1. Axolotls 2023

  Mahesh - Week 6: A Necessity for Consideration    America’s founding involves the concepts of diversity and differences between the members of the collective society of followers of the American Dream. The bilingual and multicultural environment we find ourselves in shapes our perceptions and political beliefs. The democratization of the political process is visible in the American voting system—with diverse personalities in our electoral process, we develop our knowledge of global events.       Becoming more knowledgeable on other cultures can enable American society to further encapsulate the realities of global issues within the workings of American political decisions. As the backbone of the Western world, the United States must uphold the moral values of liberty and equality. It is imperative that we, as American citizens, can reflect upon our political efficacy with pride. Political efficacy is the “b elief that one’s civic participation leads to meaningful social change.” This

  Photo by  RAC . As I was riding in my car to my music class, I opened the car window to get some fresh air. As the car rushed through the breeze outside, my ears were brought to the sound of each car passing by. I get struck by the unique radio waves that blast from each speaker of every car with their windows rolled down; the combination of each car’s music creates a chorus of symphonic sounds that forms a story of America’s linguistic diversity.    Every car that passed by me with its window rolled down has a different kind of music playing on the radio. The beauty of each sound consisted of various lyrical notes that reflected a culture of languages and accents that make up the American experience. I heard in the first car, the exciting sounds of tango that echo the culture of Mexico in American communities; in the second car, a sound of country music that reflects the southern dialect; and in the third car, a sound that reflects the genre of hip-hop that is universally known i

  This image depicts a tiger looming over a piano as a little girl is trying to play a song.  Out of context, it might seem like the tiger is trying to eat the girl. In reality, the tiger represents a “tiger mom.” A tiger mom is a mother who endeavors in a “form of strict parenting, whereby parents are highly invested in ensuring their children's success” according to Wikipedia. The tiger mom would demand the little girl to practice piano very often and expect her to become an exceptional piano player.  In today’s media, there is a lot of talk about stereotypical Asian families compared to stereotypical American families. I vaguely remember watching this YouTube video comparing the reactions of American moms and Asian moms when their children got a B on a test. The American mom was so proud of her child and showered him with praise while the Asian tiger mom was super angry and threatening to beat him. Although my family is Asian, getting berated over grades is not something I am us

  White, red, and blue the colors of the U.S. flag often seen flying aloft in the wind. But, how does one display the flag? Luckily there is a three-page handbook of illustrations and guides on how to properly display the flag. For example “ Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never:  dip it [(the flag)] for any person or thing” This raises the question: Why so many? But this first raises the question of what each color of the flag means? Mentioned in usa.gov , the red stands for bravery and valor. Red is often tied with bloodshed and thus is a reminder of the bloodshed associated with the USA’s freedom. The white is associated with the purity and innocence of the American people. This is noted as the nation’s goal of remaining peaceful. While the blue resembles vigilance , perseverance, and justice.  The goal of displaying the flag is to show respect and reverence towards the symbol of the United States of America and the troops that contributed to the fight for freedom. The flag is m

      Many immigrants move to America—“the land of opportunity”—in hopes of a better life. This idea is called the “American Dream” The American Dream more specifically refers to the idea that every citizen in the United States, despite their background, has equal opportunities to achieve success and prosperity through hard work (Oxford English Dictionary). However, this might vary depending on certain factors.      My parents were both born and raised in India. My parents studied and worked hard while growing up to support their family. My dad moved to Houston, Texas for better job opportunities while my mom remained in India. He visited India for the wedding arrangements and shortly after their marriage, they both decided to settle in America for better job opportunities and a better life for their children. They put a lot of thought into finding the best-suited place and environment to start a family. They first moved to Missouri and then decided to settle in Dallas, Texas, where I

               Photo by AZ Susan . In today’s world, there are diverse groups of languages across the globe. For instance, each neighborhood in Fremont speaks a different language and shares a different culture. In one neighborhood of the same city, there are houses of blue and green with streets of kids screaming and running across the streets. But, what’s unique about this one street, are the cultural traditions we share as a community. Each kid you see running across the street comes from a different family that speaks a certain native language, originating from India. Although the description of the kids running across the streets may sound frustrating to me, I find it nostalgic because I was one of them too.  This street is not like any normal street where you see a collection of houses. This street has a special connection; a connection of culture and sharing of the same traditions. Every year, our street of families celebrate festivals together from Diwali to Holi at someone

