Mrs. Ho's AP Lang - 10

After completing several great video ga mes in the past few months, I’ve revisited an old conflict that has been in my mind for a while now, that being whether or not video games should be considered art. My opinions have stayed mostly constant over the years, that being a very clear “yes.” While some of you reading may disagree, here is my reasoning for this belief. This argument has been made for many pieces of media, such as books, which are now widely considered to be art, and television, which while a bit more controversial, is still generally considered to be a form of art. So, just like all other new forms of media that have emerged in the past, the question of whether or not video games are art is one that was destined to arise. Just like it’s precursors, I believe that everyone will eventually come to the conclusion that they are art. There are several reasons as to why I believe this, but a few of them are as follows. In the same vein as books and television, video games are ...

 Nowadays, art can be seen everywhere, from computer graphics to online museum tours. Historically, however, it was a lot harder to produce physical artworks (be it statues, or paintings, or stained-glass pieces, or computer-generated works) due to the lack of far-reaching mass production of artistic resources. Neither time period's works of art, however, are less valuable than the other. During the Renaissance, people gradually moved away from old-fashioned, medieval values, instead paving the way for modern art and sciences. In the twenty-first century, art can still make a statement, as widespread as it is. From spray paints to markers, many new mediums of art emerged post-Renaissance, but the one thing that makes art valuable to society is how timeless it is. Existing since the very beginnings of time, art was used to record stories on walls by cavemen, and after the printed paper had become normalized in society, comics gradually appeared. These mediums brought people togethe...

  There has been a long-running, constant debate over who the greatest basketball player of all time is. Lebron James is an amazing player, and he would be the best if It wasn’t for the existence of Michael Jordan. Although Lebron has been very impactful and influential in his 20+ year career, his achievements do not rival those of Jordan. The most obvious thing that Michael Jordan has over Lebron James is their record in NBA Championships. Throughout his career, Jordan went 6-0 in his career in NBA Finals series. To compare, Lebron currently has a record of 4-6 in the NBA Finals. That comes down to a win percentage of 1.00 vs. a percentage of 0.40. In the biggest moment, on the largest stage in professional basketball, Lebron James simply has not succeeded in the same way as Michael Jordan. As far as awards go in the NBA, MVP is one of the most remarkable and significant. Both Michael Jordan and Lebron James are definitely not strangers to the award. However, Jordan won 5 MV...

  Yael Fishman 9/12/23 Samsung vs. Apple: Which is better? The whole Samsung vs. Apple argument has existed for many years. Some people say Apple is better than Samsung, and others say the opposite. Regardless of those opinions, what makes a good mobile phone? A good phone has several elements: a large storage capacity, a durable exterior, security, and speed. Samsung phones are known to have better battery life and expressive, customizable qualities. However, Apple phones are known for their reliable security software and appealing design. Apple and Samsung are the two most popular mobile phone brands and have been competing with each other to be the best. I prefer Apple because of its advanced software and privacy properties. I noticed my Apple phone easily cracks, even with a protective case and screen protection. I've never had a Samsung phone myself, although my cousin has had one for over eight years, and her phone is just as good as a brand-new Samsung phone. Samsung has mor...

      In the 21st century, there's a game for everyone. From shooting games to simple farming simulators it's almost impossible to not find a video game that interests you. One category of video games that I think is disliked by many for the wrong reasons is visual novel games. These games largely consist of dialogue and are often slow-paced and more relaxing compared to other genres. Visual novel games focus more on the story and characters rather than things like puzzles or combat.       The most common argument that I've heard against these games is that they're the same as a regular visual novel and have little to no actual gameplay in them. From my personal experience playing games in this genre, this is true for many visual novel games. I have played games that almost entirely consist of dialogue with a few choices that determine which ending you get. In my opinion, these games aren't very entertaining unless the story is well-written and compell...

    Many people are going vegan and vegetarian because they believe that meat consumption is unethical. This virtue has been around for a while, but it has boomed in the last few years. There are three main reasons that a person cuts meat out of their diet.       The first argument that someone may use to justify going vegan is tha t it is wrong to eat meat since we are killing and caging animals for our own consumption even though they are living and thinking organisms. However, the only reason that the human race still exists is because cavemen didn't starve to death since they were able to use the animals around them as a source of fuel. I think that cavemen had the moral compass that they were meant to have, meaning that they were made to eat meat, so they did. We know that we were made to eat meat because the human body produces  protease and lipase , which are specific enzymes made in the pancreas whose main purpose is to break down mea...

