The blogging process has definitely been my favorite part of this class this year. It has been so fun to write about things that I’m passionate about, and especially entertaining to read what my friends are interested in as well. I can safely say that I sometimes read them for fun, even when it wasn’t assigned. The blogging process for me has taught me a lot about being a writer. It has shown me that I can make something out of nothing and allowed me to channel my creativity and dig deep into what I really love, finding ways to express my passions to others. My favorite blog to write was probably my to-do list blog. It was just so much fun and it was such a fun topic that wasn’t really that complicated, but I was still able to make something out of it. The one I am most proud of is “get in the car – taylor swift’s folklore love triangle explained”. This is one of my favorite albums, and the meaning behind each song was something that really intrigued me, so, it was fun to put the pieces together about something that I loved so much. I’m proud of this blog because I’ve never gone deeper into the meaning of songs like I did with this album.

The book I read for my voices project was “The White Tiger” which followed a man from a lower caste in India who worked as a servant for an upper caste family and his corrupt methods to becoming a successful entrepreneur in a harsh and violent caste discriminating society. I would totally recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the caste system and seeing the cycle of corrupt society. Especially through my research on the voices project, I came to realize that the caste system in India, while more blunt and surface level, is very similar to racial discrimination prevalent in America. I made a lot of connections between the two and the constant generational cycle of the lack of social mobility and opportunity that was present in both societies became increasingly clear to me through this project, and I thought that application to something outside of India’s caste system was very interesting . 

Finally, as we wrap up our last few days of high school, I want to reflect on the past four years and what I have learned through NNHS and this community. The biggest thing that I will take away from NNHS are the opportunities I had to grow as a leader. From freshman year, whether it was in class, a club, or a sport, I have had the opportunity to guide others and be someone that they can come to for anything. As I grew into many leadership roles by my senior year, I truly just hope that I was able to have a positive impact on the underclassmen that I worked with and I was able to be a role model for them, giving them someone to look up to. Some advice I would give to seniors is truly take every opportunity that comes your way. You may not realize it at the time, but there are so many additional opportunities that come with each thing you do. For example, when I joined the golf team, I had no idea what I would get out of it. But since then, I have not only found a new community and sport that I am passionate about, but I had the opportunity to be the captain of our team, be a Top Dawg, be nominated for 2 prestigious student athlete scholarships at our school, and more. Your work here doesn’t go unnoticed, and I suggest that you give this school your 100%, because it will give its 100% right back to you. 

For my final blog of the school year, I thought it would be fitting to talk about one of my favorite high school memories: the FIRST Robotics World Championship that takes place in Houston, Texas every year.  I just came back from my final championship competition, and I want to share what an amazing experience I have every year. While a robotics competition may sound incredibly nerdy to some, the organization, FIRST, prides themselves on being ‘More Than Robots’. FIRST focuses on inclusion, innovation, teamwork, problem solving, and Gracious Professionalism (a FIRST term that is a way of doing things that encourages high quality work and emphasizes the value of respecting others and the community). I have been a part of FIRST since I was 7, joining a robotics team every single year from the elementary level all the way up to the high sc

hool level. More than any other thing that I have been a part of in my life, FIRST has taught me more technical and professional skills and provided me with a community that I will look back at and utilize for the rest of my life. 

 

Now that you have a little background on FIRST (and my clear passion for it), let me talk about Houston. The convention takes place at the George R Brown Convention Center in Downtown Houston every year. It has a nice green area outside of the convention center where all of the food trucks line up, a massive convention center with 3 arenas, one for each level of FIRST, a college and career fair, an innovation fair, around 20 conference rooms with professional development and networking conferences happening throughout the 4 days, and my personal favorite part, 2 (TWO!) Starbucks’ in the a

rea. 