Mahesh - Week 5: A Broader Outlook      Identity. A word that we frequently encounter in our daily lives, yet we cannot grasp the broad connotation that exists behind this phrase. Specifically, what does it mean to be American? I feel that as an American, I cannot determine the meaning of my identity; I need the advice of others to do so. For instance, earlier today, the French Honor Society at our school welcomed a group of French students who have come to visit the United States. We were responsible for conversing with the French students and welcoming them to the high school. While talking with the students, I learned what American stereotypes they feel are prevalent in French society.       The experience of talking to those from a different background and culture than me has provided me with a unique understanding of what it can mean to be American. After listening to the many hilariously articulated stereotypes from the French students, I decided that identity is a simple interpr

       My friend is taking AP Physics this year, and she is one of four other girls in her class. When she first told me this news, I was overcome with disbelief that soon transitioned into sheer frustration.           This is an example of the patriarchal society at its finest.    Being born and raised in the U.S., I was conditioned to believe through every message American society was sending me that I could be anything I wanted from a painter to a surgeon; a firefighter to a professional volleyball player. But, I'm assuming more than four girls were interested in the numerous career fields associated with physics.    For my ninth birthday, I was gifted an American Girl Doll named Diana, who was a criminal justice lawyer, fighting for the rights of the mistreated population. Growing up in an American society, I believed it was possible. I believed I could be like Diana. However, once I was introduced to the world of STEM classes, I realized I could never have the same opportuniti

California is a state filled with bustling streets that are decorated with diverse cultures. The array of languages that are spoken really unifies America as one. I learned that our languages, with their deep histories, are a call for people to learn and appreciate the culture behind them. Especially in schools where we have special programs to help non-native speakers learn and master the English language. Moreover, schools offer a variety of language learning opportunities, popular ones being Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Classes as such show that people have the determination to learn new dialects and embrace other cultures.  The Bay Area itself has many different places that celebrate diversity, where people can learn more about the culture and language. For example, San Francisco has Chinatown, Japantown, Little Italy, and many more. These neighborhoods have become critical points for immigrants to preserve their native languages. If you are visiting these areas, you will likely

  A Brief History of the American Flag           The American flag has been an ever changing symbol of the United States. Ever since its inception in 1776, the flag has undergone both subtle and drastic alterations, reflecting the growing and advancing state of the country.  It’s widely believed that the first official American flag was created by Betsy Ross in 1776 under the commission of George Washington himself. Although there is no hard evidence to prove any of this information, it is a story that has been told for an extremely long period of time and is accepted by a large group of people. The flag featured a similar design to what we have now, but instead of 50 stars, there were only 13. These 13 stars were lined up in a circle laid on top of the blue section in the top-left corner.  A year later, American lawyer Francis Hopkinson redesigned the flag and made it resemble today’s flag to an even further degree. Though no new states (and therefore stars) were added yet, the 13

Apparently, twenty-three states in the US do not require two years of a foreign language in high school. That means that twenty-seven of them do require them. But why is this the case? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have all of the states either respect or disregard this requirement for the sake of uniformity?  Art Carden, in this case, should prefer that schools not enforce the requirement to learn another language. He acknowledges on Forbes that it would be very beneficial to learn a new language but counters that simply we do not learn enough of it to actually be able to put these skills to good use.  I’m able to relate to these concerns as well. I’ve been taking Chinese classes since I was five years old; my Chinese still is only proficient at best. My understanding of verbal conversations is my strong suit, probably because I am able to listen to my parents talk in Chinese at home. However, if I were to learn a new language without native speakers to reference in day-to-day life,

Does our Constitution Define Us?  As early as the beginning of the 19th century, we, as American citizens, have fought for our rights. One such movement was toward women rights which specified the joining in male dominated discourse and also the advocating of their views in political elections. Around the same time was the Civil War where there were many debates on the rights of slaves and their interrelationship with their surrounding peoples. Another even though not in the United States was the French Revolution, which many know to be the death of many monarchs and the beginning of a republic for a time being. All these events converge to the rights of the people, and more specifically, the citizens of the United States. This document does seem quite detailed though do they truly serve the purpose of protecting and displaying the diverse identities in the U.S.?     According to harvard.edu , Alan Jenkins gives thought-provoking responses to this central question. he says that though

