1. Axolotls 2023

     We often associate the holidays with the music of the twinkly sound of the Sugar Plum fairy or the upbeat paced Marzipan excerpt from the Nutcracker. However, on the other side of the world, Russia the epicenter of ballet treats it as just another ballet and not a Holiday.      The premise of the story revolves around the plot of a girl who befriends a nutcracker doll on Christmas eve. Which the doll comes to like and fights the Mouse King. and in which the Nutcracker prince and the girl go into the Land of Sweets. The ties to the American holidays and traditions have made it a ubiquitous part of the "American Christmas".           "The Nutcracker" didn't gain a strong associate with Christmas in Russia. The production has on-and-off performance for decades as principal dancers of companies were not particularly attached to it. Whereas in the US "The Nutcracker" has become a staple due to infl...

     Throughout its history, America has given birth to an impressive variety of style icons, all of whom have left a lasting impression on the fashion industry. These Hollywood celebrities have had a significant impact on American culture and fashion.     Marilyn Monroe, a famous American actress, model, and singer in the 1950s, was known for playing a "blonde bombshell" character. She soon became a symbol of feminine allure by wearing tight-fitting pieces that flaunted her natural curves. Some of the top trends influenced by Marilyn Monroe were beauty marks, halter tops, and wiggle dresses— dresses that were known as having a waist that was narrower than the hem, which made a woman wiggle when she walked.       Audrey Hepburn is another well-known American-style icon. She gained considerably more notoriety following her performance in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." She popularized the "little black dress" which has been described as one of the i...

  As you all may know, daylight savings ended on November 6th this year, resulting in an extra hour of sleep for everyone. Now the sun sets much more quickly in the afternoon; right when the bell rings at 3:13, the lighting outside already feels much dimmer than before the transition. During summer, it was sometimes possible to see faint traces of sunlight in the horizon even at almost nine o’clock. Today, the sun actually began to set at 4:56, which was just shocking to me. That’s less than two hours after school is out.  Coincidentally, in psychology class, we have begun a take-home unit that goes over sleep patterns and behaviors. In the book, it mentioned that car crashes actually decrease due to the extra hour of sleep from this time zone change. That makes sense since people may become more alert when they get a longer period of time to rest.  Although this sounds great, there are also risks that come with these changing time zones. It turns out the one hour lost du...

     The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War or The War for Independence, was a bloody battle fought between Great Britain and their thirteen American colonies. Considered by many to be one of the most successful fights for independent rule by any country, the American Revolution was a pivotal moment not just in American history, but in world history as well. But what if it wasn’t a successful run? What if the colonists didn’t overcome the incredible odds stacked against them? What if America lost the war?      The simple answer is that there would be no United States. Britain would have regained control of the colonies, and now being in even more debt, they would have to skyrocket taxes again in order to compensate. Although dissatisfaction from the colonists would once again ensue, the fear of Great Britain’s might and the fact that they had defeated the colonies once before would have likely halted any uprisings early on.   ...

          November 1st always initiates the holiday season, characterized by the warmth and comfort of hot chocolate, Christmas pajamas, and familial bonds, along with the euphoria of Black Friday shopping, opening presents, and going ice skating. The Christmas spirit encapsulates the joyful memories from preceding months  in order to greet the new year with felicitations.       However, not everyone shares this spirited experience.  In 2021, 910,000 workers in America earned below the federal minimum, with poverty rates being at an all time high. Many hard-working American families are forced to live paycheck to paycheck, being unable to afford any luxuries, especially during the holidays. Thousands of children are denied the excitement of writing letters to Santa and opening presents underneath their tree. Growing up I did not realize the privilege I had to be able to wake up and dash downstairs to see an eaten plate of cooki...

Photo by India Today . A tiny spark of fire waves to me in front of the door reminding me of an upcoming event. I find that the vision of the tiny spark carries so much importance in ways that send me into a festive mood. Every lamp I see reminds me of the cultural traditions that are followed in Diwali . These traditions include the exciting feeling of wearing churidars; the ringing sounds of bangles on your arm; the intricate and meaningful designs of rangoli, and the warm greetings among families with exchanges of sweets. The start of Diwali begins with encountering beautiful messages in designs of flowers made with powder that greet families in people's houses. This particular language helps convey a greeting and a sense of love for one’s culture. It is the idea that these designs allow families of certain cultures to express their identity in America through a language of art. When families come to visit people’s houses, the warm messages of being gifted sweets fill the place ...

