Farewell, My Friends

It's been a great year with you, "Spin." To all my readers, best of luck in your future endeavors, and perhaps I will randomly update this sometime in my future. Maybe if I'm sick or have a moment of free time in college; we'll see what happens. I hope you've enjoyed what I have had to say and other topics that I may have brought to your attention. My main goal was to improve my readiness to write, and I think being able to write whatever and whenever I want to helped that goal tremendously.

Thanks Mizzay for forcing me to do this!

Much Love,
Lindsey

(PS: keep watching tennis ;) )

(112)

Confession: My Worst Day of School.... Ever.

*I bet you thought I was going to talk about me, well lets talk about something that is terrible for me to listen to.
            Gun laws have been the hot topic of the news lately, and a recent news story really got me thinking on a topic that is now considered the ‘social norm.’ “Do video games cause increased violence in children?” This was also a practice ACT question that was always hard for me to defend because it’s touchy and you need a lot of evidence. My answer and opinion to this controversy would be that it does not cause a child or young adult to be more violent, but it desensitizes the idea of killing someone or what a gun can really do to someone.

            I am not trying to cause an uproar of comments or a bunch of, “you’re wrong and I’m right” debates, but I am just saying that you do not need a mass-murder weapon like the ones used in the Sandy Hook Elementary or Aurora, Colorado theatre shootings. My manager at work (who trains children gun and knife safety at Boy Scout camp) would argue that you do need guns. I honestly never really listen to him when he explains his reasoning to me, partly because I don’t like debates about current events, and also because I don’t like listening to topics that are currently sensitive in modern day culture.

            The argument on the news was that President Obama should do something about the video game industry and the ratings on violent video games. My questions are: What else can he do? What else is there for video game companies to do? The problem isn’t the ratings on the games, the problem is the parents who buy their children the video games and then wonder why they are always consumed in them. Call of Duty is rated M for MATURE. This means anyone ages seventeen and up. Yet, parents still buy their 8 year olds these games. Do they not realize what they are letting their child do? Basically, they are telling the child that they can have anything they want and do whatever they want when they are given the freedom to play a violent video game. I know that it’s not a real life scenario, but what happened to the innocence in children? Why can’t they play Super Mario Bros and be happy? Parents who buy their young children video games are basically conforming to the social norm of the ‘cool, new thing,’ without thinking twice about what the game actually is. There is nothing wrong with the video game industry, nor President Obama’s action on this topic, it’s something that is happening in American families that needs to be taken care of.  (462)

Crime is Pride

Think: all men make mistakes

But a good man yeilds when he

Knows his course is wrong,

And repairs the evil: The only

Crime is pride.

-Teiresias

 

Although we have not directly talked about this in class, I think pride and self-judgement is important to take note of. Just like in the article "This is Water" David Wallace Foster discusses the fact that the majority of the human race, including himself is self-centered and has self-centered thoughts. Just like in the quote from Teiresias, when someone knows something is wrong, he tries to fix it even though it's still bad. Because we are always so worked up and worried about doing something wrong, the crime is not doing something wrong, but worrying about our pride and what people think of us. It's important to be nice to others at all times and everyone is bound to make mistakes at some point, so why do we always rush to fix the bad? The bad times are what builds us back up and teaches us a lesson. Only we can fix our future, and the only way to keep adjusting is to keep learning new things.

 

From what I have seen in the outside world; whether it's babysitting, watching people while shopping, or driving down the street, people worry too much about what others think. Their pride is everything to them. Heaven forbid you picked your nose while driving. Seriously, life will move on and you probably will never see that other driver ever again. I would agree that picking your nose is gross, but there are worse things you could do in life. Don't worry about the aggressive tailgator behind you, worry about yourself. Just like in school, "keep your hands to yourself" and "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Even adults need to listen to those more often and realize you don't need to unconsciously put someone down just because it makes you feel better- it's mean, so please just stop. Finally, we constantly judge others while at the same time others judge us. Why do we feel the need as humans to put others down to boost our pride? It seems like we all have it backwards. Everyone just needs to be nice to each other- no violence, no fights, no cattyness, no nothing.

 

Be a good citizen and be nice to everyone you meet.  (401)

PROM! :)

            Prom was on Saturday, and that means the majority of the school dressed up, took pictures, went to dinner, and then the dance at school. Everyone has their own interpretation of homecoming. Dictionary.com defines homecoming as an annual event held by a college, university, or high school for visiting alumni.  Times have changed in many ways, and now it seems like homecoming is a decision on how much to spend, what to do, and where to go.

            I think that it is important to have at least one formal dance, especially for the underclassmen, since they cannot go to prom. I know that I definitely enjoy getting dressed up and going out with friends for a night. But to me, the formality that comes with Homecoming has become a bit too extravagant and overdone. If you feel that it is important to go all out on Homecoming, that's totally ok with me, but it is not a priority for me. I guess you have to think to yourself.... is it really worth $250 for a new dress, shoes, getting your hair done, and a mani-pedi for one night? Personally, I believe that you can accomplish the same look with a lot less paper or plastic involved. When you think back to high school and look through old photographs twenty years from now, we will all probably be nearing the big four zero. Will it really mater to you if you bought a designer dress and shoes, and spent hours on your makeup? By 2032, your kids will probably think everyone looked hideous, so why worry now?

            My Saturday plans were originally to go to the Iowa game in the afternoon (I am a dedicated fan), which would still leave me enough time to get ready for Homecoming once I got home. However, because I have a part-time job, that means that sometimes I can’t do everything that I want, when I want. Fortunately, my boss and I were able to work something out. I worked in the afternoon until five and had the evening off so I could still go to the dance. My friend Amanda is a swimmer and they had an away meet until 4:40pm and did not get back into town until 5:40. If any of you were complaining about not having enough time to get ready, try getting ready in less than 30 minutes!

