Welcome to my Educational Blog

Hello!

When I was young learner, this blog was created to showcase particular topics I had discussed in my classes and events that were meaningful to my growth as a student. This site began in 2012, my eighth grade year, as an informal way to present ideas. Although the writing is unpolished - as it was intended to be - it shows my growth as a learner, a student, and a writer.

In the following posts, you will see short entries, links, photos, and videos, of projects I have participated in and ideas which have impacted my thoughts as a learner.

Enjoy!

Bison Hockey

In my family, hockey is a defining aspect of who we are. At the age of three, my father laced up our skates for their very first time and we were introduced to hockey. From that moment on, I was hooked. After my very first hockey tryout when I was nine years old, I was disappointed to find out I didn't make the top team. Because of my 'failure', I was determined to never let this happen again. Instead, I devoted the next few years of my life to challenging what I knew about hockey and to modifying my work ethic.

As I moved forth, I dedicated my summers to the sport and found myself in the hockey rink or at its workout facilities rather than on the lake near my house. In addition, my parents increased their demand; I was now required to do 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups per night before bed to pay for my hobby. After a ridiculous amount of commitment to what I loved, I was 'paid-back' for my hard work when I made the varsity hockey team my sophomore year (the first year you are allowed to try-out).

During my second year, I was voted Assistant Captain of the varsity team. We had come off a year of success: a state tournament appearance (the first in the programs history), a record number of wins, and a personal All-State Academic Award win.

In addition to the positive experiences hockey has provided me, it has taught me about how to be successful. It showed me how to be dedicated to whatever I pursued even though it means extra hours and effort. This knowledge has carried over into other aspects of my life. Overall, hockey has played an immense role in my character and my work ethic.

The Army: an Influential Character Builder

During my Junior year of high school, I made the decision to enlist in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Although it was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made, the benefits it's reaped have been incredible thus far. Now, I have a network of individuals I can rely on, a background of "real-world" experiences, and my first real commitment to something bigger than I ever will be.

After a short summer break of three days, I departed for Oklahoma. Boundless tears were shed, beginning the night before as this was the first time I was going to leave home for a period of time longer than a week. I vividly remember balling my eyes out as I approached the armory I reported to, on the plane ride to Fort Sill, and even during the first three weeks I was there. Much to my expectation, things were not handed to anyone there; including bedding which I didn't receive until the fourth day I was there.

Slowly but surely, I gained some respect from my superiors. It took until the first PT test, which I blew out of the water, to be treated like a normal person. As I began to build confidence in my abilities as a soldier, my leadership qualities were recognized and I was assigned Assistant Platoon Guide of the "3rd Platoon Slayers". Suddenly, my experience went from something I was unsure of to something I absolutely loved. I continued to succeed in my shot at the Basic Rife Marksmanship Course, in Land Navigation (I even taught a class to my peers about it), in PT (I won High PT score of the cycle with 73 push-ups, 83 sit-ups, and a 13:54 minute 2 mile run), and in leadership aspects. I met unforgettable people that I miss dearly (and skype nearly once a week) and find myself a little bit lost without now that I am home.

As I neared the end of my training, I realized I didn't really want to go home. I had found a place that I truly loved. Despite the hardships I had, including throwing up after the gas chamber, missing my family immensely, and facing the most intense schedule I've ever experienced, I ended up loving it and not regretting a single second of it.

Importance of Music to my Education

Beginning in second grade, I began to experience music on a personal level. I dabbled through piano lessons for about three years and eventually decided to stop playing the piano and move on to bigger and better things; the trumpet. I decided this was the best fit for me, mostly because my role model at the time played it, but ended up loving it. My parents enrolled me in private lessons with an instructor I took lessons with up until my sophomore year in high school. They purchased an $80 trumpet for me and I used it until its musical "death".

