1. Pretend that you are talking to a blind man and have to describe for him what "red" is. You should use narrative and descriptive writing techniques, and try to appeal to his other senses!
Red is a primary color just like blue and yellow thus red creates a verity of colors. Variations of red are common in our world and is largely the foundation of our constructs of life. Red is a color with many emotional appeal from luck to anger. It is a very strong color in both emotional appeal it and type of color. The large range of emotions held in the color red spreads to all nations and cultures having meaning for all. For example the symbolism behind red in the Mexican culture is surrounded in revolution and independence. this is completely different to the Chinese culture in which red symbolizes luck and is often used for Chinese new year. In a more general analysis red is a color that elicits emotions such as anger, jealousy, and rage. Apart from the emotional appeals red elicits, red also contains a dominate trait in that the color can cover most other colors. Red has a very strong hue thus it can overshadow colors like yellow, orange, green, and some blues. Many colors are derived from the color red: It can make pink, orange, brown, peach, maroon, etc.
2. How does competition function in our society? To what extent is it healthy/unhealthy? Offer some real world examples taken from your life, community, culture, state, nation, or world.
Competition functions in our society as a motivator in life. Competition can be helpful to an extent. First, competition can be a motivator to better oneself and achieve greater as you are excelling is the only way to move forwarded. As a means of motivation competition is very efficient because the constant awareness that someone somewhere is attempting to do the same as you but better allows individuals to work harder. this is seen in the education system in America in which students are taught that the only way to be stand out in collage applications is to outrank everyone else. Students respond to this by striving towered a higher GPA and overall academic excellence. As a result of the motivation provided by competition students better themselves by seeking a higher education. However, the extent in which competition is perceived affects wither competition is healthy or unhealthy. For example when a student is presented with the competition that occurs in collage, It allows them to prepare and attempt to better themselves. It is however unhealthy, when you present competition as an immeasurable obstacle that stands in the way of a successful life. When competition is perceived that way students are overwhelmed by the ever present emotion of pressure that leads to stress. When the stress of competition gets too great the student often cracks and is unable to strive forward. This is extremely serious as stress can lead to depression, anxiety and in extreme cases suicide. Teenage suicide is the third leading cause of death for young adults in the USA thus stress from competition causes an alarming rate of suicide that can be avoided if we don't push students too hard.
3. How have you taken something that you have learned in the classroom and integrated it into your nonacademic life?
Through my years of education I have learned an abundant amount of knowledge that have helped by shape both my personality and my habits. One of the most influential contribution that my educational career has offered me is the riggers challenge of the IB program. I have always been a part of honors and accelerated classes however the IB program was unlike any of my classes in previous years. the program is much more the a number of classes with the same people, it is a institution in which individuals embark on a transformation into responsible adults. The decision to stat the IB program was a life changer that brought about new ideas and ethics into my life. For example in my Theory of Knowledge class we discuss the ways in which knowledge is created and effects the world. This has affected my ideas of the world as it open my eyes to how something that seems solid such as knowledge can in reality be so insecure. I reevaluated my ideals to an extent were I kept my fundamental ethics while replacing non supported ideals with newly supported ones. Another idea that was substituted into my life was the idea of not procrastinating which has really improved my work ethics both I school and in my non-academic life. I now do not allow myself to stockpile tasks to do at a later time which has reduced my stress levels. I can now juggle water polo and school work in harmony a task that was not easily done last year.
4. If you could go back in time and be someone in history, who would you choose to be? Why?
If I could go back in time and be anyone in history I would choose to be Abraham Lincoln because of the personality and strength he held within him. Lincoln was a strong minded individual that exemplified through his actions what it meant to be a true American. He was a great man of both of stature and of cunning strength . Abraham Lincoln was a brave and noble man that rose from a unknown republican into the sixteenth president of the united states. It was his decision to impedes the south's withdrawal from the union that made it possible for the USA to prosper as a interconnected system. If it was not enough that he stopped the splitting of the Unites states he also put an end to the horrible and sadistic institution known a s slavery. Being able to walk in the shoes of one of the most important and influential person in American history would be an honor and a privilege. His perseverance lead the ground work for the prosperous country that the US is known for. He preserved the country in order for the creation of wondrous inventions such as the transcendental railroad that connected the whole United States. Without the unity created by Lincoln immigration would not have been as high as it was post civil war era and we wouldn't have the diversity that is present today.
