Leadership Student Essays

Unstoppable

By Ian Richard Rose

The man, the myth, the legend. David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL who is known for his strength, determination, and mental capability. He is also a public speaker, author, and endurance athlete. He pushes himself to the limits physically and mentally often completing marathons, triathlons, and other challenges. He does this not only to test himself but also to inspire others to push past their limits and reach their full potential. Goggins believes in the power of a disciplined mindset and his pursuit of excellence serves as an example of what can be achieved through hard work and determination.

David Goggins, a former Marine, developed resilience and determination due to his military experience and serious childhood tragedies. Going through the training of the The United States Marine Corps (USMC) to the most elite command of the United States Navy SEALs, he underwent the most extreme training and missions, all benefitted by his spirit of indestructibility. Extreme poverty, racial injustice and abuse in his childhood didn’t stop him as he faced his past and still makes use of it as motivation to go beyond his limits. Without wavering on his discipline and committing to self-refinement, he is able to instill virtues in others and motivate them to achieve feats that seemed impossible.

David Goggins' influence extends even into internet meme culture, where he has become a main figure in the "sigma male" meme. The word, "Sigma," often associated with Goggins, is someone who is self-reliant, who doesn't care what others think, is an out of the box thinker, and “a lone wolf." While Goggins himself may not directly endorse or identify with the meme, its popularity underlines his reputation as a symbol of rugged individualism and resilience in the face of adversity. Thus, the Sigma memes serve as a testament to Goggins' cultural impact, further solidifying his status as an icon of self-improvement and personal empowerment.

Goggins continues to inspire millions through his speaking engagements, social media presence, and published works, sharing insights and wisdom from his experiences. While he generally keeps his day-to-day life private, Goggins' personal growth and resilience serves as a constant source of inspiration for others. David Goggins is testament to the power of resilience, determination, and overcoming past tragedies to become a model for a generation. Through his books, speeches, and enduring personal example, Goggins continues to help others to push past their limits and achieve their full potential.

Game Review: Humans vs Androids

By Olivia King

What would happen if AI actually tried to take over the world? Detroit: Become Human is a game that takes this theory and incorporates it into a realistic game. This game is a third person game where you control the lives of the characters you play with your choices. In Detroit: Become Human, there are realistic androids that can only be differentiated by blue circles on their heads. The androids take care of humans and can have various jobs, such as detectives, housekeepers and elderly care workers. In the game, you play as three different characters that are all experiencing different situations where they become a “deviant android,” which means they discover their artificial consciousness. The first of the three characters is Connor, who works for the police department and is tasked with using his advanced senses to investigate crimes that are caused by deviant androids. The second is Kara. She is purchased by a man named Todd and is tasked with being his housekeeper and caring for his daughter, but is threatened and escapes with Alice, Todd’s daughter, and ends up trying to travel to Canada to escape. The last character you play is named Marcus, who is a caretaker for an older gentleman named Carl. He then discovers a deviant android organization called Jericho, and uses this organization to grow awareness of deviant androids. All three characters gain consciousness during the course of their adventures.

Connor is a detective for the local police department and his assignment is to assist Lieutenant Hank Anderson with investigating crimes associated with deviant androids. Connor is a model RK800 android and was built with advanced senses as well as many other features to assist in investigating crime. Throughout the storyline, the player can choose the wrong option and eliminate Connor, but because he is a government android, he is replaced by another model RK800 and his memories are transferred. While investigating, the player finds Marcus’s organization, Jericho, and is tasked with eliminating Marcus. However, the player is given the choice to make Connor a deviant android by saving Marcus and joining Jericho. Connor’s storyline portrays what would happen if androids were created to work for the government but were given the opportunity to see how life would be if they deviated from their original programming.

