Eagle Scout Project: Preparing for High school, college, and beyond

This article is a summary of my eagle project (Troop 285, Chandler, AZ)

Link to the slideshow that introduces the project and why it is important: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r31URsWLRCFmPVD8u5I8GGGosIyB_JUbGk2DMZnR5o8/edit?usp=sharing 

Link to project slideshow:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18BGhh4ujEc8lo813hAAldOSJavCbPBp4d68SR4T04O4/edit?usp=sharing 

Link to Extracurriculars slideshow:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zo5bI2Dc_2OzjVgocmwMD5UZbYNM_Gcdoh_oHpmawRo/edit?usp=sharing

First/Main session (4/16)
-Non-profit Beneficiary: Phoenix Jewel Lions Club
-25 participants
-Lecture/slideshow covering main points about dual enrollment, APs, Major maps, PSAT, LinkedIn, Resume, and Scholarships
-Keegan covered extracurriculars
-Niharika covered LinkedIn and networking
-Rishita covered college life and how to pick a major
-Kahoot session testing participants on FAFSA and financial aid-Priya, Sahil, and Regan helped with breakout sessions and helping participants build their own schedules to optimize exploring career pathways.

Second session (5/21)
-Non-profit Beneficiary: Project PWR
-15 participants
-Lecture/slideshow covering main points about dual enrollment, APs, Major maps, PSAT, LinkedIn, Resume, and Scholarships
-Spent most of the time answering specific questions that the webinar attendees had
-Keegan covered extracurriculars

Third session (5/24)
-Non-profit Beneficiary: Project PWR
-10 participants
-Lecture/slideshow covering main points about dual enrollment, APs, Major maps, PSAT, LinkedIn, Resume, and Scholarships
-Spent most of the time answering specific questions that the webinar attendees had
-Keegan covered extracurriculars

Contact me if you have any questions about any of these topics: suryatejvakkalanka@gmail.com

How many hours do you spend looking at a screen?

Hey Guys,

Did you ever wonder how many hours of your life you spent in front of a screen? Maybe being outside? Well, I have a code that will answer all of your problems! (Here is the link: https://onlinegdb.com/rJ8YIWqgD). This code (made by me) is not super accurate because I'm obviously NOT keeping secret tabs on you (hehe); In actuality, I used the average data for different age groups regarding screen/outdoors time. Be sure to check out the code if you want a good laugh.

P.S. The Date and DOB at the beginning has to follow the specific format, so be careful with that

Stay safe,

Sunny

A brief examination of American Policing and Systemic Racism: Why BLM?

A brief examination of American Policing and Systemic Racism: Why BLM?

By Sunny Vakkalanka

How ironic it is that even though July 4th is the day that America got its freedom from Great Britain, many American people of color still feel restrained by their own government. The George Floyd protests that have been going on in the Not-so-United States for the past month are not new: protests erupted in 2014 after the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and more than 1000 others killed by cops (Huang, 3:56-4:31). However, we can’t let the protests happening right now slip through our fingers, as they are a golden opportunity for real change. American over-policing and systemic racism demonstrate why BLM protests have been going on for the past few years, and this issue is significant because change in the system is needed to better our own communities.

American police have too much training in using violence and not enough in deescalating fights, which leads to the loss of the feeling of community and the avoidable loss of lives. An epitome of this is the 1033 Program, which gives out military equipment to police departments. For free. The Obama administration slowed down the program after feeling like it wasn’t serving the community, but the Trump administration reversed that decision. However, a scary change in policing occurred when big police departments started buying their own military equipment (“Why America's police look like soldiers,” 4:35-5:27). This illustrates that police want military equipment because they feel as it defines them. Moreover, they even know that it scares the public, but they are fine with that. However, this greatly contradicts the initial goal of policing, which is being a part of and serving the community (not trying to scare it away).

Another example of over-policing is over 1,000 people are annually killed by cops in the US. Even when considering the fact that the US has around x5 the population of the UK, the police killings in the US are around x110 higher (The Problem: McKesson and Sinyangwe). In fact, the US’s rate of police killings per person is higher than all “first-world” countries. If the US is to be considered a first-world nation, then we should make sure our police system is up to standard. To me, personally, what is astonishing is that with the protests and the support for BLM, one would expect police killings this year would go down, right? Nope. This year’s deaths by police are already at 506, on track to surpass last year’s 999 deaths. Of these deaths, “The rate at which Black Americans are killed by police is more than twice as high as the rate for White Americans,” (Police Shootings Database: Tate et al.). This helps explain the correlation between the Black Lives Matter protests and the calls to defund/change the police system. Furthermore, it highlights how the disproportionate police killings of African Americans in the US are only a part of the wider problem of systemic racism in this country. 

