Rebekah George Assignment 11

I will never understand how or why there are people that exist that claim that “there are no stupid questions”. By no accounts of logic or observation can this possibly be true. First, I suppose it is important to define stupidity, and oh what a task that is. Oxford Dictionaries defines stupid as “having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense” or “dazed and unable to think clearly”, and may I add, one of their examples sentences is, and I quote, “that is such a stupid question.” Oxford knows they exist, I know they exist, the internet knows that they exist, but why do teachers and other various academics continue to cling to the Ludacris idea that stupid questions don’t exist?

Have they never been in a seventh grade classroom when little Johnny asks something that has been answered already at least a dozen times? Where were they when Tumblr user “dinonysuscecilscetion” asked if pigeons have feelings? And where, on God’s green earth, were they when Gary Johnson asked, very seriously, what is Aleppo?

Perhaps they were the kids that never paid attention in class and had to ask a question just answered. Perhaps they were that lone wolf with seven followers on their blog that just wanted to know the hard-hitting facts (or were under the influence of something). Perhaps they are Gary Johnson in disguise.

Dear reader, it is important that we learn from our mistakes. So, please, with sugar on top, understand that stupid questions do exist.

…and so too do stupid people.  

Rebekah George Assignment 10

Though she may not be one of the Schuyler Sisters, my seat partner lives up to the name of Angelica—which, I suppose the bar has been set by Angelica Schuyler, and she was pretty fly. Angelica has a particular affinity for musical instruments. I am kind of sure-ish that she plays the oboe in marching band, but then again, if you put me in a room full of instruments and asked me to pick which one was an oboe, I couldn’t. I know for fact that she enjoys television, books, fandoms etc. because we’ve been friends for a while and I’ve been to her house. She likes Doctor Who. A woman after my own heart.

I would consider Angelica to be a very honest person, but not as brutally honest as I am. She cares about your feelings and such. It is an honor to be her friend. I appreciate her sense of humor and patience for my weirdness. It also amuses me that she is as much of a procrastinator as I am. We get things done eventually, and that’s what matters.

Much person. So girl. Wow human.

If she were not those things, however, and were something different—and totally not a question that I was asked to consider—say, a color, she would be amaranth. A kind of calming shade of pink, not many people have heard of amaranth; however, amaranth means eternally beautiful and everlasting. I wish the same for my non-color human friend’s legacy with a name that starts with the same letter as this lovely color.     

I believe that Angelica aspires to be a high school band director, which is cool because high school is someplace I hope to never come back to for any reason. I think this puts her either in school still or student teaching and taking night classes in five years.

If I were to compare Angelica to an animal, I would compare her to a bunny because they are both fluffy members of the Leporidae family with a particular inclination for carrots and burrowing into the ground. It is important to note that your bunny or Angelica is not fond of being picked up by strangers or frightening situations. In order to better care for your bunny or Angelica, experts suggest a mixed diet of grains and vegetables. Both bunnies and Angelicas enjoy belly rubs. Having more than one in the same environment may lead to complications or fighting. If you’re interested in ordering either of these items, I am always available for consultation on which bunny or Angelica is right for you.



Thank you
For more information, call 555-9237.

Philip Allison Assignment 11

There never seems to be a sure fire way to comfortably escape a zombie apocalypse. In the movie World War Z the characters go through a great deal of trouble and distress to survive and try to find a cure for the whole population. The injection of a terminal illness in order to be "camouflaged" from zombies seemed to do the trick, but I wouldn't use that strategy because it is a terminal illness. In Adventureland the characters take a more typical approach to zombie invasions, same as The Walking Dead, which is just to grab an axe, run, and battle for your life. This is the best strategy given that a giant zombie apocalypse would turn into every man for himself very quickly, so you need a trusted weapon with you at all times. A gun would be preferable but only head shots will kill a zombie, so be careful. A car or protective vehicle is also advised to barge through any barriers or even herds of zombies. So, my advice is to grab a gun, ammo, resources, food, jump in a car, and go as fast as you can to the quietest, least inhabited part of the Earth you dare go.

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters

In Toy Story, (and yes they are making a Toy Story 4 - a romantic comedy with Woody and Bo Peep) the inanimate comes to life and engages in more exciting adventures than most people have. In the Brave Little Toaster, a toaster gathers together enough strength and courage to fight off the most ferocious household objects.

And Marcel...well Marcel the Shell can't do much at all, but he attempts to make the most out of his small world.

This week, choose your favorite inanimate item and describe a day/moment/adventure in their life. Imagine their point of view and how they would see the world.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 6th at 11:59 pm

December 4th is the last day to make up blogs 9-16

Assignment 11: Claire Telfer

It was a dark and stormy night in central Maryland. Meteorologists had predicted storms and flooding through the night, but the family of four stayed put in their house, trying to wait out the storm. They gathered around the radio, huddled together, and listened to the latest report. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out. A candle was lit and illuminated the room. They listened to the radio until it went out without explanation. They looked at each other and realized that they had nothing left to do except go to sleep. The wind howled against the windows, and the branches rapped against the roof. They lied awake, and watched the shadows dance across the windows as the storm raged on. As they looked up at the ceiling, they started to hear footsteps above them. At first, they were quiet and distant, but slowly, slowly, they got louder. It sounded as if a child was running on the roof. Their eyes were wide with fright as the sound was right above them in their family room. Not a moment later, they heard a gust of air through their chimney and they jumped up and screamed. As the ashes began to settle, the family looked through to see what came down. They brought the candle over to where they stood to illuminate the fireplace when... a squirrel jumps out. 