            I think that WPA (Women Pay All) should be informal. It would be so much more fun if we actually had a theme for our dance like a “rave,” and everyone wore a white t-shirt with jeans, or whatever neon they wanted. It would probably be ten times more comfortable while you are dancing or grinding, whatever you prefer, and student government would finally have a reason to create a theme. Another high school in our area does that, and it seems so fun just from looking at their pictures. If the administration still wanted WPA to be formal because they are afraid girls would complain because they buy their dresses in advance, they should add another dance like Toga (dress in costumes) or a Dance Marathon (to raise money) that is specifically meant to be for fun, not who has the cutest dress.  (543)

New Tennis Law

            Tuesday nights are something to look forward to during the stressful, hectic, and “lack of sleep” school week. Tennis lessons at Elmcrest Country Club began on the 23^rd. The purpose of these is to begin hitting and practicing so that we are not so rusty when the regular season begins. That way we spend more time working on technique and improving specific skills. Sarah, Marisa, and I are captains this year so we had to get people excited about this opportunity so that we can continue our tradition to state and have a great and successful (for me, senior) tennis season.

            Our first lesson went well and it was fun to play again! I don’t think that coaches are allowed to coach players on the court before the actual season starts, so Coach isn’t at the lesson. Of course, there is a staff member that makes sure we don’t burn down the place. J Because Iowa is an arctic place in the winter and is known for its brutal winters and snowstorms, Elmcrest set up a bubble, which is placed over their outdoor tennis courts until it’s warms enough to play outside. However, it was 75 degrees on Tuesday night, and the bubble was quite warm because it wasn’t set up for those weather conditions. If it hadn’t been so dark, we probably would have played outside and it would have been nicer outside.

Marisa and I are doubles partners and we have been all throughout high school. We played singles against each other on Tuesday because there were 10 people at the lesson and the other eight were playing doubles against each other. The point of the lesson is to practice and improve on your own so it actually worked out well because you have to review and practice singles at some point. Marisa and I don’t like to play each other that much. This is because we know how each other plays too much and we are at the same playing level pretty much. Despite the cons, because of this, we continually learn from our mistakes and improve because we are pushed to play our hardest in practice. 9/10 times it will be extremely close, probably down to a point for a tie.

I am pumped for the spring season and ready to practice in the off-season. I am also eager to see what the season will bring and what we can accomplish with our hardest work and best effort.  (413)

Pro v. Con

           Cougar Advisory Council is a group of students from all different parts of our high school that meet together over lunch and discuss issues and events with our principal. These include topics that we feel are important, need to be adjusted, or other random recommendations that we have always wanted to tell someone. On Tuesday the 23^rd, Happy Joe’s Pizza, cookies, and bottles of water were served. It was quite delicious; however it was tough picking between Cougar Advisory Council and Lovely Lane. This is why Cougar Advisory Council should be on crappy school lunch days. Examples: Beef and Noodles, Hot Shredded Beef Sandwich, Fruit Plate, etc. Avoid Tuesdays, Tortellini, Turkey Gravy, and Corn Dogs. Those are the finest meals made by our marvelous lunch ladies. Of course it isn’t just about the food, just one of the greatest perks of being in this group. We meet once a month, and it’s based by your lunch shift. A and C lunch has it first, and then some other day B and D lunch gets to meet. Since I have B lunch, our meeting was Tuesday verses A and C on Monday. Certainly not the end of the world though.

            After Dr. W took attendance, she asked us to introduce ourselves to the group and tell her the class we look forward to most during the day and our most challenging course. I responded with AP Chemistry and AP Language and Composition as my favorite(s) and AP Spanish as my most challenging. Everyone in my AP Spanish class agreed, but it truly is my most difficult. Not because of the teacher, but because of the extensive and intense content.

            There wasn’t much time for suggestions at the end so I suppose I will share this with the group next time. I believe that we should rotate lockers every year. Although this will not affect current seniors, I believe that it is important because everyone should get the equal amount of locker privileges. The current senior class has lockers down by the gym and has been down there for all four years of high school. Long story short, those lockers are in a really inconvenient location. They are not near the majority of classrooms and not near the foyer or main stairways. My idea would be to always have the freshmen down by the gym. That way they would not block the hallways in the mornings, and it would be their own secluded area to make new friends. Plus, I’m sure a lot of parents pick up and drop off down on that end as well.

            The reason why I thought of this is because my locker is really inconvenient. I park in the North lot. This means that I basically walk from one end of the school to the other, just to put away my coat, umbrella, and what may have you. The biggest disappointment in my opinion was that my freshman year of high school, I had a locker just off the foyer. I was never really sure why my friend and I were put down there but we were and it was awesome. It was very convenient, especially when I fractured my ankle and my dad had to help me carry my backpack in on the first day back with my ‘boot.’ Then they announced that all lockers were to be relocated so that each grade could be together. My locker partner and I even wrote the counselor a note asking to keep our current locker on the last day of school. It unfortunately did not work. Either that or the message never got passed along. Well now here I am three years later and still strongly disliking the fact that our lockers never change, and we always had the near-gym lockers. If things don’t change, have fun with your lockers next year, Class of 2017….  (648)

Tragedy Week in the USA

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/16/mid-april-often-brings-tragedy/

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/april-15th-historically-week-full-american-tragedies/

                It’s been a terrible, emotional rollercoaster this week in the United States. Not only have bad things been happening in 2013, the month of April in history reveals many more things that simply should never have happened. Let’s begin with dates and evidence from sources: The Elite Daily and CBS Miami.

