assignment 5-McKenna Elliott

Watching scary movies or even just semi-scary movies and then going to bed in my room alone scares me the most. My room is in the basement and it does not have any windows, so it's pitch black when the lights go off, giving me no way to see any monsters or ghosts or creepy figures that may be lurking in my room at night as I lay in bed. It's like I'll be laying in bed trying to think about not-scary things but my mind always wanders back to the scary things I just saw and heard in the movie so I freak myself out for no reason. If I feel the urge to use the restroom at any point, it's not even an option because I'm too terrified to do anything until I wake up in a less-scared mood.

I have always done this/been scared of this, even when I was little. When I watched the Scooby Doo ghost episode, I was scared for a month. When I watched the Exorcism movies, I did not sleep for a few nights. After I watched The Call during the summer, my mom had to walk me to my room and stay there until I fell asleep. I'm such a baby but that is what has always scared me and continues to scare me the most.

BOO- Amelia Rogers

Four years ago, on a long, dark summer night that bled into morning, four young ladies were enjoying their last night together at camp. After many laughs and stories in their warm and well-lit cabin, the girls decided to go to sleep. Only the four girls and their counselor were together as they turned out the lights and fell into blackness.

Outside, the moon shone dimly over the countryside. The wind blew violently, shaking the forest on the edge of the hills that rolled into darkness. In the cabin next door, the rest of the girl campers were huddled together in waiting, for the threat of danger was upon them. At any moment they expected attack. But the girls asleep nearby were unaware that they were in danger. They slept peacefully as the night wore on.

In the darkest hour of the night, they came. Shouting, they came running over the hills and through the trees. They pounded on the cabin walls where the girls slept. They banged on the door. They scratched and clawed and growled. Some of them climbed underneath the cabin and began to pound through the floor. Inside, the girls were startled awake, screaming in terror. What could be happening? Who were these monsters?

“Don’t let them in!” the counselor shouted. “Block the door!”

Jumping from bed, the girls rushed to hold their attackers off. Suddenly, a terrifying clown face appeared in the window. The girls screamed. There he was again, smiling creepily at the other side of the cabin, holding a giant sledgehammer. Screaming and crying, the girls held each other in fear. What could they do? There was no escape.

At last, the pounding and screaming ceased. The counselor timidly opened the door, and saw their attackers running into the darkness.

The boys.

Were they safe?

The girls shook from terror and joy. But suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake. The walls of the cabin shuddered as the beds rocked back and forth. And then the cabin collapsed.

Just kidding. We went back to sleep. 

What is it good for? - CALEB COMBS

Conflict resolution in international affairs has come to be a problem.  It seems like the only solution countries have for their problems with each other is to go to war, which no doubt is a problem.  War is expensive, and brings a dark cloud over our country's economy.  The morale of our country is depleted and it is a huge stress for the families of those in our nation's armed forces.  I believe war is only necessary in a time in which another country has committed terroristic actions.  This is a direct act of war, as innocent people are hurt.  There are many ways in which war could be prevented, but the pride and ego of each country won't allow them to compromise.  I feel that  war is unpreventable, and despite all of the wrong that goes into it, it is the best and only way to combat malicious acts such as terrorism.  We should however learn discretion on when declaring war is appropriate, and only do so when it is necessary.

Assignment 10: BOO - Updated

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

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

OR

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

Happy Halloween!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November2nd at 11:59 pm

What Is It Good For? -Caroline Totty

I personally do not think war is a necessity in our world. I think it is an extremely cruel way to deal with issues. A country sends millions of men and women into another country to kill off and attack a large population, and in the process thousands are killed several thousand of which are completely innocent. I think having a military is important for terrorist attacks and just to protect your country, but going into another country to invade is not. Protect your own country, don't start problems in other countries. If something really horrible happens like a country nukes another country then maybe it is okay to go to war, but I think there are ways around it. Meetings with leaders to come up with treaties would be a good way. Whether there is a war or not the fighting will have to stop eventually so why start it in the first place? Unless you kill off the entire population it does no good. I think war is violent and cruel and something that can and should be avoided at all costs because and innocent person should never have to willingly lose their life.

What's it good for? - Emily Cashman

What’s It Good For?

