Sayonara AP Lang

Though AP Lang was not the most exciting experience of my life, it was enlightening to be part of Rosslyn’s AP English Language and Composition class of 2017-18.

The beginning seems like a distant event in history.

During the old days, I wanted to learn how to construct better-sounding sentences and, ultimately, get a 5 on the AP Lang exam. Quick maths has taught me the latter won’t happen, but on the upside, I have successfully learned how to write fully comprehensive essays.

An unintended benefit was learning how to formally develop a logical argument that implements evidence from several sources. Comparing the first and last essays that I have written, there are certain areas in which improvement is visible, such as rhetorical analyses. Initially, a bundle of disjointed sentences randomly connected in no explicit order, the sentences on my paper now form relatively logical paragraphs.

Though not a major portion of my learning, I have learned many new vocabularies that allow me to sound smarter in my writing, which is nice. These vocabularies were challenging and really forced me to wrap my head around the actual context these words are used in.

Throughout this year, I believe that I have enhanced my method of thinking critically about a situation or a text. However, I can always be mistaken as there may be no evident development in my writing, but one thing is certain: I am fully capable of doing an assignment of two weeks, in one night.

The end is nearing and I must say, leaving the class behind is extremely bittersweet.

Sayonara AP Lang.

 

 

Thanks

Dear Mr. Jasperse,

You will never be reading this and will never know that I have written this, but I would like to say thank you for teaching me Chemistry (2016-2017) and then being my AP Chemistry teacher (2017-2018). Time really flies; I walked into your newly constructed classroom for the first time as a sophomore and soon I will be walking out as an almost-senior. It has been a fantastic two years learning about the central science that describes the natural phenomena of the world.

Nevertheless, I must say that the class was a very difficult one. Not only was the content difficult, but also keeping my eyelids open while taking notes was a challenge. Staying up long nights while writing endless pages of notes on acid-base reactions, titrations, electrochemistry, thermochemistry, and whatnot, really tempted me to give up on the class. Now that the AP exam has passed and there is nothing left for class besides a project, all those hours spent doing laboratory questions seem to have been worth it.

Unfortunately, as we speak, the silent and inevitable marching of time continues and soon I will have graduated and will be elsewhere in the world. Regardless of what I may get on my AP Chemistry exam, I am much obliged to have studied Chemistry under your wing and I salute you, for your work, as I will forever be grateful for everything you have done.

Most sincerely,

-Jaehyeok Kim

School Uniforms

Whether or not schools should require uniforms has been a controversial topic for a long time. There are equally good arguments that support and oppose the use of school uniforms.

People who support the use of uniforms will argue that the use of uniforms creates a sense of unity among the students. They will also argue that wearing uniforms will also limit the discrimination toward financially struggling students who do not own as many outfits as their wealthy counterparts. Furthermore, this equalization of every students’ status would create a safer and more accepting community in which there is less segregation between students.

On the other end of the spectrum, people who oppose the use of uniforms will argue that not only do uniforms restrict the freedom of students, but also limit the creative methods of how students express themselves. Furthermore, the opposers will state that instead of school teaching students how to be innovative in expression, students’ creative minds will be harnessed and its development would be hindered.

I have attended different schools in which I got to experience the wonders of wearing a uniform and wearing whatever I wanted. The uniforms did build up a sense of unity and made the students look more formal, however, it didn’t really help with the segregation. Whether that segregation was because of race, gender, or wealth, I will never know, but I can also say that uniforms didn’t restrict how I developed creatively.

I have discovered, from my experiences, that both arguments have flaws, but experiencing both the freedom of wearing anything, within the dress code, and being forced to wear uniforms, I must say that wearing whatever I feel like is a lot more relieving than having to wear a tight necktie and knee-high socks on hot days.

There is no definite solution to solving this ongoing argument, but for those who firmly believe that uniforms are superior, there is a simple answer. If you would like to see students to wear uniforms, go attend a school that requires uniforms.

Entertainment

Entertainment: “an event, performance, or activity designed to entertain others.” (Google).

