One aspect of his TED Talk that I found interesting was how he claimed that everyone reacts to a new culture in three distinct ways. When moving to a new country, a person might "confront" its culture. This means that the immigrant chooses to believe their way of living is the right way to live. The second way to approach a new culture is to "complain" about it. An example of this would be an immigrant who chooses not to integrate into the new society and instead live with other immigrants. The third way to respond to a new culture is to conform to it. Essentially, to conform to a new culture is to educate yourself about the culture and follow its lifestyle.

Another concept I was intrigued by was the idea that everyone has "cultural glasses". Mr. Bourrelle said that "cultural glasses" is the perspective that our brains view the world. Our cultural glasses ultimately determine how we make sense of our existence and experiences. If we can modify the lens of our cultural glasses, then we can change the way we understand certain behaviors and how we react to cultural diversity.

One final part of the TED talk I thought was fascinating was when he said that every culture understands politeness. While Mr. Bourrelle said that communication was the main barrier in between connecting cultures, he said that politeness is something every cultural group understands. This concept made me think how we as humans all seem to have a concept of good and evil. While we all might have different opinions on what we consider to be "polite" or unpolite", we as humans all seem to favor positive treatment from others.

Overall, this TED Talk shifted my view of the world. It reminded me of the nature versus nurture debate, which questions if human behavior is shaped by a person's genetics or environment. From this video, I believe that while we all come from diverse backgrounds and upbringings, we can still connect with one another and treat each other with respect.

When asked about my views on power and knowledge in this reverse interview, I immediately thought of technology and our modern world. In my opinion, the internet is one of the most powerful tools that we interact with on a daily basis. However, we must recognize that its power can either help or hurt us. The internet is an unlimited resource of knowledge, but we must ask ourselves, "Is this knowledge accurate?" From my viewpoint, to have knowledge is to have a true awareness of the world that we live in. We might consider ourselves to be "smart" or "knowledgeable", but are we really aware of what is happening around us? I believe that in order to acquire true knowledge, we must explore the world ourselves instead of scrolling on a phone. In a world where the internet is gaining more and more control over our lives, I learned that I am someone who values humanity's creativity over technology. I believe that to be human is to feel. We can experience a myriad of emotions, such as joy, pain, peace, sadness, and fear. Our ability to feel is emotions is what drives our creativity. It is also what sets us apart from all of the animals that roam the Earth. Most importantly, our ability to experience feelings is what separates us from AI.

As you enter the Teen Room at the Canyon Branch Library in Boynton Beach, eyes are immediately drawn to voluminous rows of books of various shapes and sizes. On strategically located counters, computers are waiting patiently for their users. This place radiates the power of knowledge. People who value human creativity and intellect will benefit from this power. However, those who disregard education and learning will not. Though technology continues to transform reading capabilities and physical books are seen as irrelevant, this recently built library in January 2025 proves otherwise. It affirms that there are still people who value knowledge and the fruits of human imagination in the traditional way.

Works Cited

Marc'hadour, and Germain P. "Thomas More | Biography, Beliefs, Books, Utopia, Death, and Facts." Encyclopedia Britannica. www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-More-English-humanist-and-statesman/Legacy . Accessed 2 July 2025.

Palm Beach County Library System.www.pbclibrary.org

A question came to me while I was watching YouTube on my flatscreen TV and was faced with a series of obnoxious commercials. Everything from men singing about giant burgers stacked with three layers of meat and cheese to designer purses fluttering in the air like graceful birds flashed before my eyes. I could not help but wonder, “Why does society hate simplicity, and make everything so extra?” I understand the natural human desire for luxury items and treating ourselves to something special, but must everything be so extravagant? Each year, our society spends thousands of dollars on decadent coffee orders, the latest generation of technology, and designer apparel. This question matters to me because I believe that our society would be much happier if we paid less attention to material items. The energy we put into buying excessive goods could be spent on improving ourselves spiritually, morally, and emotionally. Most importantly, all of the money we spend on material items could be spent on medical research, improving education, and ending food scarcity. 

You don’t even know what time it is; the last thing you remember doing is that you reached out for your phone, just hoping for just one little moment of Instagram before you started your work. However, now you are in an ever-constant doom scroll, watching some fool try to see how much pasta can support his weight. Or better yet, see short clips of shows from Young Sheldon, all the way to the Master’s Tournament. What were you doing? What are you supposed to be doing? How do you even stop?