I don’t think war is the best way to solve a problem between different countries or groups of people. Killing thousands of people isn’t, in my opinion, the smartest way to resolve an issue. In regards to national defense, I do think there can be some positive aspects of having an army, but I don’t think we should really use the army unless absolutely necessary. I think war should be more of a last resort option if nothing else works – like peaceful and rational conversations. When I was little, my parents always told me to play nice and never fight with anyone, especially my sister (although we both have scars to prove otherwise, woops). And I think adults should have that same mindset because bloodshed isn’t really all that helpful to actually solving whatever the problem might be. War is just the lesser of two evils in some situations. There are more effective alternatives.

whats it good for- Will Mathews

I do believe that there is a time for, history has shown us these times, and for example the American Revolution in my opinion is a just war because it gave people freedom. As well as the civil war, as horrible as it was it was necessary to be fought to end the evil of slavery. I think that most wars are both morally right and the lesser of two evils. I will again refer to the civil war, it was morally right for the north to go to war to abolish slavery, but was also the lesser of two evils, when it came to the continuation of slavery or war, war was necessary. I think if a country’s culture, land, or people are being harmed by another country, then indeed war may be necessary. In those cases and most if war can be averted with diplomatic communication then that is by far the better way, because in war not only soldiers are killed, civilians die in droves as well so if war Can be averted it should be.

What is it good for? Emily Chavez

I believe that war is an ineffective way to resolve conflict around our globe. It is not solving a problem in an intelligent or intellectual way, but rather by pure brawn and man power. It's also sending the wrong message to people about what is acceptable. You see, when we are children, we are told not to hit, bite or kick our friends when there is a disagreement. We are taught to talk it out, work the problem in a civil manner because violence is never the answers This is etched into the brains of young Americans, but then when they grow up, it all seems to change. Suddenly, when we disagree with another country or group of people, hitting, biting and kicking are okay. In fact, bombing and shooting are acceptable by means of war. What does that say to the kids of America? Why do adults not have to play by the same rules? While I understand the need for defense, I find if an incredibly innefficent way to solve a problem. We won't need defense if we are able to settle disputes in a more tranquil manner. I know that war is not going away, at least not soon, but I think of all the lives lost in war and believe this was not the way it was supposed to be.

Assignment 8: "I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me" -Will mathews

Fears- MY biggest fear is Spiders, but I am also scared of losing my loved ones.

Annoyances- People that tries to be something they are not.

Accomplishments- having built a good group of friends I can always rely on and that I know can rely on me.

Confusions-what makes people do what they do, when it seems totally random?

Sorrows- I can be (pardon my foul language) a huge smart ass a lot of the times, which I would like to change.

Dreams- to be successful financially, socially, and marragely (just made up that word)

Idiosyncrasies- athlete

Risks- I want to go to a fun college that is also challenging.

Possessions- then it was things like my Xbox, now its my dog Dug.

Problems- underachieving

As a kinder gardener I was told that I was gifted, and for years people kept telling me that as I went through school, they put me in accelerated classes. I never had trouble in school, I never studied for tests, I did all my homework in school. Essentially I never had to worry about anything school related it all came naturally. Then I reached High School a place where everything was not so easy, but I was stuck in my ways of never having to worry about school, this translated to me not trying to outdo myself in high school, do the bare minimum. So I did I never tried to put in much effort which lead me to be a moderate under achiever because since I thought I was better than everyone else in school I never tried and therefore was passes by my normally and over achieving neighbors.

What is it good for?- Amelia Rogers

         War is never pretty. Destruction, loss of so many lives, families torn, cities ruined. The fear associated with being in the middle of a war is something I cannot relate to. But in images and stories, I can feel a small piece of the horror war brings. My grandfather is a veteran of World War II. He doesn’t speak about it often. He lost his brother in battle as he fought just a few yards ahead of him. When I consider these things, it seems that there can never be a time for war.

         Yet, I think there is. Would America be an independent nation were it not for war? Could we have rid our country of the terrible injustice of slavery without war? Could we have suppressed horrific violence against innocent people in Europe without war? The answer, in my opinion, is no. Times like these, when evil is being committed against innocent people, and when freedom and human rights are threatened, these are the times for war. I still believe that war should be a last resort, but very often war occurs out of necessity. And when war is necessary, I think that a country is responsible for defending its current citizens and helping create a better world for its future citizens, that perhaps there may be fewer wars in their time. 

What is it good for?- Andrew Collins

Through thousands of years of trial and error, humankind has settled on war as the most widespread way to solve its conflicts. Unfortunately, this has resulted in countless deaths throughout human history, and to this day we struggle to find alternatives.

Fortunately, however, war is rarely a first resort. Although there are many exceptions, war generally follows attempts at compromise and other peaceful methods of conflict resolutions. Excluding extremists, war is generally seen as an evil last resort. When two sides are completely unable to come to any sort of compromise, they tend to turn to violence as a final sign of disagreement.

Sometimes, war is necessary and preferable to settling for disagreement. Take the American Civil War for example. The United States had been busy tearing themselves in half over the constitutionality and morality of slavery in the decades preceding the Civil War, meanwhile thousands of slaves suffered the hardships of the lifestyle they were forced to live. While the war turned out to be one of the deadliest in the young nation's history, it ended the most blatant and violent of injustices committed against African Americans. In times of great injustices, sometimes war is necessary to bring forth justice.

