Emma Monroe

My first introduction to Taoism was a cheap, watered-down version of the religion, known as Dudeism. A couple students in my philosophy class junior year chose to present Dudeism for their religion project, explaining how the core principles of the religion were going with the flow, chilling out, and enjoying life as it comes. I thought it was complete nonsense. How could I ever accomplish anything if my philosophy was to simply let things happen? 

With my skeptical mindset, you can imagine that when we learned about Taoism a couple weeks later in class, I did not think highly of the religion. Taoism, as I understand it, is an ancient Chinese religion and philosophy that preaches ideals such as inaction, simplicity, and harmony– more sophisticated ways of “going with the flow.” We read excerpts from the Tao Te Ching, the primary religious text of Taoism, translated into English. The Tao Te Ching isn’t exactly known for its clarity, but it is fairly blunt in expressing what the author, Lao Tzu, deemed as universal truths. For example, the Tao Te Ching includes statements like “If nothing is done, then all will be well” and “the more you know, the less you understand.” 

In modern western society, the majority of people disagree with these statements. Inaction is the antithesis of capitalism, where hard work is upheld as a virtue. Learning is encouraged, school systems teaching students that knowledge is power. While people joke about going wherever the wind takes them, the only people who truly reject these western virtues are active nihilists, who believe nothing matters. 

In my case, I did not pretend to find the laid-back, taoist lifestyle appealing, but rather, expressed my distaste for the religion at every chance I could in class. It got to the point where whenever my teacher brought up Taoism, he would jokingly refer to it as “Emma’s favorite religion.” I could not have been more anti-Tao. 

However, my perspective on Taoism was permanently altered on a plane flight I took in November of 2024, where I decided to read the first chapter of “Star Wars: The Philosophy Strikes Back.” The book was a collection of essays relating the Star Wars movies to varying philosophical concepts, beginning with The Phantom Menace. Unpopularly, The Phantom Menace has always been one of my favorite Star Wars films– it has pod racing, Qui-Gon Jinn, and a “duel of fates”– what’s not to like? I was excited to read the chapter on The Phantom Menace, even if it was about Taoism’s influence on the movie. 

Upon reading the chapter, I was introduced to a whole new way of thinking about Taoism. The author Russel P. Johnson presented two concepts in Taoism that I resonated with: Symbiosis and concentrating on the moment. Symbiosis is essentially the idea that all things in nature are interconnected, and thus rely on each other. Symbiosis is encompassed in the Yin-Yang symbol, which represents how two opposites cannot exist without each other. Concentrating on the moment is simply not worrying about the consequences of the future, and instead prioritizing solving the issues of the present. I was surprised that I agreed with any statements in the Tao Te Ching, leading me to question my initial perception of the religion. 

I had misunderstood Taoism. It is not nonsense advocating for complete inaction; it is a valuable interpretation of how to effectively handle the ups and downs of life. While refusing to learn and doing nothing are far too extreme applications of the religion, having a taoist mindset can have a significant impact on everyday life. Instead of committing myself to one political ideology, I have found value in the opposing party. Instead of writing all of my assignments down in my planner and worrying about them two months in advance, I have focused on my present assignments. Although these might be small changes, they have increased my empathy level and reduced my stress. Despite my initial skepticism, I can honestly say that Taoism has positively impacted my life, and is beneficial in counteracting the pressures of modern day society. 

While registering for classes, you might have noticed strange letters beside some of the course options. Specifically, the letters AP and IB. While these letters might not seem terribly significant, they signal the type of class you are able to register for, typically implying an increased difficulty from the class’s honors counterparts. AP is short for Advanced Placement and IB is short for International Baccalaureate. But regardless of the nomenclature, there are clear advantages and disadvantages of both programs that you ought to consider before signing up for either. 

There are a few similarities between the two programs. Naturally, the workload is heavier than an honors class. The classes operate on a 5.0 rather than a 4.0 scale, and the classwork is reflective of this bump. “The rigor of AP is relatively the same as IB,” notes senior AP participant Emerson Cortazar. However, it must also be noted that less 5.0 classes are required in the AP Capstone Program. With IB, you must take at least 13 over the course of your junior and senior years, but with AP, it is only 6. This makes AP more accessible to those who don’t wish to fully immerse themselves in difficult environments. On the other hand, the lack of immersion can sacrifice a tight knit community. “AP lacks the closeness of the IB community,” Emerson observes, and junior IB participant Rachel Kreth clarifies this, stating, “In IB, everyone around you is, for the most part, doing all of the same things. That’s useful when you need help to know you’re all going through the same thing.” 

Another similarity between the programs is the resume building. AP junior Madison Grant claims that she signed up for AP “because it looks good for college applications.” Colleges seek out rigorous courses when evaluating your resume, which AP and IB definitely fulfill. Taking those 5.0 boosts your GPA, which can in turn boost your class rank, all factors that colleges look at when deciding to admit or reject an applicant. Fellow AP junior Bennett Hall furthers this, describing AP Capstone as something “that will help you stand out on college applications by showcasing your commitment to academics and research.” Yet, this advantage comes with a price. “I dislike the constant testing and quizzing in IB,” Rachel explains. “When every day has something, it feels very performative.” 

A major downside of both programs is the lack of diversity. Madison notes that she is “the only Black person in the class” majority of the time when it comes to her AP class, and several other IB students notice the problem as well. The demographics of the AP and IB programs do not reflect the demographics of Myers Park. Oftentimes, the lack of diversity can defer students away from the program who would normally participate in the higher level classes. The programs appear inaccessible, despite the fact that many students would thrive in AP or IB. 

AP and IB both require end of year tests to receive their respective diplomas. These tests differ from traditional finals in the sense that they are off campus and will not affect your final grade. However, these tests could impact your college lifestyle, as passing an AP or IB exam can earn you credits that exempt you from entry level college courses. This provides many students with a motivation to do well on these exams. IB student Evie Freeman notes the exams academic benefits, but also notes the personal. “I really appreciate we get the full day off of school for the exams,” she says, a component not present in a regular final. Junior IB participant William McEvoy claims “the fancy paper we write on” to be the coolest part of the exams, and Evie adds onto this, stating that “the string tag is awesome.” 

For the most part, AP and IB are fairly similar programs. They have clear advantages, such as building college applications, developing communities, and having really cool testing papers, but also clear disadvantages, such as a lack of diversity and rigorous courses. “The heavy workload connected with AP courses can be difficult for certain students,” Bennett expresses. But, none of the students mentioned previously regret enrolling in AP or IB. They might be difficult programs, but they can also be rewarding ones.