Throughout this constant digital age, social media has become the pinnacle of everyone’s pastime, resulting in the ‘shortened attention span epidemic’ that all the news articles seem to be covering. However, what was the scientific evidence, and where were these news outlets getting their info? Thus, I watched “the hidden truth behind our declining attention spans” by The Book Leo and found some interesting observations from the short-term essay video.

The most surprising observation I made was the lack of quality information, and instead, the prevalence of misinformation stated by several elite news outlets. Unlike what the major headlines, such as the New York Times or BBC, confidently declare, society’s attention span is, in fact, not declining. Rather, there is very little to any scientific data based on the majority of the health population, and lower attention spans. Instead, the research done on the attention span question focuses on the population with mental health and disease. In fact, one of the only studies conducted on the general public was done by Microsoft, which holds information that is no longer true in today’s time, 2025. Nevertheless, this research paper was and still is used by major news outlets, resulting in misinformation. 

The second, yet most significant observation I made, was how well major tech and social media companies have designed not only the phone, but their apps to better capture the consumer’s attention; (and also how extremely terrifying that is). Since there is no shortage in attention span, the real problem is how companies have created ways to keep their viewer on longer, meaning capturing their attention spans. In the video, The Book Leo describes how all these apps were made, and how they keep the viewer looking at their screen for as long as possible. Aspects such as scrolling, never-ending feeds, updates, and more are just a few ways these companies have found the best methods to hijack people’s interest, instead directing them to their platforms. This ‘shorter attention span’ is in reality a war against your interest and your brain’s dopamine addiction. 

Lastly, the last observation I made (and perhaps the saddest) was reliance on these platforms. Technology in general is an amazing tool, and so is social media. However, in modern times, it has become a twisted coping mechanism. The short essay video explained why still, despite all the following information, people in our society always reach for their phones. The answer is simple: escapism. From boredom, responsibility, tiredness, anxiety, pressure, the list goes on and on. We reach for our phones, not because we are addicted or have short attention spans, but because it is a coping mechanism, a safe space, and it was made to trap us in it. 

This short but incredibly made video essay was not only a reminder to give a fact-check to the news posted on social media, but also to myself. Too many times, others and myself have fallen into the trap thought of ‘one more’ reel, short, video, etc, all in an effort to escape something. However, it is important to take time, realize the problem, and discover ways to fix it. Social media is not the root of all problems, a lot of gossip and misinformation, yes, but it is the way we use it that causes it to be a positive or negative influence.

Works Cited:

The Book Leo. “The Hidden Truth Behind Our Declining Attention Spans.” YouTube, 16 Apr. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDfeOvUZ7Kk.

This argument has started since the first age of the internet and has continued to evolve as the internet has grown. Many critics of the argument state that the internet does not lower linguistic usage; instead, they state that, in fact, the internet brings more vocabulary and complex linguistic ways of speaking to a viewer. While others state that as time goes on, society’s vocabulary in general has had quite a visible decline over the years, as more and more people speak in only words, not full sentences. 

So, to see more actual concrete reasoning on the discussion I looked towards a scientific journal article written by a group of researchers, the following including N. Di Marco, Eduardo Loru, Anita Bonetti, Alessandra Olga Grazia Serra, Matteo Cinelli, and from Walter Quattrociocchi; all the research where part of Sapienza University of Rome or Tuscia University of Computer Science or relation the Digital academic field ( Alessandra O. being the only from this Tuscia University). The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science on December 10, 2024. 

Yet before using this article, and answering the burning question of yes, society is becoming more linguistically incompetent through the internet, it is essential to see if this information is biased or not. Because if it is, the information is not accurate and does not answer the question. Nevertheless, throughout this scientific research, it has become quite clear that this source is, in fact, not biased due to the following criteria. First, throughout all their writing, the authors acknowledged both sides and continually used scientific reasoning rather than personal feelings to come to a conclusion. Furthermore, the research demonstrated why there was original confusion by answering and giving proof of how there are two dualities of the Internet. But ultimately, providing one answer through concrete evidence to prove this conclusion. Additionally, the research being published in a certified scientific journal, along with it being performed by certified professors and researchers in the digital computer science field (or related to such), made the information feel more plausible and actualized. Finally, as a tidbit, through all their scientific research, the professors made sure to reference back to their main point, along with adding other sources, references, and graphs of their research to demonstrate their conclusion. 