·         April 15^th:

-1865, assassination of Abraham Lincoln

-1912, sinking of the Titanic

-2013, Boston Marathon Bombings

·         April 16^th:

-2007, Virginia Tech University Massacre

·         April 17^th:

-1961, Bay of Pigs invasion fails

-2013, West Fertilizer Company explosion near Waco (in West Texas)

·         April 18^th:

-1983, terrorist attack by suicide bomber destroys US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon

-1906, magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocks San Francisco and northern California

·         April 19^th:

-1995, Oklahoma City Bombing

·         April 20^th:

-1999, Columbine High School shooting

-1889, Adolf Hitler was born

-2010, oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf coast

            Why do bad things happen? Why are all tragedies happening at once? The USA is going through some rough times. There are some sick people in the world, and some natural disasters that there is just no way of preventing. We need change and a trend of good to happen for America. Please pray for all bad to go away.  (211)

No Need to Fret

            The ‘AusOpen’ in case you are wondering, stands for the Australian Open which is currently underway in Melbourne, Australia. This is probably my favorite tennis tournament out of the four that are televised yearly. The other three are the French Open (Roland Garros), Wimbledon, and the US Open. Although they generally do last two weeks a piece, which seems like a considerable amount of time to a non-tennis player, this is nothing compared to the constant basketball, football, and baseball games that are ALWAYS on. Currently, everyone is complaining that ‘boring tennis’ is the only thing that you can watch on ESPN2. Well here is how I look at it: maybe it will be good for you to watch a sport that is generally overlooked and underappreciated, and you might even learn something new.

            In my opinion, one of the best things about the Australian Open is that it’s televised in January, which is Iowa’s frigid winter, but Melbourne’s steamy summer. It makes me want to be there just by watching. You can kind of imagine that you are there, so it’s sort of like a paradise getaway in your living room. The Aussie Open also has hard courts, which is what I play on during lessons at Elmcrest and during the tennis season at Kennedy, and in general, what the United States uses for a court surface. Rafael Nadal, my favorite tennis player and someone I look up to, had to miss the Australian Open because he was sick with the flu the week before and wouldn’t be able to compete to the best of his ability. Although I can’t watch him or cheer him on, I am rooting for Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Andy Murray of Great Britain. I like to think that Murray is American since that is a common last name; maybe my logic is incorrect but I suppose I can dream.

            Another great thing about watching the tournaments on TV is that I learn new things and can try them in my own playing game. It’s also fun to watch professionals use tactics that you use or have learned, and can couch them from the sidelines like they can hear you and you are their coach. Overall I can say that something about watching tennis is soothing for me. I don’t know if it’s the sound the balls make when they hit the court, or how quiet the match is, (since tennis is a relatively quiet sport, disregarding the tennis grunts and rowdy supporters). Tennis is just something I love.

            I am currently watching Ferrer play Almargo, both from Spain, in the men’s singles quarterfinal. It is quite intense, and they are pretty well-matched players. Every time I look up, the score is at deuce or is tied up. I am rooting for Ferrer since he is the underdog. The score, from the viewpoint of Ferrer, is 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 0-1 and has been going on for three hours and twenty minutes.

If you are thinking that this post has been very scattered, unorganized, and probably not very representative of my writing skills, please forgive me. I tried my best and I will edit this very soon!  (535)

Weird Lingo. Please Stop.

            With a changing world, we can expect a changing language. Regardless if what is changing is the dialect, accent, diction, sentence structure, style, tone, or the linguistics of the language, it is happening before our very own eyes. My sister, a Spanish Education major at the University of Northern Iowa, who in fact just graduated this past weekend, is someone who understands language and where it comes from. She is extremely interested in the roots and history of Spanish, where and how it’s used, the cultural aspect and relations with Hispanic cultures, and finally educating people on the Spanish language. I respect her deeply because she is well educated in this topic and deserves to get a job in order to put her passions into action. She understands real language, with real words, used in a correct manner.

            Some of my fellow classmates and underclassmen think they know everything about the English language, and those brainiacs probably even think they are fluent in Japanese by now… let me tell you, your hard work will pay off, but you haven’t learned everything yet dearies.

There are also the street kids who think they’re cool and use slang and other weird lingo to express their emotion and sound “cool.” Swerve, swag, ballin’, YOLO, ratchet, beast, whether new or old lingo is nevertheless, annoying.

While trying to pay attention in my AP Spanish class a couple of weeks ago, Jose, the sophomore Peruvian native continues to tap on his desk, kick his legs, and whisper “swerve” over and over. At first it was just irritating and I could ignore it, however after he continued to make nonsense comments after anything someone said, I simply said: “Jose! Stop trying to make yourself look cool by using a fake word!”

All I am asking for, and all I am trying to explain, for you, my reader, is to understand that it’s better to sound educated and smart by using correct grammar… promise me, it is! It’s ok to sound grammatically correct and for people to say: “Wow! This girl knows what she’s talking about!” Americans often complain that our education system is far behind Great Britain, Japan, China, and India to name a few. But if we allow our children and siblings to talk like that, and don’t bring any notion of change, we are only encouraging them and telling kids that it’s ok to talk like that.

