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Five years ago, I did not know much about artificial intelligence, but now it's more prevalent than ever. The first time I saw how an AI robot could work was on the Youtube video with Jimmy Fallon speaking to Sophia the Robot. It was really cool how realistic she was, but it was also kind of scary. Most people would find it a little strange and awkward to interact with a robot that looks like a human such as Sophia, but when AI doesn't have a human appearance, nobody seems to mind. For example, no one thinks it's strange to ask a bot like ChatGPT to help them with school assignments.

In the United States, "roughly one-in-five teenagers who have heard of ChatGPT say they have used it to help them do their schoolwork" (Sidotia and Gottfried). Although it can be helpful and easier to use AI platforms in school, "outsourcing your work to ChatGPT can negatively impact not just your grades, but your ability to communicate and think critically as well" (Kent). With this in mind, it can be better for students to limit their educational AI use in order to foster their higher-level thinking skills.

Kent, Jessica A. "Should I Use ChatGPT To Write My Essays?" Harvard Summer School. 6 Sep. 2023. https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/should-i-use-chatgpt-to-write-my-essays/

Sidotia, Olivia and Jeffery Gottfried. "About 1 in 5 U.S. teens who've heard of ChatGPT have used it for schoolwork." Pew Research Center. 16 Nov. 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/16/about-1-in-5-us-teens-whove-heard-of-chatgpt-have-used-it-for-schoolwork/

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This was one of my favorite childhood toys; my brother and I would race it down the hallway making it change colors. But I never understood the programming and coding involved in these little robots.

Computer science (CS) has undoubtedly made incredible advancements in the world, but not everyone can comprehend programming language. My brother later took AP Computer Science in high school; he understood much of the coding learned, but it was one of his most difficult classes. Especially in college many students struggle with the subject. It is found that "computer science majors have the highest dropout rates, with 10.7% of the students dropping out of college" (Winograd). However, according to Forbes Magazine, CS remains to be the 6th most popular area of interest for many high school graduates (Nietzel). My brother enjoyed learning about CS even though it was very difficult due to the coding language required for the subject.

Coding is important and should be encouraged for students to learn in our growing and innovative world. Computer science can improve many aspects of our life from the newest technology in health care to the fun little robot toy I used to play with.

Nietzel, Michael T. “What Are the Most Popular Majors among Prospective College Students?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 18 Feb. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/02/16/what-are-the-most-popular-majors-for-prospective-college-students/.

Winograd, George. “College Dropout Rates 2024 (New Data & Stats).” Mission Graduate, 14 July 2024, missiongraduatenm.org/college-dropout-statistics/.

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The song "Hound Dog," originally written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, is very well known. The version sung by Elvis Presley is the song that usually comes to mind, but recently it has been remade by Doja Cat.

Many songs have been remade and covered by other artists. Another example is the famous "My Way" performed by Frank Sinatra. This song as well has been covered by Elvis. What makes this song so timeless are the feelings that are stirred when it's heard. It is thought to bring emotions of "nostalgia," and Elvis' "passionate delivery" makes the words memorable (White). Both "Hound Dog" and "My Way" are old classics that have been revamped to adapt to new audiences; Doja Cat has done this with her new version of "Hound Dog".

What is interesting about song covers is that each artist makes the song a little bit different from the original, but "more, much more than this" they do it "[their] way" (My Way).

White, Henry. “The Meaning Behind The Song: My Way by Elvis Presley.” Beat Crave, 12 June 2024, beatcrave.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-my-way-by-elvis-presley/.

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Many books in the United States have been restricted, and "the 2023-2024 school year recorded the highest instances of book bans;" the total number reaching "10,046 instances" (Banned in). One example is Amanda Gorman's poem: "The Hill We Climb."

Why is this? School districts have decided that some books are not appropriate for a school setting. The percentage of books that received "censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year" (Censorship).

Amanda Gorman's poem is just one case among the many books that have been restricted or banned. I have always enjoyed reading and think that everyone should have access to books.

“Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves.” PEN America, 1 Nov. 2024, pen.org/report/beyond-the-shelves/.

“Censorship by the Numbers.” American Library Association, www.ala.org/bbooks/censorship-numbers. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.

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Improvisation cultivating creativity

As a ballet dancer since elementary school, I have always been very creative; however, if I had to choreograph my own ballet or modern dance steps, I would became very shy. It is found that it is beneficial "to create a sense of safety and connection" among colleagues and dancers (Ferreira quotes Laponis, 2019). I find this to be true because once I gained more training in improvisation classes, I became more comfortable and started to create new dance pieces. It was not long before I fell in love with choreographing dances after I had made great friendships with other dancers. It is especially fun when I get to make a dance with my friends since they bring new ideas to our creation. Just like in this picture, dancers can build off of others' movements. Similarly, in a TEDx talk given by Vicky Saye Henderson on the topic of improvisation, it was found that doing group improv exercises increased trust and creativity. In the same way, my dance friends and I have done countless improv exercises in order to learn and base movement off of each other. By doing this, we would choreograph a unique dance that we all felt proud of.

