Book Review: Crime and Punishment (choice)

For A.P. Literature and Composition, I had to choose a novel to read outside of class during the Fall season.  I chose Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky because I thought it would be really interesting to read.  While it was extremely interesting and I'm glad I read it, the novel was incredibly long.  I never thought I'd be able to finish it.  I think one of the reasons it seemed so long was that it was incredibly depressing.  It takes place in 1860's St. Petersburgh, and is extremely bleak.  It is always blizzarding, and all of the characters are either living in poverty or are living tragic, empty lives.  For example, the main character, Raskolnikov, is a former student who cannot pay his rent bills.  He wastes most of his time either sleeping or at the bar, and has little to know contact with his family.  He is extremely bright, and he thinks quite a bit about the ideas of morality and justice.  He gets into quite a bit of trouble when he decides to act upon his ideas on this subject.  After he commits this crime, he suffers through much guilt and trauma.  He is unable to decide whether to turn himself in or cover it up.  He essentially goes insane, and ends up having to turn himself in.  While the ending is not exactly a happy one, it is a relief because he did what he had to do in order to get better.  Raskolnikov is in a much better place at the end of the novel in comparison to where he was in the beginning, along with many of the other supporting characters.  While the book is incredibly sad, it is almost addicting.  It is very suspenseful, and the reader can really feel sympathy for many of the characters.  Overall, it is a great novel and a must read!

Paris in the 1920's

If I could go back in time to any other time period just to explore, I think I would go back to the early 1920's.  I would want to spend most of my time there in Paris, France.  This time in history, especially in this area, was really free and laid back.  It's just after World War I, but before The Great Depression.  There was little concern about pretty much any topic.  No one thought that there would be another large conflict at that point, and that there would be peace from that point on.  I would love to be able to just go and experience old Paris.  I would love to walk around the streets, experience new food, speak the language, and meet new, interesting people along the way.  I would love to be able to run into some of my favorite authors and artists at this time, and would be able to have a conversation about their works with them.  I think it would be so fun to meet new friends and just experience life at this time.  I would love to be able to see the Eiffel Tower at night and go up to the top to see Paris all lit up.  I also think it would be great to go shopping at this time.  Fashion was changing then, and it would be really fun to get some jewelry from this time period.  Having authentic jewelry from this time would be really fun.  While I'm there, I'd love to go out and just experience Paris at night.  There used to be really fun places to go eat dinner and dance.  Bands would play and everyone would be able to dance whenever they would like to.  The music at this time was great, and it would be fun to listen to the French lyrics while dancing.  I would love to explore the fun and interesting areas around Paris as well at this time.  Overall, I think I would enjoy the experience of going back to the care-free 1920's. 

An Interview with Brian Stoldt

Brian Stoldt, a member of the sophomore class, is kind of a big deal.  His favorite color is blue, and he loves the sport of football.  He is, in fact, the quarterback for the Varsity football team.  In school, his favorite subject is history, and more specifically, American History.  He also finds English class very interesting.  After high school, he would like to become a college football coach or a Physical Education Teacher.  Outside of school, he likes talking to his friends, especially Michael, and playing more sports.  His favorite book is a novel written by Jon Gruden.  The name of it, however, was escaping him at the time of this interview, and is still unknown.  His favorite television show is The Office because of how funny it is.  "Jim is my favorite character, but Michael brings a lot to the table," he said.  When asked what his favorite type of music is to listen to, he said that he will listen to "whatever," depending upon what the other people he is with at the time want to listen to.  He has no preference in genre.  Although he tries to seem tough, he stumbled upon the question about what his biggest fear was.  At first he said spiders, then moments later added snakes.  About a minute after that, he added bats to the list as well because of one in his backyard that is "low-flying."  Surprisingly, if he could have any superpower in the world, Brian would want to be able to fly.  "I would be able to do a lot of things if I could fly," he said.  If he could be any animal in the world, he said that he would want to be one of his dogs because they don't do very much, but then changed his answer to an "adventure animal."  When asked for clarification as to what this was exactly, he said "something that lives in the woods."  This did not make things any more clear, and finally he settled on just being a monkey.  In closing, I asked him if he remembered the incident where Mr. Currin spelled his name wrong on the wiki page for everyone to see.  He said that he was still very disturbed about this, and had much anger toward Mr. Currin.  Apparently, he holds grudges as well. 

I don't Speak any Italian, and my French is really bad.