What is it good for?- Anne Russell

WhAt is it good foR?

I once stumbled upon a thought provoking picture that emphasized those three letters with blood instead of mere capitalization. I thought it made a good point. It is certainly an excellent question-one that is often overlooked.

War seems to be one of those topics that we gloss over in history class, like slavery. We refer to it as a mere collection of dates and leaders and winners and losers. We have so desensitized ourselves to the word that it often loses its significance. We forget that throughout our history, millions upon millions have been killed as a direct result of war, not to mention the great stress it places on countries as a whole. It is terrifying, dangerous, and deadly.

For those reasons I believe it should be avoided as much as possible.

However, I am not a pacifist to the extent that involves letting a country stand defenseless in the face of attack or invasion. The effects of that could be more deadly than fighting back.

I believe war is necessary only in the context of defense. If your country or your country's allies are being attacked, it is necessary and honorable to fight in order to protect your country and its people. But in any other context, I don't believe war is the proper way to solve problems. Any method that doesn't involve mass slaughter is far better than mindless violence, even when fighting for something in which you strongly believe.

Unless you are on the defense against another country that is on the attack, I feel that war is simply unnecessary.

what is it good for? -Zachary Whitehouse

War. It happens every day, for the good or the bad. Some people are completely against war and others are completely for it. Some however, lie in the middle, not sure what to think. I'm in the group who lies in the middle. I'm not sure if I agree with the idea of war, but I believe there isn't another option, what else could we do to solve such bug intra and inter country problems? I honestly have no clue. Morally, I'm not sure if war is right, I don't think it is. Hundreds to thousand's of people dying at the hands of other people, murdering innocent people with vicious weapons. I don't think that's right, asking people to go out and kill other people. However, I do think it is the lesser of two evils. If the cost of going to war is  saving hundreds, or thousands, or millions of people or Tue demise and peril of a whole country or continent, then it is the right answer.  You have to look at the greater result of war and I think it is does more good than bad.

What is it good for?-Leah Noble

I believe that war is something that will have to happen as long as people and nations are in conflict with one another. However, war isn't something that is to be taken lightly or done subject to a whim. I think war is moral and just when done for the right reasons and under the right circumstances, such as a blatant terrorist attack coordinated by a nation or group of people. By letting terrorists get away with their actions, nothing is going to keep them from doing it again and again. One may argue that words, in the form of treaties or compromises, should be used instead of combat, but I would have to disagree. The only way to show someone you are serious is not just through threats, but through action. History has also shown that treaties have not always done much to help resolve conflicts. For example, the Treaty of Versailles negotiated in hopes to end World War I, only postponed the end of the war, which, just 20 years later, was World War II. Overall, I think that war is inevitable in the world and is something that there are no equal alternatives to.

What is it good for? - Anthony Tamasi

 Nobody likes war. It brings death and grief to millions of people, and destruction to their homelands. But I do believe there is a time for war. When another country threatens peace in your country, and your citizens' way of life, you have an obligation. An obligation to defend that peace. 

 War may not be morally right. It is more of a lesser of two evils type of situation. However if another nation is threatening the security and safety of your citizens, able to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people, would you not go to war? Then it would be morally right. Kill some thousands to save millions of your own loyal citizens? Sounds pretty just to me. 

 I don't believe there is an alternative. Everybody has their own thought processes and beliefs. Sometimes you can not just argue over an issue. Soemtimes action is necessary. Sometimes you have to go to war to make peace.

What is it good for?-Noah Welch

     War.  This word spells destruction, death, and misery for millions of people. However this word can bring hope and prosperity to others (i.e. merchants who sell goods to soldiers). Nothing is more glorified or more loathed than any other event. Poems, stories and legends have been created speaking of the glory or the infamy of war.

      Going to war is a challenging and critical decision and I am glad that I will never have to make it. However it must be seen that sometimes war is inevitable. Compromise, treaties, and words are all wonderful tools for preventing war but unfortunately these tools fail on occasion. An example of this instance would be the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  In these horrible cases, war must and should be joined. It should be joined with a righteous and just fury upon the enemies of the country.  The people should unite, put aside their differences and help defeat their foe.

      Now that we know that sometimes war is inevitable, we must determine when a war is just. However that is a convoluted matter that will never exactly be answered.  Wars can be just in the eyes of both sides. An expansionist nation and a defensive city state will have differing views and opinions about war. Since winners write the history books the just side is the one that wins, no matter the cause.  We can see this in our own Revolutionary War. If we lost that war, we as a nation would be labeled as traitors and criminals that deserve no mercy. However since we won, Great Britain was our oppressor who tried to force unwanted taxes on Americans.