The End. 

Assignment 9- Colton Warner

I am so lucky to never have experienced war, and I hope one day we can pass it as a means of conflict, but at the same time, I don't know if we ever will be able to. Belief systems govern how people live their lives, and conflicting ones can make war. They're terrible and kill so many people, but I think some wars are worth fighting for. Certain ideas like freedom and safety can justify the death of people when for the greater good of humanity or the future. That being said, I think tactics and ways to fight wars can be unnecessarily horrendous. World War I for example- Trench warfare is super messed up, and I do not think that wars should or even need to be fought that way anymore. Aleppo also- what a mess. But I think that the more civilized we get, we should be more civilized in fighting. We shouldn't bomb the people we are fighting against as much as we should destroy satellites, radars, technology and economies. I know it gets all jumbled, but I think as the world gets more civilized, we should recognize that war doesn't always entail death- we can outsmart our foes too. Overall, I think when war is preventable, we have a moral duty to prevent it and not make money off of it, but when it is for the greater good, we must strive to be as humane as possible.

Assignment 11- Quinn Andrews

I will admit I'm a wimp. I get scared pretty easily. That said, I'm not scared of the dark, or spiders, or heights. My most prominent fear is to lose my ability to think for myself. When I can no longer solve puzzles or remember my brother's name. I'm terrified of the day my mind gets foggy and forget everything. When this happens, people cease to be themselves. Our minds hold our memories, our preferences, our personalities. Strip those away and there is not much left. In fact, there is very little but our need to eat, sleep, and breathe. My ability to think and imagine and solve makes me who I am, it's the one thing I can always depend on-- my ability to reason. To lose that would mean being at the mercy of other people's thoughts and ideas. When you can't make decisions yourself, others have to make them for you. Personal thought is independence that is incredibly hard to take away, but the effects are devastating. That is why my greatest fear is losing my ability to think freely.

Assignment 10: Charlotte Kessinger

CAROLINE ELIZABETH COUCH!
I have known Caroline for almost as long as I can remember. We go way back to elementary school. I remember one time she came over to my house when we were like ten and we were doing front flips onto a bean bag in my bedroom. Caroline is an innocent and shy looking human but she is definitely not. She is super sneaky and super weird. If I had to compliment Caroline I would say that she is super smart, motivated, competitive, beautiful and kind. Caroline's hobbies include soccer and running (she is very athletic and good at anything that requires athletic ability). Caroline and I spend a lot of time running together and I don't know what I would do without her during track season. She is also a very good soccer player and I love to watch her play when I attend games. One of Caroline's favorite hobbies outside of sports is hanging out with me!! She also loves to watch netflix and hang out with her dogs. I would characterize Caroline as the color green. I don't really know why but Caroline seems green because she looks so innocent but she isn't, she's sneaky and I associate that with the color green. Caroline's spirit animal would for sure be a cat because once again she's sneaky. Caroline is super smart and I have no doubt that in five years she will be graduating her college preparing for the rest of her life being successful. Caroline is always happy and never fails to put me in a better mood or listen to me complain or even complain with me.

Philip Allison Assignment 10

I sit next to Colton Warner and Henry MacFarlan most days in your English class, second period. They are both cool people, which stimulates many conversations, probably why we talk so much during your class. Henry lives very close to me, and we have hung out outside of school many times. I have known him since first grade when we were in the same class in Providence Montessori School, and we stayed in the same grade until I left to go to The Lexington School for middle school. This is where I met Colton, in sixth grade, and played lacrosse and basketball with him. During my time at TLS, I also played soccer on Henry's club team. Colton is more preppy then Henry or me, and Henry is more hipster then Colton or me. I still play soccer with Henry for Henry Clay and Colton still plays lacrosse. We are all good friends and our parents are friends, too.

henry macfarlan- assignment 10

The person I sit next to is smart and driven.  They are successful in school because of how focussed and hardworking they are.  They are in many extra curriculars and will have a great focus on college.  As a result, in 5 years they will surly be in going to the school of their dreams.  I don not know what they want to study but whatever they do, they will be successful.  They are also extremely down to earth and have a realistic understanding of the world.  Because of this, they will in 5 years, surely be an active member of their community, helping people whenever they can.  They are observant and are always able to accurately interpret what is going on.  Their observations about the world are interesting and funny,  they are someone I would like to get to know better because they are interesting and in general they are fun to be around.

