Evolution Sucks

So we're talking about genetics in biology right now. Naturally, we discussed Thomas Morgan's experiments with fruit flies and his contribution to Mendelian genetics that the chromosome has a role in heredity .

Thomas Morgan

Teachers always talk about Morgan crossing homozygous red-eyed flies with homozygous white-eyed flies and how this led to his ultimate discovery. My question is, how on earth did Morgan make sure the right flies mated with each other? I imagine it looked a bit like this...

Studying genetics becomes an incredibly personal thing, because we all start to think about our own genetic makeup. This continues when we examine genetic disorders, and I can see the wheels start to turn in everyone's head. We were talking about one disease in particular, and the stats of its occurrence. We realized that in all probability that one of us in the class had it, and started to glance around nervously.

Learning genetics is one of the things that makes me want to avoid reproducing like the plague. Besides the whole career thing and trying not to conform to the expectation that I will have kids. Genetics is like a game of Russian roulette. You throw together some sperm and an egg and just hope for the best. Once you consider all the different mutations possible it begins to look bleak.

But it just may be that mutation that leads to the next step in evolution, that gives the human race an advantage in the times ahead. Who knows? We could end up with gills, but for the toxic pollution permeating our atmosphere.

Evolution sucks. I mean, we could have developed wings and laser eyes, but instead we ended up with a bigger frontal lobe and posable thumbs. Pssh. The whole superior intelligence thing is overrated.

Our teacher was explaining that evolution does not go for convenience. Well, Duh! If evolution was based on convenience we would not have evolved periods as an integral part of the placentals' reproductive systems. 

The White Noise of Political Correctness

If I had to characterize my school administration as an animal it would probably be a peacock. That's because they are intent on looking as best as possible, but in reality show a lack of intelligence that is sometimes disturbing. In no way do I want to insult peacocks with the comparison, but metaphor is all I've got right now.

So Friday there's going to be an IB photo shoot. It's for some book that parents and students can get about IB. Anyway, to be in the photo shoot you have to receive a letter of invitation. I was in chorus when these letters came, and when I saw the IB logo I expected it to be some trivial announcement or other. Much to my surprise I didn't receive one. It was when I asked my friend who did that I learned about this photo shoot. My first reaction was "I'm not that ugly!" But as soon as I said it, I realized the reason: it's because I'm white. Seriously. Only non-white kids in our chorus class got the letters, and I later learned that other non-white students had mostly gotten the letters. So all told there are 2 African-Americans, 2 Asians, 1 Indian, 1 Middle-Eastern kid, and 1 really tan white kid that I know of having been invited. 

Really, administration? Did you think we wouldn't notice how you were trying to make the program look unbelievably diverse? It's not that I'm offended, I just find it stupid. My minority friends find it insulting. I know that stock photos always are super diverse and everything, but the sad truth is that the IB program is mostly populated with white kids.

A Visual Approximation

I go to the most diverse high school in my county. Walking through the halls, I see all shades of skin, hear multiple languages, and last year I said good morning to a group of girls wearing hijabs on a daily basis, because we all went to the bathroom at the same time. But there is this elite academy of rich white kids that I happen to be in, because I'm taking advanced classes. It's sad that de facto segregation like this still exists in this day and age, and it's infuriating that the school administration just wants to ignore it. 

It's so laughably horrible that there's going to be a token white kid in these pictures that fail to represent the actual IB student body. Instead of trying to be politically correct without subtlety, we should focus on how to improve education for minority and low-income groups, because I have the rare blessing of receiving a wonderful education in America. The system is broken, and that is clearly evidenced by our rankings in subjects like math and science against other developed Western countries, who consistently score better. This de facto segregation will continue until education is improved for all students to ensure that all can achieve the level of success I have been able to, because I'm a WASP. Of course there is poverty to contend with as a major factor behind this, and governmental blundering. But as a student I would just like to say: 

D.C., GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME BECAUSE YOU'RE LETTING DOWN THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY!!!!!!