Proving that it is a credible source, and that this is not biased, I can finally state that truth, that yes, the internet is causing linguistic problems. Although it is true that new vocabulary was seen to be introduced because of the internet, overall that on average, sentence length is seen to decrease; ultimately, resulting in the internet causing more harm than good when it comes to linguistic growth and advances.  

Di Marco, N., et al. “Patterns of Linguistic Simplification on Social Media Platforms Over Time.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 121, no. 50, Dec. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2412105121.

This is an incredibly important question to ask at any stage of the world, whether in peace or conflict. Knowing who truly has the power allows society to better understand itself, how it’s constructed, and, better yet, what needs to be changed and what should be kept. However, this is no easy answer, as humanity has asked this question before. Throughout our literature, media, and daily lives, authority and power are frequently questioned; yet, each and every individual seems to have differing responses. From the extremist, who says that the government has permanent control over all its people, who are only puppets, mindlessly doing the work of the power. To the dreamers, who believe that people have the power, everyone just needs to have the courage to fight for what they believe, Hunger Games style. There are hundreds of millions of discussions on who has and doesn’t have power; everyone has their own opinion, the results being based on background, experiences, and truths. 

Personally, I have found that everyone has the power; however, it is society itself that has created the labels and truths that subject people to ‘boxes’ that they must abide by. These labels society has placed upon others are not accurate, as each individual is different and cannot be labeled. Oppressor, the oppressed, the victim, and the culprit are constantly used in the media and the news. And it is true, in all societies, there are groups who are at a disadvantage, who are given ‘equality’ when in reality they should be given equity and, better yet, justice. However, when one believes in the label they have been given, when does it become true? When does ‘oppressed’ truly become the oppressed? Yet, still again, this is not the entire truth, as it is seen time and time again that the people with the most money and certain authority make the decisions and rule the world. 

My perspective is split in half, with one part hoping for a world where justice and equity prevail. A world where everyone has the power; they just need to ask and reach out for the world that is available to them. However, I am equally a realist and know that this is not the truth, as the world is not always so kind. So the question is, who truly remains in power: the people, the individual of the world, or some distant evil, a system that we fail to recognize or fight from? 

For the most part, I believe this source is unbiased, since the author never stated his personal opinions of the topic. However, there is a part of the article that can be considered “biased”. There is a section labeled “Only the UK Could Do This”. In this section, the author explains how the United Kingdom was the first nation to pioneer this experiment as well as to pass laws to permit it. The author even includes a quote from Sir Doug Turnbull, a professor from Newcastle University. The professor says “I think this is the only place in the world where this could have happened, there's been first class science to get us to where we are…(Turnbull)”.  Some readers might interpret this content as the author trying to make Great Britain seem superior to other countries in terms of medical advancements. However, some might just interpret this section as the United Kingdom being proud of what they have invented.

Nevertheless, I believe that this web article is credible, because it was published on the BBC website. BBC, which stands for the British Broadcasting Corporation, is a famous news source that has been around since the 1920s. Because it has existed for many years and is known worldwide, BBC is a reliable source. Overall, I believe that this article is not biased, and that its intention was to inform and report to the world of a new DNA procedure.

Works Cited

Gallagher, James. “Babies Made From Three People’s DNA Prevents Hereditary Disease”. British Broadcasting Corporation. 16 July 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8179z199vo. 

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “British Broadcasting Corporation”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 15 July 2025. https://www.britannica.com/money/British-Broadcasting-Corporation. 

One aspect of his TED Talk that I found interesting was how he claimed that everyone reacts to a new culture in three distinct ways. When moving to a new country, a person might "confront" its culture. This means that the immigrant chooses to believe their way of living is the right way to live. The second way to approach a new culture is to "complain" about it. An example of this would be an immigrant who chooses not to integrate into the new society and instead live with other immigrants. The third way to respond to a new culture is to conform to it. Essentially, to conform to a new culture is to educate yourself about the culture and follow its lifestyle.

