Lacey Rose DeLucia, PD8, 10/7/2020, Day C

 
Lacey Rose DeLucia
Modern Mythology
Period 8
10/7/2020
Day C

1 Write about your thoughts regarding the most current reading.

The current reading regarding the foundations of Greek and Roman mythology showed how humans were the center of the universe and their own religion since they created the gods to look like them. I like this version of religion because it makes the gods more relatable, less feared, and overall approachable. This is unlike religions like Christianity where God is just a figure and nobody knows what he looks like or the form he takes. Also, it was interesting that since the gods were made to look like the people so much there were rules to treat everyone as if they could be a god. This is similar to the part of the reading that said a person who did evil to strangers of orphan children would make Zeus very angry, which really shows their value of Xenia. I originally thought that the Greeks gods were petty and mostly preoccupied with themselves or their grudges with human and other gods, so these insights into the true nature of the gods exemplified how gods used their status to ensure that humans treated each other well and brought justice to those who went against the rules. This brought a greater sense of unity and morality to humanity since people both revered the gods and wanted to stay on their good side. Overall, this helped me to understand more about the role the gods played in people’s lives and how people used mythology as a religion.

2 Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

When discussing the role of mythology in class, it was interesting to see how mythology was a combination of culture, ideology, and religion and how it has adapted over time. Although the stories of the gods may be unrealistic it is still important to extract the meaning and lessons of their actions like their emphasis on hospitality or punishing of hubris. Critical perception is individualized to each person and their background. This influences my critical perception because it gives me a greater appreciation and understanding for a variety of literature. For example, when I was younger I never really read fairytales and disliked watching their Disney movies. But now when I look back and analyze the Cinderella stories I see the themes and deeper meanings that I overlooked when just considering it another princess movie. These themes are central to the story and I can better appreciate how culture has evolved to understand Cinderella in both the time it was written and now, with both perspectives equally important to understand Cinderella overall.

3 How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

This critical perception and greater understanding of how structures and concepts evolve over time apply to government and the current election. To understand the Constitution in the context it was written and also the perspective we have now in the twenty-first century is both significant to making the right decisions based on the Constitution. Although I may not agree with the ideas of the far right like allowing guns, I can see now that even if gun owning was for the intention of a militia it is a right and it should not be completely taken away. Additionally, when examining topics that were not in our founding fathers’ minds when writing the Constitution like climate change it is important to consider the basis of the Declaration of Independence and how the government is granted the power to protect the people by the people. Then the protection of humanity against climate change and its grave consequences should be above all even the financial burden. Overall, critical perception is important to acknowledge because it is our own bias and beliefs but equally important is understanding the context and concepts that explain other viewpoints so that we carry a general awareness and can make decisions based on this instead of the propaganda and distorted news in today’s world. 

Christopher Fulco, 10/9/2020, Period 5, Day B

Christopher Fulco

10/9/2020

Period 5

Modern Mythology 2021

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

    After this year, widely regarded as one of the worst years for human civilization and certainly one of the most tumultuous years of my life, my specific goals going into 2021 and the rest of 2020 are simply to maintain mental and physical health. A lot of very negative and awful things have happened to me and people in my family this year. It has been incredibly tough and mentally taxing to remain calm and collected at all times, and for that reason, I need to prioritize my mental and physical health to a new level, that previously, I never really had to worry about. For most of my life, I was always the calm kid, I never let anything bother me and just lived my life in glee. Recently, though, its become difficult to maintain that level of happiness I had as a kid, so many things, both good and bad, are happening in the world right now, and it's simply mentally and physically tiring. So my specific goal is to maintain positivity, somehow, someway, stay positive, and make sure I can keep myself afloat mentally until at least the new year, and at most keep myself happy for the foreseeable future.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

    Resilience in this goal is achieved by my own metrics, for this type of goal isn't necessarily visible to the public eye, For me, I want to make sure I have motivation to wake up and go about my days without struggle, and resilience for me is being able to do that day in and day out. My own resilience is the ability for me to see things that may bother or upset me without entirely breaking down, and in seeing the positive aspects of life for what they are. Resilience is showing up to class everyday, ready to answer questions and do the work assigned to me to the best of my ability, no matter how tiring it may be. Resilience is writing my college applications, creating video content for the social media channels I have, and entertaining others through my streaming platform. If I can go about my days as normal without negative thoughts plaguing me and preventing me from fulfilling my daily tasks, I would consider that to be resilience. I understand that this may seem elementary compared to many other people's goals, but for me, it's what matters most. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

