Category: school

2022 lookback

January:

I started the year in India. We didn’t really do much that first month, but it was a good and clean beginning to the new year.

February:

We took a quick staycation in Downtown, which was definitely a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity to relax while staying in the city.

March:

We went to Miami this year which was a lot of fun! We got to see a lighthouse and also got to visit Calle Ocho, which I had been learning about in school. I also visited the science museum which was a fun experience.
We also got to see Hamilton, which was awesome. I loved watching the songs come to life and it was overall a great experience.

April:

I did two dance performances this month- an annual recital for Bharatanatyam and my first ever Mohiniyattam performance!
I also got to watch an arangetram which was a new experience for me.

May:

We went to New Mexico which was really cool! I really enjoyed viewing the Carlsbad Caverns and the Petroleum Museum, as well as Monahans Sandhills State Park.
Our school also put on Matilda the Musical and I really enjoyed watching it, especially as a lot of my friends starred in it.

June:

Right before 7th grade ended, we had our schoolwide International Peace Festival, in which my friend and I put together a project on gender equality. During summer, I went to India which was a lot of fun, as usual.

July:

I went to Delhi in the beginning of July, which was a place I’d never been before. I really enjoyed visiting The Taj Mahal, Qutab Minar, and Isa Khan’s tomb, as well as other places.
I came home from India early (☹️) to go to Leadership Camp, hosted by my Leadership teacher for 8th grade. I really enjoyed camp and definitely made a lot of memories there.

August:

I started 8th grade around the middle of August which was an incredible new experience.
I also competed in a duet and a group Bharatanatyam competition and won first place for the duet!

September:

I celebrated my birthday this month and turned 13! Other than that we didn’t do much, but I really enjoyed celebrating my birthday and cherished everyone in my life that day (and month).

October:

I started the month with a roller skating party for everyone in Leadership. At first, I was a bit shaky, but I eventually got the hang of it and had a lot of fun!
I also got to see another musical- Hadestown, which was inspired by Greek mythology, which I love.
After that, we had Homecoming, which is definitely one of my highlights this year, as I got to have a lot of fun that night.

November:

I started November off with my UIL theater class performing twice, once for parents and once at a competition. I had a lot of fun both times and I can’t wait to do it again in the spring!
After that, we went to my last musical of the year- SIX the Musical. I also saw two of my friends there which was such a fun experience!
Then, during Fall Break, we went to Boston and I saw a lot of historical monuments, which went perfectly with what we were learning in US History.
Lastly, I ended the month with Fall Show, a performance organized by the dance teachers so we can show off what we have learnt in the first semester.

December:

Our school’s first semester has ended, meaning we’re halfway through the school year. This was also the first year I had to do midterms, because I’ve started taking high-school level courses.
As the semester ended, I went to our school’s winter concert, as I had many friends in orchestra. I really enjoyed watching them perform and they did great!
Lastly, I closed the year off by going to India for winter break.

How has your year been?

British Colonization

In our English class, we got the assignment to write a non-fiction essay about any topic we wanted. I decided to write about British colonization and the extremely negative impacts of it. I hope you like it!

British colonization has left a negative imprint on all the countries affected by its invasion. Many ideas that define the countries were lost to this colonization. Countries’ progressive ideas were lost because of British colonization, like female rights in India, Two-Spirit in many indigenous cultures, and samurai and generals in Japan.

In Indian mythology, there have been many instances of strong female characters, such as Devi, Parvati, Saraswati, Kali, and many, many more. These characters are all incredibly powerful and have been the reason wars are won. This inclusiveness shows how powerful they can be and how they are a part of everyday life and culture.
The Vedas themselves state that, “Where women are worshiped, there the gods dwell”, showing how important and deeply rooted women are in Hinduism. Strong female characters emerge from all corners of the mythology to prove time and time again that women and men are equal.
However, all of these myths and livelihoods died down because of British rule and are not very popular today. Now, in India, many women feel persecuted and have to face abuse and poverty, going against what is defined in the Vedas, the ancient and sacred script, meaning that the effects of British colonization live on today in India.

