Big Tests

Well the year is coming to an end and that means that tests are starting to stress out all the students at Kennedy and at all the colleges. Everyone is studying for the huge tests that we have been preparing for all year. This is not something that any one looks forward. The only good thing about getting ready for these tests is the feeling after the tests are done. That means that we are officially done with school and all your hard work pays off.

This year I have a different situation that I have to deal with. Along with all of the AP test, I have to take the final for the college class that I am taking. Essentially they are the same thing because they both give college credit but I feel like the college class is more important. Anyways I hope that everything goes well and I pass all the tests! (155)

Prom

Prom. That thing that every girl waits for. That thing that everyone knows happens when you become a senior. It is the most anticipated event of your high school career. It is the time when you pull out all the stops and don’t even hesitate to go all out.  This is the time when we have finally had grown up, matured, and look like adults. Us girls spend practically our whole four years in high school just imagining what it will be like. Once we become seniors we go months ahead of time to search for the perfect dress. The one dress that makes us look like a princess. The color, amount of sparkle, and right amount of puffiness has to be exact. The countdown starts when we come back from spring break, knowing that it is right around the corner. Prom is the last moment we have as a group before we graduate. The last big party, the last dance, the last everything. Connections are made and some are broken. All I can say is that Prom was the best night of my life and I will always hold the memories close to my heart. I would not have changed one thing about it. Prom was everything I imagined it would be and more. Prom. The last hooray.

It would be hard to even describe prom if you didn’t experience it with yourself and with your own grade.  If you were underclassmen, yeah you would know some people but it wouldn’t give you that same togetherness feeling that being a senior would.  I do admit that my expectations were pretty high for this last dance and were going to be upset if they weren’t met. I am happy to say that for the dance all of them were met and they sored beyond. Choosing your prom group really does make a difference.  I saw people that really didn’t want to go with certain people or in a certain group and they came out of it not having that much fun. My group was perfect. I would not have added anyone or subtracted anyone. We all meshed perfectly and grew a bond that is now stronger and will carry into the summer.

Going into the dance I was a bit skeptical because they said we couldn’t grind. How else were we supposed to dance? But low and behold once we got to the dance they said grinding was allowed just don’t make it too inappropriate. A happy medium. The music was great, they took requests from students and played what we asked for. I could feel the music and move to the beat. When there was a song that wasn’t that great to dance too, then it was perfect opportunities to go outside, cool off and rejuvenate. We all agreed when it was a good time to go. We left and I looked back knowing I had made the best of my time at prom and felt like it was amazing. There will never be another night like it and I don’t want there to be. Nothing can compare and it will be sacred to me. Prom. One of the best nights of my life.  (563)

Crime is Pride

This expert reminds me of the syllogism by the great Socrates: All men are mortal, Socrates is a man, Socrates is mortal. Men’s behavior has changed since time began. At first they were the hunter gatherers that provided for the family. As time went on the same concept happened, men went to work while the women stayed home to take care of their children. Their manners matured with the men as they tried to win over a lucky lady. Now and days men’s manners are hard to find. Usually they are rude and treat women as they are some sexual object. The roles are also changing for men as well. Women are starting to get higher ranked jobs and making a name for themselves.

When you raise your children you want to instill good morals and teach them good manners so when they go out in public or are around people other than their parents they will reflect how they were raised. Most parents are strict at first and always do the please and thank you stuff that gets annoying but when you are older it just becomes a habit.

We are all humans here, we make mistakes. Ever since Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden the human race has been sinful. Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins. This means that we can go to Heaven once we die, but only if we believe I Him. All men makes mistakes is true, they are constantly temped by the social media in today’s society. Some men who were brought up with good morals and manners know the difference between good and bad and will make the situation right. A level of self-consciousness sets in and the man who committed the crime or did something wrong will “repair the evil.” The people with the best hearts have a hard time dealing with situations where they didn’t something wrong or possibly lied.  To some this might be looked at as a crime though. They don’t understand why they turned themselves in or did the right thing, because they themselves would never do the same.

In today’s society we deal with a lot of selfish people who will use others to get to the top or put other people down to make themselves look and feel better. Hopefully this type of behavior doesn’t continue and parents take note to raise nice children and make that change. For those people who look at doing the right thing as a crime, shame on them. They won’t win in the long run and will do the wrong thing to get farther in life, but if they live by that motto it won’t take them very far. We need more men in the world who are brave enough to do the right thing when they make a mistake. Repent and know that God is with you. You will be a chosen one.  (541)

Getting ready

As we all know yesterday was prom. It was a day to be with our classmates for our last dance together. It was a time for all girls to come together to get ready together and make a day of the big event. It was something that I truly will never forget and have to say it was one of the funnest days of my life.

It started out getting ready with all my friends around 11. We were doing each other’s hair and makeup. And transforming each other into an elegant woman that will fit the elegant dress that will be worm for the rest of the night. My hair appointment was at 1 pm. If I had to change anything next time I would schedule my hair a little earlier so we have more time to relax once the hair was done.

Getting ready with your friends on prom night is something that needs to happen. You need to surround yourself with the ones you love and care about and that you want to experience your last big event with before graduation. Once you get to this point in your high school career you know who are going to be the long time friends and who are going to your friends for the rest of your life. (220)

Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza is a music festival that is in Chicago, Illinois. It takes place in Grant Park in the first week of August. This is where tons of music artists come and perform for the excited fans. There are usually 12 really known artists that show up to play. They are what draw in the crowds.  The tickets come in three different options. You can either get the weekend pass for 200 if you’re early, this year they sold out within in 2 minutes of going on sale. The next option is worth 235, giving you the same three day pass. That set sold out within 5 hours of being up for sale. That means that in 5 hours 100.000 people bought tickets to this music fest to join the fun. If you were bummed that you couldn’t get the three day pass tickets they sold one day passes at a later date. By the time the one day passes went on sale they released the lineup and who would be playing each day so you could go see your favorite bands. One of the kickers about buying tickets is that they go on sale at 10 am, so you have to take yourself out of either your work world or school day to be on the computer right when they go on sale. Fortunately for me, my dad doesn’t have to go to work in the morning so he bought me and my friends’ tickets right when they went on sale.