Another concept I was intrigued by was the idea that everyone has "cultural glasses". Mr. Bourrelle said that "cultural glasses" is the perspective that our brains view the world. Our cultural glasses ultimately determine how we make sense of our existence and experiences. If we can modify the lens of our cultural glasses, then we can change the way we understand certain behaviors and how we react to cultural diversity.

One final part of the TED talk I thought was fascinating was when he said that every culture understands politeness. While Mr. Bourrelle said that communication was the main barrier in between connecting cultures, he said that politeness is something every cultural group understands. This concept made me think how we as humans all seem to have a concept of good and evil. While we all might have different opinions on what we consider to be "polite" or unpolite", we as humans all seem to favor positive treatment from others.

Overall, this TED Talk shifted my view of the world. It reminded me of the nature versus nurture debate, which questions if human behavior is shaped by a person's genetics or environment. From this video, I believe that while we all come from diverse backgrounds and upbringings, we can still connect with one another and treat each other with respect.

Why do some people who are supposed to be helping and teaching young people take advantage of them? Larry Nassar as well as gymnastics coaches abused the gymnasts and took advantage of the power they have. Since many of the gymnasts were young, innocent, and seeking approval, it was very easy to take advantage of them. 

How do some people do things that seem so wrong to others? This documentary shows how some people have very different views on morals and ethics. It does not make sense to me why anybody would choose to physically hurt someone else and make them very uncomfortable. 

Why do some people stay silent when they see bad things being done to people? In the documentary, people working at USAG knew about the abuse that was going on but still did nothing about it. They chose to ignore it instead of trying to do something to stop other athletes from being hurt in the future. 

Immanual Kant created categorical immpertial in order to keep ethical, one of those being a question asked before doing any action, “If everyone in the world did this would the world be a better place.”

Practicing good ethics doesn’t mean you will never have any problems in life that you can’t easily solve, it just means you will be better prepared to work them.

Kant also says that you shouldn’t use people to get what you want, this also following under his first statement of if everyone did this would the world be okay.

My question is can ethics help you understand why someone else chooses to act the way they do?

In places without human intervention nature seems to perfectly move along with no large differences in population and dominance. Within wild places everything has a predator keeping everything in check. But in governments around the world someone wants to have sole power or cannot be in the minority. I thought of this question after going out and swimming near a reef. Everything seemed to be equal and have every animal had another animal in check.

The second question that came to my mind was, what lessons can we learn from the way Kobe worked hard and never gave up. He always stayed focused and always gave his best even if it wasn’t enough. A lot of people could benefit from hearing that your best is enough even if others think differently.

The third and final question I asked myself was, how does this short film help me understand who Kobe was, not just as a basketball player, but as a person as well. He taught me that our ethics reflect who we are not only while on the court or in school but off the court or out of school, especially when no one is watching. Will I make the right decisions?

Question: 2. Where did the accusations of ADHD being harmful come from, Why did these accusations start and why do people still believe them. With science and technology rapidly evolving it shows that ADHD is not harmful and many people have it, most people wouldn’t know someone has ADHD unless they tell them.

Observation: 3. People with ADHD sometimes have difficulties when paying attention to stuff that don’t interest them, but when something grabs there attention they become more focused than usual, in my opinion this is an amazing feat this now allows people who are portrayed as different and sometimes “weird” to have things that they can care for and be great at.

I wanted to make a piece that showed how intelligence, and more so wisdom, is not only beautiful, but is something cultivated through trial and error. And more importantly, how it will continue to grow, after all, irises tend not to grow alone, but rather in gorgeous groups of purples and blues. 

laughter and dance, is where you belong

A vibrant hue, the canvas of you

Bold and Bright, pure delight

Embrace the quirks, the twists, the turns

Love yourself, like nobody else

be so different, it’s easy to see

A masterpiece ethnicity

Be a planet, within so many stars

Let your spirt shine through Mars

I wrote this poem about the gift of uniqueness. It’s something very overlooked by most people because everyone is so invested in fitting in they don’t realize how important it is to stand out.

After that, I went to the Mizner Amphitheater. It felt completely different; open, social, and made for the community. The stage and seating are visible symbols of cultural power, where events like concerts and festivals happen. The invisible power is how it brings people together and influences the city’s culture. Seeing both places showed me two very different kinds of power in the same city.

