In A term, we read many pieces revolving around the different views on the structure of the education system. These readings taught us about topics such as stereotypes and our brain's tendency to follow a crowd. After learning about these perspectives, Ms. Small then had us write about a topic pertaining to this subject that was important to us. This was one of my favorite essays because it felt relatable in terms of the American school system experience. My essay discussed the loss of individualism due to social and academic pressures.

The first assignment we had to complete as part of this course was reading “Walden'' by Henry David Thoreau. Reading “Walden'' was almost like an initiation into the grade. To sum up the Walden unit, Ms. Small splits us into groups of about four people, where we create skits that display our understanding of the novel. We then perform these skits at Camp Bournedale, a MAMS tradition! The Walden skits not only allowed us to showcase our creativity, but it was also a great bonding experience. The act that Amy Chen, Anyee Li, Suhruth Vuppala, and I created revolved around the realities of Thoreau’s lifestyle that aren’t showcased in the novel. Feel free to read our script!