Assignment 20 Nick Falk

Throwing the discus is a very intricate art in of itself that requires a particular set of skills. These skills are acquired over a very long span of hard work and practice and make anyone a nightmare to their opponents. These steps require anyone to pay close attention to details and perform with exact precision or they won’t yield the wanted results. First, obtain a high school sized discus, which for guys is 1.61 kilograms; while female require a 1 kilogram discus. Next, to ensure that you are properly holding the discus, place your index finger on the center of it. Then, you will slide your hand upward until the tips of your fingers are grasping the curved edge of the discus and your thumb is resting on the side facing up. You will know if you are holding the discus correctly if it falls out of your hand holding it still. This sounds incorrect, but when you are throwing it the momentum will keep the disc steadily in your hands. Next, you will station yourself in the back of the discus circle with your dominant foot closest to the outside of the circle and the other in the center. In order to start gaining momentum, you will lean forward, bend your knees at a 110 degree angle, and stand on the balls of your feet.  Then, you will pull your arm with the disc in it back so it is aligned with your body all the while you are pivoting both of your feet. You will repeat this again or until you feel you have gained enough momentum. Next, you will swing your dominant foot out and around your other foot. It should land in about the center of the pit, and you should be facing the side of the disc ring. You should still be leaning forward and bending your knees. You also should be using your non- dominant arm to help swing yourself to achieve a greater speed. After that, you swing your other leg around so that it is almost touching the center part of the front of the disc circle. Next, then you will twist your hips so you are now facing the discus field and rising up from low positioning. Then, you swing your arm with the disc towards the field; while your other arm which should be bent at a right angle is still helping you spin faster is pulling you. Your arm should be pointing where you want to throw it when you release and at about a 50 degree angle. It is important that you don’t tighten your grip on the disc because it will only ruin the quality of the release if you do. The disc should roll off of your index finger when you release, and when the disc is released it should have a straight rotation and nothing wobbling about it. Also, while you’re finishing your last rotation, you should swing your back leg with your arms with you in order to have a good follow-through. Finally, walk out of the back of the disc circle in order to avoid disqualification. Now you have successfully thrown a recordable discus throw at a high school track meet.

Assignment 21 Daryn Smith

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, someone is wondering when they will have their next meal-if they will have a next meal. The state of so many countries worldwide is devastating and something I ponder often. My dad and I recently discussed how fortunate we are compared to so many when we don't consider ourselves to be wealthy at all. Putting my state of living into perspective worldwide is a shocking thing to do. Until relatively recently, I never really felt the gratitude that I should that I know I will be able to have three meals every day and a bed to sleep in at night. For so long, it seemed to me that such a state was standard. It amazes and saddens me that some kids really go days without eating. Even though I definitely don't have endless money or an abundance of wealth, some kids would feel so lucky to have everything I do. Thinking about these things makes me feel sad for the lives that far too many people lead, but also extremely fortunate to have what I do.

Assignment 21- Nicole Loy

At this very moment I am writing this blog. It is 11:54 on a Saturday night, and you might be wondering why I am spending my time on this rather than hanging out with my friends, but I have a dance competition this weekend and am dancing from 9 in the morning to 8 at night tomorrow.   Therefore, tonight has become my homework night. As I am typing I can see my mom sewing my costume for tomorrow morning. In the background I can hear Saturday Night Live playing. Emma Stone is guest starring and there are some pretty good political skits. I am currently laughing at the one about hunting down Hillary Clinton.  I am getting tired and honestly just want to be done with my homework, but alas, APUSH Unit Assignments are due on Tuesday and I have done none of it. I also have to study for the SAT that I am taking in two weeks and have done essentially no preparation for. So now that I have written 150 words I am going to do other work and continue to stress in the background.

Assignment 22: Fictional Character, Fictional Life

Out of all of the books, all of the movies, and all of the television shows you have watched, consider your favorite characters. Then, answer the following:

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, March 12th at 11:59 pm

March 26th is the last day to make up blogs 20-22

Assignment 19 - Plastics

I think the best piece of advice that I have ever received from somebody is the advice that I shouldn't be so hidden with my life. To this day, I cannot remember who told me that or why it clicked but there was a distinct moment when I stopped hiding everything about myself and I have to assume that it was because someone told me. Now, sometimes it seems as if this advice has made my life harder, but in the long run I have to believe that it has made my life easier and more fulfilling since I can actually live my own life without having to lie about everything. It makes life a lot more free and makes me feel as if I can be a lot more honest, something I honestly enjoy being. I like to be open with other people, so the best advice I believe that I ever got was the advice that made me the open person I strive every day to be.

Assignment 18 - Buckets and Buckets

My top priority on my high school bucket list is to develop the ability to become relatively self reliant. Soon, I will be going to college which means that I will not have the help of my parents as much and I will not have many of my old friends that I have come to rely upon. So, it is necessary that before I leave high school I learn how to live without that help. Sure, it is nice to have help every once in a while, but not everyone can be there for you all of the time, and so I think that one of the most important life skills you can learn in high school is how to be completely self reliant.

