Assignment 11-Tyree

It is 2016 and zombies have just attacked and I start out in disbelief and do everything stupid I've ever wanted to do in my life. I would camp in my house with my family after stocking up on food and water. No visitors would be let in it'd just be me my mom, dad, and dog. no matter who came towards my house is getting shot. I don't care if it's my brother sister granddad teacher, Jesus, etc. I'd probably eventually get bored and let a zombie in my house or get us infected. When they eventually got infected I would just kill myself and let it all be over with. I wouldn't want to live in an apocalyptic world without my parents. But before suicide I'd probably run out to one of my friends house and kill them for fun before taking my own innocent life ever so short life.

Assignment 11-Daryn Smith

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED!
The first thing I would probably do if zombies were to attack is be very confused because I don't believe in zombies. It would most likely take me actually seeing a zombie for me to believe that an attack was actually happening. Since I wouldn't believe it until I saw it, I would be very unprepared. I would have to pack in a very short amount of time. The things I would bring first are my phone, a charger, water, a couple snacks, and maybe a gun if we had one in our house. If I still had more time, I would bring a soft blanket and a change of clothes because blankets are my favorite.
Hopefully, if an attack were to occur, I would be with friends or family to guide me because a lot of the time I don't have the best common sense. My plan of action would be to hide in places zombies are the least likely to come or play dead any time a zombie saw me. Hopefully this way I would be able to avoid being killed, but even if I didn't manage to survive, at least I wouldn't have to do APUSH key terms.

Assignment 12-TD

Ah, I'm cramped. All is dark...why is it so dark? This mold too. It's creeping up everywhere, covering me even. Covering my eyes, maybe thats why it's dark? I can feel myself, on top of myself, folding over myself, running through myself yet I still feel fine. From my earliest memories I can recall the gray of a factory only for it to be consumed. Life isn't meant to be like this. I live comfortably and receive no harm yes, but there is nothing to experience. I know there is more to be seen even if I have never seen it. Even if they are experiences I couldn't even hope to imagine. Until I feel the stinging pain of life, I will hold these hopes of life in my heart.

With that, the backpack opened. He rushed to meet the air, and, like it was his purpose, aimed falling. Catching the air, falling. A young parachute, but seeing the sky for the first time. Truly free.

Assignment 11: BOO- Amanda Byerman

This situation is the SCARIEST possibility of what could happen on a widespread basis in the upcoming presidential election~

It’s November 8, 2016. You, an non-religious, straight, white American man really feels you voted with your conscience this year. You’re feeling pretty patriotic. You went out and voted today, casting your ballot for a third party candidate because you feel they really represents how you want your country run, regardless for their potential of winning. You were given a choice between two candidates, neither of whom you liked, so you picked a third option, just for you. You spent hours upon hours telling your friends about the BS that is the American election system, and encouraging them to vote with their conscience (or yours).  Yes, Trump is an evil demagogue misogynist who promises fresh hell to anyone who doesn’t look like him, but those emails and the rampant corruption of the DNC, along with your personal dislike of Hillary’s “attitude”, all culminate in a general distrust of her. Ever since Bernie’s unjust loss, you can’t stomach voting for such a ‘nasty woman’.

You turn on MSNBC. Your candidate, you see, is holding solid at about 2% of the popular vote, according to exit polling. Your message is out there! You are among the select few who have worked so hard to get your candidate out there as a viable choice, and now you are making a real difference in the national election! The polling for Hillary and Trump seems pretty neck in neck, however... you had always supposed Hillary would win regardless of what you do, but maybe enough people would vote third party so that those pigheads on Capitol Hill would finally understand your perspective. But there’s Kentucky voting Trump, and Nevada… but that’s fine. Hillary still has a tight lead… and pretty much everybody you talked to said they were voting Hillary… that’s got to mean nothing will change, right?

But the coverage continues, and you begin to get more and more unsettled. You feel a chill creeping up your spine as you see the numbers from swing states rolling in. HOW is Trump pulling ahead? You thought everyone was voting Hillary, except for you. Your candidate is up to 5% of the vote, but Hillary is now behind by about 4%... wasn’t this election meant to be rigged for her?

By the end of the night, it’s official: Trump just barely won the majority of electoral votes. Third party candidates were able to gather up a total of 10.8% of the popular vote, but the majority of these votes were Democrats. They make no impact in the Electoral College.

For all your talk of revolution and challenging the sitting power, you never predicted this could happen. You friends text you in a panic. Facebook is in an uproar. Snapchat stories of election parties look positively funeral-esque. Trump makes his victory lap, shouting obscenities about Hillary’s concession speech. He crows of building up the military and building the wall, talking with the congress to ensure no Muslims make it past American borders. Obama tries to calm the nation, without much success.

