Visitors, Please Read!

Hey there! So it seems you somehow wound up here on some blog. Maybe a Google search with some key words, or maybe you were scrolling through Blogger... whatever it may be, the fact is that you're here now. You might as well read at least a tiny bit of this if you've got nothing else to do.

This is a blog created by me for the sole purpose of school...
an English class, to be exact.

Wait, don't leave yet! I know a school blog sounds boring but hold on a bit.

Besides this one, there are 20 posts in here. Most of them are about things that my English teacher had us write about, usually in themes like ambition or a book we read such as Lord of the Flies.

BUT... some of these posts are things written on my own, though good enough to be considered a school assignment. It's not boring though! Some of these are relatable, interesting, or thought-provoking! If you've got time, how about reading some?

Here are some suggestions! Some are long, but they're good! 

Social media makes people anti-social! Isn't it annoying? Read Technology.

What does "That was a rhetorical question. Don't answer it" mean???
Learn about it in The Art of Rhetoric.

Ever struggled on what does it mean to be a good leader? Read Leadership.

There are a lot more. Look through the Blog Archive in the About Me section!

This blog was created in a specific school year, so when that year ended, this blog ended. I wanted the legacy of that year to remain in place when it comes to this specific blog, so that's why there will not be any more posts on this. However, if there are any feedback/questions, etc. then I will come back here. If there's a fair audience, I might make another blog that isn't school-inspired, like about video games, TV shows, pet birds, my own stories, and drawing!

If you have nothing positive to say, it's better to say nothing.

That goes for this blog and life itself.

Thank you for your time, and have a fantastic day! :)

Farewell, Wonderful Blog!

Hey everyone! I can't believe this is happening but...
the school year is over!

What?! How in the world...?!

Yeah well, it happened. I mean, there are still exams to be done, but school itself is over. How awesome is that?

Well, as awesome as it is, that means it's time to bring this wonderful blog to a close.

This blog was created solely for exploring the world of 10th grade... the first year of high school. Now it's time to say goodbye to 10th grade, along with this blog.

10th grade has been really something. It was amazing in some parts, and horrible in some parts. It's a lot like 9th grade, actually. However, I think 10th grade was more enlightening. I realized a lot of things this year that I was too egoistic to admit previously. Well, I'm still egoistic - that's never going to change. But anyway, I now see that there is no one, concrete path to awesomeness (victory and success.)

My goal is to be the best, like no one ever was. There are a lot of different ways to achieve that. Some are harder than others, and some are more valuable than others. It's up to me to decide which one is best for me, and work my way through that.

I'm used to following one solid path in education, but when you get to high school, things are different. It's not like elementary or middle school. It's weird. When you go to high school, you're on your own. You find your own way to navigate it, literally. You choose your own classes, your own clubs, your own decisions. All the people I knew before have branched off in so many directions, and it's like I don't even know them anymore. They're in their own world now, and I best be in my own.

I'm a person who hates change, because usually in my experience, it's always negative change. I don't like going to new levels of school. I don't like having to join clubs. I don't want to grow up!

But I guess sometimes you can't avoid change. You don't necessarily have to embrace it, but at least deal with it and take the chance to improve it when you can. That's what I'm doing next year. I made some mistakes in choosing classes, and I wasted my precious time. That one particular class made me want to rip apart the book and burn down the classroom sometimes. Well, I'm not repeating that for a third time. 11th grade is going to be awesome.

That's just one of the lessons I learned this year. I'm not going to ramble on with deep stuff now. You guys probably think it's boring to hear all this life wisdom and inspirational stuff, right? I do have some really awesome advice and a fun way to describe it all, but that may or may not be ever posted on this blog. Sorry about that. ;)

Well, that's a wrap. Overall, 10th grade was good. Not awesome, but good. I hate admitting such a thing, so I am going to make 11th grade awesome. With the year coming to a close, so shall this blog. I'm going to take some regents exams, rock all of them, forget what school is, and enjoy a much-needed summer vacation. What about you guys?