    Imagine yourself casually scrolling through your social media feed, and you stumble upon a selfie which makes you wonder. Something about it feels weird; the facial features appear slightly misaligned, or the glasses perched on the nose seem askew. You can't help but wonder if you've just encountered an AI-generated face that has been all the craze.       This remarkable innovation in AI technology approaches the creation of faces from a fundamentally mathematical standpoint. As shown in a New York Times article, by Kashmir Hill and Jeremy Whit e, that dives into the world of AI-generated faces, these digital images are not crafted by capturing the essence of real individuals but rather by algorithms and data-driven processes hence the name, Data Driven Machine Learning. The applications of this technology are manifold, ranging from representing diversity on corporate websites to introducing characters within video games. This face was generated by AI, try reloading this

            Last weekend, I saw a recipe for Nutella iced coffee on Instagram, and decided to recreate it. I expertly combined the ingredients, altering the proportions to fit my preferences, while adding Nutella garnishes on the side of the cup. My coffee was exceptional. As I drank each sweet sip, I was overcome with a sense of nostalgia from my aunt who instigated my love for coffee among many of my other interests. In fact, I attribute a large part of my personality to be influenced by her.      I am a strong believer of the ideology that people change people. I would not be aware of some of my greatest passions if it were not for the people who introduced them to me. I received my love of Friends from my aunt; my love for Adele songs from my dad; and my love of helping others from my grandma. The complex interactions and relationships between humans provide room for ever changing self-realizations and growth.           Not all influences are good influences. Sometimes, a poor deci

       Slang is a type of informal language that frequently develops within particular social groups, subcultures, or communities. It is characterized by unusual words, phrases, or expressions. Recently, slang has become part of modern culture. It is more than just language; it is a reflection of social groups, identity, and cultural development. Slang essentially acts as a continuously developing and creative language for communities and people to express their unique identities. It offers a way for people, who belong to particular subcultures or societal niches, to create a special sense of community and connection.       Slang is used in various groups, an example is AAVE (African American Vernacular English). AAVE is a distinctive dialect that has its roots in African languages, English, and other linguistic influences. The first AAVE dialects were developed by African slaves as a means of communication, and over time AAVE developed from those dialects. Through AAVE, African Americ

Kung Fu Panda 2  and Identity Kung Fu Panda 2 is one of the most underrated animated movies in cinema history. This piece of art featured one of the best villains in animation, Lord Shen, and had a terrific plot line, speaking on heavy topics such as genocide. What impressed many viewers was Po’s search for who he was and who he was meant to be amidst large amounts of political turmoil with Shen’s rise to power. Studios are attempting to add greater levels of depth to children’s media, and no other film features the transition better than this one. We begin with Po getting flashbacks of his mother—who he hasn’t seen since he was a child—when fighting bandits in the musicians village. This prompts him to ask his father, Mr. Ping, why he saw those things. Mr. Ping reveals that Po is adopted, and though this was obvious to the viewer, Po has a complete shift in attitude after learning of this. He’s no longer the same character, and throughout the movie, he is struggling with the fact

      In this time and age, identity can be expressed in many different forms. Social media and digital platforms are prominent ways for people to express themselves. From sharing small moments on the internet to celebrating large milestones, we as humans curate our social media persona carefully. Social media offers us the opportunity to edit and “fix” our lives before letting other people see them, as we can choose what to reveal on the internet. Although people can struggle with being authentic on social media, it is important to remember that nobody’s life is as perfect as it seems.       An online presence can affect our mental health, which can lead to a shift in our identities. I’m certain that many people, especially teenagers, compare themselves with others they see online. In doing so, they may think that their lives aren’t interesting enough, or that they need to be doing more. It can also end up leading to “...increased sadness and isolation,” which affects who we will

              Photo by Freepik . I was in my backyard glancing through the window at the birds that were perched across the power line. I decided to listen carefully to the sound of two birds chirping at each other as if they were communicating like humans having a conversation. Every minute, another bird came by and stood on the power line beside the other birds. After about 2 minutes, there were ten birds sitting on either of the two power lines with their heads turned towards each other and their wings by their side. When I carefully listened to the sounds the birds made, I noticed that the row of five birds had sounded like whistling notes and screeching sounds of hawks. On the other hand, the row of birds below them sounded more like the buzzing and trilling sounds of wings that flap in the air. This made me wonder, how do the birds have different sounds when they are all of the same kind?  The intriguing clue that gave it away was that the five birds on the power line were blue j