5. If you had the responsibility to decide where $1 million should be spent to improve conditions somewhere in the world, what project(s) would you choose? Why?
I would use the money by helping starving nations of Africa because a prosperous life should not be limited to only those with money. Firstly I would provide medical treatment by constructing hospitals in central locations for all to use. The hospital would be staffed with experts treat even the most extreme cases and there will be an abundant supply of vaccinations for the population. At first the staff would be brought from an outside source however I would also build schools that will include medical training so that the hospitals can be later staffed by locals. The schools would not only include medical training but also areas such as economics in order to create a stable economy for the local towns, science in order for the towns to make innovative solutions for problems they face, and culinary arts in order to establish cooks to operate local businesses that provide food for the population. After making improvements for the long term I would make immediate improvement. Firstly I would establish large farms and groceries that can start supply food to the masses in a matter of months. secondly I would responded to the alarming amount of orphans by placing orphanages that provide food, shelter, and assistance in finding a permanent home. Lastly I would build houses and residence in order to give the masses a shelter as well as give them a new start with new opportunities.
6. How have you tried to effect change in relation to an issue of personal, local, or national significance?
Well in our IB program we students are required to complete 150 hours of community service hours. I have just started the program thus I have only accumulated about thirty or so hours of the 150 required however I still have made a difference. Firstly I take part in events programmed by an organization called ocean force that helps clean up the coast that stops waste from being deposited into the ocean. Residents of the west coast understand the reliance of the ocean that we share and thus I truly feel that we make a difference in everyone's lives. Before starting these events we connect what the organization is doing and global issue of pollution. We were presented with images of beaches in Argentina and we made the connection that what was happening there was happening here at our beach and like so in all other areas. The pollution of the globe was a combination of local population and the only way to stop the global trash problem is to solve all the local problems. I embarked ,accompanied by my fellow students, on the fulfillment of a promise. A promise to better this world one step at a time. We understand that the road will be long filled with physical labor such as digging tires out of the dirt, picking pieces of trash being blown randomly by the wing, and hauling bins of trash to be properly disposed of. However our events are not only based on physical change of the world we also promote the change of peoples idea about their role in cleaning up the world.
7. If you could introduce one new idea or material thing to a primitive culture, what would it be?
If I could introduce any new idea or material into a primitive culture I would introduce modern medicines and medical practice in order to help keep their population healthy. The reason I choose medicine is, firstly it helps them become heather people and that introduction of medicine will not destroy their culture and traditions as something like electronics would. Medicine would leave their culture intact and provide assistance for the inhabitants. Medical treatments will allow for the treatment of diseases like malaria that without medical treatment is deadly . improvements to the lives of the citizens allows for lower death rates for the culture which yields more expansion. With an increased average age and expansion the culture can prosper and change into a modern society by their own terms and still have their culture intact.
8. If you were to describe yourself using a quotation, what would that quotation be? After you have chosen a quote, then write a bit about how it relates to you and reveals what kind of person you are.
I would describe myself as a quote that I just heard about five minutes ago "be like a duck... look calm on the surface but underneath, paddle like hell." I believe this represents me quite well as I usually have a very serious attitude and often have a collective mood however on the inside I am a very worrisome person often I feel stressed but I always work through it which is necessary to survive in the IB program. For me stress is not a big issue because I can handle it without much of it seeping into my apparent and the same goes for worry. For example I am writing this blog and still have to do about 4 more plus I have to do history homework however I am still righting this very calmly and diligently. This quote also describes my personality as I might seem serious and quite insipid however in reality I am very amiable and funny. A few of my friends tell me that I seemed very reserved when they first met me however after getting to know me they saw me as a relaxed funny guy. I truly believe that I have two sides of me the relaxed guy that enjoys life and the one that is hectic and worrisome. I am very glad that I am like the mighty duck that allows no weakness to surface.
9. Given the authority to establish a holiday, what would you choose to commemorate? Why? What would the celebration look like?