Before our time ends, I want to say thank you to all those who read anything on here. If you enjoyed any posts, or at least worked/exhausted your mind from them, then I appreciate your time.

If you ever got annoyed at the following:
Extremely long posts
Spoilers (Hey, I warned ya.)
Me saying words like "awesome" or something similar all the time
Anything else

Then I am sorry. Forgive me! :)

If you've ever wondered if I like anime, the answer is yes and no. I am not what you call an "otaku." I feel that is an overly and unnecessarily used word. People who proudly call themselves an otaku are so annoying! Liking/loving anime is fine, but specifically how these so-called otakus act are really irritating and redundant to me. Sorry. Going back to if I like anime, yes - it's pretty cool! The problem arises when you ask me which ones I watch. I've watched many, many, MANY shows in my life. Of those many shows, I have been a fan of 4 shows that the world would consider to be anime but not me. I don't consider those 4 shows anime, because they are not! But if you knew what shows they are, you would call them anime for sure. Then I would disagree with you and have an endless argument. So let's not go there. The only reason I'm bringing up this whole anime thing is because I've used some anime GIFs in posts. I don't want people to assume that I am an otaku, because I AM NOT AN OTAKU!

If you enjoyed any part of this blog, feel free to give feedback! I just might start a new blog that is more fun and interesting than this! I can write about Nintendo games, parakeets, cockatiels, TV shows, movies, and drawing (I'll only do it if I know there will be an audience larger than one person)!

That's it everyone.
This is the end. Or maybe it's just the beginning. Who knows?
It's been a great year, and it won't stop there.
Thanks for reading The Wonderful World of Me, Myself, and I!
Good luck everyone, and see you later!

Ambition

Greetings everyone. I'm back from Bangladesh. I had the time of my life there, and I REALLY did not want to leave. But I'm home now. I wrote a little about Bangladesh in the post below this, but it's not a description of the wonderful time I had there. It's something a little different, since this is a school blog. I hope you read it sometime, if you haven't already.

Well, it's back to school.
Today's blog topic is not on me, as most of them are (not all).

How can ambition influence ethics?

Having ambition means having a strong desire and determination to achieve something. Everyone needs ambition in their life. Without it, their life has little to no purpose. We all need a dream, and we all need to have the will to pursue that dream and make it come true. With that being said, ambition sounds like a great thing.

But when it comes to pretty much anything, too much and too less of something is never a good thing. If someone is too ambitious, that determination might turn into an obsession. This obsession could possibly lead to making wrong decisions due to the person becoming blinded by too much ambition. His/her mind will be so wrapped up in achieving a certain goal that he/she might lose sight of what's right and what's wrong.

I don't know why, but the first example of this that comes to my mind is genetic engineering. Scientists are altering the genetic makeup of people, plants, and animals in an attempt to one day reach perfect DNA. This is their ultimate wish, their ambition, their drive - to make a flawless organism. Is this a good wish? Well, that's your opinion. Some people think that it is wrong to alter an organism's genetic makeup, especially a human. They believe we should leave it all up to God's will, and we shouldn't fiddle with that fate. But some people also believe that if we have the technology and ability to improve the chances of a healthy child being born, then why not?

The problem with that is, people will start to misuse that power. I learned about this in school last year. Some people will be like, since they're on the topic, why not also change the appearance of their future child? They'll make them the perfect little kid, such as improving intelligence, fixing beauty flaws, etc. This is when people start getting carried away. The original ambition of scientists to genetically modify DNA for a good purpose could escalate into a sticky situation of making a person seem unnatural.

So, basically, have too much ambition could possibly lead someone down the wrong path. It's important to dream big, but you must always stay within your ethical limits.

A Fun Culture

Hi everyone. I'm still in Bangladesh! Obviously, I haven't been in school lately, nor have I had a chance to read my independent reading book from the school library, so I thought I would write about something different today.

What I have written below might seem a bit long, but it is very short compared to my actual thoughts. This is a short version, so if you feel that one should delve deeper for a topic like this, just remember that it's not full. The full version is in my head, and it might stay there.

