Author: EmmyZ

Over the past few months, the entire world has been on lockdown mode due to the global pandemic, Covid-19. Many people have been suffering due to this new change, but there are other people who have been suffering a lockdown for longer than anyone can imagine. Solitary confinement is a reality that many people face all over the world in prisons. Personally, quarantine has not been unmanageable, but I simply cannot bear the thought of being locked up in a seven by ten feet concrete cell. Solitary confinement is inhumane because it causes mental illness and goes against a human being’s rights.

Mental illness is something that is very prominent in the world and there is an entire month dedicated to spreading awareness about it. Many different factors can go into creating or aiding the cause of mental illness. The environment of only concrete and steel doors can and will cause a person to go insane and develop different mental illnesses such as : depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Currently, there are approximately 2.2 million inmates in the United States. 356,000 of those inmates are mentally ill, and approximately 100,00 inmates are in solitary confinement.

On top of causing and creating mental illnesses, solitary confinement is a “violation of the prohibition against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment found in international human rights law.” Even the worst of criminals are still human, therefore are obligated to basic human rights such as the right to social security, freedom of expressions, and freedom of thought. Solitary confinement is seen as torture and many people are protesting to have it removed. “For many prisoners, solitary confinement is a sentence worse than death.” This shows how torturous solitary confinement really was.

Although solitary confinement is not illegal, it violates almost every right that a human has. Even the worst of the worst criminals and inmates have basic human rights. “To first and foremost say it’s been a long time coming for this crucial and horrible thing called ‘SEGREGATION’…There’s men that’s been on lock-up for 20 or 30 years and without write-ups.” Torture is inhumane, not to mention illegal, yet the government does it everyday. The U.S. government and country as a whole may have come a long way since racial segregation in the 1960’s and back. However, if solitary confinement continues to exist in the U.S., we will be taking leaps backwards.

Sources :
https://www.amnestyusa.org/the-shocking-abuse-of-solitary-confinement-in-u-s-prisons/#:~:text=While%20there%20may%20be%20instances,in%20international%20human%20rights%20law.

https://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/universal-declaration-of-human-rights/articles-16-30.html

https://law.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/solitaryconfinementreport.pdf

When it comes to learning, there are several different types of teachers. Broken down into two main categories, there are strict teachers and there are lenient teachers. Personally, I have more strict teachers, and they have really helped me improve. In the short story “Miss Awful,” by Arthur Cavanaugh, we focus on a young boy, Roger Clark. He is initially introduced as a care-free boy who simply wants to spend his time at the park as opposed to doing homework. Later on in the story, we can see a complete personality change. This is because of his strict substitute teacher, Ms. Orville. So, we ask the question, do the advantages of strict or lenient teachers outweigh the disadvantages?

An advantage of a strict teacher is that they can help instill a sense of discipline that would improve motivation, independence, and respectfulness. Going back to the story, we see that in the beginning, Roger is a carefree, young boy who had neglected to do his spelling homework. After Ms. Orville brought a strict environment to the classroom with her constant rules of discipline and scolding, we see the class develop as a whole. Roger, specifically, was a whole new boy at the end of the story. He had built discipline: “Who’s got time for sodas? I have homework to do.” Also, he could finally spell after working very hard. “Flower. F-L-O-W-E-R. Castle. C-A-S-T-L-E.”

The disadvantage of a strict teacher is that it makes students want to rebel. We see a clear example in the book: “That dopey old plant she’s always fussing over,” piped Midge Fuller. “We could rip off all the dopey leaves. That’d show her.” The students were plotting to take revenge on Ms. Orville because she had been so strict on them. Roger was also planning to do such but had a change of heart. The students not only threatened to do other things, such as throw rocks at Ms. Orville, but they actually followed through with their plan. After recess, Ms. Orville noticed the torn leaves and became very sad. She said “Whoever is responsible, I beg of you only to be sorry.”

An advantage of being a lenient teacher is that all the students are content with the learning. When Ms. Orville wasn’t in the picture yet, Roger was recounting a story from class about how Ms. Wilson had laid down on the floor with all the students. “Well, I like Ms. Wilson, she’s fun. Last week, for instance, when Tommy Miller got tired of staying in his seat and lay down on the floor…Know what Ms. Wilson did? She lay down on the floor, too.” Roger said to his family. It is clear that Roger and the rest of his class liked Ms. Wilson and had no complaints about having her as a teacher.