They next thing that needs to be taken care of is the hotel. Most of the people that go to this festival are around 18 or at least 21 or younger so that creates an issue. In Chicago you can’t get a hotel without the presence of someone who is 21 or older.  So that means that I and my friends needed to have one of our parents come with us so we can get the hotel.  My dad is interested in music so he volunteered to come with us so we could enjoy the concert. He actually bought one of the one day tickets along with my brother so he could see the band he likes, The Cure.  On the other days he will be doing his own thing with my brother like going to baseball games and walking around to enjoy the city. Another plus side to having my dad come with us is that we don’t have to drive in the crazy Chicago traffic, no one is an expert at that, but at least he has more experience in driving in traffic.

Where should the location of our hotel be? Well it would be the smartest to have it down town and in walking distance so that we don’t have to pay for a cab or worrying about being in traffic. We decided to get a down town hotel. This way if we want to get away from the crowd we can easily go back to the hotel and either shower or relax. If the weather is crappy, or we just don’t want to watch all the bands we can go back.

This festival is lasting all day and multiple bands are playing at the same time so we need to pick and choose which favorites we want to go to. But the big named people go at the end and close the night off. I am super excited to go and enjoy lolla! (615)

Senior Skip day

Senior skip day is coming up and I am planning on taking part in all the activities! There are some pros and cons when it comes to participating. The teachers can either be nice or be harsh when it comes to skip day.  If it were up to me I would want them all to make no penalty and just have a relaxing day. But then again when does the student get to choose what we do for the lesson of the day.

All the teachers know it is coming and should give seniors this one day to live life to fullest and get to extend the prom weekend. But this issue only affects teacher who either have one class of just seniors or teach only seniors just like Mr. Grady. This is the last time that we will be able to enjoy each other as classmates and want to make it one big party.  There are two ways that teachers can approach dealing with all the seniors being gone. Either they can take the mean route and assign a test on that day or make something due that day that is worth a lot of points. They could also dock off points if you don’t show up that you can’t make up.  There is another side, where they could reward extra credit if you do come, that way you could pick and choose what class you want to come to, so you don’t have to come the whole day. There are two more stances that are on the nicer that I would prefer, those being either they do nothing that day or they just move on with the lesson but they don’t deduct points or reward extra credit.

So what do you do on senior skip day? Well most people look at it as a time to sleep in and recover from the weekend. Others go out and party on that Sunday night so they can be with their friends for another night. Honest that is probably what I will be doing. I am planning on making it a weekend to remember. I want to make a statement with my dress and be a show stopper and surround myself with the friends that I love and will miss when they leave my side.  Prom is the last step that we take a group and as classmates before we graduate.  Time has really flown by and I can’t wait for everything to be over so we can move on and not have the added stress of school. (440)

Puppy potty training

Puppies are a heartwarming animal that can cheer anyone up. They are clumsy, tiny, and have those sharp baby teeth that just want to nibble on anything and everything. Puppies are a big responsibility, they need to be potty trained, loved, and taught how to behave.  You need to feed it the proper puppy food so it grows up to be big and strong and you need to groom it so it doesn’t smell and looks sharp.

When you get a new dog you need to figure out where it is going to sleep. This needs some thought because you have to remember that it usually isn’t potty trained, and they have smaller bladders than adult dogs.  So you might not want the dog to start sleeping with you in the bed right off the bat in case of a accidental pee in the middle of the night. But should you place it in a kennel and have it be caged up all night long? Or should you give it a little more freedom and put it in the bathroom where it wouldn’t be as big of a deal if it tinkled on the tile floor which is somewhat easy to clean up?  If I were the owner I would slowly give the puppy more freedom as the trust builds that it can go through the night without peeing or that it has become potty trained. I would first keep them in the cage over night for about 2 or 3 weeks, then put it in the bathroom for a few weeks after. Then after my trust was 100% I will enjoy the puppy cuddling up to me in the bed and know that it will be loved. (288)

Prom week

Prom week is finally here. Everyone is getting pumped and ready to go. The girls are making their last minute alterations and the men are going out to rent a tux. But what else is there to be done? Well you might also want to get the boutonniere along with the corsage. It wouldn’t be a pretty site for one of the pair to have a flower and the other doesn’t.

The next step would be going out to buy prom tickets. When you purchase prom tickets there are a few choices depending on where you want to eat dinner. The most popular choice is to get the full package deal which includes dinner the dance and after prom all for the reasonable price of 40 dollars. If you weren’t planning on eating at the dance you can buy tickets to the dance separately which are 20 and the after prom tickets would also need to be purchased separately at 5 dollars each. So you if you aren’t staying at Elm Crest for dinner are 25 dollars. Personally I think it is a pretty good deal to eat there because it is a buffet and the food taste great.  Another pro about eating at Elm Crest is that most of the other people are there too so you know when to hit the dance floor and start getting your boggy on! If you didn’t eat there then it might be a crap shoot to know when everyone will be dancing, because you don’t want to show up and everyone is still eating, meaning that you have to awkwardly sit around until the party gets going.