So, I am in Bangladesh. Some of you may have heard of it, and some of you haven't. If you have, you probably think it's a country with a lot of poverty, floods sweeping the place constantly, or something like that. Well, it's not just that! It's the 8th most populated country in the world, and some of the most brilliant people in the world are from here.  Almost EVERYTHING about this country is different from America. The cities, towns, roads, culture, language, lifestyle and routine... none of it is like the U.S. Every time I come to Bangladesh, I feel like I am entering another world with another life. I always still remember my home in America, but when I am in Bangladesh, I am another person. I do things differently.

Their language is called Bangla. I can't speak it fluently because, well, it's hard to learn a language when you're surrounded by English and Spanish speakers. The only reason I know a little Bangla is because my parents taught me some, along with English. They fully speak both languages. I may speak little Bangla, but I understand most of it. When someone speaks, I can pick up many words and put them together to form the main idea of what they're saying, but I can't answer back most of the time. It's REALLY annoying and hard not knowing how to talk with my own family. I want to talk with them SO badly but I can't! Luckily, they know a lot of English, so we can still communicate together. We just can't easily speak Bangla with each other.

You would think that if we can speak English together, then there's no problem having fun with each other. That is true, but to a certain extent. There's something about Bangla that is just so amazing. Speaking Bangla adds a whole level of effect when you talk. It's so funny! Honestly, I have laughed more in Bangladesh than I ever have in all my years in school. When someone speaks Bangla, it's done in such an attitude that you can't help but laugh, or at least smile. It doesn't even have to be Bangla! Even when they speak English, they're hilarious. Their attitude and personality ties it all together. Everyone's sense of humor is COMPLETELY superior compared to everyone back in America.

You probably know this, or you know it but you've never actually realized it: American humor is mostly just sarcasm. Every "joke" I hear at school is just some sad attempt at sarcasm. They all try to sound like a loser on purpose and ALWAYS say the opposite of what is really going on (sarcasm). Come on, how many times have you heard someone say "Wow... that's - that's great. Just great." Or maybe replace the word "great" with "sad" or something similar. Add a fake, dry, sarcastic laugh or chuckle at the end, and you have yourself a typical American sentence. That particular example is not a joke, but the jokes are just as bad. No one is actually funny here. Everyone is so fake, so dry, wrapping their minds on the internet and copying whatever nonsense they see on there.

In Bangladesh, it's completely different in every way. Everyone here is so real, so genuine, and so lively! I really can't explain it in words on a platform like this. It's hard to make up examples here because their personalities are just that real. Everyone has this common sense of unity. I really wish I knew how to explain this better, but I don't know how. As I said, I can't speak their language. I may understand a lot, but it's not complete. Despite this, I still laugh whenever my cousins mess around while speaking Bangla. Even if I didn't understand a word, their attitude made me laugh. Even when they speak in English, they're the funniest people ever! The way their community and lifestyles are have shaped their incredible personalities. It doesn't even have to be a joke - just a normal conversation can sound funny, or at least lively. Everyone in Bangladesh is like this. It's amazing.

Do people in Bangladesh use phones a lot? Oh yeah, they do. They have social media and all that. People of all ages use phones to watch videos, play games, etc. But they aren't as heavy on them as Americans are. In Bangladesh, we actually talk and play with each other. There's a sense of togetherness here. We don't pull out our phones every 2 minutes to press "Like" on something that we'll forget soon enough just to make ourselves look busy. Everyone here is considerate.

Why am I saying all this? I just wanted to make a point. I'm not saying America isn't cool. I love America. It's my home. America is wonderful, it really is. But there are other countries out there that are also wonderful, and some of these countries have better features than America. Not a lot of people know this. They think America is the best in everything. America is the best in a lot of things, but not everything. Different cultures can do the same things in a much better way sometimes, and in this particular example, it's their personality. It doesn't stop there, though. There are SO many forms of architecture and sight-seeing spots around the world that are unlike anything I've ever seen in America. America is amazing, but so is the rest of the world.

