Yoga with Minds

LO 6- Demonstrate engagement with issues of global importance

After the Covid-19 pandemic hit Singapore, we couldn’t meet our clients as we had to avoid close contact with people. So instead we took on the initiative called Purple Parade. The Purple Parade is an annual event that started in 2013 to raise awareness and campaign for the inclusion of the disabled in Singapore. We wanted to celebrate the Purple Parade in our campus so we created an online presence and made PowerPoint presentations to display during mentor time. We joined other service groups in school who worked with disabilities and created posters and informational speeches to get people around campus interested. I communicated with various other services and picked out the right people for the right jobs, emailing tasks and objectives weekly. We had every student wear something purple to celebrate it. It was an amazing group effort to bring attention to such an important cause.

Yoga with Minds

LO 1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth.

In yoga, we have to constantly adapt to our client’s problems and preferences. I myself started working on my yoga skills so I would be ready to answer any questions or plan warm-ups that would help loosen the muscles. My client was particularly sensitive when it came to stretching his back so I tried to help him use a chair for back support and help him stretch his hands with my support. I realised I needed to work on my communication skills so I learnt some hand gestures and taught them to my clients so we would have a clear and easy-to-understand experience.

La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad by John Keats – My Thoughts

At first glance, I didn’t really understand much and have no background in french so the title didn’t help me either. After a translation, I found it to mean “The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy”. The poem is a ballad. It revolves around a Knight who falls in love with a fairy-like woman and gets enchanted by her. He imagines everything the woman says as a declaration of love – “And sure in language strange she said— ‘I love thee true’” and everything she does as a lover’s touch. He pours his energy into making her “bracelets” and “garlands” in return for her affection and love. The poem takes place in the “meads” or a meadow, it starts here and goes full circle and ends here as well. His love for the fairy-like woman slowly transforms into obsession and he cherishes every illusion and thought he’s had of her. His obsession has made him a victim of the beautiful lady without mercy and is now lifeless and “Alone and palely loitering” near the lake desperate for an illusion of the fairy-like woman. I think the poem is very complicated and indirect, I couldn’t really figure it out until multiple readings and peer discussions. 

 

Biology Mitosis Notes

Mitosis 
  • division of a diploid (2 set of chromosomes) nucleus to form 2 genetically identical daughter cells 
  • Happening in every tissue in body to replace cells 
  • Requires exact duplication method
What is it for?
  • Have cells which last for a lifespan (lens cells, brain) 
  • To replace cells normally
    • May be due to damage
    • Become old and need to be replaced
    • Depends on the cell for how long it lasts
  • Reproduce cells which are genetically identical 
    • Can carry out same function
  • Cells on average replaced every 7-10 years 
    • Some replaced rapidly
Cell cycle
  • G1 S and G2 is interphase (90%)
  • G1 grow, copy organelles
  • S copy its DNA – 2 strands of DNA linked together by centromere 
  • G2 similar to G1 – growth and checking DNA, check if copying is done correctly 
What does it need?
  • Ribosomes – make more proteins
  • Mitochondria – can copy and divide themselves into two
  • RER – synthesise more proteins
  • Need more of every cell organelles
  • G1 copies cell organelles – need to make more enzymes (carries out reactions in cells)
Super coiling
  • coiling of chromosomes which condenses chromosomes at the start of mitosis, allows DNA to be arranged
  • Histones allow condensation of DNA into smaller space in eukaryotes
  • Allows us to separate chromosomes in ordered manner during mitosis
Chromosomes
  • Every gene every allele same in double stranded chromosome 
  • Count chromosomes by the centromeres 
Interphase 
  • Replication of DNA
  • Sister chromatids are 2 identical DNA molecules held together by centromere 
  • Sister chromatids separated during mitosis to form 2 genetically identical nuclei 
  • Identified because no visible chromosomes 
Stages of mitosis
PMAT
People meet and talk
Prophase (before)
Metaphase (middle)
Anaphase (away)
Telophase (two -> two cells)
Interphase comes between cell cycle, not part of mitosis 
Prophase 
  • Chromosomes coiled up
  • More gaps in nucleus, nuclear envelope is breaking down 
Mitotic Index
Formula =number of cells in mitosis/total number of cells