Rebekah George Assignment 9

They say that all is fair in love and war.
But is it?
What is it for and how can we be sure
that we need it? We must admit that we are unfit
to decide the fate, a decision so great, of nations.
The world.
The children.
Legacy.
I think that it solves problems. Big problems.
When trouble blossoms and we’ve hit rock bottom—
When solutions run out—
When we’ve started to shout
At one another. Brother against brother.
Bloodshed. Rivers running red.
But was there a simpler solution?
A peaceful resolution. Or is hate our constitution?
Being passive may seem attractive, perhaps even a tactic—
The key to world peace?
Could it make the needless violence cease?
Or would it increase—
The power of some?
Those that, um, we should keep away from. Red rum.
What if they become the problem?
People want war. I believe that.
Aristocrats.
It is expensive, when you’re forced to be defensive, but—
Being on the outside looking in, the situation is a win-win.
They want Guns and Ships to balance. To shift
Power back in their favor. They want to savor the flavor
Of victory.
So contradictory.
Those that fight the hardest for peace, for them, war is a masterpiece.
They’ll never see a day of battle.
Never be herded towards death like cattle.
They won’t be aware of the poor mother’s nightmare
From which they’ve become rich. Without a hitch.
And that is why the whole affair is unfair.
Because the real monsters prosper
And foster false hopes of honor
On her only son.
Her husband.
Leaving her alone. Shaken to the bone.
With grief.
And that is seldom brief.
  

Assignment 10- Angelica Malkowski

My seat partner is a very unique person. She has strong opinions and isn't afraid to share them with you. No, she won't randomly go up to you and start spouting her opinions and try to start an argument with you (usually), or some other nonsense. But she certainly holds the skills needed to win an argument, should the need arise. My seat partner also has a strong taste in television. She refers to herself as a "fangirl," and is an active watcher of shows such as Supernatural and Doctor Who. She also enjoys SNL.

Academically, my seat partner is very smart, with an aptitude for writing. In fact, she keeps a type of writing journal in which she describes her numerous crazy dreams. In five years, I see my seat partner obtaining a bachelor's degree in law from Oxford, or some other British university. She wants to be a barrister and therefore live in England.

If I were to characterize my seat partner as a color, I would choose blue. Blue can be a dark, depressing color, or it can be a vivid, bright color, like the sky. My seat partner will admit she can be a slightly different person around those she deems idiots (which is a high number of people). But she's also a great friend. If my seat partner were an animal, she'd definitely be a giraffe. They're both tall and slightly awkward. Plus, the 11th Doctor is a giraffe, and my seat partner loves the 11th Doctor.

My seat partner is Rebekah.

Assignment 10: Claire Telfer

Since I have actually been participating in the bike research, I sit next to Taylor and Chelsea on the bikes. I went to middle school with Taylor and I'm 97.8% sure that she didn't like me then. I always thought she was intimidating but in the cool way. I know that she went to Tates Creek elementary and middle school, works at Gordmans, and has two older brothers. I see Taylor volunteering in the next five years, probably at the camp she goes to, and doing a lot of service. 

Chelsea and I met in the summer between seventh and eighth grade at a tennis camp for Parks and Rec. Chelsea seems like a laid-back person that has a good sense of humor. We share an interest in photography and both take a class for it at school. She worked/works at Monkey Joe's, and I'm pretty sure she quit, but they didn't have enough employees, so she still works there. In five years, I can see Chelsea traveling the world, and even living in a different country for a while. 

Assignment 11: BOO

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

Describe a moment in which you were fraught with peril. Tell it as a ghost story.

OR

In the vein of David Sedaris write an observational humorist piece related to your daily life: school, home, social, etc.  (don't be mean)

Happy Halloween!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, October 30th at 11:59 pm

December 4th is the last day to make up blogs 9-16

Assignment 10- Quinn Andrews

These past couple weeks we haven't been sitting in our seating chart because of the bike desks. With the desks taking up half the room, I get to sit in a normal chair next to my friend Sabrina, who dislikes the bikes as much as I do. I've known her for a long time and I hope we still talk when we're on opposite sides of the country. She loves coffee and is nearly addicted. She smiles a lot, and is very passionate about the things she likes. She loves learning about other cultures and wants to study foreign policy at university. I could see her working for the state department in international relations, or becoming an ambassador to France, or Korea, or anywhere really. She loves Harry Potter and is a proud slytherin. She has three siblings, who sometimes drive her crazy. She's a procrastinator and a perfectionist, which means nothing is ever dull. She's my best friend.

Assignment 9- Quinn Andrews

War is always a controversial subject. There is no real black and white, it exists mostly in shades of grey. Yet, there are times when war is necessary, and we have a responsibility to partake in it. When our people are being harmed, slaughtered, then we need to go to war. That is not okay, and our government and people have a responsibility to end the suffering and needless violence. Many argue there is no place for war, it only exacerbates violence. This is naive, when people are being mistreated and unjustly, often violently, treated the solution will not come from handing the offenders a bouquet of flowers and saying "please stop." There are malicious people out there and the only solution is to make them regret it, to scare them into staying out of the situation again.This is not some light decision, and not morally okay either. It's a necessity of circumstance and the lesser of two evils. There are other options, sometimes they are more effective and sometimes less. When it's against a nation that also wishes for peace or is willing to negotiate then a peaceful solution may be found. If it's a hostile nation, who wishes for violence, or terrorists then peace can be sought after, but it will be tenuous at best/ Peace should always be the end goal, but sometimes the only way to achieve such a thing is through war.

