1. Lions 2024

    When we think of a democratic society we always imagine the people with the political power. We imagine the vote going to the populous and the citizens having the will of the country. But we forget to remember our past and how we, Americans, have bypassed the system and created an unequal playing ground for political platforms.     The poltical power in 19th century American were with the political machines. These groups of individuals would take unreasonable actions to make sure the general population would vote for a certain politician. This would be by either giving money as a source of illusionment to show the generosity of the political party or more ruthlessly, "buying" the voter's ballot to rig the voting system. Political machines were controlled by some authority under the politician and the loop grew to become a powerful factor in 19th century politics and real life. Many poor people would take the money and vote for whoever the political machine wanted, mak

English was first spoken by Britishers, and several hundred years ago the number of people that spoke English was around five to seven million. Today, about 1.8 billion people speak English, and it has become one of the most spoken languages in the world. How has English gone from five million speakers initially, to over one billion speakers today? Hundreds of years of colonial expansion and increasingly dominant influence from the West has been the primary cause. In the previous centuries, the Britishers focused on expanding across the globe, and colonizing smaller countries which they could easily rule. One of their main practices was establishing schools in these regions that primarily taught and glorified English. In fact, many former colonies of the British have listed English as one of their national languages, which further proves how English was considered superior in these areas.  Slowly, the rest of the world followed, prioritizing the English language in daily lives, school

Sephora Spectacle When I was growing up, slime was the big thing that was at the top of almost every other kid’s wish lists—including mine. Nevertheless, these gooey containers of fun have long since died as a trend and have been unexpectedly replaced by the new generation with a twist: makeup. There is no doubt that the 21st century is characterized by an ever-evolving dynamic of power, specifically through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. These sites have emerged as powerful tools for shaping the way people of all ages think and act, in both a positive and negative light. A current trend has been taking over the internet, where little girls ranging in age from 10 to 13 are rampaging Sephora stores and trying to get their hands on trendy makeup products such as Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant, Rare Beauty, and many more. Predominantly Gen-Z and Millennial influencers have been the first to speak out, stating two main problems with the “ Sephora 10-year-olds ": Th

I recently came across an intriguing finding while studying for my AP Psych test that got me thinking about how language truly shapes our lives. The Whorf hypothesis, also known as linguistic determinism, refers to the proposal that the “particular language one speaks influences the way one thinks about reality.” Whorf’s theory discusses how language shapes perceptions, influences our daily choices, and also structures the concepts that we unconsciously think about. What I found most interesting was that our native languages might showcase our pre-existing thoughts and alter our cognitive outlook. This raises the question: how does linguistic determinism interconnect with bilingual people?  Growing up in a bilingual household, I immediately became aware of the back-and-forth connection between language and thought. One clear memory that stands out: as my family gathered for an event, I noticed that smiles and laughter were followed by the intricacies of my native language. Observing th

          Two words. Just two simple words. Together, they’re not even long enough to exceed ten characters. They’re not that difficult to pronounce. It’s not like we’ll do something wrong if we say them. To be honest, whenever we say them, it mostly feels like the right thing to do. In fact, it seems so suitable that they just flow off the tongue. So then, if they’re supposed to be this easy to say, why is it so hard to just say it?           You can’t help but notice that whenever you get ready to say the two words - these two words that are so simple yet have a magnitude of impact - there’s an entire weariful, tiresome process that precedes the moment these two words actually leave your mouth.            First, there’s the realization - the “Uh oh, I guess I actually did do something wrong.” Then, there’s the pondering - the “Do I really need to confront it, or is it not even that big of a deal?” After the pondering comes the formulation - the systematic planning of what you’re goin

  Propaganda : “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” Propaganda has been used many times throughout history to manipulate the general public into siding with the one spreading the propaganda, whether it be a movement to condemn a government or encourage citizens to take action for the benefit of the nation.  A good example of the effectiveness of propaganda is when it is used heavily during wars. For instance, after the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, Paul Revere made an engraving of the instance (shown below). Simply observing the picture paints a vivid image of what transpired that day. The British, in their red uniforms, shoot at the unarmed Americans, of which a few already lie on the ground, dead. The British’s smug expressions contrast sharply with the scared expressions of the Americans.  Who is at fault here?  It’s clear that this image paints the British as the antagonist brutes