Waves crash and roar every single hour.

Knowledge is like the tide that comes and goes,

It helps us learn what nobody knows.

I’m like the ocean, deep and wide,

With secrets and stories I keep inside.

Power and knowledge help me be,

The best, true version of me.

I wrote this poem about the ocean because it shows power with its strong waves and calm tides. Just like the ocean, people have deep thoughts and feelings inside. Knowledge is like the tide that changes and helps us grow. With power and knowledge, we become who we really are.

The small statue is of Mary, and she is holding her hands out. Even though it’s tucked away and easy to miss, the statue carries strength. I think the hidden narrative behind this statue is that the Virgin Mary represents humility, grace, and compassion, not through grand gestures, but through quiet presence. She is powerful and can help send our messages to God through this quiet but meaningful presence.

The fact that the statue is small and off to the side makes it more powerful. It reminded me that sometimes the most meaningful things are not the most visible ones. Like Mary herself, this piece of art stands for kindness, and strength that doesn’t need to be loud to be important. It made me think about how often we overlook the quiet things (like Mary) that are actually holding everything together.

1. While watching The Power of Yet by Carol Dweck, I was surprised by how powerful one small word "yet" can be. It changes how we think about struggles and challenges because of how it reminds us that just because we can’t do something now doesn’t mean we can’t get it in the future. I think this is an important thing to remember because getting discouraged leads us to use a fixed mindset, setting us further back,

2. A question that I have after watching this Ted Talk is why do schools put so much pressure on final grades and not the progress and effort students put in. Her talk made me think about how often students, including myself, get discouraged when we don’t understand something right away. Putting more emphasis on improving could help students put in more effort.

3. Another part that stood out to me was when she talked about students reacting to failure. I realized that I sometimes view mistakes as something terrible and I shut down instead of seeing it as a step in learning. Her talk helped me recognize that failure doesn’t mean I’m not smart, it means I’m still learning.

What this question means is, everything we see and do, is presented to us by someone, AKA we were told by someone what an object or idea is or what it does (example being how we view countries as sovereign and how we know how to use cars as a form of transportation). This idea stretches all the way back to how we evolved as a species, slowly moving away from the primitive mindset of our species' ancestors. This idea came to me in my mind as I was about to go to sleep one night. 

To be human in today's world means many things yet at the same time, means nothing. What it means to be human has different definitions ranging from human to human. Some say being human goes down to our biology as humans whilst others argue that being human is more of the way someone acts (like them having personality of sorts vs no real reaction to anything). Because of the ambitious definition of human, it is a difficult task to put what it means to be human. Definitions change over time, making it hard to find a concrete definition of what humanity is, but a theoretical definition of this would combine all these definitions to be one main definition, that definition being that a human is a member of the human species, who thinks human thoughts and acts in a human way, this definition both lays groundwork for what a human is whilst keeping true to the ambiguity of what it means to be human itself.

The two locations I picked for my power walk are Banyan Creek Elementary and Sabal Lakes community. In a visible sense of power both of these places convey communal institutionalized benefits, meaning that these places provide the necessities that the community needs all in one area. These two entities could be classified as one entity in itself due to this (the school is actually located inside of Sabal lakes). This power is both  visible (mainly due to the benefits its location provides as previously mentioned) and invisible in the sense that many families seek to live in Sabal lakes. The community itself also has its rules, and if one were to disobey them they could get removed from the community, losing close access to the Elementary school for their kids to go to and access to Sabal lakes as well. So the entity itself emanates invisible power in the sense that because of the benefits it provides, there is a sense of fear from getting on the bad side of

1. How does the dumpling reflect the mother’s cultural beliefs and her relationship to her child.

2. How well does this film reflect tension between families because of independence.

3. How does the use of food and the setting reflect Chinese cultural values.

This was made by Jude, I hit submit before I could change my name

1. How does this accurately reflect cultural struggle within a family

2. Why does the dumpling feel the need to leave his ,other and culture behind

3. How does the setting and the use of food properly reflect Chinese culture in different countries.

It is clear that no one wants to be considered a failure or do their task poorly, but this leads to people not wanting to try new things because they fear they won’t be good enough. This limits peoples abilities to grow into new and better people and ways to explore new things in life because they will never want to step out of their comfort zone. Failure is rarely look at as a “growing moment” but more of disappointment to many people, many peers thinks when someone fails its a laughable moment but that makes someone’s confidence decline. This happens everywhere when someone is expected to try or learn something new and they fail, now they’re frowned upon. Failing is apart of human nature no one is perfect so failing is somewhat expected in life, but after we fail it is now up to us to get back up and keep on working on whatever you failed at to get better at it.

