Olivia Ball - Week 21 - Dealing with Stress

 Hey everyone. This blog is going to be kind of funny and feel free to laugh at me because I know I am funny. No actually, don’t feel bad for me after you read this. 

Basically, I am the type of person who cries when I am stressed, angry, frustrated, etc. As many of you have also experienced, this year is VERY stressful and I have been struggling with everything lately. So if you put those things together, I cry A LOT. Most of the time, it is in school. So yes, I have mental breakdowns weekly to various teachers and just cry in the hallway. It is funny to me because I legitimately just cant control it and sometimes I am crying for ridiculous reasons, but sometimes I have serious problems that I don’t know how to deal with. 

But what makes me different is the fact that stress doesn’t motivate me to get all of my things done, it makes me shut down and allow my tasks to pile up. That is literally the reason why this blog is a week late. And I am currently writing this while sitting in my friend’s gym. So, the point of this post is to kind of make fun of myself and share my funny crying moments in school. So enjoy this story. On Tuesday, I was super stressed about my calc test and how I didn’t have enough time to study or even learn the material in the first place, so I cried in the hallway and of course had to run into Belotto who I cry to all the time. His comment to me was, “What is wrong with you this time?” Eventually I got over it and took the test, and probably failed, but oh well. Then later that day I played terrible in my tennis match and kind of started crying to Rodo. oops. How do you guys react to stress and frustration? 

please enjoy this picture of me after my first day back to in person school.

Zev Englander Week 22- Transgenders in Sports

 Gender identity as a whole is somewhat of a controversial topic. Clearly, society has made strides toward acceptance in the last decade specifically. Although it is not uncommon to hear people define gender as their biological sex assignment, transgenders have had support compared to just before the 1970s when transgenders were barely referred to as people. My blog today is not to talk about my stance on the legitimacy of transgenders on a biological or social level, it is to address a controversy in our country. Transgender athletes, specifically student-athletes, are dominating women's sports. These specific cases have exclusively been male making the transition to identifying as a female. For example, in 2018 a track star won a big women's event at the NCAA level. She developed as a male but started identifying as a woman after high school. Since then, there have been some similar stories with controversial responses. In the last couple of weeks, pressure on states to pass laws preventing these athletes from competing are mounting.  Most recently, Mississippi has banned transgender women from competing in sports events, with the Bill being signed a couple of weeks back. So what's my take on this? Obviously, it's a double-edged sword. I am all for freedom of expression and equal opportunity. However, the stories of biological women losing scholarship and opportunity due to what can be looked at as an unfair advantage are hard to ignore. If you are up against women who developed as a male and lost the opportunity, it is unjust. There are also stories of injury due to the physical difference. Being pro-opportunist, I think the best solution is a compromise. Instead of banning women from their own sport, maybe institute rules that you had to identify as female from a certain age. My initial thought was separate brackets of competition for transgenders but that makes them appear different from the rest of society which is not the intention. It's a tough one, that's for sure. What are your thoughts? Should transgender women that have fully developed as males be allowed to compete in women's sports? What are some risks of them competing? 

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/mississippi-governor-will-sign-bill-banning-trans-athletes-school-sports-n1259780

Olivia Ball - Week 22 - Women’s vs Men’s March Madness

 As many of you know, the NCAA basketball tournament, known as March Madness, began around a week ago, but many issues were drawn up right from the start. The major issue that was being shown all over social media was the difference between the men’s weight room and the women’s. The men had basically an entire hotel ballroom full of weights and other equipment, while the women had a rack of 10 weights and some yoga mats. As you would think, everyone started fighting back and eventually, the NCAA created a new, larger, better weight room for the women's basketball players. 

This led to the question of why did the women get treated like this in the first place. This week, NCAA came up with their response to why the women got less than the men. They said that the scale of the men’s tournament is much greater than the women’s, so their budget is larger. The men’s budget is $28 million, while the women’s is $14.5 million. This year, each team spent $2 million on just COVID Tests alone. The problem is, women’s basketball isn’t the only team that doesn’t bring in revenue. Out of 90 teams, only 5 bring in money. So my questionis, why don’t they do more to promote these teams to get more money off of them. What do you think about this situation? Should the women’s teams be treated the same as the men’s even though they don’t bring in as much money in the tournament?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-explains-budget-disparities-between-mens-and-womens-basketball-tournaments-in-new-report/

Protests in Myanmar- Coby Russo Week 22

      

     During modern times, many of us are exposed to many protests, riots, and revolts. However, many of us are only aware of what occurs inside our borders without knowledge of the outside world. Not too long ago, about thirty eight protesters were killed in Myanmar. For those of you who aren’t sure where Myanmar is, it’s located in eastern Asia near Thailand and China. Since February many Burmans have been protesting against military rule and have been fighting for the release of their country’s elected government leader, such as Aung Sam Suu Kyi and other members of the National League for Democracy.The government officials were overthrown and detained in the coup.  As a reaction towards this mass murder, the United Kingdom called for a United Nations  Security Council meeting to discuss the situation, and the US began to consider taking further action against Myanmar’s military. 