      This broad overarching topic cannot be fit into a box but in the end it boils down to two main schools of thought. Do you believe Aristotle when he stated, “ we make war that we may live in peace”; or do you believe Cicero who stated , “an unjust peace is better than a just war.”? 

I never had to choose my subject - Caleb Combs

Fear: Drowning, Choking/suffocation
Annoyances: Hallway traffic, chewing with your mouth open, blowing bubbles with gum
Accomplishments: Good grades, playing Henry Clay soccer, great family and friends
Confusions: The stupidity of some people
Sorrows: Getting a poor grade on a test, poor performance in soccer game
Dreams: Go to good college, collegiate athlete
Idiosyncrasies: Enjoy soccer and fishing
Risks: Having a drivers license, would like to go scuba diving
Prized Possessions: Autographed poster of Anthony Davis
Problems: PROCRASTINATION

Anne Russell: I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me

Fears-Not doing anything meaningful with my life, letting people down, being alone, failure
Annoyances- people who assert their opinions over yours, people who act differently depending on their surroundings, people ragging on others unnecessarily
Accomplishments- never broken a 4.0, never broken a bone,
Confusions- physics
Sorrows- our generation and the worldliness that is so sadly the norm
Dreams- redesign the school system, especially testing (not joking at all), travel
Idiosyncrasies- I fidget a lot when I get particularly restless or anxious
Risks- living my life for Christ and separating myself by my actions
Beloved possessions- my guitar (now) My iPod (then)
Problems- being negative, stressing too much, procrastinating

 

 Music is love. Music is life. It is a pastime, a hobby if you will. Music is a sanctuary, a refuge. It's where I can withdraw from my surroundings and simply enjoy solitude. In music I find a peace that only God gives, and in turn a unique way to praise Him for it. Music fills my ears with lovely sounds and my soul with meaning and purpose. Music allows me to be who I truly am and to create and to recreate and to innovate. It can be its own language without any words. It in itself is the language of song, in which I am fluent and it gives me joy to speak it. Whether it be through voice, piano, ukulele, guitar, music is my promised land that I flee to when I feel the call.

When I hold a guitar, the fingers of my left hand pressing down the magical combinations of strings, the fingers of my right hand ever so delicately gliding down the strings to produce the glorious sounds, it is like I am invincible. I am in my element and only I can make myself return to the real world. When I am sitting at a piano, my fingers dance along the wide expanse of keys until I forget what I am doing and let them take the lead. I no longer need the music once the sounds have been engrained into my mind. When it's just the right time of day, my voice has reached its peak, the melodies escape like a songbird that is desperate to flee from its cage, fluttering all about from the tallest trees to the lowest valleys, flowing like the rivers below, reaching new heights and creating new paths never to have been traveled.

Music is freedom. Music is the one thing that comes more naturally to me than sleep, than talking, than breathing. Without music, I would scarcely know how to live.

What is it good for-McKenna Elliott

There is an appropriate time for war, but that appropriate time is not as often as war is actually initiated. I feel like we as Americans, as well as other countries, initiate war when it is not necessary. For example, it would be necessary to go to war if there were threats and attempts to be in combat on American soil because this is a form of defense. There are times when it is completely unnecessary for us to go to war, such as when we are "defending our allies". Yes they are our friends and we should be nice to them to keep them as friends, but we cannot literally fight their battles. That is none of our business.

An alternative to such actions could be something like treaties and compromises that will cease the combat and lead to peace or even just acting neutral towards each other. I realize that it's not exactly this easy, but this way would be much less expensive, many lives would be saved rather than taken in war, and it keeps us neutral and unified as a country because wartime affects those back home in the states too because of conflicting views and opinions about war.

Assignment 9: What is it good for?

Genocide in Sudan

North Korea testing nuclear weapons

Iran creating nuclear weapons
Egypt
Syria

Terrorism

Injustices and threats surround so many lives in this world. When injustices or threats progress to dangerous and harmful levels though, it seems logical for war to come into play as a way to combat the situation. . .or is it?  The conservative Christian group known as the Mennonites believes that war (violence) is never appropriate.

Is there a time for war?

If there is a time, is it morally right and just or is is it the lesser of two evils?

If there isn't a time, why not?

Are there certain times when countries have a responsibility to go to war?

Are there any alternatives? Could they be more effective or less effective?

