Thank You, Class of 2014

This is the link to my graduation speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwC-tKRqVIE&feature=youtu.be

Self Made Heroes and Fulfilling Heroes

        "Superpowers" presents Zora's and The Wonder Twins's stories, two stories of made up heroes. Zora created herself by setting her goals and fulfilling them and the Wonder Twins were created by their fellow Burmans because a myth told that when twins were born in the Karen ethnicity during hard times, they could save them with superpowers. How super these heroes are is subjective to each person's criteria and certainly they stand no chance against Batman or Superman, but it is certain that they are no ordinary people. Zora reminds me of Batman because he set himself to rid the crime of Gotham City in order to avenge the murder of his parents, the Wonder Twins don't remind me any superhero. They have no real power, but Zora does. 

        Zora made up herself and tried to be that superhero because she wanted to fulfill her goals and succeed in her interests. She was not thought to have mythical, magical or super powers, but she had the will power to reinvent herself as a powerful, strong and determined woman. That was her superpower. By setting her goals and pursuing them in a disciplined matter Zora was able to become a successful woman, even though she failed at times. She became an example of persistence and prosperity, just like DC Comics's Wonder Woman. She is extraordinary because she is a strong woman who fights for herself until she succeeds. 

        The Wonder Twins, Johnny and Luther Htoo, are two guerrilla fighters in God's Army, a Burmese guerrilla that were created by a myth around them and they grew onto their roles of godlike figures. Instead of setting goals and fulfilling them like Zora, the twins came into a powerful position because their followers needed a figure to believe in. They needed faith to fight their war and they put their belief into the twins so they eventually were thought to bear magical powers. Yet, they were ordinary guerrilla fighters, with no magical powers, that tried to fit into a role they were believed to have. When the God's Army guerilla surrendered they proved that they were ordinary not because they lacked magic, but because they were just another guerilla fighter without the possibility to succeed. 

        

Malcolm X in Comics?

Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography, written by Andrew Helfer and Randy DuBurke, begins with a panel that copies Malcolm x's iconic picture holding a rifle. The original picture was published by Ebony, an African-American audience magazine, and it has been an icon of Malcolm X's defiance: he was prepared to defend himself "by any means necessary". When the graphic novel depicted this scene I immediately juxtaposed it in my mind with the original picture because I had seen it before. First, I thought that the picture was more clear than the comic and then I wondered why the author and illustrator of the comic copied the image.

I was unable to enjoy Malcolm X and I didn't know why. First I thought that it could be because I had seen movies about him, learn about him in class, and because I had rarely read biographical comics. I had read Art Spiegelman's Maus, yet this is a very unusual take on comics that is unforgettable to me. But my real problem with Malcolm X  was not that I felt like I had seen it all before in more illustrative, explanatory and soothing ways. It was that the comic took me panel to panel in a fast paced rhythm through the history of slavery on to Malcolm X's life without any panel striking to me. Not even the first, huge panel, that had Malcolm X holding a rifle, sticked in my mind. Ultimately, the panels were forgettable to me. They were facts posed in a linear order, but with no connection from one to the other.

The other comics I had read were about superheroes and I liked them much more than Malcolm X. To me, Watchmen brought Alan Moore's decayed view on the Cold War through the downfall of costumed heroes and vigilantes, while Sin City told Frank Miller's over the top neo-noir violent perversions, but to me Helfer's Malcolm X simply illustrated comics about important moments in Malcolm x's life. Thinking back on the panel where Malcolm X is holding his rifle, I see this is what strikes me from the graphic novel and the man's life: Malcolm X's conviction and defiance. And this is Helfer's intention, but for me it is easier to remember the actual Ebony picture than the panel.

Even Less Sleep?

Apparently brains have some sort of recycling system, or rather a metabolism, says Maria Konnikova in "Goognight. Sleep Clean". This function of sleep could be one its most important ones, if not the most, and there are speculations that wonder if sleep could be replaced or aided with medications that recycled for our brains. That would definitely be a great advantage: we would have more free time, we would be able to be more productive and… would we be less tired? That is my only concern with the theories that Konnikova explains.

Even if my "neural trash" was efficiently disposed with the help of pharmaceutics and I would be able to sleep less, I do not want to sleep less. To me sleep can be either a delight or a torment. When I sleep well, with no interruptions and I manage to do it for eight or more hours, my body is efficient, energetic and responsive for most of the day. I feel great. When I sleep less than seven hours, interrupted by anything strong enough to wake me up, I spend the rest of the day suffering. It is not until I do a nap, long enough to recover those hours, that I am ready to be fully functional. So I immensely value a good night's sleep. Even if technology makes sleep less important, I don't want to endure this change. It's like food. Why would someone want to replace food with pharmaceutics even if they can be fully nutritious? Food is too good to be replaced by technological advancements and sleep too. They are legendary pleasures that will be very difficult to replace.