Entertainment is prevalent in human lives. Afterall who doesn’t want any amusement or enjoyment in their life? Unfortunately, though the pleasure we experience may brighten our day, this amusement could potentially be human’s downfall.

Our focus is dragged to what is most interesting and funny. Why do we always watch the Nickelodeon cartoons on tv at the dentist’s office? Because the cartoons are more fun looking at than outdated book magazines that only talk about the dieting tips of Victoria’s Secret models. No one is interested unless they happen to be a Victoria’s Secret model.

Amusement is not necessarily bad though. A moody person can become gleeful if they find some sort of joy. However, having pleasure galore could be harmful. Being amused influences our actions. Why do we make decisions when we are happy? Because our overjoyed selves expect other outcomes to turn out positive. If our decision-making skills are altered because of the temporary joy we feel while entertained, we will incorrectly assess what conclusions to make when serious matters arise.

Entertainment does allow people to have brighter days, but an excessive amount of it has the power to ruin human society. Entertainment can ruin the society.

Trump and his fallacies

3 minutes into Donald Trump’s campaign speech announcing his candidacy for U.S. President, I thought I was going to vomit. No, it was not because of his hair or his orange skin, but rather of the logical fallacies in his speech.

From his first sentence, he mentions that thousands of people are watching his speech. This is a bandwagon fallacy. The bandwagon fallacy is a fallacy based on the assumption that the opinion of the majority is the valid opinion. He implements this fallacy that because the large group of people that came to watch his rally, validates his reason for running for president.

He then proceeds to state that the other candidates didn’t know the air conditioning wasn’t working (a really silly claim). However, he then questions “How are they going to beat ISIS?” This logical fallacy is called the false cause. The false cause is the presumption of a relationship between two subjects. Trump’s use of the false cause fallacy makes the audience believe that if other candidates didn’t even know the air-conditioning wasn’t working, how are they going to outsmart and beat ISIS. However, air conditioning is extremely unrelated to politics or war. Even though air-conditioning is not related to politics, Trump’s punch lands and an audible cheer can be heard in the audience.

These are the two fallacies Trump started off with. As this is a presidential campaign Trump uses these fallacies as a method of exalting himself over other candidates. These fallacies matter as they are tricks that lead the public into believing that Trump will really make America as great as he said he would make it.

Logical fallacies result in bad endings. Trump made promises, such as deporting all illegal immigrants and spending large amounts on the construction of the countries infrastructure, through the fallacies in his various rallies. Some Trump supporters stood behind him believing that these promises would be met. However, neither of these promises has seen any progress and Trump is steadily losing his advocates who now realize these promises are lies.

Education

Everyday, millions of children attend school from 8:30- 15:30. Why do all these people go to school?

Everyone has different motives to attend school. Some may endure the long school hours because their parents force them to. Some aspire to get into prestigious schooling firms. Others may be knowledge-thirsty. If everyone were to attend school because they were hungry for education we must first ask the overarching question: what is education?

Education is “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university” (google). In other words, education is learning or embracing one’s skills. However, over the past millennia, education has become the sole path to securing a vocation and a stable income. This point of view is bad. There are many ivy-league alumni who are jobless. In fact, I met one. Yes, they were smart and educated, but they were neither financially stable nor held a significant profession.  As education will not guarantee prosperity, the view on education must be altered.

Education’s true value is to equip students with life skills. At some point, getting education may seem like a triviality of life and we must consider ‘What is the point of attaining all these skills?’  The driving reason behind all the hours put into tuition is to allow the future leaders of the world to step up and demonstrate what talents and skills they can use to alter the world.

Education is a path for students to embrace their innate gifts, in order to brighten the future.

Let us all become educated today in order to make a beautiful tomorrow.

Calisthenics versus Free-weights

Disclaimer: Though this essay is focused around how calisthenics is better than free-weight body building, I do prefer free-weight exercises.

There has always been rivalry between free-weight bodybuilders and those of calisthenics. Which type of bodybuilding makes more gains? Which improves control? Which makes you stronger? In order to put a stop to all this conflict, this post is dedicated to why calisthenics (bodyweight exercising) is more advantageous than free-weight bodybuilding.