      Unfortunately, many people have suffered, been beaten by military (including police officers) workers, or have been murdered.  It’s hard to imagine what they’re all going through because we live in a world where these problems just do not exist. It’s upsetting to hear that so many men, women, and children are suffering to such an extent. How do you guys feel about the situation, and how do you think other countries in the united nations could act upon it? Do you also think that this situation could be easily solved or will it take a while for Myanmar to recover and return back to its normal state? Let me know in the comments down below! 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56265962

Jacob Abramchaev Week 22 - Brazil coronavirus variant

Hunter David Week 22 - A “Non-Haunted House” Is Put On The Market In Boston

 An odd news report came out today about a woman from Boston, Massachusetts noticing something strange about a “For Sale” sign outside a home in her neighborhood. On the top of the sign, above where the broker and his or her contact information was, someone had written the words “Not Haunted” in large red letters. 

This led the woman, as well as many others, confused about why the sign had such a thing written on it. One reporter from the Boston Globe named Margot Bloomstein decided to check out this “unhaunted house”, and it caused her to write on Twitter that she had “so many questions” about it. To try and get some answers, she reached out to the real estate agency and asked about the infamous sign. To no one’s surprise, they also had no idea about it or why it would have possibly been written on the “For Sale” sign. It is currently assumed that it is some sort of prank, with a person or multiple people just trying to make some humor out of it. I wouldn’t say that it is a bad or even wrong prank to do, I just think that out of all the things you could have written on it, “Not Haunted” seems like a very odd choice.

Have you ever seen anything odd like this written on a “For Sale” sign in your neighborhood, or even heard of such a unique story be written about in a major news network like ABC. Also, has anyone done a prank on you that is somewhat similar to this story? If so, write about it in the comments below. 

https://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/haunted-house-hits-market-boston-area-76702032?cid=clicksource_4380645_3_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

Romy H Week 22 Georgia Lawmaker Arrested at State Capitol

Georgia State representative Park Cannon was arrested at the state capitol after knocking on Governor Brian Kemp’s door to try to discuss the bill they were signing that would specifically negatively impact black people during elections. The law is supported largely by republicans because it makes more requirements for voters. There are also more limitations on mail-in and absentee voting and changes in the runoff time period where not all votes could be counted. 

Park Cannon, a black, female, elected Georgia representative, felt that this Bill would disenfranchise black voters. She tried knocking on the Governor's door where the Bill was being signed but was arrested. I attached the video of her arrest because it seemed extremely unnecessary. 

She was arrested for and charged for the “willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by use of threats or violence and preventing or disrupting general assembly sessions.” This angered many people because the Georgia constitution says that “lawmakers are free from arrest during sessions of the General assembly except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace.” The video of Rep Cannon has gone viral and upset many people across the nation. Hopefully, this situation is resolved and Georgia lawmakers can find a compromise for a bill that does not suppress any voters or target specific groups. 

Video clips of the arrest: https://twitter.com/stphnfwlr/status/1375227076119252996 

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/26/981471672/police-arrest-georgia-lawmaker-as-governor-signs-law-overhauling-elections 

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/981357583/georgia-legislature-approves-election-overhaul-including-changes-to-absentee-vot 

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-senate-elections-voting-87665a200f6442e28ef43cbc60c88653 

Maya Melamed 22- Colorado Grocery Store Shooting

On Tuesday at around 2:30 pm, there was a shorting at a Kings Sooners grocery store in Colorado that killed 10 people.  People were in there just food shopping as they normally do when suddenly a gunman started shooting using an assault style rifle. Employees and shoppers ran to find cover and some said that they escaped through an employee stock area and a loading dock at the back of the store. Six hours after the shooting the Boulder Police chief, Maris Herold, announced that 10 people including an officer had been killed. The officer killed was the first one who responded to the scene. The suspect, Ahmed Al Aliwi Allisa, is not being held in jail. His charges were a penalty of life imprisonment without parole.

I honestly have no words. It was already crazy enough that all these school shootings were happening too often, but now in a grocery store?We can’t even do anything normal without being at risk anymore. These innocent people just went to go buy some groceries for themselves or for their families but weren’t able to make it home. It’s so sad and so scary. We shouldn’t have to be scared to go out and do normal things like grocery shopping. It’s just not fair.

What are your thoughts?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/us/boulder-shooting-what-we-know.html

Yair Gritzman Week 22- Russian-Israeli Tennis Player Wins Dubai Open

 Russian-Israeli Tennis Player Wins Dubai Open

    Last week, Russian tennis player Aslan Karatsev won his first title at the Dubai Open. Karatsev has jumped up in the rankings a lot this past year, as he has made a lot of progress since the beginning of the pandemic. He also made it to the semi finals of the Australian Open this year, which is a pretty big deal. His grandfather from his mom’s side is Jewish, which does not make him Jewish (at least to my knowledge), but has family members who are jewish. What is also interesting is that he has a close connection to the land of Israel.

Karatsev was born in Russia, but moved to Israel at the age of three. He lived in Tel Aviv until he was twelve years old, when he moved back to Russia for better tennis coaching. He still speaks fluent Hebrew, which is incredible because there are not many tennis players connected to Israel. I would assume that he is giving Israelis more interest in tennis even though he plays for Russia, which is a great thing because there are not many top Israeli players at the moment. Hopefully Karatsev’s progress will help Israel develop its reputation in athletics so that Israel can dominate in sports in the future. It would be great to have athletes like Karatsev represent Israel because it would probably help Israel’s reputation as well.