Pick up a dictionary. Pick up a thesaurus. Get knowledge. Be proud of your education. Appreciate the education we get for free. Don’t take it for granted. Please: make the weird lingo stop.  (437)

Senioritis

            Wowzas can you say Senioritis is in the air?! For me, there are eight days of school left, that’s considering a day I will be gone for an AP Exam and another day gone for tennis at Pleasant Valley. The school year is winding down, and let me tell you, there’s not much winding happening… it feels like the last two weeks are going at the rate of a snail. As a senior I’m experiencing the “last events.” Last time putting in lunch money, last pep assembly, last tennis meet before tournament play, last tennis season, last school dance, last first day of school, and soon enough, the LAST last day of school (well in my K-12 career). There are last minute school projects to finish, oral final to prepare, study for my AP Exam, finish blogging and reading, get ready for my graduation party, pick out a laptop for my graduation present, come up with a birthday wishlist, figure out a lab by myself, and simply just survive for two. more. weeks. I really don’t dislike school; I just cannot stand the busy work, for example doing a ‘Diario’ when I could be reading for my AP Language and Composition class. In fact, I want to be an elementary school teacher and be part of the education process.

            Every trimester this feeling and routine happens from different points of view. The two week rush for teachers to cram everything in from the curriculum, students who would just like to sleep, but instead stay up until the crack of dawn just to scrape out work and extra studying for final exams. Sometimes I ask myself, why didn’t I start earlier? Why did I put some of this work off? Because in the long run, I feel better if the majority of my time is spent getting normal amounts of sleep, if it means a week where I feel like absolute crap.

            I just want graduation to come faster, play tennis in the warm sun, and work/keep busy this summer while spending time with my three best friends. I just need to remember to stay calm and let things happen at the appropriate pace. Everything will get done, I’m confident I can do it, take a deep breath and here we go with a wild ride….  (386)

One is Silver and the other's Gold

                I kind of, sort of, had a breakdown last night. I was questioning whether my friends were really my friends, among many other things. It’s complicated why I was having these thoughts and the only three people that really know what was going on were myself, my Mom, and God. This isn’t your typical high school friend drama where your best friend starts to date your ex and so on and so forth. This is just me being ready to move on to the next chapter of my life, meet new people, and become friends with people I probably never knew I could have so much in common with.
               I was upset because I have three good friends that are going to different colleges next year and I probably won’t see for a longer period of time. This will be much different from walking down the hallways of Kennedy every day and saying a brief “Hi!” to them. Concerned that they would forget me and I never would be able to stay friends with them, my Mom reassured me that if they’re good friends, you’ll stay in touch and stay friends. A good friend will always be there for you and will always stay your friend. This made me feel better- I get to keep my three best friends, meet new and relatable friends in college, and forget all of those that have been rude to me in the past.

            As Vitamin C says in her song: Graduation (Friends Forever) and the song we used to sing in Girl Scouts, “One is Silver and the other’s Gold.” This one’s for you, Ayla, Aliza, and Sarah; you guys are the old, but still the best. I used to think the song by Vitamin C was cliché and everyone was being overemotional about graduation. I think it’s ok to be emotional about the best of friends, and that’s why people cry at graduation- for the best of the best.

           As for the new, I am excited to see what the future holds for me at the University of Northern Iowa, and I’m ready to meet new people and make even better friends the next four years, and even into my career. This one’s for you: to the new, that I may not know yet, but I will, soon enough.  (387)

Katy Perry is my girl

            As I’m sitting here pondering thoughts of what to write and listening to Katy Perry on YouTube, “Part of Me” came up on the playlist. Now for a while, well actually most of high school, I wasn’t particularly fond of Katy Perry. I thought she was your typical LA girl who was very superficial and didn’t care about what she did with her life- whether it be party, drugs, or alcohol. That was very wrong of me to judge her like that, but after watching the Katy Perry Movie in 3D, I realized she is a real human being that can easily get hurt and enjoys the simplest things in life, just like me.

            Now call me crazy, weird, and any other demeaning adjective for actually enjoying the Katy Perry movie, but honestly I just don’t care. Sure there probably was little to no plot, but it made me think about how I pre-judged her and never gave her a chance. It gives people a perspective into a generally “superficial” lifestyle. Indeed there was bias and I did realize how bad it made Russell Brand look, however when you observed her getting up every day drained, exhausted, and feeling sick, just so her crazy and over-antsy makeup artists could put on her fake eyelashes so that the audience could get the “full-effect.” It upset me because all she wanted to do was lay on the couch in her robe with a towel on her head. But there were probably 20,000 fans waiting for her to perform and they would be so disappointed in her. Once you become a global role-model, you have to be at 100%, 100% of the time. Perry claims in the documentary that she didn’t mind, and that only her family and fans were there for her now that Russell Brand dumped her.

            I have always wondered what going to a concert would be like. Many of my friends have gone to Mac Miller, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber concerts, and multiple times. Sure, you get the thrill of seeing your favorite perform live, but the show ends, you go home, the excitement lasts a week, two weeks tops, and your life goes on. You are now out $400+ including hotel, tickets, food, and transportation, whether it be by plane or car. Why not buy the CD, jam out in your bedroom, and live life with a little extra spending money on something that will last longer than entertainment?

            All in all, I am pleased that I haven’t gone to a real concert before and I think it’s important to remember that celebrities and artists are humans too, that need rest, respect, and a chance to prove who they really are on the inside as well.  (462)

Doing What's Best

            I have been contemplating for quite some time whether to go on a leave of absence from work… like for a really long time now. Ever since the spring trimester of my junior year of high school, I knew I had to do what’s best for me and my situation. It doesn’t matter what my coworkers think, what my managers and boss think, or even what my parents think; it should be in the best interest of me. Last year I had played Varsity tennis, and once the season was underway, I regretted not leaving work for some time. The problem with tennis, an outdoor sport, is that any source of precipitation, whether it is rain, snow aye, sleet, or hail, you cannot play tennis, maybe you could serve. The courts get super slippery on a hard court surface… it becomes the equivalent of ice. So days that I had asked off from work in advance I could suddenly work that day, but I had to rush and find someone to work for me on days I was scheduled… AKA a nightmare. I worked weeknights last spring as well, and some days I would go from school, to tennis, to running home to change and eat, and then work from 6-10pm. Then I would do my homework until who knows when. I just hated always having something to do and staying up late.