The first advantage of calisthenics is the amount of control one has over their body. Though free-weight training allows the exerciser to put on excessive amounts of muscle mass to look bulky, calisthenics allows the trainee to become built like an athlete. Athletes are toned, agile, and flexible individuals who have total control over their body’s capabilities. The legendary martial artist Bruce Lee’s demonstration of the dragon flag is an example of an exercise that allows trainees to have full control of their core strength. The dragon flag is performed lying face-up on a bench or on the ground with one’s hands grasping a sturdy object behind them for support. The objective is to lift the entire body up in a straight line, stacking it vertically over the shoulders, and then slowly lowering the body back down until parallel to the ground. Mastering the dragon flag allows bodyweight exercisers to have unbelievable control over their entire body.

Furthermore, calisthenics can be done anywhere. Free-weight exercises are heavily dependent on the equipment that is available at a gym. I mean where else can you find a decline bench press? The only requisites for bodyweight exercises are motivation and a human being. It can be performed by a mountainside, inside a home, or at the beach.

Because calisthenics can be performed anywhere and allows the trainer to have full control of his body, bodyweight training is ultimately the best method of bodybuilding.

A Wild Book

Two weeks ago, I took the liberty to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. As Into the Wild is a biography of Christopher McCandless’s adventure in Alaska, what Krakauer’s purpose of this book is ambiguous. However, I believe that Krakauer’s main intention of writing this book was to alert the reader of the importance of doing what the heart desires.

The idea of doing what the heart desires is stressed in phrases such as “My reasoning, if one could call it that, was inflamed by the scattershot passions of youth” (Krakauer 135). In this sentence, Krakauer enlightens the reader of the reason that compelled his own adventure as a youth: he simply wanted to climb the Devil’s Thumb. The effect of this sentence illustrates to the reader that his interest in climbing the Devil’s Thumb was enough to take him to the summit (much like McCandless’s interest to live in the wild took him to Alaska).

Another example in which Krakauer subtly underlines that everyone should do what their heart desires is “Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God” (Krakauer 199). Though McCandless unfortunately died, this sentence communicates that he passed away in peace due to the joy and passion he experienced during his adventure. The effect of this sentence is to inform the reader that if desires are fulfilled, kicking the bucket while doing it is calm process.

As stated before, Krakauer does not have explicit sentences that convey to the reader his purpose for writing this piece. However, due to his statements that refer to doing what we want and because this is a book about a 24 year old seeking his own adventure, it is safe to hypothesize that his underlying intention is to do what the heart desires.

About Emily Dickinson

Maybe you have heard of Emily Dickinson. Perhaps you know she is a renowned poet. Or maybe, you don’t even know who Emily Dickinson is. This post is aimed to teach Emily Dickinson being through metaphors to those who may not know who Emily Dickinson is.

Animal

The red panda. Red pandas’ social life is mainly solitary except when mating; red pandas tend to live alone, but aren’t completely disconnected from the rest of the world. Dickinson is a red panda as she lived majority of her life in isolation, but kept in touch with her friends through mail.

Plant

The jack pine tree. This species of trees thrive as forest fires destroy the mature jack pines and open up the cones of new pines.  Dickinson is a jack pine tree as her poetry became known to the world after her death.

Article of Clothing

A dress. Dickinson is a dress as dresses are a type of clothing that flows. Her ideas and beliefs about death, despair, and loneliness are developed in a flowing manner throughout her poetry.

Day of the Week

Sunday. Because of her puritan background it is expected that Emily Dickinson be depicted as Sunday it is considered a day for churchly fellows to go and worship God.

Country

Dickinson most represents Somalia. Though the death and hopelessness illustrated in Dickinson’s poems are a bit different than the events happening in Somalia, the many death and despair caused by bombing, kidnappings, and killings in Somalia are a loosely related illustration of Dickinson’s poems.

