Do we need more time?

We have all noticed the same trend in education. The amount of information that we have to teach just compiles and compounds as our knowledge of the universe increases. Recently in Ap Bio we have spent a large amount of time, about three months, on the subject of genetics and evolution, comparitively newborn fields of study. The amount of new knowledge we have on the subject of physics, a class covering three years, is growing as I type this blog post. The recent discovery of quarks and the idea of dark matter has transformed the field. If there is this vast new amount of information in every field of study, why are we not lengthening the amount of years we devote to our education?

We are no longer in a time where people only live to the age of 50. Our lifespans are growing at such a rate that I can easily envision myself living for longer than a century. This has made the amount of years we educate ourselves become proportionally less and less. As a junior in high school, I can tell you that the rush to absorb all of the information we will need for our entire lives and future careers is a daunting one. I feel pressed to take every single course available otherwise I will be missing out on vital information.

It is this pressure that has made me realize that we need at least one more year of high school. I firmly believe that no ambitious high school student is ever able to take all the classes that he desires.We need an extra year to reach out and explore every field that we are interested in. We do not have enough time in high school to explore all of the opportunities. Registering for my classes next year has been a bevy of trade-offs. I want to participate in and learn so many things, but there is not enough time for it. This pressure has been laid onto us so hard that we now have eighth-graders pushing to take high-school classes in a vain attempt to cover it all.

This year alone I had to pass out on jazz and chamber choir, which hurt so much to sacrifice. I couldn't take AP Psych or APES like I wanted to, and I probably won't be able to next year either. I would love to take part in the philosophy or acting class but there is no time. I want to do all sorts of sports and extracurriculars like debate or clubs that go out and volunteer but there is simply not enough time in the scant four years we are given.

Some may say that this is simply due to a lack of focus or initiative on the part of the students, and that we simply slack off. I stand as a testament to that. I have spent all day today slaving over AP homework, and will continue to. All for the love of learning and education, and yet I still am not able to find time to do all the things I love. That doesn't even take into account all the missing social life that I am sacrificing for school. Every teacher seems to assume that we only have to do work for their class and therefore an hour a day isn't that hard. When seven teachers want an hour a day, and you still have speech, showchoir and sports until seven pm. You can see how the time evaporates extremely quickly.

I think an extra year of highschool, would be beneficial to every student. We would be able to explore more options before we commit our lives to a certain career. We would be able to complete more cohesive, polished, and comprehensive work instead of the scrambled attempts at completion that we are currently locked into. I think the sheer inability to cover it all is what causes some kids to just give up and not care anymore. I've heard honor students talking about how useless it is to try and do it all. We need a change, and I think a little bit of time is all we need. Thanks for reading

Lookalikes

There is something that we all assume. We are unique. We are individual. There is no one in the world who is exactly like me. That is why it is so shocking when we meet someone who looks like us.

Recently a friend of mine befriended another guy in Colorado. She showed me a picture of this guy and I was shocked. He had my same face, but with a different haircut. I honestly thought it was a picture of me from middle school for a while. I had two urges at the same time. One, the more common thought, was to meet up with him and form an amazing friendship based on the fact that we kind of look like one another and pull wacky pranks based on that. Two, the slightly more disturbing one, eliminate him so that I am the only Adam-lookalike in the world.

There is an interesting statistic out there that puts a twist on the phrase “one in a million”. It goes “Even if you are one in a million, there are six thousand humans exactly like you.” A clever little statistic twist on a common saying, and yet disturbing. We like to think of ourselves as unique individuals. The whole foundation of social media is that we are unique and we should let everyone know the things we do. It’s hard to picture another person like yourself.

I always have envied and pitied identical twins. It must be amazing to have someone who is that close to you. That, genetically, is the exact same as you. There are so many fun things you can do if your twins, and it’s always an interesting conversation-starter or joke among friends. At the same time, I think if I was someone’s identical twin, I would strive all the time for individuality and my own personal recognition. I want to be recognized as Adam instead of Adam and Alec (We have similar first names because that is how you are supposed to name twins).