A disadvantage when it comes to having a lenient teacher is that students would not learn as much. In the beginning of the story, we are told that Roger has difficulties with spelling. “True, Roger’s scholastic progress wasn’t notable–his spelling, for example, remained atrocious.” Even though Roger was struggling with spelling, he insisted on going to the park and procrastinating on his homework. The next day, Ms. Orville discovered Roger’s backpack to be full of toys and she confiscated them. At the end of the week, she returned the toys only to be met with Roger spelling out words. Roger learned more in one week with the strict Ms. Orville than he has in however long with Ms. Wilson.

Both teaching styles have their benefits and disadvantages as we learn in the story “Miss Awful.” A class of students, including the main character, Roger, were originally rambunctious, carefree, and not disciplined due to their lenient teacher, Ms. Wilson. However, when an older, stricter teacher, Ms. Orville came to be their substitute, she had a major impact on the students. She had the biggest impact on Roger, a boy who in the beginning failed his spelling quiz and didn’t do his homework. By the end of the story, Roger flourished into a boy who did his homework persistently and was finally able to spell words. Though such is not always the case, in this instance, a strict teacher was a great benefit to Roger but his lenient teacher appeared to be a detriment to Roger’s education.

Power and riches can turn a person from kind-hearted to cold, and from bad to ruthless. It can easily go to someone’s head and turn them into a person that they are not. In “The lady or the tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton, we are introduced to a king who was immediately described as “semi-barbaric.” Throughout this short story, the author describes how the king would throw any person or “criminal” in an arena and face them with a life or death situation. Either they could choose a door and be greeted with a beautiful maiden, or choose a different, identical door and be eaten by savage tigers. The king was semi-barbaric because of his immorality, biasness, and remorselessness.

The king was immoral because any person he deemed a criminal would be thrown in an arena. Even if that person was innocent, they could choose the door to the tiger. Both doors were bad options because the “criminal” had to marry the maiden. The king either forced the person into an unwanted marriage or an unwanted death. The king’s immorality would lead him to believe that it was okay to pluck a maiden out of her village and basically sacrifice herself for entertainment. Though she was not the one dying, there was a 50% chance that she had to give up her life because of the king.

Another reason that the king was semi-barbaric was because of his biasness. Sure, any father might be over-protective of their daughter, but to take the man interested in their daughter and throw them into an arena to not only be ridiculed by the public, but have a equal chance of dying or living an unhappy life is terrible. The king specifically chose the most ruthless, crazed tigers to be in the arena along with the most beautiful maiden in all the land. The king was biased against this man for liking his daughter, so he made sure that he would get the worst punishment regardless.

Lastly, the king was remorseless in all his actions. Considering how often the king must have punished people, that would mean that he also witnessed many people be eaten by tigers. Yet, he continues with these cruel and ruthless actions. He showed no remorse for targeting his daughter’s lover, and he never seemed to show remorse for any of the other men that he punished. Though all of the king’s actions were inexcusable, showing remorse would most likely make the reader more likely to forgive him. Villains turned good are very popular in all sorts of books, tv shows, and more. However, the king was a villain and stayed one.

In conclusion, the king from “ The Lady or The Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton was a cruel, ruthless, and semi-barbaric man. He plucked maidens and men from the street and forced unto them a chance at a terrible life. The story focused on a specific man: the man in love with the king’s daughter. The king was close with his daughter so he decided to pull all the stops to ensure that the man would suffer whether he chose the maiden or the hungry, savage tigers. Though us readers don’t actually know what happened to the man, because the author left the ending ambiguous, we can assume that either way, the man suffered; and it was all the king’s fault.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a childhood prodigy who began composing music at the mere age of five. At the age of six, he had already performed twice in front of imperial courts. I have played violin since the age of 8 and piano since the age of 6. Of course, I was and am not at the same level of Mozart, but there is a reason why he is considered the best composer and musician of all history.

His background in music was extensive even by the time he was in his teens. Mozart composed over 600 pieces of music including 25 piano concertos, 17 violin concertos, and over 50 symphonies. He composed over 41 symphonies by the time he was 19 while his main competition, Antonio Salieri, composed about 50 pieces in his entire lifetime.

Mozart had a gift since childhood. He composed his very first piece when he was five year old. By the time Mozart was six, he had performed in front of two imperial courts; and by the time Mozart was 14, he had also performed for the pope. All the court composers who witnessed Mozart’s music had remarked how the child was an incredible and real composer.

Mozart’s adeptness at several instruments was remarkable. He could play the piano, violin, clarinet, and other instruments. He was most well known for his piano and violin concertos. They are seen as one of the most advanced pieces for current day students and performers.