 

Competition 

This year more than previous years, because I am part of the “Pit Crew” I spent most of my time in the actual competition area. Fixing our robot’s damages, preparing it for matches, and then watching our matches throughout the competition is how I spent most of my time. We were ranked 12th out of 75 teams in our division, but still ended up being selected by the bottom seeded alliance. While originally very disappointing, we ended up being incredibly successful; we lost our first elimination match and moved to the lower bracket, where it was then upset after upset. We were the 8th alliance and we beat the 4th, 6th, 2nd, and 1st alliances to advance to the finals. We then won the final matches to win the entire division! This was the most success our team has ever had in our history:  in previous years we hadn’t ever won an elimination match, and this year we won the entire division! The winners of each division play on the “Einstein” field, which is the championship field where the winners of all 8 divisions play each other to name a world champion. As a member of the pit crew, I had the opportunity to be on the field when our robot competed. This was a surreal experience, because unlike the division playoffs, now,  the entire arena was watching our match. This is tens of thousands of people. For my senior year as one of the leaders who created this robot, I would say it’s not a bad way to end my robotics career.

Conferences

Another one of my favorite parts of  this convention are the conferences. They have robotics related conferences, networking events, and professional development conferences. This year, one of the ones I went to was called “From Pit Crew to Job Market”, where I learned how to leverage the things I have learned through robotics and apply them to a job and how I could use it to my advantage in an interview. This year I took the opportunity to connect with the person who ran the conference. He asked to see our robot and watch one of our matches; it became both an informational and networking opportunity for me! 

 

Entertainment 

One of the best parts of this convention are the two hours we spend on the green after the event is over for the day. There are close to 15 food trucks lined up along the green, and all of the teams hangout there with field games and music. This is always fun because it is such a nice way to relax with my friends and meet new people. This year I actually met up with my future college roommate during this time because she lived in the area! 

Overall, Huskie Robotics and this Championship is by far my favorite high school memory, and this year was definitely one for the books.

I’m writing this blog on my 8 hour bus ride from Naperville to Kansas City for our Robotics tournament. So, I thought it would be fitting to write my blog on my personal favorite things to do on road trips. Recently, I have been the one driving on our road trips because I get very car sick and driving distracts me, but because this was a bus, I was forced to occupy myself in other ways. This road trip was a little different, because I was accompanied by 13 of my teammates to keep me company and keep the trip entertaining, but the gist of things to do stays around the same. 

There are some things that I cannot go without when it comes to a road trip. The first is a perfectly curated playlist. I always make a playlist with my current favorite songs that I know I will want to play on repeat. The second is a soda. Not only does the carbonation help my stomach, but it just makes the ride so much more enjoyable. Last is snacks. No explanation needed. 

Here are some of my favorite things to do when I’m on a road trip. 

1. Curl up with a book: I never enjoy reading, but something about road trips always gravitates me toward a good book. There’s something soothing about the time just passing you by as you read a good story. I have been reading my voices book on this trip, “The White Tiger”. 
2. Play games: My past couple of road trips have been right through Southern Illinois into the plain states of the country. As a result, I have encountered many many cows. I came up with this game with my cousins a couple years ago, and now I play itwith my robotics team on long trips. The game is called “those are my cows” and everytime you see a herd of cows, you have to scream “those are my cows!”. If you scream it first you get one cow. Then, when you pass a church, you scream “marry my cows”, and if you are the first to scream it you get to double the number of cows that you currently have. If you pass a graveyard, and you are the first to scream “kill those cows”, you get to choose one person to send back to zero. The person with the highest number of cows at the end of the trip wins. Another popular one is Game Pigeon. I had 8ball games going on with 4 different people during this trip. A great way to stay entertained. 
3. Journal: I personally find it really difficult to do actual homework on a moving bus (I’m struggling to write this blog right now). But, I do find it really easy to sit down with a journal and begin writing. I’ve written stories, diary entries, doodles, and so much more. It is a very relaxing way to pass the time. 
4. Watch TV: Of course, no road trip is complete without some TV or a movie. On our trip, the people on my bus watched Anyone But You and an Avengers movie, but we need something to keep us entertained when our eyes start to hurt from reading. 
5. Nap: This is my favorite thing to do on long car rides. Though I have to keep switching positions because no position is comfortable for too long, while the bus is moving, it becomes so easy to fall asleep. 

I am very surprised that I was able to do all of these things within my 8 hours on the bus, but I have to say that each thing made the ride a little more bearable and made the time move a little faster. While I do still enjoy being the driver on long rides, I know I will always have these things to fall back on to keep me entertained. 