The next thing you need to figure out is if you want to get a limo or not. They are something that is very typical for people to be driven around in. The only down fall is, is that it cost kind of a lot of money and you only get to enjoy the limo for around 4 hours.  That means that you could utilize the driver until you are at the dance. What do you do after the dance is over with? You have to find someone to pick you up and transport you for the next few events after you leave the dance. You have to go home, change, get a snack, and head to the post prom to begin the fun. You are going to need a ride home from the post prom to finally go to bed.

As the date approaches my excitement increases. I’m excited to get ready with my friends and make a whole day of it. Getting to walk down the stairs and greet my date and have his eyes light up will be the best part. Prom should be awesome, as long as everyone behaves and people don’t get kicked out for dancing. The faculty could make it great or make is something that everyone wants to leave and ruin our last dance as a cougar.  Steering away from that negative note. I will make it the best night of my high school career and enjoy being with my friends. (523)

Poem

1.       A meek girl stuffed in a dark corner

2.       Trapped by the walls of menus

3.       Slowly caving in as Time passes by

4.       4 o’clock signals the flames to light up the grounds

5.       Dusk sets in as the lights dim

6.       It is the calm before the storm

7.       The clock strikes 5

8.       Time’s Arc pulls up to the feeding grounds

9.       A sea of animals flood in from the Arc

10.   “Where would you like to sit, Time?”

11.   She shall diffuse this by osmosis

12.   She shall fight off the hungry pagers

13.   Ask not where should we seat them

14.   But ask who can take this table

15.   The bar is a watering hole

16.   All glasses leaving in pairs

17.   Time is cut off at 6

18.   Flames simmer as the animals are fed

19.   Time’s ship sails away, satisfied  

20.   Out of the dark corner reveals the meek girl

21.   She lives another day

Lines 11+12: Anaphora:“she shall” repetition in the beginning of both phrases, this emphasizes that she has to fix the issue at hand quickly. She must do her job and yet have to deal with making sure everyone has a place to sit even if they go on a wait. 

Line 10: Apostrophe: The meek girl is talking directly to the innate object, Time. This gives the effect that the story is actually happening in sequential order because where it is placed is the point in time when the host would talk to the customer about where they would like to sit and how many will be at the table. The meek girl is also talking to the literal time who has somewhat been personified.

Likes 13+14: Antimetabole: The repetition of words, “ask not, but ask” in reverse order. They emphasize that you shouldnt just be thinking about where you need to seat the voyagers but who will be serving their table, which is more important.

Line 15: Simile: Comparing the bar and a watering hole while saying one is the other. This goes along with the analogy that the restaraunt is the feeding grounds for these animals. Typically animals gather at the watering hole when they are thirsty to get a drink.

Line 12: Personification: Giving a pager the lifelike quality of being hungry. Having the pager be hungry and almost make you think that it will bite the meek girl goes along with how the animals are hungry. When animals get too hungry they might even take a bite out of something until they get fed.

Line 7: Personification: Giving the clock the ability to strike something is a lifelike quality that it cannot do. The striking of the clock emphasizes how immediate everything happens. Everyone gets off of work around five and rush in to get a drink after work, making it happen in an instant.

Line 11: Irony: It is ironic that the meek girl should diffuse the problem, thus seating all the guests, by osmosis because the animals came in as a “sea” of people. Osmosis is the diffusion by water, therefore making it ironic.

Line 16: Irony and allusion: It is ironic that the glasses would leave in pairs just as the voyagers would come off the Ark, just as all the animals road the Noah’s Ark in pairs. Making it a biblical refference.

Throughout the entire poem Time is a character. Time was given a personified role of being a person even though it is an innate object.

The whole poem is also an allusion that twists between the reality of a host seating customers at rush hour and the image of the restaurant actually being a feeding area that a large Ark can pull up to and be serviced.

Translation:

1.       Hosts are usually quiet and have to stand behind a counter in a corner of the restaurant

2.       They have to prepare the menus and are constantly surrounded by them, servers and bussers also bring the menus back to them constantly throughout the night

3.       The “wall of menus” closes in, meaning they run out as the happy hour begins

4.       At 4 is when all the candles go out onto the tables

5.       When it starts to become dark out, we also dim the lights in the restaurant

6.        There is only about 20 minutes before everything gets out of hand for happy hour

7.       Once it gets to be 5 we know that the crazy will begin

8.       All the cars or “ships” pull into the parking lot

9.       Tons of people enter the restaurant at once

10.   We ask them all “Which table would you like”

11.   We diffuse by seating them in the dining room

12.   When there aren’t enough tables we have to go on a wait an give each customer a pager which buzzes when their table is ready

13.   When we are in a panic we just seat customers and find a waiter that can take the table

14.   During happy hour the bar is super busy and everyone wants to get drinks

15.   Happy hour means you get two drinks, leaving in “pairs”

16.   Everyone is cut off from happy hour at 6 because it only lasts from 3-6

17.   Once everyone has eaten and has left we take the candles off the tables ”simmer the flames”

18.   The quiet hosts are tired from the busy night and finally get to leave

Socks

Socks, they are the things that make our feet cozy and warm, protect us from nasty germs, and give our foot a friend. There are many different types of socks, long socks, short socks, thick socks and thin socks. There are also socks for all different types of sports. But what kind of sock should you wear to different events? There are business socks, casual socks, and fuzzy warm socks. 

With socks comes the pains of losing them in the dryer, in the drawer that they are kept in, or just aimlessly around the house.  Another problem with socks is that it is super gross and uncomfortable when you get your socks wet. The worst is when you put on a fresh pair of socks in the morning then go to the bathroom to brush your teeth and accidentally step in a wet spot from the shower that you just took. That means that you have to go change your socks and waste a fresh pari. Another way that ruins your day with socks is when you are wearing tennis shoes and you step in a puddle of water or are in a wet area and the water seeps into the shoes, then leaving the sock wet. 