My freshman year of high school, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to France and Italy with the French Club.  During this trip, I had Laura Slojkowski as my roommate, which was great.  She's one of my good friends, and we had some really fun, hilarious times.  She even forgave me after locking her out of our hotel room when I fell asleep during her appointment with a doctor for a terrible ear infection.  The entire floor of the hotel room ended up waking up because of it, and it was a bit of a situation.  Later on in the trip, we went to the garden of Versailles, and were given some time to walk around the gardens with our friends.  They were absolutely beautiful.  We got a little lost in the mazes, but it was worth it.  When we were standing on a path in the courtyard, this girl and her father were riding bikes around.  The girl ended up falling of her bike, and she was okay but had a bad scrape on her leg.  Everyone was trying to find a band-aid for her, but no one had one.  Finally, someone found one, but it turned out to be the smallest Band-Aid ever created.   The size of the scrape in contrast with the size of the Band-Aid and the impracticality of it was incredibly funny to us in our sleep-deprived state.  Everything turned out alright, and we all went on our way.  On the last morning of our trip, Laura and I had to be up by five o'clock in order to leave the hotel at six o'clock to make our flight.  We were incredibly tired at this point, and knew it would be hard to get up.  As a precaution, we set three alarms just in case.  The next morning, I woke up to Mr. Dimmig knocking on our door saying that everyone needed to be downstairs in fifteen minutes.  I immediately panicked and woke up Laura.  She started panicking and ran to the bathroom trying to pack what we had left out.  Suddenly, I look over and a pair of pants are flying at my head.  In a blind fury, Laura was just trying to get everything out of the bathroom that we had.  Somehow, we managed to get ready, pack, and get downstairs to the lobby in a little less than fifteen minutes, which should be considered a record.  When looking back on this incident and the hilarity of it, I always laugh.  That trip was a fantastic experience, and I now have a really great friend!

Disney World isn't really the Happiest Place on Earth

For Easter Vacation when I was thirteen, my family and I went to Disney World.  I was really excited because I did not remember anything from the last time we went, and thought that it would be really fun.  For the most part it was really great.  I had a lot of fun on all the rides and in the warm weather.  We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Hotel and were able to see giraffes from our hotel room balcony.  However, my trip to Disney World was also a traumatizing experience for me.  Through a series of unfortunate events in Epcot, I now have a terrible fear of birds.  I am incredibly afraid of seagulls and anything that flies near me now, and I don't think I will ever be able to enjoy them again.  On one of the last days of my trip, we decided to go to Epcot for a few hours to walk around.  We went on a few rides, and then decided to stop for lunch in "Mexico."  I got a taco, which looked pretty good.  I sat down and began to eat, and the food was delicious.  I put it down for one minute to talk to my brother, which was a really bad idea.  Suddenly, a seagull swooped down at me.  I saw it heading for my taco, so I picked it up off the table thinking that it would just go away.  I was terribly wrong.  It started flapping its wings and squawking in my face.  I screamed and tried to get away but it stayed with me.  It tried to peck me, and I just barely escaped that.  I threw the taco down at it, and it finally left me alone.  I sat back down at the table calmly, but I was still terrified.  The guy at the table next to me tried to tell me that this sort of thing happened all the time and it was no big deal, but I strongly disagreed with him.  For the rest of the vacation I was unable to eat anything outside, and to this day I am still terrified of seagulls.  Every time I see one I run or duck for cover.  I hope that someday I may be able to overcome this, but until then I'll just steer clear of them. 

What is Boxing Day?

For my choice blog this week, I was unsure of what to write about.  Later, as I was looking through a calendar at my house, they had Boxing Day labeled as a Canadian Holiday on the day after Christmas.  Much to my surprise, it was not about the sport of boxing, but about a cardboard box. The idea of Boxing Day in Canada could have been brought over from England.  Some think that it has some ties to the holiday of Christmas and biblical times.  More people believe that it originated from aristocratic English families.  On the day after Christmas, they would give their servants and hired help boxes full of gifts.  They were then allowed to go home and spend some time with their families for the rest of the day since they weren't allowed to on Christmas day.  From what I can understand, in Canada, it is much like our Black Friday.  The stores have the best deals and sales, and everyone goes shopping.  Children are off of school, all government agencies are closed, and many businesses are closed.  Most people are off of work.  In some Canadian provinces, the stores aren't even open even though the holiday is now generally associated with shopping.  In the provinces of Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Ontario, and Labrador this is the case.  The shopping in these provinces starts on the twenty-seventh of December.  A lot of sporting events and tournaments, namely hockey are also played on this day.  Many people choose to stay at home with their family and friends to watch their favorite Ice hockey team play a game The Canadian Ice Hockey Team also plays in a tournament in Switzerland on this day, which is also watched frequently amongst hockey fans.  I personally think that this holiday sounds like a good idea.  Two of my favorite activities in winter are shopping and watching hockey.  A day where these two things are put together into one day sounds fantastic.  I could definitely get used to that.  The greater Buffalo area should really start thinking about partaking in this holiday.