 

A glimpse through an interstice caught,

Of a crowd of workmen and drivers in a bar-room around the stove late of a winter night, and I unremark’d seated in a corner,

Of a youth who loves me and whom I love, silently approaching and seating himself near, that he may hold me by the hand,

A long while amid the noises of coming and going, of drinking and oath and smutty jest,

There we two, content, happy in being together, speaking little, perhaps not a word.

 

Starting with the first line itself, the word “interstice” stood out to me, because I had no idea what it meant. Regardless, I continued with the rest of the poem in hopes that things would come together. From the first line itself, I was unable to keep up with the speaker. The sentence structure and interesting word choice did not make sense, and I also could not dissect what the dynamic of the relationship present in the poem was. 

  After my first read, I googled the definition; interstice means “an intervening space, especially a very small one”. This gave me the idea that this was a very deliberate interaction, and that the narrator was peeking, or spying almost, in order to catch a glimpse of the person they were looking for. I also noticed the interesting sentence structure in the first line. The technical subject would be “a glimpse through an interstice” which was caught. But the narrator remains unnamed, even though they were the one that actually caught the glimpse. I believe that this was to allow the reader to assume the position of the narrator, and feel as though this interaction is between the person in the poem and themselves. 

I caught onto an exchanged interaction between two people, but Whitman’s use of the word “youth” in line 4 drew my attention. I originally thought that this was an interaction between two lovers, but maybe it is an interaction between a person and his younger self, or a friend of some sort. The ambiguity of the relationship dynamic is an interesting choice by Whitman, and something that I had difficulty understanding. Whitman made it clear that there was a deep connection, but never provided explicit details as to what that connection was. Since he has already allowed the reader to assume the position of a narrator, it makes it easier for this relationship to be left up to interpretation. The last line, “content, happy in being together, speaking little, perhaps not a word” makes one thing clear about the relationship: it transcends verbal communication. They find solace in each other’s presence. When I first read this poem, this was very clear to me. Whitman set the scene by explaining the noise and chaos of their surroundings, but made it clear that their interaction did not need to be loud. As I navigated the ambiguity of this relationship, I stopped trying to understand whether it was platonic or romantic, and began to focus more on how the connection plays a role in the poem as a whole. 

One other thing that was very complex for me to understand was the use of “unremark’d”. The way this word was used, it almost sounded like a verb. To be completely honest, I blanked on what this word meant when I first read through the poem, but the fact that it was spelled like this stood out to me. It seems like Whitman is trying to say that he went unnoticed in the bar, but I wonder why he structured the sentence in such a way that made it sound like an action. The spelling of the word felt very disjointed to me, almost as if the speaker is trying to detach themselves from the rest of the noise and chaos around them and focus solely on the “youth” in front of them. They remain very uninvolved in the scene that is being set, but is there merely as an observer. 

After deciphering many of the structural choices that Whitman made in this poem, I did a little research to find some background information. This poem was written in 1860, around the time of the civil war. This was a time of significant change in America, and I think that the scene Whitman is setting, by being able to stay focused on one person among all of the noise around him is symbolic of staying close to your beliefs and values as America went through a significant industrial, political, and cultural change during this time. 

 

If you’ve been on social media recently, you’ve probably heard people share their “2024 ins and outs”. This is essentially another take on a new year’s resolution, but not only does it include things people want to do during the year, but also bad habits that they want to cut out. The ultimate goal of this is to verbalize and lay out the habits you would like to develop and get rid of for the year. In the spirit of our first blog for 2024, a big year for us seniors as we move onto the next phase of our lives, I wanted to share some of my ins and outs for the year. 

Ins: 

1. Focus: I have always struggled with being inattentive. I struggle to sit and work for long periods of time without getting distracted. I can’t even sit through an episode of TV without going on my phone in between or playing a game while I watch. This year, since finding the right studying habits and work ethic is crucial to starting my college experience off strong, I hope to find some techniques that work well for me to build my focus including meditation and mindfulness to calm my mind.
2. Reading: I have never been a big reader. While I appreciate all of the things literature has to offer, I cannot get myself to focus long enough to make it through a book and I always find myself wanting to do something different. I am well aware of all of reading’s benefits for the brain and for my lifestyle, so I hope to get through 1 book a month (starting small!) this year. 
3. Living in the moment: The constant question of where life is going to take me this year occupies my mind more than I’d like to admit. But as college decision season is among us and we are second semester seniors, I am beginning to realize that constantly thinking ahead makes me miss out on the precious moments right in front of me, and I continue to worry about things that aren’t in my control. My friend once told me that “he who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary”, the only thing I get from worrying about things that haven’t happened is an increased heart rate. 

