Emily Wilburn IB CAS Blog

Recently I have been reading the book STAMPED Racism, Anti-racism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi which is a book about racism and its history in America. I am currently three sections into the book and here are my thoughts so far: STAMPED has honestly left me pretty surprised. And a bit uncomfortable. What I mean by this is that the text has truly made me reflect so much, not only the way history ACTUALLY happened but also the way I was taught it. It makes me uncomfortable to question what I was taught. In classes such as math, science, or even literature, we are taught these concepts that are to stick with us from childhood through our adult lives. We are not meant to have to go back and reflect on the way we were taught things. For example, at a young age, we are taught 2+2=4 and we know that to be true and there's no need to question it but STAMPED has made me realize that we really do have to question what we're taught when it comes to history. Coming from a family that has con...

Today I led the teachers and faculty at my school in a meditation. I was asked to do this but was more than happy to be chosen for it. I really enjoyed getting to share with a large group of people my relationship and journey with meditation. My meditation is as follows: Hi teachers and staff, I am so happy to be here today to meditate with you all. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Emily Wilburn and I am a senior at the high school. As you all know, a-term has been going on and one of the courses that is being offered is Get Grounded by Training the Brain, which is the one I have been taking. I have really been connecting with the meditation aspect of the course which is why I am here today. Before I begin, I want to share with you how I came to enjoy meditation.  So really really sad fact but important fact to the story, before I came to Post Oak I faced a lot of bullying which caused me tremendous amounts of anxiety. It got to the point where I couldn’t be at school...

Yesterday I went on a nature walk at the Houston Arboretum. It was a lot of fun and I saw so many fun creatures. This is a walking trail that I frequent but I have never seen it the way I did yesterday. As I was walking, I saw an armadillo; snake; rabbit; and turtles. I really enjoyed my walk and going on this hike.  After I head out I did a little research on the animals that I saw, research on why armadillos dig holes as well as some research to identify the snake I saw. I am pretty convinced that the snake was poisonous since its coloring was black red and yellow! On my walk, I noticed my curiosity and loved how connected I was able to get with nature when I didn't have the distraction of my phone. I think this is learning outcome 1 because I identified my own strengths. Part of outcome 1 is also learning where you can improve but since it was a walk I am not really sure how I could improve, but maybe next time I will come more prepared with more comfortable shoes for example, o...

I recently have been reading the book STAMPED Racism, Anti-racism, and You which I mentioned in last month's blog. I have also now watched the documentary 13th by Ava Duvernay and have been working on developing my thoughts on both of these works and really trying to understand. I think the race problem in the United States is pretty extreme. Racism has been an issue in our country since it was founded and it continues to remain an issue. Our country has been built on racist laws and ideas that have perpetuated over time and have continued to do so today. I think now more than ever the conversation of race is so incredibly important. Seeing the mistreatment of Black people and people of color in the news on a daily basis is so heartbreaking and concerning. It is not okay so continue living this way and we need to continue to work in a positive direction. In terms of where I fit into this puzzle..? I am still trying to figure that out. I want to do everything in my power to help but...

I volunteered to work again as a student ambassador at my school's open house event. I have done this many times now. I really enjoy doing it though sometimes I get overwhelmed working with so many students. I always end up having so much fun in the end but it really can be difficult.  At this open house, I got to present to incoming students and prospective students, and parents about life at my school, Post Oak. I talked about clubs, sports, extracurriculars, school events, and all the especially fun parts about my school. I really enjoyed getting to work with other students. When presenting, me and one other student rotated and took turns sharing with the group. We also took turns answering the groups' questions. Presenting with another person really helped me to see the benefits that come with working with others. Not only can it help to lighten your plate but it helps in building friendships and learning to work with others. This is learning outcome 5 because I demonstrate...

Today I created a sand mandala which was both incredibly fun and incredibly stressful! I watched a video explaining the origin of the sand mandalas which showed how beautiful and intuit they could be but also how easily they could be destroyed. The entire process, both the creation and destruction of the sand mandala is so beautiful.  "The sand mandala is an intricate focus of meditation which monks study in-depth, sometimes for as long as three years. It is designed to guide those who aspire to enlightenment by purifying and healing their minds, transforming them from an ordinary mind into an enlightened mind." I found that I easily could do the artistic part of the activity but struggled with the reconstruction of the mandala and letting go. I realized that this applies to my life as well, I really do have trouble letting go sometimes. This mandala practice was really fun and enjoyable for me and is learning outcome 1 because I identified my areas of strength but also learn...