Systemic racism in America is not new; in fact, it is quite old. From slavery to Brown v. Board, the US always struggled with race. Still, one reason awareness of racism (embedded in the system) started to surge around Trump’s presidency is because of a phenomenon known as the political thermostat (Wlezien): If a country’s leader moves too far to one side on the political spectrum (left or right), public opinion starts to sway the other side. Because Trump’s public image so far has been full of far-right speeches and actions, more liberal issues started to rise. One such issue is the continued social, economic, and political differences between the lives of White and Black Americans (there are differences between other races and White people, but not as troubling). Systemic racism in the US exists mainly in 6 forms: Education, Health, Employment, Community, Housing, and Criminal Justice (Racial Equality Tools: Hinson et al.). One example of a real racial disparity comes up when considering the subsystem of criminal justice (or rather, injustice): “Marijuana usage rates are similar between White and Black Americans, yet Black Americans are 3.64 times more likely to get arrested on marijuana possession charges” (Business Insider: Gal et al.). This perfectly addresses the racial bias that exists within the justice and police system. Another disparity is in the American Education system: for the last 40 years, the percentage of Black vs White people with a college degree has been at a 10% difference, with White graduates in the lead. This suggests that more than 150 years after the legal end of slavery, African-Americans still have fewer opportunities for higher education than White Americans. When 6 generations couldn’t bridge the educational gap between two races, the system is most likely flawed in treating different races equally.

Finally, the big questions must be asked: What do the protests want to achieve, and what change has happened so far? Campaign Zero lists 10 major changes that should be made to make the police a safer presence in the community (McKesson and Sinyangwe). An excerpt of these is to end ‘broken windows policing’, have ‘community oversight’, and ‘limit the use of force’. Ending broken windows policing requires police to de-prioritize activities that have no harm to other people, such as jaywalking, spitting, and trespassing. Community oversight allows the community to investigate and decide what consequences officers should face after certain wrongful actions. Limiting the use of force, which is the most immediate solution, includes banning chokeholds, using de-escalation tactics, warning fellow officers of unnecessary lethal tactics, and carrying first aid kits for the injured.

Although police reform can be fixed with bills or laws, systemic racism requires a more thought out solution that won’t be as quick as fixing the former. Jennifer Rainey Marquez says, “Solutions that seem simple are the ones that get the attention. But those easy fixes are also what’s comfortable for the institution”. The solutions to combat systemic racism will be a long journey that requires our government to change the very roots of American society. Many industries will have to change drastically for people of color (mainly Black Americans) to be represented and treated equally to White Americans.

Overall, many organizations have started showing support for BLM since the starting of the protests this year. Moreover, many major cities have banned chokeholds, and some are even planning to defund the police and enact more policing laws (CNN: Andrew and Asmelash). Howbeit, most of them are just a one-time solution that will prevent another police officer from choking another person to death. Real change will happen with solutions that create a new system, free of racism, and enforce it with police that serve the community.

Works Cited

Andrew, Scottie, and Leah Asmelash. The Race-Related Things That Have Changed since Protests Began around George Floyd's Death. 13 June 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/06/13/us/changes-from-protests-george-floyd-trnd/index.html.

Marquez, Jennifer Rainey. “Quick-Fix Policy Won't Dismantle Systemic Racism.” Futurity, 17 June 2020, www.futurity.org/systemic-racism-2387952/.

Gal, Shayanne, and Andy Kiersz. “25 Simple Charts to Show Friends and Family Who Aren't Convinced Racism Is Still a Problem in America.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 12 June 2020, www.businessinsider.com/us-systemic-racism-in-charts-graphs-data-2020-6.

Hinson, Sandra, et al. “Race, Power and Policy: Dismantling Structural Racism.” Racial Equality Tools, Grassroots Policy Project, www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/race_power_policy_workbook.pdf.

McKesson, Deray, and Samuel Sinyangwe. “The Problem.” Campaign Zero, www.joincampaignzero.org/problem.

McKesson, Deray, and Samuel Sinyangwe. “Solutions.” Campaign Zero, www.joincampaignzero.org/solutions.

Wlezien, Christopher. “The Public as Thermostat: Dynamics of Preferences for Spending.” American Journal of Political Science, vol. 39, no. 4, 1995, pp. 981–1000. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2111666. Accessed 5 July 2020.