3 Wishes?

Out of anything I could wish for in the world at this moment, I would wish for the matching tee-shirts that Laura Slojkowski, Amber Breyer, and I created on Vistaprint.  The shirts are white with this car on the front.  On top of the car, there is an acoustic guitar which sits there somewhat awkwardly.  Around the car, there is a banner that has a combination of all three of our names on it.  The whole thing just looks pretty awesome.  We came upon this design one day while Laura was listening to Pandora radio in Online Publishing.  There was an add for reduced tee-shirt designs on the sight.  We all became really excited and designed a matching tee-shirt, which we wanted to buy.  Of course none of us have a credit card or way of paying for them off the sight, so our dream has not become a reality just yet.  It will happen though, eventually.  Another thing that I would wish for is getting into the college that I want to.  Lately, I've been under a lot of stress because of the uncertainty as to where I am going and if I will get in to where I'd like to go.  Hopefully I will get in to where I'd like to go and be happy there.  Another thing that I would wish for is the ability wish at any time for a minute, trivial problem in my life to be solved right away.  This could range from anything.  I could be really hungry one night around dinnertime but with no food in the house, and I would be able to wish for something really good to eat.  All my computer problems of the future could be solved with one easy wish.  It would free up a lot of time so that I could do more productive things.  Hopefully someday, my wishes will come true!

A Difficult Decision

It is next to impossible for me to answer the question of what my favorite musical genre is because I listen to such a variety of music.  My Pandora account is a complete mess because of all the radio stations that I have.  I cannot make a simple decision as to what kind of music I would like to listen to at one time and would rather listen to a big selection rather than one limited by its category.  I don't really categorize music by genre in my head, but rather into what I do and do not like.  For the most part, however, I probably lean toward listening to more Alternative music, rock music, or music with an indie feel to it more than anything else.  Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, The Shins, The Vaccines, and Neutral Milk Hotel.  These are some of my favorite bands, and are great to listen to while trying to relax or while trying to get work done.  In addition to these bands, lately I've been listening to a lot of Bon Iver, Matt and Kim, and Cold War Kids, which are all great bands.  I really cannot subscribe to liking one music genre.  I am also a big fan of a lot of female singers and songwriters in this group, including many from England such as the late Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, and Lily Allen.  There are also many outliers of many different bands and singers that I like, but do not necessarily like the rest of their genre they are in.  These could include Tom Petty, Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra, and others on the complete opposite of the spectrum such as Mac Miller, Lil Wayne, and Katy Perry.  One artist that I have always completely loved but have never been quite able to place is Jason Mraz.  All of his music is so diverse that it is hard to place into just one category.  I love it because the lyrics and the way he uses the words in some of his songs is so clever and beautiful.  I also listen to a lot of music from around the world, which just adds to the confusion of trying to choose just one genre.  Overall, I really just listen to whatever I feel like at the moment, depending upon what kind of mood I'm in. 

Spies, Sharks, and Cady Heron!

Out of all the great movies out there, my top three movies have to be Jaws, Casino Royale, and Mean Girls.  They're all really different movies, but they are all fantastic in their own ways.  Jaws is the classic summer smash hit.  It was the original summer blockbuster, which in itself is already pretty impressive.  Although it is an older movie and the effects aren't up to today's standards, it was artfully done and the effects are quite impressive for its time.  It leaves you on the edge of your seat, worried and wondering what may happen next.  Steven Spielberg is my favorite director, and this movie launched him into fame.  All around, its just a great older movie that continues to amaze me each time I see it.  Another favorite movie of mine is Casino Royale, a James Bond film.  In general, I am a huge fan of James Bond.  All of the movies are great, but this one is my absolute favorite.  I really like action movies, and this one provides a lot of it along with other strong components such as mystery, suspense, and romance.  In this movie, Agent 007 is involved in a high stakes poker game, and must win to thwart the enemy's plot for destruction.  His love interest in the movie, who he wishes to give up everything for, ends up being a double agent working for the enemy, which completely twists his whole perspective of things.  It's interesting to see not only the professional aspect of Bond, but the decisions he must make in regards to his love.  It's definitely a movie that everyone should see.  My third favorite movie has to be Mean Girls.  This movie, although very different from my other favorites, is fantastic.  It's so funny and can be related to several social situations one might have throughout their high school years.  In this movie, Katy Heron goes from living in Africa with her parents because of their jobs to jumping into the average life of a teenager in high school.  Along the way, she ends up becoming a member of "The Plastics," the popular group of girls at their high school.  While trying to take them down with her other group of friends, more and more lies and rumors circulate that eventually tear her down.  Overall, it's just a really interesting, entertaining, and hilarious movie that I could watch over and over again. 