You’re sick. You ever thought Trump would actually win. Even if he did, you figured, checks and balances ensures he’s not TOO powerful, right? Your own beliefs always seemed so important. You voted the way YOU felt comfortable with, but was that really worth it? But looking at your friends’ reactions, most people don’t seem very concerned with your beliefs right now. Your Latino friends are trying desperately to reassure themselves that they won’t be deported, but the fear still sits in their stomach like a rock, your gay friends worry that they will never be able to marry, at least for the next quarter-century, and your Muslim friends are afraid to leave their homes for fear of running into a joyful mob of Trump supporters, celebrating their victory with rounds shot into the air.

You don’t have any answers to give them. You can’t legitimize yourself any longer. All you can do is change the channel. You finally land on Fox, where you can reassure yourself that you’ll be ok- and you will be.

Because President Trump has promised to Make America Great Again- at least for people like you.

Blog 11 - Safal Dumre

The Zombie Apocalypse is something that very few people give any consideration to, these people are the ones that die first. The first thing I would do is load up on reusable weapons. Things like swords and bow and arrows and other weapons that won’t need ammunition. These weapons are better because they make less noise so zombies aren’t attracted every time you use it and they are reusable.  It is also important to have a gun just for emergencies. The next most important thing is a shelter. You have to pick somewhere that is safe and no zombie could get into. My suggestion is a Costco. Costco has great big walls that will protect you. They also have enough food to last you forever and the best part is that zombies won’t be able to come in without a Costco Membership. The dumbest thing I see on TV shows is when people try to fight the zombies. You have run the second you see a zombie. If you try to be a hero during the Zombie Apocalypse, you will also die.

Assignment 11- Nicole Loy

You’ve already read my story about why I’m scared of ants. While that may be a fear of mine, what scares me the most is far deeper, yet basic. I am terrified of failing. Yup, I’m that person. Whether or not this is everyone’s fear, I am still going to discuss it, because it is a huge factor in my life. Everyday I am terrified that my choices will be the reason why I don’t get accepted into the universities that I want to go to. I am constantly worried that I am not doing well enough in dance or in my classes. This fear can be crippling at times. I just don’t want to have worked so hard for nothing. I know that I can get an amazing education anywhere and what school you get into really doesn’t matter, but I know that I will be crushed if I fail at getting into my dream school. The same goes with dance. If I never get into the level that I want to be in, I will probably never get over it. This fear of failing is completely unhealthy, but when are fears ever healthy?

Assignment 11: Ellie Phillips

For the sake of Halloween, I’ll focus on material scary, so I don’t have to talk about death and question my existence. SNAKES. I hate them and wish they didn’t exist. I can’t remember if something piqued this fear or if I was just born with it. I have heard that it’s possible to be born with a fear of snakes or spiders because in ancient times they were extremely dangerous to our ancestors, so evolution has made us more weary of them even though now they are not nearly as threatening. Wherever I got this fear, I’m annoyed because if I even see a baby garden snake I’ll scream. I tell myself whenever I see a snake “the snake is just as scared of you as you are of it”. I try to calm myself down and take deep breaths, but either way I always seem to freak out. Thankfully, Lexington does not have a large snake population because I certainly have not conquered that fear yet.

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters

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

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

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

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

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

Assignment 11: Lena Ilagan SPOOPY

Okay, okay, here it goes. *shines flashlight underneath chin*

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I studied, weak and teary,
Over a textbook which was truly a bore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a crackling,
As of a simple fire burning, burning somewhere near the floor,
"'Tis just a trick," I muttered, "crackling somewhere near the floor--
Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly, I remember the smell of a smoldering ember,
And the acrid scent of smoke rising to my nose from the floor,
Suddenly I had forgotten my sorrow; --for now I remembered the candle I borrowed
From my mother earlier that morrow-- whom I had received it with a brow furrowed
For she warned of the dangers within its waxy, fragrant core---
All of which I forgot forevermore.

And the silken silver wisps whistling from each orange flame
Rilled me-- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to do the thing that was smart, I began beating
At the flickering flames dancing about on my bedroom floor--
Beating with a fear and a fervor never seen before;
That I remember, and nothing more

Presently, my beatings grew stronger, the flames rising then higher no longer,
"God," said I, "Holy smokes, I thought I was about to burn the floor;
But the fact is I was crying, and so suddenly the flames came flying
But so faintly they came flying, burning away my bedroom floor,
That  I was scarce sure I smelt you--" Here then opened wide the door--
There standing was my mom, with eyes on the floor.

Deep into those eyes peering, long she stood there wondering, leering,
Doubting, thinking thoughts no mother ever thought before;
But the silence was unbroken, and with no word having yet been spoken,
And the only sound there I heard were the whispered words, "The floor!"
This she whispered, and turned her back, shutting behind her the door
Merely this and nothing more.