My top priority on my college bucket list is to decide on a top hobby. This is most likely separate from my career, but it is important nonetheless. I hope to use some of my classes in college to develop hobbies that I can enjoy for the rest of my life and to decide on one that really fulfills me so that I can make my life beyond better and fuller. This will help me to remain happy throughout life.

My top priority on my life bucket list is a little bit more complicated. Though it may seem cliche, the most important thing for me to have achieved by the time I die is to be completely satisfied. Though it seems impossible, I am sure that it is not. I want to be able to look back on every choice I made and say that I am glad I made it - not that it was the right choice, but just that I am glad that I made it, since it is those choices that led me  to become who I will become. I want to be so satisfied that I can look back on my life with no regrets.

Assignment 17 - Hooray for Hollywood

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/976090986/ratings

Assignment 20- Daryn Smith

Assignment 21 - TD

Right now at this very moment Kanye West is being the genius that he is. Blessing us with his existence, we must be thankful. How lucky are we to be born at the same time as him. I count my blessings every single day and this is what I am most thankful for. Never in my life would I have been able to come up with such lyrical masterpieces like All Falls Down. When he said "She couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis," it changed my life. Who knows what could be going on in his head right now. Kanye West is culture. He is the Leonardo da Vinci of the 21st century. What would modern times be without him, I cannot imagine. Kanye West could be eating food right now, drinking water, or even going to the bathroom. Normal people can only dream about doing all those things with the style in which he executes them.

Assignment 20 - Caitlin Southworth

How to make a chicken quesadilla

First get some chicken, chicken breasts work good, but most any chicken would probably work, then cook it in the oven or skillet until cooked thoroughly- uncooked chicken does not lead to good things. Then cut the chicken into little cube pieces and add taco seasoning, either a mix of your own seasonings or you can buy it from the store- like old el paso taco seasoning. Then in a separate skillet, place a tortilla, add chicken and shredded cheese to half of the quesadilla and fold the empty half over top. Cook on medium heat and flip over once the bottom of the quesadilla gets as crispy as you want it to be. Take it off the skillet once the cheese is melted and the tortilla is cooked to the level you desire. Then cut the quesadilla into good sized pieces and eat it. You can add tomatoes or anything that tastes good with quesadillas.

Assignment 20: How to Lena Ilagan

One of my favorite things to do is hand lettering.  Most of you have probably seen me do it plenty of times, but if you didn't know how I did it, here's my secret:
First, it helps you know cursive.  Most calligraphy is done in cursive, or cursive-esque letters.  Having a strong foundation in the way to write cursive helps expand your style of lettering, reforming it into any way you like.
However, if you don't know cursive, that's okay.  You can still do hand-lettering in print.  The key to pretty and neat handwriting in general is symmetry and repetition.  Your letters should all be the same size, height, width, boldness, and should even have the same loops and lines and dots in all the same places.  Creating uniformity in your letters is a great way to start hand lettering, and is especially useful in print hand lettering, or even daily life.
If you're awful at both cursive and uniform writing, you should start by just practicing.  Pencil is always best to start out with.  The lines are forgiving, and you usually don't have to worry about the color and thickness being off. Plus, it's erasable.  Find a ruler if it helps, and practice making your letters all the same size and relative shape.  Make sure the middle likes in the E and F are in the same spots, and the loops on the Ps Bs Ds and whatnot are all on the same place.
Once you have mastered all of the above things, you're all set!  If you want to make your lettering look fancy and calligraphy-like, bold your downward strokes in your letters, just like a quill would do.

assignment 19 Nick Falk

My dad told me he wasn’t the person he used to be. He told me he used to quit things in times of distress or discomfort. He wouldn’t fight for anything, and would cower from uncomfortable circumstances. He told me that I could to be like him, and that I mustn’t go through the struggle he had to go through. He told me to never quit what I’m dong and take people’s negative criticism and opinion as much as a grain of sand. This has effected in the choices I have made throughout my life. One example would be my work experience this summer. A lot of people told me I was too young to work in that field. Even close friends of mine said I could not handle the workload ad made a silly game out of the thought of me quitting. However, I made it through the summer and the only reason why I quit was the beginning of the school year.

assignment 18 Nick Falk

My number one item to accomplish during high school is to development my work ethic needed to be successful in life. The trials and error have been hard and my grades have suffered in the process a little, but it is still a work in progress. I have made great strides since middle school and the lazy habits I created during my tenure at that establishment, but as you can see since I am just doing my blog now I have a long way to go until I have reached my goal. I will always keep working at it until I reach my goal.

My number one thing I want to accomplish before I finish college is to see a concert. I have never been to a concert before and I want to before I graduate college. Hopefully, by then I will like an artist or band enough to go to a concert, but for now it won’t happen.

My number one thing I want to accomplish before I die is to find a way to take a trip out of the country. I have yet to step foot outside of our great nation, and before I die, I want to do that, whether it is a European trip like Ireland or Germany or it is a North American trip like Canada or Mexico, I want to experience a new culture before I die.