My favorite book!

I have many favorite books that I've read and reread throughout my life, but if I have to choose, I'd say that my favorite book of all time is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.  I loved reading it for the first time in class, and over the summer I read it again.  I enjoyed it just as much the second time as I did the first.  It was a book that I didn't mind taking the time to read outside of class, as well as discuss it with my classmates.  I was actually excited to go into English the next day to read the next chapter or section.  Salinger writes it in such an interesting way, that it makes it unique.  It is very different from many of the other books that I read, and that is why I thing that it stands out in my mind.  The novel is about a boy named Holden Caulfield.  Holden is full of attitude and negativity. In the beginning, he is looking back on a past event from the prior year where he gets kicked out of Pencey Prep boarding school for failing his subjects.  Instead of waiting around until the break to go home and tell his parents, he decides to go to New York City by himself.  He spends a lot of time on his own at first, running into people he knows along the way.  He is on a downward spiral and wants to run away permanently, but decides against it along the way after spending some time with his little sister, Phoebe, who makes him come to many important realizations.  Throughout the novel, Holden tries to protect innocence and becomes increasingly frustrated by all of the corruption.  He finally realizes, through time with his little sister, that he cannot put himself in charge of protecting the innocent from the real world.  He must let them learn for themselves.  This lifts a large burden off of him, and may have even been key in getting on with his life.  It keeps the reader interested the whole time, and can teach them an important lesson on growing up. Everyone should read this book at some point!

Thanksgiving Traditions!

My family has many traditions for the Thanksgiving Holiday, although they are more unstructured than most traditions of other families.  Usually, my family gets up in the morning and eats a light breakfast together.  Then, we usually just relax around the house.  My Dad and I will watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade together for the first fifteen minutes until we get tired of it.  This is one of those things that happen every year that isn't really a tradition, but recurs anyways.  At around one o'clock, my family goes over to my Aunt's house in Lockport to say hello.  We don't actually eat here though, because they invite so many people that it gets chaotic.  We usually stop in for about an hour to say hello and spread the Thanksgiving cheer.  After this, we head straight to my Grandparents' house.  Here I am able to see all of the family that I usually don't get to see.  We are usually there for about an hour before dinner is served.  My Grandma assigns seats for everyone and puts a piece of chocolate next to the name tag.  It's best to eat the piece of chocolate before dinner though, because if a person waits too long, one of the younger family members will most likely take it or touch it, which is pretty disgusting.  Everyone then sits down to dinner and eats as much as possible.  My Grandma makes all of the usual Thanksgiving foods including turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, cornbread, and cranberry sauce.  It is all delicious.  Everyone eats until they are beyond full, and then has a slice of pie on top of that.  After all of the holiday festivities, my cousins and I play Apples to Apples to end the night, which is my favorite game.  Overall, I think Thanksgiving is a great holiday spent with family. 

Christmas Time!

Christmas is by far one of my favorite holidays, not because of the receiving of gifts, but because of the overall feel of the holiday.  Christmastime brings joy to the cold, sometimes dreary beginning of winter.  The decorations make everything look a bit nicer, and add more color to the washed out look of the outdoors.  It is also a lot of fun to decorate the house and outdoors with my family.  Every year on a Saturday, my whole family spends the whole day decorating the whole house, inside and out, for the holidays.  My favorite part of the decorating process is the tree.  We always get a real Christmas tree which makes the whole house smell great.  I also love baking Christmas cookies and gingerbread at this time.  I usually hate to bake, but being able to decorate them after makes it worth it.  Usually, I bake gingerbread men and cookies with friends or family this time of year.  Although all these activities are great, my alltime favorite part of Christmas is being able to see my whole family on both my Mom's and Dad's sides.  This is often the only time during the year that I am able to see any of them.  It is great having a reunion at this time of year.  Usually, I will see them all on Christmas Eve at my Grandparents' house.  On Christmas morning, my whole family usually has brunch at my house after opening presents at their own houses.  We usually just hang out around my house until later, when everyone goes to my Aunt's house for dinner.  The whole day is family-based.  On the day after Christmas, we travel to New Hampshire to celebrate Christmas with my Mom's side of the family.  We all usually stay at the same place, and it's really fun being able to hang out with my cousins that I don't normally get to see.  Overall, Christmas is my favorite holiday because of the great times that I have with family and friends.  I'm really looking forward to it this year!