Mozart composing a real piece at the age of five is impressive enough, but it is not the only reason why he is a household name. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart not only composed over 600 pieces, but a majority of those pieces are well known. It is difficult to write pieces, but it is more difficult for those pieces to be known worldwide. That is why Mozart is considered the best composer of all time.

Everybody is a little bit selfish inside. Though we may not like to admit it, behind every action there is intent for self-gain. For example, someone could give 1000 dollars to a homeless man. That may help the man immensely, but people would look at that someone as a hero. In the story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” by James Thurber, we can see this bit of selfishness inside the main character, Walter Mitty.

When Mr. Mitty and his wife were driving into town to get to his wife’s hair appointment, he imagined himself to be the commander on a navy ship. Though his wife eventually snaps him out of his moment of fantasy, Walter Mitty, imagined himself to be a great commander leading his crew through a hurricane. Despite the crew’s doubts, Mitty continued to act like a heroic commander.

Mr. Mitty’s next moment of fantasy was when he drove past a hospital. Then, Mitty imagines himself to be a world renowned surgeon that was tending to a famous millionaire, Wellington McMillan. Dr. Renshaw, a doctor that Mrs. Mitty recommended Mr. Mitty goes see, is in the middle of a surgery when he flakes and asks Mitty. As Mitty is about to make an incision, a yell from a parking lot attendant snapped him out of his fantasy.

Mr. Mitty’s last moment of fantasy in the book is when he was walking along main street. It reminded him of an incident where Mr. Mitty previously tried to change his tire chains and ended up injured; therefore he would wear a sling on his right arm whenever he went to get the chains fixed again. Mitty also heard a newspaper boy yell out about a trial. This inspired a fantasy about an incredibly skilled sharpshooter on trial. The crack shot was Mitty.

Though Mr. Mitty could have just been a nice old man with an incredible imagination, that is not how the mind works. Humans are constantly thinking about themselves and how actions would affect them. Even when thinking about someone else, we are thinking about how that person affects us or makes us feel. Behind every selfless action is a selfish intent, and that is the simple truth.

When it comes to creating good habits, it can be very difficult. However, there are a few strategies to use when it comes to motivating yourself or others. As often as they are used, warnings simply don’t work. When it comes down to it, people just keep doing the wrong thing even after being warned. What is really required is fear. It may sound a bit troubling, but it works. The next strategy is rewarding yourself or others when they perform good behavior. People may warn against constant rewards for it might instill a need for a reward, but rewarding good behavior will encourage it. A third strategy used for encouraging good behavior is social incentives. Seeing a person do something good will inspire and encourage others.

When faced with a situation that is both scary and different, the first natural instinct is not to fight; the very first natural instinct is to find a way to escape. Though in reality many people tend to freeze up before running away, fighting is still a very last resort. Even during school shooting drills, the last thing recommended is to fight the attacker. The first thing recommended is to find a way to evacuate. Therefore, being faced with a scary situation will force a person to rationalize and be resilient. It is the same with threats. A threat is scary, so it will cause a person to try rationalizing and avoiding going against the threat. Everyone is different, but most people wouldn’t directly go against a serious threat on purpose. Personally, threats are either scary or unfavorable so I very much tend to focus on the task at hand rather than risk the threat.

Which leads to the next strategy: rewards. Anybody would do something if it had a good reward. Why should it be different for behavior and habits? Constant rewards are acts of encouragement that will continue to keep a person behaving and doing the right thing. It also allows for a momentary peace; the feat was conquered so now you are rewarding yourself. Depriving someone of a reward when they do something potentially difficult will decrease the chances that they would want to do that same thing again. Rewarding someone will show a person that they have what it takes to do the task at hand. Having an active reward will take the mind off the difficulty of the task and inspire the person to continue. I know for a fact that I respond better with rewards, though my mother taught me not to expect rewards in life. This is true, but when it comes to rewarding yourself, it is extremely helpful to go the extra mile.

The last strategy in terms of aiding good behavior and habits is social incentives. For example, seeing someone at the gym posting a picture will inspire the person to also go to the gym. Even if that person ultimately decides not to go, there will be a big urge. Seeing someone do anything and being successful at it will inspire a person to do that same thing. Countless times, there has been a person on the news and we all thought to ourselves, “I am going to be like them one day.” It will inspire a person to do the work necessary to achieve the goal that they set for themselves. When it comes to actually doing the work, that is where the other two strategies come in handy. I play tennis and I watch successful tennis players play all the time and it inspires me to improve. Not just a little thought but a constant recurring thought that drives me to work harder.