Did you hear about Aslan Karatsev and his recent success on the pro tour? Did you know about his connection to Israel? Do you think it is important for Israel to produce successful athletes?

Ethan- Week 22- Colorado Shooting

 

On Tuesday, March 23, a Syrian man named Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa shot up a Boulder-area grocery store called King Sooners, killing 10 shoppers. The shooter was shot in the leg and was taken in custody alive by law enforcement. The suspect is being charged with ten counts of first-degree murder and is going to face life in prison. The shooter’s sister claimed she had tried to take the gun away from the suspect a couple days before when she saw him “playing” with it. Family members have informed local law enforcement that the shooter struggled with mental illness, including paranoia and outbursts of rage. Many mainstream media sources, public figures, and big social media influencers were sure the shooter was a white male even before the identity was released to the public. Hemal Jhaveri, a USA Today editor, was positive the shooter was “an angry white man”, Don Lemon and CNN described the shooter as a “white man”, and Meena Harris (niece of VP Kamala Harris) posted and then later deleted the following tweet: “Violent white men are the greatest terrorist threat to our country.” What do you think about this response from media and public figures? Do you think there should be changes in gun laws that could have prevented this shooting? How do you feel overall about the shooting? What would you have done if you were in the grocery store?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/us/boulder-shooting-what-we-know.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/large-police-response-after-reports-active-shooter-colorado-grocery-store-n1261771

Romi Avidor Week 22 72 Days in the Hospital

A 39 year old man named Alfredo Hercules checked into the Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital after feeling flu-like symptoms. When he checked into the hospital, they found out that he had Covid-19 pneumonia. During his time in the hospital, he was not allowed to hug or touch his daughters once. He was in the hospital for 72 days, and finally on March 24th he hugged his two daughters, Isabel, nine, and Safiah, seven for the first time since early January. Alfredo said that "[i]t was very stressful being away from all my girls”. All the nurses and doctors were very proud of Alfredo for pushing so much and making it this far because he was “...in bad shape” when he first came to the hospital. Even though Alfredo was released from the hospital, he was still sent home with an oxygen tank. Once he was released, they made him a little party. Alfredo said that "[w]hen you are away from home for so long, you start to miss the little things you took for granted.” I chose to write about this because it really hit me. I could not imagine not being able to hug one of my parents for that long especially when they are so sick like the way Alfredo was. I am very attached to my family, so for me it would not be easy. I agree with Alfredo and that when you see things like this happening you really don’t realize everything you take for granted in your day to day life. During these tough times, it is very important to take advantage of every moment you have with your loved ones and to always be there for one another through everything. Could you imagine not being able to hug your parents whenever you desired? https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Family/dad-hugs-daughters-1st-time-months-surviving-covid/story?id=76684607&cid=clicksource_4380645_20_film_strip_icymi_image

Lauren Hodes- Week 22- Cuomo Under Fire

    New York governor Andrew Cuomo is under fire yet again. After trying to dismiss sexual assault allegations from eight different women, he is under fire for getting his family members exclusive covid tests when they were unavailable to the public. Many people want the governor to resign just based on the sexual assault allegations by Anna Ruch, Lindsey Boylan, Charlotte Bennett, and 5 others. Cuomo once a self-proclaimed champion of women's rights and advocate of the #Metoo movement, has admitted to these allegations as being true but on March 4th stated “I'm not going to resign.” This is quite concerning that a man in a position of power such as Andrew Cuomo can just get away with harassment such as this. It is very sad to see these 8 brave women being silenced and dismissed. Anyways, Cuomo is in another situation for allegedly getting his mother Matilda Cuomo and brother CNN anchor Chris Cuomo “illegal” COVID tests in March and April of last year. They were not high-priority in any way and this is just another example of the elite being able to get away with anything. Lastly, Andrew Cuomo is also under fire for potentially killing hundreds of elderly in New York in nursing homes during the pandemic. According to ABC news, his “administration is under investigation for its handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic.” It seems like Cuomo is in a bit of an awful situation and should just resign but I guess we will see. Comment down below if you think Cuomo should resign, stay, or how you feel about the allegations?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9404851/CNN-goes-24-hours-without-reporting-latest-Gov-Cuomo-bombshell-Chris-Cuomo.html

https://www.thecut.com/2021/03/andrew-cuomo-scandal-everything-we-know.html

https://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-accusations-york-gov-andrew-cuomo-calls-resignation/story?id=76207242

Isaac Berkower - Week 22 - Big Scandal leads to most watched chess stream

 

Recently, Levy Rozman a.k.a. GothamChess, a chess streamer and teacher who is also an IM (International Master) played a chess match against Indonesian Dewa Kipas. GothamChess went on to lose the match, but suspected Dewa Kipas of cheating by using a chess engine to find the best moves. His suspicions were not out of nowhere, as during the match, Kipas was taking at least ten seconds to make each move, even the ones that were very easy and should have been spotted right away by someone of his level. 