Assignment 17 Nick Falk

I watched two movies directed by Steven Spielberg. The two movies were Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. While these movies were made by the same director, they are quite different when it comes to the material that makes up these films. Jaws, first of all, was composed with many jump scares to keep the audience engaged, while the Indiana Jones film had none of that. The Indiana Jones film also was created to be very light-hearted. The films material had many witty comments, as well as, very little negative action done to the protagonist, Indiana Jones. In Indiana Jones, there was little death and most of it was uneventful, or minor in comparison to the film. Jaws, may not have killed off many characters, but some consisted of major characters. One similarity these two films show is that they both end in happy endings. That is not much in common.

Assignment 19: Lena Ilagan

For most Asian households, rice is the primary staple of the home.  For my family, it's unsolicited advice (though rice is a close second).  My father, the champion of unsolicited advice, has dropped many loads in the past, but in some of those loads shines a gleaming pearl of wisdom. These pearls all gleam in different lights, some funny, some sad, and some useful. One of my favorite pearls came from a rather old clam, one which had been building up micro-fragments of sand within its fleshy core for many years.  We were in Merida, Mexico, when my father gave me one of the best pieces of advice I ever had. The music of hundreds of birds rang throughout the square, and the sun was setting, blanketing the city in a cloth of soft gold and pink, while the smell of food vendors hawking their skewers of crackling chicken and beef and long, steaming, and sugary churros permeated the air. It was one of the most picturesque moments of my life; it had rained earlier, and everything was so clear and crisp, with every sense launched into HD mode.  I was sitting with my father on a park bench in the square, and we were listening to some street performers sing.  I asked him what they were singing about, and he told me their song was about dreams.  My father often gave his unsolicited advice in the form of his many parables about his adventurous childhood.  One recurring theme of his tales of the crackling, dusty heat of Nigeria, and steamy, pungent atmosphere of Manila was that I needed to work hard to get the things I wanted.  He lived in many countries as a child, and never had a stable home, so he always told me variations of the same story: he saw something he wanted, but being the poor child he was, he had to work extra hard and do xyz to get it.  After some time I had all together ignored his advice, simply waiting on my parents to do everything for me.  But in this very moment, this golden, shining moment of my memory, my father gave me a piece of advice, one which stood apart from all others.  When I asked him about what his dream as a child was, he told he this:

I always dreamed of having a good family and being able to take them to all of the places I've been. But when I was a kid, that was just a dream.  I never thought I'd get here.  I had to go through years of torture, but it was worth it.  I'm here now, taking my family to different places, having a great time with them.  I love my life now, and I hope you work hard enough so you can do the same things with your family.  I want you to love life.

This piece of advice struck a nerve in me, whether it was the setting, or the nostalgia, all of it places that advice in the center of my pearl necklace.

Assignment 19- Amanda Byerman

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Sound of Music. The passion, determination, and optimism of the story and the characters have been with me since childhood, and have impacted me radically. Julie Andrews as Maria has played the part of my best friend, mother, and wise grandmother, sometimes all at once. The best advice I’ve ever gotten all comes from that movie, whether it’s to climb every mountain or how to find confidence in both sunset and rain. Perhaps the one piece that has stuck with me the most, however, is delivered from Maria to her new daughter, Leisel on how to deal with heartbreak-

"You cry a little and then you wait for the sun to come out. It always does."

That reminder is one which has brought me out of some of the darkest times of my life. It moved me to come to a healthier terms with my emotions, to accept, feel, and move on rather than attempting to pretend the problem doesn’t exist. And learning to move on from that sort of thinking is an important part of my progress as a person which couldn’t have gone on without that immortal advice.

Assignment 18: Lena Ilagan

1.  If I were to finish High School without at least once having a genuine leadership position, formal or informal, I would be rather sad.  It's not even for college applications, just for my own self achievement.  I want to be recognized by my peers and superiors as someone who knows what they're doing and where they're going.  Though it may not seem like it, I am an unapologetic people pleaser.  I just want to please the right people.  My ultimate goal is to help my classmates succeed in some way at school, and get some form of credit for it, whether that be through leading a club, or simply leading tutoring sessions.
2. By the end of college, I would like to have written a book about my parents.  To me, they have lived some of the most interesting and complex lives, and have some way or another ended up here in a nice town living the American dream.  It would be a bit of a disgrace not to honor them in some way (holy smokes that sounds so asian), but really, they deserve it.  I would be spitting on everything they gave me if I had.  Also, if it was a hit, it would definitely help pay off my college tuition.
3. When I am old and wrinkly and sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of my picturesque, two story house on the New England Coast, wealthy from the life insurance of my highly successful spouse who died from an untimely and unanticipated death, I will look back on my life, hopefully with great happiness, all the while telling young whippersnappers to get off my lawn.  However, none of that would ever happen if I never met a wealthy, single lawyer or doctor or CEO, preferably in their mid fifties to sixties, who tragically lost their spouse and was in dire need of a close companion.  I would then swoop in, saving them from the eternal pit of despair and loneliness, providing them care and companionship until their death.  My life would not be complete unless I found myself a sweet sweet sugar spouse.