When you are an athlete, you go threw pairs of socks a lot quicker than the regular person. If an athlete does not have a proper sock, then they could easily get blisters. Another thing that athletes have to deal with is getting holes in their socks. Since they are being very aggressive and constantly moving that means that the sock has more wear and tear, causing a hole to break through.

Socks are things that keep our foot happy. So be nice and provide your foot with great comfort and a nice friend. (302)

Prom Group

Picking your group for prom has many essential aspects that can affect your relationship with your friends.  There are things that you need to decide you want for your group, such as what would be a good number for a group? Another thing that would need some refinement would be what kind of dynamic do you want in your group? Do the people you want to be with get along and do your dates get along well? There are so many things that you need to work with before the tickets go on sale and before you need to pick out your seat at the dinner table at prom.

My friends and I are in somewhat of a sticky situation.  In a weird way, all of the people who want to be in our group connect to each other, but there is exactly two people too many for the dinner table. The different levels that you can have at prom are groups of 10, 16, and 20. We have 22…how are we supposed to split up everyone?!? In another weird way, half of the people don’t know the other half as well as they would like. But some of the people’s dates know the other half that the people don’t know. This is going to be one big mess and I just wish that there were only 20 people in our group.

Another thing that you have to pursue is the limo. Luckily for us there is a stretch limo that can fit 22. When we were looking at different options, we saw different cars ranging from Cadillac’s, hummers, and the classic Lincoln. The hummer stuck out more than the rest. It looks like the biggest and the best thing that we could be rolling in on our prom day. We would definitely be rolling in style if we got that big stretch hummer in the color white.

When looking at limos we found that none of them posted a price for their limos. This means that the price ranges for how many hours we need it and how many people it will be accompanying. The more people that are going to be in the limo the less amount of money it will cost.  How many hours do we need a limo for? I’m thinking that we need it for pictures, after grand march, and to take us to the actual prom itself.

By this time my friends and I are tired of fighting with other people and they want to just get a place to sit with it being drama free. I hope that this doesn’t throw a monkey wrench into this whole process, because I don’t want to lose a friend over prom and I don’t want to be held responsible for people being mad. All I know is that I and my date will be sitting by our best friends who are both going to the prom together. Other than that it is going to be first come first serve. BOOM! I’m ready for prom lets go!!! (510)

Dorm Rooms

Getting ready for college had many aspects to it.  There is picking your college that fits you best, picking your roommate, and now you need to choose your specific room. It can be overwhelming, but it has to be done to take the next step in our lives of becoming college students.

Today me and my roommate were given a time slot to choose our room. This meant that we had to go in and choose a room that fit our profile and assign it to us. Many things have changed in the past few years when it comes to the University of Iowa. There are these things called living learning communities. They basically are mini clubs that we can sign up for, they range anywhere from health sciences to acting and the arts. I and my roommate chose the health sciences. Now that we have our learning community set in place the school assigns the communities to certain floors in certain dorms across campus.

When we sign into our account we see what dorms have our top living learning communities in them and then see our options. We were given about 5 floors in each dorm to choose from. Then from there we had to pick from every room on the entire floor. The location was chosen and who we wanted to be by even.  We chose to be far away from the bathrooms, the stair well and the RA. This meant that we would be away from the majority of the noise so we could get some sleep and keep calm when we needed to.

 Another thing that you have to consider when choosing what dorm you want to be in, is where they are located compared to your freshmen classes and where they are located compared to the sports facilities if you are a athlete. I and my roommate are not continuing our athletic careers in college, so we wanted to be closer to the academic side of campus. Another thing that you have to evaluate is if you want to be in a dorm with a cafeteria or not. If you aren’t in one with a cafeteria you might have to walk in unfavorable conditions to get your food. We chose Burge which is one of the two which has the cafeteria. I think that we made the best choice and am ready for next year! Go Hawks! (402)

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Spring Fever

Spring just makes everyone happy. It means it is time for summer and the school year is coming to an end. It’s kind of ironic how when the weather starts to get nice out, us students have to be spending more time inside studying for the AP exams or finals. We are all getting that itch to be outside and enjoy it. But with spring time coming means that spring cleaning is near as well.

Spring cleaning is something that is somewhat bitter sweet. It makes you want to clean everything and be fresh but yet at the same time its cleaning and no one enjoys cleaning. I will say though that after everything is clean and fresh it puts me in a better mood.  But here in Iowa it had taken quite a while for the weather to even give us a glimpse of spring. Here we are in April and it is still a struggle for the temperature to get to the 50’s. I think we all can agree that we have some spring fever and are ready for it to be nice outside. Not having to wear a jacket will be the best day ever. The time is coming near and I can’t wait! (208)

Driving Privileges

Having a curfew is something that almost every teenager has to deal with while growing up in their parents households. We hate is but they might have a point. When I first got my license my parents were super strict with the rules about curfew, it was always 11 pm whenever I decided to go out with my friends. Now at the time it was tedious because all of my friends lived on the other side of town and I needed to leave an extra 15 minutes early to get home on time. This seemed like a fair trade seeing that I legally couldn’t be driving around past 12:30 a.m. When I turned 17 the times at which I couldn’t be on the road where taken off, that meant that I could drive around at all hours of the night! That’s what freedom really feels like. Now that I am 18 there aren’t any special regulations that I don’t have to follow but now it means that if I get a ticket I could go to jail or have something serious happen if I get into trouble.