Choice Blog: It's Hockey Season!

This year, I was even more excited for the start of the hockey season than usual.  This is because I am very excited about the Sabres new lineup and aquired players.  They are looking good this year, and will hopefully make it far this year.  I am also incredibly excited for the return of my favorite player, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, after a tough injury last season.  This, to me, was even more depressing then it should have been because I was at that game.  My Dad and I went all the way to Pittsburgh to see the Sabres play the Penguins, and I was really looking forward to seeing my two favorite teams play each other.  We were really lucky, and were able to get seats just five rows above the ice!  The game started, and the Sabres scored two goals right off the bat.  It was looking good, and I was really happy that I got to see Malkin play in person.  As the game began to get interesting, Evgeni Malkin rushed forward with the puck toward Buffalo's net.  He passed it to another player, and as he was circling around, he got checked into the boards right in front of our seats by Tyler Myers.    I legitimately almost cried, which would have been really embarrassing.  That hit tore his ACL and MCL, taking him out for the rest of the season.  This year, though, he is back and better than ever.  He trained hard in the off-season to get him back to the level where he once was, and will definitely be a key member of the team this year.  My Dad and I are hoping to go to another one of these games again this year, and hopefully the outcome will turn out better than last year's.  Both teams are looking great, and I'm definitely looking forward to following them the rest of their seasons.

A.P. Literature and Composition

When most people think of an advanced placement course, they think of a lot of tough, strenuous work in a subject that they have no interest in.  Although there is a lot of work and some things are a bit difficult, I find the A.P. class that I am taking now, Literature and Composition, to be my most enjoyable class this year so far.  I love reading and thinking about what I read, and we do a lot of that in this class.  However, at first, I was really worried that I would not enjoy this class.  This was due to the fact that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was our summer reading assignment.  The book seemed long at first, and was difficult to read and interpret.  The characters bothered me, and overall, it just wasn't a very enjoyable read.  Although the book wasn't my favorite, I really liked writing the journal that went along with it, and it made the experience a little better.  It helped with the interpretation of the novel, and I got more out of it than I thought I would.  The first novel that we actually read in class, however, is now one of my favorite books.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was terrific and very different from the other novel.  I liked how we talked about it in class, and dissected it to find the deeper meaning of things.  The novels that we have yet to read also seem very interesting, and I am really excited to read those.  I also really like the Socratic Seminars that we have.  They are a great way to hear different viewpoints about the novel and to ask questions that I may have about what I read.  I love reading and talking about what I read, and think that this class allows me to do this.  I'm glad that I have it every day.

Future Plans!

After high school, I would definitely like to go to college.  As of right now, I am applying to Boston University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Canisius.  These are my top three schools.  I want to apply to a SUNY school too, but I am not sure as of now which one I will be applying to.  The one that I thought I would want to apply to I did not like when I went to visit it.  It was in too rural of a neighborhood for me.  In college, wherever I end up going, I would like to double major in Political Science and International Relations if possible.  These are two topics that I really find really interesting, and I think that they would complement each other nicely.  While working towards my degree in International Relations, I would like to either concentrate in relations with France or an Eastern European nation such as Russia.  I am leaning more toward concentrating in Eastern European Studies, however, because there is more of a need for a greater understanding of the language and culture of these nations than that of France at this time due to the amount of people continuing on their knowledge of the language.  After college, my plans are to go to law school.  I think that I would really enjoy this and in the long run, it would be worth it.  From there, I would like to get a job working with an organization or company that spans or deals with several nations.  It would be really interesting to negotiate contracts for the workers of the company in relations to not only the rules of the United States but of the other country as well.  This would be my dream job, and I think that I would really enjoy this career path if I stick to my original plans for after college. 