Good News

Hey there, everyone! I'm really happy right now! Want to know why?!
Well, here we go!!!!!

This first thing I will say deserves to be second, but for the sake of this blog, I'll say it first. I finished Animal Farm a little while back and the unit officially closes this week! Yes, finally!!! This unit has been so boring, and I cannot wait to move on to something more fun and interesting. The exams for this novel are going to take place this week. I'm looking forward to being done with it all.

Secondly, the best for last... I am going on vacation!

Heh... I know this doesn't really apply to anyone except me, but I really just wanted to say this. I'm going to Bangladesh, which is an amazing country with amazing people. Those amazing people include my dear family. I can't wait to head over there. Sure, I'll be missing out on a LOT of school, and I am certainly not looking forward to making up for all the work, but if that's what it takes to meet them, then I'm up for it.

I'll be going out this week, so there won't be any new blog posts for a while. I'll make up for them later, so this is goodbye for now. I'm heading over to the other side of the world. See you later!

Animal Farm

Hello all. A while back, we started reading Animal Farm a little while back. I'm nearly done with it. I thought I'd talk a little about what exactly it's about.

Firstly, it's not a kid's book. It might sound like it, but it is not. It's all about the Russian Revolution! But don't go thinking it's just a bunch of boring history. This book does something interesting: it replaces all the important "human" figures of the revolution with animals! Every character, setting, and action is a symbol of the real thing, done in a somewhat comedic or ironic way. This is called satire! Animal Farm is just one big satire of the Russian Revolution.

How is the book so far? It's okay. Actually, it's pretty boring. You would think it would be funny and cool, but I find it to be so monotonous. The whole book is just listing the things that happened on the farm. It doesn't make me feel like I'm there, which is the opposite of what a book is supposed to do. The characters' dialogue and actions all feel like they're being listed, one after another. It doesn't really feel like they're actually saying or doing anything, even though they are. One thing happens, and another thing the next. There's no real life or vitality. It's a burden reading this. Sorry, it's just my opinion. I can't wait to finish this book already and be done with this whole unit. There's only one good thing about this book. It's helping me understand how the Russian Revolution started - something my textbook doesn't know how to do. Thanks for that, I guess.

See you next week!

Banned Books Conflict

Hey there, fellow bloggers. Here's a random question... have you ever read a banned book? I've read two: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read both of these in my school last year, as it was required, though it's banned in many other schools. I found out today that Lord of the Flies, Night, and strangely Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are banned in some schools too.

The reason for the ban isn't because it has a discouraging meaning. It's because of the extreme profanity within them. It is said that such words shouldn't be used in classroom conditions, as they are way too inappropriate. They are discriminatory words and are too harsh for kids, even if these kids are in high school. Sometimes the reason for the ban isn't just the language, but the content itself. Perhaps the actions of the characters are too... adult-like. The characters might be getting involved in situations and scenes that kids (yes, this includes high school students) shouldn't be reading and discussing about.

Now the real question is... should the books really be banned?

People say that high school students can handle inappropriate content, and the books shouldn't be banned because the main purpose of including the books in the curriculum is because of the lessons they contain altogether. Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird had a ton of bad words that made it hard for me to read. Personally, I am completely against the use of profanity. I don't use such words, EVER. Working with these books were really uncomforting for this reason. But overall, the story and lessons were good, minus the bad parts. Lord of the Flies had some bad words, but I never thought of it as something worth being full-on banned. The other two I mentioned just above, though, are reasonable for being challenged. I'm sorry to say this, but I am kind of a supporter of banning the books. If a book has too much inappropriate content, then the kids will get distracted by it and possibly miss out on the main story. Some kids will find it funny, and some will find it unsettling. However, it's hard to say whether novels like the classic To Kill a Mockingbird should be banned. It has really bad language and situations at times, but the overall lesson is meaningful. Kids will miss out on that if it is banned. Is there another book out there that does the same job explaining the moral, maybe even better? Perhaps, but the classics aren't something we should miss out on. Should we then resort to just reading excerpts? It doesn't sound like a bad idea, for now.