Now that I am looking back on how I was treated when I first got my license and my parents were strict I find it very unfair that my brother who is a year younger than me gets to be out until 12:30 whenever he wants to and he is only 16. The rules shouldn’t change when it comes to the next sibling. I didn’t get to be out that late until I was 17. I just feel like he will abuse the system when he turns 17 and be out even later than I am now and I’m 18 and not get into trouble. Life is unfair. L  (296)

Opening Series

It is official folks, baseball season has begun. Over the Easter weekend many teams had their opening day game.  The cold weather isn’t the most enjoyable thing to play in, but it just gives the players and the fans the feeling that the time of year has rolled around again. America’s favorite game has come back from their winter break and is ready for a fresh start.  We can say the one phrase that baseball is known for “Play Ball!”

After the World Series is finished all the teams get a break for a few months. Once they have rested up from a long season they start to practice again. This is the beginning of spring league. All the teams go down south to where their team is stationed and start to get back into the swing of things and play against other teams in the area. The popular spots for the team to be are in southern Florida and in Arizona, where the heat is packing. They typically play in stadiums that aren’t nearly as big as their regular home field, but more of the size of a triple A field. In fact all the teams have feeder teams that the team can choose from in case someone was doing bad or wanted to give a new person a shot they would choose from the feeder teams who to bring to the big leagues. So the major league players just play at the triple A teams’ field.

Every year since I was in 8^th grade my dad takes me and my brother to Minneapolis, Minnesota to watch an early game at the Twins. We try to go when they are playing either the Detroit tigers or the Boston Red Sox, those are our favorite teams. This year we went to the opening series! It was so exciting and nothing can describe what being at a professional baseball game feels like unless you have experienced it yourself.  You get this happy vibe when you are surrounded by people who love to watch and interact with the game of baseball.  The atmosphere is also something of its own. Each stadium is different and has its own knick knacks. When they play the music to get the crowd riled up it makes you want to cheer as loud as you can. The best part of going to baseball games would be when it gets intense and the players make crazy plays that make you wonder how that just happened.

If you are a former player of either softball or baseball is makes going to the games a lot more enjoyable because you have been in those same positions that the players are in. You understand the mindset that you have to have when you step onto the field and the added pressure that some positions have compared to others. If I were to pick out the position that is under the most pressure I would say that it is definitely the pitcher. They control the game essentially and they are the ones that can either throw the heat or throw balls that everyone can hit. They also get blamed for runs earned most of the time.

Baseball is America’s favorite sport and that still holds true again this season. The freshness is in the air and everyone is getting baseball fever. Now all we need is some nice weather for the players to play in…and so it is more enjoyable for the fans to watch the game since all the stadiums are outdoors now.  There does come a point in the season where is becomes uncomfortably hot outside. That typically rolls around in late June, early July. It is the worst feeling when you are in the stands and are sweating while you are just sitting there and your shorts are drenched from butt sweat. Now I know that might be TMI but I don’t care because I know that it happens to everyone out there and we all feel gross after words. But as fans we will endure pretty much anything ranging from the coldest weather to the scorching hot summer days just to see a good baseball game. Amen to that!

One of the biggest things that make the start of a new season great is that everyone gets a fresh start, we get to see new players and new trades that teams make to benefit themselves. We get to see how the new dynamic of the 2013 season is going to flow. After about the first 20 games or so we see who is really meshing together well and what teams are still struggling to get their stuff together. It’s a good thing that everyone plays around one hundred and sixty games a season so they have time to turn around and make a name for themselves.

Well those are my feelings about the opening season; I’m excited and can’t wait to go to more games this summer when it is nicer out. Play Ball! (837)

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Gay Marriage

Gay marriage is when two people of the same sex want to come together and be legally married. If you want to look at the Biblical side of things the Bible does say that two people of the same sex is not condoned.  Some states in America have taken it upon themselves to legalize gay marriage; these states are not typically the ones that are on the conservative side. Right now in the news other states, particular California is having a second debate about it. At first they legalized it, then took the right away and are considering it again. I think that if it passes in California that other states will follow in their footsteps.

The way that I look at it is, if gay people want to get married, go for it. They are human beings just like every one of us and they should have the right to get married. They aren’t at a lower level and deserve to be respected. Some people view them as weird because of their sexuality, that shouldn’t discredit someone just because they are attracted to the same sex. I think that they should legalize marriage and let them be happy. Amen! (200)

Social Media and Love Dont Mix

Is social media helping or hurting the dating world? Is the speed of communication taking the romance out of new relationship? Is Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram helping or hurting the issue? Can people these days find someone they love without meeting them face to face? The new generations of people are growing up in an era that is run by technology. We want everything at our finger tips and at lightning fast speeds. The internet can prove us so much information about someone without even meeting them. Does that take the mystery out of getting to know someone? I think yes.

Our parents and grandparents didn’t have the kind of access to a phone with texting on it when they were growing up. We think that is strange and couldn’t even imagine what life would be like without our cell phones. Without a doubt we are addicted and use it as a crutch. Since our elders didn’t have texting to communicate with they had to write letters back and forth.  They would actually sit down and take the time to compose a letter that has been well thought out. Once they sent the letter there was a kind of magical anticipation while they waited for the replying letter in the mail. They actually had a chance to miss each other and not be so consumed in each other’s lives that it was suffocating.  

Our ways of communication these days are so rapid that you find yourself running out of things to talk about too quickly…what happens when you decide to see each other? You have been talking all day and night concerning every aspect of your life, what is left? Do people not find it fascinating to have some mystery? There are 4 types of people: ones that can communicate great over the internet and in person, ones that can only communicate great behind a computer, ones that can only communicate well in person, and people who can’t do either. Being behind a computer or with a phone in their hands, sometimes gives people the courage to open up. Hopefully our generation can move away from this kind of behavior and still learn good social skills.