Assignment 17: Lena Ilagan

One of my favorite directors is Wes Anderson.  The color, the feel, and the cinematography of all of his films are all absolutely spectacular.  Anderson manages to create visual masterpieces out of spectacular and crazy stories, all the while incorporating iconic sounds and music.  Given the prompt of this blog, I eagerly binged two of my favorite Wes Anderson films: Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.  Both movies are stunning in their cinematography, and entertaining in every way possible.
Fantastic Mr. Fox, an adaptation of the Roald Dahl book of the same name, offers more than an eccentric and hilarious plot; the film gives its viewers a visual feast of stop-motion animation.  Each of the hand-crafted scenes incorporates color into the mood, with earthy, orange, and reddish tones eliciting homey, comfortable feeling, and harsh, grey, and white ones representing the tyrannical rule of the three villains.  The color is an integral part to the film, just as its plot.
Just as Fantastic Mr. Fox offers viewers a sumptuous feast of color, as does the Grand Budapest Hotel.  The plot of the film is even more outlandish and ridiculous as Fantastic Mr. Fox, and also incorporates color into its mood.  Whereas Mr. Fox stuck to two basic color schemes, the Grand Budapest Hotel expanded their dimension, dipping into bright, carnival colors.  The electric purples and bright golds of the film all in conjunction with the innumerable amount of colors all create an atmosphere of disbelief and silliness, which adds to the humorous plot of the film.

Assignment 19- Shalom Saldana

 A piece of advice you're stuck with me from a very young age was that anything is possible long as you apply yourself. We are in control of our lives even if it doesn't seem like it at the time everything happens for reason  and that reason is because we wanted to. Things don't happen by circumstance they happen because somebody intentionally made an attempt to make it happen. if you want to grow up to be a millionaire then you have to wake up every morning and put an effort into achieving your goal. It's not gonna happen just by half assing your way through the day. There are two types of learners in a general sense. The first type is a person who has to apply themselves and try harder than others just to be on the same level. The second  is a person who doesn't have to necessarily try but understands the information without having to put forth effort. eventually these two people become one in the same because the point in our lives we stumble upon a situation where we  have to put forth the necessary application to be able to overcome the obstacle. At this point this is where the second learner realizes that everyone has to try at least once in their lives. Once you come to this realization it becomes much easier to achieve the most impossible but everything is possible if you just try.

Assignment 18- Shalom Saldana

 The number one item on my bucket list before I finish high school is to be excepted into college. I don't have any doubts in my acceptance to college or my academic success but it is my top priority as of now. The University of Kentucky is the university that I'm looking at right now Because that is what is most financially beneficial for me.
 For a finish college I want to visited every national park in the United States. I've always been interested in traveling but I feel that before I travel to other countries around the world that I should see as much of the country I grew up in.   This isn't too far of a stretch because they're only around 60 national parks. If I were to visit one national park every day it would take approximately two months to knock this off of my bucket list.
Before I die I want to learn to speak four languages fluently. I know English and Spanish but I would also like to learn to speak a European language and an Asian language.I want to visit countries in those continents and I feel that speaking additional languages will allow me to enjoy my experience as much as possible.

Assignment 17- Shalom Saldana

The genre of my choice was the genre comedy. I enjoy Comedy movies more so than other movie genres because I enjoy laughing. Did you movies I chose were Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber.I chose the two movies because one of my favorite actors, Jim Carrey, plays a main role  in both of them. As a child I love the movie dumb and dumber and I would watch it time and time again. Both of the two movies previously stated use childish humor to engage the audience along with a somewhat serious plot. Dumb and dumber involves two characters, both  usually playing rules in comedy, whom travel across the country and involve themselves with strangers. These two comedic characters end up conflicting with criminals in leading them to the police. in Ace Ventura Jim Carrey plays the primary role  and involves himself with criminals as well but this time the story is driven by his search for the lost pet. Personally I prefer Ace Ventura because Jim Carrey is the only primary character . The character that is Jim Carrey is able to express himself freely rather than beingrestricted by a complementary character. Jim Carrey's true childish behavior is demonstrated in the entire audience is able to Focus all of their attention on Jim Carrey.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/976061758/ratings