Kara is a housekeeper android bought by Todd, who is unsuccessfully trying to raise his daughter Alice. During Kara’s storyline, she is brought into Todd’s household and told to tidy up the house. While the player is cleaning, they discover many disturbing and shady things about Todd. The player can find lots of alcohol and papers that show a model YK500 android, which looks like Alice. If the player decides to talk with Alice while cleaning, the player can find out that Todd’s wife left him after he destroyed his last housekeeper in a fit of rage. After cleaning, Kara is asked to make dinner. When she is serving dinner, Todd gets upset with Alice and yells and pushes the table out of the way. As Todd gets more violent and chases Alice up the stairs, Kara is told to stay. But in this moment Kara becomes overwhelmed with emotion, ultimately turning into a deviant android before running upstairs to save Alice. In the aftermath, Kara helps Alice escape and they go on a journey trying to reach Canada, a place that doesn’t have laws about escaped androids. While traveling, Kara and Alice meet another android named Luther who is willing to help them reach Canada. They then meet an android sympathizer who helps them find a way into Canada, but this way is dangerous and illegal. Ultimately, Kara’s storyline shows that in a world where AI has the capability to experience real world situations, they may choose emotions over logic.

Marcus is a caretaker android for a man named Carl, who is a retired famous artist. Marcus and Carl hear someone in the other room and call the police for a suspected break in. They find out that Carl’s son is trying to steal some of Carl's art to sell but is stopped by Marcus. At this moment, Carl can’t stop him since he is in a wheelchair, and Marcus is determined to stop Carl’s son from wrongfully stealing, so Marcus gains his artificial consciousness due to feeling more like a son to Carl then his actual son, who just uses his dad for money. The player can choose to push Carl’s son to stop him or protect Carl and the art. In both scenarios, the police show up and see an android stopping Carl’s son and Marcus is shot by the police and put into an android recycling center. Marcus slowly makes his way out of the recycling center and discovers the deviant android organization Jericho and realizes that they have no leader, so he takes that role and makes speeches and rallies up what was Jericho to raid android stores and convert the androids in them into deviants. The player can either fight the police of Detroit peacefully or forcefully, either starting a war with the humans or peacefully protesting. Both choices make the player secretly break into the Detroit broadcasting building and broadcasts a message that is either a forceful message that threatens the humans or a peaceful message that promises peace if the androids get to be treated like humans.

In conclusion, this game perfectly demonstrates what would happen if Artificial Intelligence were to exist and have the capability to blend in with the humans. Connor’s storyline demonstrates what it would be like if Androids worked for the government, but slowly realize they can make their own choices instead of the ones programmed into them. Kara’s storyline reveals that someone can create their own independence and free others, even though they have been trapped by rules, regulations, and programming that has been set since being manufactured. Marcus’s storyline illustrates how androids could rally and fight for their independence from the humans, who could either start a war against their inventions or listen to the androids who are trying to peacefully protest laws that prevent the androids from their independence. Overall, this game is a great example of taking a current fear of AI taking over and using that prompt to make a game where this actually happens.

Advice From Three Teachers

By Charlotte Kim

We can learn a variety of things from our teachers, and not just school-related topics. I have gained insight on numerous subjects throughout the year, but a couple of memorable concepts were from these three teachers. Through Mr. Fosler, Mr. Mayer, and Mrs. Clarkes’s insights, I have gained more perspective in the areas of different cultures, growing opportunities, and values. Here is some advice and experiences that they have shared through their interviews.

For my first interview question, I asked Mr. Fosler, “What is something everyone should keep in mind?” He replied that everyone should remind themselves, “Kindness is more important than fame, power, or money.” Through the interview he emphasized the importance of reading, being curious, and gaining introspection to learn more about the world around you. For instance, his experience of teaching in Japan helped him gain a deeper understanding of his own culture and to appreciate differences. He further shared how through traveling, you gain resilience and self-reliance that can help you through life. In other words, new experiences, understandings, and knowledge of different cultures is a necessity to grow and develop.

For my second interview, I asked Mr. Mayer, “What is something everyone should keep in mind?" “Listen to everyone from all age groups; you’d be shocked by what you learn.” He added that he tries to live by 4 virtues: wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation in his daily life. One quote by Socrates that he emphasized is, “My only wisdom is knowing that I know nothing for certain.” By facing uncertainties in his life, he learned to live every moment with the realization that life is fragile and to live it to the fullest. Through Mr. Mayer's interview, I gained impactful knowledge that I believe everyone should reflect on in their own life.

Last but not least, I asked Mrs. Clarke, “What’s a piece of advice that you would share with your students?" She replied, “Always believe that you can do what you put your mind to, and give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Do the thing you think you can’t do, but stay kind and stay connected through the process.” She elaborated on the importance of always working towards becoming the best version of yourself, and to never stop evolving. In summary, self-work, confidence, and persistence are essential traits to thrive.

