1. Giraffes 2024

  cul·ture /ˈkəlCHər/ noun 1.  the arts and other manifestations   of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.         2. the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. When I was younger I never gave much thought to culture and actually went out of my way to assimilate myself into American culture while discarding my own.  As I got older (I'm still working on it) I grew to appreciate my roots and the unique experience of being a South Indian in America. I got to have the privilege of blending together both aspects of who I am into one person. I grew up hating that I didn't eat PB&J sandwiches for lunch but instead ate rice with curry. I think this is a collective experience of most kids with parents who immigrated from different countries. I used to resent the fact that I had to wear long decadent gowns for functions instead of simple dresses. Then as I g...

       Power is relative and is based on what we give it. In reality, everyone has an equal amount of power but society has arbitrarily given titles more or less power depending on its needs. For instance when we turn 18, we are considered adults then. Yet when looked at from a biological standpoint, there is not much difference before and after you turn 18. Society has made an arbitrary rule that we are now considered adults and are considered mature for the most part. The power of being an adult lets us vote, earn credit, join the  military, etc.      However, that does not mean that the person who turned 18 has more power than people who are younger.  ( Enago ) The title of being an adult in society is what gives people that role of authority over themselves. Now as an adult, they are more inclined to go out and explore because they are mature enough according to society. Similarly, we can give ourselves power by just imagining it. It is...

 Rumors. Gossip. Drama. We often see tv shows and movies depict gossip as something that can ruin a person's life. From whispered conversations in corners to the comment section of social media, gossip draws a lot of individuals into its fate. But what power do rumors have?  Gossip, is often viewed as a social bonding mechanism, fostering the exchange of narrative about others within social groups. However, under the surface many lies interplay into the power dynamics. Contrastingly, rumors represent manifestations of uncertainty and ambiguity within societies. Flourishing in environments where there is a desperation for information, thus the raising of lies often to serve to a specific group's agendas.  The influence of gossip and rumors can extend beyond interpersonal relationships. For example, in politics rumors can sway the public opinion which thus affects the broader scope of elections. Moreover, in the age of digital media, the consequences of gossip and rumo...

  Sometimes, the things that go unsaid are the most important. There is a certain power in silence, as it communicates feelings and thoughts that cannot be expressed through words. Silence, depending on the situation, can convey a multitude of emotions: anger, love, disappointment, respect, fear and more.  There have been countless times when I have done something wrong and my mom has gotten mad at me. When she’s really disappointed, instead of screaming or lecturing me, she gives me the silent treatment.  In those moments, I would have done anything to make her scream at me, because the silence hurts. The silence shows that her disappointment is so extreme, she is unable to form the words to express it.  During funerals, there is always a “moment of silence” given to the individual that has passed. This silence signifies the respect and sympathy one has for the individual. It allows for reflection on their achievements in life, a chance to mourn their death, and for...

  Mahesh - Week 12: Rhetorical Manipulation Language can influence every one of us daily—not only through public discourse—but also through the banal and commonplace advertisements that are apparent in promoting food items at McDonald’s to the newest Apple iPhone. Successful advertising appeals to the audience’s credibility in the brand and incorporates a sense of visual appeal. Advertising itself can be described as a form of argumentation in which the advertiser creates a catchphrase that possesses anaphoric qualities that enable the catchphrase to become popular. Then, the language and rhetoric behind the catchphrase build the brand’s reputation as more individualistic components to the advertisements are added, creating audience relatability as the main focus of advertising. Rhetorical questions can be a useful tool in inspiring audience reflection on how the product being advertised may be relevant to their lives. Oftentimes, advertisements utilize rhetorical questions negativ...

                                           When I was thinking about what I could write about power for this week's blog, I was stumped. I couldn’t really figure out what I could write about. Then, while I was watching some space videos, the main character started giving himself a pep talk. After that pep talk to himself, I thought about how easy it was for him to manipulate his own mind. Your mind is something pretty powerful in my opinion. Your brain controls basically everything in your body. Your brain is the reason you can speak, move, or even talk. Your brain is also the reason for all those thoughts that keep you up late at night, or the reason you feel the things you feel.      Something I find pretty weird about your brain is that your own mind can create those nasty thoughts but at the same time they can block all those nasty thoughts, it really dep...

Image credit Creativity is arguably one of the most valuable characteristics that humans have. We all have the capacity to think creatively and produce something unique, and it is evident that this trait has stayed with us through several thousand years of civilization. Cave art, or paleolithic art , is the oldest art form known to human beings, as the earliest known piece of artwork was discovered a few years ago in Sulawesi, Indonesia . This drawing depicts three wild pigs and has been dated to be about 45,000 years old! Amazingly, such an ancient piece of art could have survived for so long; it literally represents the progression of humankind throughout thousands of years of evolution. Even though it’s a mystery to figure out what most of these works symbolize or even if they are relevant, it is incredible to know that the careless doodles we might draw in our notebooks today could be similar to what a person our age could have decided to draw on a cave wall. Additionally, the incr...

  Although people often focus on increasing the number of words they write and speak, it may be a better idea to rethink those ideas. Almost everyone has heard the phrase “quality over quantity” at some point in their life. This phrase is actually extremely applicable to the way people act in society. An article from LinkedIn states that “‘listening more and speaking less’” causes “‘people [to] pay closer attention to what you have to say’” (Shihab). This sentiment makes sense logically because of the psychological phenomenon that makes rare things more valuable. When someone speaks less, the words they say become more treasured and special. This causes the people around to value the person’s words much more than other people’s words. In addition, the quote mentions the benefits of listening more. If people constantly talk, they understand and learn less information. Therefore, the statements they make are less informed and mature.  The importance of “‘listening more and speak...

