Asian Education

"I hate how asians have to be perfect to get into a decent college"

-a somewhat abbreviated version of a paragraph rant by an anonymous submitter

The popular Troy High Confessions page on Facebook has been under fire lately with idea of "actually living" during your high school life and "trying hard now so you can be happy later in life". This goes back to the whole idea of education and what you are really learning. In Indian Education by Sherman Alexie, he not only chronologically shows his education, but he is also shows the things he learns from society. He learns that discrimination is a real threat, that you have to try and put in effort to release yourself from the constraints of stereotypes, and that it is possible to move forward in life. 

taking initiative to be different

Unfortunately, many students nowadays find this idea hard to believe.  Just by looking at the results of the anonymous survey today, it is apparent that many, many people still do not feel comfortable in their ethnicity. Minority races do not feel equal to caucasians, through their treatment and their expectations. Going back to the quote from the confessions page, it is noteworthy that Asians have such high expectations and reap little in return. If two people of different races put in the same effort, same time, and same energy into a task and generate the same results, should one person really be rewarded more for the same efforts? 

the same, but different

America prides itself in giving everyone equal opportunities and being a "free country", but are we truly free when over 150 million people feel underrewarded for their efforts? The idea of equality can be genuine on the text of the Constitution, but when words are put into actions, things don't always translate smoothly. 

here's some tea for your refreshment...

We are in the midst of a political turmoil.  With the results of the primaries coming out soon, and little to be desired in the candidates, with the dire situation of the Flint water, with the newest relations with our biggest rival, with the new appointed Supreme Court Justice, America is undergoing vast changes. On the outside, our democracy seems the same equitable system as always-however, there's so many problems that if it were not for our stable system, would have destroyed our country already.

Source: politicalcartoons.com; Artist: Dave Granlund

Nothing is more appropriate for this blog post than a cartoon about the Flint situation, right? A event that has gained a national attention and aid from many helpful communities that could have easily been prevented if not for a sneaky cover-up by the governor-- now that's a good topic! In the midst of all the hate against the government and pity for the Flint residents, Granlund is able to satirize the guiltiness of Governor Snyder himself. The setting of the cartoon is before congress, bringing the whole idea a sense of ethos.  The conveniently yellow water besides is a sign of hospitality- or is it? His question frames his guiltiness: he knows that if the water is truly from Flint, he cannot drink it for it is poisonous.  Yet if he will not drink the water himself (highlighted by the sweat from his collar) then why would he let his own citizens drink it? The painful irony fully exploits the faults in the governor's actions and the preventability of the crisis.

Going too far?

There has always been a fine line between knowledge and innocence- or is there?
This week's discussion of the limitations and expansion of science reminded me of our frequent discussion of knowledge and innocence in past English classes- is knowledge power or is ignorance bliss?

the opposite lanes 

The obvious truth is you cannot have both- you cannot be educated yet be not be educated.  If that is the case, then where is the line drawn? The endless possibilities of science and technology stretch from finding the cure to cancer in "the spontaneously radiant radium" to replacing genes in "tobacco plants with... purloined genes". These include the "best and worst of our quest for knowledge".  The idea of choosing innocence over knowledge in the Measure of Restraint highlights the moral implications of going too far in science.  It may be okay to examine the leaves of tobacco plants, but the idea of "forever altering" the genetics of these plants has long lasting effects that extend beyond a single science experiment. If we keep on looking for the cure to cancer, will we eventually come to a spot where we must decide between risking lives to find the cure or staying on our path of ignorance? This decision might've already been put to test with the Curies' found radium.  When "properly used [it is] an effective treatment for cancer", but when it's used "craz[idly]", it "takes it's toll".

A eternal change.

So I am back to my original question that, from the humble origins in 6th grade english, still has not been answered.  Raymo brings up the true perils of going too far in the quest for knowledge, but the multitude of dying cancer patients show the true perils of not going too far.

Gandhi, Janet, and a short PSA

PSA: Reading Videotape at 2AM is not recommended.

So if you thought that Videotape was going to be a light read like me, and decided to venture upon it at night, you would have found it is no haiku.  Hereafter today, I believe everyone will stop procrastinating when they read.  The rhetoric throughout the piece is extremely shocking, as it uses a innocent child to convey its idea. The child "videotaping" the entire scene adds a sense of innocence to the piece; the fragmented sentences later in the piece reflect the fragmenting nature of the encounter for everyone involved, but especially the child. Throughout the piece, DeLillo rarely gives any of the characters names, leaving their identities to be very vague, showing that this incident could happen to every, even you. Some say giving the wife a name- Janet- is like the rest of the characters are hot for humility, but I disagree.  I think adding a name for her adds to the verisimilitude throughout the piece- it also shows how you tend to show family tragedies to highlight the idea of the "shortness of life". This idea of family goes along with Gandhi's idea of peacefully protesting- after all, you wouldn't want to lose family over violence that could be avoided peace, now would you?

I didn't want a picture of a murderer at 2am, so here's an accurate depiction of me trying to write a puzzle paragraph

I will admit that some of the words from the puzzle paragraph were quite awkward and forced. However, it was interesting to have several words to incorporate since it gave me a path to write my blog (rather than have me stare a blank screen for 2 hours).