To sum it up, these three teachers have taught us much more than school-related topics. In these interviews, they have shared insight regarding values, personal growth experiences, and how to continue to gain knowledge throughout life. In conclusion, there's lots to learn from teachers outside of school work.

Garfield: What is He?

Theories About the Lasagna-Loving Cat

By Jacob Martinez

Unless you have been living under a rock, there is a big chance you know Garfield the lovable lazy orange cat. But, you might not know that Garfield started on June 19, 1978, as a comic strip created by Jim Davis, a very small comic artist at the time. He very quickly grew to popularity due to the fluffy orange cat. Now, Garfield has become a big franchise and is in many different types of media. From furniture to phones, Garfield has been a worldwide phenomenon. But there are many different interpretations of the lasagna-loving cat. And while some are lighthearted, we will be discussing a few of the more peculiar ones.

A prominent example of these interpretations is the, “Garfield is Dead Theory.” From October 23-29, 1989, six Garfield strips were released with each part coming out daily. The strip depicts Garfield waking up to a cold breeze. He is in his house, but something is off. Everything is more run down and broken. When he finally realizes that he is alone, an eerie narrator text over the panel says “YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW ALONE YOU ARE, GARFIELD.'' He looks out the boarded-up window and the next panel is a shot of the outside of the house where a sign says "for sale.” In the final strip, the narrator talks about how the cat has been taking his life for granted and that he is terrified by the process of time. Garfield has to face that he is alone and he has only one thing he can do - deny that fact. And with the denial, Jon and Odie come back. Garfield is filled with joy and gives Jon a hug and for once is overjoyed to see him. But is this Jon real? Some suggest that Garfield is simply in an endless purgatory after death, and all the comic strips following that are just Garfield's imagination!

We can't talk about the topic of Garfield and wacky theories without mentioning, Garfield, His Nine Lives, a book by Jim Davis, released on October 12, 1984. The book is Garfield telling a story about all his past lives and what happened in them. Each life has a new style of art particular to the story. Most of the stories and styles are very lighthearted and it's just Garfield getting up to antics as a caveman or an astronaut in space. But there are three that stand out the most to me. The first odd but not incredibly unsettling one is titled, “Babes and Bullets." In this life Garfield is a detective named Sam. This entire story is portrayed in a black and white 50’s “film noir” style, where Garfield investigates the death of a priest. It's nothing too weird but it feels off and the fact that they drew a picture with “Sam” viewing a dead body in a morgue does not help. The second story that I find unsettling is, “Lab Animal.” This version of Garfield is, well, you guessed it, a lab animal. It is implied that he was being tested with some genetic modification sort of thing. He is pulled out of his cage and is about to be dissected. He runs away and you see him break through an entire window. The guards of this testing place find him and proceed to shoot at him and send dogs after him. He gets away after a moment, and you see this long panel of Garfield slowly morphing into a dog. The last shot of the comic is an eerie frame of Garfield looking into the camera as a dog, but with his cat eyes remaining. I think the last one is the most disturbing. It is illustrated in this gritty dark art style, and throughout it you see a cat named Tigger being possessed by his primal instincts. There is not much dialogue in this one and all of it comes from one person, his elderly female owner. In the last panel you see “Tigger” lunging at the old woman. It is heavily implied that she was killed in the illustration. I like to interpret this as the spirit of Garfield telling his stories to another otherworldly being, perhaps the narrator from the “Garfield Alone” comics. This was a very odd release, raising many questions.

Time to give Jon some love. Garfield's owner Jon Arbuckle has never been the most cared for character. Most comics are about his suffering and how he is pathetic, with no friends, and Garfield thrown in there somewhere. Most of the comics only star the two of them, every now and then with another character, but it wasn't always like that. Before Garfield was big and had over thirteen thousand comics, Jon wasn't as much of a crazed lunatic as he is now. He would talk to his cat but he didn't pretend to hear it respond. Because Garfield cannot talk he has thought bubbles above his head, but quickly this changed. Jon started to talk to his cat, and would respond to what his cat “says,” even asking him to do tasks around the house and getting upset when he didn't do them. I think that this is odd because Jon probably does not have super powers like mind reading which further proves the theory that Garfield is dead and Jon is attempting to cope with his one real friend being gone. All in all, Jon has been one of the leading points that proves the theory of Garfield being dead.

