Time For School!

            In today's society, most schools begin early in the morning and finish mid-day. Although the morning to afternoon school timing system has been working so far, it has many downsides. These issues can be solved by simply changing the start of and finish times of the (approximate) seven hours of school. If school were to start at mid-day (around 2:00) and finish in the evening (around 9:00), many issues of today's timing system would be solved, and as a result, students would flourish academically.
           
            A major issue of the current school timings is the early wake-up time. For example, I wake up at 5:45 every morning. This results in me being tired and ignorant in my first period class, which I happen to have my lowest grade in. If I wasn't sleepy and tired, I would pay attention more, and learn more. If school were to start mid-day, students' minds would be more awake and active, allowing them to prosper academically.

           Today, when students (including me) are given homework, they usually procrastinate and do it late at night. Some students stay up late at night doing homework because that is the only time they can do homework, due to extracurricular activities occupying time after school. However with school hours moved later, one can go home after school, sleep, and then do their homework the next morning. That way the homework can determine how much information a student can recall from the previous day, along with refreshing their memory so that in school, teachers don't have to go over what they learned that previous day. Additionally, students can better understand the lectures from the previous day. When it comes to practice, games, or sports, they shall take place before school. Exercising before school not only wakens and activates the brain, but stimulates brain function by delivering extra oxygen to the brain, which improves the learning capability of the student.

            A simple change in the school hours can not only improve the lives of students outside of school, but as well as in the classroom. Students will not have plenty of sleep, but will learn effectively, and complete homework efficiently. This results in academic prosperity and fulfills the purpose of school.

Semester Grades? Yikes!

              As all students at MMHS know, we are at that crucial point in the year before we receive our grades for the semester. These grades are the ones that count, the ones that get submitted for college. Now for many students, including me, this is when we frantically try to bring our grades up. For example, I am trying to bring my B+ in Honors Pre-Calculus to an A, to have a 4.0 unweighted GPA for semester 1. Since I have decent grades, many friends of mine that are struggling often ask me; What can I do to get good grades? Well, for those who ask that question you have come to the right place. Below are, in my opinion, the five best methods (by priority) to get good grades.

1. Just do your homework! Homework is a major part of school, and usually consists of a large portion of your grade. It frustrates me when students aren't doing well in a class, then forget to do their homework. Those are easy points anybody can receive.
2.  Manage your time wisely! The most common response I get when I ask my friends why they don't do their homework is that they don't have time, whether it be due to extracurriculars, sports, or other activities. This is why time management is so important, because you can have time for sports, homework, studying, and  fun, with just simple planning. For example, I am creating this very blog entry Saturday even though it is due on Monday because I know I am going to be busy volunteering Sunday and I don't want to rush.
3. Participate and ask questions! As unbelievable as it sounds, a large portion of assignments and tests in the grade book depend on you actually knowing the subject. You can't just ace a test without knowing the chapter. So if you are confused, or don't know something, don't be afraid to ask a question.
4. Study! Although this might sound horrendous, if you need an A on that next history test, you are going to have to work for it. It also helps to find out if you study better in groups (like me), or independently, and allot time accordingly.
5. Have fun with it! High school is a part of your life you will look back upon, reminisce, and wish you can relive those years. This might sound crazy, but high school is supposed to be a fun part of your life, so don't waste it by being miserable. If you can view high school from this point of view, it results in a more interactive and responsive nature towards learning, and therefore can have a positive result on your grades.

Thanksgiving With a Vegetarian

             Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is a day dedicated to being thankful for what you have. However, that is not why I look forward to it. I love Thanksgiving because a huge part of the holiday is eating, my favorite activity. Many people are confused when I tell them that I am exited for Thanksgiving, because I am a vegetarian. "What do you do for Thanksgiving, Sai?" everyone asks, "What do you even eat?" Well, my Thanksgiving is similar and different to yours in its own ways.

            The one activity everyone thinks about when they hear Thanksgiving is eating. In my house, we don't have turkey or chicken for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for us is any good food your mind can conjure up. We have some classics of Thanksgiving, like apple cider, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes. However, we also have items like french fries, onion rings, noodles, soda, pizza, lasagna, tacos, cake and rice. This year, our family added two more dishes to our traditional, colorful table-burritos and quesadillas. All of these foods combined create a wonderful confluence of food delight. Half the fun of Thanksgiving in our family is the preparation. We have so much fun shopping for ingredients, and making these items. Thanksgiving is a holiday that our family not only enjoys, but also bonds through.

           The question most readers probably have now is-"How on earth do they finish so much food?" Well, similar to the common Thanksgiving tradition, our family invites friends and neighbors. However, what is different is that we don't eat our meal on the table. We set up chairs and carpets in our living room and eat our meal there, while watching a nice movie (this Thanksgiving it was 22 Jump Street). Most people find this anti-social, but really, we bond more through laughing and talking while watching a movie than we would have simply eating at a table. After the movie and our meal, we all usually play board games until it gets really late. Although this doesn't follow the Thanksgiving tradition, the holiday is still an extremely fun event which our family, and friends, look forward to greatly.

          A Thanksgiving celebration doesn't have to be based on tradition, or pop culture to be enjoyable. It just has to be a fun and entertaining event, where you can bond with, and feel thankful for,  friends and family. That is the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Huh? Dendrophobia?

             Dendrophobia. The fear of trees. As ludicrous as that sounds, the fear of trees is actually a thing. This is just one of the world's many phobias. List25.com took the effort of making a list of 25 of the world's craziest phobias. These phobias are crazy, but, somewhere out there, someone might have it. Who knows? It could be you...