zachary langdon 20, 3nkr!qtt10n0n0n0n

You’re not safe. Everything you do in your browser and apps is open for anyone to see. Passwords, photos, location, and anything else sent through the internet is vulnerable. Here’s how to lock it. First, an interactive of what is visible on the unprotected web. ( https://www.eff.org/pages/tor-and-https ) The easiest step is to download the https extension ( https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/https-everywhere/gcbommkclmclpchllfjekcdonpmejbdp?hl=en-US ) It will turn on encryption by default for every site you visit. Other ways of hassle free security are to encrypt your phone and messaging. Encryption is already on for nexus and pixel phones. For other android and iOS devices, go to the password settings, set a password (not a pin, and defiantly not no password), and then enable encryption, android has a box labeled encryption under security setting, iPhone enables it once a password or touch id is on. Messaging is also pretty easy on the iPhone. Blue iPhone-to-iPhone iMessages are encrypted. Whatsapp allows encryption in the settings, but by far the best is Signal. It's available on both iOS and android, and is encrypted when talking with another signal user, otherwise it acts like a normal, fully featured (yes it has stickers) texting app. Gmail is mostly encrypted and good for everyday use. If you really need perfect email security (say you wanted to leak some internal orders from an administration you didn’t like) use Protonmail. It's Swedish, it's developed by CERN and MIT, and literally housed in a mountain. It's fully encrypted email for free, and it too is fully featured (I’m not going to recommend anything troublesome here, all of this is install it and go. It’s all state of the art encryption in simple, elegant packaging) lastly, and most importantly, passwords. Encryption does nothing without strong passwords. Check your passwords here ( https://howsecureismypassword.net ). Then change them. A few quick tips are sub in numbers for letters, e>3, a>@, i>1, s>5, o>0 and use phrases like supersecure, becomes 5up3r53cu3. Using a phrase and replacement allows for rememberable and secure passwords because it decreases the number of mental bits it takes to remember. 3d37g6G57F is the same strength, but take 10 bits to remember because it has no meaning, so you must remember each letter, in sequence, individually. A two-word phrase reduces it to three bits, 2 words and replacment. Not to mention your get really quick once you've got into the habit of entering it.

Assignment 17: Horray for Hollywood- Jake Tucker

Recently, I sat down to watch two movies to complete this assignment. I decided to watch two James Cameron movies, Avatar and The Titanic, and I will say hat they are completely different. There is really only one thing these two films have in common, and that is the length, both being very long movies that take too long to get to the point the audience really wants to see. Other than that they are completely different. Avatar has high tech animation and breath-taking graphics telling the story of blue, monkey people, and The Titanic is mostly about two teenagers falling in love on a boat that everybody knows will sink. While James Cameron is the director for both movies, one obviously could not tell, and this shows his great range as a directoer. He is able to produce both movies very successfully, evidenced by the awards both movies won. They are both good movies and show what is possible in Hollywood.

Assignment 19- John Felty

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer, he told me to not let his illness affect how I live my life. It was a really tough thing to deal with. Sometimes I felt myself just falling back whether it was in school or my personal life. It really struck me in the early months, but now his words seem more relevant to me. Although I will always remember him and be sad that he passed, I shouldn't let it drag me down and I should still try to be my very own personal best, just like he used to encourage me to be. Now I'm not so hung up on the past and I have been able to live my life. But, some key moments in my coming-of-age have felt empty because he hasn't been there to guide me through them, most significantly was the transition from middle to high school.

Assignment 18- John Felty

High School
1. Have a more specific idea of what I want to do when I grow up,
2. Get a job so I can pay for gas and other things that I want to buy
3. Pick a college that suits me.
4. Make the All-City Football team my Senior Year
*The most important one on this list to me is to get a job. I've been meaning to apply for one but I have not found the motivation to do so yet because I feel tired all of the time.
College
1. Possibly play football
2. Join a fraternity (undecided)
3. Get in a serious relationship
4. Begin my career early and build on it through and with schooling.
*Right now I'm really wanting to play football at UK, even if I'm just a walk-on. I really want the perks that come with being a college athlete.
Life
1. Travel and explore
2. Go to every single UK Basketball game in a season, home and away
3. Get married and have kids (duh)
4. Be remembered for something, whether it's for being famous or for just being a stand-up guy.
*Recently I've wondered a lot about my legacy and what I'll leave behind for my family to remember me by because I surely don't know who my great great grandparents were. (obviously they weren't memorable enough, but will that be me to my future great great grandchildren.)

zachary langdon 19, focal point

Edges are sharp. They jab, they slice, prick and prod. They are damaging. The edges of the bell curve are the sharpest part. The extremes are never the ideal. The fastest stumble and the slowest are eaten. Both idiots and intellectuals can have hurtful confidence. The weak and the powerful can be cruel. It is the center which succeeds. They are don’t harm because they don’t have too little to too much power. They exist in the “just right” between all extremes. This is moderation, “the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior or political opinions.” It has been passed to me by my father, and its merits are beautifully expansive. It applies to all facets of life, from political to metaphysical. While not my guiding light, it is the strongest of my pilot flames. I believe in uncertainty, then the promotion of the greatest good. I achieve the second through moderation. Because harm most readily comes from extremes, maximizing the good best stems from the center. Of my many general principles of action, it is the most potent. Thank for lighting the path dad.

Assignment 19: Sheridan Wagner

                There is one thing that my mom told me when I was about nine that has stuck with me my whole life. I have framed my entire personality around it. Before my mom was born my grandmother had a seven-year-old daughter named Carrie. One day she was out riding her bike and was hit by a drunk driver. They admitted her to the hospital where she was declared brain dead. My mom told me about how her mother and her father actually visited the driver of the car, who had also been admitted to the hospital due to shock, and forgave him. When I asked her why she told me that it was because hating someone requires too much energy and too much time. Hating someone is a commitment and if you truly hate someone why would you spend that much energy to simply spite them. She told me that the closest thing to love was hate and I shouldn’t waste my energy on anything less than love.