Ferreira, C. (2019, November 12). 8 Lessons You Can Learn from Improv (Without Ever Stepping into a Class). Stanford Magazine. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/8-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-improv-without-ever-stepping-into-a-class

TEDx Talks. (2014 March 16). Improvisation exercises (part 1): Vicky Saye Henderson at TEDxColumbiaSC. [video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkDv3sXWrFU&t=545s

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Research Outline of Cole Porter's Song

Introduction

This paper would explore a factor that could affect someone's view on what love is based on Cole Porter's jazz song: "What Is This Thing Called Love?" The lyrics related to the title were questioned, and answers for the definition of love were provided. I would connect this topic to my personal experience because I saw Harry Connick Jr's show dedicated to Cole Porter's music in 2019. By examining the song's title question through qualitative methods such as observation, a reader can understand the question in the song title.

Paragraph 1

The factor that would compel Cole Porter to be confused to what love is.

Quotes/ evidence:

Love flew in through my window,

I was so happy then,

But after love had stayed a little while,

Love flew out again (Porter).

Analysis:

He was confused because love seemed so temporary, coming in and out. So the factor that can affect the singer's view of love is the idea that love can be fleeting.

In the version done by Frank Sinatra, one can decipher the music seeming sad and slow. It is through this qualitative observation that the singer portrays Cole Porter's bewilderment of what love is.

Paragraph 2

To answer his question of what love is.

Quotes/ evidence:

"God is love" (1 John. 4:8).

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

That is what love is, and this answers Cole Porter's song.

Conclusion

When I saw the show done by Harry Connick Jr, it was a great performance, and I have began to enjoy jazz and Cole Porter's music. Furthermore, Cole Porter is puzzled about the definition of love, but the Bible states what love is, and Who love is.

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A recent connection I made was between two chapters of Ross Gay's The Book of Delights and Susan Sontag's book Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors. The two chapters I compared were "Remission Still" and "Writing by Hand." There are parallels between these works especially since Susan Sontag is actually mentioned in "Writing by Hand." I am currently reading Sontag's book, so I was surprised to find her named in this essay. The point I want to draw here are that both the authors speak about cancer and the enjoyment of writing. In Ross Gay's essay "Remission Still" he told the story of one of his friends who was suffering from leukemia. His friend had a seven year life expectancy, and everyone believed that he wouldn't make it. However he did, and so did Susan Sontag, who is a cancer survivor herself. In Sontag's book, she refutes many of the stigmas surrounding cancer; her reason for composing her work is to relieve people of "unnecessary suffering" from stereotypes and stigmas (101). Writing then, can be very impactful in peoples' lives and can correct errors or stereotypes in the way Sontag's writing does. The ability of writing or the "magic" as Ross Gay portrays it is that it promotes "thinking" especially when it is done on paper (33). He summarizes Sontag's idea that writing should be slowed down rather than sped up (32). This way writing can be cultivated and enjoyed. Furthermore, Ross Gay's supports using a pen and paper since it requires critical thinking and contemplation (32). Both authors celebrate the beauty of writing, how it can foster thinking, and improve the lives of others.

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Did anyone else read these books as a kid? Guess How Much I Love You was always a favorite of mine.

There are many similarities between these books that I've never noticed before. It wasn't until I listened to a "Freaknonomics" podcast about the psychological "big fish-little pond, little fish-big pond" concept that recognized some of these details. This concept debates whether someone would rather be the best person in the worst company, school etc. or be the worst in the best company, school etc.

The children's book, I Love You the Purplest, was mentioned in the podcast, and it made me think of a book I used to read as a little kid: Guess How Much I Love You. These two children's books are so similar in the way they both involve a parent telling their child how much they love them in unique ways. Also, competition is a common theme; the two sons continually compete against each other to see who is "better" at whatever they were doing, furthermore, Little Nutbrown Hare would compete with his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, to see who could love the other one the most.

In the podcast, Mike Maughan said, "Pick which pond works best for you." I think each character in both books found their "pond." At the end of I Love You the Purplest, the boys were happy to be loved equally by their mother while still having their own qualities in their own ponds. In Guess How Much I Love You, Little Nutbrown Hare found his pond in his father's love. Though they might not have been the biggest fish in the pond, they were certainly the happiest.

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Who said history homework isn't fun? Hamilton is excited about it!

I remember that I had to study for a history test, and there were so many things I had to memorize. Do you know how I studied it? I made it into a song! I would hum a beat and try to rhyme my facts together. It was an interesting mnemonic device, but it worked for me. I think that is what music videos that explain history try to do; they attempt to make learning history more fun and in a medium such as a show or Broadway performance that both kids and adults can enjoy. Educational shows such as a School House Rock episode about the Constitution are intended to help kids learn about things that happened long before they were born with fun cartoon characters and songs, and shows like Hamilton try to bring history into the present, and make it modern for older audiences. I enjoy both options or any history lesson that involves music.

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Which one is recyclable, the greasy pizza box or the Styrofoam cups? Actually, the box can be recycled with grease and all. Large pizza box companies such as WestRock, which is a packaging company focused on corrugated, cardboard products, recycle old, dirty pizza boxes, and they turn them into new, usable boxes. Whereas, the Styrofoam cups linger around because they are not biodegradable; therefore, they cause more harm than the oily boxes.