Mrs. Ho's 11th Grade AP Lang 2022-2023

This weekend through the Shabbaton I had the privilege of going to Universal Islands of Adventure. This is not my first time visiting this park, my first time in the park was when I was very young, visiting through the JCC summer camp. Despite visiting the park, I do not remember much, but I know I skipped many rides. Additionally, through research, I learned that more rides were added. Here are my thoughts on all the rides I have been on in Islands of Adventure. Dr. Doom’s fearfall: This ride is like a free-fall and although I did not go on it during the most recent trip to Universal, I recall the experience as positive.  The Incredible Hulk Coaster: I was skeptical to ride this after my very negative experience on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (I was in the front and did not keep my head back). I know I did not ride this as a child. My experience this time was overall positive. During the ride I somehow lost my vision three times yet remained conscious. I did not leave as traum...

Robotics is an amazing hobby to have. Each component brings fun, productive challenges that add to the final project. It includes digital 3D designing or computer-aided design (CAD), programming, fabrication, building, and robot driving. I started the robotics journey in the summer after third grade and realized how entertaining it was then. FIRST Robotics has, in my opinion, pretty much created the perfect system. The organization has three main competitions, FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). As a third grader, you can’t jump into working on big 100-pound metal robots, but you can start learning on little lego robots. That’s the first level of FIRST Robotics. It includes a set of missions for the teams to complete before arriving at the tournament, a yearly themed and community-aware research project, and core values. The legos teach engineering, the research project strengthens presentations and work skills, and t...

  The Great Surprise Last Wednesday night I had the best surprise. Cooper, my 22 year old brother, told me he was coming up for the weekend and would be arriving the next night. I was torn because I wanted to go on the Shabbaton but knew that my opportunities to spend time with Cooper were more scarce. Cooper graduated from the University of Michigan last May, and took a job in New York City in July. The last time I saw him was July 23rd. This is the first time in my life where he isn’t living at home anymore. Even though he was at college for four years he still would come home during breaks and during summer. Now, he has almost no time to visit so this surprise was very unexpected. Although I was bummed that I was missing the Shabbaton, I was very excited to spend quality time with him.  How would I explain my relationship with Cooper? He is six years older which is quite an age difference, but he has always been my mentor. I look up to him, listen to his advice, and abs...

          Recently, my friend and I made a business decision to invest in an infamous Squishmallow . These adorable stuffed animals are unlike any other. They are round like a sphere and are so just fluffy. Our Squishmallow that we purchased is named Deemitri, (Big D. for short), and he is a large blue fox with a furry belly. In order to get the full experience of Big D., we decided to take him on the Shabbaton with us, which was probably one of the best decisions of the entire trip. Big D. is so versatile and useful in many ways. On the bus ride there, we decided that we wanted to take a nap to pass some time. Everyone knows the bus seats are not the most comfortable thing to nap on, however, Big D. is a perfect place to rest your head while getting some well-needed rest. We shared Big D. and snoozed the afternoon away and before we knew it, we were in Orlando. Another pro about Big D. is the satisfaction one gets from snuggling with him. My friend and I h...

  The high school held its first Shabbaton since Covid this past weekend. It was so exciting because I remember my brother telling me stories from when he went on weekend trips when he was in high school. This year we went to Universal's Islands Of Adventure located in Orlando. Even though it was a long three-hour drive, it was super worth it. We got to the hotel just in time to have a beautiful Shabbat dinner with all the kids. On Saturday, we observed Shabbat and stayed at the hotel for the day. We had morning tefillah and then had the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted. We were even able to go in the pool! It was so fun to spend Saturday bonding with my friends and teachers. When Shabbat was over, a hypnotist came to put on a show with the kids. It was crazy watching my friends get hypnotized; we all thought it was a trick. After the hypnotist, the Jewish Life Club held a karaoke event. Kids from all grades showed off their hidden singing talents. The two events were a gre...