 

Outs:

1. Saying sorry: Now, I don’t mean never saying sorry because I’m still a good person. But, I have a horrible habit of saying sorry after every little thing regardless of whether it’s my fault. This is something I really think needs to be worked on before I go to college so that people don’t think I’m a pushover and I am able to hold my ground as I face the real Computer Science world. While this has been an increasingly difficult feat given my people pleasing personality, I’m slowly becoming mentally stronger and I’ve found that it’s serving me well, especially in environments such as robotics or my computer science extracurriculars. 
2. Soda: This year I’ve made it a point to avoid soda. My constant desire for carbonation and a fun drink wi
   th me has led me to consume a lot more soda than I have in the past, and I’m hoping to cut that habit this year. I’ve found that sparkling water and Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand that mimics the taste of popular sodas such as Coke and Sprite, have been good replacements and make my sensitive stomach feel so much better than regular soda ever did.
3. Comparison: “Maybe the grass is greener on the other side because it’s fake”. I’ve come to realize that everybody is fighting their own demons that no one else knows about, and comparing myself to anyone else is pointless because we are all living under different circumstances and situations. All I can control is what I do with what I was given and make the most out of my own situation. As a result, I am making an effort to cut out comparison between myself and anyone else. 

 

Overall, I hope that these small habits can help me greatly improve my lifestyle before I begin college! 

As grueling as college applications have been, I have found that talking about my interests, personality, and experiences is actually really enjoyable. As I look back on all of the challenging, hectic, and stressful experiences this semester has brought me, writing these blogs gave me the opportunity to talk about my own interests and experiences with absolutely no pressure at all, and free reign over what I wanted to talk about, and I absolutely loved it.  

Reflecting on the blogs I crafted during this semester, I marvel at the journey I’ve undertaken as a writer and a reader. Over the course of the semester, I have learned so much simply by scrolling through the class blogs. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing about everyone’s unique experiences, rankings, and opinions on a variety of topics. Not only has it been fun to read others, but coming up with topics of my choice to write about gave me the opportunity to highlight some of the topics that have interested me the most recently. 

My favorite blog to write was “The Art of the To-Do List”, which unveiled my personal secrets behind this seemingly mundane task. At the start of the semester, flooded with college applications and school work, the to-do list profoundly impacted my daily life and productivity. It also became a great way to motivate myself and my friends. This piece allowed me to intertwine my personal experience with an informative topic that many people found useful. I found joy in unraveling the intricacies of something that seemed so simple, and loved being able to include my friends and their experiences in the blog as well. Some of the key selling points of my to do list races were found as I was writing the blog itself. For example, while my initial intention was to boost productivity, I discovered that the competitive nature of my friends and I injected a much needed element of excitement into completing our tasks. In writing this blog I reshaped my perception of my work as a dynamic and engaging process rather than just a series of mundane tasks and obligations.

Throughout the semester, I noticed my writing style was able to adapt depending on the topic I chose to discuss. For example, while my blog on Taylor Swift was written in a more analytical tone, where I discussed the lyrics and their implications of her album, folklore, my blog on my top 10 Taco Bell items was written much more casually. Not only did this allow me to take a more formal and analytical approach to a non-traditional topic such as an album, but I tried out multiple styles of writing. This adaptability in my writing is something that I hope I can continue to develop as I approach different topics throughout the second semester. I believe that being able to shift my writing style is incredibly important so that I can expand the topics that I write about across multiple genres. 

I actually really enjoyed reading other people’s blogs a lot. I feel like I really learned a lot about my classmates by seeing what they wrote about, and I was able to learn a lot about their personality just by analyzing their writing style. By reading through blogs I found new music to listen to, new activities and foods to try, and tips on productivity, motivation, and more. The most interesting fact that I learned (which I still cannot wrap my head around) is that there actually aren’t 24 hours in a day, thanks for that Matt. 