Anakin Reese Conn- Assignment 8

Fears: No words come to mind, but instead screaming.  Sometimes it gets louder and I have to day dream until it goes away.  It hides inside of walls, just out of sight, sometimes in the spaces between furniture, which is why most of you don't like sitting between couch seats, same feeling.  Okay I regret thinking about it at 2 AM, but I'll descri- no I won't, it's at my door, if I lock it, it will crawl under the door crack when I'm typing and hide under my desk, waiting for a moment when I'm not looking to-never mind.  Describing it will.  No, I'm stopping here.  No more.  The more I think about it, the worse it gets.  This is why I hate being creative, it always ends with.  End.
Annoyances: Breathing, blinking, sleeping, eating, swallowing, hearing others breath, looking at other people, opinions, any light that isn't white or blue, loud untraceable ringing noises on occasion, keeping secrets, revealing that I keep secrets, later revealing that the secrets were a joke, not revealing that I wasn't lying, revealing that this is another inside joke, people being confused when I laugh at things they can't understand, concept of free will, concept of there being no free will, concept the believing that you have free will is an example of a lack of free will, when the axes stop working, when someone kills you and you become them, the way money smells, green, lack of creativity, whatever that thing Kanye West does in all his tweets with the ... thing, go ahead and throw Kanye West in this basket, Watching Paint Dry: The Game is beta-key only access, when some idiot won't shut up about his problems annoyances.
Accomplishments: Soon.  What did you expect?  That I'm done waiting yet?
Confusions: Magnets.
Sorrows: My friends are still waiting.
Dreams: Always.
Idiosyncrasies: Dark and cold places make me happy.
Risks: Dying.  Not a big deal.  Why aren't I dead yet?  Why so much waiting?
Beloved Possession: Too beloved for you to possess knowledge of.
Problems: Myself.

Idiosyncrasies:
I have problems with being creative.  Whenever I think about any form of creating, I think about something that intimidates me, makes me feel more threatened and uncomfortable than anything I've ever experienced.  It doesn't have a name.  It doesn't have a specific form either.  It makes noises that range from nothing to breathing or the sound of floorboards creaking.  It isn't fast, it's either standing in plain sight, hiding, or moving at a slow rate towards me.  Its height ranges from the height of a shin to the just below the height of my house's ceiling, 14 feet.  It resembles a person, but not really, similar to how you see faces in pieces of wood or paint mistakes.  It also has a quality of lacking what makes a face look real, a quality that I can't put into words.  The face looks dead, as in nothing is moving, nor is anything missing, except for tissue connecting the lower jaw to the upper jaw.  The eyes are a non-reflective black, and the mouth hangs freely open, revealing a set of consistently symmetrical, but inconsistently present teeth.  It always has long hair and disproportionate limbs.
I never see it real life, just in dreams that last too long, and its skin color is bright white.
(Don't take any of this seriously, I made this up so that I don't have to think about what I'm really afraid of.)

Anakin Reese Conn- Assignment 7

October 10th is Columbus Day, the day Christopher Columbus reached the Americas, and is a national sub-holiday, meaning that you don't get a day off.  To some it is called Exploration Day as to give more attention to the land Columbus discovered, not the man himself.  Columbus Day is considered by most to be a good thing, as it is also considered by most to be the beginning of colonization in the Americas by Europe, which set in motion a chain of events that led up to the creation of the United States of America, and the current occupation of the rest of the Americas.

Columbus Day can also be considered a bad event by some groups, as some Native Americans see it as a condoning of mass genocide against their people, while some religious groups see it as offensive because Christopher is in the name of the holiday, a reference to Christianity.

If this event hadn't have happened, I don't really know if America would've been explored or not.  They could've assumed that Columbus' voyage had failed, and warned other countries to not try and find Asia in the west.  They could've also sent more people, or a different country could've sent an expedition, possibly setting up the United States of America to never exist, so without a doubt I wouldn't exist if this event hadn't have happened the way it did.  Columbus reaching the Americas on October 13th could've led to me never being born, so I can only assume that every part of history led to my creation in some way, so I'm grateful that America was discovered on October 10th, even though we can't get a day off.

Rebekah George Assignment 8

Fears: dying without doing anything important and spiders

Annoyances: incorrect grammar (though I am well aware that I am far from perfect myself) and people

Accomplishments: YLP 2k16 *sobs*, Secretary of State Essay Contest, Speech and Debate Stuff

Confusions: taxes; ew, also people; this election, also ew

Sorrows: ignorance and my life *laughing until the laugh slowly turns into more, ugly sobbing*. Old people sitting all by themselves T^T WHEN THE DOG DIES.

Dreams: (Sleep dreams or life dreams? Because, if it's life dreams, then "sleep dreams" needs to be on this list.) barrister 5eva (like 4eva, but more), wanna write stuff  

Idiosyncrasies: Food touching is ew. Furthermore, eating one thing at a time must happen or it's ruined (You CANNOT eat a bite of x and then a bite of y and then another bite of x. Were you raised in a barn?!) My hands must be 120% clean at all times. People chewing annoyingly is no...so is breathing in a way that is annoying. Or making annoying sounds (though I'm quite the hypocrite on this one).   