            I love where I work. It’s a great part-time job, my boss and managers are fair even though they can be strict at times, and I get great benefits as well. Who can say that they get free pop and popcorn, free movies, any time, any day? However recently, a couple people have really been getting on my nerves. They are taking the role as a manager even though they are clearly not, and then telling other workers that they are not doing their job right, even when they are. They then proceed to gain up an individual worker and making them feel bad about themselves. Now I usually stay out of this drama, but it simply is mean and childish. This girl did nothing wrong, and they suddenly hate her- wow you’re cool!!

            I think I made the best decision to take a leave of absence for two months during tennis season, and then return in the summer for kid shows, afternoon, and night shifts as well. I need to make lots of money this summer, because hey? What else do I have to do anyways? This will be my third summer at the theatre and I’m really excited because I like working there and feel confident about how I get tasks done. Tennis season could last longer, and maybe school could end early. Wouldn’t that be nice? 15 days.  (465)

Spring Has Arrived!

            When I originally decided to write this blog post, the skies were clear, the sun was bright, and the temperature was somewhere near 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That one beautiful day suddenly has me hooked for spring. But where is it? I miss the 60 or 70 degree weather, and it honestly sucks to play tennis in 40 degree weather. You shouldn’t have to pack gloves, earmuffs, and headbands at the end of April, even if we are living in crazy bipolar Iowa weather. It’s almost always windy and I still have to wear a fleece jacket to school in the morning… I’m lucky if I can take it off when I leave school at 1:45pm. Oh spring, how I miss you. And don’t even get me started on all of the rain. It’s a sore subject. The end of the week looks promising however; a high of 65 tomorrow with 20% chance of rain, and a high of 68 on Saturday with a 0% chance of rain… which means great weather for tennis and Prom! J
            Although I’m clearly being a baby and complaining about how there’s been little to no sunshine, I am thankful for something. Because it hasn’t warmed up and thus, plants and trees are not able to pollenate and sprout, my allergies have not been bad this spring… knock on wood. Usually during tennis season (spring) I come home from a long day at school, being outside in it for 2 hours because of practice or a meet, and my eyes and nose are really itchy. If you have never had seasonal allergies, or seasonal hayfever, if you want to get technical, you’re oh so lucky. It’s hard to get away from the pollen… it’s everywhere- on my car, on my clothes, on counters of my home when the windows are open, and on the sofa. Luckily, my mom is very nice and checks the pollen counts daily and decides which windows to open in the house, we hardly ever open the windows in my bedroom. Everyone loves fresh air, even me, so I feel bad when we have to turn the air conditioning on just for me. Sometimes you just have to suck it up, fight the itch, and keep taking your medicine.

            Finally, I just want warm weather because schools almost over (15 more days for me!), I have a major case of senioritis, and I just want to be able to go outside and not be chilled. I may reconsider my desires once it hits 95 and 45% humidity…..  (427)

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-decided to use a Bagel Bites advertisement from the magazine, "Taste of Home"

Tennis Family

            As I officially began the final tennis season of my high school career on Saturday, it hit me as I was driving to Veterans Memorial Stadium how much I will miss all of my tennis ladies next year. They are the only people in this whole school, besides Mr. Benedict, that understand the game of tennis, why we keep playing, the passion we have for the sport, and all of the other #tennisprobs that come with playing this sport. It's more than hitting a yellow ball inbounds; it's moving your feet, placing the ball, strategic plays, communication when playing doubles, and most importantly it’s a mind and mental game.

Tennis is very under-appreciated at Kennedy High School, but the difference between women's/men's tennis compared to women's basketball is that we don't beg for people to come. We don't whine when none of our friends or classmates, even when administration and teachers don't come. I think the problem is that it's not a cheering/fan based sport. We play for ourselves, our doubles partner, our team, and also our coach. The cool thing about tennis is that you can lose a couple games but still win the match. Your individual victory or loss counts towards a running team score out of nine points (6 singles + 3 doubles= 9 points). You need 5 "points" or victories to win. That will be the end of my rant for now.... stay tuned for more information on tennis and how you can be a “superfan.” J

For now, here is some tennis lingo for you to enjoy:

-love: means 0 in the point system

-deuce: score of 40-40

-let: when the ball hits the net when going over

-alley: area that is allowed to be played when playing doubles

-forehand: right side stroke (or played on the side you are most natural with)

-backhand: left side stroke (opposite of natural side)

-volley: most likely shorter shots played at the net

-lob: the "rainbow" shot- often used offensively to avoid net players

-overhead: otherwise known as a smash or slam.... a ball that you have time to approach, point, and get a lot of power with. Some get the overhead confused with the volley  (369)

Heaven Forbid I Don't Have a Smartphone

Claim of Reality: People are obsessed over social media and it causes relationship problems and many missed opportunities.

           My parents give me many things in life- a warm home, plenty of food, gas money, a car, a cell phone(not a smartphone- I would just like to point that out right away), entertainment (cable, movies, shopping, etc.), medical and dental help, moral support, love, and many other countless things that I am very grateful for. As our society becomes more modern and technology changes (as it always will), new gadgets continue to be released. They instantly become the next “cool” thing to have. What it comes down to is this: if you don’t have this coveted item, you instantly have “less opportunity” and are ridiculed for not knowing something that only someone with an iPhone would have per say.