             Ablutophobia. The fear of taking baths. Victims of ablutophobia are afraid to take baths, or clean themselves. This could be due to religious reasons, such as sacred monks' belief in the value/spirit of dirt. Or it can be a result of a much more common reason: age. I for one hated baths when I was little, and I am sure many children at this moment are crying, begging their mothers to not clean them. I know my little brother is!

           Ergophobia. The fear of work or the workplace environment. For all of you who believe you have ergophobia, note that there is a distinct difference between not wanting to work, and being afraid to work. People who are afraid to work probably have these emotions as a result of fears of failing at assigned tasks, social anxiety, and public speaking.
          
            Philophobia.The fear of falling in love. Let's just say that instead of feeling butterflies in a stomach, people with philophobia feel angry snakes in their stomach. This is a result of fears such as the fear of commitment, or something going wrong. Unfortunately, people with philophobia usually end up in solitude or alone.

             Somniphobia/Hypnophobia. The fear of falling asleep. Most of us worship sleep so imagine what it must be like to fear it. This is due to the fear that you will miss an event, or a more common reason: nightmares. Many children with nightmares fear sleep, but it is a requirement for mental and physical success.

              Neophobia is the fear of new things. This is most commonly found in elderly people. Neophobia can be a result of one forming attachments (sentiments) with old things, and the unwillingness to part with these old things.

             These are just five, of hundreds of crazy phobias. Although these phobias might be hilarious, one has to remember that some people actually live with them. This helps us realize to be brave, and that you control your own fears.

Superpowers: Super or Not?

          At some point in life, one must wonder what it would be like to have superpowers. Whether it be a high school student wishing for super speed to get the fastest track time, a business man wishing for teleportation to get out of a sticky situation, or even a seven year old, wishing for the power to fly, everybody has thought of superpowers that would make their life better. Sadly, one must come to the realization that superpowers don't exist. However, what if they were to exist, and be common in society. This then reveals a deeper question; Which superpowers would be best, and most preferred amongst society? In order to further analyze this question, Benjamin Dunn created a poll on ranker.com, listing various superpowers, and then the Ranker community voted on which superpowers are the "best". Teleportation was first, followed by the power to heal, and time manipulation. However, are these powers truly "the best"?

          On Dunn's poll, Teleportation was nominated first, with 1,123 likes. The power of teleportation has many perks and gains. One could simply teleport if they are in danger, or need to get out of a bad situation, or just don't feel like walking. Just the idea of being able to be anywhere you want, whenever you want, is utterly amazing. However, one of the drawbacks of this power is the consequences, or results of it. Suppose somebody was at a business meeting and made a horrible mistake. Or someone was at school and wet their pants. Just because these individuals teleported away after the incident doesn't really help them in the long run. They will still have to go back to work, or school, and face the consequences of doing the action then the additional consequences of ditching work or school. Sure somebody can visit Grand Canyon within the blink of an eye, but are they really gaining anything?

            The Power to Heal was nominated second on Dunn's poll. This power is pretty self-explanatory; one can heal anything, of oneself and of others. As selfish as this sounds, when thinking about one's own gains with this power, the power is pretty insignificant. Sure, you can heal yourself, and loved ones, but it is only a matter of time before a three mile bee-line of people are outside your house, begging you to heal their grandfather, or mother, or pet turtle. Although this may seem pleasant at first, but after a while (although this might seem rude), this will become a downright nuisance (similar to paparazzi).

               Time Manipulation, in my opinion, should be first place. It is the solution to every problem. Fail a test? Get the results back, study them, go back in time and take the test. Need more time to do homework, eat, or sleep? Just freeze time and do whatever you want. Want to be the best at basketball, or fastest at track? Slow down time and run your normal pace, or slow down time to calculate your shots or dodges. The only drawback is the infamous "ripple effect" where one does a small action in the past, and it drastically affects the future. However, couldn't one just go back in time and fix the "fatal mistake"?

              The hierarchy of superpowers is one that is interesting to debate, and truly depends on one's personal condition and opinions. A teenager might want a certain power, as a business man might want another. However, it is how one manipulates and uses this power, that truly determines its importance.

 Please leave a comment on what superpower you think would be the best (and why) . Thanks!

Bias at Google: Response (CP #1)

Bias at Google

In the article, "Exposing Hidden Bias at Google," Farhad Manjoo discusses the bias and prejudice displayed towards women in one of today's largest multinational corporation: Google. Many companies in today's society display what is known as "unconscious bias" toward women. This is supported by Google's statistics page (calculated in the workplace) with examples such as overall gender distribution/employment, where men consist of 83 percent of engineering employees at Google, and gender distribution in executive positions where men consist of 79 percent of Google's managers. The fact that Google has reached the prosperous point it is in today, with the workplace consisting of a majority of men, upsets me because if the workplace was more diverse, they would have a more diverse mindset accomplishing tasks or developing new and unique innovations, and Google would have achieved more than it has today (where a majority of one of type of mindset is accomplishing tasks).

Another issue of the unconscious bias at Google that frustrates me is that since Google is one of the biggest companies today, it serves as a role model for future/arising companies. If Google serves as a poor model, containing hidden bias (with a majority of males in the workspace), it will affect the future companies that theme their companies off of Google's standards, and this will in turn will affect America's future. It doesn't surprise me of how companies like Google acknowledge that their company consists of a majority of men, and claim to be doing everything they can to improve these issues, but the numbers don't support their claim. After all, they company was founded by men, and was successful, so why would they not continue this trend. However, containing an even amount of males and females in the workplace will not only create a sense of equality and justice in the workplace, thereby increasing efficiency, but it will also create a more diverse team, which results in innovations and developments that could not be accomplished with one mindset. Google is just one of many examples of companies that exhibit bias and claim to be "solving" the issue. 

Source: Exposing Hidden Bias at Google