Category: 2018-2019 (Year II)

        The Crossover is one of the most popular children’s book written by American author Kwame Alexander in 2015.  The book was honer winning John Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award in that same year. The Crossover, is a story told through poems and funky rap style about basketball, rules, dribbling, and crossing over the line of brotherhood. It displays the life of a young teenage twin brothers who have dedicated their life to becoming basketball championships, just like their old man. This is a  certainly simple to read yet fascinating, full of actions, and entertaining book for especially young readers to pick up. 

        Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book. However, if you don’t want anymore spoiler about the book itself you can close this tap immediately and run out to a book store to purchase one of this masterpiece.

Sport is not just about to rule The Game of Life

There are no coaches

At funerals. No practice

To get ready. No warm-up

There is no last-second shot, and we all wear it’s cruel

Midnight uniform, starless

And unfriendly

I am unprepared

 For death

This is a game.

I cannot play

It has no rule 

No referees

You cannot win.

― Kwame Alexander, The Crossover

         Being different is very difficult, yet it’s not impossible. Your life is just like a wheel, going round and round without knowing any directions. Sometime you might be facing a really nice, smooth, and clear route, but at other times you might also be facing a really rocky, bumpy and steep one. However, the question is, how are you going to face those routes and successfully cross the path?  Within the same situation as life, sadness will always be there with you. Nonetheless, the one thing that you could do is to face it with strength. Everyone has been created in their own unique pattern that doesn’t mean you should feel upset about the person you are. Here are the three ways that you could determine your happiness and be proud of who you are.

         First thing first is to stay calm and remain peaceful. Especially if you consider yourself a black sheep, you better be ready in every situation. Research conducted in July 2018 from the Independent Company in the UK has presented as a result, “each day on average, families disagree six times – a total of 42 rows a week or 182 a month and parents will have 2,184 arguments with their children every year”. Additionally, I have yet to mention society, community, school, and in public. You see, being yourself is awesome, but others might not be having the same mindset as yours. In fact, often you would be targeted by the crowd and a lot of times you might have found yourself in a situation where you couldn’t take over your emotion. At the same time, the argument isn’t always the first-rate to solve problems. Meanwhile, you can take a step back, and reflect on the situation. Therefore, as long as you keep being you, encourage yourself, learn from your mistakes and move on could also boost your mood. 

         Mandy Hale, one of an inspirational author around the world has said in one of her well-known quote to, “Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, magical person that you are.” Being who you are is one of the best ways to achieve happiness. Furthermore, just care less about the surrounding crowd giving negativities on your actions, because each step you take matters the most to you. Drop out all of that criticism, do what you like, and keep following your dream. In addition, how do you think Steve Jobs has become a millionaire and living life as one of the greatest visionaries in history? As a result, he was living life by a quote of, “your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s” (2019). So go out there and show them what you got and be the only magnificent person that you are. 

         Finally, just put a smile on your face. I know you are probably asking yourself and thinking that this is not as easy as it sounds. And yes, you are perfectly right. Yet there are always 2 sides to every story. This solution is probably not as hard as you think if you put it simply like this.  Let’s say your friends always make fun of your nerdy attitude and always left you behind every time they went to hang out. Also, you might be feeling a bit sad and heartbroken. Even so, don’t you feel bad for yourself, because every time you were left behind in the library, your strength of knowing has grown every time, and that’s the greatest weapon you’ll ever find? Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be the next William Shakespeare. On the whole, you just don’t have to take everything too serious, deep, and important. Just chill out and keep the smile on, and the positivity mindset no matter what, when, or wherever you are because the power of a positive mindset is everything.

         After all, happiness is everywhere. It’s not hard to find, even you don’t get the wealth, fame, or power. You are precious, beautiful, and amazing just the way you are. Don’t let all of those dark clouds ruin your day. “When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world.”. As long as you keep being yourself, remain peaceful, and got the alacrity mindsets on, your life will be a rainbow. 