At any given point in our lives, there is no doubt that we have heard an age-old question: does money buy happiness? While the answer to this question is incredibly complex and can not be answered concisely, we can, however, examine which countries are the happiest in relation to wealth and other factors. Today, I reviewed the World Happiness Report from 2022. In this blog, I will share my findings and what it means for us. First, it is important to understand what metrics the organization that puts this report together uses to arrive at its findings. While hundreds of factors are used, the six most important ones are dystopia rate, perceptions of corruption, generosity, freedom to make life choices, healthy life expectancy, social support, and GDP per capita. Obviously, the GDP per capita metric screams out and highlights that this report uses wealth to determine happiness. And this is true. But it is also important to consider that access to wealth can help with certain things that p

Earlier this week, I was cleaning out a shelf in my room when I realized that I had the entire Percy Jackson series sitting right in front of me. Even though it had been five or six years since I last read those books, I could still remember most characters and the general storyline of the entire series. As I grabbed the books off the shelf, I remembered how I used to sit down and spend hours reading at a time, how I could burn through a 400-page book in one or two days. As I grabbed those books off the shelf, I remembered how those books shaped who I would become. Children aged 6-11 who state that they read for fun are able to get through over 44 books per year , on average—at such a young and malleable age, these children likely take some inspiration from all those books. One of the most obvious examples of “inspiration” is learning. Before I ever read a Percy Jackson book, I knew basically nothing about Greek mythology; now, even five years since I last read one of those books, I ca

 A double-double, Coca-Cola, recliner chair, air conditioner, computer, and some free time can make me happy. This is my promised land. It’s a lazy environment I want my life to be in. And to reach that “promised land” is a source of stress today, motivating me to work hard now in hopes of improving my chances to sustain that comfortable living. It isn't that noble of a cause, but it is a demonstration of the extent to which rewards incentivize society to run. Extrinsic motivation is when a person completes a task in hopes of gaining external rewards like money afterward, while intrinsic motivation is when a person completes a task because the activity itself is rewarding. It seems as if intrinsic motivation is better than extrinsic motivation and has a moral appeal. Some people volunteer because they genuinely enjoy helping others and do not have desires for personal rewards. In an ideal world, everyone would be powered by this mindset. Would this truly be the best way? In an idea

     From the beginning of our history, humans have always needed to communicate in the form of a language; this includes the phrases and words that create the sense of complexity when speaking and describing a concept. As time passed, humans had to grasp control over the world of increased knowledge on the sciences, technology, and humanities, which required a more advanced grip on the skills in the language. The necessity of the hold of the language grew as people needed to translate the ideas from the past to the future, such as transitioning the idea of automobiles to the current-day airplane. The source of the explanations and the eventual growth of humanity is the foundation of languages: the roots.       The roots of a tree hold the tree up. In this analogy, the tree contains the main thesis or idea being presented such as the revolutionary idea. The roots are the sentences that support the thesis and can also tie back the ideas from the past to the topic at hand also known as t

A t some point in everyone’s lives, everyone has been judged or criticized by others. The feeling of being judged is not good at all, and it can worsen a person’s anxiety or increase self-consciousness. Over winter break, I went on a long overdue trip to India and met so many family members and friends that I did not see for a while. While the trip was great, I faced a problem that left me uncomfortable for the rest of the trip: judgmental comments about me from my elder family members.  It had been over four years since my last trip to India, and I really changed as a person compared to what my family members had remembered me as. The comments started from the beginning of the trip, mainly about my appearance at first. The criticism started to get worse as I was called out several times for being shy and awkward around others during parties and social events I attended there. Initially, I tried to ignore it, but the comments just kept going to the point that I had to tell them to stop

        Linguistic Relativity: Does Language Shape Thought? (Discover Psychology)           Recently, while reading an article that demonstrates the power of words to shape our perception of reality, I came across the intriguing concept of linguistic relativity. Linguistic relativity hypothesizes that the particular language we speak - from the grammatical structure of our language to the specific vocabulary words - influences how we view the world. The biggest question such a hypothesis has prompted is how language has the power to influence thought.            For the longest time, many researchers believed that cognition or perception was not influenced by language at all; it was simply influenced by what we sensed. The language in which things were being expressed was not even in the picture. I believed in this - how would different languages affect our perception of reality when each language could be translated into another to mean the same thing?           However, after learnin