I don’t take the word “hate” gently. It’s a strong word that shouldn’t be wasted on petty disagreements. And I don’t think I have ever hated anyone. I pride myself on my ability to look past differences, to look past hate and tell myself that there are far more productive ways to spend my time. I don’t give people the privilege of being hated because if I hate them that means that on some deeper level I must care about them. In order to hate someone, you have to care enough to waste your strength on spiting them. You have to put effort into it and I was taught to never put my effort into anything less than love.

Will Blitch - Assignment 19

One lesson that has stuck with me and has been told to me by multiple people is the sentiment that, if you aren’t giving everything you do your maximum effort then you won’t be very successful, and you are doing yourself and everyone else a disservice. This lessons has proven to be very true to me. It is no doubt that I don’t always follow this advice. At times it ver difficult to find the motivation to give something everything you can give. This is especially true if you are doing something that you aren’t excited about or otherwise are indifferent to. For example it is hard to completely apply myself to a school assignment if it doesn’t interest me. However I find that when I do try my hardest I often times do very well. It is much easier to find motivation to try hard when I am climbing because I love climbing and I strive for success. 

Assignment 17- John Felty

Recently I have two movies that I suppose you could classify as dramas. I watched Charlie St. Cloud, a story about an older brother who deals with the loss of his younger brother in a car crash, and Good Will Hunting, the story of a math wiz who doesn't apply himself. Both movies were great and really invoke emotion, but they do this in two different ways. In Charlie St. Cloud the audience is saddened by the loss of the little brother and watching Charlie struggle in the years after imagining his little brother as he "plays catch with him." I feel that this directly invoked emotion, whereas in Good Will Hunting I don't know where it comes from. The ending of this movie was particularly mind-blowing to me, when Will uses Robin William's character's own words about him going to "see about a girl." At that point I was like, "Woah. This movie is trippin." Different from Charlie St. Cloud, I can't quite put a finger on a particular event within Good Will Hunting that I can specify an emotion it made me feel, yet somehow after watching the entire thing I was left in awe.

Thomas Kinchen- Assignment 17

War Dogs(2016)

3.5 Stars: War dogs is a very good movie if you want to see that specific genre of movie. The development of the characters was a little subpar and I would've liked for the main characters to have more backstory. Yo never get a real backstory on the main characters' relationship back when they were best friends. But performances from Miles Teller and Jonah Hill hep the movie gain the audience's attention and a compelling true story help this movie become a good movie to watch.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/975777012/ratings

Assignment 18: Sheridan Wagner

1.       34 or above on the ACT

2.       Not fail at graduate school

3.       Visit most the places I want to visit before I “kick the bucket”

On a scale from 1 to 3, 1 being least important and 3 being most important, these are already in order. I have already gotten a relatively good score on the ACT and I’m not worried about getting a better one. I’m not at all worried about getting into undergrad because it’s basically and extension of high school except at a college. You can go almost anywhere and as long as you work hard you can get into any graduate program, so I really don’t care about undergrad. And then my second highest ranked is pretty self-explanatory. Since I plan on going into a highly competitive program I really don’t want to fail. Number 3 is the most important to me because ever since I was in sixth grade I have formed a list a places I want to visit. There are far too many to name and I would take up over 150 words doing so, but some of them are visiting Death Valley during a super bloom, Havasupai Falls in Arizona, and Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in China.

Will Blitch - Assignment 18

High school Bucket List: 

-Climb v10 

-Get accepted to College

-Get my full license 

My number one priority for High School is getting accepted to college. This is my number one because it will unlock my future and getting into a good college is essential to accomplishing my goals in life. 

College Bucket List: 

-Get a girlfriend 

-Get into/complete med school

-Get a better job to support myself while in school

-Have my own place to live 

My number one priority on this list is completing/getting accepted into Med school. My goal right now is to become a doctor. This could change by the time I get into college, however as of now there is nothing that I want more than to become a doctor. 

Life Bucket List:

-Buy a House

-Travel the World

-Be a successful doctor

-Boulder v14

My number one priority on this list is to travel the world. The world we live in is vast and I don’t want to die not having seen as much of it as I can. 

Assignment 17: Sheridan Wagner

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/976061596

Will Blitch - Assignment 17

For this blog I chose to watch to movies by well known and loved director Steven Spielberg. The two movies that I watched are Jaws and Indiana Jones. The two movies are similar in many of the shots, lighting, and sound choices. Both feature close ups of the protagonist in moments of high action of tension. The also are well lit through out. the colors are vibrant and vivid. Both movies feature a focus on the scores. There are iconic tracks from each movie that almost anybody could match to the movie. Both soundtracks are written by the legendary John Williams. However the overall plots and themes of the movies are drastically different. Indiana Jones is a light hearted action movie about treasure hunting. Jaws on the other hand is a horror/thriller about a small town cop hunting down a massive man eating shark. Both feature a morally concrete Hero. 