Social media has been killing romance since big networks like Facebook have come about. They ruin the mystery and the fun of getting to know someone on a one on one level and in a personal setting.  We need to go back to the old days and create something that is well thought out and gives us something to look forward to. Lasting relationships are slowly decreasing while the numbers of divorces are increasing. Love is the meaning of life, not everything needs to be instantaneous.  (452)

New Hair Due

One of the most favored things that girls get to do is treat themselves to a day at the salon. We love to pamper ourselves and get our hair done.  But what about when you are in the adventurous mood and want to try something different and aren’t sure how it will look or if you will be happy with your decision. Well my advice is to ask your stylist first to see what she has to say.

When you ask your stylist about hair you would hope that they know what is best and have a good enough idea of what would look good and what wouldn’t. They were the ones who went to beauty school not us. One of the hardest things to picture is if someone else’s hairstyle would look good on you.  Like you might like a celebrity’s hair style and come back to your stylist and tell her that you want Jennifer Aniston’s new haircut. Some things that you may be going through your stylists’ mind are comparing the type of face and body shape that both you and Jennifer have. Even though it looks good on her doesn’t mean that it would technically look good on all face and body types. If you are a bigger lady the long hair do doesn’t look as flattering, because it takes away from the beauty of your face. When it comes to the shape of faces there are many different types, the oval shape, square, high cheek bone, long face, scrunched short face, circle face, and a face with sharp lines and good definition. No one can choose their face shape so you have to get a hair style that compliments what you were given nicely.

The next decision is color. Do you want to be a brunet, blonde, or red head. Those are the three main color pallets that people tend to associate with hair. There are different ranges of colors as well. Mixing and matching colors together is also possible. There are also different treatments that can be done to your hair. Lightening your hair is when they just do streaks of a lighter shade into your hair and don’t really touch the bottom. Coloring your hair is when you make a part or the whole thing one color. You can also mix and match like color the bottom of your hair but just lighten the top. There are so many combinations of hair colors that you can find one that is the most attractive. If you are looking to try one of these treatments out just know that they are costly and need to be kept up with, meaning that once your natural color starts to grow in that means that it is time to make an appointment and get your roots touched up.  When comparing the prices of lightening and coloring, lightening is more expensive. I would assume that this is because it takes a longer amount of time to do so and after you color your hair just once all you need to do is touch up on your roots.

A day at the spa is something that every girl needs and deserves. We all want to look our best and we put our trust in our hair stylist to deliver beautiful hair. If you are scared to try something new, don’t be, hair is hair and if you don’t like it it will grow back. And if you aren’t happy with the color or colors in your hair then you can reschedule to change it or try a different stylist.  We are women that want to look and feel beautiful! Be confident and rock your new hair due.  (618)

Daylight savings time

The time has come and the snow is melting and the wind is changing. Last week was day light savings time. This is when the clocks jump forward an hour and we all lose an hour of sleep. This also means that the sun will rise an hour earlier and the days will gradually stay lighter and lighter. When this happens every year it makes me excited because I know that spring and summer are right around the corner.

This year it hits home with me because this means that 7 months have already flew by of my senior year. Where did the time go? The snow is melting, the birds are chirping, the wind has that scent of freshness to it, and the sun is finding its way out of the clouds. The year is coming to a end and the longer the days become the shorter amount of time I have to see these people that I go to school with, and the less time I have before I have to walk across that stage in May.

Day light savings times brings happy times and sad times, but this year it will all be happy! (197)

Spring break

Spring break is one of those times of year where people get a break and decide to retreat to some place that is relaxing and a well needed break. When it comes to Kennedy High School the most traveled spring break is either Mexico or Florida. For the freshmen through juniors the more popular place is Florida. Senior year the ultimate place is Mexico. There is no other place like going to Mexico with all of your friends in the last break before we all move away.

Senior year is filled with many exciting experiences and going to Cancun is one of them. There are a few things that most people don’t want to mention but still goes on. First off Mexico is not a safe place; there are drug cartels, stealing, kidnapping, and many other types of crime. There are hundreds of thousands of immigrants that come to the United States each year…you don’t see Americans moving to Mexico.  Obviously those people want to get away from the life style that has been established there, yet we want to go there on vacation. Also in Cancun there is an incredibly high rate of kidnapping of teenage girls each year.

Also the drinking age there is only 18, compared to the United States which has a drinking age of 21. This is one of the main attractions when it comes to seniors. Most seniors by the time that spring break come around have already turned 18. Kids these days are all about drinking and doing bad things  so this seems like the best place to have everyone congregate and do all these things with your friends.

Well it has come to be this time of year again. Tomorrow is the first day of spring break and everyone is heading to Cancun…I personally am not going to Mexico, but it seems like half my grade is going there. I will be celebrating my senior spring break in Florida with two of my friends. This is the best time of our lives and I know that everyone will have an amazing time on their spring break. Fingers crossed that we all come back the same and stay out of trouble. (369)

Are Your Parents fair?

Everyone argues with their parents when they are in their teenage years. These are the times when we want to branch off from being under the control of our parents and be our independent selves. We are tired of following the rules and tend to be a bit more rebellious. Most want to just move onto college as soon as possible have that freedom to just live our lives how we want to. When we move on in our lives is when you are being put to the test. The decisions you make when you are left alone reflect on who raised you. They shine through you even when you aren’t expecting it. The morals that have been nailed in your mind are now put to the test. Will you go crazy or be true to yourself? There are three types of parenting; authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. How have your parents decided to raise you?