Due Sunday, October 26th at 11:59 pm

I Never Had To Choose My Subject - Emily Cashman

Fears: failure

Annoyances: people with really long fingernails, when someone puts their hair in a ponytail but misses a chunk and it’s just left there (weird I know), close-minded people

Accomplishments: being a varsity soccer and tennis player

Confusions: politics in general just really confuse me

Sorrows: knowing my sister is going to college next year and ill be all alone

Dreams: travel the world, get married/have kids, have a job I love

Idiosyncrasies: my left thumb is significantly shorter than my right one

Risks: cliff-jumping from 30 rocks in Lake Powell

Beloved Possessions: my stuffed dog Scooter, my real dogs, my family/friends, my tie from summer camp

Problems: worrying too much

One of my most beloved possessions is my tie from summer camp. I’ve attended Camp Nakanawa almost every summer since I was 9. It’s an all girls summer camp in a really, really small town in Tennessee, so I go 4 whole weeks without seeing a boy besides the old guy who owns/runs the camp. On your first night of your first summer at Nakanawa you draw to become a member of one of two teams, Amazons or Valkyries. I’m a Valkyrie and we have blue ties. While the actual tie is one of my favorite possessions, the meaning behind it is what makes it most important. Being a Valkyrie or an Amazon is a really special thing and everyone at camp values this tradition. It’s hard to explain but it makes sense to everyone who goes to camp there. If I have a daughter, I’ll definitely send her to Nakanawa and she’ll be a Valkyrie like me and I’ll pass my tie down to her for her to wear.

I Never Had to Chose My Subject- Caroline Totty

Fears: dying without leaving a mark, mice, going over bridges

Annoyances: people rubbing silverware together, people cracking their knuckles, people who won’t shut up, sometimes just people in general

Accomplishments: getting a 96 on my calc test last week, lettering in soccer and swimming, waking up every morning and attending school (that’s an accomplishment, right?)

Confusions: math, inequality, judgmental people

Sorrows: getting yelled at by my parents

Dreams: get married, have children, travel the world, have a successful life, be remembered

Idiosyncrasies: I love the smell of pickles

Risks: driving way over the speed limit (whoops)

Beloved Possessions: my car, my friendships, my dogs, my cleats

Problems: time management

When I die I want to be remembered. I want people to look back on my life and praise the things I did. I want people to quote the things I said. I want people to be impacted by me. I don’t want my death to be numerous. I would hate to just be one of the thousands that died in 9/11 being titled as “one of the two thousand that died.” I know that seems selfish, but we are all thinking it. I don’t want my life to just be put on a bookshelf and be forgotten like so many other lives. I want to make an impact. Everyone wants his or her life to be remembered, it’s just a matter of who will actually do something to make it worth remembering. I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of what I will leave behind, or in this case what I WON’T leave behind when I die.

I never had to choose my subject... Emily Chavez

Fears: birds, being kidnapped, failing 

Annoyances: the misuse of 'their', 'they're' and 'there', adults who ask about college, know-it-alls 

Accomplishments: I'm just making it through high school man 

Confusions: world conflict, physics, math 

Sorrows: hunger, illiteracy, mental illnesses 

Dreams: job I love, happy family, kylie jenners like game

Idiosyncrasies: I shop at the Gap sometimes just because I like the smell of their shopping bags, I really like new pens and fresh journals 

Risks: I stay living on the edge

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: family, friends, faith, my plastic lid signed by Corbin Bleu

Problems: math, physics, impatience, can't stop talking 

High schoolers now a days have more expectations, responsibilities and pressue than their (note the correct use of their) parents did. And the most famous question adults ask high schoolers is this: What are your plans about college? This includes your too schools, intended major and plans for paying for this education that you haven't even begun to recieve yet. I have been asked this question so many times, even as a sophomore in high school. It's frustrating to is. It's frustrating because we, at 15-18 years old, are forced to make life-changing decisions when we are still children. It is frustrating to be ask what we intend to do with our lives because they have barely begun yet. It is frustrating, because every time someone asks that question, it is more weight of pressure on our shoulders. While I understand adults usually mean no harm in this, and for many students, they can answer this question just fine. But some can't. And it should not be a common topic of discussion. Talk about the weather, the Kentucky game, the new store downtown, but perhaps pressuring students with a conversation of their future, is not what they need.

