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The Truth of the Past

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  The fascination with ancient Greek history has plagued western society for centuries. It was a time when people could be who they wished. Homosexuality was not only accepted, but normal. It was the start of democracy, and the philosophies discussed inspire even today’s great thinkers. The arts flourished and science bloomed. By all accounts, it was a progressive and idealistic age. Unless of course, you were unfortunate enough to be born a woman. Sadly, this seems to be a common theme throughout history. Like art and media, history too is corrupted by prejudices and injustices. Though men like Lord Henry and Dorian Gray may be able to look back on the Hellenistic age as a time of inclusion, the same can't be said for everyone. The women of this time were not given any of the benefits received by men and were forced to live their entire lives as property, their only value coming from their ability to create children. As we discussed this age in class, many of us wondered why today...
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Acknowledgements

            We often like to claim that writing is a solitary experience. We think of it as a demonstration of our deepest and most personal thoughts and ideas, stemming entirely from our own minds. In reality, the type of person and writer we are is not magically manifested into being by our own subconscious, but a reflection of all the other writers and ideas we are exposed to throughout our lifetime. It is these people that deserve the credit for who I am today, more than anything else. And for that, I must thank you. To my teachers, for always believing in me. To my family, for teaching me that there is always room for improvement. To my favorite childhood authors, for proving that writing need not be serious or boring. And to my bed, for always being there for me. Whether it be for 2 am breakdowns over forgotten assignments or simply as a comfortable writing spot, no one else provided the security and safety you did. Additionally, I would like to ...
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Born a Blonde

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For the most part, I still look remarkably like my childhood self. I have the same blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and wide ears. Obviously I’ve matured and grown, but most of my features have remained the same. The only glaringly obvious difference is my hair                As you can see in this photo, I was born with light, fair, and incredibly blond hair. In case you weren't aware, that is no longer the case. Every year, my hair got increasingly darker, until eventually the blond disappeared and I was placed firmly into the category of brunette. When I was younger, I would say that I was losing the blond because I was getting smarter, which was rather clever for a 6 year old, but also stereotypical and just plain wrong. At such a young age I didn't truly understand the “dumb blond” stereotype or why it had been created, but because I had heard it in casual conversation and on TV I assumed that it was ok to joke about. Of course, I had blond fri...
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Adversity at Troy High

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  An interesting question was posed this week due to the nature of our In Class Essay, do Troy High students face true adversity in their schooling? Obviously everyone has their own personal struggles, but when it comes to school we are afforded every luxury.      Sometimes it can be hard to recognize the privilege we have because it’s our version of normal, but compared to many other school districts we are incredibly advantaged. We have access to high level classes and well educated teachers. If we ever have any trouble in school, we are provided countless resources to get us back on track. If we have basically any questions at all, our guidance counselors are an email away and always supply helpful information. We’re expected to succeed and given every opportunity to. In fact, when someone doesn’t get into a top college, they face judgement from their peers. Despite the fact that for many around the world simply going to college is a huge accomplishment. Of ...
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The Perils of French Class

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As someone who has spent years studying the language of French, I couldn't help but relate to Sedaris’s piece “Talk me Pretty”. Despite the differences in the harshness of our learning experience, Sedaris and I shared a common fear of failing the language. For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to learn how to speak French. Growing up hearing it described as “the language of love” solidified my desire to understand the language into a resolute goal. Unlike Sedaris, when I began taking classes, I was met with nothing but understanding and faith. My teachers made it clear it was ok to make mistakes and that, although learning a language was a challenge, it was one I could accomplish. Sedaris, on the other hand, was repeatedly called “lazy” as well as being threatened with chalk to the head. Naturally, he developed a fear of messing up in class and facing further ridicule from his sadistic teacher. Although I have never faced the abuse Sedaris went through, I too dreaded c...
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Who's the idiot now?

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            When we think of the words “imbecile”, “moron”, and “idiot”, the image in our minds is anything but scientific. These are all words we hurl at others in order to insult intelligence and competence. Yet, what if I told you each of these words began as genuine medical terms, it seems hard to believe right?           When the first IQ tests were created, people who received scores below average were labeled as “morons” and “idiots”, not to demean them, but it soon became that way. Thankfully the use of these words fell out of practice in professional fields in the early 20th century, where it was then replaced with the now equally derogatory term “mental retardation”. Today, we use the term “intellectual disability” to signify low levels of intelligence, but let's be honest, it's only a matter of time before the connotation of that too shifts into the insulting and becomes too offensive for medical use. Everytime ...
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Breaking Down Authority Ranking

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            Authority ranking, or the inherent dominance of one group over another, is one form of nonverbal communication that no longer holds the same power it used to. Like many of the forms of indirect speech we discussed in class, authority ranking was developed long ago in a time when certain groups were entitled to respect based solely on their strength or lineage. But this concept of “superiority” is going out of fashion in modern culture as we strive to break down barriers between different classes.            In “Words don't mean what they mean'', Pinker exemplifies authority ranking as a “pre-emptive reminder of strength”. A few weeks ago we were able to see this occur in real time. In an attempt to intimidate other foreign powers, Russia commenced “naval drills” off the coast of Ireland. Only instead of sitting back and waiting for the threat of the Russian navy to leave, local fishermen confronted the off...
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