Blog 25- Chelsea Southworth

You know what? I'm going to do it. I'm just going to ramble about Shrek. Oh my gosh it was utter perfection; thank the Lord Jesus that Olivia wanted to audition and convinced me to go along for the ride as well. Auditions, yeesh. That monotone man completely unconfident singing voice, though. But outside the orchestra room, with all of us budding little thespians together, I felt it. I felt that instant connection that lets you know "hey, these are some really cool people that you're going to have so much fun with." Oh, Mr. Logsdon/anyone who wasn't back stage; if only you saw us. My favorite dance memories have to be pole dancing with the ladder and grinding on the wall during Jared's "Big Bright Beautiful World" solo (how else we were supposed to loosen up for the show?) and interpretively, storytellingly (it's a word, shh) dancing along to "The Ballad of Farquaad" (Jade was usually the mom, but sometimes we switched. Everyone was involved in the BBBW dancing). AND the two lines in Ballad would make faces and dance at once another before we went out; composing ourselves was always the struggle.

Blog 24- Chelsea Southworth

This year was simultaneously the best and the worst. It was the worst for obvious reasons: AP classes and just plain work. Ugh. But I did a lot more this year than I have in the past; TIP over the summer, ComicCon in April, Shrek for what seems like the entire semester, and I came away from everything with new friends. After the traditional last-night iHOP breakfast at TIP, I couldn't stop crying (crying that eventually turned into blubbering noises one might associate with a whale or a dying cow). It was the last time I would get to go to camp and I had made so many amazing friends in that short time span that I might never see again; I was sure that nothing could compare to that soul-deep sadness I felt. Then Shrek ended.
As I told this to Grace on our way back to the dressing room, my words still punctuated with whale moans, she told me something surprisingly profound: yes I was sad now like I never thought I'd be again, but all that meant was that I'd keep making really close friends throughout my life. I might have to leave them, but there would always be amazing people in my future.

25- Lucy Wan

Presenting a really long, currently untitled poem:

We are not the branches which fall from trees
We are the roots from which trees grow
And why can't you see that
Love is the water that runs through our root systems
Interconnects us together
Together.
Somehow you don't seem to understand the word so I'll
Drag out a thesaurus
Scream out every synonym on the page
Pound these fading memories into your head
like math problems you'll do over and over again
and I'm not so good at math but I know
Anything divided by one is itself so stop trying to divide yourself
subtract the broken parts of yourself
You are no derivative taken from what you used to be
You are abstract art, trying to figure out what you want to be
A spoken word poem
that hasn't been edited, these words so raw
like a heart bleed in the snow
you know.
you know where I'm coming from
because you've been there already
We are not strangers to heartbreak and pain
We greet them with open arms,
like old friends,
because we've seen them over and over again
But we also know time,
and time heals all wounds
no matter how deep, how long,
how much hurt
And yes, these wounds will leave scars
but we will wear them as medals from battles with ourselves
We are not who you think we are
We are not strangers
So greet me with open arms
because I am an old friend
You can't stop yourself from seeing me over and over again
We are the seven-year-olds of years long past
Driving bumper cars made of glass
scared to move, afraid to
Crash.
But I'll make the first move
play the white side, slide a pawn
space by space
Learn how to drive.
You're a Queen hiding in a castle
but the world is yours once you let the walls fall
So push every piece off the board;
topple your king, it doesn't matter anymore
That's not a surrender, that's the start of the real fight
But take off your armor
You are no black knight
You once told me that people are like rain
And if I am a drizzle, you are a hurricane
But it's okay that you are summer storm,
because I am winter rain
And this all shall pass.

#21 Right Now Haley Longworth

Right now somewhere in the universe... someone is trying something new. Whether it be trying a new food or dish from another country, skydiving for the first time, or learning how to fly a plane, new ideas and activites are being learned ever second. A quote that reminds me of this, by someone whom I dont remember, says that every person you meet knows something that you dont. Gaining new knowledge is a valuable thing, and is best done when you try something new. Even learning how to a simple task can open you up to a world of possibilities. Doing new things helps you find your passion, it shows you things you may not like to do, and it teaches you things about yourself. It builds character. So, someone in the world is trying something new that they may love or hate, but no matter what, they are learning.