I never had to choose my subject-Leah Noble

Fears: waiting too long to do the things that I really want/need to do in life
Annoyances: when someone starts talking to me during my favorite/most intense part of a song I am listening to; people who stop in the middle of the hall
Accomplishments: teaching myself to play guitar
Confusions: why everyone is so obsessed with Ebola right now
Sorrows: not being more outgoing
Dreams: to have a career that I love, but one that allows me to not be completely consumed by it
Idiosyncrasies: sorting my Skittles by color and eating them in a certain order
Risks: going on roller coasters that go upside down
Beloved Possessions (now and then): my special blanket and stuffed animals (then), my guitar and tablet (now)
Problems: figuring out how to do well on an AP Chem. test; handling awkward social situations

I'm not exactly sure why this annoys me as much as it does, but people who stop in the middle of the hall to talk to friends drive me up a wall. First of all, why are you standing around talking to your friends when you are supposed to being going to class? No wonder we have a problem with people being tardy. Second of all, if you are going to choose to spend your five minutes between class to talk to your friends, why do you choose to do it in the middle of the orange hall intersection? To me, it is just common courtesy to not block a place where people walk and if you do choose to do so, you, as I have learned, move out of the way to allow others to easily pass and continue on to where they are going. But this is not the case at Henry Clay. People stand in blobs of 6-10 and make it very difficult for the other 2300 people in the school to get to class. Maybe it's just me, but I find it very annoying when I am walking at a fairly quick pace and have to all of a sudden slow down in order to wait for everyone to converge into one sliver of space next to the wall in order to get past those standing around, oblivious to the fact that they are holding up the rest of the school while they have their 5 minute social party. 

I never had to choose my subject- Andrew Collins

Fears- Heights, deadlines
Annoyances- fake people, slackers
Accomplishments- very close to 5.0, one of best sax players in the school
Confusions- why we let money effect politics to the extremes that it does
Sorrows- introvertedness, laziness
Dreams- be a successful mathematician/engineer and keep music as a part of my life
Idiosyncrasies- eating cereal without milk
Risks- waiting for deadlines to pursue me before I pursue them, willingly driving stick
Beloved possessions- my dog, my participation in the band program

I am one of the lucky few that it's able to own a car, and I can't even drive in my own yet. Back in April, my neighbor decided to sell his car and he came to me first since he knew I would be driving soon. He gave me the opportunity to buy his 1996 Nissan maxima, and I gladly accepted. It had always been in the back of my mind that I wanted to learn to drive stick, so when I found out that his car had a five speed manual transmission, I was sold. The car was in great condition, he had replaced or fixed just about everything that needed to be replaced or fixed after that amount of time, save the engine. The only reason he sold it was it needed a new clutch, a fairly inexpensive repair. He told me that he was waiting until it's next major repair before he sold it, and a new clutch was that repair. After having it worked on and a few months of on and off practicing, I can now consider myself a fairly proficient driver of manual transmission vehicles.

i never had to choose my subject- Zachary Whitehouse

Fears
Spiders or just any bug, losing family or friends
Annoyances
Loud noises in class, being someone you are not
Accomplishments
Soccer achievement, keeping friends over time
Confusions
The meaning of life
Sorrows
Not sure, could be a better person and friend
Dreams
Own my own successful business, play professional soccer,
Idiosyncrasies
Kind
Risks
Wearimg Blue on Blue on Blue in public
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then
Then- Stuffed animals Now- Stuffed animals, videogames, friends
Problems
Nothing I can't deal with
The meaning of life. What is the meaning of life? To reproduce? To change the world? To be yourself? Philosophers ponder the meaning of life furiously, but there is no set in stone answer, now or ever. But, philosophers aren't the only ones who ponder the meaning of life. Every day run  of the mill people ask tthemselves this question and soul search for the answer.  What do I think the meaning of life is? I couldn't tell you. I take long bubble baths sand showers just thinking... Why are we here? What is our purpose on Earth? Why did God sacrifice his son to forgive our sins? What IS the mmeaning of life? Maybe the meaning of life is to search for the meaning of life. Just keep looking and live the journey of life. Or maybe there is no meaning of life. No one knows and I think its better that way, but its still fun to search.

I never had to choose my subject - Anthony Tamasi

Fears- Spiders, people in the Orange hallway

Annoyances- David Chen, and again, people in the Orange hallway

Accomplishments- I've survived 16 consecutive years, won a scholarship to Moorehead in 5th grade, I dunked a basketball before Walt Finch

Confusions- If a lone man says something in the forest, and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong? 

Sorrows- people's ignorance

Dreams- have a son who is as great as I am 

Idiosyncrasies- I am not a fan of people 

Risks- getting the large fries instead of the medium (risking obesity like 70% of America; don't worry, I get a diet coke to offset it), using quotient rule to find derivatives when I don't have to, ziplining

Beloved Possesions- my phone and my car (now), money (then and now) 

Problems- time management 

 I would like to just put out there that I do not like the Orange hallway. I have nothing against the color orange, however the people who traverse through this hall irk me on a level I thought impossible. It is ridiculously crowded and people are unnecessarily rude. I am just trying to get to my next class and when I accidentally bump into somebody, I am greeted with an earful of explicatives and threats, generally from a female of African- American descent. I am then shoved by said female, who is quickly restrained by a companion. Personally I think they should also be focused on getting to class rather than on the little Caucasian boy who accidentally bumped into them. The Orange hallway just in general, is both a fear and an annoyance that must be avoided at all costs. If you are reading this blog, be weary of the dangers of the Orange hallway.