• It's kind of crazy how much culture changes and controls the way we behave without us even noticing. I always thought my way of acting was just "normal", but really it's just what I learned from my own surroundings. Things like how close we stand to someone or how we can say hi can be completely different in another country. It makes me wonder what habits I have that would look strange somewhere else.

• If I ever moved to another country, I'd probably need to "change my glasses" like the talker said, to fit in. I really like the idea that you can choose to look at the world from a new point of view. Instead of feeling lonely or frustrated, you can learn to see things the way that others may do. This makes new experiences more enjoyable and allows you to fully embrace other people's cultures and habits.

• This question matters to me because I see in history, and in real life, that people will do anything it takes to be in charge and have more dominance, even if it comes with hurting others. It makes me think to myself if humans are naturally selfish, or if society and how society has changed make them that way. I think if we understood why people act like this, the world would be a much fairer and safer place!

This question matters to me because it shows how people can see the world in unique ways. For example, two people might read the same book, watch the same movie, or hear the same story, and still understand it very differently. One person might feel happy about the ending, while another feels sad or confused. This makes me wonder how our feelings, experiences, and even the people around us shape how we see things. It also reminds me how important it is to listen to others and be open to new ideas, even when we don’t agree. This question came to me after reading a story in class. When we shared our thoughts, I was surprised by how differently my classmates understood it. Some people focused on the main character’s courage, while others thought the story was more about friendship. That made me curious about how our minds work and how we all bring something different to the same moment.

Nearby Veterans Park lies Our Lady of Lourdes Church. This church’s exterior contains a huge statue of Jesus with his arms open below a cross. This statue symbolizes power because it is meant to represent Jesus’ ascension into Heaven after his resurrection from death on Earth. Despite Jesus facing harm, this statue shows that he is welcoming, forgiving, and able to overcome his suffering, encouraging people to come to the church. Also, Our Lady of Lourdes Church as a whole symbolizes the power of community when people come together to pray every Sunday. God acts as a figure of authority that all people in this church respect.

• When you’re talking to someone it’s good to ask a certain type of question, this type of question is called a deep question. This invites the conversation to be about values, beliefs or experiences.

• Instead of asking a simple question like where do you go to school, you can ask a deeper question like what do love about your school. Asking questions like this can open the conversation to a more deeper level and you can learn more about them by how they answer.

• Since you’re asking how they feel instead of facts you are allowing the conversation to be more vulnerable. When you ask these type of deeper questions you can figure out how to respond by noticing if they answer emotionally “how do we feel”, practically “what’s this really about” or socially “who are we”, once you figure this out you will be on the same page of conversation and know how to respond, leading you to have a successful conversation.

• A successful conversation is recognizing what type of conversation it is and matching thoughts with another. By having these more connected and deeper conversations it can lead to a deeper connection, feeling more comfortable with another, listened to and cared for.

• Asking deeper questions allows each other to say something real and by how they answer, you can figure out what type of conversation it will be, whether it will be emotional, practical, or social, you can respond appropriately and connect with each other on that level.

But I still can’t wrap my head around how unfair it is. One women sits in room worrying about what her child will eat and the next room holds the women who worry’s what shoes to wear with her outfit. I don’t know why I was given opportunities, family, love and there’s children out there who lack all those needs. I’m not sure why there’s children out there who run away from home as their only chance of survival. Why some were given with parents who hurt them, and others were gifted parents who would do anything for them. As I’ve thought about this answer for many years, it continues to haunt me. Haunting me because I know I will never get an answer. There is no truth behind it, just simply unfairness. While it still keeps me up at night, and lingers in my head, I console it by saying that those tough battles these people face, will be made up for in heaven. If God really dose put his strongest soldiers through some hard ships, they must be rewarded for all of this. As I close up my question and let you continue ponding, I ask for you to consider thinking of someone just like you but he\she didn’t eat dinner tonight, didn’t drink water today, doesn't have a bed to sleep on, won’t wake up with the covers on, won’t turn on their phone. The same version of you but simply had no choice, no choice to be born as himself/herself. And if you find yourself in a position where you would like to help them, pray for them. Pray for a smile from one of them today, pray for a weight to be taken off their shoulders, a moment they can feel like a kid.