Recently I started rewatching Gilmore Girls with its small-town charm and quirky characters. Despite the polarity of each character and their complexity, when faced with a problem the town bands together and forms a communal opinion.  After reading "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller I found myself thinking about the power that hysteria holds over a small town like Salem. An incident that could have been written off as teenagers fooling around was turned into one of American history's darkest chapters.  The hysteria caused by the witchcraft accusations and the following trials overtook the town like a plague spreading from person to person until everyone in Salem was haunted by this witchcraft phenomenon.  As Arthur Miller references, the same is true for McCarthyism. The thing in common with all these events is the shared mindset of people who wanted a quick answer to something they couldn't name or explain. It didn't matter if the explanation the people were offered...

Valentine's Day, a day associated with love and affection, frequently conjures up visions of romantic gestures like that of roses being passed out and boxes of chocolates being exchanged. However, amidst the love and passion, there is a grim reality: the link between Valentine's Day and suicide rates. In research titled " Suicide and Homicide on St. Valentine's Day " investigates this association by examining case studies and emergency response data for parasuicidal conduct, self-harm actions that did not lead to death, during this time. The study showed a rise in parasuicidal tendencies among adolescents around Valentine's Day with it being 45% higher in adolescents on Valentine's Day. These findings underline the need for increased awareness and support, particularly for vulnerable populations such as adolescents, due to their still developing prefrontal cortex, in the run-up to Valentine's Day. In the Research it is recommended persons in contact wi...

                 Negativity holds a power that can affect anything socially or physically. The power it holds ultimately depends on the input and the output. In some cases this negativity can be good. For instance, in natural selection, in order for a species to survive and adapt in a given environment, it needs to express certain genes which leads to that species thriving. The negative selection control ultimately sorts out the organisms within that species which do not contain that phenotype such as black peppered moths. After the industrial revolution, all the white peppered moths died off leaving the population of the black moths higher leading to their survival. ( peppered moth ICR ) However there are also many effects with organisms where the negativity does not help them.  Fear is an example of negative conditioning and epigenetic inheritance. In a famous mice experiment, scientists would shock a mouse every time they smell...

     Power is something that can be used dangerously and can be something lots of people fear.  I do not think many people realize how much power affects a person and how scary someone with power can be. When you ask a person what they fear, they usually think of insects or the dark, but they'll rarely say power.       When someone has power, you naturally bow your head down to them. You listen to what they say and you make sure you please them. People do this just because the other person has more power over them. When a boss yells at a worker saying how they were doing something wrong even though it wasn't their fault. The worker would naturally apologize and promise they would never do it again. This is just because it was their boss yelling at them. The worker knows that if they piss off the boss, they'll get fired and lose their job, and they would rather just get yelled at than lose their job. Now if this was a friend or a person of the same...

  Image credit Reading is a powerful hobby. I’ve been reading consistently since elementary school, and I can’t deny that it has had positive effects on me. Whether a person is reading literature or nonfiction, consistent reading has positive outcomes for almost everyone. First, as a medium, literature is a way to promote critical thinking and encourage discussion about the status quo , as many books serve as commentaries on society or world affairs at their times of publication. For example, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was an apparent criticism of the hysteria behind McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials. Miller’s articulation of Salem’s blatant refusal to see reason correlates to the mindset behind the Red Scare, providing an insightful commentary on his society in 1950s America. Additionally, as we’ve been taught in our English classes, literature serves as both a window and a mirror since it can reflect our own lives or introduce us to the distinct lives of others. By readin...

  Today is Valentine’s Day, the day of love, romance and affection. It was absolutely unbearable. Every corner I turned, I saw couples being “coupley.” With every story I opened on Instagram, I saw people posting their significant others.  On Valentine’s Day, everyone seems to act differently. Couples are more romantic and buy each other flowers or chocolates to show their love. Single people end up mostly depressed and almost gag seeing couples.  This observation made me realize the power that a singular day that we have made up as a society has had on our actions. If Valentine’s Day did not exist, when would guys buy flowers for their girlfriends? If Christmas didn’t exist, when would people exchange presents? If Thanksgiving didn’t exist, when would families get together and feast? Although I do not think that people should be constrained by holidays to do these things, there is something special in knowing that there are specific days attributed to celebrating love, f...

Mahesh - Week 11: Conformity and Subsequent Obedience The relationship between power and language can be analyzed in terms of historical precedence and context that can be dissected to provide a thorough understanding of how societal norms of power have developed. Although this relation can provide insight into our comprehension of power dynamics of the past, it is important to realize that our current events can also map the connections between language and power fairly simply. Many adopt the principles of using hashtags and tagging others on social media to demonstrate their common views on a certain issue. By proving their interrelationship, they build a common ground of values with which they can address widespread issues that require exigency to fix. The call to action is evident in such instances that can inspire others to join the cause as well. Styles of language used in online interactions can create instantaneous connections between one another that can aid in a long-term pro...

  Language and communication are an essential part of our daily life. For example, we communicate with our peers and family almost every day. Communication may take place digitally or in real life. Wherever it occurs, communication is crucial to ensure that everything runs smoothly. A major issue that many people face is the lack of clear communication. When people speak inaccurately and convey incorrect information, it creates many mistakes and misunderstandings. This creates unnecessary chaos that could have easily been prevented. This is why activities such as Speech and Debate and Public Speaking are extremely important to be involved in. When people develop good communication and speaking skills, they can help ensure that there are less mistakes in the future.   Another way to prevent these errors is to be clear and concise when distributing information. When leaders and administrators send out emails and messages, they should make sure that they are providing accurate in...