kicking the bucket- daniel horne

Before I finish high school it would be really cool if I could get to challenger in league of legends because I have a lot of fun playing the game and it would be really cool to be one of the best at something world wide.
Before I finish college I just want to get through college get a degree and such my whole goal for college is to have good grades and plenty of sleep. So I guess if it can get all A's one semester that would be great.
Before I die I would like to be the first to do something. I don't much care what it is but I think it would be cool because that can never be taken away from you. so if was something as big as being the first to prove the big bang really did happen or the first to eat 5 large pizzas in one sitting.

plastics- Daniel Horne

One of the greatest pieces of advice I have ever been given was as follows "pleasing everyone is impossible but pissing everyone off is funny and easy as hell" at first glance it doesn't really seem like advice but I can attest that it is. you see back in the days of my miss guided youth I tried to be liked by everyone I hung out with al the cool kids that climbed on top of the monkey bars in 2nd grade and had nothing to show for it. then in sixth grade I realized that this was a bad strategy so I thought back to this old peace of advice and started to piss everyone off and it was funny as hell sure a lot of people didn't like me but frankly those were shity people anyway and once I found that I didn't care what the thought I could find people who were actually human sitting off in the fringes.  

How to- Daniel Horne

I will be writing about how to shoot a bow. it may seem like a simple process but in fact it is a complex art form. first you will need a bow and some arrows we will be using the Matthews geneses which is considered by most the ideal beginners bow. First you will have to set the draw weight which is what it would feel like lifting when you pull the bow back for example if it is set to 15 pounds it will feel like picking up a15 pound rock. once this is done it is time to knock an arrow this is just clipping it to the string at the knock point with the knock, you will want to make sure the odd colored feather is facing to you. now use your index middle and ring finger to grasp the string right under the arrow. pull back keeping your elbow up and touch the corner of your mouth with your index finger. then look down the shaft of the arrow and point the tip at the target and release the string.   

Hans Stromberg- #25

Well, I guess I will talk about what I have been watching on TV for the last couple days because that’s what is on my mind. The NBA playoffs have been going on for at least four weeks and every chance I get I watch whoever is playing that night. My team, the Mavericks, was bounced out in the first round in 7 games by the San Antonio Spurs, so now my main goal in life is to root for whoever is playing against the Spurs. Right now, that is the OKC thunder who are making an incredible Serge (Ha) now that Ibaka is back in the lineup. In the east I am rooting for the Indian Pacers because they were my dad’s hometown team. Unfortunately, they find themselves down 3-1 to the heat, so I am hoping they pull of a miracle. The last couple days the NCAA division 1 championships have been on the Golf Channel and that has preoccupied the other half of my TV watching time. Since I am hoping to play golf in college, the ultimate goal once I am in college will be the National Championships. Oklahoma State and Alabama survived the quarter- and semi- final matchups to meet in the finals tonight. The last couple of matches have been nail bitters so I am excited for the finals tonight.

Assignment #25

One of my pet peeves for writing assignments is when the teacher gives you the assignment to write about whatever you want. I can never think about what I should write about. My mind just goes completely blank and eventually I’ll just sit there and start day dreaming because I won’t know what to write about. I might have some ideas floating around in my head but I never have enough to say about that topic to fill the word requirement. So, instead of actually writing about something interesting that my teacher might enjoy reading I end up rambling on and on and on and on about some pointless subject that is really uninteresting. Just like this blog. I couldn’t think of anything interesting to write about so I wrote about how I couldn’t think about anything to write about and how I hate these kinds of assignments. So I hope you enjoyed (probably not) my pointless rambling on this topic.

Will Atkins-26-Class Review

Umm. Congress early on in the year. Helpful. Late in the year on the computers, ehh. Considering were all high school students, I feel like about 1 in 15 students went back and looked at the revisions people made upon. Unfortunately, while it is the students fault, talking to many of the students who enjoyed hearing corrections to their essays, those same students failed to go to turnitin.com and look at their revised essays. This is one part of the class that should be reviewed in some way. I would space out the teaching of the 3 types of essays on the AP English exam more. We did one type of essay, analysis, for all but a month and a half of the year. I understand the other two types of essays, synthesis and argument, are not the most difficult of tasks to accomplish, but you never know, they might be hard for some students.  