In the constantly changing digital world, language has become a powerful tool for mobilizing social movements. Advocating online utilizes hashtags, viral campaigns, and much more to provide a platform for unique and diverse people to come together to challenge cultural norms.  Consider the #BodyPositivity movement, a digital campaign that challenged beauty standards and promoted self-love, specifically among women. In this movement, influencers were encouraged to empower language to shape societal norms that surround body image. Hashtags such as #BodyPositive and #LoveYourself have become rallies, engaging communities that celebrate diversity and challenge the conventional portrayal of beauty in the media. The language employed in these campaigns acts as motivation for individuals to embrace their uniqueness and reject unrealistic standards. Another crucial example of digital activism is the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which gained popularity first in the light of George Floyd's tr

Some of the most powerful people today are billionaires. I want to delve into how we got there. Hunter-gatherers were small nomadic tribes usually with less than a hundred people. They had no regular leader, but one often stepped up to lead the hunt. Then, civilization began as a result of the adoption of agriculture. People settled and began living in larger groups, forming into kingdoms. In turn, increasingly stronger leaders were set to organize greater populations. The evolution of leaders afterwards sheds light into the development of what humans value.  Early civilizations like Egypt had rulers that were held in the same regard as gods. With gods representing different things like the sun and harvest, the status of these rulers as their descendants reflect early civilization’s emphasis on religion as well as the basic resources to survive.  In Europe, kingship overtook the feudal lords around the 14th century. Kings held more and more power until the 17th century, when absolute m

Beyond Muscles      When it comes to sports, power is often associated with physical strength. However, muscles and agility are not the only requirements for a successful athletic career. Power extends beyond sheer physical capabilities, as it includes resilience, determination, and the capability to push through hard times. Take snowboarding as an example; balance, coordination, and muscular endurance are some of the most basic demands required to be good at this sport. Yet, hidden within the heart and mind of a successful snowboarder is the unspoken attribute of perseverance.      Marcus Kleveland , a 24-year-old snowboarder who is arguably one of the best in the world as of today, suffered a detrimental injury during the early stages of his career. As a rookie, Kleveland came into people’s sights during the 2017 Winter X Games in Aspen, when he landed the first ever quad cork in competition history. However, at a practice the following year, Kleveland sustained a major injury to h

Being a persuasive speaker may not always seem as important as being extremely intelligent or physically strong. Nevertheless, many people in history have proven that a silver tongue can do much to persuade, or even manipulate, the people around them.  With the holiday honoring his memory being yesterday, it makes sense to mention Martin Luther King, Jr; his “I Have A Dream” speech is remembered for being excellently persuasive to his cause. I wondered what qualities of his speeches, aside from simply looking at the important topics he covers, make them so memorable.  According to an article by Scott Elbin, six qualities make Martin Luther King, Jr a great speaker. One, he utilizes careful control of his cadence during his speeches, starting many of his speeches with a slow pace before beginning to speak more quickly. This helps draw in the audience’s attention and increase their sense of urgency. Two, King makes good use of context, often mentioning stories from the Old Testament and

With the 2024 presidential election coming up, dozens of candidates are holding debates and posting advertisements for their campaigns—naturally, these politicians use very specific rhetoric in order to maximize the effect their words have on the American public. Politicians need voters to remember them, and even more importantly, they need people to agree with their ideas for the country. As I have learned more about rhetorical analysis and the different types of appeals in this English course, I have been able to recognize some interesting patterns within the rhetoric of some presidential candidates. One particularly interesting theme is that many successful politicians in America depend not on facts or authority in their speeches, but on passion and nationalism. As a research paper on political rhetoric mentions, the success of these politicians may be of concern to a truly democratic system since it could inhibit cooperation between citizens (although the paper studies political rh

This November, our nation will take part in the first “normal” presidential election in eight years. In 2020’s election, mail-in voting, mask mandates, and social distancing dominated. It also took place in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. While this year’s election may feel a little more “normal,” at least in terms of voting procedure and the lack of a deadly pandemic, it is quite different from many recent elections that we have had in our nation. Why? Yesterday, the Iowa caucuses took place. As expected, Former President Trump walloped the competition. Two of his rivals for the GOP nomination even dropped out. Why is it that someone got a historically large share of the vote in the first primary in the nation? That is because Former President Trump has the fame and status of an incumbent, even if he really isn’t one. In 2020, as the incumbent, he lost the presidential election to Joe Biden. This was a break from a long-withstanding pattern of an incumbent almost always win