It's a really sticky topic, so I'll leave it at that. It's some food for thought.

See you next week!

The Art of Rhetoric

Hello everyone! Here's another interesting topic for you all today. Let's talk about how rhetoric and language can be used as tools for manipulation.

Have you ever heard someone say, "That was a rhetorical question. Don't answer it." Well, what does that even mean? First, let's clear up the definition of the word rhetoric, and all its wonders.

Rhetoric is a style of speech. It's a technique used to bring out your point effectively. There are 3 main components to the art of rhetoric, collectively known as the Rhetorical Triangle, created by Aristotle.

1. Ethos

"Ethos" sounds like "ethic," which is what is refers to. If you're speaking rhetorically, ethos is something you need to include in your dialogue. It is basically describing your character. Are you a trustworthy person? Are you morals and ethics in place? Are you someone worthy of other people's attention and respect? These all fall into the ethos section.

2. Logos

"Logos" sounds like "logic." When you're trying to make a point, you can't simply throw information down on your audience. There has to be evidence, or some sort of way to back up your words. It needs foundation. Logos refers to the logical appeal of a speech. This is where the argument happens.

3. Pathos

This is the fun one. "Pathos" sounds a bit like "pathology." Pathology usually refers to disease or suffering (pathogens, etc.), but pathos is more than just that. It is the emotional appeal of your speech to the audience. If you include pathos into what you're saying, that means your words are able to stir up emotions in the minds of your audience. It could instill pride, sadness, fear, anything.

These 3 components usually make up the best speeches. If a person successfully taps into each one to an audience, that speech will most likely be successful. The Rhetorical Triangle is an excellent tool for manipulation. Let's take a look at an example.

(I'm not referring to anyone specific below. I'm making this up completely.)

Let's say a politician is giving a speech to an American audience. He wants to be elected for a certain position in the government. Maybe to some, he isn't the best choice. There isn't a 100% guarantee that he's got this in the bag, so it's time to spice up his appeal to them. Time for some rhetoric.

In his speech, he'll probably start with something like "My fellow Americans." This is providing a sense of unity among himself and them. He will then go on to talk about how wonderful our country is, sounding like he is a proud American. Then he will talk about everything that is wrong with it, question why it's wrong, and what can we do as U.S. citizens to fix it. If he nails down the right "problems" and addresses them in such a way, each individual listening will feel like he is talking to them personally. Each individual will feel that he knows exactly how everyone feels about those problems, and how badly everyone wants a solution. If he promises to fix them to make everything wonderful again, his audience will be really happy. They'll cheer constantly. This is pathos.

Anyone can make promises, but not everyone can keep them. How are we to know that this man will keep his? He will then go on the discuss his history in dealing with situations like this. He will talk about all of his credentials, the positions he has held in the past, etc. This is ethos.

Some say that every idea is a good idea, but it isn't always the case. What if this man's ideas for improvement are complete nonsense? How is he going to convince them that his plan will work? He will then pull out a bunch of statistics to make him sound like he really knows what he's talking about, and that he's got this. Maybe some people will analyze every statistic/fact he says to see if they're really true, but most people won't delve too deep into it. The common man usually goes with what sounds best, and few go further than that. Either way, the facts are there. This is logos.

By the end of the speech, everyone will be shouting "USA! USA!" and that man will wave, smiling at his new followers. He nailed all three legs of the Rhetorical Triangle, and had a successful speech.

Now, going back to the rhetorical question that you're not supposed to answer... basically, when someone asks a rhetorical question, it's only for dramatic effect. In this case, it doesn't necessarily include ethos, pathos, and logos. Rhetorical questions are just for style. This type of question is just supposed to sink into your mind and make you think about it, but not necessarily answer it like a typical question.

For example, let's say some kid asks "Why do I have to go to school?" Instead of answering "To get an education," you could say "Do you want to work at McDonald's for the rest of your life?" That was a rhetorical question. The answer is obviously "no," but he won't say that. He should understand the point by now.

