World Peace

I believe in world peace, but I do not think it is possible at the moment. It is a worthy cause because peace and amity among all the peoples of the world would be healing for a strife-ridden world, and would save the thousands who die as a result every year. I do not think it possible because conflicts have and will always arise between nations of people who consider themselves different from "others". Though we are all one human race, the majority of the people in the world identify as a part of one group that is separate from all others. These identities can cause conflict when groups see themselves as above others or see others as intruding on their claimed land. Until the world claims one global identity, which is not possible, world peace will not happen.
For the goal of world peace, I could work as an ambassador in other countries or connect with teenagers all over the world to form international bonds that span over nationalities. These bonds would strengthen the connection between countries because if the majority of the population were to feel connected to another country's people, violence against that country or actions detrimental to that country would not be received favorably by the population. I would be willing to attempt to meet and connect with teens from other countries to try to foster relationships around the world. Even though we all claim different identities, we are all fundamentally the same, and the state of the world should reflect that.

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After discussion, I found out that all of my classmates agreed with me on the fact that world peace was not possible. However, after talking about how world peace might not mean the end of conflict all over the world, but instead the end of the violence used to resolve those conflicts, I started thinking that maybe world peace would be possible. Though we are all an insignificant part of the world if we act alone, if we collaborate to understand and respect each other's beliefs, we have a much greater chance at creating world peace.

Watch a moving talk about the goal of creating world peace here

Caine's Arcade

The Internet changed 9-year old Caine's life by spreading the word from his previously ignored arcade to an unprecedented amount of people. Through Facebook and Reddit, hundreds of people traveled to Caine's arcade and played his games. Without the Internet, no one would have heard of his arcade and it would still be unknown, with one lone customer.

"Being connected" has both advantages and disadvantages. It can be extremely positive because spreading the word of events is much easier and it is possible to reach a much higher amount of people than by word of mouth or snail mail alone. There are negatives, however. Sometimes publicity can be unwanted, leading to large amounts of people knowing something intended to be private. Also, the wrong information can be published or information can be skewed to create a negative perception of an originally positive thing.

Internet connection can be extremely useful in helping me to promote my brand. As an artist, the best way to allow people to see my artwork is to give them access to all of my work at one time. With a website, all of my art could be hosted in one place. In addition, circulating word about events that I am taking place in as an artist could entice more people to attend my events and increase my popularity.

Watch Caine's Arcade here

All Your Devices Can Be Hacked

Avi Rubin gave a Ted talk recently about how interconnectness because of wi-fi and other high-tech devices has allowed breaches in security and privacy, which serious repercussions for our safety, health, and personal information. Watch his speech below.

Avi Rubin on "How All Your Devices Can Be Hacked"

This video shocked me. I was aware of the increasing complexity and efficiency of technological gadgets, but I had not previously known that hackers or other people with dishonorable intentions had the power to fatally injure me, steal my information, and ruin my property, all without ever coming into direct contact with me.

The most alarming part of the video to me was the part showing how various medical devices could be corrupted with technology outside of the person's body. Fatal heart rhythms can be established or a heart's pace can be changed with the aid of simple tools readily available to anyone in a store. The knowledge that someone has the power to seriously injure me or end my life without ever laying a hand on me.

There are many potential dangers that accompany this technology. Car crashes and speeding tickets can result from wirelessly disabled brakes or a malfunctioning speedometer. Lives can be lost through ruined medical devices. Government and security agency communications can be intercepted and used against us.

Artifact Speech Hook

Imagine a fuzzy creature with electric blue fur. A creature with bug eyes and a gigantic head that dwarfs its body. A creature that has the power to connect two friends a country apart. This is no fairy tale creature. This is Bubbles, a stuffed animal that I received from my dearest friend, seen just once a year.

Tunes to Live By

Carpe Diem
Green Day
The song Carpe Diem inspires me to seize the day. Green Day's main message in the song is to embrace your youth and live life to the fullest while you can. This has taught me to stop waiting for 'something' to happen and get up and make it happen instead. I tend to wait for things to happen to me in lieu of creating experiences and opportunities for myself. By listening to Carpe Diem, I have learned that it is crucial to take control of your time and be active in living in the present.

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) listen
Kelly Clarkson
In my relatively brief life I have experienced various hardships and trying situations. During a rough patch, the temptation to give in to despair is strong, but it is important to stay strong and persevere. Clarkson's song sends the message that even the negative or difficult events have an impact in shaping you and making you a better person. Stronger has inspired me to view even difficult events as changing me into a wiser and kinder person, and to sustain myself through trials because they will eventually give way to better situations and I will emerge a more resilient and keener person.