            I would like to explain what I mean when I say “people are obsessed with social media." Social media is available on a regular computer, yes, but I want to focus on social media that occurs with smartphones. The iPhone (or any other Smartphone) is the perfect example. During this school year (2012-2013), I have increasingly noticed how many people have some sort of smartphone, compared to others who just have your “Plain Jane” cell phone. My friend and I were joking about this reality the other day. We are the only two left in our group of friends that doesn’t have a smartphone. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to the day when everyone had a flip-phone?

Remember this bad boy?                                                            That used to be cool five years ago.

....... I often find myself out of the loop or one step behind everyone else during the school day. Everyone is always scrolling Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook in the hallways, any free moment they have in class, and especially during lunch and school assemblies, events, and sporting events.  I know people don’t mean to do this, but sometimes it’s hurtful and simply rude to be on their smartphone while I’m trying to have a conversation with them. One last thing: smartphones now act as a social status just like social media does. It is believed that if someone doesn’t have a smartphone, they must not be able to afford one. People need to stop assuming so much.

           I personally do not understand why you need one. It’s terrible to become so dependent on something; it’s definitely not healthy. Why pay $200 a month for a phone contract, when you can wait a couple hours and check your social media sites on a computer with internet rates starting at $9.95 a year (Mediacom).

            As mentioned in the article titled Put the Smartphone Down. Now., a lady was too obsessed with her smartphone and updating her status, and because of this, missed an opportunity for romance or a relationship. Anyone will become antisocial in the slightest sense when all they do is update their online persona.

            What bothers me the most is when you are in public place and you watch people surf the web on their phones that are clearly glued to them. Imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have your phone with you. You would actually have to make eye contact, have social skills, and smile at someone. Say what?!?!?

            Plain and simple: people wouldn’t know what to do without their smartphone. I would like to see what would happen if someone didn’t have their phone for like two. whole. days. woah. Perhaps you do stay in contact with people, but I believe that it hinders relationships and opportunities more than help them. For this reason people should stray from smartphones and forms of social media if possible.  (626)

Sources/Online Articles Used:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/30/has-facebook-ruined-love/social-media-is-a-romance-contraceptive
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/30/has-facebook-ruined-love/facebook-is-a-gift-and-a-curse

Everything Will Be Ok

Here we go.... your typical "prom post." While I am very excited, there are a few things that have really been tripping my trigger and things I simply do not understand.

1) Underclassmen begging to go to prom

There is a big difference between getting asked by a senior unexpectedly than begging to go every day on Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social media. I say tweets constantly that follow this model: "Heyyyy if anyone would want to do this, I mean I would say yes. ;) ;)" "Do this" meaning a cute way to ask someone to prom. I understand if you're a foreign exchange student, will be moving away your senior year, or if you have a senior boyfriend or girlfriend, or a fling going on. However, it's very selfish to beg when it is a senior prom. It also makes you sound really needy. There are several seniors who would be dying to go to prom with someone, but can't because an underclassmen took a potential date. Kennedy has always had a senior prom and it will stay a senior prom for a specific reason. We all waited our turn, and so can everyone else. It's like that one last shabang that you can remember your best high school friends by. WAIT YOUR TURN.

2) If you get asked to prom, GO WITH THAT PERSON.... please don't say no.

It took so much guts for that person to ask you, and it's simply rude to say no, regardless if it wasn't the person you have been dreaming will ask you. If you make the best of the situation, it will be fun... I promise you. Some people would kill for someone to even ask them, and some don't end up with dates. Yet you're still "too good and popular" and you know probably five people will ask you.... congratulations. Because (girls for the most part) reject boys, it automatically causes stress and worry for boys in future years because they know rejection could be a possibility, when in reality 9/10 times the girl will say yes. Hopefully things will change.

3) Don't over-think things. Just have fun!

I have come to the realization that it doesn't matter if you go with a boy, get asked in a cute way, or get a corsage. Although that would be lovely and nice to have someone do that for you, it doesn't matter and there is no "right" way to go to prom. Whatever you end up doing, it shouldn't matter as long as you have fun. It may even be more fun if you don't have someone always with you.  (447)

Conspiracy

            The JFK conspiracy has been a debated and controversial topic ever since the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The question is whether Lee Harvey Oswald was indeed the lone assassin as determined by the Warren Commission, or if there were other people involved that got away and were never prosecuted. By looking at the factual evidence that was revealed, discovered, and further investigated, I have concluded that there is not enough evidence to prove a conspiracy or to fully blame Lee Harvey Oswald. At the present time, I am leaning towards a conspiracy, and that Lee Harvey Oswald was not the lone killer; however no one can really know for sure because the victim, JFK, is dead and the “killer,” Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby, a Dallas Night Club owner with ties to organized crime.

I think that it would be extremely difficult to shoot 3 bullets out of an Italian Mannlicher Carcano in 7-9 seconds due to the kickback and muzzle-rise. In an experiment, the world’s best sharpshooter was able to do this and maintain accuracy. Although Oswald was an ex-Marine and was a marksman (step below a sharpshooter), it seems skeptical and false that he could shoot three bullets alone, without assistance. The first shot was fired and missed, but fragments hit James Teague’s cheek. The second shot hit both Kennedy in the throat and Connally in multiple, but not life-threatening places. Finally, the third and final shot hit Kennedy in the head.

