In a similar vein to my last Personal is Political blog about my arguably pretty strange way of overcoming my social anxiety, I’d like to continue the trend of developing relationships with people, specifically within my closest friend group, my senior year Quiz Bowl teammates. I’m like 99% sure that I mentioned it within my […]
Author: Thomas Flexer
Personal is Political 9: A Little Magic
Up until 7th grade, I had to be one of the most introverted people to ever exist. Outside of answering questions in class, I barely talked to anybody outside of my small group of friends and close family. It had to be one of my biggest issues that I’ve had to deal with throughout my […]
The Problem of Chronic Absenteeism in the United States
In a continuing trend throughout many of my Civic Issues blogs, I’ll be focusing on another issue in schools that has only been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the title mentions, this week’s blog will be discussing issues with chronic absenteeism that has become rampant in almost every school district in the nation. To […]
Patching the Holes in Pennsylvania’s Infrastructure.
Intro In the spring of 2022, I was in Atlanta for a national trivia competition, competing against the best of the best from across the whole of the United States. As a way to introduce ourselves, the moderators of our match asked what the worst thing about our state was. Without hesitation, all seven members […]
Personal is Political 8: Losing an Interest
Pretty much throughout my entire childhood, I remember all of my free time being consumed with reading. It wasn’t just something I did at home; I’d be reading in class or reading in the car. There were books scattered throughout the house and my room has just an entire wall of bookshelves that almost don’t […]
Issue Brief Introduction Draft
This is just a rough draft of what I’d like to end up doing, so any comments or suggestions that you have to make it better would be greatly appreciated. In the spring of 2022, I was in Atlanta for a national trivia competition, competing against the best of the best from across the whole […]
Taking Tests in the Digital Age
In a continuation of the last Civic Issues blog, I will be talking about the digitization of the SATs. In the 2023-24 school year, the College Board released their first digital exams for AP courses, one of which was for AP English Literature and Composition, possibly foreshadowing of what has happened recently, as they move […]
Personal is Political 7: Preserving Local History
For this week’s blog, I’ll be talking about my experience with historical preservation. My extended family runs a decently large festival dedicated to pottery in the spring and fall where local artisans come and sell their various goods. Additionally, the secondary purpose of the festival is to teach the story of my great-great-grandfather and the […]
Personal is Political 6: A New Perspective
Two years ago, my high school’s Quiz Bowl team, which is sort of like Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit but more competitive and against people that know way too much, qualified for the National competition in Atlanta, Georgia. It was great to go on a sort-of mini vacation, especially with a bunch of my closest friends, […]
Personal is Political 5: The Educator Experience
Throughout my early years of high school, I worked as a camp counselor for a local day camp in my area. I had previously attended this camp as a child, and once I moved into high school, I was offered the opportunity to work there, where it would be my first job. I had a […]