{"id":5887,"date":"2022-06-15T17:44:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T21:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=5887"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:44:02","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T21:44:02","slug":"the-pessimist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=5887","title":{"rendered":"The Pessimist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1701\" height=\"2560\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-5888\" data-id=\"5888\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=1701%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?w=1701&amp;ssl=1 1701w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=199%2C300&amp;ssl=1 199w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=680%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 680w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1156&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=1020%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1020w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=1361%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1361w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1705\" height=\"2560\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-5889\" data-id=\"5889\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?resize=1705%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?w=1705&amp;ssl=1 1705w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1153&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?resize=1023%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1023w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_2-scaled.jpg?resize=1364%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1364w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1st Place, Feature Columnist<\/strong><br>2021-22, Division 2, News Writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Ridhima Kodali<\/strong><br>The Emery<br>Ann Arbor Huron HS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Let&#8217;s Go Back. Please.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Staff shortages. Rising COVID-19 cases. Multiple absences. School closures.<br><br>About a year ago, I wrote an article expressing how I was on board with the district keeping us virtual. If we had been back last year, then it would have been a muddle of COVID-19 and for that, I thank Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS). However, it does not change the fact that if these problems do continue to persevere, it\u2019ll leave our district left pining for even more ruination and destruction. We need to go back to virtual. We have to go back to a virtual setting. It\u2019s our best bet and a temporary solution for now.<br><br>Already three months into in-person school and these issues persist. And I am annoyed. I am flabbergasted. I am upset and frankly, I am bothered. Yes, vaccines are available. Yes, I know, AAPS is trying its hardest to find solutions and reduce the damage that has been done, but it\u2019s time to face reality.<br><br>The purpose of this column and for upcoming articles is to talk about how everything isn\u2019t rainbows and butterflies or how everything is normal. The truth is, nothing has been normal ever since we came back and some are just too na\u00efve to admit it. Amidst all the fake normalcy lying in Huron and the piles and piles of work teachers are giving students, nobody is discussing the real issues we should be talking about. Everyone is moving on or at least attempting to, which is understandable in some cases.<br><br>Every single day, there are floods of people walking in late, teachers are absent because they either are following the COVID-19 mitigations or protocols or have contracted COVID-19. And some students are not even wearing their masks correctly. Michigan has the most COVID-19 cases in the United States thus far \u2014 leading with an average of 7,768 cases as of Dec. 3, according to The New York Times. The fall semester carries 500 cases, according to the AAPS COVID-19 case dashboard.<br><br>All of these can be fixed with one solution: virtual learning. It may not be everyone\u2019s favorite solution or option, but it is the right one for now. It\u2019s the only way to mend the current status and issues of AAPS.<br><br>Going back to virtual learning, there will be a reduction of COVID-19 cases, and school closures would not have to be such a big issue, nor would staff shortages. Also, having closures especially during the wintertime can be beneficial, considering the recent flu outbreak at the University of Michigan of Ann Arbor. In fact, the CDC had to come on campus to investigate the outbreak that surged the campus. Also, staff absences do not seem to be getting better considering 94 percent rate of the staff being vaccinated. Superintendent Jeanice Swift did say the reason for such high staff absences is due to staff following COVID mitigations. However, many are sent to the cafeteria and COVID-19 cases seem to be increasing, not only in Michigan, but as a district.<br><br>This is leaving AAPS at the breaking point. Things will only be-come worse from here on out if we do not go back to virtual learning. Going back virtual will give us the opportunity to take a precautionary measure before things get heated with a rise in cases and absences in staff. AAPS, we can not just sit and wait for every-thing to crash and burn. We need to take action and go back to virtual learning. There will be minimal COVID cases (considering sports), rare staff absences and students do not have to come late to school every day. It\u2019s what we have to do now. It\u2019s what we should do. Regardless of what AAPS decides to do, I am here to talk about how the glass is half-empty and for every optimist, there is a pessimist.