able to get twice the amount of money and would be able to roll the dice more often. In the Monopoly experiment, the richer man got progressively more arrogant and rude as the rigged game went on. They enjoyed showcasing how well they were doing in front of the other player. As a person's level of wealth increases, their feelings of compassion and empathy go down, and their feelings of entitlement and deservingness increases.  

Can Game Theory Help to Prevent Rape?

Rape is a horrible, inhumane crime that can damage a victim deeply. Furthermore, a recent poll highlights the underreporting of sexual assault. In general, there are four recurring reasons for this: victims don’t want to draw attention to themselves or their assaulters, are worried they won’t be believed, don’t know who to go to, or don’t know if the incident would constitute as rape.

The site Callisto was created to address this issue. Once an assault report is written, it offers three options: to save the report, to sent it to authorities, or to send it to authorities only if someone else has also filed a report on the same person. This third option is especially interesting because even if the person assaulted has the concerns described earlier, they can still report the crime. Each person reports incidents independently, decreasing the likelihood of them being accused of writing “copycat” reports.

The game theory that the title suggests appears to have a minimal role in this site; it sounds like it’s simply making use of statistics. Nonetheless, Callisto is an excellent example of someone observing an issue, examining polls, identifying recurring problems and then coming up with one possible solution.

All in all, this appears to be a clever idea, and it will be put on a trial at the University of San Francisco as well as Pomona College this year. Hopefully, this site will encourage anyone subject to assault to speak out.

Acknowledging Climate Change's Worst-Case Scenario

Nell Greenfieldboyce’s article, “What Would Happen If We Burned Up All Of Earth’s Fossil Fuels?” is a non-biased piece in which the dangers of global warming -- and the likelihood of it-- are discussed. The article states that if all of Earth’s fossil fuels were burned,  Antarctica would melt. The sea level would rise 160-200 feet, and the most of the world’s major cities would be underwater. However, some scientists feel burning the entire supply of fossil fuels is unlikely, and therefore worrying about this disastrous outcome is unnecessary. Although it may not be directly applicable in the future, the knowledge that our current sources of energy could lead to our demise is important to communicate. By telling-- and scaring-- people about the worst case scenario, the demand for clean energy would rise. The world would become a more healthy place. More efficient energy sources would be discovered, and we would eliminate the threat of apocalyptic flooding. Predictions such as the dramatic rise in sea level motivate people to realize the harm that their current actions is causing and make a change.

No Need to Post a Facebook Copyright Status

In recent news, many Facebook users are being tricked into thinking that they need to copyright their personal photos and videos. Facebook statuses encourage you to post  legalish language in hopes that it will shield your personal photos, videos, and information from copyright violations.  Although this is not a scam, meaning that no other people benefit from this, Facebook users are still posting about copyright laws and their intentions to take legal action if their rights are violated. Similar hoaxes have been repeated for years and cause a surge in Facebook posts. The same message exploded people’s feeds this past January as well. Unfortunately, Facebook users do not know that if they want to make their accounts private, they can! They just have to follow the simple steps by going to the “Privacy Shortcuts” page and click on the lock on the top of the screen. If you are concerned about what information is on your Facebook account, make sure you review Facebook’s Terms of Service and adjust your privacy settings!

Station Eleven: A Difficult but Fascinating Read

Station Eleven: A Difficult but Fascinating Read

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is a post-apocalyptic novel that opens up with the death of an actor performing “King Lear” in Toronto. Shortly after, “the Georgia flu”, a deadly, infectious disease spreads throughout the world, killing off most of the population and destroying human civilization. One survivor group, the Traveling Symphony, is comprised of various musicians and actors who perform Shakespeare for other survivors of the virus. Their motto, taken from Star Trek, is “Survival is insufficient.” The novel also focuses on another survivor group, which has built a mini-community at an airport, and although it cannot be compared with the modernity of society before the outbreak, it is still quite impressive, considering the circumstances. Through the long-standing devastation that one disease caused all of mankind, Mandel expresses that today’s civilization is paper-thin, and that there "had always been a massive delicate infrastructure of people, all of them working unnoticed around us, and when people stop going to work, the entire operation grinds to a halt. No one delivers fuel to the gas stations or the airports. Cars are stranded. Airplanes cannot fly. Trucks remain at their points of origin. Food never reaches the cities; grocery stores close. Businesses are locked and then looted. No one comes to work at the power plants or the substations, no one removes fallen trees from electrical lines.” Mandel forces the reader to appreciate the lives they live now, compared to the misery and suffering experienced by the various characters in the novel. Just the thought of the world coming to a stop, with everything that we’ve ever known taken away from us in a matter of days, makes the hairs on one’s back stand up. Mandel’s simple and elegant use of language paired with the depressing circumstances makes this a heart-rending and difficult book to read. One would often find themselves shutting the book to give themselves a break, as thinking too much about the world of Station Eleven can be distressing.