Anyways, I absolutely loved it. Although it challenged me everyday - and it still does - the trumpet spurred my love for music. After purchasing a new trumpet at the end of my eighth grade year, I made the commitment to my parents to continue making music through at least my freshman year. As I entered the high school music department,  I knew I was about to experience bigger and better things. From my first rehearsal, I realized how fabulous my teacher was. He has a way of making the class more than about becoming a better individual player, but about challenging an ensemble. Today, band is more of a team event than an individual success story. And this is why I love it.

Despite the fact that the Concert Band I am in consistently ranks as a top band in the state of Minnesota, there's more to it than that. Music has taken me on adventures, literally and metaphorically. Last year, our program took a performance trip to New York City. Experiences like this, I would not have gotten the opportunity to pursue if I had ended my musical education. In addition, I have also gained perseverance. Each time there is a concert, especially when I have a solo, it is crucial that I know my music by heart, regardless of the difficulty even if it means spending hours in a practice room.

Below are videos of the band I am in performing, including one solo I performed in our last concert:

Showcase of Designs

Sharing information about the community has always played a major role in activities I have participated in at my high school. I began my journey through publications as a freshman who wrote a few stories for our newspaper - The Hoofprint - but advanced to become a News Editor, Managing Editor, and just this year, an Editor-In-Chief. This post is a showcase of what I have learned about design, about writing meaningful material, and how to positively influence my community.

My first ever design as a Freshman News Editor:

Contributions I made through design and few stories my Sophomore year:

Contributions made through Page 2 Design and Letter from the Editor my Junior year:

Over the past four years, I have established a base of public design to be used wherever I attend college and throughout whichever career I pursue. My learning regarding principles of design are evident as each page design I have selected shows my growth as a young designer. I am confident that the knowledge I have acquired regarding design will continue to influence aspects of my future, including use in advertisements and public awareness of events I am a part of. Being a leader in a consistently top ranked Minnesota newspaper has taught me how to encourage others to improve their abilities every time they sit down to work on the computer. However, this can be transpired to activities other than publications. I look forward to continuing to grow as designer and a leader.

Monument of Prosperity

The Fairbanks City Bus 142 inspires people of all abilities and experiences to move into the wild to discover the infinite amount of new life provided by the wilderness. Unfortunately the publicity that was created around Chris McCandless’ fatal journey through the Alaskan bush has encouraged incapable hikers to attempt to experience the same journey that McCandless took. Located on the Stampede Trail, this bus symbolizes the fight for survival and the prospect of independence brought on by the wilderness. Following the production of Into the Wild, this bus has become both a monument and a destination that many people have attempted to visit.

Success through Abandonment

Chris McCandless departed from his life without informing the people who loved him most of what he was going to partake in. After deciding to spend two years traveling around the continent without a direction or proper supplies, McCandless burned his identity, abandoned his college degree, and gave away his trust fund without sharing his plans with anybody.

Memories as a Character Builder

Memories are an undeniable recollection of experiences that either negatively or positively have shaped our personalities and our lives in one shape or another. Whether or not we can avoid our past experiences is in part determined by our genetic make up, our coping mechanisms, and the trauma that we have experienced. In the book Solar Storms, the author Linda Hogan shows the main character, Angel’s, struggle to find a reality through her memories and a scar on her face that reminds her of the traumatic past that she had experienced.

Spiritual Belonging

Spiritual life is a key component to one’s personal sense of belonging. Belonging to a religion provides one with a descriptive hope for the future and guidance through problems in their current life. Following a set of beliefs provides followers with customs and ceremonies that allow for comfort and normalcy in daily life. Solar Storms, a novel written by Linda Hogan, shares the story of Angel, a young Native American who is discovering what she believes throughout a journey to a new place.

Evaluation of American-Indian Culture

Norms and ‘anti-norms’ define who we are as a culture and how we participate in the culture that we consider ourselves a part of. Definitions of culture and of people in the culture are derived from society. As society vaguely defines things that it is not personally involved in, misconceptions form which are then directed towards the misdefined culture. Throughout our history as ‘European-Americans’, we have singled out the culture and the group of individuals that were native to our country; Native Americans. We have negatively portrayed their culture in television shows, musical lyrics, and through treating their culture as a ‘thing’ rather than a group of people.