Good behavior and habits are to achieve; bad habits are even harder to break, but they are not impossible. There are so many strategies that it can be overwhelming when attempting to make a change habit or behavior-wise. However, these three strategies are very helpful when it comes to narrowing a target, focusing on the target, and ultimately reaching that target. It also helps that these strategies are not complicated. I use these strategies whenever I want to accomplish something. For example, business, which is one of my interests. Foremost, I would read about a successful business owner. Then, I would actively encourage myself to do the necessary work to stay informed. If I catch myself being lazy, I would threaten myself. In conclusion, I would set a reward for myself such as ice cream when I would do a satisfactory job in staying on top of my interests. I tested it, and I can absolutely say that this system works.

Time and time again, adults tell children to act their age or act more mature. What they fail to realize is that children are exactly that: children. Though kids should be more responsible and mature, it is difficult when adults continue to treat us children as lesser-than beings. My parents, personally, have not exactly told me to behave more like an adult, but they have said, countless times, that I need to start becoming more responsible and acting mature because I am “not a little kid anymore.”

It has occurred on the news when adults, specifically baby boomers, feel disrespected by the term, “boomer.” They feel as though millennials and Gen Z’ers should treat their olderldergeneration with more respect, and the term “boomer” simply was not respectful. However, there have been several counter arguments. Such as: “boomer” is just short for “baby boomer.” It is almost like an elder telling younger people not to call them by their name because the elder finds it offensive and disrespectful.

Another example of adults aiming specifically at the younger generation is the fact that answering a question could be considered talking back. It is aimed at the younger generation because many adults believe it is a given for children to respect their elders. Now, this idea may be true in some cases, but not every elder is deserving of respect. Of course, I respect my teachers in school, but I wouldn’t do every single thing they said just because they were older than me; such as fetch them a pint of milk.

My parents are not agonizingly strict, but they do make the imminent future very apparent to me. I am close to entering high school, and my mother, specifically, wants to make sure that I join clubs and am at the very top of my class. Sure, this is ideal. However, it becomes annoying and frustrating when I hear it constantly. Though, being reminded, for me, drives me to work. Only sometimes. When my mother puts in nicer words.

Adults need to realize the sheer impact that their words, or their silence, have on teens and children. The words that come out of their mouths no longer are simply words to us. They are knives. And each of those knives is being thrown at us teens and children and it makes us weaker. Words speak louder than actions, and the older generations need to realize that. Especially during the teenage years where teenagers are still figuring everything out. It is so difficult to go through changes, such as becoming more sensitive and being brought down by heavy words. Respect is earned, not automatically given to elders, and it’s time they realized that.

Humans only have 4 basic necessities: food, water, shelter, and interaction. What happens when one of those is taken away? During this difficult time, what with the Covid-19 pandemic, murderous hornets, and mass racial protests, it’s safe to say that the United States has received a fair share of trouble simply in 2020. However, there is one issue that has been the longest occurring, and that is Covid-19. This pandemic has made it so self-isolation was absolutely necessary; meaning, everybody had to stay away from each other. But what are the side effects of loneliness?

It may seem insignificant, but human interaction is incredibly important. Not so long ago, it used to be the normal of the world, therefore making everybody take it for granted. Being in this time of self isolation has really made the entire world reflect on the little things in life. It may not be so little, but, simple interaction is what keeps a person sane. Without it, this entire world would wreak havoc. People would start hallucinating and simply lose their minds. A quick “Hello,” could very much save a person from going insane.

Though interaction is undoubtedly one of the most important things that a human could need, there are a few others as well. Without these things, a human, or any living creature, really wouldn’t be able to survive. These things are food, water, and shelter. People may want more in life, but only these few things are needed for sheer survival.

Food is required to feed all the muscles and cells in the body. It acts as fuel to keep an organism going. Water is required to hydrate the cells and organs in the body and is necessary to maintain function of all those organs. Shelter is required because humans, and any other living being, are not built for all terrain. The harsh weather could deal serious damage, so shelter is needed to protect against it. That is why so many animals become endangered. It’s because their shelter, or their natural habitat, is being destroyed by humans. It is like stealing the shield and armor from the opponent in battle. Stripping them of protection.

Self-isolation has done less than ideal things for humans, but incredible things for nature; such as decreasing pollution in great amounts. Nature is thriving off this pandemic, but humans aren’t and there could be a scientific explanation. Everybody in quarantine has probably noticed the amount of snacking they have done. But it is not entirely their fault. Being lonely and deprived of social interaction can increase the dopamine neurons in the dopaminergic region of the midbrain. This area is specifically for cravings and addictions.