Biology Notes 1.6

1.6 Cyclins and Cancer

  • Cyclins are proteins 
  • Cyclin D rises during G1
    • Copies organelles
    • Will only rise to high position if everything going well
  • Cyclin E rises during S phase (DNA replication)
  • Cyclins act like a check point, continues and rises if everything in the cells is okay
    • If things are not okay, the cell exits the cell cycle and may kill itself (cell apoptosis) 
  • Cyclin A – if dna damage is detected, things will bind to DNA damage which will lead to cell stopping there instead of exit

Cyclin 

  • Proteins that control cell cycle
  • Ensure tasks are carried out at the right time 
  • Binds to CDk
    • Cyclin dependent kinase 
      • Depends on cyclin to be activated
    • If cyclin raises in conc and cyclin can bind to cyclin dependent kinase, kinase will be activated 
      • cyclin dependent kinase will add phosphate group – get active enzymes and cause next phase to continue

If we don’t have cyclin 

  • Cyclin dependent kinase remains inactive, don’t get phosphorylation 
  • If this was during s phase then dna replication switched off

Sea urchin 

  • Lucky coincidence: serendipity 
  • scientist discovered presence of cyclins 
  • scientist researching sea urchins
  • This was in fertilised cell of urchin
    • When it grows and develops you expect proteins to get higher in concentration 
    • And for the MIMIMI bands to get darker
    • As time went on there was an increase in darkness of bands, but some of the proteins were separated 
      • Some were there, not there, strongly there (cyclin in and out)
  • Mitosis Interphase MI MI

How does cancer form?

  • Normal cells
    • If they don’t have growth factors then no division 
    • Could be stem cells 
    • For some cases, with growth factors they will divide ·controlled)
  • Cancer cells
    • Whether they have growth factors or no they still divide (continuous, nt responding to signals elsewhere, uncontrolled)
    • Tumour growth of these cells in uncontrolled manner
    • Don’t perform their usual function
  • Normal cells 
    • If there is some damage (eg dna damage from mutagen) 
      • Proteins bind to damage and lead to signals which cause cells to enter cell death (apoptosis)
      • Won’t reproduce or grow through cell cycle if can’t be fixed
  • Cancer cells if get damage
    • Gets dna damage and maybe its had mutations in some of the proteins which should bind to dna damage and send signal 
      • Can’t respond as it should 
      • Does not have signal to say its damaged
      • Can’t enter apoptosis
      • Continues dividing 

Normal p53

  • p53 goes to where there is dna damage
    • Binds to dna where its damage
    • Causes halt at G1 checkpoint
    • Tries to activate repair
    • Apoptosis triggered if repair impossible
    • Cell don’t pass on damaged dna 

Mutated p53

  • Mutations in the gene for p53
  • Does not halt at G1 checkpoint, instead progresses 
  • Mutate genes supposed to stop cancer

How cancer caused

  • Mutations in oncogene 
    • Genes where if we have a mutation, it could lead to increase in the amount the gene is used
      • Growth factor involved in increase cell division 
    • oncogene = accelerator 
      • Causing something to increase through mutation 
      • Caused by smoking etc 
  • Tumor suppressor -> brakes 

Hypothetical series of mutations leading to cancer

Tumors

  • Abnormal groups of cells 
  • Uncontrolled ell growth 
  • Divide continuously 
  • Malignant tumours detach and move to new locations
  • Caused by mutations to DNA 
  • Can be benign where they adhere to each other and do not invade other tissues
  • Cause mutations by smoking -> mutagens or carcinogenic (cause mutations in DNA)
  • Cancer and smoking 
    • Correlated
    • As smoking increases do does risk of developing cancer
    • Huge increase in death rate due to cancers of the mouth 
    • But death rate due to other cancers is not significantly different 
    • Chemicals in smoke are carcinogenic and cause mutations in cells

My thoughts on “A Red, Red Rose” and “Calling A Wolf A Wolf (Inpatient)”

My first thought on A Red, Red Rose is “Its a love poem”. The second thought is “What the heck is till a’ seas gang dry, my dear”.