Nature as a Character

Nature is a key setting in the story of independence and of our desire, as humans, to be independent. Nature is all of our environment, which exists through individual organisms coexisting because each organism has its niche. Nature is successful when everything fills its niche and it fails when an organism attempts to expand its power too far. This individuality through both the personal and organismal level supplies the world with an environment that supports both life and personal matters but only as long as it does not extend its power too far. As the natural world around us continues to be minimized, it is up to the organisms that it provides for, to provide for it. This means that humans play a key role in determining how long Earth will survive and how long we the human world can coexist in the natural world.

Manipulative Identity

As individuals in a social society, we are confronted with people that are variations of ourselves on a daily basis. Our identities within these groups of people vary slightly for each group that we classify ourselves in. Each group classifies themselves into subsection of society, creating a sense of competitiveness towards other groups. Personally, we do this as well. We protect our worst characteristics of ourselves as we take part in society. Our desire to be successful in society causes us to form multiple identities of ourselves in which one is a personal identity and the others are shared with society.

Identity

Finding one’s true self is something that either consciously or subconsciously happens for everyone. Whether this process poses a struggle or whether it is simply all rewards, identities are driven by experiences and our natural self. Our true identities may only be discovered by oneself because we ‘hide’ or ‘protect’ our deepest secrets or emotions. Giovanni’s Room shares the story of a young man as he aspires to be the most wholesome version of himself, a version that does not lie or deny his true being.

Traumatic Events to Behavior

Traumatic events cause people to act in rash ways. Decisions made under the influence of traumatic events may in fact be altered by the event but ultimately, the actions were committed by that person. Limiting the number of triggers or negative memories that a person with an altered state of mind will face, will limit the number of times that they will act irrationally. The book Beloved unravels a story of a family who has faced the horrors of slavery and their decisions following their trauma including the killing of a young child.

Lack of Connections as Barrier

Connections between two people or two groups of people inspire unity. As unity is inspired, passions are empowered to become powerful actions. When actions occur, reform is created, but if there are limited connections things don’t happen. As I’ve read the book Beloved, I have struggled to form connections between the main characters. So far, I have not had major empathy towards the actions of the characters and of the author Toni Morrison. This lack of connections comes from a number of barriers including the barrier of religion, experience, race, and political viewpoints.

Women in the 19th Century

Women from the 19th century faced great challenges as they pursued excellence in their daily life. Traditional customs regarding medicine, marriage, and equality where much different during the 19th century than they are today. The Yellow Wall-Paper, a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows the struggles of a young, married woman as she endures poor medical treatment and unfair treatment in her relationship with her husband due to a form of depression that she has.

Courage is More than an Emotion

Courage is an emotion that inspires someone to be bigger than themselves. This motivational emotion is ignited everyday in one way or another. Whether it is ignited through the courage to speak in front of a class, battle in a war, or simply by stepping out of one’s comfort zone, courage exists in every human being. Due to this powerful emotion, there are millions of descriptions of courage as a concept, if it can even be described in words. Tim O’Brien beautifully encases scenarios of extreme courage throughout his novel Going After Cacciato. Throughout his book, he displays characters and stories in which individuals find and act upon this emotion in varying ways.

Contemplating Truth

As a human, it is impossible to know the entirety of a truth. Due to stress, experience, or position, we are extremely biased in what we determine to be honest. Tim O’brien questions this topic very thoroughly through his works including his book Going After Cacciato. Based on the high stress levels and split seconds made by anybody in a war zone, nobody can be completely sure of what truly happened or what was simply a false truth.

How Do We Measure Maturity?