Assignment 19- Grace Bond

The best piece of advice I have ever received is a cliché, but a powerful one at that. Throughout my whole life I have heard people telling me to only worry about myself and not what others think of me. It was about 14.5 years before I really took that advice seriously at all. It’s easy to hear that and believe that that’s what you’re doing, even when it’s not. Dressing nicely every day can be for you, but often isn’t. If you’ve ever thought “What would _________ think of this?” and it actually changes your opinion of the outfit, you’re not doing it for you. You’re doing it for them. The day I started wearing what was comfortable and what I was happy with was the day my life became happier. I know that dressing nicely can sometimes put me in a great mood, but I also know how much I value comfort in my outfits. The clothing example is just a small piece of this lifestyle, however. Between freshman and sophomore year, I basically became a different person. I was so fragile and susceptible to others’ opinions, and now I know that the only person whose opinion matters is me. It is so relieving to not have to worry about others constantly and it is what has made me a happier person.

Assignment 17 - Grace Bond

Rotten Tomatoes review of La La Land

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/976061048/rating/771418254

Assignment 19: Sadie Marsh

The most impactful piece of advice I have received would be “see the bigger picture.” As you grow up and mature your ability to see the bigger picture or to see beyond one event, gets better. Children do not have the ability to see how little one event will impact their whole life. They only see what is right in front of them.

Losing your favorite toy, coloring outside of the lines, eating one more cookie than you were allowed. None of those will matter 10 years, a year, or in a month. These are small problems that won’t keep you from doing anything (except maybe eating anymore cookies for a while) that you really want or need to do in life. At the time, they are a huge deal.

 In reality, that one ‘F’ you got on that math test won’t keep you from going to college. But when that test is sitting right in front of you, and you can see that big, red ‘F’, it seems like it is the end of the world.

This piece of advice is something I remember when something goes wrong. 

Assignment 18 - Grace Bond

High School Bucket List:

1. Go vegan!

2. Start donating blood regularly.

3. Go to that party. Yeah, you know the one.

For me, the most important on this list is going vegan. Yu can probably tell from my first-semester final that I am passionate about it, but sometimes I am a total hypocrite in that department. I know how beneficial it is to live on a plant-based diet and yet I still don’t follow one. Ugh.

College Bucket List:

1. Campaign the hell out of the 2020 election!

2. Get into law school or at least figure out what you want to do with your life.

3. Study abroad at least once.

4. Be outgoing.

It’s hard to choose which of these is more important for me. I am a pretty politically active person so of course I will do everything I can to get that lunatic we call president out of office. But I also really need to be way more outgoing. I’m not shy by any means, but college could be a whole new world. It’s possible I know almost no one going in and I refuse to be that girl that doesn’t do anything about it.

Life Bucket List:

1. Travel, travel, travel!

2. Get out of your comfort zone. Every change you get.

3. Be happy, whether that includes a husband, kids, or 37 cats. Yeah, probably the latter.

My #1 here has to be getting out of my comfort zone! That can lead to life-changing events and it's just straight up fun. I am starting this mindset now, but as an adult not tied down by anything except probably a job, the world is mine. Traveling alone? Eek! But you can bet your ass I’ll do it, just because I want to experience new things. Good and bad.

Assignment 20: Ellie Phillips

How to make a bed:

Step 1: items- grab all the sheets and blankets you want.

Step 2: fitted sheet- at the top of the bed put the sheet around the bottom corners. Then head to the end of the bed and repeat. This is the trickiest part of bed-making- don’t pull too hard on the sheet or it will come untucked from the top.

Step 3: basic sheet- layover bed and set the sheet at the head of the bed about an inch or two short of the edge of the mattress. Make sure the bed is in the middle of the sheet. Then tuck in the sheet at the foot of the bed and on the sides about halfway to the top. Dont tuck it in all the way on the sides because you need to get into and out of bed.

Step 4: comforter- The comforter follows the same process as described in step 3.

Step 5: blanket- No one likes being overheated while sleeping, so fold the blanket and lay it at the foot of the bed. This way if you are cold, you have easy access to a new layer of warmth.

Step 6: pillows- Place pillows, however many you prefer, at the top of the bed. Fluff up the pillows and angle them just so that they’ll sit up well.

Step 7: Enjoy a nicely made bed.

Assignment 19: Ellie Phillips

When I went to TLS, I focused on grades a little too much and got easily stressed out. My 7th grade physics teacher, Mr. Johnson, recognized how this attitude was unhealthy and damaging. One day when I eventually broke down, he pulled me aside to tell me a story about an astronaut named Story. NASA needed to repair the Hubble telescope, and put Story Musgrave to the daunting task. He trained in Florida for months practicing repairs within a strict time limit, and worked tirelessly to perfect his form. His ability to service the entire telescope within about 2 hours was crucial as Story had limited oxygen and the telescope needed to be reentered into its orbit at the correct time. During the mission, Story zoned in and repaired with pace. But about an hour and a half into frantically working, he paused and told himself  to “Look around, Story”. As he took a moment to turn around, he saw the earth and its breathtaking glow. And with that image, a calm washed over him and he finished the repairs rather than caving to pressure. Story succeeded in his task, but more importantly gained perspective. What I gathered that day, changed how I approach life in the general and in the specifics. No matter what I am doing, no matter how important it seems, no matter how much pressure it brings, I always tell myself to “look around”. I thank Mr. Johnson for his advice, but more importantly by bringing my life into perspective.