    A few years ago, I likely would've had a negative opinion about this goal, due to the world's views on mental health. However, times have changed a lot since then, for the better. I no longer feel alone in my struggles and I feel ready to take on the world with the help of my friends and people who are there for me. Mental health is something that has only really been looked in detail recently, only a few years ago would the world simply laugh and ignore the pain of tens of millions, but now, the world grieves with you, and understands. I personally see that as a brilliant thing. A lot of this doesn't particularly connect to modern mythology, at least directly, but I can see some indirect correlation. The Greeks and Romans created their mythology to explain the unexplained, make real the things they imagined, and for us, we are trying to explain the injustices of the world, and feel it's impossible. The thing that matters most here, though, at least to me, is the attempt. If we don't try, if we don't wake up every morning and give the world our very best shot, then we're doomed to fail.

Nick Feng, Period 5, 10/06/20, Day B

Nick Feng

10/06/2020

Period 5 

Modern Mythology 2021

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

 

This pandemic has made it impossible for me to achieve many of my past goals. Currently, my goals are very simple. I want to complete my college application and apply to most of the colleges that I would like to attend. My second goal is to get back in shape as a runner. Before the pandemic, I was in great shape and more motivated than ever. However as the pandemic worsened, I began to stop training. Now I have to start all over again, but I am confident that I will eventually be able to be back in shape. I am going to be patient with my goals and balance them with my school work. My goals may become extremely difficult, but I hope I will stay motivated to continue moving forward.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

The college process has been very confusing and stressful at times even though it has just been the beginning of it all. I have demonstrated resilience by putting a large portion of my leisure time towards completing my college applications. The more difficulty I experience, the more time I would spend to complete it. I have also been consulting others for help and researching about the process online.  For my track goal I have demonstrated resilience by taking part in virtual exercises with my team everyday, even when I was unable to run. I try to keep myself in shape in ways that I can at home and prepare myself for when the pandemic ends.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

The current world around me has changed my perception of my goals by making my view of my goals become more realistic. The pandemic has proven to us that in life anything can happen. No one would have imagined our nation becoming the way it is now. Everything seemed to have happened so quickly. This has taught me that along with hoping for the best, one also has to prepare for the worst. No one expected the pandemic and everyone had the hopes that it was going to end really soon. We’re now heading towards the end of the year and it has started to worsen again. Things in life may not  always head towards our expectations and that is the same with the outcome of my goals. When my college decisions are revealed, I want to hope that I get accepted, but I also need to be prepared to face defeat. Even if I work hard to submit my applications, I may not be accepted to the schools I want. Same goes for my track goal. The hope is that a vaccine is developed soon and competitions will be fully back. I might be able to get in great shape again, but I may not be able to put my fitness into use.

Ella Espiritu, Period 2, 10/05/20, Day A

 

• At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

Like all of my fellow seniors, my current goal is to complete my college applications so that I can have an education and hopefully a stable future. At this point in time, I'm focusing on filling out the Common App and perfecting my college essay. This year in particular, the personal essays carry much weight because of the pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of SATs, so it's imperative that I try to pour as much of my personality and personal experiences as possible into what is both too many and not nearly enough words. Although I've written dozens of essays before this, I still felt massively underprepared to write so much about myself, not just in the Common App essay, but in the supplemental questions that many schools require. It's definitely a new experience having to self-reflect so much at one time, and honestly I find it exhausting. Because of this, a large part of my goal involves finishing my applications while still keeping my own life on track by keeping up with school work and remembering to spend time with my family whenever I can.

 

• How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

I've struggled a lot in keeping up with this goal. I can't honestly say that I haven't procrastinated on it, especially because thinking about the application process gives me considerable anxiety, and I've had so many excuses to put it off. But recently, I've been more productive towards reaching this goal. I've started working on my supplements and registered for more online information sessions and interviews. By reaching out to other students and even by reading their blogs, I now realize that I'm not alone in this struggle, and that I still have a lot of work and improvement to get through if I am to reach my goal. So although I've procrastinated more than I'd like to admit, I'm trying my hardest to put my previous negativity behind me and power through this emotionally gruelling process as generations of students have done before me.