The language used and words like lass make me think the author has some Scottish background or influence. The poem is centred around love, that too the everlasting kind that speaks of forever… The poet compares his love to a red rose, to the freshness and the beauty of flowers. He or she professes their undying passionate love that will last forever, even when the seas dry up and humankind is no more. The poet bids a temporary farewell to his beloved and promises to come back, however far the distance and however long the time.

My first thought on Calling A Wolf A Wolf is “I’m not sure what’s happening, where it’s happening and who it’s happening to” and my second thought is “seems like the thoughts of a remorseful dying man”. The poem is written quite uniquely. There’s no punctuation and the sentences or thoughts per se are spaced out in a continuous paragraph. It seems to begin with the poet recounting moments of his recent past that make it seem like he or she has been in the same spot for quite a long time, observing everything as that’s the only pass time he or she has and is dying because of a slow illness. The poet feels envy, an emotion that’s worse than sadness, when he sees a healthier man. The poet is quite contradictory here when he tries to comfort himself/herself by thinking of horrifying things he never did while describing an innate coldness within himself that caused him to deny others requests for help. These thoughts are of a person whos asking their higher deity “what have I done that is so evil that you imprison me in my own body until I pass from this life?”.

When I read these two poems, I see simplicity in the writing while I see the complexity of the thoughts present underneath. The poets have a directness that states what is going through their minds and makes it easier for the readers to feel those ethos and words. My favourite would be Calling A Wolf A Wolf as I connect with it more than a poem about eternal love. I’ve seen people with a death sentence which allows me to understand the poets thoughts in the poem.

 

 

TOK Mock Presentation Reflection

My mock presentation was based on the decision that children of ISIS members would not be allowed to return to the UK.

Knowledge Question: Can our values about one thing change our perception of others?

My presentation wasn’t entirely focused on the theory of knowledge parts much. In my final presentation, I’ll focus on the TOK explanations and comparisons more which was lacking previously. I spoke a lot about my real-life situation which was taking up too much time and dominating my presentation. I need to write a more detailed overview with clear conclusions and thought processes. I would work on these details more on my final presentation.

 

Short Stories – Are these teller-proof stories?

Today, I chose to read the Valediction by Sherman Alexie and the Dostoevsky Sonnet. I definitely liked the sonnet better because I just think that it has more depth and it references timeless issues like racism. The Valediction gives us an idea of an impending falling out just from its title. I liked the simplicity and truth of it. It’s the kind of story that resonates with me and it would with anyone who’s lost a friend because of a plight. I think the story is a good story but its not a teller-proof story. Yes, it has a moral, a story about the consequences of choosing between yourself and your future and standing united with a friend. I don’t think it is a funny story at all and it has no jokes. It should be a teller proof story because of the solid moral message but I think this story is only profound because of the way the writer wrote it and the words and literary devices he used. In the Dostoevsky Sonnet, I loved the lineation used. Its a story in the form of a sonnet, so it doesn’t become dense and keeps the reader’s attention. The story is not something I can remember with all the important details as it just has many but it’s a beautiful real story I would love to read anytime. The subtle details the writer uses like referring to the girlfriend as ex-girlfriend from the beginning, a foreboding for their impending breakup. The cliche plot of the best friend stealing the girl doesn’t make this special but carries the story forward. The idea of wanting things in life but not getting most of them is what packed a profound punch. The importance of the loss of a friend which was valued more in this sonnet than the loss of the girlfriend, also made it favorable to me. The race issues addressed so bluntly and clearly, the use of definitions for terms that were part of the writer’s typical diction but I wouldn’t know of like “Jody”, and many other writing techniques used here made this sonnet a good one. I don’t think teller-proof stories exist because if a human doesn’t give a piece of literature a distinct voice, the message will never be the same to different audiences.

