Sarah Hanglow, PD2, 10/8/20, Day A

 Sarah Hanglow

10/8/20

Period 2

Modern Mythology 2021

Write about your thoughts regarding the most current reading.

In the most recent reading I learned all about the first Greek gods, there were multiple things that I thought were noteworthy. The first, and most interesting to me, was that the Greeks believed that the world was not created by the gods. They believed that the earth and the heavens created the titans and then came the gods. This is interesting to me since it is so different from most other cultures' creation stories. Another thing that I thought was intriguing was that a lot of the gods were perceived in completely different ways depending on the story. For example Aphrodite was most times portrayed as being the goddess of beauty, but in some later stories she is seen as being malicious. Finally, I thought that it was interesting that they also used the gods to explain the seasons. Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped by Hades and the land was barren since she was heartbroken. Then Zeus intervened and they agreed that Persephone would spend ⅔ of the year with Demter and ⅓ with Hades. For the portion of the year that she was with Hades, Demeter would be so sad the land would become cold (winter), but when she returned Demeter would be happy and the land would be blooming with new things (spring).

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

A new piece of information that I learned in English class was that Chaos originally meant nothing. “First there was Chaos, the vast immeasurable abyss, ​Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild.” ~John Milton. This was a quote that we read in the beginning of class before we knew that Chaos had meant nothing. This has greatly affected my critical perception, since it makes me think about how sometimes the most “chaotic” thing is nothingness. A thought that I never before had before learning this. Additionally, it shows that over time words or phrases can be misinterpreted and take on a new meaning. Similar to the game of telephone that we played as children, where a message would become unrecognizably scrambled when it got to the last person. This is a theme that is common throughout all different kinds of literature. The meaning of any given story can change based on who is reading it, and if they relay their thoughts to another idea it continues to spread.

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

Something that I learned in this reading that applies to the world around me is the different perceptions of gods between the Romans and the Greeks. This is something that is prevalent in the world, varying viewpoints on different topics, and people. One example is Ares, the god of war. The Greeks see him as invincible whereas the Romans see him as being whiny. Something we learn in History class is that in his farewell address George Washington warned the American people about the creation of political parties. He felt that the division would be something that would cause a great divide between the people, which is what has happened today. All in all, perception is something that shapes the way we see the world around us, and understand those who have differing opinions.

Raquel Jimenez, Pd 8, 10/13/20, Day C

Raquel Jimenez

Modern Mythology

Ms. Fusaro

10/13/2020

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

     I believe how people feel about issues of inequity, oppression, and power are mostly influenced by personal experiences. I was raised in Sunset Park, a predominately Latino neighborhood, yet growing up not knowing a whole lot of Spanish. I understand some Spanish and speak even less of it. My parents were born and raised in Brooklyn with my father’s parents coming from Ecuador and my mom’s parents coming from Puerto Rico. I believe that we deserve to be here as much as the next guy. So this is why I find it astonishing, when one of the few times I do speak Spanish with my parents, I am told to go back to Mexico where I belong. This may not seem like a big deal to people, but I do feel this is someone trying to show how our differences from them make us inferior. Having this kind of experience has probably led me to believe that there shouldn’t be a debate on who gets natural born rights.

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

     I reflect on my beliefs by trying to see the other side, by trying to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I may talk to someone who happens to think differently than I do, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t change who they are to me as a whole. I don’t feel having disagreements about certain issues should ruin your relationship with people. I try to keep “debates” I have with them separate from our lives outside of that. I try not to take people’s stances personally because if you do, you might not find yourself having anyone. To live in this world, you really have to be empathetic and understanding. Like I said earlier, everyone has different experiences and ways they were raised. It is better to be exposed to various ways of thinking than to be stuck in your own bubble with what you think is right. At the end of the day, we are all people and should be treated as such. 

Leonardo Gonzalez, PD2, 10/8/20, Day A

Leonardo Gonzalez
Modern Mythology 2021
10/8/2020
Period 2

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

I feel like at this point in time one of my goals is to manage my time between all of the assignments for school and college. Another goal I have is that I want to keep my grades up which means I would have to spend more time studying for each of my classes. I need to start working on supplemental essays as well as making sure that I’m finishing my school work on time. I want to create a schedule that can allow me to spread out all of these assignments so that I don’t overwork myself.

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

I feel like nowadays I’m not procrastinating as much because of the amount of work I’m receiving. I usually try to do everything last minute so that I have time before to relax and destress, but I feel like this isn’t the best way to do it. I’m currently trying to spread out the work throughout a couple of days. In order to do this, I’m trying to fix my sleep schedule so that I can get more work done earlier in the day so that I can relax later. I feel like this is better than cramming everything into one day.

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

Since the start of the Pandemic, I have noticed that I have a lot more time to myself, but I have just been spending it doing nothing. I feel like during a time like this I should be more productive. I should be working hard on all of the required supplements for my colleges, but I feel like I lack the motivation to actually get the work done. When school started again, I had a lot more work to do which stressed me out. But this also forced me to be more productive so that I can keep my grades high. In the end, it helped me realize that I need to manage my time better so that I don’t stress out as much as before.

Susanna Kasparov, 10/13/2020, PD 8, Day C

Susanna Kasparov
Modern Mythology
10/13/20
Period 8

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

Being someone who enjoys many things in life, I have many goals about what I want to achieve. My main goal for my future though, is to become one of the top surgeons in the country and become a neurosurgeon or work in psychology. At this current point in time, like any other senior in high school, my goals are to finish my college applications and be able to get into not only my top schools but into my top accelerated medical programs within those schools. Ever since I was in middle school, I always knew I wanted to go into medicine. I have had a set-out plan for years, getting ready for my future. Everything that I have done my whole life, was to prepare for my career. I also have a goal promising myself that I would travel the world and see the beauty of nature. Going into the medical field I understand the time commitments I will make, but I never want to forget the love I have for exploring new places.


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

I demonstrate resilience towards achieving these goals by spending hours of dedicating my time to studying and researching what I need to do in order to succeed in the medical world. I began my goal by studying for hours for the SAT, leading me to reach a score I am proud of. Now, with deadlines nearing and college being right around the corner, I am putting most of my focus into shaping my college applications to reflect my personality and who I truly am. I began my applications in May in order to get a head start on the process and tried to do as much as I could to relieve my stress for when school started. In college, I am prepared to study hard for my MCAT and receiving my degrees. Hopefully by th end of medical school, I’ll obtain a job in a hospital or even open my own clinic. Once I begin working in the medical field and having a solid, stable income, as unrealistic as it sounds, I wish to finally achieve my goal of traveling and knowing that I have the freedom to see the wonders of the world.


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

Growing up in an immigrant household where my parents came from extreme tragedies, I have been taught my parents that it is imperative that I work hard now in order to have my preparation pay off in the future. Since my family is the most important thing in my life, I know that reaching this goal means not only a better life for myself but for my family who would finally have the opportunity to live out the lives they have missed out on because of their hardships. I want to give my future children the most opportunities I possibly could, as my parents did for me. My parents have taught me about the importance of pushing myself towards this goal, and have taught me what it means to work hard and push myself past my limit. With the coronavirus, the world around me has changed in the last 8 months, and my perception of this goal has also drastically changed. Now that the time for applying to colleges has arrived and I am swamped with deadlines for not only colleges but schoolwork, my goal has become to make it one week at a time. I have been looking at the future for years, but I realized that it’s also important to slow down and enjoy what you have now. Especially with the unknowns we are facing due to the state of the world, I have learned that I should take life one step at a time since our lives can change drastically from one day to the next. 

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.