Being alone, separated from the rest of the world, it can cause oneself to be easily stimulated. Since food is a fingertip away, looking at it all day increases the dopamine neurons. Meaning, it is not that a person is hungry all day, it is just neural stimulation from being self-isolated.

All in all, self-isolation is helping this world, but also affecting us humans. Pollution has gone down and though self-isolating cannot save global warming, it gives the world a chance to make a difference. The negatives, it is taking away one of the four main and basic human necessities: social interaction. Now, it is “Social distancing.” This has really taken a toll on people because it is causing parts of our brains to behave differently due to the undesirable environment. Sure, it can be exciting to have nothing to do all day. But a few months in, the only thought is “There is nothing to do all day.” Interaction is as important as food and water and shelter, and almost as if our brains are in retaliation against self-isolation and loneliness, it plays tricks on us. Our brain makes us believe we are hungry when truly, we’re just lonely. Given this information, just like the rest of the second chances given because of this pandemic, people can use it for a greater good.

Everybody has different morals and beliefs. Some people are Christian, some are catholic, and the list goes on. Nonetheless, everybody has a different set of rules and creeds than everybody else. Personally, being a catholic has not affected my morals and how I think. However, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” by Flannery O’Connor, “The Misfit” believes that all good people and bad people will end up in the same place, so why not just have fun in life?

As a child, I have been raised to work hard in school and be respectful towards others. It has made me to be the person I am today, and I believe that hard work and being a good person will be rewarded in some way. “The Misfit” believes that all humans have the same fate, so he should spend his time doing whatever he feels like doing. In this case, “The Misfit” chooses to murder random people. On page 12, “The Misfit” claims, “You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car, because sooner or later you’re going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it.”

There are countless religions in the world, with countless followers to them. Some of the mainstream religions are Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism. All of these are different religions, but they have a similar backstory. All these religions believe in a God, and they believe that there is a place for the good people and bad people in life. “The Misfit” was arrested for a crime that he claims he can’t remember. When “The Misfit” told this to the mother of Bailey, grandmother of John Wesley and June Star, the grandmother immediately jumped into prayers. This put “The Misfit” off, and on top of everything else, meaning “The Misfit” was an atheist.

Now, “The Misfit” may not be an atheist, but due to his beliefs, he has to be some sort of atheist. Clearly, according to page 13, “It’s no real pleasure in life.” doesn’t have anything joyous in life besides shooting people. Unlike the grandmother, who even though does not show it based on the previous pages, she loves her son and grandchildren.

All in all, religions around the world have their own beliefs; such as: thou shalt not steal, restrain anger, and there is only one God. Throughout all these religions and their beliefs, some of them are similar. That is because most religions branched out from other religions. Religion plays a pretty big part in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” by Flannery O’Connor. The main villain, “The Misfit”, is an atheist who chooses to murder people for fun because he doesn’t believe that people have different fates. It shows in his beliefs compared to beliefs of other religions. Even though “The Misfit” is a respectable man, according to the grandmother, she only said that to spare the lives of her and her family; showing how truly evil he is.

Everybody needs sleep. The real question is how much? Every single body, whether short or tall, young or old, needs sleep. Living creatures just can’t survive without it. Though sleep is such a large part of life, there still remains the question of how much sleep is good for the body. There are countless doctors or reporters that swear by a certain amount of hours of sleep every night, but how are they reliable? Sleep schedules differ from body to body, and it is clear to see why.

Animals, such as bears, are very similar to humans. Every single species of animals have different sleeping cycles. Whether it is hibernation, to being nocturnal, no two species are alike. It is the same thing with people. No two people are alike; even twins. Twins, although can look extraordinarily similar, have a few differences in the way their bodies function. Therefore, shouldn’t they need different amounts of sleep?

Some of the recommended amounts of sleep are: 6-8 hours, 8-10 hours, and 10-18 hours. However, those are for adults, teenagers, and infants. As the human body progresses on its cycle of life, the recommended sleeping cycles progress too. If they change for the stage of life, then they are different for everybody.

Lastly, there are even “experts” who claim that people who sleep too little become ugly. Though there are real consequences to sleep deprivation, those same “experts” will preach their recommended sleeping amount. Hours of sleep should not be scared into a person. Each individual should explore how much sleep their body needs, and then alter their schedules to fit into the healthy cycle of natural sleep.

All in all, sleep is important, and many people try to tell the rest of the world how long they should spend in their bed. Statistically, humans sleep for approximately one third of their lifetime. It should be spent healthily. Everybody should choose their own amount of sleep; there is no right amount.