R2. What I Love Writing about...

Overall, I enjoy writing about pretty much anything.  I don't seem to have difficulty getting my thoughts across when I am writing about them.  However, there are a few things that I find easier to write about because I enjoy the process more.  I definitely enjoy writing more opinionated pieces than pieces just telling the reader straight facts.  I like to find out more about an issue and then give my say.  I feel as though it’s a good way to convey ideas logically while still sounding knowledgeable.  While I do love the actual writing of the piece, my favorite part of the process behind these articles is doing the research.  I have found that I am able to learn a lot about things that I am truly interested in, which makes the writing that much more easy.  I love interviewing others to find out more about their ideas as well.  It gives even more insight into the issue.  My favorite topic to do this with would have to be current events or stories that are in the news often.  I find something so interesting about breaking news stories and how journalists have to produce a near-perfect piece for a newspaper within a day or less.  I find it amazing that they are able to do this.  I have also found that I enjoy writing fictional work as well, through the picture blogs that we had to do earlier in the year.  It's very different from most of the writing we do in school, and a nice change of pace.  I think that's why I like it so much; it's a refreshing break from all of the analytical writing we do as students.  I don't really have a favorite thing I like to write about when doing this, and usually it's just whatever comes to mind at that time.  I like being able to blend fiction with reality, which I would like to experiment more with in the future.

R1. The Best Part about the End of the Year...

My favorite part of the end of the year is being able to relax a bit more than I could at the beginning of the year.  Everything is a little bit more laid back and low-key, which I look forward to from the beginning of the year.  Everyone has gotten to know the people they've have had classes with over the course of the past few months, and it has become an even more enjoyable experience.  Usually, the work load of the classes always slows down as well.  The weather also becomes a lot warmer outside, and I feel that this makes everyone feel a lot less claustrophobic.  I like being able to go outside during class and sitting in the sun.  Physical Education class is even better now, too, because we can go outside and play sports.   The weather makes me feel a bit more relaxed because I love the sun.  I am more likely to go outside to run after school because of the warm temperature, which helps me relieve a lot more of my stress.  The overall attitude of everyone within the school seems to change as well.  I feel like everyone is happier and more excited.    All of the A.P. exams are over, which makes me a lot less stressed out as well.  I have a lot more time to do things that I enjoy, instead of spending that time looking over notes and studying.  Most of all, the end of the school year brings me the hope and energy to keep me going for the remaining days we have left.  It's so close to being over, and it motivates me to keep trying my best.  Pretty soon, we'll all be able to go to the beach for a day or hang out with friends as much as we want, which is one of the best things to look forward to.   

Q5. Prom 2012!

This year's prom was so much fun!  I had a great time spending time with my friends during the night.  It was really fun to get ready, getting my hair and nails done during the day, and then having my friends do the same.  After my friends and I got ready, we met at my house around five for light refreshments and pictures before the limo came.  There were ten of us altogether, including Cindy, Tara, Emily June, Julie, Sarah, Mitchell, Kahla, Matt, Dan, and myself.  It was really hectic, but it kicked off the night on a great note.  The limo arrived at about six to take us to Salvatore's.  The limo was so much fun!  We got some great pictures and listened to great music as it drove us there.  At the prom, we were able to take even more pictures.  The photo booth that was set up was super fun, and my friends and I took a lot of pictures in there.  The table where I sat for dinner had most of the same people as the limo, but Will, Miranda, and Tanja sat there as well.  The food was okay, but the ice cream they served afterwards was great.  I liked being able to watch them make it right in front of me.  The dance portion of the night was a little disappointing, but it was still fun.  They weren't playing the best music to dance to, and I know it detracted from a lot of people's impression of the night.  Overall, though, prom was enjoyable.  After it ended, we all got back in the limo and drove around for a little while, eventually ending up at Niagara Falls.  It was fun just to walk around the park and see the sights.  The falls at night are so pretty and well worth the trip.  It was a wonderful conclusion to a great night. 

Q4.Cultural Icons

In the dictionary, an icon is "a picture image, or other representation that has a greater meaning."  I think that this is only one side of what a cultural icon truly is.  A cultural icon is someone that is recognized as a symbol for something greater by a large majority of people.  They could be known for their good choices or their not so good choices.  I think that it all depends on what they surround themselves with.  I, myself, do not have one cultural icon.  Sure, there are certain aspects of people that I admire, but I don't really follow them specifically.  For example, I admire the singer Lana Del Rey for all of her hard work and singing ability.  She has worked her way up to the top all by herself, starting her career in little cafes and clubs around New York City.  Now, she has made it big, scoring gigs on Saturday Night Live.  She has a real name for herself, and one to be proud of by living life according to her standards.  I also appreciate her being from New York State.  While I admire her for this, I don't share a lot of the same goals or objectives as her, making it hard for me to relate.  I guess that's what my problem is a lot of times when people ask me this question; how am I supposed to relate to a person and look up to them if they have such a different life than me?  I guess it's a good thing for many young kids and teens to have a role model or several role models that fit the bill and are good influences for them to look up to.  I just have never been able to find that one icon that I can say that about. 

Q3. The Best Book I Ever Read for School

I normally like all of the books we read for classes in school, but there have been a few that are truly memorable that I consider some of my favorites of all time.  One of my favorites has to have been The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  Actually, no; I’m just kidding about that.  It would have been pretty surprising, though.  My real favorite book has to be The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  It’s such a wonderful novel, and I think that everyone should read it at some point.  It has sparked a love of all of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, which I will continue to read more of in the future.  I could read his literature over and over again without getting sick of it.  It promotes so much discussion and debate, and I love how he has so many deep ties to the characters in his work, modeling them after different aspects of his own life.  The plot of his novels and the detail he puts into them makes them one of a kind. 