Sonsie in Boston, MA

Although far away, one of my favorite restaurants is Sonsie Grill in Boston, Massachusetts.  The atmosphere is great, and the food is fantastic.  Every time I go to Boston, I try to convince someone to go here with me for lunch and then go shopping.  It is located right on Newbury Street in the downtown Boston area.  This area is part of the Back Bay of Boston, and is really pretty to walk around because of all the old buildings and architecture.  One of the reasons that I like this restaurant so much is because the whole front of the restaurant made up of floor-length windows that open up completely in the summertime.  It's really a cool and interesting setup.  The tables in the front are all little cafe tables that all face these windows.  On a busy Saturday afternoon, it is really fun to go get lunch or coffee and just watch what is going on outside.  The food is also fantastic.  The menus change often, and although the menus are different, the food always tastes good and is of great quality.  My favorite thing to order while I am there is one of the flat-bread pizzas.  No matter which one I order, they are always delicious.  Last time, I got a Southwestern style pizza, and it was so nice and fresh.  I can tell that all of the ingredients that go into what are order are always fresh and of the best quality.  The service here is also great.  The first time I went here, I was with my cousin, Lauren, who I was visiting for the weekend.  We went shopping and then ate at this restaurant.  It was such a fun time, and whenever I think of this restaurant now, I look back upon all the fun times I had with her.  Boston is one of my favorite cities, and when I go, Sonsie restaurant is a must to go to.  I highly recommend it to anyone going to visit the Boston area.

The Best Packed Lunch

Without a doubt, the best packed lunch that I bring to school is a pita pocket with an apple, carrots and hummus, and a container of tabouli.  Of course, this lunch is made the night before as it can sometimes be very involved.  Often times, my mom also has to help me because I have not mastered the art of pita pocket making.  The tabouli is usually made ahead of time by my mom, who usually just keeps some in the refrigerator because it's a good, quick lunch to have on hand.  It's also one of my favorite foods.  Usually, tomatoes and feta cheese are added to it along with the normal spices, which is really good.  In the pita pocket, I usually put pepper jack cheese, Italian dressing, and some sort of green such as sprouts.  Sometimes if we have avocados, I put some of that into a pita pocket with sprouts and some salt instead of my normal favorite.  I never put lunch meat into a pita because I don't like lunch meat.  Thinking of how it sits in my locker all day with only an icepack to keep it fresh really freaks me out, and that's all I think about when I eat it during lunch.  I don't like the way that it looks either.  An apple and some carrots with hummus are usually added along with the rest of the lunch to complete it.  However, during advisement, I usually eat the apple as a snack.  Some people might not like this lunch because it is too healthy, but I love to eat organic, fresh fruits and vegetables.  They give me the energy to get through the school day, the sport that I am playing at that time, and all of my homework after.  It's definitely a great treat to be able to have this for lunch every once in a while!

10/4/11 On the Topic of Bullying...

Bullying is a completely unnecessary act and should not be tolerated in any form.  It is a tragedy that some kids have to put up with this in their lives.  No one should be treated poorly because they are different from the rest or share different beliefs.  It is not right.  Being different from one another is what makes us human, and it is hypocritical of another to ridicule this aspect.  Hearing Jamey Rodemeyer's story about how he was bullied is heartbreaking and angering.  This tragedy should not have happened, and it is sad to see just how cruel some people can be.  It makes me angry that some people can be so ignorant and narrow-minded.  Seeing this now as a local issue instead of at a national level is also very eye-opening.  Living in a small town, we are shielded for the most part of this issue.  To see it happen in the Buffalo area on this scale, it shows the majority of us how bad it really is.  Treating others the way you would like to be treated is key here, and it seems as though many people have forgotten this.  It is not right for a person to make fun of and bully someone else and then think that there are no repercussions to their actions.  People need to be able to think more about their actions, and it is sad that they aren't.  In order to spread awareness of this issue, schools should implement a program.  They should begin to educate kids and students at a young age about bullying in order to stop it from happening in the future.  In high school, the programs should continue.  Someone should be available for teens to talk to about their problems and concerns.  Nobody should have to go through what Jamey did.