Before publicly accusing Kipas of cheating, GothamChess looked at the account of Kipas on Chess.com and found that Kipas went up 2000 elo in 11 days which is basically impossible. He also found that Kipas had a 90% accuracy rate with the chess engine which is also almost impossible, so GothamChess reported Kipas to chess.com and made public claims about Kipas cheating, which eventually led to Kipas’ account getting taken down.

But, this is not where the story ends. After getting taken down, Kipas’ son, who has a large social media following in Indonesia advocated for his father to get his account back and claimed that his father did not cheat. This led to GothamChess getting tons of hate mail, tweets, and even some death threats by followers of Kipas’ son. The hate got so bad that GothamChess had to pause his social media accounts. 

Shortly after, to prove his innocence, Kipas accepted an in person challenge against another highly rated chess player named Irene Sukandar. The suspense leading up to this match was so high that this became the most viewed chess match of all time. Eventually what ended up happening was that Sukandar beat Kipas 3 games to none and Kipas only had an accuracy rate of 40% with the chess engine. If this isn’t enough to prove anything, Chess.com also estimated the elo of Kipas during these games to be in the low 1000s.

Kipas still claims that he didn’t cheat but to me I don’t think that I believe Kipas. Do you think that Kipas cheated, and if he did cheat, do you think that his account should be banned from Chess.com for it?

Also if you want to get into chess, GothamChess has a very helpful channel on YouTube that goes into high depth of how to get better at chess.

https://www.chess.com/news/view/most-watched-chess-stream-in-history-dewa-kipas

GothamChess channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q

Dori Week 22- The Rise in Anti-Asian Hate

        In San Francisco, Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old man, was abruptly pushed to the ground during his morning walk. Two days later, he passed away. In San Jose, California, a 64-year-old Vietnamese grandmother was assaulted and robbed. A 61-year-old Filipino man was brutally attacked as well, and another 91-year-old-man was thrown to the ground. These are just a few of the many Asian American targeted hate crimes that have been occurring and becoming more common since 2020. In fact, during 2020, the NYPD reported that hate crimes towards Asians dramatically increased by 1,900% in New York City. Meanwhile, in other major U.S. cities, anti-Asian violence jumped about 150%. Stop AAPI Hate, a database that records and responds to racial violence, has received at least 3,795 reports of anti-Asian hate crimes since March 2020. As it may be evident in the examples above, anti-Asian violence has been especially taking place in the Bay Area (particularly San Francisco and Oakland’s Chinatowns). Further, violence recently occurred in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16th, 2021 when eight people, consisting of six Asian women, were fatally shot in massage parlors.

        One might be wondering why there is a sudden increase in anti-Asian hate. Well, a factor that many people believe to be the cause for this jump in anti-Asian hate crimes is the xenophobic language that has been used to place blame on Asians for the spread of Covid-19. Specifically, former President Trump and public officials would refer to the coronavirus as “the China/Chinese virus” or “Kung Flu,” which has led to many other citizens believing that it is acceptable to use the same rhetoric. However, it is important to be aware of the fact that these phrases are damaging; they focus blame and frustration on one country and group of people for a pandemic, consequently resulting in more hatred/violence. While Covid-19 originated in Wuhan, China, this pandemic should not be blamed entirely on China or any Asians/Pacific Islanders for that matter. Instead, the people at fault should be those who were not staying home, not wearing masks, not following other CDC guidelines, and/or decided to travel and go out excessively. 

        The model minority myth has also largely contributed to discrimination towards Asians. Beginning during the Civil Rights era, the model minority myth places stereotypes on Asian Americans, suggesting that they inherently follow the law, achieve greater success, and are generally more intelligent and hard-working than other ethnic minorities. Bianca Mabute-Louie, a racial justice educator, adds, “There is a stereotype and an assumption that Asian Americans have class privilege, that they have high socioeconomic status and education, and that any discrimination doesn’t really happen or feel legitimate.” Therefore, these stereotypes and generalizations have caused many people to not take Asian American struggles or racial discrimination seriously since it “can’t be that bad.” This is a very inaccurate and dangerous fallacy, considering the fact that Asians have been facing discrimination for hundreds of years, whether in the form of lynchings or exclusionary acts.  

        Undoubtedly, this recent rise in Asian-American targeted violence is absolutely terrible and saddening. These hate crimes are a prime example of what can happen when people are ignorant and blindly believe in stereotypes/generalizations against a certain minority group. According to the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, Jeung, community efforts, holding people accountable, education, and solidarity are the only effective ways to fight against racial injustice. Moreover, AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice) is encouraging everyone to “sign their collective community statement, donate to the Atlanta victims and their families,” and share any helpful resources they have (pbs.org). Also, just taking action in some way or reporting discrimination/violent incidents is crucial in making a difference as hate crimes tend to be underreported. There are volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and options to call elected officials, which I will provide links for below! There is also an informative YouTube video about this topic that I recommend called, “We Need To Talk About Anti-Asian Hate.” Let me know how you think, as a society, we can work to reduce racial discrimination or any general thoughts/questions you have on these matters! 