Color

White. The color white is associated with innocence, purity, and virginity. Dickinson is white as she died a virgin and was unmarried.

Geometric Shape

A triangle. Dickinson is a triangle as the majority of her poetry was centered around three main topics: death, despair, and loneliness.

Fragrance

Old paper. Though old paper isn’t a fragrance, the smell that hits our nostrils when opening an old book is what Emily Dickinson smells like. This is because Dickinson had a passion for reading.

Genre of music

Death metal. Death metal uses a lot of minor keys. Minor keys naturally sound awkward and unpleasant to our ears. Dickinson’s poems ring strange because of her unusual use of capitalization, punctuation, and rhythmic structure.

Word

Bizarre. Bizarre means very strange or unusual. Dickinson is bizarre as she wrote her poems with unclear rhythmic structure, unusual capitalization, and dashes as her main form of punctuation.

Musical Instrument

Dickinson’s poetry is similar to the cello. The cello is a string instrument that produces a deep, melancholy, and depressing tone. However, the tune produced by this tone is very calming. Dickinson is a cello as her poetry addresses death, pain, grief, and despair but does so in a very serene manner.

Season of the Year

Winter. Winter is the season in which the most death and despair occurs. Dickinson is winter as she wrote a lot about death and despair in her poems.

Type of drink

Very cold water. Dickinson is cold water as her poems that expand on her ideas about death, despair, and loneliness send a shiver through out body much like when we down a very cold glass of water.

Natural Phenomenon

A geyser. Dickinson is a geyser as her poetry is loaded with emotion that directly discharged by her heart.

Time of day

6 AM. At 6 in the morning is when the sky is still relatively dark, but the rays of sunlight are just barely coming into sight. Dickinson is 6 AM as her poems are relatively dark, but as she does address hope (through the death and despair), the rays of sunlight that will eventually illuminate the darkness are visible in the horizon.

 

 

A good synopsis

There is a huge list of factors that determine if your resume is eye-catching or dull like the rust of a old blade. Consequently, being the amazingly kindhearted human being that I am, I have taken time out of my completely jam-packed day in order to inform you about some of the most important components when constructing a good synopsis.

These are my top five tips of constructing a good resume.

1. Do not have any misspelled words.
2. Make the resume visually engaging and accessible.
3. Avoid writing long resumes; provide only relevant information.
4. Do not lie.
5. Do not over-promote yourself.

There are simple reasons why I believe these are the most relevant aspects in resume writing.

• Spelling errors make the reader automatically assume that the writer is not a meticulous observer. Most vocations require workers who avoid making small errors.
• It is easy for human eyes to lose their spot when sentences are stacked on top of each other. Making the resume visually easier to navigate through, conveys to the viewer that the writer has good organization skills.
• Not many people enjoy reading long essays or textbooks. Therefore, being concise and precise not only communicates that the writer is good at explaining, but also that the writer is good at explaining simply and specifically.
• Don’t lie. Some employers look for certain skills and traits within a individual. If one lies about having certain talents that they do not, employers may be very disappointed to find out they hired a fraud. Meanwhile, if employers hire a trustworthy worker, they rejoice.
• There is no need to sound snooty. The introductory paragraph of this post is a great example of excessive self-promotion. A very sarcastic and playfully arrogant tone is developed. Resumes are serious documents that describe the achievements and talents of individuals. Playful tones should be avoided as resumes are meant to illustrate a humble character.

Though there are other factors that can help construct an effective resume, these (in my opinion) are the most crucial elements to consider when writing a rundown of one’s achievements.

If any readers, who use these top tips to successfully construct a resume, make it into Harvard University, let me know!

 

Citations

Vicki, Salemi. “ Do’s and Don’ts of Resume Writing.” Monster Career Advice, 2017, http://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/dos-donts-resume-ask-vicki-quora-0916.

Frost, Aja. “42 Resume Dos and Don’ts Every Job Seeker Should Know.” Free Career Advice, The Muse, 8 Jan. 2015, http://www.themuse.com/advice/42-resume-dos-and-donts-every-job-seeker-should-know.