Risks: moving to another country where I have no family or friends or anything else, for that matter; only applying to a few schools in the US

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Marty, ALL the electronics, every book I have ever and will ever own (my precious)

Problems: (Oh look, something original! No, I'm kidding.) People. The American school system.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I named "people" under several...less than yay categories, I suppose that this is the best to offer up some explanation on. First and foremost, I am an introvert. I was not completely aware of this until this past Friday (God bless the Meyer Briggs' personality test). I suppose, I just bought into the idea that introvert equals shy. Shy I am not. But the shy introvert isn't every introvert. You can, in fact, be an introvert and enjoy conversing with other people and giving presentations and public speaking. The real difference between introverts and extroverts is how they "recharge" their "internal energy" (still not one hundred percent about what this actually means). Extroverts recharge by being around other people and (gag) socializing. Introverts, on the other hand, recharge by being alone.

All of that being said, alone time is happy time. I cannot count all the times in one day at school that I think "wow, I wish I were at home. Alone. In my room. Now." All my life I've been told that I am an extrovert because I'm "such a people person" and "great at making friends" (which, I  think should be "making enemies"). I guess I'm reflective, and incredibly self-aware (also something people tell me a lot). Other teenagers like to party or whatever, but my idea of a perfect Friday afternoon is a good book and tons of blankets. Tea? Tea.

Anakin Reese Conn- Assignment 6

1. If every nation could work together to vastly improve living conditions of every continent one-at-a-time, which continent would be the best first candidate?
2. Between clones and robots, which would be easier to fully integrate into society?
3. If our present technology is capable of transplanting any part of you to a person who needs it, at what point do you stop giving away your body, or do you give anything at all?
(I'm going to answer 2, as it is a topic I've spent some time thinking about, unlike 1 and 3 which I had just came up with for this blog.)
Although neither clones nor robots are real in the way clones and robots are real in Alien: Resurrection to our knowledge, both would be difficult groups to integrate into society, as both are, in different ways, not human.
Clones are the result of taking an original human and making another one in a surrogate test tube, meaning that society would treat clones like other groups throughout history, as though they don't belong, or that they are disposable sub-humans.  Integrating clones into a society would likely be difficult, unless the clones aren't like certain clones that turn into potato salad after a couple years, and they 're not sterile, they could form their own group and eventually be accepted, as clones that reproduce may form different humans than their sources did themselves.  Although I'm not a scientist, I've read before that something can't be cloned without some kind of genetic degeneration, meaning that clones could easily end in failure if technology preventing such disasters isn't present.  My personal belief is that clones can't be a true replica of another person, but just a different version of that person.  My other personal belief is that cloning would lead to identification problems, as one clone could steal or even kill the original and claim his place in society if the two were similar enough.  Now that I think about it, clones in this light are disturbing, and they would end as a failure in society, or possibly over populate the streets and act as pests.
Robots are another issue entirely, as they involve humans creating a new thought process instead of bootlegging  human consciousness through cloning.  If you've seen the movie I, Robot, you would readily understand the problems that integrating robots into society would cause.  If you haven't seen I, Robot, it involves problems created by the 3 laws of robotics, which are of set of morals robots must follow that were created by man in an attempt to mimic human consciousness.  These laws had loopholes that allowed the robot's consciousness to enslave humanity to prevent it from harming itself, meaning that the integration of robots into society could lead to the destruction of society.  In the context of this movie, robot rebellions are a cake-walk in comparison to clones, as the robots have an electronic counter, while clones can blend in with society because of their quality of already being a copy of a real person. 
So in the end, implementing either clones or robots into society is dangerous, as they could both easily destroy society, but robots are, if controlled, less dangerous than the uncontrollable clones, making robots the better option.

Chelsea Avery- Assignment 7

On September 28, 1887, the Yellow River flooded, killing 1.5 million people. I wonder how many people today even know that happened. Imagine everyone who lives in the state of Kentucky today standing in a line. Every third person is killed. That's a huge number of people but today, no one even remembers. Around the time of the event, I'm sure it was well known in China. And maybe today in a history class, Chinese students take notes over the events. But worldwide? No one really remembers those people. I don't even remember if we mentioned this event in my World History class last year. It probably had no effect on anyone living outside of Asia.
This event has had no effect on my life today other than the thoughts it has provoked. In the century following our deaths, no one will even remember our names. Well, maybe someone will and I'm sure the U.S. census will know our names but they won't know who we were as people. So to those 1.5 million people, rest in peace from this American teenage girl writing her blog post 129 years later.

Chelsea Avery- Assignment 8

Fears- Ending up with a job I dislike, losing my family, centipedes

Annoyances- ignorance, people who don't think for themselves

Confusions- Why must my whole future be dependent on my actions as a 16 year old?

Sorrows- Losing my father at a young age, losing friends over unimportant things

Dreams- travel, take great photos, meet inspiring people, have good relationships with people

Idiosyncrasies- I've been told I look mean, or have a resting bitch face. Every single one of my current friends was convinced I disliked them when we first met. 

Risks- Traveled to a different country by myself, didn't get abducted (yay!)

Beloved Possessions- then: the pictures my Indian pen pal sent me in elementary school

now: guitar, the postcards I collect (I don't even send them half the time, I just keep them for myself haha) and my camera (which I purchased for myself with the money I earned at Monkey Joe's. Working 8 hour shifts at a place like that takes a lot.)