            Mandel further reminds us of the delicacy of our world as the narrator says," so many species had appeared and later vanished from the earth; what was one more?” Reading this, it is difficult for someone not to feel hopeless. For one who might have thought that the pain experienced by the people in the novel was somehow special, Mandel shuts them down with this quote, putting humankind alongside every other species that has went extinct. It is simply inevitable, basic, natural, and it makes the situation seem even more miserable. For some, the gloomy atmosphere of the book might be a bit too much to handle, but this just further shows Mandel’s ability to convey the despair dominating her world of Station Eleven.

Even though the characters in the book have survived, they truly stand by their belief that “survival is insufficient.” (Mandel)  The survivor group and the Symphony struggle with the basic needs to life, but they still are able to appreciate the fact that they are alive. The Symphony’s journey through the wasteland, and their performances for other survivors are inspiring, showing us that there is always hope, even in a world as desolate and bleak as the one in Station Eleven.

Overall, Station Eleven was quite a heavy and emotional read, especially in the first half, but soon the reader will find bits and pieces of hope throughout the storyline. Mandel’s use of language fits the theme of the story, but because of her intricate descriptions, the reader might feel a bit overwhelmed by the emotions she conveys through her novel. 

The Evil of Racism

Racism is unfair and has long lasting effects on the victims. According to an article on MotherJones, there can be an effect on health later in life for those who experience racial discrimination as an adolescent. The article describes a study from Northwestern University, and states, “Researchers found that adults who had reported higher levels of discrimination when they were young had disrupted stress hormone levels 20 years later” (Canon). Racial discrimination is an issue that plagues this nation, and some people face situations where they are treated differently solely because they belong to a race that is different from the majority population in an area. Racism can be especially detrimental to the self esteem of young children, and the long term effects vary from trouble sleeping, to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Everybody deserves respect, and nobody should be put into an uncomfortable situation where they are being mistreated because of their race. All people should be informed about the destructive effects of racism, and it should be a concern for people across the country. Another devastating effect of racism mentioned in the article explains how even the anticipation that one might be racially discriminated leads to the negative health responses. Racism must be eradicated, because the effects will only disappear when all people feel safe and confident that they will never find themselves in a situation where they will be discriminated. Racism is harmful to one’s self assurance, and if everyone was informed about the damaging long term effects of racism, hopefully they would put more focus on eliminating this evil form of discrimination from the world. Imad Rizvi 9/28/15

Jobs over College.

Randolph Technical High School is a place dedicated to creating a successful career for their students. Unlike many high schools, Randolph is centered around the interests of their students, college is not the main goal, but instead work. The school has many partnerships with large corporations that help build relationships with students interested in working in a specific field. The average CTE student is earning between 40 and 50 thousand dollars out of High School.This successful tactic comes with a down side, the CTE program is becoming so popular around the city of Philadelphia that schools are unable to provide equipment and proper teaching for such a large amount of students. The focus of the CTE programs are the culinary arts, including dentistry, carpentry, automotive repair, vending, or health care. The way that these schools handle students that may not be able to afford college or a privileged opportunity is extremely impressive. It provides a brighter future for students and creates a greater purpose for the reason people go to school in the first place.

