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Jaiganesh Nagarajan - Week 8 - American Board Games

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  America has gone through many years with a wide variety of board games. Some popular ones being catan, sorry, monopoly, and candy land. While all these games have a similar goal, to outlast all your opponents, they all have their own respective rules and the way people played them while growing up adds to our identity and personality. The board games mentioned above are ones I found myself playing as I grew up and there were many more like Uno, Jenga, Catan, and Clue. The more I went through elementary and middle the less often I would play these games and I really only revisited them during quarantine where me and my friends would play online since we were bored.  The more people grow up the more these games do not have use anymore. I still have an unopened game of clues from 4 years ago since no one plays it anymore. While they may have lost their purpose, the memories people made from them is what makes them special. And there are still more and more games that are being made to
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Syrine Ben Ayed - Week 8 - The Roaring EV Revolution

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The lively tunes of the jazz ensemble flow through the chilly night air, carrying with them the carefree spirit of night. Flappers flail their arms and swing their legs, intoxicated by the invigorating aura of the evening.  Amidst this chaos, the roaring of an engine sounds outside, as a Rolls Royce of rich beige and nickel parks into the driveway beside a Ford–automobiles of the 1920s; symbols of freedom, progress, and prosperity. With the economic boom and a growing consumer-based market, the Roaring Twenties saw a parallel era of automotive revolution. The period witnessed a surge in automobile production, as individuals eagerly invested in this means of freedom and adventure upon the open road. The automotive industry had faced unprecedented growth, and a century later, the industry continues to soar with success. It is no longer absorbed in the glamor of combustion engines, which have proven to be detrimental to our home, however; instead, it looks toward a greener future promoted
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Emily Gan Week 8 - American Cartoons

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  I LOVE AMERICAN CARTOONS LIKE PBS KIDS THAT’S MY JAM. My favorites growing up were Wild Kratts (my brother's favorite of course), Clifford the Big Red Dog (mainly because the main lead's name is Emily too), Curious George, Martha Speaks, and Word Girl. I would spend all my time watching those shows, from the second I got home from school to dinner time.  Although these cartoons are different in topics and characters, they all teach the same morals, which I believe to be the epitome of American ideals. They always preach to be independent, hardworking, and caring. I feel like Wild Kratts is the perfect example of all those morals at once in all the episodes. Chris and Martin (the main characters of Wild Kratts) go around saving animals from danger, showing care for others and the environment around them. They work hard to teach kids about all the fascinating creatures around the world, all while using teamwork to complete independent tasks to come together to defeat a common
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Bill Wang - Week 8 - The Pizza Index

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The Pizza Index According to the ancient archives, legend has it that in the late 20th century, a newly appointed divination medium would descend upon the world. Red stars are visible in its visage, and its body is one of glittering fields of gold. Below the gold lies a sea of blood, viscous in thickness, but so pleasant in the smell that the lesser-willed man cannot help but wish to walk over and drown themselves. The object lies flat: a perfect sphere in two dimensions, but barely visible in three. It is born in a prison of flame and stone but is released into the world to run amok by human greed. But its reign is not eternal. It is doomed to die an agonizing death: to be dismantled by an army of hands; to be shredded and split in chunks of flesh to flesh itself and steel; to watch itself become consumed and cannibalized by its parents, its creators, in an inevitable outburst of madness and gratification. ( https://www.dominos.com/en/pages/order/menu#!/menu/category/specialty-pizzas/
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Jayden Szeto - Week 8 - The Importance of Extracurriculars in American Education

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The Importance of Extracurriculars in American Education Growing up, I had always heard stories about the intense academic focus in schools outside the U.S.—places where extracurricular activities were basically an afterthought, something students did not even have during their time in high school. My relatives who went to school in countries such as China painted a picture about a world where school was mainly about textbooks and tests. In their eyes, activities like sports, arts, or clubs were simply distractions from the “real” purpose of school; I mean, having extracurricular activities did not even help improve your chances of getting into a college. All you had to do was to do good on one test that would determine whether or not you got into a good college.  Here in America, however, it's a different story. In my years in America, the end of the school day was not even the real end of the day; it was just a transition to another part of my education—extracurricular activities
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Liya Abil- Week 8- Approaching the Holidays

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I love the holidays. I especially love how much America cares about the holidays. The moment December begins, houses are decorated and lit up, stores are overflowing with holiday decor, and Christmas trees are put up in every mall. These small acts are able to spread happiness and the holiday spirit.  The effort that people put into making the holidays feel magical is able to connect everyone. They are able to bring people together: Older siblings come home from college to celebrate with their families. Friends go out to ice skate or stay in and exchange presents. Communities join together in order to watch their city’s tree being lit.  The main holidays celebrated in America during this time are Christmas, Hanukkah, and a few others that come from different religions and cultures. We are so lucky and advantaged to live in an inclusive country with religious freedom as all of these occasions can be celebrated together. Despite celebrating different things, simply the holiday spirit can
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Peter Shr - Week 8 - American Entertainment

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 The USA’s focus on entertainment is huge, representing a third of the 2.32 trillion USD global media and entertainment industry. This reflects not only the prominence of entertainment within American society but also the scope of Americanization throughout the world. But how did the US come to have such a large entertainment industry? I think it comes to the nation’s abundant resources and its emphasis on artistic freedom. The late 1800s was a time of rapid technological advancement, hope, and expanding mass culture. The time of relative peace gave countries the freedom to pursue entertainment. The earliest films began in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were black and white, silent, and had simple plots. This radical new form of entertainment displayed everyday events as well as singing, dancing, and music and quickly gained popularity. Theaters thrived with moving films projected by the Vitascope, one of the many devices Edison’s company made to satisfy the American public. Holl
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