In The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, who just moved to Long Island (West Egg to be exact), meets his next door neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who, coincidentally, has been in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, for years.  He is a completely different person now, and really wants to see her again.  She lives in East Egg, but he is afraid to go see her because she is married.  Nick helps set them up, which is where the problems begin.  Daisy is such a confusing, flawed character, which is amplified by Gatsby’s elusiveness.  Nobody knows who Gatsby really is, which tends to cause a lot of people to suspect him of some shady business.  Nick is the one to finally put the mystery together and find out who he truly is.  Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy and his past ultimately cause his demise toward the end of the novel, which has a profound effect on those around him. 

It may end tragically, but it is definitely one of the best pieces of literature I have ever read.  It is definitely worth reading!

Q2. Summer Plans!

This summer I am going to be incredibly busy, but I am still looking forward to it.  Graduation is June twenty-third, and I am really starting to get excited about that.  I will be kicking off my summer in Washington D.C. in the first few days after my graduation for George Washington University’s freshman orientation program.  I’ll get to meet my roommate, talk to my professors, and experience what life will be like next year.  Then, later in the summer, I will go back there for a day to register for all of my classes and address any issues that I may have before classes begin in the Fall.  I am so excited!  Besides all of the college stuff, I will be working a lot.  I’ll be lifeguarding at the Kiddie Pool and teaching lessons for the Recreation Department here, which I did last year as well.  Overall, it’s a pretty fun job, but I might try to find another place to lifeguard as well so that I can get more hours.  I’ll be working a lot, but I still want to make sure that I’ll have some time to spend with my friends.  I’m excited to go to a lot of their graduation parties and just spend some time with them before I go away.  It will definitely be sad to say good-bye once the end of August rolls around.  Lastly, this summer I will be going on vacation to the Dominican Republic!  Instead of a graduation party, my parents and I decided that it would be more fun and worthwhile to take a family vacation at the end of July.  Even my brother, Will is excited, and he is never excited for anything we do.  It will definitely be a fun time.  I really can’t wait for the summer to come, even though it’s only about one month away!

P4. A Chat with Laura S.

I have had the pleasure of sitting next to Laura Slojkowski my entire career here at The Bulldog.  We have a lot of fun sitting next to each other, while still managing to be productive most of the time.  We're good at giving each other ideas to write about as well as giving good feedback on some of our pieces.  I am also Laura's editor here at The Bulldog, and her articles are always exceptionally written even before they are given to me to edit.  She also always double-spaces her articles, which makes it a lot easier for me to review.  Over the school year, I have learned many interesting things about Laura while sitting next to her.  Her favorite color is red, and she loves the beach.  Crystal Beach is one of her favorite places on Earth, and she always wants to go back there.  She likes to play soccer and likes to watch hockey and Bisons games.  Her favorite hockey team is the Chicago Blackhawks, and her favorite player is Jonathan Toews.  She loves The Wanted, a band from Great Britain that recently came to the United States, and owns a tee-shirt from them that took a month to ship all the way from England.  She listens to a lot of music when writing her articles, and her favorite bands are The Tragically Hip, Oasis, Third Eye Blind, and The Pressure.  Her favorite TV show is "Man vs. Food."  She works at Adam's Nursery on Genesee Street, which sounds like a pretty fun job seeing as though she gets to be outside most of the time.  She works as a cashier and plant waterer.  I think I'll probably go visit her on Saturday before I have to go to work!  That should be fun, although I really don't have any reason to buy any plants, bird baths, or garden decorations.  Overall, sitting next to Laura in Online Publishing for the past eight months has been a really fun experience.

P3. Should Teachers be Evaluated Based on Test Scores?

Lately, many states have been throwing around the idea of evaluating teachers partially based on the test scores that students receive on major exams.  The Obama administration has also encouraged evaluating teachers based on a combination of test scores and classroom observations.  New York City has already implemented this plan, but instead of combining both, they just used the test scores to create their evaluations.  The scale was based on the rate of improvement from past years in relation to this year on a student to student basis.  If a student improved their score greatly, it would improve a teacher's evaluation.  However, I do not believe that this is a fair practice.  This is not a great way to measure how well a teacher does what they do because test scores always waver depending on the content within them.  One student may find the test easy one year and do incredibly well, and then have a bad day the next and do poorly.  While students should have a role in it, this system makes the evaluation a little too centrally based on them and how they feel that day.  All students take tests differently, and some test well better than others.  I don't believe that this is an accurate measure of how well a teacher teaches the material because of this reason.  A teacher can just teach based on the exam, without adding any additional information to make it interesting, but is that really good teaching?  Are the kids going to be able to take anything away from that in the future?  I don't believe that they would be better prepared for the future if a teacher taught solely in this way for a better evaluation, but this is what this policy is promoting.  Maybe teacher evaluations need a little bit of an update, but I don't think that this is the right way to do this.  There are just too many flaws with this system that make it unfair.  Teachers often have a profound impact on their students, serving as role models and giving them guidance, and I feel like this system might take that aspect of the classroom away. 