Tobias Wolff: On Doing Poorly in School Reaction

Nick Microulis

Tonight, I watched “Tobias Wolff: On Doing Poorly in School.” Although this may seem cynical, it's a video that Choate students could definitely relate to and learn from. Wolff talks about how even though he failed out of his prep school and never went to college he was still able to accomplish what he wanted. At a school where grades are taken far too seriously by students and things are done only in accordance with what colleges will like, it was refreshing to hear something contrary. You don’t need to stress yourself out over grades and assessments because in the end it really doesn’t matter. Yet I do this to myself often here, as does almost everyone I know. This isn’t healthy and it sure isn’t necessary. Wolff reaffirmed some thoughts I’ve been having recently. These thoughts aren’t Choate in any sense, Choate is not the problem, instead these thoughts are mainly they are reflective. My grand realization, although incomplete and in need of tinkering is that in order to succeed happily at Choate, you need to take everything week by week, day by day even. If you don’t you’ll be overwhelmed, but most important is to remember that in the end this is just high school. Are you going to be happy if you get into an Ivy, but spent the prior four years stressed and not having fun? As Tobias Wolff explained his video, you’ll be able to accomplish the important things in life with or without diplomas, you can be happy and successful without forcing unnecessary stress on yourself.

Sherry Amatenstein's Take On Happiness

Being a therapist, Sherry Amatenstein comes in contact with many people who have unrealistic expectations of happiness.  Many of them believe being happy is a permanent state of mind, and that one single event can turn a life full of sorrow and depression into bliss.  What Sherry will inform every one of them is this is not the case; a happy life is a result of a positive outlook, and is still one that has negative occurrences along the way.  More importantly, Sherry helps them how they can make a difference in the happiness level in their own lives, not by telling them what they should do, but by telling them what they should not do.  This is an extremely useful tactic because it addresses the problem directly by informing unhappy individuals of what exactly they can change about their lives to make improvement.

College Bound?

In the article, “A High School Where College Is Not the Goal,” Gillian B. White presents a high school called Randolph Technical High School that does not necessarily focus on ensuring their students go to great colleges. For example, Johnika Tavares just graduated recently from this high school and now takes classes at nearby college while also working as a home health aide. This school wants to make sure their students are stable when venturing off into the real world with the potential to still take college courses. The head of Randolph’s welding program, Joe Williams, says all of his seniors who graduate maintain a stable career in their interest while potentially taking college classes. These seniors will be graduating while also making about $45,000-$50,000 a year. This program makes sure that these graduating students are secure and are simultaneously pursuing a career that they enjoy. It becomes complicated to understand a school such as Randolph Technical High School compared to a college-preparatory school like Choate that focuses massively on guaranteeing that their students enter prestigious colleges and universities. Randolph Technical instead wants the students to have options and not be limited to the only certain path that can possibly be risky or uncertain.

Police Program tries to Pinpoint Foreshadowing Crime

Everyday people commit crimes and everyday people are sentenced to jail. In 2012, it is approximated that 12,196,959 people were arrested worldwide. With a motive to minimize crimes, the Kansas City police has created a program named The Kansas City No Violence Alliance. Their main goal is to prevent crimes from happening. They do this by using a strategy called predictive policing. The police keep lists and computerized algorithms to track people who are considered to be likely involved in any crime. Although foreshadowing crime seems like it would result in less violence and would potentially save lives, it is questionable whether or not it is moral. It is debatable whether tracking someone with close detail, because they have committed previous crimes or because they are linked with certain people, is ethically correct. Previous criminals could have turned a new leaf and could have changed for the better. They do not need the police’s scrutiny. Others would oppose this view by arguing that predictive policing is needed to make the world a safer place. This is reasonable, but only if the program does not go out of hand. There is a fine line between morally correct and unethical, and a movie called Minority Report depicts how the police went too far with predictive policing. Minority Report centers on a future society where the police are able to arrest murderers before they commit their crime, but a policemen questions the morality of the program when he himself is accused of murder. Hopefully, today’s predictive policing stays within the moral confines of humanity.

link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/us/police-program-aims-to-pinpoint-those-most-likely-to-commit-crimes.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Station Eleven: Dystopic and Clever

