3rd Beloved

    For as long as the Earth has spun, there has only been one species known to demonstrate such complexity in their communication as humans have through the creation of language. Language is a universal trait seen in every civilization and every culture alike. Spoken language has paved the way for written language, reading, and every element of how we learn and progress as a species.  So what exactly makes humans special in their ability to use language in communication? None of our close relatives such as chimpanzees and bonobos hold this unique trait. Many animals can understand a variety of words when they hear them yet only humans are able to respond back. Recent developments in neuroscience and psychology just may be able to answer that.  One part of what enables us to be able to speak and understand language is our biology. Evolution has tailor made our brains, lungs, and vocal chords to support it. Our bodies have exceptional control over transferri...

Pellegrini // Unsplash Throughout history, language has completely developed and evolved, impacting entire civilizations and events as a result of its wielders and their messages. These monstrous changes and consequences are directly the result of the power and influence of language. Some primary examples of language's influence on civilizations and humanity as a whole can be seen through the development of political theory and government philosophy.  One such example I'll discuss today is the philosophy and messages of Florentine philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli , who offered his interpretations and messages revolving around the use of power by monarchs and princes. In his work, The Prince , Machiavelli established a guide for the ideal way to rule, as well as many massive shortcomings in rulers of the time. Opposing many other philosophical works of the time, Machiavelli establishes a concrete and logical understanding of methodical steps towards an ideal ruler, encapsulating ...

Carthage, via Wikimedia Commons The concept of democracy is relatively simple: the power to govern the people belongs to the people. But that wasn’t always the case in ancient Carthage, an early rival of the Roman empire that resided primarily around the Mediterranean. The empire was an example of one of the first recorded forms of democracy . With its unique system of power distribution and governing bodies, Carthigian government was far from the electoral bodies that we’re used today. At the highest level of government in Carthage was its duo of suffetes, who were elected annually and overlooked many aspects of its democracy. A senate of 200-300 members served beneath them, but elections for these senators often favored those with influential wealth . These two governing bodies had essential powers to preside over Carthagian life, such as tax collection and lawmaking. Disagreements among senators or the two suffetes would be addressed by weekly town council meetings among citizens un...

What is power? When I first asked myself this question, I immediately associated power with presidents and dictators, but true power is more than that. True power is the ability to influence society through your courage and spirit.   Image Credits: https://www.businessinsider.com/inspiring-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-2017-1 Over the past long weekend, many of us celebrated an extra day off with no school or work. While it was great to have an extra day to relax, it is imperative that we also take the time to remember the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. and honor his legacy. Martin Luther King Jr. made America a better place and showed us what it means to fight for what you believe in without fear. He showed us that we all have the power to change the world if we so choose. But perhaps the biggest lesson we can learn from his life is how powerful words are.     It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. was a skilled orator. His most famous spe...

     Sahana Narayan - Week 9: Washington's Prophecy – 1/19 [ 6:35 PM ]      There are many forces in history that have shaped who we are today: as people, as a country, and as a society. War, depression, migration. We learn about these forces constantly in our history classes and English classes. But one component I feel we often miss out on is the force of speech. From the beginning of time, people have used speech to break down barriers, to form alliances, and to really give meaning to our actions and words. There is a certain power to the art of speech, and in honor of that sentiment, here is a guide to one of my favorite speeches.      While I’m not the biggest supporter of George Washington, his farewell address in 1796 amazes me specifically because of how accurate he is in his predictions about America’s future. In this speech, he first emphasizes that the American people should remain united with little regard to regional or cultur...

   As we know, the language we use when presenting an idea is key to making people actually believe in that idea. There are rhetorical devices of all sorts that make a point more presentable and easier to believe in. This is why politicians have teams behind them who spend hours crafting speeches for them. In order to rally people behind them, the key is in the way the point is presented more than the actual point itself.     Politicians understand that people are driven emotionally more than they are logical; emotions are more compelling and stronger than logic is. We all know who Hitler is. Germany was going through a lot of economic problems during the time, and Hitler somehow managed to make the country believe that the reason behind those problems was Jewish people. Some people believed in Hitler's words so much that they proudly executed every Jewish person they saw in their country. What allowed Hitler to achieve this is not his use of reasoning (there is...

    Lakshmi Manasa Maddi - Week 9: My Dream Superpower Ever since I was a young child, I have always dreamed of becoming as fast as the fastest thunderbolt in history. Throughout my childhood, my boundless fascination towards fairy tales and Disney princesses has inspired a deep inner passion within me for wanting to be transported from one place to another faster than any other superpower in existence. While exploring possibilities to achieve this visionary dream, the concept of flight piqued my interest and presented me with the deeper purpose of exploring the lifestyles of animals capable of flight. Using light-weight structures similar to wings, which ultimately harnessed the anti-gravitational force of the Earth I envisioned myself as an eagle in my dreams soaring unimaginably close to the Sun.  I was entranced positioning myself in various methods of motion when in the course of the flight. I propelled myself upward with a sudden lift, followed by a backward drag th...

Russia and Ukraine: A Dance of Death In 2014, following the Ukrainian Revolution where the Pro-Russian government was overthrown, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea. Unmarked Russian soldiers (no insignia, no rank, no names) entered the region, established a new government by holding the previous ministers "hostage." To this day, Crimea belongs to Russia: they follow the laws of the Russian government and pay taxes to Russia rather than Ukraine.  However, a new conflict is at hand. Kyiv, and consequently Ukraine, has been growing closer and closer to NATO and there have been rumors of Ukraine joining the NATO military alliance for the past decade. This is a massive problem for Russia, as having a country bordering you be part of NATO would mean that any invasion of Russia would be streamlined, NATO forces could now use Ukraine as a staging ground for anything Russia related, and the mere presence of Western military bases so close to major Russian cities would inspire fear.   ...

 Avery Sun Week 9 I Hate Tahoe Over winter break, I had my worst experience in Tahoe ever. For starters, I’ve been going to Tahoe nearly every year since I was four. I used to enjoy skiing, but over the years, as I mastered the sport, it lost its thrill. Two weeks prior, I argued relentlessly with my mom in an attempt to convince her to let me stay at home to no avail (children are quite powerless against their parents).  At Tahoe, we lived in a cabin with four other families, and there weren’t enough rooms so I was forced to sleep in the closet. The second day, there was a snowstorm and we couldn’t go skiing, so we drove an hour to Carson City just to watch the Matrix. I couldn't understand it as I hadn’t watched the previous movies and I ended up falling asleep. Then, we drove another 2 hours back to the cabin and were almost trapped on the road. On the day I was looking forward to during the entire trip, the day I return home, the power went out in the morning and we couldn...