If had the authority to make any holiday that I would like it would commemorate the diversity of America. "Diversity day," as it will be called will be a celebration all the different cultures that make America what it is. Without the countless groups of people that the US is made of this society would make this society dull and unattractive to new immigrants. The celebration would be held every 11th of January and will be celebrated with large gatherings in local parks and recreational centers. These gatherings will be filled with food, games and activities from a variety cultures and ethnicities. The celebrations will be accompanied by parades demonstrating the deferent key elements of each culture participating. Overall the celebration will allow different cultures to mutually come together in order to create an understanding of the other races. This will create an ideal situation to teach people the diversity and importance of everyone's culture which is helpful for the development of children. The celebration will end with fireworks because every culture enjoys staring up at the sky filled with magical colors and falling stardust.
10. What is the best advice you've ever received? Explain.
The best advise that I have been given was one that I received quite recently actually yesterday in Saturday school. The delivery of this was very ironic because the teacher that was supervising the students for a 4 hour session of sitting in a room staring at a wall gave it to me. just when he was going to let us leave the room he tells the students "Time keeps on going whether you do something or you don’t… so might as well do something." This piece of advice was encapsulated in a story of a 50 year old man going to college and training to be a medical doctor. He they asked him why if it was going to take him 12 years to do so and that he would be 62 when he be finished. The Man responded with that quote which stuck to the my teacher that day and was now being told to me. over the past day this advise has really taken hold of me. I find that with this advise I am able to fend off the urge to procrastinate and play games instead of doing my work. For example I have been doing these blog assignments for about 6 hours now and there have been countless opportunities for me to stop my work and play mindless video games, however I told myself that the work I am doing now is setting up what I will do in life. Even though this advise is very recent I feel a huge change on how I see the world and how I view the importance of work and perseverance.
11. Ask and answer the one important question that a university won't ask you, but you wish they would.
A question that is asked in the university is, how do you think your religion affects you perception of the world? Well I am at a point in life were knew found knowledge has started to shack the foundation of my religious views. I was raised a catholic and my parents presented my with all the practices of the religion at a young age. Those principles were instilled in me at a young age however now they are not on solid ground. Currently I am at a point where I still hold my core beliefs but still question miner ambiguous principles. At the moment I am uncomfortable with calling myself agnostic however I am also cautious with the term religious. I believe that my unsecure religion has changed my view of the world. If something that had been so secure as my religion was be broken down so easily then what other ideas in the world could be demolished by new knowledge. For the first time I questioned the entirety of everything in existence. My realization came I a radical interpretation of the world however now I have refined this idea into a concise ethic conveying in it doubt's importance in the natural world. My religious view extensively changed my perception on the world and I am baffled as to why universities do not ask students opinion on the effects of religion on the perception of the world.
12. Your life is a movie. Describe the first 15 minutes.
First Scene: Camera starts at wide angle of an empty street. It zooms to my house ,through the door, through the house and into the backyard through the crowd surrounding a table. freeze frame of my being held up to blow out the flame above a candle in the shape of a 2. Narration while still on freeze frame "This is me, Aaron Contreras held up by my Mother Rosa Contreras and surrounded by family and friends that quit frankly I did not know at the time." "It was the first birthday since the move from my grandma's house to a new house in Chula Vista. At that time everything was perfect not a care in the world (switch camera to me sneaking into my brother's room and grabbing his Lego spaceship) except for an occasional scolding for something I did not do.(me throwing the Lego on the floor.) I lived carefree my entire childhood.(Camera behind me, me walking into middle school for the first time gazing up and walking through the hall) "It was only when I made the transition into my early teens did my perception of the world change." 'I am not a child anymore,' "I would say at the fairly young age of 13 however then I did not see that the transition had just begun" "It all started when my brother brought home a book (camera overhead view of me looking at a black book) this book was the catalyst to the most daunting and drastic transition that brought upon a radical perception that destroyed my early foundation. For something that changed my life you would think that would remember the name of the book however I don't all I remember is my brother sitting at his desk (cut to my brother sitting in a desk while I sit on floor and listen to the last words of my childhood) explaining "the Book" which I call it know.(shot of a blank black cover) Now, I understand how melodramatic this all might sound ;that a book obliterated my childhood causing a dramatic and violent change. You must understand however I was at that point in life were my cognitive mind sped to an extent that a transition into a tantalizing and internal struggle to interpret all trivial concepts presented to me as truth. Now the problem with that part of my life was any concept took a hold in my head bringing about an endless cycle of analysis. Over and over I would analyze and relaxed any concept. now back to the book. I sat and my brother explained the story of a man that was legally dead for thirteen minutes and during that time experienced the horrors of hell. The idea set in, the idea of death, despair, and unshakeable feeling of anxiety took hold. How would it all end? Why are we alive if it all ends and there is nothing? Those were the radical ideas that changed my life from an innocent boy into a young adult that understands the hardships of life however now I do not fret about death as I did then.