This semester has been filled with so many memories that I will never forget. The biggest thing that I have learned this semester with college applications is that some things are really just not in our control. I cannot change what classes I took my freshman year, what clubs I decided to join, or what internships I could’ve had. Rather, I should focus on what I can change, and have faith that I will end up exactly where I am meant to be. As college decisions begin to come in, I will keep this mentality close to me and enjoy every second of my last semester of high school. 

I’m not sure that I would put myself amongst hardcore music fanatics, but I have definitely spent a large portion of my life not only listening to music, but exploring different genres and artists. The 41,663 minutes I spent on Spotify this year consisted of 728 different artists and 2,156 different songs, all carefully curated onto many playlists that I rotate through during the year. In honor of Spotify Wrapped coming out, I thought I would share the playlists that I have made, when I listen to them, and some songs that I feel truly complete the experience. 

for the am: This playlist is my driving to school playlist, a musical sanctuary for early in the morning when my brain cannot handle Drake’s mastermind lyrics and sharp voice. I find solace and comfort in this playlist because these songs are the perfect blend of tranquility and renewal, setting the perfect tone for the day ahead. Aligned with the cadence of the sunrise, these tunes slowly prepare me for the bustling routine of the day ahead. This playlist gives me a sense of safety that no other blend of songs can provide, reassuring me each morning that I can always come back to this playlist to find peace. Some songs that I truly feel complete this playlist include “About You” by 1975, “Look After You” by The Fray, “Chasing Cars” by The Snow Patrol, “illicit affairs” by Taylor Swift, and “Miserable Man” by David Kushner. These songs hold a special place inmy heart that cannot be found with other music, and my drives to school have become one of my favorite parts of the day. Recently, I have found myself shuffling this playlist throughout school as well, because amongst the stress of college applications and finals season this playlist calms me down. I would say this is probably my favorite playlist at the moment and the songs are absolutely top tier.

 

best of the best: I have this playlist on shuffle almost all the time. As my number one mood booster, this playlist is the pulse of my daily rhythm. This playlist is dominated by Drake, one of my all time favorite artists, and accompanied by a lot of Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and 21 Savage. This playlist, filled with songs that I can’t resist screaming and a beat that plays on constant repeat in my head has become a personal hype playlist in every facet of life. In the hallways, in the car, in the shower, this playlist amplifies every moment with an infectious energy. This blend of music has transformed mundane tasks into exhilarating experiences. Some honorable mentions from this playlist include “Still Think About You” by Boogie (my number one track for 2023), “Headlines” by Drake, “Pipe Down” by Drake, and “Heyy” by Lil Baby. The beats and verses of this playlist have not only been my personal soundtrack, but have drawn me and one of my best friends, Sriya, closer together. These songs have become a bonding thread and an integral part of our journey together, and I cherish the moments we have had surrounding our favorite music.  The “best of the best” playlist is not just a bunch of tracks, but rather a cadence of my daily hustle and the perfect way to bring good energy when I’m down.

 

 

 

taylor swift supremacy: If you know me at all (or have ever heard mine and Josefine’s daily conversations about Taylor at the start of Lit class), you know that I absolutely adore Taylor Swift. I was never a huge fan, but after going with my cousin to the Eras tour over the summer, I completely understood everyone’s obsession with her music. Since then I have eagerly followed the re-releases of her old albums and have found myself obsessing over her and her life. Taylor came in as my #1 artist on Spotify this year, because since June to now, she has been there for every possible situation. I wish I could find the words to explain the effect Taylor’s music has on so many people around the world. If I need to cry, scream, dance; in the shower, in the car, in the hallways, with friends; Taylor Swift has music for all of it. I am in awe of the way she turned her life around and took back her music, and for that reason, Taylor has rightfully earned the number one spot on millions of users’ Spotify Wrapped and deserves a whole playlist dedicated to her. Some honorable mentions from this playlist are “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”, Forever & Always, “illicit affairs” (again), and “exile (ft. Bon Iver)”.

 

 

Overall, music is a sanctuary for me and I dedicate so much of my productivity and my lifestyle to the music I listen to. It has brought me closer to people and given me an outlet, and I hope that some of these songs can resonate with you as they have with me. 