In Japan, during the 1500s-1600, all men who had a high rank had a boy/male lover accompanying them in the battlefields. All men of rank had these lovers documented, except for one example only. As Keiko Akagi, someone who is originally from Japan has said, “It was almost mandatory custom to have a male lover [for feudal lords], especially for higher ranking ones”,and “It’s almost men’s etiquette to have it [a male lover] at that time”.
While Japan was never formally colonized by the British, it was incredibly influenced by western culture, especially through the period of the 1800s- 1900s. During this time, many of these traditions were taken away, almost purged. Even today, same-sex couples are not allowed the same legal protection that opposite-sex couples are allowed to have and Japan is known to be extremely homophobic.

Two-Spirit is an Indigenous term, where a person might have diverse cultural, spiritual, sexual, and gender-wise identities. It is an umbrella term that varies depending on each nation, but encompasses one main idea of someone who is not cisgender or heterosexual.
As the Provincial Health Services Authority says, “Before colonization, Two-Spirit people were included and respected as valued community members, often holding revered roles”. However, the main keyword here is before colonization. With the British values that came along with colonization, so came the erasure of Two-Spirit identities. They were cast out and occasionally killed, leading to a harsh environment for many people who identified as Two-Spirit.
Today, increased amounts of homophobia and transphobia exist because of this colonization, which can harm Two-Spirit people quite a lot.

Opponents might say that the British didn’t actually mean to spread these ideas and never wanted to in the first place. However, when in India, the British solidified the caste system and placed women at the very bottom of it. So, the British did in fact spready sexism/homophobia where they went. Many countries’ progressive ideas were lost because of British colonization, like female rights in India, Two-Spirit in many indigenous cultures, and samurai and generals in Japan.

The Historical Side of Boston

Recently, we got to go to Boston. In my U.S. History class, we had recently been talking about Boston and how it played a crucial role in the American Revolution, so we made sure to go to the places that were incredibly important.


One of the highlights of the trip was definitely the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. We started in a meeting room, with our guides dressed as figures from the 1700’s. They led us to a ship, where we learned about the mechanics of the Tea Party and how it worked. Lastly, we had a chance to throw some tea overboard ourselves. After that, we got to explore the museum which contained remnants of the original Tea Party, like a crate that washed up and a little bit of tea from the crates. It was interesting and I enjoyed the interactiveness of the museum.

There were also a ton of interesting statues all over Boston, many being in the Boston commons and in the Boston Public Gardens. Some of the most notable were a statue of Alexander Hamilton, a statue of George Washington, and a Samuel Adams statue.
I also enjoyed the monuments, for example, one of Lafayette in the Commons and one of the Founding Fathers (though that was in Plymouth, not Boston).

During our trip, we got to see Paul Revere’s house, a statue of him, and the church which signified to him what the British were doing. The house was decorated with furniture that might have come from the 1700’s and a lot of information about the original owner.

We also enjoyed following the Freedom Trail, a walking trail that covers most of the landmarks mentioned above. The Freedom Trail was a great guide, and I was glad we got to finish most of it.

Even though it’s not in Boston, Plymouth played a large part in the history of the American colonies. It was the 2nd permanent colony to be established and was created for religious freedom. We got to see the Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower 2 when we were there. Plymouth Rock is a good marking point of where exactly the Pilgrims landed after sailing from England to America in the original Mayflower. The Mayflower 2 was a replica of the original and I enjoyed exploring it a lot.

What historic places have you gone to? Which one’s your favorite?

Homecoming 2022

This year at my school, we had a Homecoming game and dance! Though I didn’t go to the game, I really enjoyed the dance and being able to see my friends and spend time with them.

One of the best parts was definitely being able to wear a pavadai to this event. Me and my other Indian friend had planned this for a while, so we showed up each wearing a matching outfit, her wearing pink and me wearing blue. I loved how we looked and the way we were able to show off our culture!