The College Craze

For the past six months now, it seems as though everything I have been hearing about is has something to do with the future, and more specifically, my future.  Where I plan on attending and what I plan on studying while I am there are the two questions that I most frequently answer.  My answers are never quite the same, and they usually end with an indecisive "but I'm not sure," or "however, I may change my mind."  The extensive amount of college mail on my desk also serves as a reminder that a decision as to where I'd like to go will need to be reached sooner rather than later.  I know I'm not alone in this, but the frantic look that I receive back from most people my age when I ask them these questions does not reassure me at all.  We all might be in this together, but it is something that must be done individually, with decisions reached on our own and for our own benefit.  On top of these questions troubling me, there is the whole other task of actually applying to these schools.  Using the Online Common Application is supposed to be easier than having to fill out several different applications, but it also takes several days to complete.  The task seems monotonous, and somewhat repetitive.  However, it is something that has to be done, and thinking of how great next year will be is the greatest motivation of all.  So far, I have begun the application process to three out of my five schools that I need to decide from, the first being Boston University.  I'm pretty sure this is my first choice school, but what happens in the next few months before I make my final decision will probably influence the decision greatly.  It is one of the biggest decisions in my life so far that I will have to make, and it will definitely be a tough one. 

Summer!

          Out of all four seasons, summer is by far my favorite.  Not only is the weather fantastic, but the overall vibe that the months of June, July, and August give off is just a little bit brighter than the months surrounding it.  It is the time I look forward to most in the year.  For one thing, I love going to the beach and being by the water.  Living in Western New York, there are very few times that I actually get to enjoy doing this.  I love just being able to walk along the edge of the water, listening to the tiny waves break at the edge.  Diving in to the cold water on a hot, sunny day is one of the best luxuries of summer.  I love the opportunity to go running without having to worry about cold weather as well.  Running on a hot, summer day and then being able to dive into the pool to cool off is another one of those tiny luxuries only awarded in the summer months.  It is one that I dream of during the mid-winter months as I try to get my run in between school and dusk.  Another reason that I love summer is that I get to go to the Adirondacks.  This is one of my favorite places in the world because it can be so secluded.  It's a great place to go and just relax for a week, meet new friends as well as old ones met in previous years, and take time to forget about the stress back at home.  It's a great time to go on an adventure through the woods or kayak out into the middle of the lake.  By the time I return from my trip, I feel great and refreshed.  Summer is more of a carefree time of the year where I get to really take time for friends, family, and activities that I am really interested in, which is why I love it so much. 

The book.

I have been using Facebook for over a year now, and I think that it's a great way to stay connected with friends and family.  I like being able to talk to friends and family that live far away and that I don't get to see on a regular basis.  It's a way to keep up with them and see what's going on in their lives.  I like being able to see all of the fun pictures they post.  I have friends that I met on vacation that I would never be able to keep in touch with without the use of Facebook.  I also like Facebook because it's an easy way of getting in touch with multiple people at once.  If there is a certain topic I am interested in I am able to see other people's opinions and comments on the matter on one convenient page.  I also think it's a great way of expressing your opinions, likes, and dislikes.  It can be fun and educational in some aspects.  However, for some people, Facebook is addicting.  Some people are always on it, constantly updating their statuses.  I don't think that this is a good use of the site or someone's time.  Most people that a person is friends with don't care that they just ate a sandwich while watching the news on television.  I, myself, very rarely post a status on my wall for everyone to see.  Another aspect of Facebook that many people do not seem to understand is that it is not private.  It is a Social networking site, and your page can be seen by many people if privacy settings are not adjusted.  This could cause many people to get into trouble.  In certain instances, people have even been stalked or taken by people they have met on Facebook that they thought they could trust.  It can be dangerous, but if used properly and responsibly, it can be safe.  Lastly, it is important to leave a positive digital footprint, and what you post on your wall can be seen by many others.  It is important to realize this factor when using Facebook, and not post anything that could be harmful to yourself or others.  Facebook can be a great thing, but there are many negative consequences when used inappropriately. 

Interest Inventory!

           Throughout the course of this year, I'd like to write about many different things.  I already enjoy writing about a vast range of topics.  I'd really like to review new books that I've read throughout the year.  I think it would be fun learning more about the background of the book, why it was written, and the author's viewpoints.  I think that writing about the book would give me a better perspective on the book, and would be interesting to those reading it.  Another topic that I would like to write about this year would be different cultures.  This can include a variety of things.  Different foods, celebrations, customs, and travel could be under this branch.  I think it would be interesting to learn more about these things through the research I'd have to do to write about them.  I also like writing about different clubs throughout the school, especially those that I am a part of.  I participate in activities put on by Peer Wellness, National Honor Society, and French Club, and think it would be interesting to write about them.  It would also be a good way to spread the word about these different clubs in order to obtain higher membership and attendance.  Another thing that I like writing about are different current events.  It's exciting to write about world news because each story or topic is a bit unique.   I'm also really interested in art, and think writing about new exhibits, festivals, or discoveries in art would be really interesting.  I also think it would be really fun to write articles dealing with the art department, their projects, and student artists at Alden High School.  I think that it would be fun to interview them about their pieces, their favorite artists and styles, and ideas for future pieces.  Other topics that I would not mind writing about are fashion, school sporting events, and general happenings around the school. 