13. Write a letter to your future college roommate introducing yourself and your background.
Hello future roommate I am anxiously waiting to meet you. First off my name is Aaron Contreras and was born and raised in sunny Chula Vista. I am the third son of my parents Rosa and Frank Contreras the eldest son being Alan and right after my brother Adriel. I have lived in Chula Vista since I was 1 and have only left when the family occasionally goes on vacation. I am of Mexican decent my mother was born in Zacatecas Mexico while my father was raised in Tijuana, Mexico. For the most part my family places an emphasis on a strong bond between relatives thus at any given time my house would be filled with 5-10 family members present at my house. In my house even extended family is treated as if they were our brothers and sisters. Well enough about the family, I am a well rounded individual that is exited to start collage. I have always enjoyed meeting people and I don't foresee any problems that might impede our ability to become friends. I pass the time with video games when I have spare time an play a variety of things from the Xbox 360 to the PC. My other hobbies include playing water polo, swimming, drawing (even though I am horrible at it) and playing the drams (I am horrible at that too). I would categorize myself as a amiable individual that enjoys the company of others. For the most part I am open to new experiences and I enjoy visiting new locations. My life revolves around the central idea of enjoy life to its fullest which I try to do every day. Throughout my years of education I have seen the importance of my work thus I always accomplish all my work before engaging in free time activities. One of the only area that I find troubling is my organization thus the room might be a mess at least on my side of the room I hope you do not mind that. I hope to see you soon future roommate enjoy the rest of your summer.
14. Please describe your reactions/ideas to the following quote: "He does not possess wealth, it possesses him."
The quote "He does not possess wealth, it possesses him." sounds completely true to me. the improper use of wealth has created a class of self centered individuals that are driven only by their extensive search for more wealth. There is however a vey individuals that have risen to the top and understand the hardship that those below them face thus they give back. An example of someone like this is Bill gates that prescribes scholarships every year for a full ride in collage to students that excel in school and life. Even with the select few that have wealth and posses the will to use it right, wealth is a dangerous position. People wealth are disconnected by the rest of the population and live in a bubble of self indulgence. There humanity is often lost during the search for more wealth and they are transformed into things that only thrive on the insecurities and weakness of others in order to make themselves prosper more. As the saying goes "the bigger they are the harder they fall" and this is completely true in this case. With economy the way it is now someone's wealth is not as secure as they would like it. Often wealth is lost instantly and they are left with a burst bubble in a world that they have not been exposed to. The transformation of a thing controlled by wealth into the opposite extreme of poverty is quite shocking. Often that transformation causes a snap in the person and they are unable to function without the parasite that had been controlling them; that parasite being wealth.
15. What is the most valuable contribution you could make to a college campus? Explain.
I am a very proactive student thus I will help the collage extensively. I can easily juggle extracurricular activities with my academic life. I would help establish productive organizations with the student body such as study groups and study sessions. by helping fellow piers students learn the materials on a new level, "you don’t know really know something until you teach it." I have enacted countless study groups so I know how to create affective and productive groups. It is however also important to balance out all of you schoolwork with non-academic activities that will alleviate the strain of a long day of work. For me I find it helpful to relieve the stress with video games however I do limit myself to the amount of work I have and am glad to pass that on to others that might have a problem with too many playing video games. I also have experience tutoring in my high school thus I can help any student at this school with their school work. I believe that I am a very helpful education and I hope to exemplify that in my stay on this campus.