Station Eleven: Dystopic and Clever
Nick Microulis

With the reading of Emily St John Mandel’s novel, Station Eleven complete, it is time to recognize both the good and the mediocre. Throughout the book, Mandel uses fantastic diction to create thought provoking one liners and intense, yet concise descriptions. One such description occurs in chapter 13 where there is short passage that describes “Miranda at seventeen...” (Mandel 77). In this description the author’s word choice is important as it creates a dramatic image. Mandel writes, “she is preternaturally composed, and very pretty, pale with grey eyes and dark curls” (Mandel 77). The word preternaturally is an excellent choice for the description of Miranda. Literally the word means that which appears outside the natural. By writing this the author has put into the mind of the reader that Miranda is special, that she lies outside the norm. The rest of the physical description is also key, “pale with grey eyes and dark curls” (Mandel 77). Mandel’s word choice for Miranda’s physical description is well done, allowing the reader to truly picture her for the first time in the novel. The next part of her description is by far the most interesting in terms of the author’s diction. The author writes, “She comes into the restaurant in a rush of cold air, January clinging to her hair and her coat, and Arthur is immediately struck by her poise” (Mandel 77). The idea of her entering with “a rush of cold air” makes her entrance feel refreshing for Arthur as if putting him into a new state of mind or waking him up. The idea of January clinging to her hair and her coat helps to set the scene, specifically just how cold it is where they are. Lastly, that Arthur is “struck” by Miranda’s poise affirms that Miranda's presence and entrance into his life hit him hard, and unexpectedly. Mandel’s diction and voice within this descriptive passage and throughout the entire novel helps to create important scenes such as this one.

Mandel’s one liners contributed heavily to the positive side of the novel. The best one liner being “Hell is the absence of the people you long for” (Mandel). This quote is important and an example of Mandel’s strength as a writer. She connects her characters with the audience through a single line, a line with which everyone can identify with. People all over the world feel pain for those they cannot be with. Knowing this Mandel takes this emotion to the nth degree through the loneliness of her characters in the world of Station Eleven. By doing so Mandel creates a line that both moves the reader emotionally and connects the reader to the book. Another powerful one liner has a more sinister affectation, Mandel writes, “No one ever thinks they’re awful, even people who really actually are. It’s some sort of survival mechanism” (Mandel). Thought provoking and struck with cynicism this line makes the reader wonder, about the characters in the book and even about themselves and people they know. Mandel is able to connect characters such as the prophet through his ignorance of his own evil to experiences that the reader may share.

As with all books there are positives and negatives, the good and the bad. Although Station Eleven has many positives its underlying issues lie within the structure of the novel and some other choices made by Mandel within the story itself. Where one would expect to find survivalist stories of hunting, gathering, starvation and dehydration you are instead met with a group of survivalists who these problems rarely affect. It would have been interesting for the author to include parts where would was being gathered, the musicians were hunting or searching in need of water.

Lastly, the change in time and character what seemed to be every chapter was very irritating to read. As soon as the reader became invested in a character's story line, the chapter would end and the story line would change, creating an unnecessary irritation. Despite these problems, however, Mandel has been able to craft a thought provoking novel, rich with description and an engaging storyline.

Station Eleven Clark Devoto

If Emily St John Mandel was a character in her new book Station Eleven she would definitely be Kirsten, a seemingly innocent girl that tries to create order in the post apocalyptic world she lives in, and ultimately flounders. She may seem different or special, but all the options in her current situation have already been overused. The only way either of them could hope to make a difference is if they are masters, which they are not.

The book does feel unique, it follows a few main characters throughout their lives, both before and after a massive flu outbreak that kills most of the world, and jumps between them very quickly. Arthur Leander is a wealthy actor, who is performing in a play when he has a heart attack, shortly before the outbreak. Kirsten is a young actor in his play, who starts a small obsession with Arthur, and works in a travelling theater company. Jeevan is a man who trained to be a paramedic, and tries to save Arthur, and bunkers down in his brother's apartment to wait out the flu. Clark is Arthur’s friend from college, who lives a modest life a an office job. The only item these people have in common is Arthur, and they each spend most of their post apocalyptic lives searching for more information about the world they once lived in. The theater company goes from town to town performing, but soon gets attacked and separated by a mysterious “prophet”, while Clark survives in an airport with the passengers stranded there, creating a display of everything he can save from the last world, and Jeevan creates a small community in an old motel. She also looks at Arthur's younger years, and life in Hollywood with each of his wives, and gives a brief history of everyone else.