  It's not hard to see from my last few posts that I’m a bit of a geek. I spend almost too much time watching tv shows and movies (usually about superheroes or something similar). But one thing I love that is a little unconventional is cartoons. I would rather watch an animated tv show than a live-action show any day of the week. But why would I even like something that's rated TV-Y7? Well, I would argue that despite the rating, these shows are  not directed at children at all! In fact, most of these shows tend to garner an audience that ranges from 13-year-olds to people in their 40s.  Despite their friendly art styles and upbeat theme songs, these shows tend to tackle difficult and abstract concepts like loss, grief, family, and identity. Art gives the show creators more freedom to better express these concepts. Faces can have more expressive emotions, and different objects (like wands or even clothes) can represent motivations. Even a character learning magic can r...

  'The LEGO Batman Movie' Adaptation of the Joker is the Best One, and I Mean That Unironically          It's me again. Welcome to a new blog series called "I Hate Every Version of the Joker Except For This One.¹" This week, we're delving into the 2017 masterpiece that is The LEGO Batman Movie . However, before getting into it, I need to provide some context about its predecessor, The LEGO Movie (2014). It is necessary that I describe my previous experience of watching that movie. Don't worry, it will be short.          The LEGO Movie is one of the best films I have ever seen in my life. That's the previous experience.          Now it's time for LEGO Batman —Or, if we're changing the name to one accurate to this post, LEGO Joker. The Joker is the centerpiece in this appraisal.          Past (and, let's be honest, future) adaptations of the Joker have always been...

Holden Leder Week 4 An Idea for an Ideal School System The modern school system is riddled with problems, the core of which is a class structure that does not engage students to learn. Why is it that you don't have to ask a kid to play a video game or watch television, but you have to force them or attempt to get them excited about going to school? The answer is simple: school is not naturally engaging. Let's take this further: why isn't school engaging? One answer might be a combination of the student not learning what they are interested in and/or it is not taught in an engaging way. I believe there is a way to solve this. Although I believe in keeping some  core classes, like math, English, and history, I believe what is taught in classes like these, such as math, needs to change. Basic math would remain the same, however, courses such as trigonometry and calculus would be replaced in importance with statistics, something you would see much more in your everyday life tha...

       I recently read a fascinating article about the folding of proteins and the Artificial Intelligence applications being used to predict these protein complexes. Today, I would like to share with you what I learned about this newfound technology. Proteins, a sequence of amino acids bound together by peptide bonds, are among the most complex structures observed throughout nature. These microscopic structures can be used and are seen in all aspects of life from vaccines, to antibodies, and even blood ph regulation. They can be used to cure diseases or even clean up toxic waste if engineered correctly. This is the newfound problem being tackled by scientists and researchers around the world.     The folding of a protein is what allows it to function or become biologically active and therefore serve its intended purpose. Every day, researchers are trying to engineer new proteins to accomplish different tasks but the main issue is figuring out the correct s...

        Growing up, I’ve always been the skinny one in my family. Out of my siblings,  parents, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc, I was always known as the skinniest boy. This was not a fun title to hold, especially when it’s brought up at every Russian holiday gathering I have with family. Up until my freshman year of high school, I ignored the comments and chose not to make a change. Once I noticed all my friends starting to go to the gym, I decided to try it out. I will never forget that first workout that I had, as that was the day I discovered a new love for the gym. My original intention with the gym was just to gain weight. With time, this one intention has branched out to so many others. It doesn’t just help me with my body, but it helps me with my mental health. Every time I work out, I'm in a zone of presence, where I can escape my problems and do something for the well-being of myself. After a whole day of working, I can take an hour and use it...

Ava Eisenband Week 4 Adversity is Bad...Or is It?     Here I am, writing my blog on the bus ride back from my first 5k (3.1 miles) race of the year on the cross country team. It sure has been a while since I did my very first one in fifth grade. In fifth grade, I had no interest in running until my best friend convinced me to join the Girls on a Run team with her. Ever since then, running became a part of my life. However, this activity hasn't always been consistent with me, as sometimes I would get lazy and take long breaks from running. Something I noticed over the years is that I truly am happier when I get into a frequent running habit. This is because it is a sport that is challenging for me. I know, ironic right? Why would I be happier when I am frequently doing something that is a struggle? Life is more entertaining when you're pushing yourself; when you have something to work towards. Life without adversity is simply boring. For instance, the race was definitely a stru...