Link to informative video about Anti-Asian hate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14WUuya94QE 

Resources:

https://time.com/5938482/asian-american-attacks/ 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-you-can-do-to-fight-violence-and-racism-against-asian-americans 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/us/asian-bias-atlanta-shooting.html

Tornado Outbreaks Across the Deep South - Diana 22

 This morning some rough weather and tornadoes stormed through parts of the deep south. At least five people were found dead, and most homes and power lines were torn apart. One tornado hit Georgia early this morning making its way to the Atlanta area. On Thursday, Alabama had a tornado stroll through the rural areas of the state. On Thursday alone, eight tornadoes hit Alabama. Meteorologist, John De Block, said that the tornadoes emerged from a supercell of storms that moved into Georgia. Other southern states are also being affected by these dangerous storms, such as Tennessee, Ohio, the Carolinas, and Kentucky. This morning about 100,000 people were without power due to the severe storms. Some schools from Alabama to Ohio have delayed or canceled school today due to the damage. 

  Many families are feeling the effects of the storms. Houses are torn apart, “homes were roofless or missing their second story”. Many people are also not allowed on the streets due to the dangers of the fallen power lines. Even airports are feeling the negative effects of this weather, some of the airplanes were “torn apart like toys”. These states are facing devastating repercussions from this weather. Nearly 46 counties in Alabama are under an emergency declaration. If there's any way to help these states, we have to try even if it's just spreading the news, but we as Floridians know bad weather, so we have to do our part in helping. What are your thoughts on the weather tearing through these Southern states?

    https://apnews.com/article/alabama-georgia-tornadoes-weather-storms-620d416ec174e1038182ff1483003197

Ellie Week 22: Racist White headmaster at New York Catholic school Resigns

A white headmaster at a New York catholic school has recently resigned after forcing a black student to kneel and apologize “the African way.” He was recently temporarily removed after a mom, Trisha Paul, went to the press after the treatment her 11-year old son had. St. Martin de Porres School in Hempstead released a statement saying, “The leadership of St. Martin de Porres Marianist School continues to review the incident in question to ensure that it is never repeated again in any form," the statement read. "It is important to assure students, parents, and faculty that this incident does not reflect our long, established value of respect for the individual or the established protocols regarding student-related issues.”

This all started when Paul realized her son had been looking quite sad after school one day. He told her he’d been sent to the headmaster’s office after working on an assignment during designated reading time. Apparently, the son’s teacher tore up the assignment and sent him to the office, when the headmaster forced him to kneel in apology before the teacher.

Paul went to go speak to the headmaster following what she heard from her son. She told the headmaster that he was “humiliat[ing] and degrad[ing] [her] son,” but told the press she felt as if she wasn’t getting through to him. Paul has removed her son from in-person classes, which he now attends remotely to avoid further harsh treatment. How do you feel about this? If you were the parent in this situation, what would you do?

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/23/us/white-headmaster-kneeling-long-island/index.html 

Week 22, Aly Strauss, School Bus Crash Involving Tractor?

 Week 22, Aly Strauss, School Bus Crash Involving Tractor?

Students were recently injured in a school bus crash involving a tractor-trailer. This occurred in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts in Boston. This occurred on a Tuesday when ten elementary students were on board the bus on a Tuesday morning when it suddenly collided with a tractor trailer! 

Police stated that the bus was taking students to a private school in Shrewsbury when it crashed. Seven children as well as the bus driver were immediately taken to a hospital for ‘minor injuries’ These kids were in an age range of kindergarten to eighth grade.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation because this occurred by/at an intersection. According to the principal of the school, who is by the way furious about what occurred, and wants change stated that this is the second time that a bus has been struck on that road (Route 20). This crash also occurred at 7:30 am so obviously, most of the kids didn’t make it to school that day. 

The principal is demanding change and so are the parents. One of the parents stated how this trauma can’t be undone, but it can definitely be prevented. How could you erase trauma of your kid being thrown over in a bus?

Wow! This is insane! You could only imagine the fear that parents have since this isn't even the first time that something like this has occurred. Imagine getting a call that your kid didn’t make it to school and is at a hospital. The parents and principal are furious and know that there needs to be change. It sucks how change is only realised after the problem occurs. How would you feel if this happened in your town? Would you let your kid ride the bus?

To read more- https://www.wcvb.com/article/school-bus-involved-in-crash-in-shrewsbury/35912186#

Dori Week 21- What A Difference 7 Years Makes

        Hi everyone! Recently, I was on YouTube about to search for a really exciting math video, when on my home page, I was recommended a video called, “3 random strangers make an awesome song.” At first, I thought it was strange for YouTube to recommend this to me since it was uploaded in 2014, and I typically do not watch videos like those. Nonetheless, I still ended up clicking on it because I figured it would be wholesome and seemed a little more entertaining than math (no offense to any math-lovers). Spoiler alert: I was correct. To give context, the video showed a man playing a song on an acoustic  guitar in front of a convenience store. As the song progressed, someone else joined in and added on vocals. Soon after, a third man joined and started to rap. To reiterate from the title, these three men never met or rehearsed together before: it was completely improvised. I then watched a somewhat similar video from 2015 with train passengers (strangers once again) joyfully singing “Over the Rainbow” on a dreary Monday morning. I found these videos uplifting, and they actually inspired me to write this blog post comparing 2020/2021 to back then. I will also link a couple of the videos I am referring to at the bottom of this post in case anyone is interested.