The authoritative approach is the strict side of parenting. The guardians tend to think that it is their way or the highway. If you were to question them on a situation they would respond with “because I said so” or “I’m the adult.” They typically have an earlier curfew if they even allow the child to go out. If the rules are broken there is a heavy consequence, which is implemented to try and get the desired results. They are very structured parents who mold their child into being a polite and sheltered child. Basically, they want the child to know that they are the boss and want them to obey their every command. This can make the child very responsible and a good person with excellent morals to live by as they grow older. This can also hurt the child by sheltering them, which may make it difficult for the kid to adapt to different uncomfortable situations when it’s older.

The permissive technique is very laid back. It is filled with very few rules to be followed; it’s almost as if the parents let the children do whatever he or she pleases. There is no curfew, no punishments for bad behavior, or any sort of structure. To the child they might like this a lot since they can pretty much do whatever they please. But this style of parenting doesn’t give them much of a back bone for life lessons and a sense of how the real world is. In life people can’t always just roam around and do what they want. They will have to listen to someone else and take orders from someone if they are in the work environment. Children who have been brought up in the permissive way of life may not respond well to punishment or not getting everything they want. Kids need some sort of structure to help them later on in life.

I have discussed the two extremes of parenting ranging from extremely strict to the careless parent. The most popular one that many parents choose to implement is the happy medium of the authoritarian style. With this the parent makes rules but can also reason with the kids. An example would be if the parent gave a curfew of 11 and the child came home a few minutes late due to the movie they were watching not being finished, they would understand and tell them to try to not make it a habit. If this was in the authoritative approach they would have gotten a punishment for arriving late and would consider it unacceptable behavior. Using this method will give the child a good understanding for the real world , yet won’t shelter them so much that they are shocked if something uncomfortable is presented to them.

All three parenting styles have their ups and downs. Have you figured out which one your parents used on you? Are you glad they used that method? Or wished they were a little stricter or loosened up some? All parents aren’t perfect but they use what they think will be best for their child. (680)

Chickens

Have you ever thought of where you food comes from?  Personally when I’m eating none of those thoughts come across my mind. When comparing fast food and a classy restaurant the food seems to be ten times better in the nicer place. I was recently enlightened on how all our food is processed when watching a movie in Miss A’s class on the treatment of animals and how they are made into our food.

No one wants animals to be mistreated. Everyone in their hearts has soft spots for animals and it is very difficult to watch any of them to be mistreated in any way. As a society it is looked down upon to be cruel to animals…but why is it okay for farmers and factories to mistreat animals to make food for a profit? I don’t think that many people have any idea how farmers and production companies handle their product.  Tyson has many farmers working under them and they give specific instructions on how they want their chickens raised. They want them all in the dark with thousands of thousands of other chicken’s crammed in there. They make them gather all the chickens at night that way they can’t fight back as much. They also have engineered chickens that grow at an insane rate and get super fat.

Tyson and all the other packaging companies want the farmers to make their product faster, cheaper, and fatter. That is their motto. They don’t care how they are treated as long as they get the money. They engineered the chickens to have large breasts because that is where all the meat is and that’s what the people want. By the time they are almost full grown they can’t stand up because they are so heavy and their feet can’t handle the weight.

The farmers are under all the companies control and they know that. The farmers don’t make a lot of money but they have to keep doing their work to live. Another bad part of it is that the companies keep making them updating their equipment and they don’t have the money to do it. If they don’t do it they will be unemployed in a second, no one wants to be out of a job.  (378)

Workin love

When you get a new job there are a ton of things that you have to deal with; meeting new people, learning the trade, and becoming good at your job. Have you ever gone to a new place and encountered someone that you thought was cute? There always is that one person that you work with that you want to give a little smooch or have that secret crush on. Is it appropriate to have a relationship with someone at work? Are there rules about having an interaction with a coworker?

Well coming from personal experience I have had two cute boys that I work with that have been in my interest. The first one was a food runner. He was my age and went to a neighboring school. Of course he was gorgeous and the perfect guy in my eyes. So as usual I go after the guys that I have a chance with. It all started out when I was at the host stand.  And I would watch him run his food. He was so dreamy.  He was tall, dark and handsome, just how I like them. So I would find myself trying to always be in the kitchen whenever I could to help clean up but also get to see him in the kitchen. I never had the guts to say anything to him, but one day it was going to happen.  One day after work he asked a friend for my number…I was going crazy! The guy of my dreams asked for my number and I was already making plans to hang out.  My life was perfect at that moment.

After we got to know each other we have been hanging out and having a great time together, but we both knew that it wasn’t going to turn into anything serious. So now we just make it fun at work and invite each other to different events. But now that my little obsession with him was over I needed something else to obsess over. The new guy became the bar tender that is also a manager. Is the manager off limits? With me I have no limitations and will go for who I want. He is cute and has the power. Every girl wants a guy who has the power. He is my new goal, he flirts with me and got my number but I want it to move faster than it is. Patients are a virtue, so I guess I will just have to keep waiting for my prince charming. (425)

AP Classes

Taking an AP class is something that is expected of you when you are enrolled at Kennedy High School. It is a large part of our curriculum and it is very encouraged. Each year I have gradually been taking more and more AP classes. I have gotten used to them yet each year they seem to be getting harder and harder. My most difficult class that I have taken was AP Bio. It was an intense amount of work and reading and the tests were really hard. Another one of my most challenging classes was AP Chemistry. All the formulas and different techniques were out of this world!