 

• How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

If the current pandemic has taught me anything, it's that life goes on. No matter how much things seem to have halted outside our walls, no matter how much we may wish to separate ourselves from the tragedy and destruction we have heard of, it doesn't give us an excuse to become detached from the world. Especially in an age where communication is at its very fastest and most efficient, we have reason to stay hopeful and continue with our lives, if not exactly as we would have otherwise done. This new appreciation for my still-turning world has galvanized me into action for my college apps. I've realized that I've been using the negativity of the recent events as a distraction, an excuse to turn my back on what really matters. The world will still be there when we emerge from quarantine (whenever that may be); definitely not the same world, but one still worth living in. And we need to be ready to be a part of it when the time comes.

Kevin Coughlin, Period 8, 10/02/20, Day C

Kevin Coughlin

10/02/20

Modern Mythology

Period 8

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

 

        I don’t understand why white people, men in particular, seem to think that anyone different from themselves are in some way inferior. It started with women. Historically, women were supposed to clean the house, mind the children, and cook the food. Then when Europe found Africa, they turned to the natives living there and started to persecute them and keep them as slaves for the color of their skin. Then, they turned to the LGBTQ community and started to marginalize them and criminalize their actions, even though it had no effect on them. I don’t understand why after centuries of intolerance, all of this still persists in 2020. Systemic racism shouldn’t be a thing in 2020. Conversion therapy shouldn’t be a thing in 2020. The gender wage gap shouldn’t be a thing in 2020. Society should’ve moved past these things a long time ago. It didn't, though. That’s why, here in 2020, people are rioting. It has been shown time and time again that peaceful protesting doesn’t lead to any impactful change. Their asks are very simple: treat me the same as you treat anyone else. The fact that this is not a given shocks and horrifies me. I also don’t understand how/why all this has become so political. These people are asking for basic human rights. There shouldn’t be anyone saying no, let alone almost half of the country.

        I will try to make this as apolitical as possible, but it needs to be said. Watching the debate last week horrified me. Besides the childish name calling and interrupting from two men in a position supposedly full of decorum, two things really scared me. The first is when the president told white supremacists to stand back and stand by. This not only makes it seem as if he’s their leader, but it implies that they will have a use, which, considering that he followed it up with “somebody has to deal with antifa and the left,” makes it seem like he will mobilize him against those that disagree with him/vote against him. The other terrifying moment was in the last few minutes when he suggested that his voters poll watch to intimidate voters of color and did not call for calm in the days of the election, indicating that his supporters may violently stop people from voting.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

        As I write this, I am finding it very difficult to phrase certain things. In the top section, I am much closer to the type of person I am addressing than the minorities being oppressed. I have privilege. I don’t have to worry about being shot every time I walk past a police car. There is a very good possibility that I will make more money than a woman with the same qualifications than me. I will never be suspected fo a crime just due to my skin color. I can never understand what any of that is like. No one should have to know what it is like to be on the other side of these. I try to help as best I can, but I know that there is nothing I can do to make a real difference. So I am an ally. I am aware of my own inherent biases and I try to look at everyone as just another person.

Teresa Crisantos-Prudencio, Period 8, 10/2/20, Day C

Teresa Crisantos-Prudencio

10/2/2020

Modern Mythology

Period 8

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

    Right now a goal I have for myself is to complete my college applications. This is probably a goal that is shared by all seniors in our school however it does not make it any less important. Finishing my college applications is so important because this will set the foundation for my future education. I have to finish writing my personal essay so I can present to college admissions who I am as a person. This essay is extremely important this year because many schools have gone test optional therefore the weight of the essay is much higher than in previous years. I have been trying to make sure my college applications show my academic achievements and personal achievements. Another goal I have set for myself is to make sure I do well academically this year. This is important because I have to manage the time I spend studying for my classes and the time I spend working on my applications. Since I have gone fully remote I feel like my time Is more flexible and allows me to balance everything I am trying to accomplish. Lastly the last goal I have set for myself is to run everyday. Since quarantine started I wanted to find a way to stay active that didn’t require me to be near others. Running has been the way I have been doing this. 

