Me at the End

Wow, the last blog entry. I didn't think that this time would fly by this fast. Not just this class, but all 6 years of my Whitney Young experience. This class has fortunately been one of the highlights in my high school career, as far as classes go. I am a bit sad, but I am much, much happier that I am leaving Whitney Young and going to start something completely new. College is actually the first really new thing in my life for quite some time and I am excited to dive right in. Of course, I want to savor the long summer break that it around the corner (school doesn't start until Sept 26),  but I am looking forward to all of the opportunities that will pop up as I start college this fall. After 6 years at Whitney Young and several summer programs at colleges across the nation, I feel prepared to leave home and "move" out to California. I do feel a bit anxious, but I'm guessing that's because I am about to join something so much bigger than myself. I have the feeling that I want to try to do a bit of everything and it's starting to be a little bit overwhelming. I just have to take each day at a time and find a way to settle into college. I've had a great experience at Whitney Young and it will be interesting to come back and see what has changed. Thanks for the class, Mr. McCarthy!

Letter to the Prospective Philosophy Student

Dear prospective philosophy student,

Be ready for a great class! Like me, you're probably thinking that this class will be nothing but reading about old men and their opinions on life. There is some of that and it is interesting to a point, but what really matters is all of the other stuff that you'll be doing throughout the year. If you have McCarthy for philosophy (pray that you do!), you will be exposed to several pieces of art that you will enjoy and several movies that will open your eyes to new things. The books that you read actually are thought-provoking and the in-class discussions will be fascinating. Mr. McCarthy is a teacher who really enjoys deep thinking and philosophy and because of that, his philosophy curriculum is quite successful. Everything that is picked to read or watch has a meaning and it will be enjoyable. The balance that is struck between hard work and casual discussion is perfect, and that's why the class isn't really painful. You're about to enter a unique class. It's interesting, it will make you think, and you'll enjoy just about everything Mr. McCarthy puts in front of you. My word of advice is to keep your blogs in order because we're in the tech center catching up right now. Also, I would strongly advise that you participate in the discussions. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and listen to other people's opinions and perspective, but try to jump in at some point. Good luck, and enjoy your philosophy class!

Thoughts About Earlier Thinking

At the beginning of the year, I was tossed about between fifth and sixth period for a bit. Once I was actually in the right class, I could start to think about the class and form my opinions on how the year would play out. My first thought of the class was that there would be a ton of busy work. I am glad that the class was more of a thought-provoker than a mindless, endless writing assignment. I definitely didn't expect all of the movies, artwork, and other forms of art. I'm glad that all of the art we viewed and discussions we had were about meaningful topics that most of us could relate to. The path that the class took was way different than the path I thought it would take. I've learned a lot from this class, from my peers' opinions to the names of reputable street artists. Now that I think about it, the class was kind of what I expected for a while, when we were reading out of the textbook. Once we started reading Candide and discussing the themes and ideas, the class began to take a direction separate from what I thought it would be. I appreciated that we expressed our ideas through discussion than just on paper.

Surrounded by Cuckoos, but I was the crazy one

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to write on this topic but the first thing that came to mind was arguments and how people sometimes lose sight of what they mean to say when they become defensive. We're all guilty of it, some of us more than others. From that type of person's perspective, everything their debating "opponent" says sounds crazy simply because they stop thinking rationally. In reality, the person who thinks everything they hear sounds crazy could be the one who is spewing insane thoughts. My next thought about this topic is the book, which is an obvious thought now that I think about it. At first glance, McMurphy seems sane compared to the patients at the mental institute. "Normal" society would consider these patients to be "irregular" and "crazy", which is why institutions such as mental hospitals were created. Mack, coming from this society, sees the patients in the same way. As the book goes on, the reader starts to see Mack lose it little by little. He's not necessarily acting "crazier", but he starts to go to greater lengths to prove how rebellious he really is. In the institute, Mack is seen as the truly insane patient because of how he acts toward Nurse Ratched, regardless of the possible consequences. The other patients, in my opinion, start to see Mack as society would view them.  I guess the point that could be made from this is that everyone that seems "normal" may not be and that they will show how crazy they really are once their pressured to do so. Still not quite sure what the topic really means though...