The drawback of what could be a very gripping storyline is that Mandel never gives enough time to each character, and switches to another one just as she gives you a small understanding of another. She is excellent at changing her voice, without which it would be impossible to navigate the book. One plus is that her excellent voice changes give the feeling that a few novels are occurring at once, almost like brief newspaper clippings about each character. She adopts both informal and formal tones, such as in the beginning where she includes a few paragraphs from Jeevan’s brothers piece about a philanthropist. This is during a time when they are bunkered down in his apartment, a few days after a massive flu outbreak. The way that it is presented, and the formal writing that she uses provides a sharp contrast from the discussion between two brothers that has been going on. A new style is almost a relief, and when it comes as a surprise, you take it more deeply, “I’ve been thinking lately about immortality. What it means to be remembered, what I want to be remembered for, certain questions concerning memory and fame. (Mandell 186).” Combining with this is the absence of the speaker's personal life, making it easier to accept them as facts, rather than just another hopeful wish.

Even after all the impeccable diction, vivid descriptions, and twisting plot, she still fails to connect every storyline completely, perhaps because she jumps between them continuously. This may be intended, it forces you to piece the story together yourself, but the ending leaves you wondering, “That’s it?” It is hard to read Station Eleven casually, and sometimes a whole chapter has to be read over because it was perceived the wrong way. Overall, Emily St John Mandel has created something unique in the sense of structure and her timeline, but she fails to deliver a solid conclusion, and comes off as another writer who uses an already overused premise for her book.

The Contemporary Relevance of the Apocalypse

Station Eleven, a captivating and contemporarily relevant novel by Emily St. John Mandel, tells the story of an epidemic that, almost completely, wipes out the world’s population, and the beginning of a post-apocalyptic era experienced by one percent of the worlds previous population: the Georgia Flu survivors. The contemporary theme of one generation’s experiences being another generation’s history lesson separates Station Eleven from the majority of today’s poorly written apocalyptical stories.

Throughout the novel, Mandel follows a group of characters whose paths had crossed prior to the Georgia Flu outbreak, and in the twenty years after the outbreak. The characters all seem to be connected by one man, a famous actor named Arthur Leander who dies of a heart attack during a production of King Lear in Toronto. However, Arthur Leander might be considered the lucky one; for the people in his life and the people surrounding him, would become either victims or survivors of the devastating epidemic that arrived in Toronto that same night.

The novel consists of a series of shifts back and forth between the pre-flu world and year twenty after the epidemic. Delving into the lives of Leander’s wives, friends, and acquaintances before that fateful night and telling the story of a traveling band of artists who call themselves the Traveling Symphony. They are people trying to not only survive the new post-Georgia Flu era but bring back music and Shakespeare to other survivors. There is one survivor in particular, a member of the Traveling Symphony and a fellow cast member to Leander in his last production of King Lear, Kristen Raymonde, who the novel focuses on.

The idea that one generation’s experiences are another’s history lesson is a prominent theme in the novel. During an interview twenty years after the global collapse, between Diallo, a survivor who writes and publishes a newspaper about survivors and the new era, and Raymonde, Diallo makes a comment about the children of the new era being traumatized. Raymonde responds and concludes, “But my point is, doesn’t it seem to you that the people who have the hardest time in this--this current era, whatever you want to call it, the world after the Georgia Flu--doesn’t it seem like the people who struggle the most with it are the people who remember the old world clearly?... What I mean to say is, the more you remember, the more you’ve lost” (Mandel 195). Kristen Raymonde was eight years old when the Georgia Flu epidemic wiped out 99% of the world’s population; although she lived for eight years in the old world, she does not remember much, and she believes that it’s for the better. If she did remember, she would struggle more to adapt to the new way of life; so, the fact that she cannot remember much is actually beneficial to her survival and sanity. Children who were very young at the time of the epidemic and the children who were born after the epidemic, have no real memory of the old world; all they know is the new world. They are told the tales of the old world; they are told stories about computers, cell phones, and airplanes, stories of large cities full of thousands of people, but to them it’s a distant concept. It’s a history lesson. One generation’s experiences are another’s history lesson. This concept is true outside of the novel; the history that children learn about now, is the same history that their parents and grandparents lived. Although the world has not completely changed between the time of their grandparents and parents, and the present, things are certainly different. The world is always changing.