There is not an existing measure of maturity, yet it is a concept used daily to evaluate whether or not somebody is capable of being thoughtful, acting in an acceptable manner, or accomplishing a general task.  As a society, we commonly look for young children to reach an age where they become mature as if it is something that is switched on overnight. However, this is not truly how maturity works. Maturity is created through both experience, circumstance, and biology.

Influence of Adolescents on Children

As young children, our social beliefs are direct reflections of the elderly influence imposed upon us. These reflections can cause dilemmas because ideals exist that may be extremely controversial to society as a whole. Controversial reflective ideologies were represented in Persepolis, a book narrated by a young girl during the Islamic Revolution. Reflected beliefs are not the true reflections of someone’s beliefs, but rather they represent the influence of a culture or an elder upon another person.

Pursuit of Success

Each person is on the pursuit of one type of success or another at every point in time. Our varying opinions on personal success equates to our aspirations. By this, I mean that depending upon our specific goals, we reach success when we accomplish or receive one thing or another. Whether this is money, fame, happiness, or contentedness, success is achieved by many different means in respect to our aspirations. The Poisonwood Bible shows the struggles and accomplishments of young ladies reaching various personal successes in a time of gender imposed limitations. Throughout The Poisonwood Bible, we see the ladies aspire for various things in order to achieve something greater than what they have ever experienced. Their experiences follow trends in America despite being located in Africa.

Betrayal's Influence on Decisions

The feeling of betrayal plays a key role in the choices that we, as humans, make to better our circumstances for both the present and the future. We can use our emotions to drive our actions to be both powerful and cowardice. Whether we use our emotions to provoke us to ‘fight back’ or we use them to be unresponsive to the situation, our emotions encourage and enforce ourselves to make choices to be represented in our actions. The emotion of betrayal is evident throughout the movie Hotel Rwanda and the book Poisonwood Bible. Through these mediums, we can conclude that betrayal plays a key role in our psyche and the choices that we make under that psyche.

Evaluation of Money and Trade

The Poisonwood Bible shares the role of marxist power and dominance to people and cultures as a whole. We understand through the text that the characters consistently compare their new society to the society and advanced culture in America. Through this, we can evaluate the role of money in trade and bargaining in third world countries like the Congo, and the stereotypes against these cultures created by first-world civilians.

Conversion of Culture

Acceptance plays a major role in one’s assimilation to one culture or another. Without the willingness to convert and adapt your culture or ideology to fit the needs of the culture surrounding you, it becomes extremely difficult to assimilate and to be truly productive and immersed in another culture. We can see this concept throughout daily life in communities across the world and throughout Poisonwood Bible. The true conversion to a new culture and its ideologies is not easy, as it requires an open mindset that not everybody holds.

Character Evaluation of Kurtz

Throughout both Heart of Darkness and the movie Apocalypse Now, we follow a character named Kurtz. Although the book and movie show the character in a different context, Kurtz generally shares the same morals and actions throughout. We understand through both the movie and the book that Kurtz was a character who strove be dominant and superior to any other group of people.

Power of Choice and Truth

The ability to choose is a powerful concept as it is extremely vast in what it can do or be; we can interpret the word ‘choice’ as either an action or as a belief that we use to represent ourselves everyday. Whether we use it to portray ourselves negatively or positively, generally the choices that we make resemble our beliefs or our morals, but this is not always the case. Sometimes we make a conscious decision to lie or to ignore the truth for one reason or another.

Belittlement of Japanese Americans During World War Two

America was the mixing-pot of all cultures, the epicenter of global advancement, and home to the pursuit of happiness and freedom during the early and mid 1900s. Values established when the country began, invited immigrants from all across the world creating the mixing-pot of culture. Our country was recognized for our acceptance of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, and ideals but it was hard to hold accepting at all moments in history. During World War Two, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor which invited America to join the war. This attack reintegrated the Aliens and Enemies Act which forced over 100,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast to be relocated to areas in mid-western America. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka follows a Japanese American’s family as they experience this new law and its aftermath firsthand.