        First, to point out an obvious difference, Covid-19 was not in existence. Everyone was not fearful of being in close proximity to each other, not wearing masks, not as restricted, etc. What struck me in particular, though, is how people were not only closer physically, but also emotionally and socially. Compared to now, there seemed to be much less division and chaos in the world. Everyone seemed to be more united, happy, full of love, and less cold and distant. Positive, beautiful parts of life were actually being captured and shared online, which unfortunately is much less common nowadays. In fact, I think the reason I found these YouTube videos especially refreshing and touching was because I have been conditioned to expect mostly negative portrayals of life online these past couple of years. While life in 2014 and 2015 was not perfect either and should not solely be judged on short videos of strangers singing together, I am just pointing out that the tone of life seemed more cheerful and trusting back then.

        Watching people from different backgrounds, who did not even know each other, show such respect for one another and make something fun and beautiful together was a much needed reminder that it is possible for the world to be just as bright as it is dark. With all the hate, racism, discrimination, and rampant cancel culture I learn about/observe constantly, these videos warmed my heart and gave me more hope in our society. 

        Judging from the comment sections of the videos, I know I am not alone in my opinion. One of the comments in particular was, “The world could be like this everyday if we wanted to…” (in reference to the video of the people singing together happily on the subway). Even though it was such a short and simple comment, it caused me to really pause for a moment and reflect. This comment helped me realize that I should not be so hopeless in the future of our society and that it is possible to be united once again. After all, the power is in our own hands to revive the trust and inclusiveness that we once had. Gen-Z in particular has been such an active generation in fighting for change, and while we may be going through a more difficult time historically, I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let me know if you watch the videos, or anything similar, and what you think of them! Do you think there is a significant difference between then and now? If you agree with my perspective, do you think that the future can be brighter and have a more united, optimistic society? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr478w--dpE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xctzp0dp9uc 

One of My Worst Fears Almost Came True - dan week 21

 My whole life I've had some irrational, nonsensical fears. Some of them are more understandable, while others are just plain ridiculous. For example, I've always had a terrible fear of getting appendicitis. I don't know why or how or when this fear came to fruition within me but it's been there for a long time, I remember going home from sleep away camp one time when I was little because I had a stomach ache and I thought that meant my appendix was about to burst. Anyway, that's not the fear that my blog is about.

Another one of my fears is a newer one (and more typical) since I got my driver's license almost a year ago, and the fear is running out of gas while I'm driving. I'm sure many of you reading this share the same fear, and it actually almost happened to me earlier this week on Monday? I think. When I left for school that day in the morning from my house, I had around 25 miles left in my tank, and I assumed I could get to school with around 3-6 miles left in the tank and fill up after school, but as I rolled into school and parked, I saw that I was left with 1 mile in the tank. I wasn't completely terrified yet, because I assumed a mile would get me to the gas station next to aroma right next to the school, but as I got back in my car at 12:15 to leave school, I look at my dashboard and it says 0 miles. That instant, I urinated all over myself and my clothes and my car seats. No I didn't but I was extremely scared, so I called my dad to ask him what he thought I should do, and he told me that cars hold a little more gas than indicated and that I shouldn't worry about the dashboard saying 0 miles because I could easily get to the station 2 miles away, so I called my mom and she agreed, and off I went. Needless to say, it was the scariest 2 minutes of my young life. That whole ride from school to the gas station I must've sweated out 15 fluid ounces, God I was terrified. But, I made it and was able to pour gas and not have my car shut down in the middle of the road. If there's any lesson to learn here, it's to not worry about your appendix exploding at sleepaway camp.  

Zev Englander Week 21: Back in school?

 I have been in virtual every day since our school shut down in April. I have existed solely within the walls of my bedrooms for what feels like years. I adjusted to the concept of online school and adapted an it is what it is mindset. The first semester all was good. Being online for school gave me new opportunities to talk to and get to know my classmates via phone calls because of the lack of in-person contact. I was surprised to make new school friends while online for school. I was getting my work done and had good grades. After winter break, a lot changed. I started getting down on myself saying we would be this way forever and the school days would never end. I refused to be attentive in class and adapted a dangerous minimalistic approach to my assignments. Something needed to change, quickly. I asked my parents if I could go back to school. Once getting approval, I was excited. This would be the rejuvenation and motivation I needed to get back on track academically.  I went through the school day in person, and!!!  nothing. Apart from the first five minutes, I just felt lost. After first period I only saw a couple kids, and in the three hours between Hebrew and AP extra, I sat outside playing some chess then thinking if it was worth coming. Academically, yes it was. It eliminated distractions and enhanced learning. I could ask questions without feeling like I was interrupting. The schedule is inconvenient though because of my younger brother, and socially there were not many kids there. When I got home, I wasted the rest of the day trying to find the motivation to get something done as always. How do you guys stay motivated during these unprecedented times? 

Hunter David Week 21 - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Ep. 1 Review (No spoilers)

 Just two weeks after the series finale of the first Marvel TV show, WandaVision, released on Disney Plus, we have already gotten the next show in the MCU, the Falcon and Winter Soldier. Based on the trailers and first episode that I’ve seen, this show will definitely be quite different than Wandavision, as it will have way more action and a much familiar style to the normal MCU format. 