P2.) Reflecting Back on this Year

In September, one of the first blogs that I ever wrote for Online Publishing was about my accomplishments for this school year.  I think that overall, I have succeeded in what I wanted to do this year, even though we have a little over one month left.  One of my main goals is to get at least a four on my Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition exam, which is on May tenth.  I have been preparing for the exam to ensure that this is possible.  I also wanted to succeed in Physics and Precalculus, two courses that I am taking right now that I believe to be the most difficult for me.  I have been able to keep my grades up in these courses the whole year, and think that I have really grasped a good understanding of the material.  If I keep studying and doing my work, I should be able to do well on the exams.  Even though I have been taking Spanish, I have been able to hold on to a lot of my knowledge of the French language, which is another skill that I wanted to maintain this year.  At school, I also wanted to become more active than I was last year in the Peer Wellness Pillar of Student Government.    Currently, I am Vice President of the Pillar, and have been able to organize and participate in many different activities involved with that.  Currently, we are working on a new Wellness Day to replace the one that was cancelled earlier in the year.  If we are able to pull it off, it'll be great!

One goal that I am really happy about accomplishing is picking a college for next year.  The application process was long, but I was able to get all of my applications in well before the deadline.  In the Fall, I will be attending The George Washington University in Washington D.C.  It took me a long time to decide, but now that I have, I am really excited about it.  I cannot wait until next year! 

P1. The Television

There is no doubt that television impacts everyone that has ever seen it in some way.  It is how that person chooses to allow it to affect them that makes the difference.  I, myself, do not watch much television on a day to day basis.  Sometimes I even go weeks without turning it on.  I often feel as though my time isn't well spent after watching television for a long time.  The commercials tend to bother me, and eventually, I get too impatient while waiting for the program to come back on.  However, there are some things that I do enjoy watching from time to time.  I am a big hockey fan, and love to watch a Sabres or a Penguins game after dinner if I have nothing else important to do.  I also like to watch a few other shows, but usually I watch them on Netflix.  I like The Office, Sherlock, and The Big Bang Theory.  I also love watching the shows Chopped, Cupcake Wars, Apartment Hunters, and other stuff on the Travel Channel.  I am not a big fan of a lot of the major reality TV shows like Jersey Shore, and rarely if not never watch them.  I do watch some TV, but I try to limit my time in front of it and never let it come before more important things, such as schoolwork.  My family is very similar to me in that regard.  My dad watches no TV unless there is a sports game on, my mom only watches the news, and my brother watches Netflix for the most part.  We have televisions in our rooms as well as a few downstairs, but they are not overused.  During dinner or a big family event, they are always turned off.  Television is not necessarily a bad thing when exposure time is limited.  It can even be educational if watching a documentary or something in that respect.  However, a lot of what is on isn't very good.  The advertisements draw people in, and it can send the wrong message to a large group of people at once.  People need to be able to look at what they are watching objectively instead of buying into everything they see or hear. 

O3.) Gone Fishing

Over this past Spring break, I took a vacation down to Georgia with my family.  We stayed on St. Simons Island off the coast of Southern Georgia and had a great time.  The house was beautiful, the town was great, and the weather was fantastic.  Overall, it was a really great time.  We spent most days at the beach, but on Thursday, my dad decided that he wanted to take my brother and I deep sea fishing.  None of us have any experience whatsoever in this, but we thought we would give it a try.  My dad hired a captain to take us out for the morning and help us learn what to do.  I was a little nervous and skeptical of my skills, but thought being out on the water would be fun.  Eventually I figured out what I was supposed to do and it was actually really fun!  The first fish I caught was a seven inch whiting.  I became very attached to it and was really sad when the captain decided to use him as bait.  I don't know why I thought that I would be able to just let him go back in the water and continue to swim on his way, but I did.  After I caught this fish, we didn't catch anything for the next half hour.  Then, my brother got a bite on his line.  We could tell that it was really big because of how difficult it was to reel it in.  As it turns out, it was a bull shark, one of the most aggressive species of sharks in the world.  It was kind of terrifying, but my dad made me stand next to it to get a picture before we threw it back.  It is the most awkward picture of my brother and I ever taken.  Before we finished for the day, I managed to catch a Dogfish, another species of shark, and a Hammerhead shark.  I thought it was really weird that we weren't able to catch anything but sharks, but overall, it was a fun day.

O4.) My Mother is...

My Mother is definitely my role model.  She is incredibly smart, level-headed, and a real problem solver.  She is very strong and can accomplish anything that she puts her mind to.  I have always looked up to her, and she has always acted as a guide to me.  Sometimes we fight, but it’s never anything major.  We're always able to move past that and resolve any issues that we have with each other.  She always works hard, no matter what it is that she is doing.  Whether it is her job or a different project, she completes it to the best of her ability.  She's able to manage her busy schedule very well, and sometimes, I don't know how she does it.  She's the one who keeps our family running efficiently, and makes sure that my brother and I are always on time to whatever we are involved in.  My mom also has a great sense of humor, and always makes me laugh.  She has a great taste in literature, and she is the one who really jump-started my love of reading and writing.  I strive to possess the wonderful qualities that she exhibits on an everyday basis.  If I have a problem, I know that I can come to her for help.  She has always been very supportive of what I want to do with my life, and I couldn't thank her enough for that.  I think that I have a great relationship with my mom, and I couldn't ask for anything more.  Many people my age and younger don't really like to hang out with their parents a lot, but I actually don't mind it.  I love to sit down at the end of my day and talk to her about what I am doing in my classes, as well as ask her about her day.  A lot of the time during the week we sit down and eat dinner together, and it's a nice way to relax and take a break from my school work.  I'm going to miss her a lot next year when I'm away at college. 