Problems- commitments

Beloved Possesions- I actually forgot I had a pen pal from India until now. Her name is Dia, I think it was something my mom set up since my mom has friends in India. I used to buy her stuff from the school book fairs and made my mom send them to her. She sent me some pictures once, I actually think I still have them in my closet somewhere. Thinking back, this is probably one of the reasons I am so interested in India and the culture today. And of course, I'm a complete geek for photographs. I just love having something tangible to hold onto that will never change. She probably looks nothing like the picture I have of her anymore but it now just reminds me of my childhood. 

And my beloved guitar, I'm not even that good at playing but for anyone who plays an instrument, I'm sure they understand. Playing is therapeutic, so fun. Same goes for my camera. Taking photos is my favorite activity. If you've been reading my previous posts, I'm sure you already know, I could go on for hours so I'll go ahead and stop now before that happens. 

Chelsea Avery- Assignment 6

1. Do you think that high school students today are put under too much pressure for their age?
2. Do you think that there is a certain point at which one person becomes an adult? (Is it more of a state of mind or an age?)
3. What is your take on the "you only live once" philosophy? Do you think that idea will truly result in people living their lives to the fullest? What are you doing day to day to live your life to the fullest? What even is a "full" life??

In my opinion, adult is a state of mind. Life experiences can change a person and force them to mature much more quickly than others. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it just means some people view the world in a different way and may act differently in different situations. In the U.S., you are considered an adult at age 18. In Japan, you are considered an adult at age 20. This just kind of proves that no one really knows when anyone is an "adult." It just varies from person to person. For example, I already feel as though I am mentally mature for no reason other than I have had to deal with difficult situations from a young age that many others my age have not. I also believe that of my peers, those who have been employed are more mature in that aspect of their lives and so on and so forth...

Caden Reynolds- Assignment 8

Fears- Not being successful in life, losing a friend or family member due to death
Annoyances- Lazy people, stupidity
Accomplishments-Student-Athlete
Confusions- All of my classes
Sorrows-No major sorrows come to mind
Dreams- Being able to do a back flip, success
Idiosyncrasies- I can barely touch my knees when I try to touch my toes
Risks- Skydiving (want)
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- now: phone then: action figures
Problems- procrastination

Dreams- Being able to do a back flip would be pretty cool, I feel like if I could do a back flip, I would do it all the time just to show off, same as if I could dunk. But I mainly wanted to talk about the success part. I feel that I live a pretty pampered life, and I've always had a fear that my kids will live with less of a privileged life than I did, (I guess this could fall under the fears category as well) so being successful is important to me. Currently, I plan on going into medicine in college specifically physical therapy. Around this time last year I had to go to sessions of physical therapy and I had an instant liking to it. I knew that I would enjoy that job. Recently, I have been searching for and touring colleges with a focus on physical therapy, after talking to physical therapy program directors, it seems more and more inviting.

Assignment 8- Taylor Hodges

Fears: public speaking, car crashes, heights, cats.
Annoyances: when people chew loudly or with their mouth open, slow walkers, people who stop in the hallway, constant complaining, basically everything in this world.
Accomplishments: uh, I won some soccer and basketball trophies.
Confusions: Physics, Mrs. Gill's teaching, chemistry, history, emotions, people who act like someone completely different than what you thought.
Sorrows: stress management, time management, social anxiety.
Dreams: get into college, have a good job, travel, go backpacking, have a family, be content with life.
Idiosyncrasies: I can't fall asleep if I don't have socks on.
Risks: I don't take many.
Beloved possessions: a blanket that I had when I was born (then), my pictures and phone (now).
Problems: I let people take advantage of me/not knowing when to say no, social anxiety, public speaking.

School has always been hard for me ever since I was little. I've never understood social studies or science. I've constantly struggled through those classes and this year is the worst. For social studies, I can't understand the topic of government, but once we get into history I'm gone. I instantly get confused and never understand. I also can't figure out ways to help me remember everything. I'll read a chapter, look at a question over it, and have no idea what half of it means. When it comes to science, I'll understand it sometimes and then other times I'm confused. Most of the time I'm confused but there are those rare moments when I'm like, "oh, I get this!" Science has so many formulas with so many numbers and letters and it's basically math. It shouldn't be math. It should be completely different and I think it's dumb. None of this has changed ever since I've started school. I still struggle in both of those subjects and who knows when I'll learn to figure it out.

Assignment 8 Sabrina Lozada

Fears-  Crocodiles/ Alligators

Annoyances- stupidity

Accomplishments- I have started my 4th language

Confusions-  this years presidential election

Sorrows- Anger management

Dreams- To spend a year in Japan, learn Japanese, learn as many languages as possible, travel

Idiosyncrasies- I geek out with languages?

Risks- riding a bike, sling shot

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- stuffed animal

Problems- Organization, procrastination

One of my dreams is to be able to effectively communicate in multiple languages. I just love languages. They are so beautiful when you think about it, the fact that a bunch of random sounds come together to express our thoughts the way that threads interlace to create this beautiful cloth and each language has a different pattern and I just want to have all of  the patterns!

As someone that was fortunate to grow up with both English and Spanish I value the knowledge of languages more. I picked up French in middle school and after spending time with a French family my French has most definitely improved. French has always been easy for me because Spanish really helps (a lot and I mean A LOT) since 97% of the times that I've tried to say something that I haven't learned I use Spanish to generate a word and succeed. I've decided to challenge myself to Korean and I LOVE IT. It is so different! I also love Japanese! I haven't taken any classes for Japanese, but from TV shows and movies I have been able to pick up a few phrases. I really want to get classes for Japanese too, but alas, Junior year is going to be a struggle so I have to wait a little bit (Which is excruciatingly painful). I just can NOT wait to learn more!