I never had to choose my subject- Amelia Rogers

Fears- loosing my family, getting kidnapped

Annoyances- having to tell the waiter that I don’t want lemon in my water

Accomplishments- having a good relationship with my little brother

Confusions- AP Physics

Sorrows- not liking fruit

Dreams- travel the world, start a fashion line

Idiosyncrasies- organizing everything

Risks- zipline (so risky, I know)

Beloved Possessions- American Girl dolls (then), birthday cards (now)

Problems- Mr. Darcy is a fictional character

One of my greatest accomplishments so far is having a great relationship with my little brother. I know that a lot of people my age don’t have the best relationships with their siblings, and I’m proud that I do. My brother is 3 and half years younger than me, and now, a solid 5 inches taller. Sometimes we look like twins, and that’s okay. We have inside jokes and weird handshakes. We sing really loudly in the car. We stand up for each other. We talk about everything.

It’s true that he can be incredibly annoying. He’s one of few people who I’ve ever really yelled at because I was angry. But he’s also the only person who can bring out a completely different side of me, one that’s crazy and silly and does weird things because I’m not afraid to be anything else but me. I love him and I love our relationship because of that. 

"I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"-Noah Welch

Fears:  Failure

Annoyances:  Extremists (nothing is black or white), pop culture

Accomplishments:  I won a Scholarship to U.K. in 5^th grade, survived in Europe for a week with only one lens in my glasses

Confusions:  Life, politics, people

Sorrows:  extreme sarcasm (not everyone knows when I’m joking)

Dreams:  Design a tower to live in, become a lawyer

Idiosyncrasies: I read history and mythology textbooks for fun.

Risks:  arguing at school

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Then my books, now my extended collection of books

Problems:  procrastination, spelling, grammar

        Of all the stories I could tell, my personal favorite is about the time I wandered around Europe for a week without a lens in my glasses.  To understand this story first you must understand how I was given the opportunity to travel to Europe in the first place.

        The summer before my freshman year, I traveled to Europe for two weeks with the People to People Ambassador Program. This program sends students around the world, without their parents. I traveled to several countries in Western Europe ranging from England to the Netherlands. We toured numerous major sites (such as the Tower of London and the Eiffel Tower in Paris) and a number of small areas as well (for instance, a little town in Ireland and the Isle of Wight).

        Our tale of monocular woe begins on the Isle to the south of England. Our group was invited to The Sailing Academy on the Isle of Wight. In the morning our group was divided in two, and we went sailing.  Now I am a reasonably competent sailor, I only flipped the boat over once and that wasn’t even entirely my fault.  I felt relatively good about my day as we pulled in for lunch.  However much to my chagrin I discovered that the afternoon activity was windsurfing. I am a terrible wind surfer.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have a terrible sense of balance and poor hand eye coordination. I spent most of the afternoon falling on my face, but even that wasn’t enough to knock a lens out of my glasses. Unfortunately on my last attempt to even stand on that devilish contraption, I had the misfortune to fall backwards off the board. The frigid waters of the English Channel popped the left lens out of my glasses. Of course I did not consider packing a spare pair of glasses and I had no idea what my prescription was, so I just persevered. I could still see reasonably well and I managed to tough out the last week of my trip.  I can only imagine what the Europeans thought of the tall young American walking around with only one lens in his glasses.

        It might not be a great accomplishment, but how many other people do you know who can claim that they walked around Europe for a week with a half broken pair of glasses?

On This Date - Isabel Jenkins

Thanksgiving. The word elicits fond memories in many - memories of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, feasts of turkey and mashed potatoes, the scent of pumpkin pie; but overall, time spent with family.

While typically associated with November, Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln on October 3rd, 1863. On this date, our nation was in the midst of a civil war. Prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale (who, fun fact, also wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb), Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November was to be set aside as a day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." This statement has remained in practice ever since. Although some American families have since lost the original emphasis on thanks to our Father and to each other, Thanksgiving has had a great impact on our American culture and will be celebrated for the rest of our days.