Oh, and while your at it, could you please work on the whole exorbitant college admission prices and unchecked student loans? That would be kind've nice, because of the aforesaid reasons. Yeah. I like getting an education. It's kind've an exclusive club.

Trigonometry Memes!

I have a trigonometry test this week. You can tell I've been studying. 

The Guide to Acceptable Situations to Swear for the IB Student.

In general, I'm against the casual use of profanity. To put it in my venerable mother's words, "it is a sign of a weak vocabulary." But there are some instances of profanity I do condone. I bring to you The Guide to Acceptable Situations to Swear for the IB Student.

Today I learned I got a 97% on my most recent Math test. And just when I was seriously wondering if Math Studies might be a less suicidal route. I saw the 62/64 on the test, and inside I was like

Totally killing a test is completely worthy of a good curse. Let your feeling out!

We play Jeopardy review games in history, and I was my team's choice for Final Jeopardy. The teacher read out the question, and everyone stood there stunned. Everyone but me. I quickly scribbled down the answer, gave it to the teacher, who gave me a small nod of approval when he read my answer. I did a little dance as I went to sit back down in my seat. When he read out the answer (Treaty of Greenville) it took all my self-restraint to not say, "Damn straight it's the Treaty of Greenville!" Why shouldn't I luxuriate in a little swearing, I just won my team 5 extra credit points on the unit test.

Then there are the ridiculous questions on tests where you just have to widen your eyes and throw up your hands in defeat. I think of these questions as "What the hell?" questions, because that is the first thought in my head when I see them. Completely acceptable.

Not that high schoolers need an excuse to swear, but at least these are appropriate instances for inappropriate language.

The War Against Boys?

So I was pouring through that source of awesomeness known as The New York Times, when I happened upon an article about how boys are much less likely to succeed in the school system since the Women's Rights Movement. It has to do with behavior, globalization, a broken system and how schools seem to have tried to help girls as much as possible, but haven't made any major attempts to help boys struggling with academia. 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/the-boys-at-the-back/?hp

I've read about this before in that wonderful book When Everything Changed, a book on women's rights movement from 1960 to now written by New York Times op-ed columnist Gail Collins. Apparently sometime in the 70s was when girls began to outdo boys academically, and it has continued to this day.

This is a very interesting scenario. It's bizarre that balancing opportunities has actually tipped the scale to the other side. It appears something must be done. Personally I would appreciate the reinstitution of recess in high school, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Champion

I may grumble about IB and complain that it's full of itself and pretentious and use less than savory words to describe it. I often says IB sucks. But I was very surprised to discover my abilities to defend the program tooth and nail to a non-IB student.

So I was talking about how I want to be Nicholas Kristof when I grow up (New York Times journalist who has championed human rights, most famously in Darfur and the plight of women in best-selling book and hit documentary Half the Sky), and this guy suggested I take Journalism as an elective. I explained that I was taking Chorus, and didn't have room for the class in my schedule. He then managed to characterize IB as a program people only took to look good for colleges, that it makes students sacrifice extra-curriculars for a bunch of bs, that you should just do what you're passionate about and colleges will pay attention to that. 

Well I responded with a passionate defense of a program that I have complained about at every opportunity. Wow. I may hate IB, but I'll be damned if I let anyone else attack it. Thankfully the argument resolved itself amicably, and that was that.

I guess I'm officially an IB student now. You know you're part of a group once you can bash it, but outsiders can't. IB is so messed up. But I get to say that, because that is the privilege I get for working my butt off in trigonometry.

So let me leave you people, no matter what group you're in or not in, however you identify yourself, with this music video from my drag queen role model RuPaul. We're all Champions.

P.S. You might want to fast forward the first 20 seconds, because whoever put this video on Youtube thought 20 seconds of a black screen was great entertainment.