The head wound is the most debated point of the assassination. Did the shot come from the front or the back? I personally believe that the shot came from the side. If you watch the Abraham Zapruder film in slow-motion, you are able to see the direction that Kennedy’s head moves, at an angle to the side. Because Oswald was supposedly shooting from the Texas Schoolbook Depository, behind the limousine Kennedy was traveling in, if you look at angles in relation to math, geometry, and physics, there is absolutely no way your head could move like that from a shot behind. I think there may have been someone shooting from the grassy knoll or Stockade fence in Dealey Plaza. You can faintly see an outline of something in the Moorman Polariod.

Finally, it is a fact the Lee Harvey Oswald was seen in the cafeteria of the Texas Schoolbook Depository by a police officer at 12:31pm, one minute after the shots were fired at 12:30pm. This was also his place of employment, and it was initially excused because someone said that he was an employee. He was calm, cool, and collected, and showed no signs of perspiration. How could someone travel down 6 flights of stairs in a minute, get his lunch, start eating it, and find a place to store the Italian Mannlicher Carcano?

In conclusion, I believe that there is not enough evidence to prove this issue either way. Both sides give very believable ideas, but they are not confirmed. The fact of the matter is that President Kennedy is dead, there is no going back. It truly was a tragedy and an unfortunate event.  (530)

"I Have a Dream"

            Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech was given on August 28, 1963 from the Lincoln Memorial. He was the last of many speakers who spoke after President Kennedy’s legislation promised to protect the civil rights of all people, including African Americans. This speech had a lot of power and significance behind it because he was one of the main leaders in the civil rights movement, and not only did he have a strong, powerful, and convincing voice that the large crowd would listen to, he got the nation’s attention about the need for equality of all races and ending of discrimination.

            Martin Luther King Jr. used many examples of paralanguage in his speech. On pg. 87, Dr. King says, “We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” His pitch really increases here because he wants to make a point to the crowd that they will not just stand around any longer waiting for something to happen. They are going to take action and stand up for what is right until they are satisfied. Speaking rate is shown on pg. 86-87 in the quote, “The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust white people…..” He is trying to say that the violent groups rising up such as the Black Panthers should not lead the black community to hate against all white people, because some have come to their senses. His volume also increases on pg. 86 with “all men.” He wants to emphasize that every single person should be given the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” (pg.86) This is also an example of wording that is concrete. Everyone knows that famous line from the Declaration of Independence, because those words are something everyone knows because it’s an important part to our history and individual freedom.

            Dr. King keeps his wording short and simple on pg. 88 saying, “where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.” This is easy for the average person to understand because he uses basic words and repeats them throughout the phrase so that it’s descriptive and to the point. This same idea can be applied to when he uses specific words on pg. 88, “black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants, and Catholics.” He wants the audience to know that everyone is included under the word “all.” He also uses repetition a lot in this speech. On pg. 88, “Free at last!” is repeated at least three times to emphasize his dream and goal during the civil rights movement. Many of his repeated words also can be used for restating main ideas. Although “I have a dream” is found randomly throughout this speech it mostly can be found on pg. 87. His main idea is that one day he will see every person in the United States free and that the hatred of others will cease to exist.  (567)

*reference to a typed copy of Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream speech*

Movie Reviews & COMING SOON

            The 2012-2013 school year has brought a lot of great movies to the theatres nationwide. I know this for sure because I work at a movie theatre and always hear about what’s good, bad, incredible, terrible, and everything in-between. I have an internal list going in my head, and I’m going to give my reviews of what to rent, since most of these videos are out on DVD…. Otherwise go to your favorite local theatre…. Shoutout to Collins Road Theatres in Marion! Also a coming soon list will be included.

COMING SOON (list to be updated periodically):

All of your favorite Disney-Pixar movies along with the second movie in the Hunger Games trilogy:

Monsters University

Toy Story 4

Finding Nemo 2

Catching Fire

            The “best” movies of the year that I have seen are: Lincoln, Life of Pi (although PG it may be too intense for little children due to animal violence and survival), Skyfall, Argo, Flight, and the Hunger Games.

I have not seen the following movies but I have heard that they are either excellent or average (but still worth seeing/renting if you get the chance.)

·        Wreck-it Ralph (a wonderful animated movie- great for all ages!)

·        Django Unchained (bloody, funny, and a serious topic combine for a great movie)

·        Breaking Dawn Part 2 (are you a Twi-Hard?)

·        Silver Linings Playbook (go see!)

·        Identity Thief (can you say, HILARIOUS?!)

·        Les Mis (not my kind of movie but a lot of people loved it)

·        Zero Dark Thirty (greatest manhunt ever)

·        Snow White and the Huntsman (dark twist on a classic movie… not recommended for young children)  (267)

Poor Treatment Leads to Crappy Chicken

http://www.tyson.com/About-Tyson.aspx

           Most people know someone who is “technologically-challenged.” Whether it’s a family member or friend, sometimes it’s funny to hear and watch the situations and problems that arise from a tech-savvy perspective. For most I would assume the challenged would be grandparents and the elderly. However that does not mean youth do not have difficulties with technology. I can say for myself that I don’t understand video games (besides Super Mario Bros. Wii and MarioKart Wii), how to fax a paper, digital TV channels, and other miscellaneous tasks. In the past few days I have seen three specific examples in all dealing with cell phones. This evening while eating dinner, the following three examples came up in discussion, and I thought it would be interesting to share levels of comfort with technology and how technology makes an impact on lives.

We ate at a local Panera Bread for dinner tonight. There was a family behind us; a granddaughter, daughter, and grandfather. All three generations were present, and all had different thoughts. The grandfather didn’t understand the benefit of having a cell phone on and with you at all times. The daughter and granddaughter explained to him that if something were to happen, such as getting lost, falling, a car accident, or any other emergency situation, a cell phone would act as a tracker. They told him it’s almost like a dog chip. It was also explained that it doesn’t do you any good if it’s sitting in your car, while someone is trying to reach you, and if it’s always off, it defeats the purpose of having a mobile device. Another thing I wish I could have added to the conversation was that it helps to answer your phone when it rings! More than often I have called someone and they never call me back until I see them in person and let them know.