Assignment 10: Lena Ilagan

Lately, I have been sitting next to the lovely Caitlin Southworth.  Caitlin and I have known each other since middle school, but I never gave her much thought until eighth grade, when she would skip P.E. and come into the library during my student aid hour.  In that hour, she and some other friends and I would help out the librarian, Mrs. Calico, and just talk.  That was the first year that I began to actually like middle school, and simply talking to and bonding with her and everyone in our little group was a wonderful and one I will treasure for a while.

After middle school Caitlin and I both took Latin, which needless to say, was a regretful decision for the both of us.  Nevertheless, thanks to academy regulations, we both were forced to suffer in it together, and that experience brought us even closer.  By learning together in a tough environment, we bonded and began to recognize each other's strengths and talents.  As the years went on, we began to have more and more classes together, and we've been good friends ever since.

Personality-wise, Caitlin is a reliable, even tempered friend who is great to be around.  She always had chex mix on her and I would always have the pretzels and she would eat everything else.  One thing that is rather annoying, however, is the fact that she is never cold and always complains that it is too hot.  IT NEEDS TO END.

Caitlin's personal philosophy is a rather unique one-- she is a staunch nihilist.  She is apathetic about almost everything, and strives to "do the least she can to pass by."  Somehow, her idea of "scraping by" has gotten her quite far, and I wish her the best in her future.

Assignment 11 - Caitlin Southworth

Zombies have attacked- what would I do first? Honestly I have no idea what I would do, I would probably be so shocked by the fact that it even happened that I would do something stupid that I would later regret. But if I were of some sound mind I would first go to the store and get peanut butter, chapstick, toilet paper, clothes, other non perishable food, and water filters and/ or water jugs. I would then google survival skills because I honestly have no clue on how to survive during an apocalypse. Gathering my essential items, I would make my way to Stephanie Bailey’s house because her father is the best suited person for an apocalypse that I know and he could probably survive for a while. After that, I really don’t know what I would do, probably whatever Stephanie’s dad tells us to, hoping that he keeps us alive. Who knows, maybe we’ll just all turn into zombies, and if the apocalypse is the end of humans, does it really matter if we all become zombies?

Assignment 11-TD

Let me start of by saying I have no fear of this zombie apocalypse. I'm not scared of gore, blood, or dead matter in general as I have had to slaughter and butcher many animals.I am also well versed in martial arts and  have a large plethora of fighting experience on top of having my trusty crossbow. I imagine myself as being like Daryl from The Walking Dead in that regard. I would rather stick to my crossbow rather than a gun because a gun is not as honorable. Honor is something very important to my culture, especially as I am from the East, but I will use a gun if need be.

Regarding my actual plan for survival, first off is to ensure you have all the necessities, and now in the zombie apocalypse, tools for protection are a necessity. I have the advantage of living on a farm, so I can simply close all entrances to the gates and fortify the fences even more. I will round up our fastest horses and have them on standby right next to our house for when they are needed. If necessary for an escape, I will throw our dog to the zombies allowing my family to have more time to escape. My plan entails mostly me killing zombies with my bare hands, with my machete, or preferably my crossbow so I don't have to be in melee range of the zombies.

Stealth will be the most important element to survival, but that will be very much hindered by the presence of my baby sister. I love my baby sister, and my mother and other sister, very much, but I WILL wrap duct tape and gauze around her mouth for survival. Food and water will not be as high of a priority as there are plenty of game around my farm as well as clean fresh water sources. When we move on though, which will eventually happen, adaption to stealing and scavenging will be necessary.

Now the most important question is "Are you willing to kill another human being?" The answer is yes. If it is necessary for my family's survival, rivers will run red. It will not be my first, or even my second option, but the option to will always be there. If I tell you that I'm not scared of death, just know that I mean it.

Assignment 10- Annie Varner

I recently discovered that Mr. Logsdon's seating chart is one that is fluid in nature, changing and shifting every day and altogether fitting Logsdon's relaxed disposition (and partly due to the fact that a large number of students in First Hour refuse to ride UK's "fit-bikes").  I usually prefer this loose environment, until recently, I found myself stranded and --quite honestly-- completely despondent when I walked in this morning to see that--no other but Safal Dumre himself-- has absolutely stolen my chair.  So, lucky you!!!, I will tell you all about Safal Dumre, the "GOAT", as some might say.  Safe Dumre:  I've had a few classes with good ole Safal, and he's always been there for me.  Although we have never been engaged in a conversation that is not school-related, I appreciate the help he's been able to offer throughout the years.  It is comforting knowing that his quiet aide will always be to the rescue when my own feeble mind cannot fathom the arduous tasks of junior year.  But there he sat, grinding away at some AP extra credit assignment, while also making small talk with his best friend, Saurav, and listening to music at the same time.  I wonder what Eminem song he was listening to.  Not that anything is wrong with Eminem, I just feel like Safal would be the type of guy to pump himself up for a big day at school with some classic Eminem or maybe even a couple Pitbull hits.  And thats just because thats the kinda guy Safal is; he may seem shy and soft-spoken on the outside, but when you take a step further and really dig deep down, you can put those same metaphorical ear-buds on and find yourself on a journey full of wit, enthusiasm, and enormous pride. The man is a true hero, a hidden gem if you will, maybe even a needle in a haystack for comparison.  Safal will do big things, and go great places, but to fully understand the legend that is Safal Dumre, you just have to meet him yourself.