Tate, Julie. “Fatal Force: Police Shootings Database.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 22 Jan. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/.

“Why America’s police look like soldiers.” Vox, 25 June. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOAOVbyfjA0.

Huang, Cary. “Police Killings in the US and the UK, 2009-2020.” Abacaba, 8 June. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s8O8-_AGKw.

Short story: The Inspiration behind my Blog's name

Hey guys,

This is a short post, but I wanted to tell you the inspiration behind the name of my blog. "The literary triangle" simply means I write about 3 main things: My gaming stories, Essays about various academic topics, and finally analyses of Greek/Roman/Egyptian Mythology. That's pretty much it! 

Stay safe,

Sunny

Update: Classical Culture

Hey guys,

I remember the feeling of first learning about Egyptian, Greek, and Roman mythology in 6th grade. I don't remember what exactly I found interesting, but I'm glad I stuck to it. Percy Jackson, anyone? As I researched more throughout the years, I found the ancient ways of life to be fascinating and influential. For example, did you know that major political buildings (such as the White House) are based on Classical architecture? 

This is an update post to let you guys know that I will be doing posts every now and then about Classical culture. Stay tuned!

Stay safe,

Sunny

XBM vs Sun Avatar (BTD6 test)

Hey Guys,

Today I tested the Crossbow Master vs the Sun Avatar and got surprising results.

-The rounds I tested them against were 4 MOABs, 4 BFBs, 4 ZOMGs, 4 DDTs, and 1 BAD 

-The Map I used was Logs

Some facts about the competitors are that:

-the Sun Avatar costs 132% more than the XBM, 

-they both (when given the maximum pierce of bloons they can handle) gain # of pops at the same rate (per second).

-and while the XBM relies at least partly on RNG and shoots in a straight line, the Sun Avatar is consistent with its shots and shoots a spray of 3 lines (not 1 line) of energy blasts.

The results:

While the Crossbow master advanced up to the round with 1 BAD (and even damaged the BAD to its last stage until it pops), the Sun Avatar (both cross paths) lost to 4 ZOMGs. 

Analysis:

It is surprising that while the Sun Avatar costs way more than the XBM, the XBM does better against MOAB-class bloons (the popping power that is needed for rounds 80-100). While the Sun Avatar with the range cross path had the same amount of (gigantic) range as the XBM, it wasn't able to pop camos. Moreover, the Sun Avatar with the camo cross path didn't get the same amount of range as the XBM. It seems like the player has to choose between range vs camo with the Sun Avatar, although the XBM has the whole package (can pop black, white, lead, camo, purple, and even DDTs) 

What to take away: 

The XBM, despite its tiny cost, is a great asset to any defense, While it struggles against the BAD and super ceramics, it has great synergy with other towers like the Inferno ring, Blooncineration, and Sky shredder.

btd6 TOURNAMENT BRACKET V2.0

Hey Guys,

This is the new tournament bracket that I designed to test out how good the different towers are against each other. This is slightly based on Zachary Buschmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4olc3jzXNHk)'s video. Here are the rules:

1. All tests on sandbox are done on the map, Logs (on medium difficulty)

2. The first round of towers will include all the towers. The top half of those towers (measured by what stage of bloons they reached (the tiebreaker for that being how many lives were lost)) will move on to the second stage, the top half of those will move on to the third stage, and so on.

3. The first round of towers has $5,000, 10 bloons per wave, and 500 lives. The second round of towers has $10,000, 15 bloons per wave, and 300 lives. The third round of towers has $15,000, 25 bloons per wave, and 100 lives. The fourth round of towers has $25,000, 50 bloons per wave, and 50 lives.

4. There will be only one trial per tower per round (the score of each tower will be consistent anyways because of how the game works, so why bother?)

5. The order of intensity of bloons is red, blue, green, yellow, pink, black, purple, white, lead, zebra, rainbow, ceramics, 1/2/3/4 MOAB(s), 1/2/3/4 BFB(s), 1/2/3/4 ZOMG(s), 1/2/3/4 DDT(s), and finally 1/2/3/4 BAD(s)

6. Each test per tower per round will start with 4500 extra lives. For tests between towers in a round that vary from each other only by 50 lives, the tiebreaker will be a single invisible bloon (and the tower with the most damage done will be the winner)

7. Selling/rebuying of the same tower during the same round is not allowed


This is the result of how the towers did: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/157XUWrEOfRXzSgsVnZ8WSwSXpTyHa8FGvHpXEI5L8Xo/edit?usp=sharing

The Sniper won (the top three finalists were the Boat vs Sniper vs Sub)