Well, that's all folks. See you next week!

Oh and...
Happy Birthday to me!
It's sometime this week. Bye now!

Dull and Creative Minds

Greetings everyone! Here's an interesting topic for you today...

"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them." - George Orwell

This quote is basically saying that if people aren't able to record their thoughts properly, they won't be able to think properly, as they'll forget their thoughts. It might seem strange to forget a brilliant idea, but I've actually had this happen to me so many times. In happened to me last night, in fact! My art teacher always says to record your thoughts as soon as you get them, because you'll definitely forget it. Even if the idea isn't good, you can always build upon it later, forging a truly fantastic thought in the long run.

If a person doesn't think well, then that person won't grow into an innovative being. Then the people who actually have become innovative will do something to improve the lives of all people, which includes the dull ones. As a result, it's possible that the person who hasn't done any thinking will benefit off the people who worked hard.

It's quite an interesting quote, and I agree with it. Think about it in terms of a typical high school. For example, oh I don't know... mine! There are so many kids there who can't think about anything properly. I'm going to slightly disagree with the quote a bit on the writing part, because although writing is important, it's not necessarily the key to thinking well. There are lots of smart people who contribute well verbally but not on paper. So, the writing part is kind of optional. But the creativity is a must, which is something a lot of people don't have. They aren't honing their skills, testing their mind, thinking outside the box... they're just chilling. Yes, chilling is a whole lot of fun, but it's important to have a creative mind. The kids who never allow their mind to grow and explore their world will end up with little to no accomplishments in their life. Meanwhile, the kids who have creative minds will grow up to be something great. One will be an inventor, one a doctor, a teacher, soldier, governor, whatever it may be! These people will be the ones working to improve our world. They're basically doing what those dull kids are supposed to be doing. For example, someone will invent a perfect stain-proof shirt one of these days and market it all over the country. That dull kid will get his hands on it eventually and enjoy its benefits, but he didn't make it. The inventor made it for the good of all. That dull kid is having other people do the work for him. The smart people are essentially filling in the gaps of those who can't contribute.

Should things be that way? No, since there are more dull ones than creative ones. Are things that way? Yes, and they always will be. While I believe nothing is impossible, it's really close to impossible to inspire all people of the world to become something great instead of being dependent on others.

This quote is an introduction to a new book we'll start reading soon... and I think I know what it is. I'll discuss all that in future posts, of course. I'll be sure to keep it in mind while reading, since it pretty much applies directly to our world.

That's all for now. See you next week!

Social Awareness

Alright. Night by Elie Wiesel is officially over in class, and it's time to reflect on the concept of it all.

This week's topic:
How can an individual bring social awareness to atrocities like the Holocaust and other transgressions?

Before reading Night, I heard that some people consider it to be fiction. Last week, just out of curiosity, I looked up as to why people thought that. I couldn't find any reasonable evidence as to why the story isn't true, and even worse, there are so many people out there who don't even believe the Holocaust happened! Come on, seriously? This is why social awareness needs to be made about the Holocaust, and of course, many other issues. It can be really difficult to do this though. Based on what I've read, some people don't believe the Holocaust happened because it sounds unrealistically horrible, which is true. But the fact that something that sounds unrealistic is actually true means that people need to be more aware of this. 

Firstly, we need more firsthand accounts of such experiences, such as Elie Wiesel's Night. Such books really put you into the lives of these people, and you can feel the terror and pain described in quietly screaming words. I always knew what the Holocaust was in terms of the event itself, but a book like this took it to a whole new level. There are lots of books like these, such as The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. Anne was the same age as Eliezer, along with a whole bunch of kids today, including me! Even if we never experienced such terror, reading words written by an author of the same age as the reader can make the reader feel somewhat closer to the situation, and empathize more effectively. If the kids and teenagers of today know about their stories, they can pass it on in the future and keep the memory alive.

Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel. Innocent people like us. Put yourself in their shoes. That's a feeling you never knew could be felt.