        Only a tiny fraction of the world’s information is available for free on the internet. Plus the fact of about 4.4 billion people around the world still doesn’t have access to the internet. But all basic essential supplies could possibly count from A-Z  that you need for your every day of learning is available through libraries. Despite the fact of the lack of funding to sustain libraries, schools must support long-term investment in libraries, because they are the essential base zone for students to expand their knowledge, develop the human mindset, and provide a unique learning environment

        Building up a wonderful library could expand the knowledge of youth and the next generation. Author Leonard Kniffel holds masters’ degrees in English and library science from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He published a new version of an old article on December 21, 2010, on American Libraries magazine called “12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country.” The article covered the whole idea of the power of libraries. Two of the relatable ways that specify in the article itself is Libraries sustain democracy, libraries nourish creativity, and Libraries offer sanctuary. In the same way sitting in an area that’s full of joy, silence, and comfort, also known as the library, can offer a mentally gaining experience which means a better intelligence in ways such as increased vocabulary, improved writing skills, building up of genius, and even reducing your stress.

        On the others hand, if libraries are not essential, then why have some of the world’s smartest, intellectual billionaires such as Bill Gates, President John Adams, Andrew Carnegie, Giles Gilbert Scott, and etc drained their money, time, blood, toil, tears and sweat to construct those wonderful libraries. This is an absolutely clear claim of how libraries can criticize the mindset of a person. Creativity, Innovative, and Critical thinking are things that could be master through virality of training. For an example doing extensive research from hundreds and thousands of pages through documents, books, records, and reports rather than typing a few ridiculous words into a search engine could increase the level of a person’s out-of-the-box thinking. 

        Of course, to gain a better understanding of literature, students shall be committed throughout times of tough work, for that reason what’s a better way to explore the world of literature by being engaged with reading. The Australian Council for Educational Research had published an article called “How libraries and librarians can support student engagement”.  In the first paragraph of the article with the graph displays of data from the Australasian Survey of Student from 2008 had stated, “There’s very strong evidence to suggest that students tend to be more engaged with learning on the whole if they engage with library resources, interact with library staff, and spend time using libraries” (2008, p.1). The paragraph also concluded with a precise comparison describing “AUSSE to show that students who report using library resources on campus or online are often more highly engaged with the university, and are less likely to have considered leaving their university before completion.” The article certainly provides the claim, facts, comparison, and clear examples that show us how libraries are the best learning improvement paradise for students. In addition, this is what we need, what we deserve, libraries are for everyone,  It’s a place where communities build it’s where people gather, experience and experiment with the arts and media, and engage in community discussions and games. 

        Finally, for each and every school to have a sustainable and essential library is one of the best possible solutions for the student to engage more with their education. Yes, the internet is huge and there a whole ton of accessible information out there. Meanwhile, students could found themselves lost and get distracted by those technologies. But what about the funding? Doesn’t school couldn’t have enough money to sustain a library? Actually, no: Turns out school could actually be using the money that is thrown to some of those unnecessary games activities, fun trip, new years event, or school party, for the library construction. The result won’t pay off at the beginning but trusting at the long-term the decision won’t be wrong.

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Citations

“The Importance Of School Library And Knowledge.” SAFSMS Blog, 25 Sept. 2018, safsms.com/blog/importance-academic-library-schools/.

“Why Are Libraries Essential?” Welcome to Libraries Are Essential, www.librariesareessential.com/why-are-libraries-essential/.

“12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country.” American Libraries Magazine, 21 Dec. 2010, americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2010/12/21/12-ways-libraries-are-good-for-the-country/.

NIE ADMIN. “Is Internet In Classrooms A Distraction?” TIMES NIE : Home, toistudent.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/top-news/is-internet-in-classrooms-a-distraction/14345.html. 

Luxton, Emma. “4 Billion People Still Don’t Have Internet Access. Here’s How to Connect Them.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/4-billion-people-still-don-t-have-internet-access-here-s-how-to-connect-them/.