I think the really important part of being an individual is that it recognizes that we have our own separate set of experiences, thoughts, and feelings that make us important in some way or another to the universe. If we were all exactly the same, what would the point of doing anything be? That is one of the reasons I think identity theft and catfishing should be illeagal. Tarnishing someone’s identity is something that, in some cases, can never be fixed and will affect them for the rest of their life.

I will write another blog post about this when cloning technology reaches pedestrian levels. Oh, and Ryan Walker looks like Macklemore. Thanks for reading

Improv

So I just got back from an improv performance at Speech Night. If you weren't there shame on you, you should've been there supporting your school! However, I would like to talk about group improvisation or improv. It's so much fun to do, it feels exhilirating and terrifying at the same time. You form a wonderful camaraderie with your fellow improvists (improvers?) and the self-confidence you can find in it is absolutely wonderful. I think that being in improv should be required at Kennedy for every single student for the invaluable skills you learn while performing.

Improv is so important to Kennedy. The first memory I have of Kennedy was the improv performance by Shane Nielsen and Andrew Hanzelka during freshman orientation. I instantly thought it was the funniest thing that I had ever seen. Just when one of my ideas was thrown out onto the stage, it felt absolutely empowering. It might be a little bit of the attention hogging, but I love seeing the ideas come to life on stage.

At the same time I thought I would never ever be able to do what they did. I didn't audition the first two years simply out of fear. That is why I think improv is such a valuable experience. It teaches you to overcome nerves to create something wonderful, and to operate under tight pressure. Even four year improv veterans get extremely nervous before competitions. There is a ball of tension deep within your gut that you have to work around. Because if you show the nerves, your improv skit will not work. It is an invaluable life skill.

Another amazing ability improv teaches you has been, relatively unsuccessfully, attempted at teaching in high school. The ability to work as a cohesive team has been emphasized throughout education and especially in the workplace. Improv relies on harmonic chemistry between each person on the team. The ability to craft an idea together with three voices in two minutes is a talent. One that took us weeks and months to be able to work with. It was tough, but I feel much more comfortable working in a group now.

It seems fitting that all of my drive to be in improv had started with Youtube. There is an absolutely amazing tv show that was canceled called "Whose Line Is It Anyway?". They did a series of improv games each show, the ones that we use in improv today. They were my favorite comedian's in the world when I was a kid. I am so happy and lucky to be able to do improv. It makes my day every single time we do improv. I wish that happiness on every Kennedy student. I think it would make our school feel a little smaller and more friendly. Thanks for reading 

Trick Plays

As the Super Bowl inches closer by the hour, I remember one of my favorite Youtube subjects to research, trick plays. They are so interesting to watch, and enjoyable to try to figure out all the intricacies. I guess I have always liked the idea of complex deception as a method of success, mind vs. mind. This is why magic tricks always have captured my attention. 

The trick play is a tricky by nature. It requires precision and planning, flawless communication and execution to play outside of the box. Usually it requires using skills that aren't normally required, players to diversify into positions they don't normally assume. A field goal kicker throwing a thirty yard pass, or a lineman running the ball. 

The pleasure of a trick play comes in the success. A well-executed trick play should leave a complete gap in the defense. In a game where every yard is earned through blood and sweat, it is so refreshing and powerful to have no opposition. There is always a moment of confusion in the audience, and then the sudden realization (either good or bad). It is such a momentum changer when it succeeds. 

I have absolute respect for the coaches that consistently come up with new trick plays. They have so much opposing them. The defense is professionally trained to stop them in any way possible. The entire referee system is in place to stop teams from abusing and finding loopholes in the rules. Every time a dominating trick play is created, it is constantly banned. One of the greatest compliments you can say about a coach is how many rules were created to stop them. It shows the creativity, intellect, and understanding of the intricate aspects of the game.

I guess I should tell you my favorite trick play. My personal favorite is the Statue of Liberty, in which the quarterback pretends to throw the ball but doesn't, and quickly hands it off. My favorite instance of this is when the quarterback hands it off to a lineman. It is always fun to watch the trick plays about whether the ball is snapped or not, when the quarterback just walks through the defense. When executed cleanly the Hook and Ladder, in which the ball is passed and then immediately pitched is so smooth and perfect to watch. They are all extremely enjoyable, as long as they aren't against my team. Thanks for reading