This show takes place about 6 months after the events of Avengers Endgame, and it is about the new threats that Sam and Bucky have to deal with after losing their best friend in Captain America during Endgame. The show surrounds itself with how the world is still dealing with the events after the “blip”, the new possible super-soldier group (based on the high strength in the show’s trailers and first episode) in the Flag Smashers, the return of a previous villain Zemo, a new person becoming Captain America, and so much more. 

If you were more of a fan of the regular MCU style of storytelling and film, then this is the show for you. There are so many directions that the show is going, and will be taking in its six-week run, it will be very interesting to see how it will progress from week to week, and how it all connects to the wider scope of the Marvel Universe. Have any of you seen the Falcon and the Winter Soldier first episode yet, and if so, what did you think of it?

Maya Melamed 21- Ice Cream Is The Best

If you didn't already know, I LOVE ice cream!!! It literally tastes so good and I can eat it at any time of the day. Some of you might think ice cream isn't all that good and isn't anything special, but I'm gonna tell you some of my reasons why I love it. Number 1, There are hundreds of flavors. Because of all the choices, almost everyone can find something they like. It never gets boring because there are always new flavors and you could mix in a bunch of things. I'll be honest, I'm pretty basic and usually stick with chocolate, but the best thing is I can always mix things in like Oreos or brownies, which I love. The second reason, which is obvious, is that it's cold and refreshing. No need for more explanation for that. Another reason why I love it is that it is well with so many other desserts. The best is ice cream and chocolate lava cake. You can eat ice cream with brownies, cookies, waffles, and so much more. You can also have it in different forms. You can have regular ice cream in a cup, in a cone, in cake form, or even a milkshake. You just can't go wrong with ice cream. I honestly don't think you can get tired of ice cream since there are just so many ways to eat it. My favorite ice cream is chocolate ice cream with either Oreos or brownies from Cold Stone because I Like how they mix it in. Recently I also tried coffee-flavored ice cream, which I loved, so it is now my second favorite. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? What is your favorite Place?

Lauren Hodes- Week 21- Growing up

  Recently, it has come to my attention that I sadly can’t keep delaying the thought of college. Everyone always asks where do you want to go to college and I wish I knew the answer. It seems like so many people are set on a place and have a plan. So many names are being thrown at you at once Maryland? Florida? Michigan? Miami? Georgetown? I genuinely do not know how I am going to make a decision that will shape my entire life so soon. Where you go to college changes the direction of your life. I think I will just take a gap year. I want to go on Bar-Ilan gap year so much. I just don’t know if I want to start college at 17 and that’s okay. That is why I think a gap year would be a good option for me. I can’t believe that we will be seniors in a few months.

    I was walking to my car today after school and I look around and envy the little kids on the playground. When I was their age all I wanted to be was older but now being older I would do absolutely anything to be on the swings wearing a red dress and headband that says DKJA in sparkles. When we were in Kindergarten, in 2009, we got shirts that said “class of 2022” and that year seemed unimaginable. But here it is right around the corner: 2022. I have been on this campus ever since I can remember because I went to preschool here and was always here because of my older brothers. I found a picture of myself the other day from when I was 3 in Dedication plaza when Ellie and I took ballet together. That’s crazy to me because I sit there everyday and it will just be weird when this isn’t my everyday life.

Eden Richman Week 21 - Why Do So Many Kids Hate Learning?

        From the moment a baby is born they take in their surroundings. They learn how to speak a whole entire language, they learn how to walk, eat, and act like a functioning human. As children grow up their brains work like sponges, absorbing information left and right. They are extremely curious to the point where it gets annoying (I can't count how many times a child has bombarded me with questions). It is genuinely beautiful to see a little child learning about life - and enjoying it. It is even more heartbreaking though, to see teenagers, who were once children excited to learn, start to despise it. This hatred towards learning started for me in second grade, (when school started to become more like school) and it just got worse from there. So many people have suffered during the formative years of their life because of school, but the general style of teaching hasn't changed at all. It needs to change.

    The school system we currently have in the U.S. was originally put in place by Horace Mann. He actually had some really good philosophies on education. He really just wanted America to be a country full of well-rounded, educated people. I strongly agree will all of his principles of education: 1) "a republic cannot remain ignorant and free" 2) "education should be controlled and sustained by an interested public" 3) "Education is best provided in schools embracing children of all religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds" 4) "Education must be free of religious influence" 5) "education must be permeated throughout by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society, which prelude harsh pedagogy in the classroom", (that's my favorite one). These were all very progressive back in 1838.  But the one thing I would add to this is that education should make children, and their happiness, the priority. 

    When schools first started following Mann's ideals, they taught kids how to be good members of society, and also other basic knowledge. They learned Math, Science, English, and History. After graduating high school they could get a job, make a family, and live a pretty average life. Today, children have to take standardized tests as early as 6 years old (ex: FAFSA). Students cry over school work in elementary school and worry about getting into college in middle school. They take classes that are too hard for them because they feel that they need to fit the expectations that the school has constructed. I know too many high school students that are worried about making a living in the future, so they are drowning themselves in AP classes that they are not even interested in. They are expected to do work for classes that they are FORCED to take and punished when they don't do well enough. The only reason students try to do good in these classes is that they believe that their future wellbeing relies on it, and frankly, it does. Instead of fixing the root of the problem, schools hire guidance counselors to fix the kids that they broke in the first place, just to break them again. No wonder students cry themselves to sleep, hurt themselves, and have anxiety and depression; The future of their whole entire life is in the hands of a number on a report card.