Assignment 18: Ellie Phillips

Before I finish high school I’d like to have traveled to a few countries in Europe. I’m planning on going to Italy and Ireland this year, so I’ll actually be able to accomplish this goal. I chose travelling as an item because I’m interested in the culture and landscape of the world.

Before I finish college, I’d like to find an area of work that I'm passionate about. I know that we have so much time in life to figure things out, but it would be really swell if I could have some direction in my life before I finish college.

This is cheesy, but to me the number one item on my bucket list before I die is to find love. We can never know the true purpose of life, but love itself has purpose To me, being happy, is all I could ever want, and I think that love and happiness go hand in hand. So yes, love is the most important.

Assignment 20- Joonyoung Park

How to make a pb&j sandwich

First you need to find a toaster, a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, and a knife. Get two pieces of bread and put it in the toaster. When the two pieces of toast are ready, get the knife and spread peanut butter on one side of a piece of toast. Now for the jelly. Get a knife and spread jelly on the other piece of toast. After you have spread the desired amount of peanut butter and jelly on your toast, it is time to put the two together. Making sure the two sides with peanut butter and jelly are facing each other, put the two together. Now it is finally time to eat. After you are finished, repeat if desired.

Assignment 18: Buckets and Buckets - Amanda Byerman

Before I finish high school, I want to learn to take some chances, some risks. I want to figure out how to appreciate this time in my life when I have the freedom to do what I want without having to worry about taxes or debts or kids. Right now, I am so consequence-oriented that I refuse to take chances. I want to learn and grow during this time and take advantages of the opportunities I have now.

Before I finish college, I do have a more specific goal: to be able to travel outside of the United States. Ideally, I would be able to study abroad in at least three different countries. I think college is all about getting those new experiences, to explore and grow and find yourself, and I think a necessary part of that for me is to be able to experience different cultures and places to figure out what I like and what I want to do with my life.

Before I die, I want to feel successful and fulfilled in my life and what I’ve done with it, both in my personal and professional life. I hope that my life will have prepared me so that I can come to terms with my accomplishments and find happiness in those, even if they don’t match what my goals are right now.

Assignment 19- Saurav Khadka

In my short 16 years on this good Earth, I have received countless bits of advice on countless topics. From hearing "It is best to be a doctor and I highly advise you to be nothing else" as I came out of the womb, to "Don't do drugs and alcohol, they are the bane of society" in my teenage years now. Most of these have just flown over my head as they are just cliche or I just don't have an interest in them. However, during 8th grade, as my grandpa was battling cancer, he told me "I don't regret anything, neither should you." I don't think he was particularly trying to advise me, but rather just speaking to me abstractly. It stuck to me though and made me think. As we go through lives, we do things that looking back on it may have caused harmful effects, but since it is already done, there is no point in regretting the past. Rather, embrace it and make the best of it. Ever since, when an event transpires that may cause detriment, I fathom over how to fix it but never whether I should've done something else.

zachary langdon 18 systems of buckets

Nih school

• Resolve the moldability of Neoutilitarianism
• This is the critical flaw with my ethical guidelines, they are too flexible. While perfect in theory, it realistically allows for multiple – potentially bad – outcomes as it required consequences assessment that is easily skewed to fit preference. Resolving this must be accomplished for such pliability leaves it exposed to societal shifts, undermining its end.
• Marvel at existence of things
• Succeed within the system

Carrege

• Try to practice Neoutilitarianism
• I will care about things. What they will are and have been I cannot know (see future). Hopefully I will have a upholdable moral theory to guide me in my caring
• Understand more systems.
• Succeed within the system

Strife

• Embrace the uncertainty of existence
•  Chiefly I must conclude that I am so unlikely to know if I know, that all attempts at discerning knowledge have too high an ability to fail to be relied upon. All knowledge is pragmatic belief.
• Marvel at the passage of time
• Change the system so it succeeds 

Assignment 20- Nicole Loy

How to Dance-

Dancing takes up a majority of my time. At least fifteen hours a week to be exact. While I may not be perfect at dancing, I do know a thing or two about how to be at least moderately good in this art form. The first thing I would recommend is to watch other people dance. Whether that is watching YouTube videos or going to local performances, watching others dance will help you to create your own style and know exactly what type of dance is best suited for you. Next, I would suggest actually signing up for a dance class. This can be at a local dance studio. The instructors will help teach you the basics and you can work your way up from there. Before you attend the class, however, you should go to a dance store and purchase some clothes and shoes that are appropriate for whichever style you plan to take. I would also recommend stretching for at least fifteen minutes before you go to class, as you do not want to pull a muscle or harm yourself. When at the classes, pay attention to the instructors and listen to their critiques. Try to apply solutions to your corrections whenever you can. You should also enjoy yourself. Dance is about responding to the music and everyone has his or her own style. There is no “right” way to dance. Just feel the music and let it take you away. Lastly, I would suggest to just keep practicing and working hard.