O2.) The Price of an Education

This article on the costs and benefits of college shows that College is a wonderful investment to make as a young member of society.  Education is priceless, and it can continue to benefit a person for the rest of their lives.  In these studies, people with a college degree made eighty percent more than those who did not graduate high school.  Their higher education also allowed them to prosper in ways that they wouldn't have otherwise.  Their studies have shown that investing money into a college degree has one of the highest rates of return.  I definitely agree with most of what their studies have to show.  I think that education is very important to a person, and that without an education and pushing yourself to the limit, you won't be able to succeed fully in life.  College may be expensive, but it is money well spent.  A lot of the youth around the world don't even have the opportunity to attend a college or university to further their education.  When I think of that, I truly believe that I'm lucky to be able to have this experience and chance to learn more about the world in general.  I wouldn't let that chance pass by me, and I plan on attending college next year for exactly this reason.  I want to have a general understanding of many basic topics so that I am able to apply what I learned to several different things.  I want to learn a lot about language because I think that is very important in today's increasingly global society.  I'm not exactly sure what subject I would like to focus most of my time and effort into yet, but I have some ideas.  Overall, I believe that the importance of an education is great, and that you can't put a price on a great education. 

N2.) The Ups and Downs of Spring!

Generally, I view the season of Spring in a positive light.  I love the change in weather from cold and dreary to nice and sunny, the blue skies as opposed to grey, and the blossoming flowers sprouting up from the ground.  Everything always seems a bit more cheery and laid back than in Fall and Winter, and it's almost Summer, which means that school for the year is almost over!  I like how the days begin to get longer, we can start to use the grill again, and our pool gets opened.  It’s the perfect running weather, and I love the fresh air.  Summertime treats are starting to appear and I always want to ride my bike to go get some ice cream with friends.  I also usually go on vacation in Spring which is always a wonderful break from school.  Overall, I really like Spring.  However, there are some things that I don't enjoy about the season.  For starters, I really dislike all of the worms and the worm smell that comes with them.  They seem to have a prominent presence during this time of the year.  Mosquitos also seem to buzz about often this time of year.  I always end up getting bit by them a lot, which is never a pleasant experience.  I also am assigned the task of mowing at least part of our lawn this time of year, which is a difficult task seeing as though my father insists on buying a push lawn mower every year to mow a fairly large piece of our land.  My brother hates this task even more than I do, and consistently gives me the land right next to the field to mow, which is very bumpy and rocky, making it difficult to complete the task.  It's never a pleasant experience.  To me, however, spring is still something that I look forward to year after year. 

N3.) Work, Work, and More Work.

For the past year and a half, I have been working at the High School Pool for various organizations and groups lifeguarding during lap or open swims and teaching swim lessons.  In the summer, I also work at the Kiddie Pool in the park.  Overall, I love my job.  I think that it is one of the best jobs that a high school student can have.  I get to be outside on nice, summer days and inside when the weather isn't so great.  I have hours all year round, and for the most part, I get paid really well.  It's also really fun to work with the little kids and teach them new skills.  Usually, I teach Level One and Level Two classes along with Parent-Child swim classes for kids that are of pre-school age or less.  I always enjoy my job and for the most part look forward to going.  Hopefully I can get a great job like this during my time at college even though that may not be possible.  In the future, however, I am definitely excited to do something different.  I think that it would be really interesting to go into some form of corporate or international law.  I find these areas of study really interesting and would love to get a job involving that in some way.  I think that working for an international company or organization as a legal consultant or contract negotiator would be really interesting.  I also think that a job in international communications would be interesting.  I know the general field that I would like to get into, but am not sure the exact area of it that I would go into.  I have plenty of time to narrow it down and really get a feel for what I like before I need to make a final decision, though. 

N1.) Five Questions With Kyle Klug

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down and asking five questions to Kyle Klug, a senior student here at Alden High School.  I found out many new and interesting things about him, including his May 6th birthday coming up in just a little over a month.  When asked about his favorite activities, Kyle first answered quickly with "sports."  He is very into sports, finding Basketball, Hockey, and Football the most enjoyable.  He likes them because they are fun and they give him something to do.  Other activities that he enjoys are playing games on his Xbox and hanging out with his friends.  If he could go anywhere on vacation in the future, Kyle said that he would most enjoy going to Hawaii.  "I'd like to go there because of the warm weather and I like the general idea of it," he says.  Hawaii does sound nice in contrast to the harsh Buffalo weather we are used to.  During our interview, I also asked Kyle what his favorite animal is and why.  At first he answered with cats, but he quickly retracted that answer because they aren't fierce enough.  He settled on the lion because of the power and dominance that they have in the animal kingdom.  I also asked him about his favorite movie, Never Back Down, which I have never heard of before.  When I looked into it, I found out that it was about a "rebellious teen" who joined a fight club and met a great friend.  Kyle likes it because of all of the great action.  To wrap up the interview, I asked Kyle that if he could get in the car and drive anywhere at that moment, where he would go and why.  "I would go to my house so I could get something to eat and then go to sleep," he said, ending the interview on a good note. 

M4.) Caffeine.

