1st Semester Reflection

The first semester is over, which means that students get to go on vacation, but it also means that we get our overall grades of the first semester. So when students get their report card, they are usually surprised about their grades, which can be good or bad, and then while we are staring at the numbers that are defining our evaluation for the semester, we start to think and self-reflect on how well and how bad we did.

Now, when I went into my dads email account to figure out if I was going to get the speech about doing better at school, I was pretty proud of myself. So while I went through my grades and read the lovely comments from my teachers, not only did I achieve my goal to keep everything above a C, but I started to self-reflect about the things that made me do good. What I came up with is:

1. I started to pay more attention in class
2. Did my homework with more focus
3. Started to understand the content giving in class
4. I procrastinate less
5. Prepared better for test and quizzes

Now, of course since it is a new year and new semester, people expect us to get new ways to do better in school. But when I think about it, sure I have potential to do better, but this is our last year before we get killed by IB and SAT. And sure, you still might want to give it your very best, but why stress already now, and not wait until we are really stressed out next year. What I am trying to say is that, why stress about little things when the big bomb isn’t even here yet. Being a Sophomore is the best time to be in high school. First you do not have to worry about anything that you had to worry when you were a Freshman. You already know how things work. It is like a little “break” that we get before things get real, and I am enjoying this “break”.

But what I am doing to prepare for next years hustle, is time management. Because if we are being totally honest, I am one of the best procrastinator. Now, sure it is bad to be one, but right now, I really do not have a problem with it. But what I want to try out this semester is to procrastinate as little as I can. Because, yes I do realize that if I procrastinate IB and studying for the SAT, well then I am fried. But an old habits take time to kill, but I am strongly working on it, and if I do not fix it for Junior year, well my guess is that I am going to suffer, but survive, roughly.

My last words of wisdom for who is reading this, is basically, that if you are in a difficult place with procrastination or you are way too stressed about school, look at this site, and take a breather. Sure your grades might be one of the major aspects to get into college, but just relax, do not stress, because in the end every little thing is going to be alright.

Promises - Communication is the Key to many Doors

Communication can lead to great success, but when people stop communicating that is when the real problem starts. The documentary, Promises, directed by B.Z Goldberg, explores the Israeli-Palestinianconflict from the lives of seven children living in the West Bank and Israeli neighborhoods of Jerusalem. 

            The seven children starring in the documentary are; Daniel and Yarko, Shomo, Moishe, Faraj, Mahmoud and Sanable. Daniel and Yarko are Israeli twins that life in West Jerusalem. Then we have an orthodox Jewish boy, Shomo, which spends 12 hours a day studying the Torah. Moishe is the kid who wants to be Israel’s first religious Prime Minister; he assured that when he runs the country he would clear Jerusalem of the Arabs. Faraj lives in the Deheishe refugee camp, where at age of 5 he saw getting his best friend getting killed by an Israeli soldier, from that point on the definition of “Israeli” meant “murderer” for Faraj. Mahmoud is a supporter of Hamas, where he believes that if more Jews are killed, the stronger Arabs will be. Lastly we have Sanable, whose father has been imprisoned by the Israelis because of his outspoken journalism.  

Daniel & Faraj 

            When filming this documentary, the directors proposed a get together with all the children involved. While interviewing Daniel and Yarko, B.Z Goldberg asked them if they wanted to meet up with the other kids, when they both agreed Goldberg called Faraj and made Daniel communicate with him, resulting in a great adventure. The first connection made was by communicating with each other, even thought throughout the movie before the connection we see that Faraj has a strong opinion about the Israelis, you cannot really judge someone before you meet them.

            When the get together was made, everybody agreed of the meet expect for Shomo. His life was all about studying, since the government but him in the school and paid him to study. Shomo created a bubble of comfort, making him reject communication of anything that went against the Torah. But all the other kids went, even though Daniel and Yarko were Israelis, Faraj, Sanable, Mahmoud and Moishe did not care about that after they started to communicate and started to play together as normal kids should do. When they sat down to talk about their different life styles, everybody had a better understanding of each other. Faraj and Moishe saw that not every Israeli is a murderer. When everybody child was sharing their perspectives and want they have lived through because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, communication was establish, everybody was talking to each other, nobody was pointing fingers at which religion or belief was wrong to support. There was no judgment at all with in the conversation of the children. Even though some of the kids have been scared because of the Israelis actions, they realized that not everybody is as cruel as the example the soldiers are giving. They realized that the little day spend together would not kill anybody and they saw that you cannot judge that everybody has the same mind set, you need to give people a chance before judgment is past on. 

            In the end of the day, Promises is a documentary that has won many awards and has people inspired, like Julie Salamon, The New York Times to says, “Extraordinary! Intensely personal and insightful —a humanist’s dream.” Communication is the key to many doors, the children realized that after they met with each other and interacted with each other. Without communication, outworld would be lost. 

Promises - Trailer:

American History X

What does it take for someone to move from a position of hate and racism to a position of tolerance and respect like the transformation that occurred in Derek?

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Its true, people that will not change to make something better of themselves will or cannot change anything. But Derek did. American History X is a story in which the view of hate changed for the two brothers. Derek and Danny, the two brothers were in a group in which they follow the Nazi’s way of living. Hating people who are different such as different races. But when Derek was send to prison, his experiences contributed to his change of heart. To be able to change your state, it needs to be your wish, as well as knowing that change is the solution. Derek moments in prison led to become friend with a person of a different race. As any man bonding, basketball and girls will be the start of any relationship. Lamont, an African American man, as well as working with Derek in prison, made Derek realize that all men are alike. As the days passed, Lamont and Derek keep on bonding over basketball and among other things, made Derek realize that people are not very different just because they have another skin color.  When Derek got raped in the movie, the one that helped him was Lamont, which was Derek’s last step to come into realization that people help out each other no matter what your skin or religion is.

Derek and Lamont 

You ask what does it take for someone to change, well in the movie the answer is basically answered as Danny quotes Abraham Lincoln, or as I'm quoting Danny’s last words: “So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like. 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” When we grow up society or the friends and people that influence our every day life made us realize what’s right and wrong, and because of Cameron and Derek’s Dad, Derek himself became a person that does not think for himself, he thinks what ever influenced him to be a Nazi. But as he realizes what’s true, and starts think what is best for him and gets away from the bad influence then you can see how he changes.  "Has anything you have done, made your life better?"                                                             - Dr. Sweeney Trailer here: Click here for my about.me and Twitter

Seattle Boycott

A boycott has spread through out Seattle, making the Garfield High School teachers protest against standardized test. The school and teachers do not think that students can’t pass the test, but the standardized test does not contain the information that was studied in class. Teachers also think that MAP testing has nothing that engages the student because it wont count as a grade, making the test as a racing competition with friends or just clicking random buttons. Now, as a student that does take the MAP testing, I can relate to what the teachers say in Garfield High School, and I would stand by them if colleges around the globe would do standardized that is related to our curriculum. When the time comes to do the MAP testing, personally, I don’t take it so serious, I might begin strong, but then after a while, the questions aren't even related to what we ever studied, making the test for me, not important any more. If standardized test would be removed from our school I would be agreeing but as well disagreeing, since the SAT and IB test are important for colleges. In the other hand, not having all the stress that the SAT's or IB test bring to students, would be pretty relaxing. The effect of these kind of stress can freak students our making them be so nervous to take the test, making them fail the test since all the content studied in school wont even be on the test. So, yes, I agree with the Garfield High School.