<br><br><strong>We are living in hell: American work culture is destroying us<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are reading this, then it\u2019s important you know this. The goal of this column is to talk about negativity because that\u2019s who I am. A point-blank pessimist. This is my perspective and you can agree with it or not.<br><br>I\u2019m sure by now, the return to virtual for a limited amount of period and going back in-person has profusely provided difficulties and disparities amongst staff and students. Many have not learned anything within the first week of semester 2 being virtual and a plenitude of staff, as well as students, suffered as they contracted COVID-19. However, the pandemic heightened with the incessant and obligatory American working culture.<br><br>It\u2019s a flashback to what has happened in the last two years and it makes my head hurt. When I think about the pandemic and my life, it all does not feel real. The pain and the struggle we were all going through during lockdown and quarantine, moving past that and going through virtual, now in-person school, just does not feel real. We are living in hell and I\u2019ve accepted that at this point.<br><br>Every day I go to school, I think about how depressing the environment is. Sure,<br>I do see my friends as we move past each other in the hallways, but what are we doing all of this for? The constant and consistent cycle of studying, participating in extracurricular activities and doing homework stays put. It always seems like we are working. All the time.<br><br>I do not know if it was before the pandemic or after, but conforming to high school \u2014 freshman year \u2014 although difficult at first, it felt different. There was no disease in the air and the world didn\u2019t go into a total lockdown. I could say that my mental health was somewhat thriving. But coming back has brought difficulties mentally and the environment is unalike. Everything has changed and I can definitively say that we are living in Hell. <br><br>Everyone works even when they drop because people feel obligated. The minute you walk into Huron, the atmosphere fills up with an exceptional amount of gloom. Ruminate on the nature of \u201cschool.\u201d We all go to this place clustered with teens to study where there is an extremity of toxic academia. It\u2019s quite daunting. After high school, everyone\u2019s path differs. Some decide to go to college and others do not. It\u2019s always just, \u201cwork, work, work,\u201d even with the different trajectories we shift towards. This cast of mind and perception will only call for self-destruction. <br><br>The fact that I do not know what is for the future or if I am going to be content scares me, because I have lived my life so far focusing on and pertaining to who I want to be and how I can live my life. However, will I ever meet the purpose as to why I came into this world?<br><br>Life has a purpose and living in Hell currently takes away from that purpose. We were all born for a reason and are here for a reason. Work has become the objective in our lives, losing our impetus. <br><br>It\u2019s dignified, yet, it\u2019s destructive. The hope for Hell ceases to exist with all that has happened. Despite the concurrent positives \u2014 awareness, leadership, and change \u2014 the negatives of how we are continually damaging ourselves and the remiss in Hell outweighs them. Regardless of our world being doomed with the working mentality, I will be here to talk about how the glass is half-empty. After all, for every optimist, there is a pessimist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NW-09. Feature Columnist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each entry must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>have two (2) columns (feature or opinion) from different publication dates<\/li><li>have both columns submitted together in the same entry form<\/li><li>have the same standing head<\/li><li>be authored by the same writer(s) (both columns in the entry should have the same byline)<\/li><li>carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal nature of the content<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Judging Criteria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sharp attention-getting leads<\/li><li>Expresses personal opinions; uses consistent style<\/li><li>Reflects thought\/research, freshness, individuality<\/li><li>Effective use of facts\/quotes or supporting material<\/li><li>Informative, interesting, entertaining<\/li><li>Upholds journalistic integrity<\/li><li>Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly<\/li><li>Proper diction\/grammar<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1st Place, Feature Columnist2021-22, Division 2, News Writing By Ridhima KodaliThe EmeryAnn Arbor Huron HS Let&#8217;s Go Back. Please. Staff shortages. Rising COVID-19 cases. Multiple absences. School closures. About a year ago, I wrote an article expressing how I was on board with the district keeping us virtual. If we had been back last year, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":5888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[57,4],"tags":[182,21],"class_list":["post-5887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featurecolumnist","category-nw","tag-2021-22","tag-division2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Morgan Womack","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=12"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Feature-columnist_Page_1-scaled.jpg?fit=1701%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-1wX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}