During a meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Meterologist Edward Lorenz posed his question, does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas. While this simple question was meant to spark inquires on complex systems that have unpredictable behaviors, instead it lead a branch of mathmatics called chaos theory, as well as to one of the most well know theroies associated with time travel. The way most people know the butterfly effect is under the lens of time travel. Looking at it under this lens, it’s view is almost completely differently from its original purpose. When I first learned about the butterfly effect from my dad, I heard a summary of A Sound of Thunder , a short story following a trip through time. I’m going to let you all read A Sound of Thunder yourselves as it is an amazing story, but I will share the main point of the story that I want to bring up. Once the main character returns to the future, he finds that many th...

I find it often difficult to find a TV show enjoyable for all ages. Generally, younger kids might not understand the show’s topics, or adults will find the show boring and meaningless. This is not the case for Bluey . The intended audience may be six-year-olds, but this show is enjoyable for all! Starting an episode of Bluey is less of a commitment than episodes of most shows. All Bluey episodes are only around eight minutes long, which is the perfect length for a short break from school work. This allows me to watch television in between completing work without getting side-tracked for more than half an hour. It also does not leave me wanting to watch the next five episodes to figure out what will happen in the plot, like many other shows. I do not have the best self-restraint when it comes to watching television, so these factors help with my ability to stay productive. Every Bluey episode teaches the audience an important lesson for life. This lesson is very easy to u...

 Why Enderman Are the Best Minecraft Mob, Don’t Try and Argue. In Minecraft, one of my favorite parts of the game is playing in survival mode. I admire creative players who can build enormous houses and castles by hand, but personally, I just love doing everything myself. Needing to make food and complete objectives is really what makes the game fun. Minecraft’s originality comes from its sandbox format, letting the players pick when they want to complete tasks instead of preventing them from moving on if they don’t complete a certain one. This allows for endless versions of gameplay within Minecraft.  One downside of playing in survival mode is the monsters that spawn at night. It creates a challenge for the player if they don’t sleep through the night, they have to face the monsters that appear. Monsters range from the undead, like skeletons and zombies (and different variants of them, like husks and strays), and other monsters, like spiders and creepers. My favorite monster...

My College Trip Adventure         This Tuesday and Wednesday, I got the amazing opportunity to go visit the University of Florida and Florida State University with my friends and classmates. Before this trip, I had hardly given these colleges much thought, as I was mostly just focused on one school: the University of Miami. This is because my sister goes there and after my first time visiting the school, I fell in love with it. Also, my sister's fun college stories do sound appealing. But as of this week, I got to widen my horizon of college ideas. Both schools seem like amazing choices to me if I am able to get in. But they are both special in their own way. UF, for example, is a top five school for giving excellent education to its students, who tend to find jobs more quickly after graduating. FSU is also an amazing school for its top-notch education, as well as its beautiful campus of brick walls and weeping willows. However, these colleges are not easy to get int...

Dear ADHD, You are a developmental disorder that impairs many aspects of everyday life for me and many others like me. In most people's minds, you are characterized by a little boy who cannot sit still and is challenging to manage. In reality, many different kinds of people can have you. Realistically, you don’t affect boys and girls the same way, but most people don't pay attention to that. It is estimated that one in ten girls carry you around with them, yet, statistically, only one girl acquires a diagnosis for every four boys who receive a diagnosis. In contrast to how boys will act out in class or stand and walk around to get energy out, girls retreat to their imaginations and minds as a way of dealing with their impulsivity and under-stimulation in class. Due to this difference, it is more difficult for girls to get diagnosed at a young age, causing many to remain undiagnosed for a long time.  Truthfully, you are a frustrating and isolating condition no matter the gender...

Last year and this summer I had the privilege of participating in the Jewish teen choir named Hazamir. Hazamir is an international singing group, with its chapters primarily located in the United States and Israel. In order to participate in Hazamir, one must be able to sing but the ability to sight-read is not necessary. Its music and events have led me to a larger repertoire, increased understanding of music, and more friends. I am so excited to continue singing in Hazamir this year too! Despite Hazamir’s amazing offerings, the Boca Raton Chapter is too small and needs more numbers.  Hazamir has almost weekly meetings where participants practice and learn the provided music. These practices typically last 2 hours and are very casual and fun! Last year, I became very close to the other members of my chapter through the songs we learned. Additionally, during the break from learning, I would bond with the other participants with the occasional Ice-breaker and talking.  So...

       Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sounds kinda lame, doesn’t it? It's a show that's associated with being a kid and pizza. While the concept itself is pretty ridiculous, most versions of the turtles tend to have pretty serious and dark themes. Many versions, such as the original comics, the IDW comics, and the 2012 show, have in-depth lore. This is kind of what sets the most recent TMNT show, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, apart.       Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or ROTTMNT for short, is a much lighter take on the turtles. The most obvious difference is their character design. Each turtle is based on a different species of turtle, and with wildly different designs, it is easy to tell the turtles apart. The characters have different personalities from their past counterparts, with less serious mindsets and more of a goofy demeanor. These elements all contribute to a more lighthearted feel to the show. To pair with the c...

  After a tough loss to Rosenblatt Highschool’s rival, Katz Yeshivah High, the Donna Klein Eagles were ready to fight their hardest for a spot in the playoffs, and another shot at beating Yeshivah. This last Monday was the Eagles' first game after their loss to Yeshivah and they were ready to give it their all, however, luck was not on their side. They initially planned to play Hebrew Academy all the way in Miami at 3:30 pm. That meant that the Eagles would have to have left campus at 2:00 pm in order to make it to the game on time and have enough time to warm up. They Were able to leave their campus at 2:00 on the dot but soon ran into traffic not even five minutes after their departure. The Eagles initially thought that there was just a minor accident along the road and that they would move along quickly and make their way to face off Hebrew Academy, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. With their luck, the holdup was actually because of a vehicle that contained explosi...

I have two dogs: Roco and Chelsea. Roco is a ten-year-old golden doodle with no  understanding of the world. Chelsea is a rescue. We adopted her on November 10th, 2018, about four years ago. We were told that she was abandoned by her previous family with their two other dogs; they were left alone for about a week with limited food before being rescued. When we got her, she was extremely skinny, weighing about 60, 65 pounds; now, she is closer to 85 pounds.  Chels when we first adopted her ^ There have been multiple instances where it's obvious Chels is a rescue and Roco is not. One example is leaving the house; Taco loves taking every chance to escape, and Chelsea absolutely despises leaving our house. She used to hide in my room whenever people visited, but now she is a little more comfortable with guests. She’ll tentatively come downstairs to say hello and possibly hang around afterward. In contrast, Roco will not leave other people alone unless they greet him back. Even aft...

     Kids in our technologically advanced society spend much less time outdoors. A computer game can be tempting after a long day at school, but it is not the best thing to do, and it can even be harmful. The alternative I've adopted over the past few years is to get outside and go on a photo adventure with my camera. It's so relaxing to take a hike in nature. This past weekend, I went to the everglades at sunrise. I was able to find deer, alligators, and small birds. Watching nature wake up to the sunrise was a great way to start my day. I even brought a friend who wanted to understand why I liked going on these walks, and he realized how amazing being in nature could be. It is surprising to many people how close wildlife can be to their homes. Two of my favorite wetlands to go to are just 20 minutes away from my house. Neighborhoods with ponds can also feature plentiful wildlife. I have seen alligators and river otters in local neighborhood ponds. River otters are so cu...

  Video games are shrouded with mixed opinions and views on their effects on ages young and old. Additionally, they have been subject to the common stigmas of “they’re bad for you” or “they rot your brain”. These ideas are mainly voiced by adults who don’t experience the world that these games provide to teens and adults alike. Video games can lift your spirits, excite you, and recharge your body to apply a new look on whatever problems you may face. In my eyes, video games have a positive power that can be shared if appropriately used. I’ve grown up with video games since very little but from a very young age was always limited to the amount of time I could spend on the console. Whether it was only on weekends or one hour a day, I always enjoyed every second I spent playing Lego Star wars, Mario, or whatever multiplayer game my brother was willing to play with me. Moving forward to the present, I still play lots of video games and I believe that when used properly at the right t...