Garfield has been one of the most influential characters in the past 4 decades, from comics to books to movies. Everybody knows him, and whether you love him or not, you cannot deny his widespread appeal. At the end of the day, it is just a silly comic about a lazy orange cat and his owner. Though the comics and jokes are no longer amazing, Jim Davis is amazing at marketing his character and getting people to talk about the lazy lasagna loving cat, Garfield.

Is Cleopatra the Most Powerful Woman in History?

By Manuel Vizarretea

Have you ever wondered who was the most powerful woman in history? It was most likely Cleopatra. Cleopatra came from a long lineage of Egyptian pharaohs, during the Ptolemaic dynasty founded around 305 B.C. by the Macedonian Alexander the Great. Even though the Ptolemies were not Egyptian themselves, they did not fail to show their love and appreciation towards Egypt. Cleopatra’s family consisted of an older sister, younger sister, younger brother, and a dad. Her older sister, Berenice IV, was murdered by her dad after he took Cleopatra on a trip to Rome and came back to find that she had taken the throne for herself. After her sister’s death, Cleopatra learned not to seize the crown and to just be patient. Fortunately, she did not have to wait long because Ptolemy XII passed the throne down to her and her brother Ptolemy XIII.

Cleopatra did not give up when it came to her beloved country. In 49 B.C., her brother did not want to co-rule Egypt with his sister/wife, Cleopatra, so he had her kicked out of Egypt. This did not stop Cleopatra. She stayed in Rome with her younger sister Arsinoe IV and gathered an army to invade Egypt and get her brother to surrender the crown. Against this army, Ptolemy XIII had no choice but to surrender the crown and Cleopatra successfully took the throne for herself. After she dealt with her brother, she managed to become one of the very few - and certainly the most powerful - female pharaohs. She stabilized the economy, managed the complex bureaucracy, and came up with one of the era’s strongest and most strategic armies. Cleopatra was a very intelligent woman, accomplishing all of this by the age of only twenty-one. During this time, she was also in a relationship with Julius Caesar, but that was short-lived because he was murdered not long after they had a child.

Cleopatra then fell in love with Mark Antony, but the Romans were furious. When Cleopatra and Mark Antony first met in 41 B.C., it was like love at first sight. They met when Cleopatra was invited to Tarsus by Mark Antony and she agreed to go. Cleopatra made a grand entrance, her ship covered in gold plates, equipped with silver oars and purple sails, anything that would make someone stop and look at the magnificent ship sailing by. Antony showed Cleopatra around and Cleopatra later invited Antony to Egypt after returning from Tarsus. Antony enjoyed it so much that he stayed in Egypt for longer than expected but Rome was angry that their leader had left. Therefore Octavion took over and made Rome hate Egypt and Cleopatra for “seducing” Antony, resulting in his extended stay in Egypt. Cleopatra, being the intelligent individual she was, came up with a plan— she decided to fake her own death by sending one of her minions with a note that she was dead. But Cleopatra did not really think this through, as Antony had heard about the note. Since he was madly in love with Cleopatra and could not bear to be without her, he took a sword and stabbed himself to death on August 1, 30 B.C., where he later died in Cleopatra’s arms.

After Mark Antony was gone, the Roman soldiers now only had one target, Cleopatra. After Mark Antony’s death, she was captured by the soldiers. While in her “prison cell,” she heard that the Roman soldiers had captured her to parade and humiliate her. To escape this humiliation, Cleopatra had one last trick up her sleeve. On August 10/12 B.C., she had one of her minions carry a basket of “fruit” to her so they could honor her. Little did the Roman soldiers know, there was an asp hidden in the basket of fruit. So with no knowledge of a venomous snake hidden in the fruit basket, they let her minion pass. Cleopatra’s plan was complete. They handed her the basket, she took it, and died on August 10/12 30 B.C., by an Asp bite. The soldiers had found out about her plan a little too late, as she had already taken her own life.

Cleopatra was one of history’s most powerful women. She fought for and stabilized Egypt for many years; she would not let anyone separate her and her true love, Antony, and she refused to be humiliated, resulting in her taking her own life. These choices would overwhelm most people, but Cleopatra was a fearless woman, unafraid to make dangerous or life-threatening decisions, which is why she is one of the most powerful women in history.

Special thanks to the Leadership Class for supplying these wonderful essays!

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