Assignment 10- Tyree

My seating partner is on the volleyball team and she is energetic and tall. If I could compare her to a animal it'd be a bird because she flys through my thoughts. She has a great personality and I know her little brother. He always talks to me on the bus the way home. I've never met her mom or dad but I talk to her uncle regularly. I hope one day I can meet her mom because I heard her mom was just like her. Now I sound like a creep but i made all this up. My seating partner is annie varner and sadie marsh and they are both pretty cool i guess. I have been knowing Sadie Marsh since elementary school and i just met annie freshman year in Biology. So all that bird flying through my mind stuff was fake. they are two normal girls in the academy just like me with slightly better grades I'm guessing.

Assignment 10: Ellie Phillips

I don’t have a seat partner to the right, but to the left I have the man himself, Shalom (J?) Saldana. As I’ve gone through my years at Henry Clay, I’ve also had the pleasure to know and befriend Shalom. He is basically fluent in Spanish, but he refused to take AP Spanish with me. He has the most adorable giggle. Shalom does not laugh, simply giggles. That is one of my favorite things about him. I respect Shalom because his family life is never easy, but I have never heard him complain. He gives me perspective on my life and each day I honestly feel like he makes me a better person. Shalom claims that he didn’t like Dance Blue last year, but I think he said that because he was afraid of dancing. This year I’m making Shalom go to Dance Blue again even though he doesn’t want to and we’re going to dance as part of neighbor bonding. From what we have discussed he will probably go to UK (on a full ride because he’s crazy smart) or to Michigan (because there is some scholarship that Saurav told him about). No matter where Shalom goes to college, he will excel. I don’t know why I feel that he’s destined for success, but he is too good of a guy not to be.

Assignment 9- Joonyoung Park

War has been a very common thing throughout the history of man. War can be described simply as two powers fighting over a disagreement. I believe that there are times that war is necessary and that there are times when war can be easily avoided through other means such as diplomacy. World War II was inevitable because the Nazis were killing every Jew and gaining a lot of power in Europe. The other countries had to prevent the growing population of Nazis so war was necessary.
Countries have a responsibility to go to war if another country threatens the safety of a country. Even then, the two countries could use diplomacy to figure out why the other country is threatening a country. War should always be a last resort.

Assignment 10- Nicole Loy

Based on the seating chart, my neighbor is Sadie Marsh. Sadie takes French and used to play the violin throughout middle school. She also took lessons to learn how to play the cello during freshman year. Sadie loves animals. She always takes really cool photos of them and post them on instagram. She is really talented at drawing. I’ve observed her doodling over the years, and it is always really good. Sadie is super friendly. She may be shy, but once you get to know her you will realize how caring and kind she is. She will help you in any way she can, and is friends with even the more behaviorally challenged people. I would characterize Sadie as being the color yellow, as she is always enthusiastic, friendly, and positive. In five years I could see Sadie at college at UK (so she can be near her family who she is close with) studying to eventually become a veterinarian, researching something to do with animals, or working with children- she is very patient. I would say that Sadie best represents a cat- shy at first, but very friendly once you get to know them.

Assignment 10- Daryn Smith

The person who sits next to me is Shalom Saldana. While I don't spend much time with him outside of school, I know that he is a very nice person. One interesting thing about him is that he and his brother moved out of their house last year. It is cool that he is mature enough and responsible enough to take care of himself and ensure that he gets what he needs.
Shalom is a very relaxed, carefree person. No matter what happens he is always able to remain calm, which is something that I aspire to be able to do, as I am somewhat the opposite of that. He is very chill which makes him fun and pleasant to be around.
Shalom does not do any sports, but he goes to the gym to work out and stay active.
I would characterize Shalom as the color blue because he is very mellow. It would be a soft, royal blue, because that color seems to me to be represent chill and relaxation. Deep blues are very relaxing  and I think that represents Shalom's personality. I would also say that the animal he is most similar to is a cow because they are not very reactive to most things and do not get angry easily.
In five years, Shalom will probably be at UK. I say this because he has told me he is likely to go there. I am sure his easy-going personality will bring him very far in life.