If you’ve ever found yourself on a quest for mouthwatering, affordable, and undeniably addictive fast food, Taco Bell is the place to be.  In the world of fast-food options, Taco Bell has carved out its own unique and exciting niche, serving up an amazing menu that caters to the cravings of millions

I’m excited to take you on a scrumptious journey through my personal top 10 Taco Bell items, each bite more delightful than the last. As a forewarning, the only meat I eat at Taco Bell is chicken, so you’ll see some of those and some vegetarian options, but most of these can be made with any meat, so keep that in mind. 

10) Doritos Locos Taco

The Doritos Locos Taco just makes the list as it is one of Taco Bell’s signature items that combine everything good about both Doritos and Tacos. This is a true testament to Taco Bell’s knack for redefining the fast food landscape with inventive twists on the classics. While the crunch and flavor of this taco is undeniably enjoyable, it’s the comparatively straightforward nature of this item that nudged it to the bottom of the list.

9) Spicy Potato Soft Taco 

This one dollar delicacy always hits. With the perfect kick in the potatoes and the creamy chipotle sauce, you’ll get a rush of flavor in your mouth. This is a good option for vegetarians, but as I have not had it very many times, it has not made it higher on the list. 

8) Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito

This is the perfect option when you’re hitting up Taco Bell at 2am. This satisfying creation brings together a creamy yet flavorful combination of seasoned rice, beans and warm cheese, all bundled up in a soft flour tortilla. While it’s not as flashy as some of the other items, this burrito deserves recognition for its simple, comforting charm. Again, another budget friendly vegetarian option that doesn’t skimp on flavor. This very well could have gone higher, as it is a reliable go-to that won’t disappoint.

7) Crunchwrap 

Next we arrive at the Crunchwrap Supreme, a well loved member of the TB family. At its core, you’ll find a source of protein, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes, and a tostada, all wrapped up in a warm, toasty tortilla. This delightful creation is undoubtedly delicious and convenient, but it doesn’t quite reach the level of boldness found in some items higher up. I will acknowledge that this item has a widespread appeal and versatility that is a reliable choice to satisfy your cravings. 

6) Mexican Pizza

This is one of Taco Bell’s most iconic and popular menu items; a flavor fiesta of Mexican inspired flavors such as the zesty red sauce on top. It’s a flavorful tower of deliciousness that offers a unique twist on the typical taco or burrito experience. It falls in the bottom half of the list because of its inconvenience to eat and the fact that I’ve enjoyed better items, but it is an excellent choice with a taste of nostalgia and an overall satisfying meal. 

5) Chalupa Supreme

At the halfway point, we have the chalupa– a crispy and satisfying creation that is a crowd pleasing choice. It offers a delightful contrast of textures and a range of customization options that make it stand out in the top 5.

4) Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes 

This beloved side dish brings a burst of flavor to any Taco Bell meal. These golden brown potato bites that are coated in a nacho cheese sauce and sour cream is a simple yet effective combination that elevates your meal to the next level. While they may not be the star of the show, they are an incredible go-to addition to any meal. 

3) Chicken Enchilada Burrito

This creation fuses the comforting flabors of enchiladas with the convenience of a handheld burrito, featuring seasoned chicken, enchilada sauce, rice and sour cream. This captures the essence of Tex-Mex cuisine in a convenient and satisfying package. 

2) Cheese quesadilla WITH black beans 

This is a customizable creation that my friends and I have recently discovered, and we are obsessed to say the least. The warm black beans combined with a classic cheese quesadilla makes this very high on our list. This is the perfect shareable item to assist the rest of your meal. I highly recommend trying our take on a cheese quesadilla.

 1) Cheesy Gordita Crunch 

And finally, the pinnacle of Taco Bell perfection. This legendary menu item is incredibly innovative, combining a soft flatbread with a crispy taco shell and a special creamy sauce. This creation is a shining example of Taco Bell’s culinary prowess, blending textures and flavors like no other item. While all the items on our list offer something special, this unique and delicious item reigns supreme. 