Global Cooking with Junior Students

LO 1 – Identify their own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

In Global Cooking, we teach junior students how to cook food from different parts of the world, teach basic cooking skills, teach general facts about different countries and bring in volunteers from different nationalities to talk to the children about their country and food. I joined this activity because cooking and food is a major passion of mine and I love sharing my knowledge about it with other people. I went into this activity nervous about how to communicate with children and teach them something while keeping them safe in a dangerous environment that has knives and fire. After my first 10 minutes in the activity, I knew I was hooked and I was going to be a part of it until my journey at UWC ended. It is my favourite 1:30 hours in a week and I love spending time with the kids. I realised that I can actually be stern with the kids while also being a friend to them. It took a couple of days but I found the perfect balance of sternness and friendliness and it has worked ever since. The children respect me enough to listen to my instructions which in turn keeps them safe in the kitchen while also learning crucial cooking skills that I would have loved to learn at their age. I spent time answering their unique questions which I would have never thought have and has made me fascinated with a child’s thought process. I learn new things all the time trying to answer their questions. I enjoy explaining the science or reason behind some cooking processes and what to add or subtract to fix a kitchen faux pas. I have learnt multiple things about myself throughout this new adventure like I love teaching, that I can communicate with children and make them listen, have grown endless patience and that maybe this could someday lead to my future career path.

The Literature I’ve been reading in the COVID-19 Lockdown

How my independent reading is connected with a text we’ve studied in terms of attention to a global issue.

In this extended lockdown, I’ve read a lot of books (just for self-entertainment) and lots of poems for my IB English class as I enjoy poems compared to classic literature now. One poem that I enjoyed immensely is “The Applicant” by Sylvia Plath. I have been looking into the Canongate Myth Series, Carol Ann Duffy’s work, Anne Sexton’s – Cinderella, and many more but the applicant truly caught my attention.

It speaks about a very present issue in today’s society but also from the 1980’s – inequality. It also reminds me of some ideas from “The Importance of Being Earnest” where the female characters are described as ditzy and subservient. The poem is about a male who goes for an interview and is asked what he can offer them when “something” is missing and that something is a wife.

  • Stitches to show something’s missing? No, no? Then
    How can we give you a thing?

The employer describes the wife like an accessory a male needs when he talks about all she “offers”.

  • To bring teacups and roll away headaches
    And do whatever you tell it.
    Will you marry it?
    It is guaranteed

The employer also refers to a wife, a female as “it”. The pronoun shows an obvious disrespect to the female and also makes her appear as an object instead of a human being. The employer calls for a woman to come and present herself to the applicant.

  • I have the ticket for that.
    Come here, sweetie, out of the closet.
    Well, what do you think of that?
    Naked as paper to start

The employer also refers to the female as “that” with the obvious disrespect that flows throughout the poem in regards to the female. He refers to a potential wife as a ticket to getting a job and refers to her as naked, as in like a blank slate where the male can manipulate her into anything he wants her to be for him.

The disrespectful terms for females runs though the next stanza where he refers to the female as a “living doll” further cementing the fact that the male can “play” with her as he likes. He refers to their future marriage years as silver and gold. He further undermines the value of a female by listing frivolous things he thinks she only has to offerlike sewing, cooking and talking endlessly.

  • But in twenty-five years she’ll be silver,
    In fifty, gold.
    A living doll, everywhere you look.
    It can sew, it can cook,
    It can talk, talk, talk.

The employer ends the monologue by saying that marriage is the only option left for the applicant to ever be successful. The employer says “will you marry it” but it’s not a question, but a statement.

  • My boy, it’s your last resort.
    Will you marry it, marry it, marry it.

The females in the importance of being earnest are regarded as silly and frivolous while choosing a potential husband based on a name and falling in love with a name rather than an actual person making females seem naive and dumb. The trope of the dumb trophy wife is exemplified here.