Another fun part about the dance was how it was set up. We had three areas we could go to- the gym, the cafeteria, or the patio.
In the gym, there was a lively and bustling environment, with a DJ and a crowd of people dancing along to the music.
In the cafeteria (where I mainly was), some teachers had candy and water, keeping us happy and hydrated. There was also a variety of songs playing and overall, the mood was bright.
Lastly, there was the chess patio. The patio was lit up beautifully, with strings of fairy lights surrounding the whole place. It has a calming atmosphere and was probably the nicest place throughout the dance.

All in all, the Homecoming dance was really fun and I enjoyed meeting all my friends with this and getting to spend 2 hours with them without having school work or anything else to focus on.

Theater!

I really enjoy theater! It’s a relatively new interest, one that I got into in 6th grade. When I was making the course selections for my first year at middle school, I picked theater as it seemed interesting. Unfortunately, I was fully virtual that year, meaning I didn’t get the full experience of theater. Next year through, for 7th grade, I picked theater once more and was actually able to witness it in person. I really enjoyed that year and it made me really fall in love with theater. Some of my favorite experiences that year were learning about improv and writing our own play. In groups, we had to write our own 3 scene murder mystery. I worked with some of my closest friends to come up with our play and performing it was incredibly rewarding.
This year, 8th grade, I’m currently in UIL theater, where we have a competition coming up in November and a performance in the spring. I am currently working on both production and acting. In production, I am in the set and lighting crew, where we design all the sets and the lighting needed for them. I’m also part of the chorus of the play and play as a minor, but important character. I’m also taking a part of theater classes at a theater. These classes are also lead by a musical theater school. I hope to continue learning about theater and hopefully take it during high school!

I also got to see Hadestown recently! It was such an amazing experience, especially for someone like me who loves Greek Mythology.
The story of Hadestown is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, who were two lovers. When one day Eurydice died, Orpheus was overcome with grief and set out to the Underworld to find her and bring her back. There, he made a deal with Hades. He could walk out of the Underworld with Eurydice following him, but if he turned to look back for even a second, she would be gone. He couldn’t see or hear her, but he had to trust her, himself, and Hades. Orpheus made it out most of the way, but at the last second, right when daylight broke through the Underworld, he turned to look. And the last thing he saw was her slipping away.
This musical took that story and reimagined it in a brilliant and fun way. I loved the portrayal of the characters, especially Persephone, goddess of spring and the Underworld, and the Fates, three women who controlled your life. The costuming choices were brilliant, as were the lighting choices. The thing that dazzled me the most though, was the set. The set was intricately made, with two main levels, a spiraling staircase leading up to the top one. Some of the orchestra sat on the stage itself, giving it a very close and cozy feeling. The props used were magnificent and overall, it was a great show that I really enjoyed!

Have you seen any musicals or plays? What are some of your favorite?

Vignettes

Recently, in my English class, we read the House of Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, a book which is filled with vignettes. Each chapter is written in the style of a vignette, some short and some long. Based on this book and the writing style of Sandra Cisneros, our project was to create 5 vignettes, about anything we wanted. Here are some of my favorites!

The Track:

Walking alone through the grass, my jacket dragging behind me. A group of friends rushes past me, leaving only a breeze behind, causing me to shiver and dig deeper into my jacket. But I can’t get warm again. A red table, filled with teachers, watches me carefully. I know they like me, that they want me to play and have fun. I smile at them and move on, the smile dropping as soon as I move out of range. As I walk to the edge of the field, the blades of grass slicing my ankles as quickly as a sharpened knife, the sight of a friend catches my eye. Refuge.
As I bound across the grass, they disappear, leaving only a blank spot where they were standing. Were they ever there? Or did they choose to leave me behind? The track around the field is wide, boundless, but it is my only friend, the only one who stays with me as I carve wide roads into it recess after recess. The only one who cares even a little. The only one who is mine.
Yet as an older girl runs across the track with her friends, I’m reminded, yet again, of the fact that I’m alone, lonely, surrounded with no one except the cold wind, whipping through the air, rustling the trees.
I scan the playground, catching my friends laughing together- Aurelia, Maliha, Zoe playing family and Saveri and Selena chasing each other. And yet, none of them look at me. Was it me? Did I do something wrong? Do they wish I were cast down to the deepest depths of Tartarus?
The fluffy fleece jacket, lined with faux fur, does nothing to prevent the sting of the wind combined with the sting of betrayal.
And so I walk, alone, lonely, hoping next recess, my friends won’t desert me again.