Personally, I believe that part of learning another language is immersing yourself in the culture or else you don't fully grasp the language because it is the foundation of the language AND THE CULTURES ARE BEAUTIFUL! You just can't take in a language until you experience the culture, it is like trying to make a house without a blueprint or any knowledge on how to do it.

On another note, I can not believe people just don't care. It baffles me. They don't try to break those barriers. I get it if it's hard and that 's why they don't pursue it and they tried, BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T CARE! How can they not?! I mean everyone has their own thing, but it blows my mind. But what I really hate is when people say that everyone should learn English and people that speak English should not have to put in any effort to learn about the other languages and cultures. It's fine. Cause I mean screw them and their culture, right? Anyways, it is disappointing that some people think this.

Chelsea Avery- Assignment 5

If there's one thing I've noticed about the media, it is that people like to be distracted. After a long day, not many people are looking forward to being reminded of the horrors of the world. I won't lie, I do the same sometimes. I opt to watch my favorite soap opera over the nightly news. But every now and then after watching too much television, I begin to feel like I'm being brainwashed or I'm wasting my time. At one time, I did watch Netflix quite often. But with a very busy junior year, I've found that it just isn't worth my time, and guess what? The world didn't stop turning. This is why I don't watch television right now. This isn't to say I never watch TV though, because I do enjoy sitting down to watch the Office or That 70's Show. I guess the sporadic nature of my Netflix watching is why I gravitate towards such easy-to-watch shows.

Assignment 8 - Jackson Leach

Fears: Snakes, the ocean

annoyances: ungratefulness, obnoxious people

accomplishments: blazing wings challenge

confusions: math and science

sorrows: realizing my favorite movie universes were fake the whole time

dreams: to go on hiking adventures in mountainous places

idiosyncrasies: have a lot of alone time

risks: climbing dangerous things

beloved possessions: my legos, my dog

problems: school

When looking at this list, I realized that I combined a lot of things from my earlier childhood and now, but I realized that the list contains things that are all very similar. I think that I wish I could stay in my young childhood years forever honestly, because it was much less stressful back then and I had much more fun with the entertainment modes of my childhood than with the entertainment modes I have now. My imagination was much more free back then which I liked more, and also it was acceptable to act on my imagination more than it is now. This also contributes to how I like fantasy and adventure movies and how I like to apply my own imagination to the same concepts. For example, I built and played with legos in most of my free time when I was younger, which contributed to my higher level of imagination that I had, and now with many great stresses on my life I always wish that I could go back to those times. 

Assignment 7 - Jackson Leach

On the date September 25th, 1066, a major battle occurred in Northern England that forever shaped the culture of Northern Europe and Scandinavia, and contributed to the lasting change in culture of the British Isles. This battle was the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and was fought between six thousand vikings led by King Harald Hardrada, and the army of anglo-saxons defending their country lead by Harold Godwinson. The vikings ultimately lost the battle, but played their part in causing the anglo-saxons to lose the war, and led to the isles being ruled by Normans, which forever changed the culture of the isles. More importantly though, this massive attack of the vikings on the English island was significant because of the massive amount of vikings, but also was significant because it was the last great attack by the vikings, and after this battle their power and significance in Northern Europe was forever broken.

Assigment 9- Angelica Malkowski

War breaks up families. War tears countries apart. War is brutal. But sometimes, it’s a necessary evil. Sometimes you have to stand up for what is right, because not standing up helps the oppressor, not the oppressed. For example, if the United States hadn’t joined WWII, the Allies might not have been able to win. One could say the US had a responsibility to enter the war in order to fight for freedom. Who knows what the world would be like today if Hitler had won the war? Definitely not good. Yes, if war is preventable, a peaceful solution is optimal. Peace over war equates to life over death, as war leads to loss of life 99.9% of the time.  But sometimes, a compromise cannot be made. A great quote from the fictional superhero Captain America really embodies this idea: “This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — ‘No, you move.’" Take my earlier example of WWII. Can you imagine trying to successfully negotiate and compromise with Hitler? Me neither.

Assignment 6 - Jackson Leach

The prompt I have chosen is an opinion in response to a question I developed about my favorite movies, the Star Wars saga. The question is "should star wars be considered science fiction, of fantasy, or something else? what fits it into this genre?" Officially, the label for Star Wars is "Science Fantasy" a blend of science fiction and fantasy, which I agree with for the most part. However most people commonly label it as science fiction, and I believe firmly that it is mostly fantasy. It has all of the elements that a fantasy story needs, with knights and villains and emperors and princesses locked in towers to be rescued. This is what makes the movies so popular, because it is a classic idea of fantasy, but put with a popular science fiction theme that contributes to the action of the movie which hook many more people than it already would. To me though, the fantasy element, being the plot mostly, is the most important part of the movies. Therefore; to me, the movies should have a mostly fantasy genre. 