It's not just books, though. We need the actual victims of such experiences to get out there and talk about it to a large audience. Regarding the Holocaust, there isn't much time left. I read a bit on this, and I found out that as of 2014, there were about 500,000 Holocaust survivors that were still alive up to that point. As of July 2016, just a year and a half ago from now, there are only 100,000 left. So many have been lost, including Elie Wiesel himself in that year. These survivors need to do their very best to enlighten people that are ignorant on this topic. A few years ago, when I was in 6th or 7th grade, we actually had a Holocaust survivor come to speak to my school. I knew what the Holocaust was at the time, but I didn't think much of it. He spoke to us and surprised us in many ways.  If I remember correctly, he even showed us the tattoo he got during the Holocaust! That whole assembly opened everyone's eyes to what the Holocaust was like, and we were just in middle school. It's really good to be aware of these kinds of things. The same goes for other kinds of transgressions in our world today, such as discrimination and bullying. If we hear for ourselves what these victims have gone through, we as humans won't (or at least shouldn't) wish to cause harm to another human being. Instead of just hearing it happening in general, hearing it happen from that very person takes it to another level.

Elie Wiesel describing his Holocaust experience

at the 2007 International Achievement Summit

in Washington D.C., shocking all delegates

This is the 21st century. We don't run by the Pony Express or woodblock printing. The world today is all about the internet! So many people use the internet for useless things. Sure, we all love having fun, but we should also use it to spread messages about things like this. If we have the technology, why not make use of it in a positive manner that can only bring benefits, whether minor or major? For example, if a victim of an unpleasant experience gives a speech to a small community, someone could record it and post it online. They could put it on social media. If it gets popular, it might make it to the news. Will it be taken down eventually, and tossed to the side? Maybe for the sake of business, but we as the viewers shouldn't. As Elie Wiesel has said, we need to keep the memory alive! It's extremely difficult for one person alone to change the world, but one person alone can certainly start the change. As the mission passes from one to another, change can happen. But it all starts with at least one person bringing that social awareness in the first place.

Those are some ways I believe are starting points for an individual to bring social awareness to certain abominations. Basically, we need more firsthand accounts of these issues in order for the audience to get a better feel and understanding of the situation. As for the people who find horror like the Holocaust too unrealistic to be real, they need to look into these things more and realize that a person wouldn't lie on such an extremely dark and tragic note, even on behalf of their families, just for propaganda. Such an accusation is ridiculous, which is why social awareness is so important.

A quick little review on Night:

I absolutely loved and hated this book. The story is so tragic, it tore me apart just reading it. To be the same age as the main character and read what he's saying and thinking... it was just awful. At the same time, I love the book itself because it was so well written. I really got a good feel as to what are the emotions that Eliezer is feeling, as well as his father. For example, when Eliezer was being whiplashed 25 times, he said his father must've been feeling more pain than he did. That one line really struck me, because it shows the love between them. There are so many other lines in this book that got to me. It's an amazing narrative, and a nightmarish story, but I'm glad to have read it.

Silence

Hello all. We've started reading Night, by Elie Wiesel. With this book comes many discussions about rights and wrongs, along with how to prevent it. This week's topic raises a very important point that we all could learn from.
How does silence perpetuate the transgressions of those who wish to cause harm?

I sort of already spoke about this in the post below, but I'll discuss it more thoroughly in this one. Here we go!

When someone commits a misdeed unto someone else, and that person remains silent about it, the misdeeds will obviously continue. People usually do bad things when they feel they won't get into trouble. If this is the case, they can keep going as long as they want. Their targets' silence basically feeds their desire to hurt others. It's encouraging them to keep going, since nothing is stopping them. There aren't any consequences.

Not being silent means that you don't keep the misdeeds done to you locked away in your mind. Someone has to know what happened. People need to know the truth. If you spread the word about what's going on, everyone can band together as an effort to end the transgressions. Perhaps it could be difficult, depending on whether it's a widespread situation in the world or something simple such as in school. But if those who wish to cause harm see that action is being done against them, the harm will lessen, maybe even stop.