An Idea of Love:

Birthdays. Cakes, gifts, presents. The spoken words, “Happy Birthday!”, faded to a dull note as they are uttered by person after person, year after year. 

Birthdays have never been incredible in my life. I’ve brought cookies, cupcakes I’ve baked, to receive nothing more than a 
“Thank you!”
or a 
“Happy birthday!”

This year, though. I’m the one being brought the cookies and cupcakes, the one being treated to the perfect blend of sugar on sugar. The one who gets celebrated, the one whose birthday is today.

And I’ve never felt more loved than in the moment. My friends around me. Their gifts piling high in my hands, a sugar high already making its way to my brain. And I couldn’t care less, because now I have an idea of love, of happiness, of what it actually feels like to be loved and have people who care about you.

Would it be wrong of me to expect this every year? Or will it all fall away to nothing just as quickly as it built up?

Watch with me:

Is it too much to ask to want to watch the sunset with someone? Watch the giant ball of gas in the sky sink down into the grass and watch the moon come up, two total opposites, yet somehow taking up the whole sky?

I want to watch the stars go up with someone by my side. Someone who cares, who matters. Someone who, like me, wants nothing more than to watch those stars, those flaming, flickering stars. Built out of nothing more than hydrogen and helium, yet thriving. Thriving on their own in an ecosystem of space, of planets and comets and asteroids and meteors and beauty.

Why can’t we be like that? 

Look up with me at the sunset, the stars and just stay. That’s all I need. That would be enough.

I hope you liked my vignettes! If you could write a vignette, what would it be about?

6 Word Memoirs

Recently, in my English class, we created 6 word memoirs. They were really fun and easy to create and so, I thought it would be nice to share that over here! 6 word memoirs can either be 6 words that sum up a big part or your whole life, or they can describe one specific event. With the way that my English teacher led us through it, there are 4 main steps to writing a 6 word memoir.

Step 1. Take anywhere from 3-5 minutes and write down a big list of life events. These events don’t have to be in order or make sense to anyone but you. Make sure you keep writing and let your subconscious bring up some of the major events you have experienced.

Step 2. Pick any one of the events and write 2-3 sentences about it. You can add any details you want, but don’t let it become a full paragraph.

Step 3. Cross out any unnecessary information. This step can sometimes be hard, but try to think of the main points of your event. Also make sure to keep the mood of the event intact when you cross things out (for example, if you’re writing about a scary moment, don’t cross out all the scary parts of it).

Step 4. Using the words or phrases you have left, experiment with different wording choices and ideas. When you have one you think that fits best, congrats! You’ve written a 6 word memoir.

Here’s an example that I made in my English class:

Step 1. I had around 32 events written down in the span of 5 minutes. Some of my most important/memorable were the Austin trip, COVID/google classroom, online lunch, PUPS potluck (all grades), my mock algebra STAAR, Murder on the Sea (my group’s theater production), and getting into leadership. All of these events definitely influenced me a lot and helped me become who I am today.

Step 2. I chose to write about Murder on the Sea, a theater production my and my ensemble created last year. My 4 sentences were:
My first look at theater performances. I had practiced all weekend and probably wore my grandfather out as he listened to me practice. I remember being extremely nervous, but also ready before the performance. It was the time I decided to join UIL theater.