Chelsea Avery- Assignment 4

 "A picture is worth a thousand words." Photographs are powerful. They possess the capability of allowing a photographer to share their view of things. Capturing a moment in time, they can help share ideas and experiences.
This image is of the northern portion of the Great Barrier Reef which has brought much attention to the issue of Global Warming. I was first informed of the bleaching effect on the reef from my sister, a biologist. But for many, this image was brought to light through the media. It has been circulating on twitter and goes to show the true power of images. The sea turtle in the image so starkly contrasts the dead reef, the colors show how little life remains. The great work of this photographer will hopefully change the way people think about climate change. It is not a hoax, the repercussions the environmentalists warned us of are becoming a reality. For this part of the reef, it is too late. However, there is still hope for other parts of the ocean. If people take the time to realize what our actions are having on the Earth, maybe we can prevent this from happening again in the future.

Assignment 5 - Jackson Leach

In modern days, we have so many websites that provide what TV has always had, such as Netflix, which take away business from TV stations. Still, TV provides live airing which Netflix cannot, and also has other events such as sporting games that are not available on Netflix. I mainly watch TV so that I can watch the live airing of my TV shows, and I don't watch many TV shows, and also so that I can watch Football and basketball games, which is the primary usage. Beyond that I try to not watch TV, because it tends to make me procrastinate, and I also get angry at the high amount of commercials presented, especially during movies being aired that I own. I like watching the news occasionally, but mostly local stations because of the high level of bias in national news. I love breaking bad, which I watched entirely on Netflix, but that led me to watch the show Better Call Saul which I watched on TV. I also watch Vikings, and the current airings of that show frequently on TV. I hate The Walking Dead especially now, and rarely watch it anymore.

Assignment 4 - Jackson Leach

This photo was taken this week, and is of the recently pronounced dead Great Barrier Reef, which has been bleached almost completely white due to mining and environmental harms. Prior to this picture and the events surrounding it becoming relevant, I had no idea that the Great Barrier Reef was in such danger, but also I never paid much attention to it. The most alarming difference was a before and after picture that i saw, showing the vibrant and colorful barrier reef before it's death, and the stark and desolate mass of white sticks after its death. This has caused much sadness throughout the world as this center of life and wonder is now gone forever. This also has created much anger as it's death is the result of human interfering with the Earth's environment. To me, this is one of the first great signs of a toll being taken on our Earth and has alarmed me to this growing problem. The picture is powerful because it gives off a dead and bony feeling that shocked and angered millions of people this week. 

Assignment 8- Ben Lambert

Fears: spiders, drowning, clowns
Annoyances: Philip, when people act stupid, when people talk while others are talking
Accomplishments:4.0 student, athlete, 5s on AP tests
Confusions: life, racism
Sorrows: my dead dog, junior year
Dreams: travel the world, rule the world
Idiosyncrasies: stud, nerd, witty
Risks: want to skydive, love to ski, risktaker
Beloved possessions: familia, my dog, MESUT OZIL JERSEY
Problems: junior year, Tottenham is only one place behind Arsenal

Dreams: I have plenty. But most importantly, I want to travel. Travel to the Caribbean. Travel to Central and South America. Travel to Australia. Travel to the moon. There are very few places in this world I do not aspire to go to. Ever since I was a kid, I have always been adventurous and independent. My parents tell me I used to always run off by myself for the sole purpose of seeing new places and exploring. That curiosity has stuck with me over the years. The main reason that I want to make good money in my future profession is so that I can have enough money to never stop traveling. Because as long as there is a place I have never been, there is a place I want to travel to. Also I want to rule the world because I feel like that would be pretty cool.

Assignment 8- Usha Adhikari

Fears- disappointing my parents, ending up at a job I hate when i'm older, slightly afraid of heights

Annoyances- When people interrupt others, when people don't do their part

Accomplishments- convinced my mom that I wasn't the one who hurt Puja (my sister, more explained a the bottom).

Confusions- how everything is connected, its so weird 

Sorrows- not going to Nepal when i was younger 

Dreams- once when I was 5, i had a nightmare that I was going treasure hunting. I found a treasure chest of gold, but once I dug it out of the ground hundreds of skeletons dug themselves out of the ground and started running towards me. They all had spinning heads, and each of them had a colored crystal on their forehead that matched the treasure chest. I ran in the car and my friends drove me home. Once I got home I locked the door, but I could hear the skeleton's approaching. Then I woke up, still terrifying to think of. 
In all seriousness I dream of finding a career I am passionate about.

Idiosyncrasies- I tend to convince myself every morning that i do't really need to wake up early and always end up being late

Risks- I want to go skydiving

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- then- barbies now-phone

Problems- Don't know where to start, so I'm not going to

When I was younger I loved playing the game Lava, you know where you pretend the floor is lava so you have to jump from furniture to furniture to avoid steping the the "lava" and dying. One day, I was playing Lava with my sister Puja, who was three at the time and I of course being nine and all, knew how to jump from one couch to the other. My sister, being a mere three year old did not, so I decided the best way to get her to the other couch would be to throw her onto the other couch. Great thinking. I threw off the couch and she bounced off the couch and hit her head on the corner of a table. She started crying and had a huge bump on her head, my mom came running in. Somehow I convinced her that I wasn't the one who did that and that Puja had simply just hit head on the table herself. Good thing Puja had't learned English yet and kudos to 9 year old me for that acting.