Honorary Mention: Baja Blast

And finally, before we conclude, I have to give an honorary mention to the Baja Blast, the iconic TB exclusive Mountain Dew drink. This blast of tropical citrus flavor with the perfect balance of sweetness is the perfect accompaniment to any TB meal. 

 

Overall, I hope that you will consider these items on your next trip to the Taco Bell drive through and if you are not a fan of Taco Bell, consider giving it a second chance. 

Taylor Swift’s folklore album released in 2020 in the midst of COVID-19 was unlike anything she has ever released before. The entire album is a fictional story, having little resemblance to her personal life, but is filled with intimate conversation and revelations, and revealed a new side to Taylor’s diverse vocals: perfectly fit for folk music . 

The basis of the album surrounds 3 teenagers who are in a love triangle. Augustine, James, and Betty. Each person has a song from their perspective recalling the accounts of the love triangle; these songs are known as the “folklore trilogy”. 

 

Let me break this down for you. 

Webegin at the doorstep of Betty’s house, where James has come to beg for her forgiveness after making the worst mistake of his life. Summer has come to an end, and James shows up to Betty’s back to school party to explain himself for cheating on her, using his immaturity as his excuse.

 

I was walking home on broken cobblestones

Just thinking of you when she pulled up like

A figment of my worst intentions

She said “James, get in, let’s drive”

Those days turned into nights

Slept next to her, but

I dreamt of you all summer long

 

As James was walking home, “she” pulled up and told him to go with her. He spent the summer with this girl and eventually, Betty hears from her friend Inez that James cheated on her. 

 

This song is when James confirms the rumors and asks her if she’ll ever forgive him. He tries to convince her that despite all the time he spent with this other girl, he was thinking of Betty the whole time. He repeatedly states “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything, But I know I miss you”. 

This is a shift from Taylor’s usual writing, as we see the perspective of a teenage boy who truly doesn’t know how to undo such a big mistake. This perspective truly elevates the storytelling of this album. 

 

We continue with Betty’s perspective in the song cardigan. 

Taylor explains in Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions that cardigan is Betty’s perspective from 20 years later, looking back. This reveals that the most heart wrenching song on the album is about lessons and longing sadness in her reflection on her relationship with James. 

 I could go on for hours discussing every single line of this long, but here are some of my favorites. 

When you are young, they assume you know nothin’

This line is repeated over and over again in the song, a parallel to James’ lyric “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything”. As Betty reflects on her relationship with James, she realizes that James’ excuse was that he was just an immature teenager. 

To kiss in cars and downtown bars

Was all we needed

You drew stars around my scars

But now I’m bleedin’

What was good for a while turned into more hurt than ever before. The simple things, like kissing in cars, is what made their relationship so beautiful. But, as we saw from James’ perspective, that wasn’t something that was special to just Betty, as the other girl pulled up to James and said “get in”. This made it something she did not have to herself, another thing she had to share. 

I knew you

Tried to change the ending

Peter losing Wendy

This line is incredibly important. Cheating was obviously James’ fault, but by coming to the party and asking for h

er forgiveness in front of all of her friends, he was made out to be a sweet guy, someone worthy of a second chance. If Betty didn’t forgive him now, she would be made out to be the bad guy. James “tried to change the ending” of the situation by making himself look nice even though she got hurt. Looking back, she sees that he tried to turn it around. Peter losing Wendy refers to losing the best thing in his life. 

Finally, the view of the “other girl”, Augustine. In the song august, we see the perspective of the “other girl” who was made out to be the more rebellious and hurtful side of the triangle and of James. After listening to cardigan, it may seem that Augustine had everything Betty didn’t, when in reality, August wanted what Betty had. Augustine just wanted to feel special. 

 

I remember thinkin’ I had you

Augustine truly thought that whatever they had was real, but he still loved Betty. She was seen as the “other girl” when she simply thought James loved her back. 

Cancel plans just in case you’d call

And say, “Meet me behind the mall”

So much for summer love and saying “us”

‘Cause you weren’t mine to lose

Here we see Augustine trying to find any excuse to see James, waiting for that ounce of attention. Even the halfhearted dedication he showed is enough for her. This poor girl cared for James and just wanted him to care for her too. 