Express Yourself listen
Madonna
When Madonna sings her song Express Yourself, she is crooning about the importance of staying true to yourself and letting the world see the real you. As an artist when self-consciousness takes over it can be tempting to retreat into a shell and hide my uniqueness away. Madonna's words of wisdom inspire me to let my creativity shine to others by creating innovative work or displaying pieces in public. Listening to Express Yourself, I have gained the knowledge that showing myself to the world will be beneficial, because I will both release my creativity and others will get to realize what I truly represent.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' listen
Michael Jackson
It is easy to sit back and allow others to create new things and take on new projects, joining only when it is convenient. However, by being passive and not initiating events, you lose out on many wonderful ideas and their resulting benefits. Due to shyness, I have struggled with reluctance to begin projects out of fear that others will not enjoy my finished project or will ridicule it. Jackson's song preaches the importance of beginning your own things. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' reminds me that though risk is avoided by never initiating anything, substansial benefits and enjoyment are also lost.

Beautiful Day listen
U2
U2's song Beautiful Day conveys the message that every day is a gift and should be enjoyed as such. Many people in today's society, myself included, tend to fall into patterns of negativity, being pessimistic about many things. When I look at the world around me, it is easy to pick out the negative aspects that bother me and ignore all the others. After listening to Beautiful Day, I am reminded to look at all of the blessings afforded to me in life and be thankful for all that I have been given.

Just the Way You Are
Bruno Mars
Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars is a love song telling a girl that is she perfect the way she is and that she does not need to change anything to improve herself. This is an important message in today's world of social media because many young people feel that they are inadequate after seeing photoshopped images of models on TV and in magazines. When I look at a common fashion magazine, it is easy to quickly compare myself to all of the images I see, which are usually not realistic images of healthy people. When I listen to Just the Way You Are, I remember that other people will see my positive attributes and I should love myself exactly the way I am. Bruno Mars's song has taught me that I do not need to change myself for anyone else, because the right people will like me for who I truly am.

More Than A Stuffed Creature

An artifact from my past that holds a special meaning to me is a stuffed animal that was given to me by a friend from the sleep-away camp that I attend every year in Maine, Forest Acres. My closest friend while at camp presented me with this stuffed creature on my first day of my second year at camp to celebrate another fun summer together. 

I have been the proud owner of this creature, whom I dubbed Bubbles because of his bright cyan color and rounded appearance, for three years, since 2009. Bubbles symbolizes a unique bond between my friend and me. Even though we remain separated for the majority of the year, we maintain a constant contact and are extremely close. 

When she gave me Bubbles as a present, my friend cemented our friendship through a gift given in good faith, without expectation of reciprocation. To me, Bubbles’ meaning is that friendship is able to endure through long periods of time and can extend over long distances. Regardless of the fact that we had spent ten months apart after only meeting briefly, my friend was appreciative enough of my devotion to her that she bestowed a token of her affection to me.

 Before camp had started that second year, I had worried that the friendships I’d created my first year would have faded over time. Her gift cemented our friendship and reassured me that no amount of time of distance could drive us apart. I keep Bubbles to this day because he reminds me of the power of mutual respect and amicability. When I gaze upon his chubby face, I am brought back to the day when I was touched by the generosity of a still-new friend and reminded of our unbreakable bond.

My First Public Speech

Today in Personal Branding I had the opportunity to give my first formal public speech.  I had never given a public speech, besides small presentations of projects in elementary and middle school. I drew the topic randomly, and the topic I chose was "the three foods that you would eat forever". I decided on pizza, sandwiches, and ice cream because you can create many different flavors with the same ingredient base by adding different toppings.
Overall, I thought I did pretty well in my speech. I think I could have made more eye contact with the audience while I was speaking, and it felt like my speech was a bit too rushed and I could have taken my time with each word. However, I did stay on topic and I managed to meet the time requirements and complete all of the required elements, such as stating my name and grade, and saying 'thank you' at the end. Once I got started, giving the speech was easier than I thought it would be. I had anticipated feeling awkward and possibly freezing up while giving my speech. However, while talking, I started to feel less scared and more confident.
After reflecting on my topic with more time, I wish I had mentioned how ice cream, pizza, and sandwiches could all be considered 'healthy' foods. Ice cream can have nuts added for protein and fruit for nutrients and fiber. Pizza has tomato sauce, which is a fruit/vegetable depending on which way you look at it, and cheese, which has calcium. Sandwiches can have lettuce and tomato for a serving of vegetables, meats or peanut butter for protein, and cheese for calcium. It would have been interesting to twist three foods that people do not normally think of as 'healthy' into 'balanced' foods that incorporate many different food groups.

-Laura Cegarra