9/12/11 Fourth Grade

          Out of all the years I have been in school, fourth grade was the best.  It is a year of my life that I look back on positively.  My fourth grade teacher was fantastic.  She was able to make even the most boring topics fun in a variety of ways.  We did several, fun projects that really helped us understand the topics that we were learning about.  For example, when we were learning about the geography of the world, we made and decorated our own globes.  The project was really fun, and it helped me learn the locations of all the continents and certain countries.  If we were having issues remembering a certain topic, then the entire class would come up with a pneumonic device or song to help remember the vocabulary or topic.  I also remember reading books together as a class.  This was one of my favorite parts of the day.  The whole class would sit in a circle and follow along in our books as the teacher read.  To this day, the book Where the Red Fern Grows, a book we read together in that class, is one of my favorites.  Those reading circles are what really first got me interested in books and literature, and I will never forget them.  I also remember being rewarded for good grades and behavior in that class with extra free time.  When the whole class was completing their work and had good behavior, our teacher would reward us with a party on Friday afternoon.  We would all bring in something that we wanted to share with the class and have a snack.  Because of the great environment that my classmates and I were surrounded in, we all got along and were able to become great friends.  Some of my best friends now are the ones that I met in this class, and because of the great friendships that I made in fourth grade, I will always look upon it positively. 

9/8/11 School Year Accomplishments

         Seeing as this my last year of high school and there is much I want to accomplish, I am going to be very busy.  I want to succeed in all of my classes, but most importantly, I want to get at least a four on my Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Exam.  I really want to be successful in all of the college level courses I am taking because I believe that by doing so, I will be more ready for college the following year.  I am taking several challenging courses this year including Precalculus and Physics, and would really like to be able to fully understand the general concepts being taught.  I am also taking Spanish for the first time this year after taking French in past years, and would really like to understand the basics of the language.  Even though I'm taking Spanish, I'd really like to be able to hold on to my knowledge of the French language and Culture.  I really like learning about new cultures, and think it would be great if I could retain both languages.  Being a Senior this year, I also need to make the difficult decision of where I'd like to go to college.  I need to succeed on my ACT as well as my SAT.  I need to go through the application process, and write my admissions essay.  This will take up a lot of my free time, but is a necessary project.  It will all be worth it in the end when I am able to go to the college of my choice.  Although this year will be very busy, I would really like to be able to enjoy some of the great activities that the school offers.  I would like to be a member of the French Club and potentially hold an officer position as I had in the past.  I would also like to continue my work with the Peer Wellness pillar of student congress.  I really enjoy working with other students in these clubs, and hope that this year will be just as enjoyable as years gone by.  Although my senior year will be very busy, I believe it will be enjoyable. 

9/8/11 Summer Vacation

   The summer of 2011 was a very busy but rewarding past couple of months.  Throughout the month of July, I worked for the summer recreation program in Alden as a Lifeguard and Swim Instructor.  Although it was very challenging at some points, overall it was a great experience.  The kids were fun to work with, and I learned a lot of things that will continue to help me throughout my life.  I spent several weekends during this time going to visit colleges that I am interested in.  It was a really good experience for me because I was able to figure out what I liked and didn't like in a college.  I also was able to talk to people about different programs and majors to figure out what I'm really interested in.  Because of these trips, I have my choice of colleges narrowed down considerably, with my top choice being Boston University.  Even though I was very busy this summer, I still had plenty of time to spend with my friends and family.  During the second week of August, my mom, dad, brother, and I took our annual trip to the Adirondacks.  I always look foreward to this trip because of how beautiful and peaceful it is at this time of year.  Everyday I was able to go for a run in the morning as well as go swimming in the lake.  We also did quite a bit of kayaking, which is one of my favorite activities to do while we are there.  This year, my dad also decided to try something new and rent a speed boat.  It was definitely a different experience than the usual kayaking trips, but it was very enjoyable.  I became a professional waterskier by the time we had to take it back.  By the end of the week, I was ready to go home and spend the rest of my summer in the company of friends before the start of my senior year.