The relatability and contemporary relevance of this key theme makes the book much more than just an interesting read; it makes it a book worth reading. Mandel’s ability to simultaneously entertain readers and make them think is what makes this novel satisfying. Some may argue that the switching between time periods makes the book confusing or hard to follow, but in my opinion, that switching engages the reader and keeps them on their toes intellectually. The only aspect of the novel that was disappointing was the slow pace of the beginning. The novel picked up as the Georgia Flu struck and was a delightful read. Adding Station Eleven to your reading list this year is highly recommended as it is entertaining and thought provoking.

Station Eleven: Captivating, yet Cringeworthy

Station Eleven: Captivating, yet Cringeworthy

Station Eleven is Emily St. John Mandel’s fourth and most successful novel that takes place in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world. The title Station Eleven is from a comic book in the story that plays a major role within the plot and eventually ties parts of the novel together. The setting of the book jumps around many times throughout the story. Many scenes that take place before the alleged apocalypse are mixed between scenes that happen after said apocalypse. Station Eleven eventually reveals the connection between the two settings to form an unexpected plot twist that plays an eye-opening role towards the end of the story. Although, the book shined in many aspects, it ultimately fell short of impressing the reader, resulting in an underwhelming finish to the story. Overall, Station Eleven was captivating, predictable and underwhelming because of the lack of character development, and the rushed “out-of-nowhere” ending scene.

Station Eleven is about a worldwide flu pandemic that kills off the majority of the population within a couple of months. It is centered around two main characters, Arthur Leander, a well-known actor and celebrity who lived before the apocalypse, and Kirsten Raymonde, a survivor of the apocalypse affiliated with a wandering group known as the Traveling Symphony. The book also takes the perspective of many other characters, although none of them play as big a role as Arthur or Kirsten. Kirsten’s story involves a conflict with a religious tribe led by a violent prophet who is revealed to be Tyler Leander, Arthur’s son who was born before the pandemic. The book also features constant flashbacks to Arthur Leander’s relationship with his ex-wives, and to Journalist Jeevan Chaudhary’s experience with the pandemic.

By constantly jumping back and forth to different time periods, Mandel creates a unique format for the novel, but fails to develop certain parts of the story. The conflict between Kirsten and the prophet was short-lived, and the climax was never particularly climactic. The climax (confrontation between the prophet and Kirsten) lasted a total of just four pages, which was extremely short since the entire novel was building up to the scene. The main antagonist, Tyler, was also so underdeveloped that the reader had no particular reason in disliking him. Mandel was putting too much focus into connecting the two settings in the story that she didn’t spend enough time developing it fully. Dieter, one of Kirsten’s close friends in the Symphony, was another example. Halfway through the story, he was killed by the prophet and his company; however, the reader didn’t know much about Dieter up to this point, so it felt absurd when Mandel paid so much attention to his death.

Along with this, Mandel added small hints towards the prophet’s identity which would help reveal the overall connection between the two worlds. Her intention was to help set everything up for the final reveal, but it only made the book much more predictable. The passage (page 59) that described the prophet’s appearance and speech revealed much more for the reader than it should have. The diction that was used in the prophet's speech along with his particularly formal voice reminded the reader of his father Arthur. Kirsten's description to his appearance along with the name of the prophet’s dog (which had the same name as one of the dogs affiliated with Arthur) couldn't make it any more obvious. Mandel ultimately spoiled the climax for the reader before they could even get to it.