16. Explain a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
An experience that has affected me deeply is the decision to join the IB program. It has caused a shift in my work habits and caused a shift in my ideals. I now work more diligently on my work because I have realized the importance of doing my work. the motivation top better myself allows me to take the challenge as they come to me which in the IB program means every day. Without my drive to excel I don’t think I would have the ability to do what I am doing everyday: I could not face a tremendous amount of work and simply say, "bring it." The IB program is one of the most influential part of my life and up to this point I have not seen the improvements I see now. My life never seems insipid even with all the work I do every day I always seem content by the progress that I accomplish everyday. my newly discovered yearning for the progression of my knowledge has caused me to excel in all areas of my being and introduced a new ideal of work habits. For the most part this new state of mine allows me to do my work without hesitation or at least not as much as I did in previous years. The IB program also helped me balance personal life with academic responsibilities.
17. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
well I participate in an organization called ocean force which helps clean up the local areas around the coast. we engage in productive conservation of the areas around south bay and participate in beach cleanups. The leaders of the organization come to our school and talk to the class about the goal of the organization: to stop further contamination of our beaches as well as raise awareness of the trash problem we face. The first clean up I attended with this organization was to the Tijuana River Valley which had accumulated a large amount of trash from the rainy season. I was expecting to find a thin spread of trash that would require extensive searching however to my extreme surprise and awe the trash basically covered the whole trail and was in such high concentration you could not see the dirt in some places. This shocked me to see all the trash and all the pollution has caused me to reevaluate my concern for the extent of pollution in the world.
18. If you could choose two things to change about our high school campus, what would they be and why?
First off I would change the schools administration to one that is more qualified and experienced. The administration has been unable to handle the issues that have taken hold at our school. their inability to handle situations such as an incident with a pencil and one with a teacher has escalated the problems. Most of the administration is new and their policies are in effective for example tardy sweeps. The administration announces that there will be a tardy sweep which causes a panic in the falls as countless students run for their classes. This action is very dangerous as there are crowds of students running to get to different areas and not be late at any cost. Any students that is caught in the halls after the bell rings has to stay by an administrator until they receive a Saturday school slip. While the students are waiting for the slip the time they miss from class increases. Instead of a minute late the students are five minutes or more late because they had to wait for the administrator to finish each slip. This is completely ineffective and creates more time wasted. The seconded thing I would change is how Saturday school is ran. Saturday school is held once every month for students to clear their tardies, absences, and Saturday School slips. The 4 hours of Saturday school is spent doing absolutely nothing. Instead of allowing the students to do homework or something productive the administration makes every student sit silently in a chair for 4 hours. Saturday school and the administration is very inefficient and should be replaced by a better system.
19. Should school attendance be mandatory? In your answer, be sure to explore what the function of education is, and what our nation would look like if the masses were less educated.
I believe that school attendance must be mandatory to at least high school. The option of dropping out gives students a leeway if any hardships come as the usually do in high school whether it be academic or non academic. students need school in order to have a foundation to build advance skills off of wither it be a science occupation or pluming expertise. The first twelve grades of school create skills such as math, language, science and history that is helpful for job skills as well as materials that make you a well rounded individual. With knowledge obtained up to high school students have just the amount of information to make the choice wither or not to continue in their education. Any other level below high school I believe will not have a full grasp of the entirety of the world and will make a premature decision.
20. If you had the ability to talk to one species of animal, which animal would you choose to communicate with? Why?
If I could communicate with any animal I would communicate with an eagle because their lives are extreme and fascinating. While there are many birds in the natural world, none of them compare the strength and stamina of the mighty eagle. Eagles have always intrigued me ever since I was a child. I would always imagine all the mountains they have conquered and all the valleys they have scouted on their long flights. The life of an eagle so adventurous as well as mysterious; the eagle sees it all, the endless stretches of forest, the mountains that scrape the sky the ever blue oceans, the solitary barren tundra. I would conversation with the eagles and listen to all the places they've gone; all the places it plans to go. I would listen in admiration the stories the hawk has accumulated over the years, the fright of living in the wild as well as the hunts that he embarks on. The hawk can also watch over me. as nothing is better than having a personal eye in the sky in order to anticipate anything that might come my way. It has always been a childhood dream to have a pet eagle however I do understand that eagles are not domestic Thus if I were able to communicate with an eagle I would not stop it from living an open and free life. The wonder of eagles is exactly that, they cannot be tied down by anyone or anything. Eagles have an irreplaceable bond with the natural free world. I would only have a mutual conversation with the eagles that I would communicate with and I will not impede there lifestyle in any way. If I humanize them they will lose their greatest attribute: there aura of freedom and relentless spirit.