Together

My family is small and, as I mentioned in the last post, I am an only child. These facts only make me love the time that I spend with my family more. Fortunately, I get to see my parents everyday and my grandparents quite frequently, as well, but I don't see other members of my family very often. In fact, I met some members of my family for the first time last August. I remember being so excited to meet new relatives on the way to New York. These relatives were on my Father's side and from Panama. While my grandfather went from Panama to Indiana years ago, his sisters went to Brooklyn. It was great to be with them, even is for a short time, and ask them about the experiences they have had in New York and those that they remember from their home. Usually during the winter, I get to see my family that is still in Fort Wayne, IN, where I was born. This is pretty much my Father's side of the family, including my grandparents and cousins. Just being around family that I don't see often is a good feeling because everything else that keeps me busy at other times hinders me from staying updated with how my family is doing. On the other hand, I have probably began to take the family that I do see often for granted. I'll soon be leaving to go to college and I won't exactly be around the corner. It is then that I'll really realize that all of the time I had and will have with my close family is precious, and that I should treasure it. That time is a blessing that everyone doesn't have.

Alone

I am an only child. In our society, this is probably the situation that is most closely related to loneliness. I have wished that I wasn't an only child and, at other times, have been quite happy that I don't have any siblings. I'd say that the happy and not-so-happy times cancel out, for the most part. I don't really think about it too much anymore, as I've come to terms with my situation. As busy as I've been with college decisions and visits and regular work in and out of school, I really don't find too much time to be sitting around wishing that I had siblings. Besides, the family that I have is great, no matter how small it is. I have two first cousins who have been like brother and sister to me, as long as I can remember. One is a few months older than me, and the other is a week younger. I grew up very close to each of them and I still regard them as close enough to be brother and sister. My Father really has been great, in that he kind of picked up the slack of me being an only child. Most of the time, he acts more like a brother than a Dad, which can be funny and sometimes a bit annoying (of course, he is Dad when he needs to be). To say it simply, other family members of mine have been like siblings to me, which is why I never really became sad about not actually having a brother or sister. In fact, I don't think that I ever had a real problem with being a loner. I chose golf as my sport of choice, and no other sport is as individual a sport than golf. Sure, there a golf teams but, at the end of the day, golf is a one-man sport. There are some things that just aren't meant to be, and I suppose me having siblings is one of those things. I've made the best of it, and I don't think that I would change anything, even if I could.

Save the Earth, Do This!

With the idea of a withering planet filling our heads, we all ,at one time or another, think of ways with which we could reduce our carbon footprint. Even if we find the smallest ways to reduce our energy consumption, we can help extend the life of our planet. One of the best examples of energy-saving technology and methods lies on Chicago's Southside, at the famous Museum of Science and Industry. It has been dubbed "The Smart Home", because it is a practical, aesthetically pleasing home that gives its owners peace of mind about how they might be impacting the Earth. There are many features of the house that lead to its ability not only to have low energy consumption, but also to throw energy back to the grid. By way of a personal wind turbine and solar cell technology, the energy produced by the home can, at times, outweigh how much energy is actually needed. Some other impressive features of the home include bamboo flooring, an inductance surface in the kitchen, and the fact that the entire hose is modular. The house is actually several components that were put together with cranes. This opens up the idea that houses could be mass-produced and shipped to their future owners. But, if you don't feel like ordering a house right now, there are simple things that you can do to reduce energy consumption. Such things include, unplugging any electronics that pull power from the outlet, even when they're not in use. These items include all kids of chargers, coffee pots, game systems, or anything that uses a standby light, really. Also, by recycling water, one can start to reduce their impact on Earth. Rainwater or any water that has been used throughout the house (except toilet of course) can be used to water plants in the garden. There are many ways to reduce how much energy we use up; it's up to us to decide how active we'll be in this initiative.

MSI's Smart Home