Blog Post 7: The Time of the 20%

At the start of this school year, my friend and I were ecstatic to start upon a groundbreaking research project for 20% Time, a mind-controlled helicopter. We were so excited to embark upon a year-long journey to make it.....and then we didn't. Don't get me wrong, we tried. We had the idea, we had a process, designs, a way to create the uncreated. But ultimately, it didn't coalesce. Our struggles fulfilled Murphy's law, an adage saying "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Whether it was the circuit board short-circuiting, or the helicopter's rotors breaking, or the inability of Daniel's laptop to run the necessary software, or the headset's malfunctioning dry-cellor the reoccurring problem of people swearing to help us mysteriously becoming unavailable or just ignoring us completely, it certainly reinforced the concept Murphy was going for. So ultimately, we failed.


Or did we? In my first blog post, months ago, we responded to a post about the inability to fail, a precursor to the 20% Time project. So if I'm not allowed to fail, what did I learn? I dabbled in computer coding, learned about the physics of electrical engineering, and how a helicopter worked. I learned about the inner constructs of the human brain, about electrical impulses, and how they control our bodies. I learned how to solder, and most importantly, how to ask for help. So, sure. Physically, we may have failed, but the intellectual repercussions are boundless.

Spring Blog #6: Me

A one word response to describe me?
Minimalistic-perfectionist

Spring Blog #5: The Influence of Cartoons

TV Shows have played a major part in the childhood of everyone since the tv was invented in 1926. It just so happens that we are at our most impressionable during out childhood. Therefore, it stands to reason that Tv shows must have an impact on us, whether it be big or small relies on our addiction to Tv.  As a typical young American boy, I watched Spongebob. A lot. And it is the entirety of the cast of Spongebob that has influenced me to become the person I am. Underneath the zaniness of their everyday lives, a beautiful message emerges. Spongebob, as a character, teaches us to love our enemies, no matter how much they despise us. Squidward teaches us to do what we love, no matter how bad we are, for perseverance is the only way to success. Patrick shows us how we must live and let live, without judging those around us, and how often the answers we so desperately seek can be found inside us. Plankton demonstrates the importance of following our dreams no matter how many times we fail, a lesson we could all use. Mr. Krabs shows us how sometimes we must sacrifice our material goods for the benefit of our loved ones. Sandy represents the importance of loving ourselves, even if it sets us apart from the crowd. Some may say that Tv is an idiotic waste of time, devolving us into mindless beasts, but the truth of the matter is it changes us. Whether for better or worse, that remains to be seen.

Spring Blog #4: The Impact of Books

Books. Novels. Short Stories. These affect us more than we know. Without Books, our race would be nothing. In books we have recorded our entire history, the hopes and aspirations of millions. Books are the direct by-product of our sentience, and are what separates us from Apes. Beyond the historical perspective, books shape our views. They inspire generations to do something that never would've been thought of without them. Gandhi never would've conducted his Salt March without being encouraged by Jesus' civil-disobedience. The First Continental Congress would never have drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution without the influence of the Magna Carta. Books don't only record our past/ They shape our future.
Books also work on a smaller scale. Instead of revolutionizing a nation, they could just change the mind of one. Books have affected me since a young age, and continue to affect me. I read 13 Reasons Why back in middle school when I was going through a hard time. One of my friends had just committed suicide, and I wasn't dealing with it very well. I couldn't figure out why he would take his life, before he had time to even experience it. I was mad at him for doing it, and mad at the world for letting it happen. I started reading a lot of books and papers on suicide, trying to figure out why he would do a thing like that. While not all the books were sad, 13 Reasons Why impacted me deeply. It flared a bit for the dramatic, but it opened my eyes to the fact that it wasn't something strange and rare that happened to him. It was something common; it was us. He committed suicide because the people around didn't support him, didn't protect him. It's the people around us that can hurt us the most, but often times we don't realize till it's to late. Thinking about him, and having read the book, I started to change. I make an effort to be nice to everyone, not just those close to me. I volunteer in my free time, and try to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. Suicide is a serious issue. It's a psychological illness that beats us down and corners us until we believe that its the only way out, only way to find peace. It is preventable, and it is curable. Only we, the people who caused it, are able to fix it. We must be kind, and we must be aware of the reactions of those around us. The only problem is kindness and awareness are so rare these days. It is not as common as it used to be. People have become so absorbed in themselves and technology, they are deaf to the desperate cries of those around them.

Spring Blog #3: The Hero of History

Ever since we entered school, we've been subjected to long history lessons. We are taught everything that ever happened from Pangaea to the 2012 election. We learn of the major figures of history, good and bad. But what person is the most important in history?

This is a very controversial question. Everyone would have their own opinion, creating a bigger issue than the white-gold/black-blue dress. In order to be the best of the best, though, we can't look at philosophies, at what figures hoped to do. We have to look at what impact they left on this Earth. That one criteria drastically narrows the qualifying pool. But the one person who accomplished more than any other, was Jesus.

Yes, Jesus of Nazareth, main figure of the New Testament, born in Bethlehem, that Jesus. And no, it is not because I am a Catholic, so I vote that way by default. If I was, I would vote God, but he's not exactly human. In any case, Jesus changed more on earth than anybody else ever has. He revolutionized the Roman Empire. He created a new religion. He inspired generations of leaders to come, and was the source of the idea of civilian disobedience which would later be the motivation of Thoreau, Emerson, and Gandhi. His actions created ripples that are still being felt 2000 years after his death. Jesus, and Jesus alone, has accomplished the most in human history. Ever.
PS In all likelihood, Jesus was black. Just saying.

Spring Blog #2: High School

The greatest learning experience of my life is still going on now. It's High School. Although I'm being challenged by my classes, that's not where I was truly learning. It was in High School where I finally learned how to be social. In elementary and middle school, K-8, my entire grade was 50 kids. And I was with those same 50 kids the entire time. So what little social ability I had as a toddler was lost upon entering school. When there's only 50 kids, you're friends with everyone. So you become great at keeping friends, but abominable at making them. Fast-forward to freshmen-year, I was a shy, anti-social boy, terrified of classes, girls, and the world in general. Going from a 50 kid grade to a 500 kid grade is a bit of a shock. But it was through these long and arduous semesters that I realized that EVERY kid had these same insecurities and fears. The only difference was they didn't let it hold them back. After my epiphany, I decided to force myself into social situations and model my behaviors after those around me, and low and behold, I flourished. I developed into a better version of me, one that wasn't afraid to put himself out there and take risks. And I don't regret it.

Spring Blog #1: Huck Finn: Racist or Honest?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a controversial book. It is either beloved or hated by all for its perspective on slavery. Censorship of  the book is common, solely because the "authors" didn't like the Twain's liberal use of the word "nigger". CBS televised a production of Huck Finn, except they deleted all mention of slavery and omitted the character of Jim, turning a story about a boy who bravely defies society into one about a little boy running away from home. Some have gone even as far as to ban the book (Texas, I'm looking at you) and to burn it (the Nazi's favorite past time). Debates rage on to this day about whether or not Huck Finn should be taught at school. I think it should. All these disputes have been because of the slavery issue and the word "nigger", and it has been argued that Mark Twain is racist. In reality, Twain wasn't racist. Everything he put into that book was to show the racism of the times, not the racism in himself. Twain was an ardent abolitionist. He wanted the book to show ignorant northerners of the time what it was like in the deep South, even if his account was a little more romanticized than Uncle Tom's Cabin. He also wanted his book to show future generations what it was like in pre-Civil War times, and how bad conditions were. So, even though many don't agree with the brutal representation of the South and the taboo word, nigger, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should still be taught in schools.