Blog 10- Safal Dumre

The person I sit next to is Saurav Khadka. Like me, he is from the same motherland. Saurav came to America when he was nine years old.  Saurav likes to do any physical activity that involves running. He played soccer for like 8 years, he is on the cross country team, and he ran track in middle school. He is comedy and doesn’t take things too seriously which I appreciate. He went to Morton elementary school and before that he went to elementary school in Atlanta. Saurav loves to watch TV shows like Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, The office, and many others. One thing that bothers me about Saurav is that he starts to watch many TV shows, but he rarely every finishes them. His infidelity towards TV shows and disregard for closure boggles my mind. If Saurav were a color he would either be Black or Gray. This is because we are both colorblind. In five years I see him being successful in college and continuing to start TV shows but never finish them. If he were an animal he would be a dog. He is afraid of dogs and thus when I imagine him being a dog, I picture him trying to run away from himself because he is afraid of himself. Then he just ends up running in a circle. To humans it would just look like a dog chasing his tail, but he would be deadly afraid in his little dog mind. Also dogs are colorblind as well which works nicely. 

Assignment 9 - Will Blitch

War is often caused from disputes over territory/politics/property. If it is not because of these reasons then it is a battle of ideologies. When wars are caused over property they are almost always a pointless and selfish loss of life. For example World War I was born of territorial and political reasons and resulted in millions of deaths and did not accomplish anything. These are the kinds of wars that can never be justified. However if it is a war of ideologies then there is sometimes an argument to be made. For example the Cold War was because of a war of ideologies. it was the battle between Communism and Capitalism. The Vietnam War also came from this struggle. I think the only time we have the obligation to go war or at least help some one else fight a war is when the opposing force is violating human rights or oppressing a group of people. 

Assignment 11: BOO

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

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

OR

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

Happy Halloween!

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

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

Assignment 10 - Caitlin Southworth

I sit next to Lena, who is half Thai (her mom is from Thailand) and half Philippine (her dad is from the Philippines). She has a younger brother, Joey, who is in middle school, and a dog named Gigi. She went to Veterans Park, and Tates Creek middle. She swims (a lot) and is on the speech and debate team at henry clay. Lena is upset that the Thai king recently passed because he was a cool dude and his son is not fit for kingship. In five years I see Lena being very successful at a top college. I think Lena would be like the color yellow- she is fun to be around, brightens the mood and friendly with everyone. Lena is basically a magician with writing, she can write amazing writing in limited time, but somehow it is still better than a lot of people, and like most high schoolers, is a procrastinator. Lena is an avid Game of Thrones watcher and reader, and always brings amazing food for lunch. Overall Lena is a great person to be around and friends with, as I am sure everyone who knows her would also say.

Assignment 9 Nick Falk

Yeah, there is a time for war. It is appropriate for war when the alternative will cause worse scenarios in the grand scheme of things. World War 2 is a good example of when war is a must because what was happening with Germany had to be stopped. No war is not morally right it is just the lesser of two evils because us as humans should make an attempt to never have to take another one’s life. Obviously, if your life is in danger then there is no alternative but any other reason is not a good reason for ending a life. War should only be started to stop a bad even that is happening from going on longer because it is harming a large group of people. Yes of course there a reasons why a country should go to war, but there is no reason for a country to start a war. There could be scenarios such as the national security is jeopardized or the citizens have been already mistreated by another country.  For the most part, countries should go to war to protect its citizens domestic and foreign levels.

nick walters assignment 6

-what is your ideal college experience?

-what are you obsessed with and why?

-what is a topic that you frequently ponder over? What makes this subject so interesting to think about?

I’m going to write about my ideal college experience. I picture a college with green all around, somewhere where nature is all around and just a quick bike or car ride away. I want to be somewhere where I can go out and do something fun. Whether that is a party somewhere or a sports game in town or a historical site, I want something around to do. I also want a place with really cool people. That’s honestly the most important thing in my opinion, the type of people that go to the college. Any college will be fun if you’re with a great group of people. In my ideal college experience, I would be playing lots of sports. My goal is to play lacrosse at the college level, and along with that I would like to participate in intramurals like Frisbee or basketball. I would also want to have the perfect place to lay down and study. Somewhere in the grass on a lawn with a great view would be ideal.

Assignment 8 Nick Falk

Fears: humiliation, failure

Annoyances: people judging others

Accomplishments: my playlists

Confusions: this election season and my schedule this year

Sorrows: my laziness

Dreams: success

Idiosyncrasies: my lifestyle

Risks: procrastination

Beloved possessions then, my wii, now, my bed

Problems: figuring out my place in life and how I fit in

I have a lot of problems in my life. Mostly, though, I keep thinking about how I have to get out of the imprisonment of the constant flow of life. I find myself doing the same thing over and over again. I don’t do anything worthwhile for the most part. Mostly, I don’t do anything that is interesting or different.  Time just keeps on slipping away. It is like my life is on fast-forward.  I just get caught in the flow.  Life does not stop very often. Months go by too quickly as I try to break out of this. Days just fly by as I try to figure out myself and my role in this world as I try to see where I fit in the grand scheme of things. I just keep searching and can just seem to never find it. I just want to make the most out of mine.