    The list above is not even close to everything that I have to say about the school system, and I'm sure that you are thinking of more reasons at this very moment. But let me present to you ✰ my perfect school ✰. Kids are allowed to come to school every day at whatever time they want to (because sleep is important!) the teachers are more like experienced mentors that help the students with problems but don't actively give information unless the kids want it. The school would be like one big maker space, where kids could talk to each other, build things, do projects, or just have fun if they aren't in the mood to do anything. There would then be optional classes taking place at different times, a lot like the classes that we have now, but everyone would be there of their own free will. If there is a class that students want to be available, then they just sign a petition and bring it to the administration to see if they can get a teacher for it. Some people would say that this wouldn't work, that the students would choose to not learn every day because teens just don't want to learn. But ask yourself why they don't want to learn. It is because they are not learning for the sake of learning, but learning because their life depends on it.

where I got my info about Horace Mann:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Horace-Mann

Ethan- Week 21- Mark Rober YouTube

Isaac has recently introduced me to a YouTuber named Mark Rober and he is very entertaining. Here is my review of his channel and I would recommend it to others. Mark Rober is not only a YouTuber, but he also used to be a NASA engineer. He creates very cool and fun scientific experiments on his channel and tests common hypotheses through incredible, creative engineering. For example, he built a robot field goal-kicker and tested if it could beat the world record holder for the farthest kick in the NFL. In another experiment, he attached a rocket to a golf club to see how fast and far he could hit the ball. He also has built giant Nerf Guns and snowball guns, and he tested if sharks could smell human blood from a mile away. One of my favorite types of pranks that he does is his glitter bomb pranks (linked video below). Basically, in these videos, he will first find someone who is engaging in illegal activity with mail packages such as stealing other people’s packages off their front porch. He will then create a rigged package with his incredible engineering skills that will have cameras inside of it, shoot glitter everywhere, spray fart spray, and play scary sounds such as a countdown. Once he has finished constructing the package he places it on a front porch and waits for a robber to get pranked. Through these pranks, he has saved many people from getting scammed, has uncovered many criminals, and has helped the police in ongoing investigations. Moreover, he does all sorts of cool videos such as creating a magic bowling ball that will move as his body moves, a video about the science behind skipping a rock perfectly, and one describing which carnival games have the highest and lowest chance of success. I highly suggest watching Mark Rober because he is fun to watch, provides educational and cool videos, and is a firm believer and tester of the scientific method. I have linked his channel and a couple of cool videos below. Let me know what you think about him and if you are interested in his channel. Are there any cool YouTube channels anyone suggests for me to watch?

Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg

Glitter Bomb prank- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g

Crumbl Cookies - Diana Week 21

 About a couple months ago a new cookie place opened up right near my house, called Crumbl. Me being the cookie connoisseur I am, I had to try it out. My dad and I went to check it out and we loved it. Ever since, we have been eating these cookies religiously. Recently, Crumbl has started blowing up on tik tok, and some people weren't giving it great reviews, so I thought I should give you my full honest opinion. 

    First of all, if you have seen any negative Crumble reviews on tik tok I really think you should report that video because they are spreading lies. Basically, Crumble has two stationary flavored cookies, that being, Sugar cookie and Chocolate chip. Then, they usually have 3 or 4 other flavors that change weekly. Let me start off with my personal favorite stationary flavor, chilled sugar cookie. WOW. The flavor is immaculate, always on point with the right amount of chill and the perfect amount of frosting. When you bite into the cookie you get that chilled yet fluffy frosting, then you make your way down to the moist, yet fall apart in your mouth, cookie. This isn't your typical sugar cookie- its flavor is indescribable. It tastes like a sugar cookie with a hint of almond, but like I said I really can't describe it. As for the Chocolate chip cookie, I always enjoy a good old chocolate chip cookie, but it's not as special as the chilled sugar cookie. The cookie overall is an 8/10 mainly because it's just boring, but I do appreciate that the cookie comes warmed. 

   Moving on to the weekly flavors I have tried. I have tried so many different cookies from Crumbl, so I'll just give you the top two that really stood out to me. Now, this might surprise you, but one of my all-time favorite cookies I tried was…. Lemon poppy seed. I know you're probably thinking, wow that is absolutely disgusting-believe me I did too, but once I tried it I fell in love.  The ratio of lemon glaze to cookie was on point, and to be honest, I really didn't notice the poppy seeds were their. The cookie had just the right amount of lemon flavor, and the level of freshness was insane. It was as if it just came out of the oven and was topped with glaze. Then, my second favorite was the cinnamon bun cookie. I usually don't like cinnamon buns, but this cookie was something else. Under the frosting of the cookie, there was some sort of mixture that I'm sure was incredibly unhealthy but it was amazing. It was like a brown sugar buttery type mixture. That brown sugar substance was why this cookie ranked so high for me. Anyways, if you go to Crumbl let me know what you think, or if you have already been to Crumbl do you like it?