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)

Beginning of Prom Shopping

 

Prom is one of those things that all girls look forward too. It is up there with their wedding but not quite as big. You start dress shopping and just fantasize about the day having the highest hopes for everything to go perfectly. This is my senior year and I am so excited, especially since I am not able to attend the WPA this year. On a little side tangent I think it is very stupid for the school to schedule the WPA dance the Friday we get out for spring break, knowing that most people leave that day. That is a loss in money for the school and not helping anyone. Another small tangent about the date for prom…it is the same day as the Drake Relays. This a track meets that is the biggest of the year. Kids who make it to the relays get to miss a few days of school and get to spend the night in Des Moines for 4 days during the meet. The school decided to schedule it during this meet. Are the seniors just not going to go to the meet? Or have to miss their senior prom? How will this work? This limits other people and options and puts people in a sticky situation.

Anyway I have not started shopping yet but one of the first things you need to figure out is the right style that compliments your body. Then once you have a choice of dress then you pic our the style you want to have for your hair then what colors the guys tux will be. So much to worry about but it will be worth it in the end. (282)

Gun Control

Gun control is one of the most talked about topics today in the news. Within the last decade there have been a rising number of shootings across the United States. Some of the larger ones are the Aurora, Colorado shooting in the movie theater and the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Both of these incidents involved a mentally challenged person who got a hold of the wrong weapon. We as Americans want to feel like the school systems are a safe place to send our children and to be in ourselves. Even a movie theater, going to see a movie like Batman should be harmless.

What are we doing about the issue? Well the government is really putting their foot down on back ground checks to make sure that the person purchasing the gun isn’t a criminal or has a mental issue causing them to misuse the gun. It seems like every day in the news now we are hearing about a potential shooting or a smaller case of a shooting. These incidents weren’t usually brought to the public eye, but now we are seeing how much of a problem this is becoming.

Can government take away our guns? Well technically they can take away our guns, but the last time our guns were attempted to be confiscated it started the World War 2… I don’t think we want that to happen again.  We as Americans love our guns. Some use them to hunt for food to provide for their family. Not everyone that owns a gun is using it maliciously. But now that we recognize that all of these shootings are taking place more and more people are investing in guns and being taught how to use them. We would rather be prepared for what is to come rather than be caught not knowing how to defend ourselves.

What would you do if a shooter was in your presence? Im not sure that any of us know the right reaction. You might try to negotiate, give them what they want, or turn and run. If a shooter came into my work place and I was hosting, I am the first person that the customers see, and I would try to hide behind my desk or go straight for the closet behind me and lock the door. Who knows how long that would save me but I am basically defenseless.

The gun issue is going to be controversial for a long time, but the government needs to come to an agreement on how we should handle it. And if we take our guns away that will just create a black market for them. Illegal things are very easy to get if you really wanted them. Look at weed for example, there are probably 30 dealers just in every single high school in town. Some people grow it at their home. Just because it is illegal doesn’t mean that it isn’t attainable. So making guns illegal probably wouldn’t do much. Lets’ make a change. (502)

Katie Couric

Who is Katie Couric? Is she qualified?

In todays’ society women in news are expected to be beautiful and show some skin. The media wants something nice to look at while being informed about boring topics. If you don’t look like the typical journalist then you are bashed for it. People judge and write mean things in the press so we can influence the rest of the world.  They might be trying to give these girls a hint to change something about their physical appearance.  When you see these girls interviewing others you see that they are wearing a short skirt with a low cut shirt. This is a distraction to the viewers and also to the people or group that is being interviewed. The way producers make these ladies dress now and days in inappropriate and are putting this image of how women dress in a sexual way.

Katie Couric spoke about some personal experienced she faced when she was moving her way up the ladder. She has been in the business for over two decades. She was once one of those bimbo girls that had to dress inappropriately. The media fell in love with her when she first hit the air. She had a natural talent, was extremely smart and good at her job. She moved up the latter slowly but surely bouncing around to different networks ranging from Dateline to CBS. Every time she got a higher and higher position she got more and more back lash. The media would judge her on her looks and ability. One of the most known things about Katie was that she had attractive legs.  So when she wore s short number all the guys would have to put their two cents in about it.

When Katie landed the spot of the first female solo anchor on CBS Evening News all hell broke loose. Of course to the public this isn’t right. We are all used to a male anchor, so this fresh faced female took some heat for it. With her latest promotion she has been criticized that she won’t be able to do as well as a man, that she isn’t as knowledgeable, or worthy of this position.  Well of course she just had to take the heat and show the world that she could do just as good if not better at being a solo anchor than a man.

I believe that she is very qualified to be in the documentary Misrepresentation; she has personal experience with being treated unfairly for being in a typical man’s position.  She has kicked butt and even admits regret on some things such as being caught wearing those short pieces of clothing. She is trying to spread the message that girls don’t need to be dressing like that to be on TV and need to have more respect for them.  (478)

Justin Beiber Smoking Weed

Justin Bieber was recently caught smoking weed. He is one of the most influential people to young girls out there today. By him doing something that is illegal in 48 states in the United States, that is not a good role model. He is definitely getting the heat for his bad choice now. Since he is constantly being watched he should be more conscious of his actions.

