Train of Thought

      In my book club book, Demian, the main character is influenced by multiple parties. The most obvious mentor shares the name of the book, and is shrouded in mystery. A different character, Franz Kromer, could also be seen as a mentor, however Kromer drags him in a negative direction. This led to me realizing that a mentor isn't always necessarily a good influence, and the importance in being able to distinguish the two. In the book, Kromer is an obvious negative influence, and is even associated with the "forbidden" realm rather than the bright and innocent one Sinclair was raised in. In the real world however, the influence people have on us isn't always as black and white. In our desire to fit in, we often associate with people who don't have our best interest in mind, and we become distracted from our path to success. Like Sinclair who just wanted to show off to the other boys, trying to fit the mold at all costs can cause consequences. At the same time, f...

 One of my favorite things with the first semester was the free reading time. I don't typically read much during my regular life, so having a time carved out just for reading let me experience books I otherwise wouldn't have. In general, when we read books in class we dissect them to their smallest pieces, which somewhat takes away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I found the class workload extremely manageable, even with my other APs. I found blogging to be overall enjoyable, and really liked the more freeform style they adopted towards the end of the semester. I personally really like the Harkness discussions and found them to be some of the most enjoyable class periods. Hearing other peoples ideas and bringing new thoughts and life into a story gave me a new appreciation for whatever piece we read. I think the grading system motivated me to try and find original thought rather than just echo the ideas of others. With online learning it can sometimes be hard to stay mo...

Like clockwork, when the holiday spirits begin to glow my dad beings to tell of Christmas in Germany and what it's like. He tells of the magical Christmas markets with the sweet smells wafting over stands to tickle your nose, of the presents delicately unwrapped on Christmas Eve, and of the precarious tradition of real candles on the tree. With his stories, my dad passes on a little piece of our cultural heritage as German Americans, retelling those memories we've never had the chance to experience. While we've been to Germany many times to visit family and explore other European countries in the summer, we miss out on much of shapes the culture. As the much-awaited day slowly creeps closer on the calendar, CDs filled with German Christmas carols spin along, with merry children's voices singing "Oh Tannenbaum" -  "Oh Christmas Tree". Storytelling is a way to not only learn but also to bond, growing closer to the storyteller and the story alike. Germa...

    ` When playing games with a couple of my friends, I found myself judging their skill at the game. "Wow, they're so bad" I thought to myself. At the time, we were playing as a group, and began to lose the game we were playing. I have a pretty competitive mindset, so when the tides turned against us I began to analyze what the possible culprit of the loss could be. Rather than focusing on what I could do to improve, I blamed my teammates, a common pitfall in all group sports or activities. We as people are quick to push the blame away from ourselves, even if it clearly could've been our own fault. We make judgements on a day to day basis, be it in a game or on the road, but regardless of the medium, excuses as to why we aren't to blame always exist. "Well, he should've seen me coming!" could be a common excuse if you cut someone off on the road. Making judgements of others doesn't diminish who we are as people, but it is important to focus intr...

     "How to Be Alone" covers various pockets of America and their individual stories of quarantine solidarity. The pandemic hit everyone in vastly different ways, but ironically, that's what unites us; all our lives were shaken to their core. Communities have been forced to stay secluded, and the isolation slowly takes it toll on mental health. Like an astronaut, we must stay focused on the mission and keep ourselves busy to force away the boredom and loneliness slowly creeping in. Not everyone has a relationship or friends to connect to, and their human interactions are next to none. My own quarantine experience has been a confusing period of growth. Like everyone else, it began by coming to terms with everything I would no longer be able to do, from going to the gym on a daily basis, hanging out with friends, or going out to eat. My friends and I stayed connected through the voice calls we had nearly every night; most nights we would play games and keep ourselves busy,...

  Physics C      ~Mr. Glynn  The image above is familiar to us all; to some, it may even cause anxiety. To me, this image represents a distinct shift deeper than simply switching to virtual. The way we used to remember school, through memories at the lunch table with friends or an especially hard test, has vanished; the only remaining catalogue of the struggle we underwent tucked away in folders. Each folder represents a new week of procrastination, stress, and homework, yet it all seems so bland and insignificant. Weeks all melt into each other like a movie on fast forward when we can't find the remote, whizzing by faster than we can follow. There are no memorable events separating the weeks, just an ever increasing number until we reach our uncertain graduation. Although we have more free time than we'll probably ever have again, everything feels like a chore, with the same routine being repeated day after day. Returning to school feels like entering a post ap...

 The world is ruled by an invisible dictator. He controls what we see, hear, and feel, as well as basic human interaction. The craziest thing? People willingly choose to be controlled, submitting themselves to an unseen ruler known as the internet. As the world is sucked deeper into the hole of technology, it can sometimes take a wake-up call to really see what's happening. Banksy's piece titled "Mobile Lovers" shows what happens when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture. At face value, we see two lovers, but with a little more context, we realize their true infatuation lies with their phones. The irony with this piece lies in the fact that the common passer-by would be looking down at their phones, and therefore completely miss as well as play into the message Banksy delivers. Banksy shows the weakening relevance of face-to-face human connection, being taken over by a digital world. Some people no longer feel comfortable in the presence of others, and use thei...