 

Overall, this complicated and multifaceted love triangle has so many different perspectives and storylines attached to it. While I can go on and on about these three songs and how the rest of the album discusses more of this storyline, I’m going to end it here. Taylor Swift has written true emotion and love into her music, and I highly recommend that you give this album a listen. 

As a high school senior, I and thousands of other students across the country have come to realize that we had no clue what we were in for. The romanticism of senior year has flooded our minds: senior sunrise, football games, and more. But as the first semester has gone in full swing, things aren’t looking so promising. 

As seniors, we have a lot more expectations than just applying for college or preparing for life beyond high school that don’t get the recognition they deserve. By senior year, many of us have acquired leadership positions in clubs and sports, are older siblings, are taking harder classes than ever before, and are stuck running errands as we are finally licensed. The responsibilities are endless. 

I’ve found that with this much on my plate, going off of memory won’t cut it. Using an assignment notebook won’t cut it. Even my Google Keep with all of my assignments organized by class, color, deadline, and description will not cut it. What will cut it? Races. Specifically, to-do list races. 

I have laid out my life in my Google Keep, organized and updated every second of the day. Still, I simply cannot seem to make good decisions when it comes to what work I do when.

 

 

 

 

There is something special about making a to-do list rather than having all of your work sitting in front of you and picking the order in which you go. The process of making a to-do list requires a lot of thought, making your work more productive. Let me lay it out for you: 

• Deadlines: As you make your list, it is important to consider deadlines, prioritizing work that is due sooner rather than later. 

• Time spent: As an athlete and leader in multiple clubs, considering how much time I am able to dedicate to my work each day is important. Thus, I might consider doing smaller assignments (that are high priority) on a day that I have a match, and leave things such as essays and larger assignments (that I have some time to complete) to be done the next day after practice 

• Motivation Level: Chances are right as you start your to-do list, you will have a lot of motivation and energy, determined to check everything off. Considering your motivation level might lead you to put harder assignments that require more brain power (not necessarily more time) higher on the to-do list so that you can save the easy stuff for later. 

Intentionally considering these factors as you decide your workload can create a much more productive work session. 

Now that we’ve created our lists, where are we finding the motivation to actually complete it? Peer pressure. Now, I don’t mean out of fear and embarrassment, but rather friendly competition among your friends. There is a certain type of comfort in knowing that your friends are struggling with you, giving you motivation to keep working. A no-stakes, motivation booster pushing you to keep going. 

My friend and I came up with this idea a few weeks ago, as we had made a plan to spend the entire day at the library with goals to finish essays for multiple colleges, study for tests and quizzes, finish assignments, and plan for club meetings that we have to run in the following week. Both of us being motivated by competition, we decided to write our to-do lists on the board and race. 

Here is what it looked like: 

 

This was all we needed. Our competitive nature took it from there and suddenly we were checking things off left and right. We had officially cracked the code to our productivity. Since then, it has been a series of to-do list races among my friends. 

We’ve even included virtual ones for days we are working from home: same motivation, same productivity. We get notifications from the notesapp when something is checked off, and we like to send each other text updates throughout the night to notify the other of a completed task. All of this within itself creates an encouraging and motivating working environment amidst all of the stress and responsibilities that we have been bombarded with in recent months.

 

 

The criteria for a successful to-do list race is simple: 

• Competitive and Motivated Friends: This type of race needs a community of like-minded individuals. Motivated, encouraging people who are going to push you forward. As seniors, we all are working with similar responsibilities and it is critical that we push each other. 

• Lists of similar extensivity: I’m not sure if extensivity is the word I’m looking for here, but each person’s lists must be of similar difficulty. This doesn’t necessarily mean of similar length, but similar timeframes and complexity to the assignments. For example, if I’m doing my Online PE homework, which comes out to be 4 different tasks on my to-do list while my friend is completing one essay for a school that they are applying to, that doesn’t mean that I am putting on more work than they are because of the difficulty and complexity of both of our tasks. 

• Reward! Everyone has been working very hard to get everything done. Our rewards so far have consisted of a trip to sephora after the library, dairy queen, and starbucks the next morning before school. 

 

Overall, a to-do list is so much more than just a list of tasks. Don’t underestimate the power of them, and I hope that you guys consider giving this race a try to increase your productivity.