Wordology
Our study of words and their implications.
Teacher’s Note from Ms. Pate
Our Word Study project was the first time the class determined their own content and form criteria. They chose to write with the purpose of provoking a response, a new understanding, a self-reflection, or a broader discussion about their topics, which they derived from an examination of a word or phrase. They challenged themselves to make use of at least three rhetorical “figures” of comparison or degree in the process (think metaphor, simile, hyperbole, euphemism). The results have delighted me, moved me, and taught me. I couldn’t be prouder of their work.
Interested in Physics? Check out Aashna’s analogy of physics and social policies around human potential. Identity? Read Hasan’s exploration of the inclusivity (or not) of the Hindi word “desi” or Neel’s critique of hashtag-appropriation. Keen on how we dismiss everyday speech? Sophia’s defense of the word “like” might be for you. Daniel and Julia explore different lenses of living with purpose, and Chan questions the troubling implications of minimizing others’ worry. Each of these essays will entertain or challenge you, and the variety will keep you coming back for more. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!
吃飯了! – Time to eat!
Social Darwinism: Its Legacy and Modern Influences
엄친아 And Its Implications on Korean Students
“This phenomenon, while seeming to foster a culture of excellence, subtly strains the delicate threads of familial and social bonds, reshaping the way individuals interact within the broader Korean societal context.”
Navigating Jew-ishness: The Complexities of Identity and Weight of Heritage
"Only on the fronts of technicalities am I allowed in the Jewish space, and even then, it feels offensive to justify my way into it. Look at me now, writing an entire essay in an attempt to rationalize the checking of this box.”
What Matters: Black Lives or All Lives?
“In an era defined by its short-lived trends, the thirst for instant gratification, and the rapid spread of information, the story of BLM and ALM serves as a reminder of what losing sight of urgent and necessary change in favor of more generalized and comfortable narratives can lead to.”
Proceed With Caution: The Double-Edged Nature of Nunchi
“Nunchi is an ambivalent weapon: it can be a vital tool and a poisonous burden. It must be wielded with caution.”
A Tough Pill to Swallow: The Weaponization of The Matrix’s Red Pill
"[Incels] see the red pill as their only escape, they feel they must marginalize women to feel any sense of power and control over them.”
Beyond Translation: 힘 (Him) The Korean Concept of Strength Amidst Weakness
“I claim the beauty of my language, but not the culture that makes my mother invalidate her health, not the culture that makes my dad shelter his exhaustion from me, and not the culture that makes my mother’s weakness transactional.”
Konglish: A Confusing But Necessary Merge of Languages
“I still remember when my friend looked at me miserably when I asked for a ‘conscent’ to charge my laptop, or when I yelled “fighting!” to my friend to cheer her up for her test which ended up making her roll her eyes around to look for a fight scene.“
Om: The Untranslatable Mantra
“Om enchants me. It means the journey to enlightenment, it means the connection between mind, body, and soul, it means transcendence.“
It’s, Like, Not Even That Hard: Judgement Based on “Like” is Out of Fashion
“Meaningless filler” is a description used by Google to define the term like. I beg to differ. A filler? Sometimes. Meaningless? Never.”
Ikigai: The Japanese Art of Living
“As the world continues to evolve at revolutionary speeds, Ikigai and its timeless wisdom serve as a reminder of what truly matters.”
With All the Thrill of Skydiving: The Physics of Human Potential
“Engulfed by fear, you fall. Subject to the unyielding pull of the world below you, the distance you cover compounds the force of gravity, activating the energy of 10,000 feet into movement (W = F ᐧ d).”
Legacy: Carving the Stone
“The weight of their rocks shouldn’t be ours to carry.”
Desi and Me
“There is no agreed-upon meaning for what desi is, nor what it encompasses, what it celebrates, or even what it shames.”
Worry: The Truth Behind “Don’t Worry About It”
“The feeling of a powerful, untamed wolf lunging at you with lightning speed, teeth bared, jaws snapping around your throat—this is what it means to be worried.”