          My Grandma, (my mom’s mother), is not opposed to technology, but definitely isn’t comfortable with it. She does not have a computer, simply because she feels there is no need for one. The only thing she knows and likes to do on a computer is play Solitaire. We then bought her a hand-held Solitaire game for Mother’s Day, and she returned it because she wasn’t completely comfortable using it. She has a cell phone and knows how to call people, answer incoming calls, and just recently, my mom taught her how to check voicemail messages. She has no idea how to send and receive text messages however. I think she receives about one text message every year so it is not of great importance. I am glad that she leaves her phone on a lot so we can reach her on the go.

        My Grandma, (my dad’s mother), has a computer, checks email regularly, and is fairly comfortable with technology. The problem is that she has a hard time with her phone because the letters and numbers are so small, and she doesn’t have quick fingers for texting. The screen goes dark before she can get the next letter in, and then she gets frustrated with the lack of efficiency. My Grandpa was thinking about getting her a touch screen phone, but realized that an iPhone would be way too complicated for her with all of the extra features. I like talking to her when her phone is on, however her phone seems like it is always off. She turns it on when she wants to use it, but when finished she’ll turn it off. When people reply to her text messages or leave her a voicemail, it takes the phone a couple minutes for them to show up once she has turned it back on. This confuses her even more when she her phone starts beeping at her. I am not quite sure why she turns it off, but I think one reason is to save the battery.

       From these examples, you can see that there is a wide variety of comfort levels in technology. Maybe you never knew that not every single person in the world has a computer and access to internet. It seems like our world today relies on the internet and media so much, that “normal” is based on the majority. For example, businesses may advertise “for more information visit, www.____.com.” What if someone without a computer wanted more information, how would they find out? It’s unfortunate that some people have to suffer without knowledge of information simply because they haven’t progressed as fast as the majority. (757)

Trapped in a Zoo

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-19/exotic-animal-cover/50832756/1
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0307-lion-attack-20130307,0,4934638.story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Pi_(film)
Well folks, I think we’re experiencing what Arnold Schwarzenegger would like to call global warming in Iowa. As much as I hate the forbidden “S” word that starts with a S and ends with a W, it seems weird for it to be December 9, and we are just now experiencing our first snowfall. I wouldn’t even consider the precipitation we had today, snow. It was more like rain-slush. The ground was too warm and it pretty much melted when it hit the ground.

Last year we had a pretty mild winter, with a few major storms sporadically in the picture. I was thankful the weather was somewhat decent because it was my first winter driving by myself. Once the snow had melted and spring rolled around, I thought to myself, “Bring it on, winter 2012-2013!” That was assuming we would actually experience bad Iowa winter weather. Now I’m not saying I’m dying to drive in an ice storm, but it would be nice to know what to expect and how to handle a situation so that next year when I’m in college, I don’t end up stranded somewhere. If this spring-like weather continues for much longer, I think the world needs a wake-up call in order to start reducing their carbon footprints.

Believe what you want about the theory of global warming; which my father informed me that some believe natural warming occurs approximately every 2000-3000 years? …. (That seems a bit unlikely in my opinion). Some also think that it is environmentally caused. This is a fact though: the North Pole is melting- meaning glaciers and ice caps melt, polar bears and other arctic animals are losing their homes and lives, and sea levels are rising. You don’t think this affects you? Well you’re wrong. Rising sea levels mean more potential hurricanes, tsunamis, and tropical storms on the east and west coasts. Since these storms are threats to our limited oil supply, gas prices sky-rocket everywhere, causing you to pay more money at the pump to transport yourself via car.

On a lighter note, my Friday was fantastic! Everything just went perfect and nothing negative occurred. To top it off, the winter pep assembly was in the morning, and I won a $100.00 gift card!!! If you sold 10 or more Benchwarmers, which is a fundraiser for all the athletics at my school, your name got put into a bowl for a chance to win aKindle Fire, or one of two $100.00 gift cards. They drew the name for the Kindle Fire, and then another for a $100.00 gift card. One name was left to be drawn, and I was thinking, “What are the chances?” (The pieces of paper were tiny, too!) However I didn’t have much time to second guess before Mr. Stecker announced my name- I was very surprised, but happy. J

*Insert typical “I love the Christmas season!” blog post here.* Here you go: Christmas seems different this year. I almost struggled to come up with a Christmas wishlist this year, because I have everything I could possibly want. I did come up with some things, and whatever my parents/family members give to me this year I am already more than appreciative. Christmas seems relaxed and simple this year. Instead of spending time with friends this weekend, I spent it entirely with my mom and dad, except for a couple shifts I worked. Call me lame, pathetic, or a goody- it doesn’t matter to me. Isn’t simplicity and grace partly what Christmas is about? CHRISTmas has lost its meaning to the majority of society. The majority focus is no longer on the birth of Jesus Christ. Our society has made it all about gifts, deals, Black Friday, greed, jealousy, etc. Yes, it is nice to receive these presents and also show your appreciation to others by giving them presents in return, but there’s a point when people go too far. To tell you the truth, you don’t really need to make Christmas cookies. Use that time to volunteer, adopt a family to give hope and joy, or simply donate to the Salvation Army- food or money. Think about what you’re thankful for and appreciate what you have. Sometimes the simple things in life will bring the utmost happiness. (715)