nick walters assignment 8

Fears- Failure, letting people down, Bees

Annoyances- unnecessary tasks, people overreacting to stuff

Accomplishments- lacrosse state champion, 5 on ap psych test, junior class VP

Confusions- why war exists, how evolution works, how the universe got created

Sorrows- sometimes I don’t put forth all of my effort

Dreams- play college lacrosse, have some sort of career in sports medicine

Idiosyncrasies- “lax bro” “academy kid” “Kentucky kid” (whenever I travel to the northeast)

Risks- being real with people

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- car, friends, fantasy football trophy (now), my big wheeler (then)

Problems- forgetting, time management

3 topics that confuse me are war, evolution, and the creation of the universe. War confuses me because it seems unnecessary. People shouldn’t have to kill each other to solve problems. I understand that it is ingrained into society at this point, but why it was created in the first place confuses me. Evolution confuses me too. It’s a really cool concept to think about, how species can pass down traits that benefit the overall species and get rid of the traits that are harmful through natural selection. It’s really cool and confusing to think about. Especially when you consider that all the living things around you stemmed from the evolution of single celled organisms. The most confusing topic is how the universe got created. It’s just such a crazy thing to think about. How did the first piece of matter come into existence? How did enough pieces of matter come into existence to create all of the planets and organisms around us? What caused the laws of physics to come into place? It’s a very confusing topic to consider.

Assignment 4- Sheridan Wagner

On the 20^th of July 1969, America’s Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The world watched as this moon landing was accomplished. The space race between the Soviet Union and the United States ended. This landing established a feeling of American dominance over rival nations and showed technological and economical supremacy. A sense of pride grew within the United States. But Armstrong’s famous words talk about this being a leap for mankind, not just America. Inspiration spread around the globe to areas far beyond the United States. A new idea had formed as people asked “If we can go to the moon, then why can’t we…?” I cannot even begin to imagine what the people in this photograph felt knowing their accomplishment would be forever remembered throughout history. Those watching this scene unfold from their own homes must have known that they were experiencing something truly unique. The moon landing of 1969 opened mankind to a whole other world of exploration.

Assignment 7 Nick Falk

On October 8, 1871, the flame began that would be later known as The Great Chicago Fire. This was an enormous fire that burned through a majority of the city of Chicago. It completely burned about three square miles in the downtown area of Chicago. This left more than 100,000 homeless due to the wreckage. There were a lot of factors that really helped the flame get to the magnitude at which it occurred. First of all, most of the structures made at this time were mainly made of wood. Also there was a drought near Chicago that lasted nearly four months. There also were high winds and an error by the fire department all helped create this two day fire into the catastrophe we have read about. This event is indeed bad.  It killed over 300 people. This devastated the city of Chicago, and it made Chicago start completely over. For Chicago, this fire made a lot of people’s lives a lot harder, because everyone lost everything, and all of the places for work were destroyed, too. It made people’s lives tougher for that time. Loathe is not a good word that I would describe this event as, but unfortunate or saddening would  be how I would describe the way I feel about the families situation, but this fire was a way to help create the economically booming Chicago we know today.

Assignment 4

This photo shows the American soldiers hanging the American flag in victory in Japan in world war II. This shows how America changed into a global powerhouse after this war as they defeated Japan. It also shows how the Americans came together during the war and showed American Patriotism.

Assignment 3

I believe that there is a good and evil, but there are opportunities that there are certain grey areas. For example, in war there are two side normally. But it all depends on what side you believe in. You might think one side is good and another person will think that side is evil. On the topic on good vs. evil, it ultimately depends on a persons' point of view. Even in the stories like David vs Goliath, everyone believes that David is good and Goliath was evil, but the Philistines believed that Goliath was good and David was evil.

Assignment 2

I believe that technology has affected me in a positive way because it's helped me interact with peers and friends and have helped me access what's happening in our world today. Also it's helped with school work and day to day activities. But technology has also hurt me in the sense that people now have social media which is a good thing and lets society interact in a way that we've never been able to before, but it also gives people the opportunity to hurt other people with their comments and gives them a chance to break someone down. If I was born 20 years ago, I would never have a smartphone, I wouldn't have social media, communication would be way different and watching television or playing video games like we do now wouldn't be the same.

Assignment 6- Sheridan Wagner

1.       How would you compare yourself to 8^th grade you? How have you grown? How have your motivations changed?

2.       What is your ideal weekend plan?

3.       Your boat crashed onto a deserted island (but one with fresh water and a food source; I’m not cruel). What three items would you want to have with you and why?

