Saint Vartan Camp

It may be hard to digest, but as a kid I used to be extremely quiet and shy. I always was worried about what people's views were of me, and always thought twice about my actions before anything. Yes, it is always wise to be cautious, but it definitely depends on the reasoning behind the hesitation. During gatherings or even school, it seemed to me that I expended an abundant amount of time trying to be "normal." However, during the summer of 2010 I attended a two week long Armenian summer camp located in New York with my cousins. One can imagine how nerve wrecking it can be to technically live in a bounded location with strangers whom one has never been acquainted with before. My two cousins were old enough to be councilors, forcing me to socialize and start new friendships with my age campers. It was extremely awkward, because all the campers were showering each other with hugs, expressing how much they missed one another, and updating each other about all the new gossip they may have possibly missed out on since last year. It took me about two days to finally feel comfortable and to realize that it was time for me to step out of my shell and make new friends. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner I sat with these strangers and began to start conversations, and eventually exchanged personal funny experiences and stories with one another. Sooner or later, I saw myself forming long lasting relationships with each and every one of them. Each week, each age group had to perform a small skit for the talent show. We decided to make fun of the councilors, and after our performance I finally felt the strong connection between the whole camp. It seemed to me I was no longer away from home. They became my brothers and sisters. As one week quickly flew by, we were all told to gather in one of the camp's buildings. Being my first year, I had no idea what to expect and was waiting impatiently with my friends, who come to think of it were actually quite calm compared to me. Then, I witnessed each councilor picking up a microphone and say a few heart warming words about one of their campers. After, I came to a conclusion that the councilors were passing out awards to each camper of the week.  As my councilor took that microphone from the prior speaker, she began to describe a camper who had only been attending the camp for one week. It did not take long for her to announce the name of this camper, who so happened to be me. I was honored with the award of being the camper of the week. I quickly stood up in awe, and realized that these people all have a special place in my heart. They have molded me into the person I am today. Even though, I attended this camp for two weeks, they taught me to accept myself and not care about what others may think of it. It has also helped me to be more social and outgoing. Consequently, I no longer felt the need to fit in with the norm. As Dr. Seuss once said, "Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." This is the quote I live by, and because of it I live life every day without any regrets or worries.

My Brain Hurts!

A student's hatred for math is not found uncommon when visiting a high school, or any school for that matter. When one expresses severe emotional distress when acquainted with a math textbook, is it out of mere attention? According to an article called, "Just thinking about math can make your head hurt,study confirms" published by Karen Kaplan in The Los Angeles Times, a psychologist from University of Chicago has conducted a study to justify the reasoning behind math anxiety. The researcher gathered fourteen individuals that portray a high level of anxiety when revealed to math. They were kindly asked to solve simple algebra problems; and throughout that time period their brains were being observed by an MRI scanner. Then, another set of fourteen volunteers, who portrayed a comfortable state when it comes to numbers and math, were asked to complete the same task. The latter subjects' brains were also being monitored. Scientist, later, were introduced to a fascinating discovery. Those who felt comprehensive during the experiment,due to their math anxiety, revealed a quite active INSp. The INSp is a part of an organism's brain that is detected to cause pain when stimulated. Therefore, that certain stimulation may be the leading factor of why an individual may feel pain and anguish when doing math. However, the main discovery that astonishes the scientists was that the math-anxious subjects showed the most activity in the INSp portion of the brain-as well as the mid-cingulate cortex, or MCC, which is also involved in processing pain- while waiting for the next upcoming math problem.

The Three Virtues

The three valuable virtues that were chosen late Wednesday night are the following: resolution, frugality, and tranquility.

Resolution:  Resolution is having the strength and determination to accomplish what you had set out to do. As it became evident last week, I am blessed with the horrible habit of forgetting. I have tried  many methods to solve this unwanted trait. However, those solutions were always cut short, due to my laziness to actually be persistent and consistent. Therefore, I picked resolution to be one of my three virtues. However, it was certainly no surprise, when I found myself failing to recall my commitment with Dg. Tamar. I had promised to bring a five dollar donation on Friday for the Syrian Armenians, but due to my lousy memory, I had, in a sense, lied to my Armenian teacher. Nevertheless, I will hand in my donation to her, as soon as the bell which indicates the cessation of first recess has been rung. How do I know for certain that I will not forget this time? I have actually set a reminder on my phone! Also, as mentioned before, I had not brought my textbook to class, which ultimately made me lose participation points. If this vice not only continues, but worsens, it will only hurt me in the long run.  I was hoping that this assignment would help me with this abhorrent habit; but lamentably it must join my pile of other failed methods that I once undertook. 

Frugality: The will power to avoid spending money on luxurious items. I chose this virtue, because I respect the time and effort my parents have put into their work to support their family, and I wish not to throw their hard labor into the trash. Especially in this economy, it is not easy to take care of a family of five. Consequently, I did not buy any snacks from the school vending machines, but instead filled my long forgotten lunchbox with homemade meals, and brought it to school for me to enjoy and indulge in. However, not only did I succeed in not spending extraneous money, but I accompanied my mom to work on Saturday to help her with any overbearing tasks she had at the moment. It brings me great joy to state that I actually stayed true to my commitment, and now understand  why Benjamin Franklin chose frugality to be a part of the thirteen virtues he wished to perfect. With that being said, it seems as if though, for the most part I, in fact, did succeed in completing the task of resolution, by successfully staying within the guidelines of frugality. This accomplishment has inevitably made me into a stronger person, who will not fall victim to any unfavorable temptations in the future.

Tranquility: "Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable." It is extremely important to maintain oneself in distress,because it is not healthy to always stress over unwanted outcomes. Therefore, I decided to challenge myself, and attempt to not be obnoxious or angry during disdainful situations. However, on Thursday, my Armenian teacher had asked my two friends and me to visit each classroom and to ask the students whether they will donate a sincere amount of money to the Syrian Armenian cause. While visiting each classroom, students did not even allow us to finish our announcement and exclaimed in a rude manner  that we should leave because not one student wants to donate. This is when I disregarded my assignment, and yelled at the students for their obnoxious conduct toward us and most importantly, toward the cause. I should not have stooped to their level, but it was difficult for me to restrain my rage. This comes to show that I have yet numerous faults to improve, before I reach moral perfection.