Despite the troubles within the story, Mandel was also able to incorporate a well-done writing style, that helped the reader connect with certain characters. For example, during Miranda’s (one of Arthur’s ex-wives) death scene (Pg 227-228), the author added a change in sentence length, diction and voice. Short sentences were used in the last of Miranda’s moments, which helped convey how weary she was. The diction that Mandel chose during this scene also stood out within the story. It was very descriptive of Miranda’s location which gave the reader a good idea of what was happening. Along with this, Miranda’s  voice was very calm during this point in the story, which made the reader think that she had accepted her fate. This shows that Mandel paid a lot of attention to her writing style and structure, which was definitely an important aspect of the book.

Overall, Station Eleven was a unique and original book that created a captivating scenario through an apocalypse. The sections of the book were very elaborate and well-written but the ending turned out to be both underwhelming and predictable. Emily St. John Mandel focused too much on incorporating a plot twist to her novel, and ultimately fell short on many other aspects of the book.

Station Eleven is Pretty Much a Jigsaw Puzzle

To preface this review, if you do not enjoy solving jigsaw Puzzles stop reading, because you will likely not enjoy Station Eleven. But if you happen to be reading this for any reason other than that you are deciding whether to read this book, continue on.

Station Eleven is a science fiction novel released in 2014 by Emily St. John Mandel about an epidemic of a fictional disease called the “Georgia Flu”. The book is non-chronological and follows various characters preceding, during and after the outbreak. The story centers around Arthur, a renowned stage actor, and his death, by following his life leading up to his heart attack on stage. The book also narrates the lives of the characters surrounding him and those impacted by him after his death. Station Eleven is unique in its voice, structuring and symbolism, although it may leave readers feeling unsatisfied due to a lack of meaning.

The book is non-sequential, which lets the author reveal and hide details about the outbreak the way she wants to, forcing readers to piece the full picture gradually. This is helpful because the author seems to rely on the reader’s ignorance to create suspense and mystery. For instance, in the first few chapters of the book, the ‘Museum of Civilization’ is often mentioned without giving off details about who runs it or why it exists. The prophet is another example, since readers are left wondering who he is and how he is related to the story. The drawback of this style of writing is that the storyline becomes convoluted and can confuse readers, especially since the book follows multiple storylines. Nevertheless, the author is effective in making the book enjoyable to the readers in this sense, forcing readers to put the full chronological story together.

As unique and elaborate of a story Station Eleven is, it lacks a moral or deeper meaning overall. Yes, the book is full of symbolism, from the comics symbolizing nostalgia and memory to the paperweight symbolizing the weight Kirsten seems to carry around. However, the book leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied, having no clear moral to the story. The book makes a complicated mess of storylines and anecdotes and then ties everything together in the end with no loose ends. It makes readers feel as if the complexity of the story was unnecessary and gave no meaning to the book.  

In terms of voice, the book generally had a very straightforward, serious tone, although one exception was the letters written by Arthur in chapter 25. These letters are significant in the book in terms of voice because unlike the rest of the book, they are written by one of the characters themselves. Through voice, the letters reveal a lot about Arthur and the way he felt as he wrote them. Arthur’s first letter is orderly and well thought out which is shown by its structure and diction. It is casual and conversational, since words are repeated for emphasis and contractions are used. In terms of syntax, sentences flow well by lengthening and shortening in the right places. This shows us that Arthur is well and composed as he writes this letter. As we go onto the second, third and especially fourth letter, this order falls apart. Sentences grow longer as if Arthur is recalling the events with V in sentiment. Each paragraph seems to drag on and on, without any variation in sentence length, showing deepness in thought. The fourth letter is merely one long, awkward sentence. The sentence joins three independent clauses with ‘and’, sounding disjointed and abrupt. However, it immediately sums up what Arthur is feeling at that moment. It shows that Arthur feels distressed and wants to express his emotions as quickly as possible. It is unique how Mandel uses letters to give the readers insight into Arthur’s emotions, and she does this by altering the syntax, diction and structure in the character’s writing.

Overall Station Eleven is a decent book and is enjoyable in a sense that readers can enjoy a complex storyline and piece together details as the author gradually reveals them. The book is generally well written and contains many unique and interesting passages in terms of voice and symbolism. However, it does not provide an overarching moral as most books do and can leave the reader feeling unsatisfied. The book should be appreciated in its complexity and uniqueness rather than in any message that the author may convey, almost like a jigsaw puzzle.