 As we all know, on this day 22 years ago, the most devastating terrorist attack to ever happen hit u.s. spoil. On the morning of September 11th, 2001, two planes hit the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. These attacks killed over 2,000 people and left even more injured. Now, you may be wondering how this affects people today. It does in many ways, such as increased airport security, increased cohesion amongst Americans, and the grief felt today by many people who lost someone during the 9/11 attacks.   Airport security. While many people take the T.S.A. as some annoying thing you have to do before you get on planes, it is so much more than that. The T.S.A. is one of the many things standing between our country and another attack just like the one that happened on 9/11. Whether it be the X-rays, liquid requirements, having to take off your shows, and so much more, all of it is for you and everyone else’s protection in the air and on the ground.   The uniting of the American p...

Humans should not eat humans. Obviously, eating human flesh would be cannibalism and considered completely unethical. But what about other animals? How far does cannibalism go? Should we consider eating an ape cannibalism since we derived from them? Most importantly, should the meaning of cannibalism change due to the practices of wildlife? The literal meaning of cannibalism is the practice of eating the flesh of one's own species. To fully understand this, we first need to know what the word species refers to. The biological definition of species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring. According to this, we can freely eat apes without thinking about it twice. However, there are many instances in nature where I feel that the scientific definition of cannibalism should be changed. Imagine a fish, that is relatively big, comes across another fish that is smaller than the first fish. The bigger fish needs to survive. So...

  For the past six months, I’ve been working on a concept for a television show. I’ve written episode descriptions, and thirty pages worth of plot summaries for a show that will most likely never exist. A short summary of the concept is that a boy forms a contract with a spirit in order to battle against five other spirits, who are working to hunt down both the boy and the one he contracted with. This story has so far spanned over a season and a half, or thirty eight entirely theoretical episodes. Well, theoretical until a few days ago. I’ve written stories for a very, very long time, and the whole time my mom has been trying to get me to publish my work. For one reason or another, I never have. However, this series has become one of my mom’s favorites, so she looked into different mediums, which is where we discovered the writing medium of light novels and flash fiction. Both of these are ways to publish short segments of stories for a cheap amount. When all of the segments are bo...

Over the weekend, I completed a video game I had been playing the past week. Once I completed it, I felt kind of empty and sad about it. Looking back, I found that I often got this kind of feeling when I finished a good television show, a fun video game, or a good book. I wondered why this was, so I decided to go a bit deeper and see what I could find. After a quick search online, I found a plethora of results. Not only was this a common feeling, but in regards to video games, it even had a name. At least online, this phenomenon has been dubbed “Post-game depression” in terms of video games, and “Book hangover” in terms of literature. After diving a little deeper, I discovered that the reason this occurs is due to a parasocial attachment the person forms to the character and world of the media. When immersed in a world, even a fictional one, you get to know and relate to the characters in the story. When the story ends, your connection to the characters does  as well. While the emo...

             When I used to live in Los Angeles, we would drive down to Mammoth once a year for our annual Lewin family ski trip! It's a 6 hour drive and was something me and my brothers would look forward to all winter long. We had the same routine for every year; load up the car the night before, wakeup the next morning at 6am, and leave for the road at 7am. We would drive 4 hours and then stop at our favorite food place, Schat's Bakery in Bishop. Bishop is just over an hour from mammoth, depending on the weather conditions that year.            After that, then go to the Vons and buy our favorite sugary cereals, snacks, and bars for the week. We are typically a very healthy family, but when it came to this week in mammoth, our calorie intake would go through the roof. Then, once we would arrive at our hotel on the top of mammoth mountain, located right next to the main lodge, we would immediately unload o...

Why Using Oxford Commas is Good for You

     Week one of the NFL season is certainly one of the most exciting moments on the sports calendar. For many teams, it is a chance to start the season off with a bang. For others, it's the beginning of a long path toward the number one pick in the draft. For many, it’s a game full of question marks and uncertainty, and this is especially true of the 2023-2024 Green Bay Packers.      Almost everything about the Packers team entering the NFL season is unknown. Most obvious of all is Jordan Love taking the reigns of the team. Leaguewide, Love’s ability to play at the NFL level is criticized, both by fans and the media. People often point out his lack of experience as a key reason he will be unsuccessful. However, they fail to understand that this lack of experience is because the Packers decided to develop him for 3 years under quarterback Aaron Rodgers, hoping that he could absorb as much valuable information and lessons about the game as he could from the ...

 Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats: Dogs are undeniably better than cats. Cats are adorable; however, compared to dogs, they lack many exceptional qualities. Dogs are loyal; they offer the reassuring feeling that they will protect you no matter what the cost. Cats may show affection when they are trying to get food or a belly rub; nevertheless, after they receive what they desire, they will go back to their independent ways. Dogs are devoted to their owners; you will not second-guess a dog's trust as you might with a cat. Also, having a dog opens the doors to new beneficial possibilities. Dogs can encourage physical activity through a need for daily walks, and dogs are easier to train and enhance. I've noticed a drastic difference between having a cat as a pet and having a dog as a pet. I have a friend who has a cat, and whenever I visit her house, her cat is always hidden somewhere, never seen. I notice how quiet it is to have a cat, especially one that is unsociable. I don't ...

 While cooking may not seem important to teens or anyone, it helps develop skills you use in your everyday life. First, let's start off with the patience cooking teaches you. When cooking, oftentimes, you will have to wait for things to be done for hours; learning patience in a low-stress environment such as a kitchen can help build the foundational skills to have patience in real life. Cooking is also a vital skill to have when you move away from home. Oftentimes, when people move away for college, they don't know how to cook, leading them to eat fast food and pack on the pounds. While someone who learned to cook as a child is way less likely to do so. Cooking also allows you to have an outlet for creativity and experimentation; cooking leads you to learn how to combine flavors, textures, and ingredients in new ways. It also allows for problem-solving. Let's say you're cooking a tomato sauce and add too much salt. Now what? Just like in life, cooking will enable you to...

       “Kids spend too much time on their phones”. This is a phrase that we have all definitely heard and have our own opinions on. I think that it is true, we do spend a lot of time just looking down at our screens which leads us to start living our lives through them. Lately, I’ve noticed this because after spending two months of my summer without my phone, I realized how big of an impact technology has on us. However, I do not believe that it is something that should be held against us or be considered a flaw of our generation. I believe that we, instead, should use technology to open our eyes to the physical world. What I mean by this is that seeing something on our phones can help us appreciate the real world. An example of this is a group chat that I have with my friends called Patch. Rather than texting on the group chat, we only send photos of patches of sky that we think are pretty. Having this has made me start to appreciate nature even more than before. No...

     You know the saying a clear space is a clear mind, well I disagree with it. The meaning behind this saying is that people generally feel more at peace and less overwhelmed when they are not constantly surrounded by objects. However, in my opinion, having a clear environment can make you feel vulnerable and vacant.     The places that I most associate with clear emptiness are doctors' offices, psych wards, and prisons. Doctors' offices are typically very empty and sterile to keep from spreading illnesses; however, this also creates an unwelcoming and unsettling atmosphere. This contradicts the meaning of the saying since this clear space creates more worrying thoughts than less.      For the average person, when they think of a psych ward, the first image that comes to mind is an empty white room. This space is clear to keep patients from using the objects around them to cause harm. However, this environment can also drive someone crazy ...

     The Saw movie series currently has a total of nine movies with fans eagerly waiting for the tenth to be released on September 29th this year. I myself have only seen five out of the nine movies so far and with the tenth movie's release date less than a month away I have made it a goal for myself to watch the rest of the series before the newest film is out. Before I go further into this post, I would like to say there will be no talk of spoilers for any of the Saw movies, so if you plan on binging the series as well you don't need to worry!       Saw has been around since the first movie was released in October 2004 and has grown in popularity since. One of the most appealing things about Saw is also the most unappealing thing about it to many viewers and that is its use of gore and torture simply for the sake of being gruesome. There are many scenes in the Saw movies that give the movie its R rating including graphic brain surgery, limbs being tw...

     My all-time favorite thing to do is listen to music, doesn't matter the time, place, or setting, there's never a wrong time to listen to music. Music has such a variety of genres, from so many diverse artists, with so many interchangeable tones, moods, melodies, beats, and instruments. Whether you're in an excited mood, sorrowful mood, or quite literally any mood, you can always rely on being able to listen to music.       As an avid music listener, I constantly get into  argument  with my friends on the topic of whether Apple Music is superior to Spotify.  If you have an apple device, it simply doesn't  make sense to have Spotify. Apple Music is made specifically for iPhones and integrates perfectly with the apple ecosystem. It operates and pairs perfectly with devices like CarPlay, the HomePod, apple-watches, Apple TV, and any other apple devices.  Apple Music has a much more unique app logo and the format and ...