Lately he had been in the press a lot concerning his relationship with Selena Gomez. On a side note I think that it is ridiculous that his fans are sending Selena death wishes for dating Justin. That is just a bit too far for my taste.

The best way for Justin to deal with this is to publicly raise awareness on how smoking is bad and make sure that his young fans don’t do it. He should apologize and handle it like a professional. If his mistake is making young girls go out and smoke now or I even heard that girls were cutting themselves now from what he did. That is crazy and has gone to a new level of extreme. (189)

Judgment

Models, Actors, and Musicians set the standards for how society precedes people and how we are supposed to look. We have moved away from being concerned to what is on the inside to what our outer appearance is. In the olden days having a curvaceous body was envied and the goal, now being thin and muscular is the only way to go. These appearance stresses are put more on women rather than men. If you aren’t born with good looks and a desirable body then you are put under a lot of pressure to attain the results.

The age that you are being judged on your outer look is becoming younger and younger.  When little girls go to school is it almost like a competition to impress others. But who do they really want to impress the boys? Or the other girls? Are they trying to make the other girls envious so they get more attention?  There are different types of things that girls want to show off and impress others with. If a girl has a “nice butt” or “big boobs” as the boys would say, they would wear clothes to show off those assets to the boys. If they aren’t trying to show those off, honestly the guys don’t care what they wear or how much those shoes cost, or what brand they are. Otherwise they are trying to show off their money or looks so they get compliments from other girls so they want what they have.  And if a girl doesn’t have the right or best brand of the material they are looked down upon. A classic example would be the brand Uggs, they are an expensive boot with fur on the inside that are around $200. There are also many knock off brands that are out there that aren’t as nice and are cheaper. If you are caught in them be prepared for the stink eye.

Material things aren’t everything that is being judged, your physical body is being observed. If you arent skinny enough or too skinnyyou get made fun of by stupid kids. The definition of normal is next to impossible to attain. Even the most beautiful and toned model gets airbrushed in their photos so they are made “perfect”.  Young men who see these models think that al girls need to look like that and judge regular people based on model types. The trick is is that they are basing everything off the airbrushed version that isn’t even real. It is sad that people these days are influenced so much on how someone is supposed to look and not on who they are as a person.

The media gives models, actors, and musicians a lot of crap if they don’t look perfect, because they are always in the spotlight. They are never happy with people and are constantly criticizing. We as Americans then fall into the turmoil and begin to think that that is the right thing to do. This is leading to young girls being put into depression, being unhappy with their own body and even cutting themselves. This is too much pressure and one day when I have a child I will be worried for what they are going to face in society. (544)

Serving

Serving is a job that most people have at some point in their lives, whether it is a first job or a full time job when you are older. There are some rules that you have to abide by when you decide you want to become a server, one of them being that you have to be 18 years old. The reason for this is because you are serving alcohol and if restaurants have under age servers they could lose their liquor license. You also have to be a people person, you are trying to get the biggest tip you can out of them in the shortest amount of time. The key is to keep a smile on your face and be as pleasant as possible, maybe even flirt a little to make them like you more.

Before you become a server it would be wise to know the menu like it is the back of your hand. Either memorize it or become familiar with it by trying all different types of food. This will make it easier when customers ask you a question pertaining to the menu. You want to seem like you are very informed about what you are doing, and if you don’t know something then don’t hesitate to go ask a manager or someone who is more knowledgeable than you.

                Being very cognizant about your customers is key. You want to make them feel welcomed and not forgotten. If you see that their drink is about half way empty then you take initiative and ask if they would like another rather than waiting until it is completely gone and have them waiting. Especially if it is a drink that needs to be made by the bar, since that will take longer and there could be a wait.

Checking on the customer at appropriate times is something that is mastered by experience. You don’t want to be annoying and check on them too often, yet you don’t want to ignore them to the point that they need to ask someone else for help or have that look on their face like they are looking for their server. The look around is never a good sign, and if a customer is not happy waiting around then the tip may be reduced. That isn’t good since most servers make their money off of tips.

Servers have a small hourly rate of around $4.50 per hour. This is because they make a lot in tips and it wouldn’t be beneficial for the restaurant. Everyone is trying to make the most money in the end.

Before you become a server it is typical that you become a runner first, this way you know how to prepare the food and know how to serve it to your customers. Being a runner is a lot harder than expected. There is a certain position for all the food and the plates have to be clean and appetizing before they are sent out to the customer. There is a proper way to be served, the knives and other utensils have to be placed on the customer’s right side. You have to tell them what you are serving them and if it is a meat you have to tell how it was cooked. When serving a salad you must make sure that the vegetables are on their left and the croutons are on their right side.