• When starting a habit you follow these three principles which is trigger, behavior, reward, and repeat. An example is seeing cool people smoking, you start smoking then you feel good then repeat. 

• The Prefrontal Cortex helps us control our behavior, but this is the first part of our brain that goes off when we are stressed out. 

• The Posterior Cingulate Cortex is started when we crave the bad habit or when we get caught up in it. 

• When noticing a bad habit instead noticed the urge, get curious and feel the joy of letting go a bad habit. 

Saint Jude represents knowledge and education as a visible strength but its invisible strengths are its undeniable faith and sense of community. As a school they have all the tools you need to strive in your academics, but through that the school also spreads the word of God and teaches about Catholicism. Due to it being a private school those families who are more privileged and their kids benefit from it, while those who aren't may be left out. On the other hand anyone can benefit from their church.

A book can open up the mind,
And help us see the world, redefined.
A lesson learned, a thought that's new,
Can shape the things we say and do.

Knowledge grows like seeds we plant,
It shows us how, and why, and can’t.
In every mind, both young and old,
Learning makes us brave and bold.

I decided to do a poem on knowledge and education. I mainly decided to do it on this because we are students in an AP class but another reason is because knowledge and learning is a basis for human life. Once you stop learning you stop living because you are supposed to learn something new every single day. We were given brains, knowledge to learn from, and the intent to be naturally curious. A line that stood out to me that I really loved was the fact that what we learn can shape what we say and do which is so true because one word or action can change a whole person's perspective.

This topic has been going viral all over social media, the news, and in my daily life. I decided to talk about this question because I was talking about it with my mom and it seems like such an important issue that is being overlooked to this day. America as we know it is the land of the free and opportunities. For generations now people from all over the world have immigrated to the United States of America for not only a better life, but bigger opportunities for themselves, their families, and future generations to come. The world is connected meaning that immigration and migration are to come. As we know it illegal immigration to the United States of America without the proper legal steps is a crime that should be dealt with. Something that is completely out of proportion though is the government focusing a large amount of its funds and resources on the ICE initiative.The ICE initiative refers to the efforts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement basically meaning they enforce immigration laws, investigate cross-border crime, and handle deportations and detention of undocumented immigrants. 

The United States is a first world superpower having one of if not the best economic, social, and political systems on the globe. Due to this by deporting, imprisoning, and even in some cases killing people who have immigrated here were damaging the country immensely. This country relies on the fact that it has mainly 5 classes: the upper class, upper middle class, middle class, working class, and lower class/underclass. This is how we are able to keep such a steady economy because every single person has a role to fill. If we were to let's say deport most of the lower class we wouldn’t have a steady economy and this country as we know it would start to crumble. Overall what I get out of this question is that our government is focusing our resources and vast amounts of our funds on the WRONG situations. Reports of ICE barging into school graduations just to arrest and deport some immigrants living normal lives like us shouldn’t be our focus to help this country grow even if they were living here illegally. The fact that some everyday people sit back and let this happen, especially when almost everyone's family at one point immigrated to the United States, is insane to me. I don’t condone or agree with any matter of illegal immigration nor is ICE not doing their job/the right thing but the way we are using our resources on issues like this when there are still so many bigger issues is the point I’m trying to get too!

Talking about these questions opened my eyes. I hadn’t really thought about how much the internet isolates us despite connecting us, and I’m now more aware of the value of real conversations. On human nature, I still think selfishness is natural, but hearing the idea that goodness is our original state made me think about how life changes people. This chat reminded me how important it is to listen and reflect on different views.