Recently in town, a Tim Horton's has opened up.  This has been great because now there is actually someplace to go in this small town where you can get a decent cup of coffee.  However, it has also been a terrible thing.  For one, it has just made me more dependent on coffee or caffeinated drinks.  I have spent a lot of my hard-earned money on coffee the past few weeks, and am starting to realize that it is becoming an issue.  Instead of grabbing a cup of coffee once in a while because I like it, it is now grabbing a cup of coffee because I need it.  Every morning I have coffee and Black Tea from home, but now that I can get it during my lunch, I've begun to need it mid-day as well.  If I don't have it, I feel extremely tired and lethargic.  I definitely need to stop this habit.  In fact, I already have.  As of this morning, I switched to green tea instead of black tea.  In all honesty, it was just because I ran out of Black Tea and thought I could trick myself into using the other as a substitute.  By the end of the cup of tea, I was actually starting to enjoy the change.  It has been difficult to stay away from the mid-day coffee break that I usually have today, and I felt a bit out of it around that time, but I had some more tea, and I've already started to feel better.  I don't want to give coffee up all together, but I must admit that it was getting to be an expensive habit that couldn't have been very good for me.  I think that even though it may be a bit unrealistic for some people's lifestyles, everyone who drinks coffee on a regular basis should really examine what they are doing and how much money they are spending on their habit. 

M2.) Say no to Distracted Driving

Driving while you are distracted is one of the most dangerous things that you can do.  In 2010 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in the United States due to driving while distracted.  This doesn't even take into account the countless number of life-altering injuries sustained in accidents caused by distracted driving.  Even though driving while distracted is very dangerous, it is very preventable.  Don't put yourself in a position where you could be distracted behind the wheel.  You could be putting yourself in danger, not to mention the people around you.  The first way to stay alert and focused while driving is by putting your cell phone away.  You can go the length of a car ride without sending a text message out to your friend or placing a call.  Studies have shown that one in four teenagers admit to texting while driving, and about forty percent of teenagers have reported to being in a car while the driver has been using their cell phones.  Texting while driving is never excusable.  In order to send a text message, you have to take your eyes off of the road.  To text, you use at least one of your hands, which in turn, makes it more difficult to control the car.  If you get into a situation while driving and only have one of your hands free, it will be much more difficult to avoid a collision or keep control of the car.  In 2007, the University of Clemson did a study about texting while driving.  Their results showed that text messaging while driving increased a person's likelihood to swerve into another lane of traffic by ten percent.  Studies show that teens are more likely to participate in these risky driving habits as well.  Teenagers must start realizing the dangers that they put themselves in while driving and must take the necessary precautions to protect themselves as well as others on the road. 

M3.) The Most Embarrassing Moment of my Life...

The most embarrassing moment of my life occurred my freshman year in high school while I was on the French trip to Italy and France.  We had just gotten to our hotel in Nice, France after a long day of travel all the way from Florence.  It was around five o'clock, and we were supposed to bring our stuff up to the hotel room and get ready for dinner.  There were a lot of people checking into the hotel at this time, and it was a little bit chaotic.  The elevator was really small so there was a huge line to use it.  Our tour group was in the line, and I was the last one.  There was another group of people behind us, and I thought that they were speaking a different language, presumably French seeing as though we were in France.  I had been looking forward to speaking French the whole trip and having a conversation with someone.  I thought that this was finally the chance to prove to myself that I was capable of this.  When I turned back around, the rest of the group was gone, and there was only one guy left.  Thinking that maybe I could have a nice, friendly conversation with him and possibly make a friend, I said "Bonjour, Ca Va?" meaning "Hello, How are you?"  Instead of him engaging in polite conversation with me, he said "What?  No, no, no, I'm American," with a rude tone.  All I could manage to say was "Oh, okay."  I turned back around and waited in line for what seemed like forever.  Finally, i was able to get on the elevator, but as it turned out, the embarrassment was not over.  He and I had to share the smallest elevator on the planet four floors up to our room.  We just stood there in complete silence while listening to some sort of French elevator music.  Then, we got out and ended up walking down the same corridor of the hotel.  We didn't say a word to each other, and I finally got to my room.  Luckily, I never saw him again.  It was definitely an awkward, embarrassing experience for me, but when looking back on it, I can see some humor in the situation. 

L4.) The Anticipation

As of now, many seniors are starting to get acceptance letters into the Colleges that they will be attending next year.  They're so excited to have a plan and to be all set with what they are doing.  They have an answer when somebody asks about their future.  However, when I am asked about what my plans are for college next year, I look like I have no idea what I'm talking about.  I have not had the wonderful privilege of finding out whether or not I got accepted into my top schools yet.  The anticipation is making me go crazy.  The worst part about the whole thing is that even if I get accepted into both of my top schools, I have no idea which one I would rather go to.  My top two schools are Boston University and George Washington University. When I went to both, I got that wonderful “this is where I want to attend college” feeling that you hear about teenagers having when they find a school that suits them.  It will definitely be a hard decision if I end up getting into both of them.   The problem is that they are very similar to me.  They both have wonderful programs for what I want to do, wonderful dorm rooms, urban campuses, great meal plans, and a very active student body.  George Washington University is in Washington D.C., and Boston University is in Boston, which are two of my favorite cities.  The campuses are both beautiful and easy to navigate.  I feel that I would be able to succeed if I went to either college.  I love how people are truly interested in what they are doing and would love to be a part of that at either college.  What one school may not have the other ends up having, which is why it's so difficult to choose.  Hopefully, I'll be able to decide soon.  I won't have much time to decide after I get notice of their decision, so I should definitely start thinking about it more in the time being.  I just want to know for sure that I’m making the right choice. 

L3.) What Makes me Angry

There are many things that can make me angry in a day, but these are just some of the major events throughout the day that cause me to express feelings of outrage and frustration.  In the morning, I get very angry at my brother.  He is not a morning person and always wakes up late, which then causes me to be late.  The thing that bothers me most about this situation, however, is that he always seems to move in slow motion at the worst times.  Sometimes I think he does it on purpose, but nonetheless, its always bothersome. 