So much goes into serving a dish than you might think. I am being trained as a server this week and I hope that I can master everything just how they want it so I can provide the best service. (610)

Gender vs Gender Roles

Gender is defined as how you perceive yourself. Sex is your physical attributes, such as having ovaries or testis.  Even though some people are born as a boy or a girl they don’t see themselves as their sex, so they choose to become a different gender.  

One of the most socially accepted nicknames for a girl wanting to be more like a guy would be termed as tomboy. These girls aren’t into the pink Barbie’s or wearing dresses. The motto we can do anything a guy can do but better is stuck in their minds. They want to get down and dirty with the boys. These girls tend to dress like boys more and are enrolled in more sports, especially the unisex sports like basketball and softball.  They almost want to emulate boys so they lift weights and want to get strong and toned just like an athletic guy would do.

It is weird how it is more okay for a girl to want to act and dress like a guy when they are younger than a boy wanting to be more like a girl. Boys will be made fun of and be labeled that they will be gay when they are older. Most girls will grow out of the wanting to be like a guy and have some sort of girly side to them, yet still be enrolled in sports. Guys might not grow out of that and may be made fun of. No parent wants their kid to be made fun of while in school or anywhere.

Some parents want to let their child grow up how they want and with their own identity, but that does pose some risks at the same time. (289)

Softball vs Baseball

Softball is the baseball version but for girls to play. The saying that girls can do anything that guy’s done but better is true here. Even though there isn’t a big professional softball team out there, there was still an Olympic team up until the most recent Olympics. That is more than baseball can account for. There are only a few changes to the sport, the major ones being the ball and bat size. They are basically vice versa for girls and guys. In softball they have large balls and skinny bats, and in baseball they have small balls and large barrel bats. The distance between the infielders and the batter is much shorter and the base distance is also quite a bit shorter as well. In softball the base length is 60 feet, compared to 90 feet in baseball. In baseball they can lead off the base before the pitcher pitches the ball, and in softball they have to wait until the pitch has been released from their hands. The pitching style is way different as well. The softball pitchers have a windmill throw where they whirl it around and release it underhand. The baseball guys throw over hand just as if they were throwing a regular ball but with much more precision.

                To be honest college softball is more popular than guys and any other level of softball out there. The top teams are typically in the regions where it is warm all year round for optimal practice conditions. The top teams are Arizona State, Alabama, and Florida. I don’t know how Florida does it but the girls on their team are the biggest out there. They are walking muscle masses and can scare away any guy if need be. They are successful in being ubber intimidating. 

                Even though there are many differences softball in my eyes it better and should be more popular at the professional level! (320)

The Importance of Exercise

Exercise is an important part of keeping healthy and staying in shape. There are different forms of exercise such as playing sports, weight lifting, and dancing. Any form of movement that gets your heart rate pumping will only benefit you. Exercise is key to living longer and avoiding major health issues that are caused from not taking care of your body. If you mix this with a healthy diet or food choice then you should be set for years.

                Getting into the habit of exercising on a regular basis is hard since we all have busy lives and it is easy to convince ourselves not to go to the gym. This usually is only a problem for people who are entering college and aren’t in a sport and with adults. Kids on the other hand always like to be running around and getting sweaty. Enrolling your children in all different types of sports is good while they are younger. There are two benefits from this; they get to see what sports they do and don’t like and they are getting their daily dose of exercise that is recommended. Most kids carry a lot of baby fat and sometimes is a struggle to take it off.

                There are two different types of girls: girly girls and tomboys. The girly girls don’t like to get dirty or play rough. The tomboys live to be one of the boys and compete with them in sports. This may become a problem because the girly girls still need to get their physical activity in but don’t enjoy sports…what do you do then? You enroll them in ballet or any form of dancing. They see it as being elegant and girly so it suits them and they are happy. They don’t view dance as a sport because it is a good place where they get to express themselves and dress up in sparkly costumes.  The tomboys enjoy the sports that both men and women play such as softball or basketball. They enjoy showing off their athletic ability to the guys I hopes that they fit in. They don’t mind getting pushed around in a sport like basketball. They view the bumps, bruises, and scratches as battle wounds and are happy to show them off.  While the tomboys get the thrill of getting banged up the girly girls enjoy the thrill of entertainment while they perform in front of a large crowd to show off their new dance.

                Weight lifting has its pros and cons. The pros would be that athletes get to gain muscle mass and grow stronger so they perform at a higher level.  A con might be that if they have bad form or do the lift wrong they could injure themselves and have a long recovery. Another con is that if a person starts to weight lift at a young age it will stunt their growth and they won’t be as tall as they were supposed to be. Although there are some risks to weight lifting, if properly trained you can get great results and really step up your game.

                All these forms of exercise are important for an athlete to stay fit and perform at their greatest ability. One last one that we can add in here is plyometrics, it is increasing your speed and toning your body. One form of it may be taking up yoga or other relaxing exercises. This is more popular for small women that aren’t in a sport and are older.

                Keeping healthy is important to being happy with life and with you.  Take the first step and make it a habit to do some physical activity on a regular basis. (615)