1. Why do the nannies only get one day off?

2. How do they stay happy even though their jobs are hard?

3. Why do they sit on bridges instead of going home on their day off?

• One question I had while watching was, “How many cultural stereotypes hinder people’s expectations?” For example, Pellegrino Riccardi mentions that when describing certain traits to people, many may draw conclusions about a culture based on their perceived norms.

• From this video, I was able to understand that differences in culture lead to differences in perspectives. For example, some cultures are very strict with tardiness, while others see being on time as less important. These two viewpoints cause cultural clashes and misunderstandings.

• My last question I had was, “Why do some cultural beliefs develop based on traditional values, while others are no longer accepted?” After the speaker spoke on hierarchy in Singapore, it made me wonder what led to that emphasis, especially since he mentioned how some of the mannerisms of Singaporeans may be perceived differently if done by other cultures.

For this assignment I chose the TED X talk video on “How Ethics Can Help You Make Better Decisions”

• By reading theories of ethics and fully understanding the meaning and what they say, you will be able to overcome moral dilemmas.

• Understanding ethical theories is how we increase our chances of success at simply being human beings having to negotiate with others.

• We have to imagine, “what if everyone did what were about to do, what would the outcome be on a worldwide scale?” 

-The Categorical Imperative

However, right next to this intense building is something more ‘childish’, more fun: a playground. Although it is small, with only a pair of swings and a playground climber, the primary colors, mulch, and other items bring in a feeling of childhood and fun. The mood of this place is one of laughter, imagination, and freedom. This is a place where children and even adults alike can let their imagination run wild. Dragons, magic, witches, wizards, mermaids, princesses, epic battles, detectives, and much more are all part of this playground. The only limit of this magical places comes when people decide they are too old for childish games; when people decide that they are ‘grown-ups ‘ and let their imaginations die. Playgrounds are a place of freedom, where your inner kid is allowed to roam and play, to be free from the binds of adulthood and responsibility; it is just up to people to embrace this freedom or not. 

Houses hold the hidden history of every person, family, and inhabitant that has ever lived in their walls. Maybe, instead of obsessing over the exceptional buildings of the past, why don’t we, as a society, focus on the region around us and figure it out from there? The ordinary might just hold the extraordinary. From the house that was previously owned by a famous musical producer to the house that hid wine during the Prohibition, you’ll never figure out a home’s true value until you find out its history.

The elk weren’t “the view”. However, they were just as beautiful and even somewhat rare. This moment reminded me that sometimes the most important things and even beautiful sights are overlooked. It’s best to remember that even when your focused on what’s in front of you, you should also look around and appreciate what’s already there with you.

Sonder is when you realize that every person you encounter has a life as vivid and complex as your own, filled with their own experiences. This question matters to me because ever since I found out about the word, the lens through which I see others has completely been changed. My sister and I were talking about our parents when she explained the word to me. We discussed how we always thought of our parents as these people who just always know what to do, instead of acknowledging that they went through life the same way we are now. It was life-changing because I had never thought about life in this perspective. It made me realize that everyone has their own problems and is going through something that I am completely unaware of. This is extremely important to me as it has made me more conscious of my surroundings and the complexity behind each person, whether it is a loved one or a stranger.

Siena talked about how she is curious on how airplanes and how traveling affects the atmosphere and the way in which it advances global warming a lot. She said that she is concerned about the matter and hopes that there is something we can do about it in the future. 

2. Why does the mother cling so tightly to the bao, and what does it say about love and control?

3. Does letting go of someone we love mean losing them, or does it open a new way of connection?

opens doors and walls alike.

Power whispers soft,

not always in thunderous tones—

Sometimes it lives in silence.

Explanation: This poem reflects on how power and knowledge often show up in subtle ways, not just through big actions or voices but through quiet choices and awareness. I was inspired by the idea that human identity isn’t only about what we do loudly but also about the inner strength we carry silently.

Why it matters: This question came to me during a conversation about social media, where one post can influence thousands of people instantly. It matters to me because power isn’t just held by leaders anymore. Ordinary people can shape opinions and truths online. Thinking about responsibility helps me reflect on how I use my own voice and choices.

Reflection: Playing volleyball showed me how choices affect teamwork and outcomes. I learned that paying attention, communicating, and adapting to situations are important skills both in sports and in life. Making decisions quickly while considering others’ strengths reminded me that being human means learning, cooperating, and thinking ahead.