Another thing that always makes me angry as well is when people don't use your, you're, there, they're, and their correctly.  We learned how to do this a long time ago, and when you do it enough, it becomes almost a second nature to you.  It really isn't that difficult to do, and it really shouldn't be at this point in your life.  If I was a teacher, I would say in the beginning-of-the-year outline that anything with an error in usage of these words would automatically be marked completely wrong.  That's how much it truly bothers me. 

At school, I also get upset when people interrupt important activities for irrelevant things.  This includes when people talk very loud in class while the teacher is trying to explain something very important as well as trying to talk to the teacher while they are talking.  Just because you may understand something that is being reviewed does not mean that everyone else does.  You should simply sit down and be quiet.  This may be difficult for you to do, but after some practice you should be able to. 

Lastly, other drivers on the road tend to upset me.  People need to be more aware of their surroundings while out on the road.  Driving ten miles under the speed limit simply because you feel like it is not an option.  The passing lane is not for leisurely driving, but for passing.  Tailgating is one of the stupidest things that you can do as well.  It's not going to get you anywhere any faster, and will likely enrage the person in front of you.  It's unsafe and all-around not a smart thing to do.  Driving sometimes makes me think that there is no common sense left in the world anymore.  Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes, these mistakes can easily be avoided. 

L2. ) My Fears (However irrational they may be)

I have one major fear in life which can be classified as a mild form of iatrophobia, or fear of doctors.  While I am not directly afraid of the doctor in most situations, I get extremely stressed out and nervous before going, only being able to focus on that visit.  I have white coat hypertension and an extreme fear of getting shots.  White coat hypertension is the fear of getting your blood pressure taken by a doctor or another medical professional.  Sports physicals are always an issue, and at the doctor's offices it used to be very difficult to calm down for them to get an accurate reading.  Getting shots is also very difficult for me to do.  The worst experience of my life was when I had to get a shot last year.  I was sitting in the room waiting for the nurse to come in and give me a shot, and I was feeling pretty confident.  However, when the nurse walked in I saw that she was wearing an eye-patch.  Convinced that her depth-perception was off, I freaked out and it was impossible to get the shot done.  It was a terrible experience. 

I am also mildly afraid of seagulls because of an experience I had in Disney World about four years ago.  My family was sitting in Epcot, and we were grabbing some food while we were in "Mexico".  We were sitting down at the table, and my parents went to grab silverware.  They left me all alone with the food at the table, and I began to start eating my taco.  However, before I was able to even begin to eat the taco, a seagull swooped down and began to harass me.  I was terrified, and began to scream.  It tried to peck me, and then it took my taco.  I was not going to object to it at this point though, because when they are that close to your face they are incredibly scary.  This experience traumatized me for life. 

K.) The Story of Terence Hammer

 

After a long day at school, little Terence Hammer got into bed.  At seven years old, he had a big imagination, a lot of energy, and little need for sleep.  Being stuck in a desk all day at school didn't help this, either.  Terence was wide awake when his mother sent him to bed, and pretended to fall asleep just for her sake.  He was really good at pretending, and was convincing enough to make his mom believe that he was fast asleep before his head hit the pillow.  As soon as she went to bed, however, Terence decided that he had more important things to do.  He got up and played with the toy trains in the corner for a while, pretending to be the station master and ordering them all to go here or deliver the cargo safely to some faraway place.  After getting sick of the trains, he moved on to building a palace out of Legos, and from there pretended to be the King of a faraway land where he had all the candy and toys he could ask for.  After a while of playing however, he began to get quite hungry and went to his closet, where he had hid some cookies before he went to bed.  He sat down and began to eat them, taking a break from being King for a while.  Mid-way through his snack, he heard a loud noise outside his window.  He became curious, and thought that this was the perfect time to become an explorer, one of his favorite things to pretend to be.  He quickly finished his snack and looked out the window.  He saw something in the bushes down below his window, but couldn't see what it was.  Terence knew that he had to get down there somehow; after all he was a world-renowned explorer and couldn't let the people down.  There was a tree right outside his window, and decided that the best way to get down there undetected would be the tree.  He got up on the window sill and reached for the tree.  He could barely get to it but somehow found the strength to jump onto a branch and slide down to the trunk.  It was a pretty skilled maneuver although dangerous for a young boy.  He jumped out of the tree, and landed on the soft ground as quiet as possible.  He crept over to the bush and looked behind it.  Disappointed that it was just a cat, he walked away.  Now tired and sick of playing make-believe, he walked back over to the tree, climbed up to the window sill and looked inside.  Looking back at him was his mother, and judging by the look on her face, Terence got the inclination that he wouldn't be sleeping for a long while.

K.) "Birds"