2. The weekend always start off the same way for me, “This time I am actually going to be productive.” That rarely happens. An ideal weekend for me is one where I have no commitments and no restrictions, so I’m free to roam as I please. It would be a four-day weekend, made up of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I would have no homework/projects/tests for me to worry about. I would go to a cabin in Alaska. It would have air conditioning, running water, room service, and Wi-Fi of course and would also sit next to a lake. I would spend the weekend reading, fishing, watching Netflix, and hiking. And yup, that would be my ideal weekend.

assignment 8 - will blitch

Fears: family dying, getting kidnapped, super volcano eruption

Annoyances: trump supporters, mosquitoes, loud people

Accomplishments: climbing comp, anatomy test 

Confusions: trump supporters, physics

Sorrows: Aleppo, Trinity Gay

Dreams: Lucidity

Idiosyncrasies: Climb 

Risks: Base jumping

Beloved possessions then/now: Doggie/bed 

Problems: college funding

Sorrows: I feel really bad for Aleppo, this is the large city that is at the heart of the civil conflict in Syria. It is a hot political topic that has been prominent because of differing views on how we should handle it. Thousands have died and even more fled from the city as it has been bombed by the Syrian government and the Russians alike. It is a tragic situation that has led to the displacement or death of hundreds of thousands of Syrians. Many of the Syrians flea to either Europe or the United States looking for refuge and a new life. These refugees almost all have tragic backstories but are often met with harsh words and hate when they arrive in the U.S. because many feel like these refugees are leeching off of hard working Americans and taking American jobs.   

assignment 3 - Will Blitch

I do not think that there is a definite separation of good and evil. Most times things fall into ambiguous grey areas that often can be determined as good or evil depending on what someone’s personal ideals are. For example if a drug dealer is shot and killed then some people might say that it is a good thing because he is a no-good drug dealer and others would say it is evil because some one’s life was wasted and that they had the potential to redeem themselves. There are however things that the vast majority of society have agreed are evil, like rape, murder, and cannibalism. But these conceptions of evil are based on what society has taught us to think. As terrible as it is, some people may no think that there is a problem with killing someone (especially if it is a case where the victim is someone that some people say deserve to die). 

Assignment 8- Sheridan Wagner

Fears: Failure, judgement, not being able to save someone/ stop something, mortality

Annoyances: Judgement, the phrase “I hate,” being rushed, assumptions

Accomplishments: Head chorister of my choir, Wind Ensemble, test scores, not crashing and burning thus far

Confusions: Why people hate in general, why it’s a requirement to be social, how people can just say something without thinking about it first

Sorrows: That I can’t be the best at the things I do well, social anxiety

Dreams: To be successful, to make something/ someone better off, to not get stuck or give up

Idiosyncrasies: Pensive, tend to overthink everything

Risks: Not saying everything I want to, I want to go white water rafting

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Random collections of stuff (then), my flute (now)

Problems: Social anxiety, procrastination, thinking too much about the future

I’ve grown up in a very judgmental family. I love them to death and I know that they love me, it’s just that most of my family members have always been extremely opinionated and quick to make assumptions. And my family is huge. There are about 25 family members that I see at least once a week and nearly all of them are quick to argue, quick to support their opinions as if it were the only possible correct one in all of existence and they immediately know that all others are wrong and automatically assume any argument supporting a different view is inferior. A lot of them just like to argue to argue. My dad for example loves to play the devil’s advocate towards every opinion I present and over the years I have just stopped expressing any of my emotional opinions. Logical opinions, ones that I have no emotional tie to what so ever, I’m fine. I just first make sure that I have enough practical evidence to defend my claim.

In this environment I soon became the black sheep in this side of my family. I have always been quick to accept that everyone is different and that you can’t expect everyone to support your views and when they don’t that doesn’t give you permission to diminish the importance of their opinion. I don’t judge based on first impressions. It takes a while before I actually begin to form an image of what a person is like and even afterwards that image is changeable. Because I don’t automatically form an opinion about someone, it’s sort of off putting when other people judge me.

Assn 9: Leighanne Guettler-James

There is simply never a time for war. War is one of the most meaningless and barbaric activities present in modern society. You would think that a society where education and civility is valued so highly and everyone is so worried about "morals" would have ditched the ancient tradition of physical war. This type of war accomplishes nothing but establishing a contended dominance for one country that is forcefully one and bound to be rejected at some point. Not to mention the fact that it mindlessly allows millions of good people to die and kill innocent people from another country solely based on what country they are from. A much more effective way of solving disputes is careful debate and compromise. If all the of the world's superpowers would sacrifice their egotistic need to physically dominate the others, this could be possible. Even if it does create a balance just as fragile and contestable as war does, it doesn't require innocent people to die for mostly hidden agendas or deficit spending by nations involved. Maybe if the world as a whole were less focused on war as a whole, violence and social separation would be less of a focus as well.

Assn 8: Leighanne Guettler-James

Fears: Dying alone, losing trust 

Annoyances: Pessimism, rudeness, immaturity in relationships (just friendly)

Accomplishments: Successful student, high test scores, good dancer, VP of Y-Club. 