Step 3. The next step was crossing out unnecessary information. Below is what I had after step 3.
My first look at theater performances. I had practiced all weekend and probably wore my grandfather out as he listened to me practice. I remember being extremely nervous, but also ready before the performance. It was the time I decided to join UIL theater.
At the end, the main phrases I had left were “first look”, “practiced all weekend”, “extremely nervous, but also ready”, and “decided to join UIL theater.”

Step 4. Some of my ideas included:
– practicing all weekend, UIL the goal
– first look at theater, in love
– never forgetting shining on the stage


Finally, I chose this one- “Memorizing done, am I good enough?”

I picked that specific one because it not only ties into theater, but also dance, a huge aspect of my life.

Have you ever written a 6 word memoir? If not, will you give it a try?

Entering 8th Grade

This year, I’m going into 8th grade, the last year of middle school. I’m really excited for this year and the opportunities and activities it’ll bring.

First of all, I’m going to be a leader this year. Leaders help educate 6th and 7th graders about everyday lessons in the mornings and create a bright and positive attitude for the school. I’ve already been involved in some training for that over the summer and I’ve also been helping out around the school as everyone’s been starting to get ready for the next school year. I am really excited to take my role as a leader this year and do my part for the school.

Secondly, I am going to be in UIL theater this year! UIL stands for University Interscholastic League and it is overall a competitive field. There are many subjects that are UIL, for example UIL English or UIL Math. Out of these, my school offers UIL Theater as an option for 8th graders. I was accepted into UIL theater and therefore, will be able to compete this year. I’m super excited to see what my friends and I can come up with!

Along with UIL theater, I get to do theater classes next year! These classes are run by the Theater Under the Stars program (aka TUTS). This program regularly puts on amazing musicals and plays, so I know this camp will be really fun. In the camp, I’ll learn how to develop a character better, along with tips for improv (making up a skit on the spot) and cold reading (reading material that’s just been handed to you). I am really excited!

What are some things you’re excited for that are coming up soon?

Why Crafting is Important

Recently, while I’ve been staying in India, I’ve been doing a lot of crafting. From crafting kits to crafts made from old pieces of paper I’ve found, crafting has been something I’ve done every day. It’s been a perfect way to show my creativity and a great way to relax. Arts and Crafts are often regarded as unimportant, but this is a view I believe should change.

Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. They are also 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. I think crafting (and arts in general) is an important part of both school and our daily lives and should be implemented more because of the way it benefits school lives and mental health.

Many people don’t realize how studying art or at least taking part in it is extremely beneficial to the studious part of their lives. In countries that mandate the arts, like Japan, Hungary, and the Netherland, schools are often regarded as some of the best in the topics of math and science. In The No Child Left Behind Act clearly mandates the arts (for example music, languages, and art) as core academic subjects. Multiple studies have also shown that extracurricular art activities/studies help keep students in school longer. Brain research also shows that crafts improve skills in math and reading, as well as promoting creativity, social development, and self-worth.

Crafting is a simple, yet effective way to improve mental health. As stated in the last paragraph, crafts promote creativity, social development, and self-worth, 3 major influencers in mental health. Art (or crafting in general) is proven to help you recognize feelings lurking under the surface, greatly boost your self esteem, and relieving your stress. Furthermore, creating things gives you a healthy coping mechanism/outlet which isn’t destructive and allows you to create something you can call your own. Creating art also takes your mind off of your everyday life and therefore provides a distraction from things that could be worrying.

As you can see, crafting is a useful and simple way to both elevate core skills and improve your mental health. Because of these reasons, I believe crafting should be implemented more and become a daily part of people’s everyday lives.

What is your view on crafting?

Women in the Workplace

Recently, for my English class, we had to write a research paper on a topic we were passionate about. I decided to write about women’s rights, more specifically women’s rights in the workplace.