I never had to choose my subject-McKenna Elliott

 fears- becoming fat one day, getting ebola
annoyances- when the macaroni is too cheesy, when the girls bathroom smells like fish, when people try talking to me when I have headphones in
accomplishments- getting out of bed on seminar mornings, eating my body weight in McChickens
confusions- why there is a 'd' when it's "fridge" but not when it's "refrigerator", if ebola broke out in Vegas would it stay in Vegas??
dreams- have a girl and name her "Male" pronounced "Molly" just so she'd hate me her whole life, hold a world record for amount of McDonald's pies consumed in an hour
idiosyncrasies- sleeping on top of my covers so I don't have to make my bed, color coating my closet
risks- go deep sea diving and take selfie with Mr. Krabs and Squidward
beloved possessions- paycheck, photo strips of me and bae
problems- always having to go tinkle at the worst times

An annoyance to me is when someone tries making conversation with me as if they don't see that I clearly have earbuds in and cannot hear a word of what they're saying. Then when I am unable to comprehend what they're communicating because I'm in my zone with Wiz's latest mixtape, they expect me to take the time to remove the headphones from my ear and miss my favorite part of the song as they must repeat themselves and tell me what is, most of the time, completely irrelevant to me and something I sadly do not care about. This is one of my biggest pet peeves because if I were actually in the mood to be communicating with anyone, I would not have gotten in my zone in my headphones in the first place. Literally as I was typing this one of my mom's friends randomly walked into my house without a knock and attempted at making conversation with me while I so clearly was not listening. I CANNOT/DO NOT WANT TO HEAR YOU

Assignment 8: "I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"

Writing territories are a range of ideas that one generates to spark their writing. In general, it is just one of the many ways one can brainstorm for different types of writing.

This week's blog is more undefined than others because it depends so much on your unique personal experiences. Below, is a list of 10 writing territories and you'll begin by answering them. Your answers do not have to be lengthy, they only need to be definitive enough so that you, the writer, could look back at it weeks from now and it could trigger what you were thinking about.

Writing Territories

Fears

Annoyances

Accomplishments

Confusions

Sorrows

Dreams

Idiosyncrasies

Risks

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then

Problems

For instance, my list looks like:

Fears: drowning, loosing family in catastrophe

Annoyances: rudeness, expecting fairness in this world

Accomplishments: still being married, being a dad my children want to be around

Confusions: inequity (different than fairness)

Sorrows: anger management, weight, (totally working on both but to be honest "weight" is harder than "anger" 'cause food is goooooooood)

Dreams: retirement, travel,

Idiosyncrasies: nerd, paper/pencil RPG (redundant?)

Risks: pilot's license (want), jumped out of an airplain (did)

Beloved Possessions: comic books (then), friendships (now- i know, cheesy)

Problems: Organization

Simple, right?

Now, once you have your list, choose one topic to expand upon in-depth (or at least 150 words). This may be as simple as an explanation of this topic (e.g. I discovered I had an anger management problem when I realized that I was taking out my frustrations on my family. . . .). It may turn into to a short-story or a beginning of a short story. It may turn into a narrative of a memory. It may turn into a social commentary. It may turn into 150 words of freewrite. It may turn into something all together different and weird and delightful. Whatever you wrote down in your list, reflect upon it and allow it to guide your entry for the week.

"There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges." -Ernest Hemingway

Due Sunday, October 19th at 11:59 pm

On This Date- Zachary Whitehouse

On Oct. 11 1997, Dennis Rodman, a forward in the NBA returned from the second longest suspension in the NBA. This had absolutely zero affect on my existence as it dealt with a professional basketball player I am not related to in any way and it was just a suspension. Rodman, playing for the Bulls returned to the lineup after seeing a 11 game suspension. This impact nationally was nonexistent and the impact on the world was even lower, but, for the city of Chicago, it meant they were getting their star forward back in hopes for a run at the playoffs or more. The Chicago Bulls were getting back one of the elite forwards in the NBA in defense and shot blocking and his return made the Bulls prime for a playoff run. I have no feelings of hate or love for this day in basketball history because I was not born yet, I am not a CChicago Bulls fan and I do not work in the business of historical sports events. The 11 game suspension was the second longest in the NBA and was dealt to the Chicago Bulls star forward Dennis Rodman because he kicked a camera man. Not the wisest choice but a choice none the less. Not a good day for that camera man to say the least.

Assignment 7: On This Date

On October 5th, 1991, the Linux kernel, which is a fundamental part of the Linux operating system was released by Linus Torvalds.The kernel of an operating system manages requests from software and translates them into instructions for the CPU and other parts of a computer. Linux itself is a free and open-source software. This means anyone can use, copy, or change the software in any way. The source code is shared so that people are encouraged to change and improve the design of the software. It can be distributed commercially or non-commercially, Linux might not have had a huge influence on the entire world, but it has at least influenced many computer programmers.

Even though Linux isn't the most widely used operating system i still think it is very important. Most of the fastest supercomputers run some type of Linux. Android, a popular operating system for mobile devices is built on the Linux kernel. Linux can be customized for pretty much any purpose.