                I would like to take a moment here and thank all of my AP teachers here at Kennedy. Now that I am taking a college class that requires me to know all the things that I was taught at Kennedy, I know how good all my teachers were.  If I were to walk away from Kennedy and needed to leave a piece of advice I would say to appreciate all that your teachers do for you. They are looking out for your best interest and want you to do well in the future. They are preparing you for upper level classes and want you to excel in all of them.

                Even though going through all the AP classes isn’t the easiest thing in the world, it will be well worth it later on in life and when you get to college. Going to college is a big change in itself; it comes with all new changes and many distractions.  Living on your own isn’t the easiest thing when you have been spoon fed by your mother your whole life and don’t even know how to fold your own laundry. Kennedy has made it possible for your first year of college to be an easy going year. The classes that are required from you in the first year of college are essentially just as hard as the AP classes that we took as seniors.

                Kennedy is a great place and I am so thankful that I have been able to attend this school and be incredibly successful.  This is a wonderful school.  Even though AP is something that is basically forced upon us, I’m glad that I took those classes. The teachers are amazing and the love that comes from everyone is like no other. I am proud to say that I am a Kennedy Cougar and I will forever bleed green and gold. (422)

Gift Giving

When you are trying to figure out what to get your relatives and friends for Christmas there are two things that you are conscious about: what they think they will like and how much do we want to spend on them.  Family members get first priority and tend to get more money when it comes to presents. For me I go in with my brother and split the money to get them something that is nicer when we put our money together.

                Usually the opposite parents help us out to get the other a cool gift and help pick something out that they might like. But when it comes to friends my parents don’t help me out at all. They make me pay for everything. In the recent year I have gotten a job so paying for things has become a lot easier and I am able to buy nicer things.

                The hard part about the two criteria is that the thing that the person might want may be out of your price range. What do you do then? If that was the case I would simply purchase a gift card to the store that sold the expensive item so then they don’t have to buy the whole thing themselves and can still get what they wanted in the long run. That way I am happy with the perfect gift and they are happy. After all the Christmas season is about giving not receiving. (244)

 

Computer for College

When students head off to college it is customary to go with their own computer.  It’s a fun new toy that many get as a graduation gift. I am in the midst of looking for the right computer that fits my needs. I am not a big compute wiz but I enjoy surfing the internet. My main use for it would be to do different research, write papers, and look over power points from class.

I wouldn’t say that I am obsessed with labels but I do like the Apple brand. I am familiar with their other products and own many. They all seem to work the same and can be linked together through iTunes iCloud. I have faith that if I spent my money on a computer from Apple that they will give me a product that will live up to my standards and beyond.

Another cool product that is out there is the new Microsoft/ Google computer that doubles as a tablet and a computer. The screen can fold all the way back and clicks to enable the touch screen.  The touch screen is also able to work when the keyboard is folded up. Having a connection with Google which is the biggest and most used search engine out there it might give me better results when searching for something.

Now that I have it narrowed down to two computers I have to lay out the pros and cons of both. One of the major differences is the price and storage capacity. But if I want the top of the line computer that is out there today most sales people would lean toward the newest macbook pro with retina display. It is a hybrid of the macbook air and the old macbook pro. My decision has been made finally! Now I just have to purchase. (307)

Senior Year

Senior year is supposed to be one of the greatest times of our lives. We are the top guys on the high school campus and we basically run the school.  We typically do what we want and have it pretty easy. Senior year is when you get to sit on the senior bench and yell at all the underclassmen that try to lay their behinds on the wood. We look at the incoming freshmen and question ourselves like did we ever used to do dumb things like they do? Or did we used to be that small? The answer is yes to both of those questions.  At the time we didn’t think we were that small because we just hung out with people our own size and did stupid things together without thinking about it. Senior year is one to remember and its truly our last chance to be a kid. Once we walk across that stage we are no longer a child, we are responsible for our future and what we are going to make it. The power is in our hands.

At the beginning of the year we are all so excited to be with each other again. Our last homecoming dance will be there before we have enough time to take a deep breath and football games are the weekend getaway for a fun time. Other major sports like Volleyball and swimming are taking place. This year was my senior year in volleyball and getting to play on that court for the last time with those girls is something that I will never forget. Whenever you come to school on a game day for any sport you can feel the excitement in the air and know that you are about to kick some butt later on that night.  All of that aside, the beginning is also when you start to take a closer look at college and what college best fits you. Filling out applications and writing scholarship essays is something that will soon consume you.

The middle of school is when we are all excited for all the breaks and our last Christmas’s with our families when we live at home still full time. This time of year also means that finals are taking place and we are freaking out because as seniors we all took a ton of AP courses that are supposed to help us but are just getting in the way of our social life. Finals week turns into crunch time and somehow we all miraculously make it out okay. Even though we want to have a good time with our friends we can’t slack off because these grades go into our cumulative grade and account for is you want to be on stage at graduation. Colleges also look at our senior grades to see if you are taking your last year off or if you are buckling down.

The end can’t come any sooner. We are all excited to go on our spring break to warm resorts. Many take a trip to Cancun, Mexico, this is the typical Kennedy High school senior trip that I am hoping to convince my parents to take me on. After spring break Senioritis sets in. All of us are waiting to go to prom and go out with a bang. Then comes the last day of school, it is very emotional and exciting to be done finally. Many people take their last photos together with people that they will never see again. Its hard to let go to all the memories that you have made with these people and being a Kennedy cougar. Even though we won’t all be together at that school we still bleed green and gold.

Graduation is the final step in being a senior. Walking across that stage and getting that diploma will be the greatest feeling of accomplishment. We made it and had a great time doing it. Now its time to start our lives and make it the best we can. (672)