Confusions: Social tendencies, things that are taboo, what is considered "creepy" these days, the limits of friendships

Sorrows: The struggle of my family/parents/siblings, unrequited feelings for a guy and the fact that I care about such trivial things

Dreams: Living a comfortable life with a happy and silly family, making a difference in the lives of at least the people who know me but hopefully many more, being respected

Idiosyncrasies: Social tendencies and awkwardness, obsessions, inability to filter my speech/blatant and sometimes hurtful truthiness, the need to argue about pointless things/the need to win arguments, insecurity in friendships, the need to be alone with my thoughts sometimes/habit of being in my head

Risks: Telling the truth when most people wouldn't

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: its always been the love in my family but recently I can add friendship as well

Problems: Regrets and shame from the past weighing me down and making me feel lesser

A lot of times people will tell me that I'm weird or they are surprised by my actions, this is one of the biggest confusions that I have. I don't know if I will ever fully understand the intricate and restrictive routine that most people live by in social situations and I'm ok with that but I recognize that some people might not be. For example, if I someone else's actions are making me feel a certain way and I don't think they intended that to happen, I'm not afraid to let them know. People are always surprised when I come out and blatantly say (for example) "What you said yesterday about black people really offended me." It might be because I'm in high school but it seems that the norm is to push those feelings aside in favor of the decorum or to share your feelings with someone else secretly. This greatly confuses me as it accomplishes nothing. Another thing that confuses and eludes me is the formula for knowing the limits of certain friendships. I've always found it difficult to know how close I actually am to a person and how strong our friendship is. Like are we to sleepover level yet? When does that begin? Should I comfort you when you're crying? When can I start giving you friendly criticism/advice? I do not know the answer to these questions most of the time.

Assn 7: Leighanne Guettler-James

November 20, 200

On this date George W. Bush, in an address to a joint session of congress and the American people, declared a "war on terrorism". In my opinion, this was bad. This created a major barrier between the U.S. and the Muslim countries because this "war on terrorism" was effectively a war on Muslim extremists. In the U.S. it created an anti-Islam culture that is increasingly real and prevalent. The biggest effect this had on a city was probably in New York because this happened directly after the attack of 9/11. People in the city were scared and shocked and creating this "war on terrorism" gave them something to fight against. During my few years here on Earth, I haven't directly witnessed much Muslim hatred but it has been heavily televised and has always been a topic I was aware of. For example, when I was younger, one of my favorite comedy skits to watch was "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" a Jeff Dunham skit about a Muslim suicide bomber. This goes to show the Anti-Muslim culture that even influenced me as a child. I do not appreciate Bush's actions on this day seeing as they created/justified this hateful culture in the U.S. and in the end have not been effective or helpful in any way. I would say loathe is a good word to describe my feelings for this event and what it caused. 

Assn 5: Leighanne Guettler-James

I think television serves the purpose of entertainment and advertising and it can also be an inane use of time. There are a few TV shows that I genuinely have fun watching such as "Jane the Virgin" and "New Girl". These shows make me laugh and leave me in a good mood when I finish an episode. In this way, television is an effective form of entertainment. A lot of times though, TV is taken over by advertisements; the reason that I much prefer Netflix over actual television. It's really annoying when you sit down for a whole hour and a half to watch 30-45 minutes of a show. This characteristic of modern television in the U.S. is what makes it an inane use of time. There is almost always something more constructive you could be doing when you're watching television that is twice as long as necessary. It is actually sometimes sad to see a room full of little kids all focused on a television instead of playing. I think we could all use a little less television in our lives.

Assignment 8 - Tobias Cox - Territories

Fears: Loneliness, no one to talk to, debt
Annoyances: predictable habits people have (certain noises, biting nails, etc.), closed minded (when it doesn't suit my opinion), overly tired people
Accomplishments: relative knowledge and intelligence, display of confidence, violin playing
Confusions: people's intentions
Sorrows: easily irritated nature, getting mad at people for just the way they are, lack of patience, self control.
Dreams: content-ness, relative control
Idiosyncrasies: unorganized in private, uncontrollable food habits
Risks: military doctor
Beloved possessions: toy cars (then) real car (now)
Problems: lack of faith in others

My annoyances are awful. I get annoyed by everything from someone's same old clearing of their throat to their laugh. Its horrible. These are things that people cannot control! But what's worse is, I get mad at them for it! Fortunately, I can hold back for a while, but once I have been friends with someone for a while, if they have any of these ridiculous habits, it really starts to get on my nerves. I start to mock them, and sometimes it makes me so mad that I mention it. It's a shame too, because I am so forgiving, I can forgive anyone for almost anything, but if they have little things they do that are constant and predictable, they are either habits I really think are funny and comforting (very very rarely and in the most illogical of circumstances) or they really begin to get on my nerves.