On one fine spring morning in the countrysides of Britain, a young woman had awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside in the sky.  This was her favorite way to wake up.  It was early, and she loved to be able to experience the peace and serenity of the sunrise.  She stayed there in bed awhile longer, thinking about the busy day ahead.  The harmonious chirping of the birds interrupted her thoughts just as they had awoken her from a deep slumber.  The sound became increasingly urgent, and the symphony that was once playing was now just a series of frantic, urgent squawks echoing through the hills.  The noise produced was so loud that she felt as though they were all inside the little room now filled with a dim light.  Curious, she got out of bed and tip-toed over to the window, careful not to wake up anyone in the room below.  She looked outside and was astonished to find none.  She skimmed the sky, the tops of trees, and even the rocky cliffs below but did not see any birds.  Confused and agitated at this point she backed away from the window and made a pot of coffee.  The problem was still bothering her, however, and she quickly returned to the window before it was made.  She threw open the window in a now aggravated state, and became even more frustrated when all of the noise stopped.  The silence was eerie, and she quickly became weary of her surroundings.  She backed away from the window, and went over to the door.  She tried to leave, but it wouldn't budge.  Now panicking even more, she ran over to the bed and sat down.  She sat there listening to the wind trying to calm down, but soon realized that the noise she was hearing wasn't the wind, but the flapping of wings.  She looked up for a moment and did a double-take.  The wallpaper, a pretty grey with little doves on it, was moving.  One of the little doves once plastered to the wall was slowly flapping its wings.  It picked up speed and took off slowly through the open window.  Looking around the room, she saw more and more of these little white birds come to life, leaving little grey spaces in the wallpaper.  Confused and awe-struck, she walked over to the window and closed it.  The wallpaper once again became still, and the chirping outside commenced.  She walked over to her coffee, poured a cup, and slowly sat down in the chair by the window, enjoying the faint sound of chirping birds away in the distance. 

Group K: "The Story of Mr. Ford"

After a long day of work one night, Mr. Ford came home to an empty house.  His wife was on vacation with the kids, and he was excited to have the time to relax for one night before she came back.  He went to the local sandwich shop, bought a large ham sandwich, and went home.  Instead of following the rules this night and eat in the dining room or kitchen, however, he decided to eat in his favorite old recliner and read the newspaper.  This was his favorite way to spend the night, and did whenever possible.  He got home, and immediately went to the oversized, blue chair.  In one motion he grabbed the newspaper while taking the sandwich out of the bag.  The paper around the sandwich fell to the ground, and he started eating.  After about ten minutes of reading the newspaper, he began to hear a loud noise coming from underneath his chair.  He thought it was just his imagination, but when he felt something hit the leg of the chair with such a force that he dropped his paper, he became concerned.  He ran to the kitchen and put the sandwich on the counter.  He grabbed a large, wooden chair in the dining room to use as  protection if there was something in there, and walked into the room cautiously.  As he walked onto the carpet, he felt something move around his feet.  Alarmed, he looked down to see a large bump underneath the carpet.  As it circled around and came back toward him, he began to panic.  He had no idea what to do and tried to run away from it, hiding between the side-table and the bookcase.  The thing, however, seemed to sense where he was heading, and went right for him.  It hit his feet with such a force that he fell backward, knocking the chair out of his hands.  He knew that whatever this thing was, it meant business.  As he saw it coming back around, he stood up with the chair.  He knew he had to end this now.  As it got closer and closer, Mr. Ford raised the chair above his head even more.  Finally, as it was just about to crash into him again, he brought the chair down, hitting it with a great amount of force.  It stopped moving, and he ran out of the room back into the kitchen.  He didn't care what the thing was.  He just wanted to get out of there.  He looked at the newspaper again this time, but instead of finishing the sports section, he perused through the apartment listings, thinking that perhaps it would be a good time for a change.

J2.) My favorite Teacher (K-12)

It's difficult to remember back to grades K-5, but Fourth Grade sticks out in my mind over all the others.  I had Mrs. Hartman as my teacher, and she was fantastic.  I was able to learn a lot while still having a lot of fun.  I loved going to school in the morning, and was sad to see the year end.  Mrs. Hartman was able to make learning a fun experience.  I remember reading a lot of books together as a group, which really sparked my love for reading.  We read Where the Red Fern Grows together, which I was able to take a lot from.  Without her, I probably wouldn't have loved to read as much as I did.  She taught in a way where we weren't just copying material for the board, but allowed us to really experience it.  For example, when we were learning about the geography and people of New York State, we made colored salt maps to show where different land marks were and where the different Native American tribes were located.  When we were learning about world geography, we each made our own globes out of paper mache.  If we had trouble remembering something that we learned, she would help us come up with a way to remember it.  One of my favorite parts of being in her class was that she rewarded our good behavior.  If we all did our homework or were well-behaved, she would add marbles to a jar.  Once the whole jar was filled up with marbles, she would throw us a party.  She would organize food and drinks, and would let us bring in some toys from home.  When looking back on Fourth Grade, there was never a dull moment.  Mrs. Hartman made that year the best year between grades K-5, and I'll always remember the positive impact she had on me. 

J3. The Black Keys, The Kooks, and Kate Nash

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite bands are, I have a hard time answering.  There are so many good bands to choose from, that its difficult to pick just one.  A lot of it depends on my mood, the weather, and what I'm doing while I'm listening to the music.  As of right now, my top three favorite bands and musicians are The Black Keys, The Kooks, and Kate Nash. 

No matter what I am doing, I never get sick of listening to The Black Keys.  They are an all-around great band.  I love all of their albums, but have recently been listening to their new album "El Camino" nonstop.  My favorite songs on this album have to be "Little Black Submarines" and "Mind Eraser," although it is very hard to choose.  Overall, I like how this album sounds as a whole.  I could listen to it over and over again without getting sick of it.  No matter what album I'm listening to of theirs, it is always phenomenal.  I hope to someday be able to see them in concert, seeing as I missed my chance this summer. 

The Kooks are another favorite band of mine.  They always put me in a good mood when I listen to them.  I love their style and lyrics.  A lot of times when I'm stressed out I will listen to them because it's difficult to be angry when they are playing in the background.  Their 2011 album "Junk of the Heart" is fantastic, but I also like "Konk" too.  Overall, they're a great band. 