Take Night, for example. The narrator, as well as I, think that the concept of the Holocaust is absolutely ridiculous. To annihilate an entire religion of people, during the 20th century... simply because they were disliked? What kind of reason is that?! Ordinary families were forced out of their homes, separated from their loved ones, lived in foul conditions, and were given fatal punishments. I just don't understand why something like this should happen, or even could happen. Just imagine the horror. You can't! Unfortunately, there seemed to be no end to it at the time - because everyone was silent. Such despicable things were happening right under the Germans' noses, and they didn't care. No one was stopping them. I don't blame the Jewish people for being silent. They had no choice. If they were to rebel, they'd obviously lose because of their seemingly impossible-to-beat enemy. But still, the fact that something like this went on for so long is just horrible. It is a lesson for us here in the future. Don't remain silent. Never forget what you've seen, and what has been done to you. Keep the memory alive, so we can work to resolve the issue and make sure the issue doesn't rise again.

Before I end this post, I'd just like to say how I feel about this book so far.

It's absolutely terrifying! The narrator is the same age as I am, and I can't believe the things he's going through. It's so... I mean, I have no words. The way he describes his first experience at Auschwitz got my heart beating. He was separated from his sisters and mother. Think about it - his mother! During such a time, you'd want as much comfort as possible, which is only possible with your parents. He just lost half of that. He walked left, she walked right. That was it. It was terrible reading such words. Oh, and the chimney... I just don't understand. Why? How? These things happened less than a lifetime ago! This isn't centuries ago when people thought cruel and unusual punishment was normal! This is so inhumane. Those Germans... they're worse than monsters. I'm pretty sure the more I progress through this book, the more frightening it's going to be, but it's all proof that we shouldn't remain silent.

Well, that's all for now. Night is a really well-written book, and though it may be scary, it's enough to keep me reading. Just as I thought, it's a big eye-opener too. We could all learn many things from it. I'm hoping to get through the class discussions on this book with ease and put it all aside afterwards, but it won't be forgotten! The memory shall be alive.

A Snowy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!

I hope 2018 is awesome for you so far. It sure is awesome for me! To start things off, yesterday we had a full-blown blizzard!!!!! It was a whole foot, but with the winds, my lawn piled up to half my height! I know most people don't like it, but I really love snow. I love the hassle of everyone talking about it and preparing, the harsh winds, the beautiful mounds of snow everywhere, school closings, and most of all, playing in the snow! Since I love it, the cold doesn't bother me, even if it's almost below zero degrees. I'm okay with plopping my face on it and laying down.

With all that aside, let's talk about how the new year has been going at school. It's fairly well. The two days I spent in English class this week was a bit interesting. It wasn't on a fun note or anything, but I think it may be an intro to Night, by Elie Wiesel. We read his Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, and it had a great message. When something happens that could challenge human dignity, we can't simply witness it and forget it. You shouldn't brush it off to the side. You need to keep the memory alive, and take the initiative to change it. Be the change you want to see in the world. It may seem unlikely that a major change could come about by one person, but as Wiesel says, "one person of integrity can make a difference." You should never remain silent, and get your word out there somehow. That's the only way to find a resolution to the problem, to ensure it doesn't happen again. Elie Wiesel may have come up with this great lesson because of his experience at a concentration camp, but this applies to everyone. This goes with many things, like kids making fun of each other, or people violently fighting. If you see something, say something.

If I'm right about having to read his story soon, I hope it will be a great read. It might be a bit dark, but it could be a good eye-opener. The message seems like a nice, inspiring way to start the year. Let's keep it in our minds and not forget it.

Once again, I wish you all a happy new year! Make it awesome, and perhaps try to actually fulfill some resolutions. Make every second count, because nothing is worse than regret. Keep your memories alive, too. May the year 2018 be epic!

By the way, if you see a weird box below, I have no idea what that is. It's not supposed to be an image.

I can't get rid of it. My apologies!