Overall, key things to take away are that 1) Towers that do better with grouped bloons include middle path subs, Striker jones, and generally any explosives, 2) military-class towers tend to give more pops per money spent, and 3) specific towers that are really good include 3-x-x buccaneers, 3/4-x-x snipers, and x-x-3 subs

Stay Safe,
Sunny

Why I think the Multi-verse doesn't exist

Hello Guys,

Do you think there are multiple universes in existence? I don't think so. In each of these so-called duplicates of our universe, it is said that the course of each human's life would be completely different. However, I think that each human can control their own actions. Since human personality won't change through space and time, I believe that every human would make the same decisions because they are the same. Because it is pointless to have multiple universes with the same person in all of them making the same decisions, I think it would make more sense if there was only one universe. I know this theory has its own flaws, but that's just my take on this topic. Thank you for reading this!

Stay safe,

Sunny

BTD6 HERO GUIDE

Hey Guys,

Have you had any trouble deciding which hero you want in Bloons Tower Defense 6? Here is a guide to help out with that:

Best for ABR mode: Ezili (she can naturally pop both lead and camo)
Best for Damage: Adora
Best for income/perks: Benjamin (duh!)
Best for support: Gwen if supporting many towers/Obyn if supporting mainly magic towers

That's all for today,
Sunny

The Solution to Mental Health Rights

The Solution to Mental Health Rights

John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, highlights the difference in inequality between regular and mentally handicapped people. Fifty years ago, mental health laws did not fully protect the rights of the mentally disabled. As seen in the novella, Lennie (who is mentally disabled) is often pushed around. Before George takes him under his wing, he “...turns to Lennie and says, 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him. An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out” (Steinbeck 20). Even though George is soon able to figure out that this kind of behavior is cruel and inhumane, many other people around the world need laws and social guidelines to know how to treat the mentally disabled. Although some say that mental problems are just ‘in one’s head’ and ‘undiagnosable’, the last few decades showcased the improvement of mental health rights, social guidelines, and awareness. 

In Of Mice and Men, Lennie depends on George for almost everything. While it is safe and efficient that George looks out for Lennie by asking him to throw out dead mice so he won’t get rabies, today’s laws require Lennie to know anything he pleases about his treatment and mental conditions  (Steinbeck 5). Moreover, confidentiality in medical treatment would allow Lennie to only share the details that he wants to share with George (Young). While these laws exist today, special mental health law enforcement officers could boost the number of mental health cases that get reported or treated. Even volunteers could improve people’s lives who suffer from mental health.

Social integration is something that took a long time for colored people and women, but it will take even longer for mentally handicapped people without further help. In Steinbeck’s novella, Crooks scares Lennie by saying that George would leave him. In retaliation, Lennie says, “George wun't go away and leave me. I know George wun't do that” (36). While Crooks scaring Lennie is already illegal, this social experiment shows how lost Lennie is without his companion. Today, more than ever, people who suffer from a mental disability need a friend to trust and a community to be a part of. “In 1999, though, two Georgia women sued for the right to live in a non-restrictive community setting... The Court ruled that keeping the women institutionalized was a form of disability discrimination, and that people with mental health disabilities have a fundamental right to live in the least restrictive possible setting.

For years now, mentally ill people have used this decision to gain access to greater independence and freedom…” (Young). This monumental case proves that mentally disabled people have the same social rights as people who are lucky enough to live without disabilities. Moreover, the simplicity of kind acts can brighten many and help mental patients get the kindness that they deserve (as humans).

Another way to help people with depression or anxiety is to raise awareness. One way to do this is by, again, making connections. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, this might seem hard to do. However, Snapchat “...has announced that it will bring forward the launch of its new 'Here For You' mental health resource center, making it available to all users this week in response to rising angst around the COVID-19 pandemic” (Hutchinson) With the help of new online resources, it is becoming easier to raise awareness for mental disabilities. Raising awareness of disabilities like depression and anxiety can help ease the lives of many people around the world.

HOW TO WIN MONOPOLY IN 3 STEPS

Hey Guys,

Here are 3 easy steps to win Monopoly (the board game)

1. Early-game: Buy all of the properties you land on. Try to get the Oranges
2. Mid-game: Get the entire orange color set by either landing on them or trading with players for cash (target players who are kinda broke and offer cash for an orange property)
3. Gradually build-up to the hotel level on each of the orange properties (repeat this process with the red color set, as it is almost as profitable)

IT'S THAT EASY!

Stay Safe (and wash your hands),
Sunny