Modern Day Slavery

For our PSA, my group and I researched about the coal miners in Jharkhand, India. The coal mining is a form of modern slavery and told me a lot about our world today. I learnt about all of the health hazards these miners face, ranging from being buried alive by rock slides to inhaling toxic fumes. This is because they are not given any protection from the dangers of the mine. In addition, I learnt that the highest pay the miners can earn is $8 per day, which is barely enough to help their families. The devastating part about the mining in Jharkhand is that these miners work at their own free will just so that they are able to support their families.

However, there are a few actions that can be taken in order to make our world a better place. The government of India could finance these coal mines so that they are more stable and safe. The government could also make laws about the safety equipment required to allow the workers to mine so that the coal miners are at a smaller risk of dying. People could also donate to charities to help coal miners, unfortunately, there aren't many organizations that help this cause, so activists could begin organizations and helping fund safety equipment for the coal miners. These are just a few ideas on how people could help the coal miners in Jharkhand, India. 

Adolescence Reflection

There are many stereotypical characteristics associated with teenagers.

Here is a list of them:

• Teenagers lie to their parents
• Teenagers sneak out to parties
• Teenagers throw tests with bad grades away
• Teenagers get drunk at parties
• Teenagers skip school for fun
• Teenagers talk back to their parents

I don't demonstrate many of these, however sometimes I talk back to my parents and slam door. Occasionally, if I get a bad test score I tell them that everyone else also got a bad score, so I lie to them, but most of the time I don't demonstrate these actions.

Some of these stereotypes that I never do are skipping school for fun, throwing tests with bad grades away, and sneaking out to parties where I get drunk. 

A few characteristics that I would want my friends and family to associate with me as I go through adolescence are that I am hardworking, I get good grades, I am fun to hang out with, I balance my social life with my school life, and I finish my homework on time(organized). 

My Name

My name is one that most people have probably never heard before and would most likely mispronounce it if they did. It is of Indian origin since both of my parents are Indian. My dad named me after a college friend: A girl who was a year older than him. He especially liked her name, and luckily my mother did too, so my name was decided. My name means several things, but the main meaning is courage. In addition to that, it means the goddess Durga(the warrior goddess), divine, strength, and the flowing river. My name is Tavishi.

Semester 1 Reflection

Towards the end of semester 1, our class was divided into 5 groups. Each group learnt about a different U.S. government topic. The topic that my group and I explored was U.S territory. I learnt mostly about Puerto Rico and its battle with the U.S. Currently Puerto Rico is debating on either becoming a state or staying as a commonwealth. I also learnt about the many referendums that Puerto Rico has had and how it has been fighting to become a state for a long time now. In addition, I learnt about the advantages and disadvantages Puerto Rico has. The advantages involve maintaining cultural heritage and having easy access to the U.S. However, the disadvantages involve having very little governmental power and having a $77 billion debt to the U.S. Some questions that I still have are, when will the next referendum take place? As well as, why doesn't the U.S want Puerto Rico to become a state? My goal for next semester is to use MLA more often and to remember to use MLA whenever I cite my sources.

Nutrition Presentation

U.S Gov't

What have you learnt about American government? 
I have learnt about the three branches of the government: Judicial, legislative, executive. I have also learnt that Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. I also discovered how a bill becomes a law. In addition, I learnt about the laws and the various things that the state and federal government share, as well as the things they don't share(reserved, concurrent, delegated).

What questions do you still have about U.S government? 
I am still a bit unclear on the separate roles of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches, and the differences between them. I'm also wondering about the courts, and the roles juries have to play as well as how the court system works.

Enter the Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno to Enter a World of Comedy and Astonishment!

Performance Title: The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno

Theater Name/Location: SAS Drama Theater

Day Reviewed: November 22, 2017

Written By: Tavishi Baidwan

Directed By: Ethan Curnett

Number of Stars(1 to 5): 5

The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno was a show not be missed. It is was a student-led play, but was done so well that it felt professional! The play took place in a mansion which belonged to a man named Mr. Uno. In this mansion, we start off with a lovely dinner with 6 different characters being introduced. It starts off happy enough, but when each character receives a different letter from Mr. Uno, things start to go downhill. Soon, the play progresses to a series of murders that take place in the mansion, and the incredible part about this production is that the audience votes on the murderer! It is full of suspense and accusation on who the murderer is, and is filled with drama and comedy that is sure to leave you in fits of laughter! In my opinion, this show was undoubtedly a success, not just because of the emotional acting, but also because of the lighting skills. 

Although this play was completely student-led, the acting felt so professional that I was completely engrossed in the story. Every character had its own flaws and personalities, and because every character had a different attitude, the play was immensely interesting. For example, a character named Mrs. Tarragon was a little crazy and had a frantic loud attitude. On the other hand, General Spragmorton was a strict military soldier with a leadership attitude. These two character's personalities and attitudes contrasted with each other to create comedy. The acting and the words that they said to each other and everyone else, seemed extremely realistic. The tone of their words fitted their personalities perfectly and I thought that everything executed was magnificent. Another example of great acting was Madame Isis. She was acting as a classy person and acted it really well. Her words had a sarcastic edge to them and an undertone of "I don't care" attitude beneath them. I thought that her acting was especially good, but everyone's acting was superb and everyone's attitude was also funny and intriguing, but most importantly, every character brought the play to life!

The second brilliant work of this play was the lighting. Sometimes, the lighting of a production is underrated and only the acting is spoken about. Well, I can assure you that this play wouldn't have been half as good without this incredible lighting. In the beginning, the whole stage was covered with light. As the characters were dining, everything was lit up, showcasing the gorgeous set. Then, only half of the stage was lit - the half that the characters were standing in. When the characters received their ominous letters from Mr. Uno, only the half of the stage with characters was lit. This was done so that the tension was directed completely at the characters opening the letters so that the audience wouldn't be distracted by the other set pieces. Next, the characters all moved to the other side of the stage and only that half was lit up so that all eyes were once again directed to the other side. But, that wasn't all, another technique used was the dimming of lights. For instance, in a scene in which someone gets murdered, all lights are off and it is pitch black, so you can't see anything and can only hear screams. When the lights came up, there was a dead body. This lighting technique was used to create confusion for the audience. Lastly, the classic spotlight was used. This was usually used to create comedy like when the beam was on General Spragmorton boasting about how he knew who the murderer was. In all, the lighting techniques were used expertly and brought this play up to the next level! 

The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno was a great production which I thoroughly enjoyed. The play is suitable for middle schoolers, who will enjoy the great acting and suspenseful lighting, as well as find great comedy! For younger children, some of the comedy may not be clear enough, and for older kids, they could find this play a bit too melodramatic. Overall, it was a fantastic performance and a definite must-see!