Women in the Workplace

64% of women in the workplace face discrimination and deal with microaggressions every day. With no enforced laws by the government, gender becomes an obstacle and makes it harder for women to thrive in their jobs. Gender discrimination is not a new thing, especially in the workplace, where women are often seen as “less”. They are asked to prove their position more often and are frequently mistaken for having lower level jobs. People might point out how, in the past, women have been known for having the “home” jobs. While it’s true that in history, women have often been confined to their homes, they forget that if we never strayed from the past, we would still be years behind modern society as it is today. While the government has certain gender equality laws in place, they often don’t enforce them, meaning they are useless. The government should enforce their old gender equality laws and create new ones because of the parental leave rules, the pay gap between genders and women being overlooked in the chance to move up in the work hierarchy.

One reason why the government should enforce their laws is because of the parental leave rules. The United States is populous, powerful, and considered to be a global superpower. Yet, women still don’t have the right to take paid maternity leave. As of 2020, the United States was the only wealthy country in the world that didn’t offer paid parental leave and that hasn’t changed. While the US as a whole doesn’t offer paid parental leave, 9 states and the District of Columbia do. These states are California, Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, and Oregon, along with Washington D.C.. According to each states’ government, new parents are guaranteed (on average) 12 weeks of paid leave. While that is a step up from the US as a whole, many other countries’ governments are fairer with their policies.

In countries like Canada, Estonia, and Russia, parents are guaranteed a year or more of paid leave. According to the World Policy Center, most of Europe gives anywhere from 26-52 weeks of paid leave.  Additionally, in Africa, parents get anywhere from less than 14-25.9 weeks with guaranteed paid leave. Depending on the country, in South America, parents are guaranteed less than 14-51.9 weeks. Asia varies greatly, with anywhere from less than 14 weeks to more than 52 weeks. Oceania gives either no paid leave or 14-25.9 weeks of paid parental leave.

Another reason the government should create new equality laws is because of the pay gap between genders. As of 2022, women earn 80% of what men do. While this might not originally seem like a big difference, the year-round salary a woman earns is drastically different than her male counterpart. In 2018, a full-time, year-round woman worker made $10,194 less than her male counterpart. Research by the Pew Research Center done in 2021, based on how much the average man and woman made, shows that it would take 42 days of work for a woman to earn a man’s salary. Emma Watson, at the UN, said, “Because the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take seventy-five years, or for me to be nearly 100, before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work.” As stated by the UN Secretary General, the latest research shows that it’ll take 257 years to close the gap between what men and women get paid. 

A final reason the government should enforce their old equality laws and create new ones is because of the low chance of women getting promoted. For every 4 men that get promoted to CEO, only 1 woman earns that same promotion. The same “equality” is also shown for managers. For every 4 men, only 2 women are promoted to the role of manager. Because of this, only 20% of women in the workplace ever reach the rank of CEO. Research conducted by Professor Kelly Shue shows that the higher the job type was, the less and less women there were to be found. In a specific retail company, the bottom level started out with 56% women employees. As the corporate ladder climbs higher though, women start to disappear. In the example of the retail company, it starts out at 56%, but as it climbs higher, it decreases to 48%, 35%, and at the highest level, 14%. This means there is a 75% decrease in the amount of women employees  from the bottom level to the top level. 

With all these facts, it might not seem like the United States is really doing anything to combat gender discrimination, but this isn’t exactly true. In the Civil Rights Act, Title VII prohibits descrimination based on gender. Even if state or local laws have different views on the matter, Title VII still stands. The US also passed an Equal Pay Act in 1963. This act requires employers to pay all their employees the same amount of money for the same amount of work. While these acts and laws sound perfect and exactly like what we need, the government hasn’t made any moves to enforce them. If these laws were enforced, they could make a major difference in the way women flourish at work.

As a result of all of this, gender discrimination is still very an active enemy. In the US, most states don’t allow for parents to take paid parental leave and this is true for a few countries outside the United States too. Women earn around 80% of what men earn and this 20% shortage can lead to almost $10,000 slipping away. Lastly, women are often overlooked when promotions come around and this shows in the amount of women in each level. To stop gender discrimination from becoming an obstacle in the workplace, the government should enforce their old gender equality laws and impose new ones as well.

What is a topic you’re passionate about?