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

    I have demonstrated resilience towards achieving my goal of completing my college applications by spending a minimum of one hour everyday working on my applications and essays. I have been making sure I complete each supplement for my applications to my best ability. I am also continuously revising my personal essay making sure it shows who I truly am. This has probably been the hardest part of the college application process for me. I have written so many drafts of what my essay can be and have asked people their opinions on my essay to make sure it is well written. Over the summer I have researched different colleges I would like to attend and attended some of their virtual tours and events to make that part easier. Another way I have worked on my goal of doing well academically this year is trying my best to do the work assigned the same day it was assigned so I don't have to do everything the day before the next cycle. Well except for this blog and a couple other things. Lastly in order for me to be able to run everyday I have made sure to plan my day in a way that allows me to have at least one hour to run and do other physical activities.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

    The world around me affects my perception of these goals because most of these goals have been created due to the circumstances around me. I am making sure I do academically well this year as doing well in school is something that has been stressed to me throughout my whole educational career. In addition I feel like it is always important to try your best in everything you are doing. For my college applications specifically my parents have always emphasized the importance of getting a good education. Due to this I understand the importance of taking my applications seriously and going to a school that I believe offers the most to me. In addition since most schools have gone test optional this year due to the pandemic it has caused me to make sure that all other parts of my application are strong. Lastly running more is something that directly came about because of the pandemic and quarantine. I wanted to better myself both physically and mentally. 

Dustin Cong, Period 2, 10/5/20, Day A

 Dustin Cong

Modern Mythology 

Ms. Fusaro 

10/5/20

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why

I know at this point in time all seniors have the goal to complete their college applications and get into the schools they dream of, but I want to write about a goal I've always wanted to achieve for a really long time. I've always hated my body image and it is my biggest insecurity. In the past, I really never tried to improve on myself. Instead, I tried to hide it with baggy clothing and hunching my back to make my chest fat less noticeable. When I went to school or to family gatherings, it felt like everyone was talking about how fat I was, but it was all in my head. When family members did comment on how much I ate, I tried to hide away the pain with a smile. But all of my fears and thoughts came true when I was bullied in middle school for how I looked. I felt like there was no solution to this problem other than cry and the real solutions I needed to do, I had no will power for. I finally started to try to make a change when I couldn't take the insults and self-hate anymore. I went to the gym and played more sports, but I never achieved the body I wanted because it seemed like there was never enough time. In the present, I now have all the time I need because I'm stuck at home in quarantine. There's no longer a reason to make excuses like "I don't have enough time" or "Maybe I'll start in college or sometime later." With all the time I have to myself now, I'm determined to learn to love myself and achieve the body I want.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

Setting a goal for myself is the easy part. The hardest part is actually getting off the couch and doing what I say I will do. I've created a workout schedule and set I would follow every day. Everday I decided to workout from 4:30 to 6:00, working on a different set of muscles. Day 1 I put as working out abs and doing cardio; day 2 is working on shoulders; day 3 is working on chest and back, day 4 is working on biceps and triceps. I repeat this schedule every day and make sure I do my best to follow it consistently. Diet is around 70% of the work you need to do in order to achieve a fit body. I've decided to eat a lot cleaner by staying on a calorie deficit of around 2000 calories and eating healthy sticking to grilled chicken, vegetables, and one bowl of rice for my meals. The struggle with achieving this goal though is having the right mentality. There have been so many times where I've wanted to just quit and eat the junk foods I like and stop working out, and to be honest, I have broken my diet and stopped working out for a few days before. But what I learned from past experiences in sports is that failure and success all depend on what you do when you fall down. In order to achieve my goal, consistency is key, but if I break off from it, I know I will get back on the horse and keep trying.

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

The world at the moment is changing and although it sucks being stuck at home, it is actually helping me achieve my goal. School has been shortened and instead of having to wake up to get to class at 8 am and coming back home at 5pm because of extracurriculars, I now have so much time for myself. My classes are from 12-3, so I'm able to do a lot of work before class and after so I can workout at 4:30. Another way the world around me affects my goal is that I'm not the only one trying to achieve this goal. My sister was actually the one who first started to work out during quarantine and she pushed me to start too. At first, I was always stuck in my room either doing homework or watching TV, but she kept dragging me to the basement to workout. I got so used to this routine that I go consistently by myself most of the time now. At the moment we don't know what the future is going to look like, but no matter the circumstances I'm hoping to achieve my goal by the start of next summer.