Lately, I have also been listening to a lot of Kate Nash.  Throughout the past few years, I have gone through stages of really liking her music to thinking it was okay. In the past few weeks, however, I have been listening to her a lot.  I really like her lyrics and she has a fantastic voice.  I have always loved her song "Foundations," and think that her song "Navy Taxi" is also very nice to listen to while doing my homework.  She is definitely worth listening to. 

J1.) My Hero

In the dictionary, the term hero is defined as "a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities."  To me, a hero is much more than that.  They set a good example for those around them, and do not give in to pressure from others.  They aren't afraid to speak up about their feelings on a subject, and work hard to get what they want accomplished.  My hero is one of my best friends, Tara Hammerschmidt.  I believe that she exhibits all of these qualities.  I am naturally a serious person, and she helps me realize that I need to enjoy the things that I am a part of.  She has always been there for me, and I really appreciate it.  She is always nice and friendly to others, which is a great quality to possess.  Tara is sociable and loves talking to others.  She genuinely takes an interest in the thoughts and feelings of others.  In school she is able to complete her work while still having fun with it. She always puts an effort in to what she is doing, and will try to perfect it whenever possible.  She is good at balancing her life, which also a respectable quality to have.  Tara is the type of friend that everyone should have, because she does take an interest in your life.  She'll try to help you if you have any sort of problems, and she will be able to cheer you up if you're feeling down.  She doesn't let what others say bother her, and she is her own individual.  She helps me realize that it is okay to have fun and that it is okay to be different.  She is a great role model for anybody to have, which is why she is my hero. 

I4.) Should students be required to learn a second language?

I was reading an article the other day about how many students are trying to opt out of taking a foreign language in High School for the reason of it being unenjoyable.  I do not agree with this for several different reasons.  First, languages teach teenagers a lot of important skills.  It is proven that learning a language leads to broader trains of thought, better listening skills, more complete understandings of one's own language and better communication skills. These are all very important skills to possess in today's society.  Languages can fine-tune these skills, helping them in more areas than one.  The learning of more than one language is also important in today's increasingly global society.  As travel to other areas of the world becomes easier, cultures will begin to interact more.  Learning the language will prevent the spread of ignorance and help to preserve the diverse cultures around the world.  In the future, knowing another language other than your own is also very marketable in the workplace.  It makes you more valuable in certain professions, making it easier to get a job. 

I think that if students took a step back and really tried to enjoy learning a new language, they would find that they would really like it.  It opens up a whole other area of the world to you, which is huge in today's society.  I find that the more I learn about a new language, the more intrigued I am with that whole culture it is related to.  As of now, I have studied both French and Spanish in school as well as trying to learn Russian on the side.  I look at it as if it's a puzzle that needs to be cracked.  I think that it would be really interesting to be able to use these language skills in the future, and hope to be able to speak several languages fluently someday.  More students should definitely be taking language more seriously. 

I3.)My Holiday Break

Overall, my holiday break was really great.  I was able to see a lot of friends and family that I don't usually get to see, which was probably the highlight of my week.  On Christmas Eve, I went over to my Grandma's house for dinner.  Here, I was able to see all of my cousins and relatives from my Dad's side of the family that live out of town.  It was really nice to see them, and we all had a great time.  On Christmas morning, my Mom, Dad, and brother exchanged gifts around nine o'clock, and the rest of the family came later for brunch.  We ended the day by going over to my Aunt's house where we were able to spend some more time with the family.  Two days after Christmas, we drove up to New Hampshire to see my Mom's side of the family and celebrate the remainder of the day with them.  Usually, this is the only time that I get to see many of my Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and Grandma, so I always look forward to it.  On the way up to that area, we got caught in a big snowstorm, and had to stop in Utica at this old hotel for the night.  Although it was unexpected, it was quite fun!  The next morning we got up and drove the remaining distance we had to my Grandma's house outside of the Manchester area.  We were surprisingly the first people there, with the rest of the family following soon after.  We were able to relax there for the remainder of the night, catching up with the rest of the family.  We woke up the next day and got ready to go over to my Aunt's house for the late Christmas celebration.  Everyone had so much fun enjoying each other's company, opening gifts, and playing different  games that people had brought or planned.  Overall, it was a really fun, memorable time that I will be looking forward to have again next year.

I2.)My Bucket List

I have many things on my Bucket List, but three of my top things that I would like to do would be publishing a piece of work, touring Europe from one end to another, and learning how to speak Russian fluently.

Publishing a piece of work would be a great accomplishment, and I would really like to be able to do this.  I like to write, and think that being able to have something out there that I wrote could impact many people over a long period of time.  No matter what I end up writing, I want it to be original and comprised of my own thoughts. 

The second item on my  Bucket List is traveling from one end of Europe to the other.  I would want to start in Spain and make my way through every country at some point.  I think it would be a great adventure and that I would get to meet a lot of new and interesting people through this excursion.  I love experiencing new cultures and what they encompass, and think that I would be able to learn a lot from everyone that I meet.  I would be able to sample several different foods, customs, and languages that I normally would not know much about.  It would be the experience of a lifetime if I was able to do this, and would definitely change my perspectives a bit. 

The last item on my three-item Bucket List is learning how to speak Russian Fluently.  I love learning new languages, and Russian is so different than the other languages that I am exposed to in the United States such as Spanish and French.  They use a whole different writing structure and the Cyrillic alphabet, so this would be a bit of a challenge.  However, I'd love to be able to accomplish this even if I go through a bit of difficulty.  I have some friends from the modern Russian Federation that came here through school that I met on vacation, and would love to be able to visit them.  It is an area of the world that is just beginning to open up and modernize, and by learning the language, it would be easier to experience its rich history.