   Mahesh - Week 7: Starting with the Fundamentals      Prejudice. The most extensive internal problems caused in American society result from this idea, spanning centuries and lasting well into the modern day. Although America is called the hotspot for liberty and equality, this ideology may not always hold. America is honored on a global forum for its openness to immigrants and for overcoming strictly traditional views of nativism. However, is this praise well deserved, recalling the various degrees of prejudice?      Take, for example, the narrative of America Ferrara ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpdgPTUGFQw ), a young woman in the film industry who wished to become successful through hard work and determination. Is that not the ideal representation of the American Dream that exists within every American citizen? Ferrara displayed continuous effort and willpower in her audition; however, she was scorned due to her race and skin tone. In th...

Thanksgiving is approaching, the aroma of roasted turkey fills the house, and the promise of warm gatherings comes by. For most people, this holiday is a time of celebrating what they are thankful for, and reflecting back on gratitude and appreciation for family and friends that bring us together. As someone of Indian heritage, my outlooks and perspectives might contrast the typical American dream for Thanksgiving, yet I find this holiday very crucial to our society as it is a celebration that brings all types of people together and has the potential to create long-lasting connections.  Thanksgiving is essentially a celebration of all the things you are grateful for. It is a time when you can stop, take a break, and appreciate all the people in your life such as family and friends. Although my cultural background may not have a tradition exactly the same as Thanksgiving, the whole spirit of Thanksgiving deeply resonates with me. A holiday dedicated to appreciating the little things...

     During his career, music artist Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, released a single called "This is America" which addresses various social and political issues in America—more specifically, the African American experience. This created a cultural impact as the song as well as the music video served as a thought-provoking and wake-up call to the political issues currently happening in the United States.      The song aims to bring awareness to gun violence in America. In the music video, the video starts off joyful but takes a dark turn when Childish Gambino shoots a man in the head. This depicts the sudden gun violence that could take place at any minute. The rest of the video shows multiple other individuals getting shot at to represent the mass shooting that happens in America. The lyrics "This is America" immediately after the shootings indicate that gun violence in America is a norm. Additionally the lyrics "Don't catch you slippin...

The towering trees, the vast mountain ranges, the graceful flight of birds, and the sound of river flow.  These are all items that we associate with national parks, but what makes these parks so precious and what makes them shielded from the encroachments of human development? Okay, so let's run it back, Theodore Roosevelt serves as an important figure in the story of America's conservation efforts. He played a vital role in the protection of the nations' natural resources and helped drive the development of the  United States Forest  Service,  the agency in charge of maintain the national parks and managing the diversity of the wildlands. During his tenure he made and undeniable mark on the nations-;-'s conservation history by the establishment of  5 national parks, 18 national monuments, and 150 national forests.       His dedication to the conservation stemmed and grew from his love of the natural beauty and would often be seen outdoors. His go...

    Stepping out of Indira Gandhi International Airport and embracing the intoxicating air is a truly magical and indescribable feeling. It extends throughout my visits, as fascinating stories I thought to be true only in movies come to life, and I am introduced to new perspectives and ideas, the restraints of Fremont, California rejected me from. In a population of 1.4 billion people, I was in awe after my interactions with just a few of them, learning the stories of the street food venders serving deliciously unhealthy delights and the salon ladies who gave me special treatment in awe of my American accent. Reflecting on my trips to India allowed me to realize the significance of seeing my mom aggressively bargain with a shop vender or witnessing a plethora or profanity during traffic, with multiple scenarios of five people crammed onto two-seater motorcycles. While these encounters may seem rather unpleasant or unimportant for some Indians, they include some of my core memo...

In a society where high standards and quality are always expected, it is interesting to see how some cultures, specifically Asians, display an unshakeable dedication to perfection.  The importance of education in Asian households is an important factor in this. The belief that education is the first step towards a stronger and brighter future is ingrained in society as a whole. This mentality may be due to the struggles many immigrants faced when they came to the United States. People came from all over the world in hopes of a better life for themselves and their families. Instead, they were faced with hatred and discrimination, and the real opportunities were now just a fantasy. They were forced to work hard for what they wanted despite all the racism when they first entered America. One specific example of this is the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This act banned all Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. This was the formal law implemented to prevent all members of a spe...

Soda is one of the biggest beverages in much of the western world, particularly in America. It is estimated that the average American drinks 44 gallons of soda per year, as insane as that number may seem. It’s a drink many of us take for granted and accept as a part of life. But how did these fizzy, flavored drinks come about in the first place? In 1767, the first ever man-made carbonated water was made by a man named Dr. Joseph Priestley. This was initially thought to have the ability to cure sickness, so early sodas were actually sold in pharmacies. The first modern soda that changed the beverage from a medicinal drink to a recreational drink was root beer in 1876, over one hundred years later. The creation of root beer made people realize that it was possible to make carbonated drinks as an alternative for water and other normalized drinks like tea and lemonade.  Dr Pepper was first made in 1885 and is widely considered the first modern soda. Coca-Cola followed suit a year lat...