Besides those two minuscule things. Nah, this was a cool but still educational class with an appropriate amount of freedoms. Ehh scratch that. Less use of phones, and I say that as someone who uses their phone often. It’s bad for education man.

Zach Wolfe 23

Have you ever felt extremely stupid? Well don't feel bad. Here's the perfect playlist for how to make yourself feel more intelligent. 

A Milli - Lil Wayne

This is an uptempo song with unintelligent phrases littered throughout. Things such as "I'm okay, but my watch sick" you can't help but feel better about yourself. That phrase absolutely no sense and you know that you can't be nearly as dumb as this man. 

You Ain't Got Nuthin' - Lil Wayne

Just by reason the title, you know that you're smarter than this millionaire. When this song was published, "ain't" was not officially a word in the English language. However, now that it is, the title still doesn't make sense. Written correctly, the sentence should say "You don't have anything." As if the word choice wasn't bad enough, he even spelled "Nothing" incorrectly, and he repeats this phrase throughout the song. 

God Bless Amerika - Lil Wayne

Again, the title says it all. In an attempt to look patriotic and inspiring, his stupidity triumphs again. What is so hard about spelling our country's name correctly? What is the point of putting a "k" instead of a "c".

Blunt Blowin - Lil Wayne

This song is full of grammatical errors and dumb phrases but I can't list all of them due to their explicit nature. However, one example is "death is a decision". Well I don't think you need me to tell you that this is completely false. People don't choose to die from terminal illness. There's nothing they can do. Gangsters don't choose to get shot in the head, it just happens. A human's natural instinct is to survive. Most people would choose to continue their life. 

I'm Me - Lil Wayne

Another song you can tell is unintelligent just by the title. "I'm me" doesn't make grammatical sense. Also, the chorus consists of him saying "I'm me, I'm me, I'm me, I'm me, I'm me, so who you?" Please tell me you're more intelligent than this guy. Not only did he say "I'm me" five times, but he ended it with a question that's just as if not more stupid than his first statement. 

Assignment #24

I’m so happy my junior year is finally over. This was without a doubt the most challenging year of my life in school. With my schedule full of AP classes and one advanced class it was very tough to get through this year. One of my successes this year was getting an A in AP Chemistry first semester. AP Chemistry was definitely the hardest class I’ve taken so far and I was very pleased to get an A first semester. But one of my failures was blowing off the summer work for AP Spanish which caused me to get a B first semester. Another mistake I made was the huge amount of procrastination that happened this year. This caused me to pick up some zeroes and it caused me a huge amount of stress when assignments were all due on the same day. I definitely learned that I need to study for tests in classes like Chemistry and US History. My lack of studying definitely showed in my below par test scores in those classes. MY lack of studying this year was a risk that didn’t pay off at all. This summer I will be going on college visits going to Cancun and spending half my summer playing soccer. Next year my goal is to get accepted into my dream college and do the minimal amount of work to still get good grades.

#26 Rhoman James

I think the way you went about things this year prepared us very well for our testing this year. Personally, english is not my strong suit. I actually scored a 20 on it on my ACT :( BUT! Being a black athlete I really don't have to do that well on the ACT! I tell the coaches that I got a 25 on my ACT and their mouth starts to water! My English score used to be a 17..even though my math was a 28! But since I got it up and can continue to get it up hopefully I can get a 28 and get recruited my some ivy league schools!

Will Atkins--25

A blank sheet. A canvas in which to put my masterpiece in 151 words. I already did a review of my junior year so I don’t even know what to talk about this post. Oh I know. I shall talk about my bull crap recruiting process that nobody cares about except me. Well actually my parents have asked about it but only because they want me to get it over with so they know where I’m going to college. They want me to make a top 5 so I know where I’m taking my 5 official visits that a high school athlete is allowed. I don’t know my top 5 yet. I wish I could visit more schools up north first. Also my list right now is sort of irrelevant because if I improve a lot over the summer in cross country then I’m going to have a completely new set of schools recruiting me. Bro you don’t know. I’m dumber than most of the academy but I might be the one going to Harvard or Yale (like my sister). Watch me. With that said, and I hope none of the schools recruiting me see this, my (unofficial) top 5 is Centre, Tufts, College of Charleston, NYU, and Yale. That is in no particular order.

Hans Stromberg- The Future

To think that I am pretty much ¾’s of the way through high school is an interesting thought. I am on the way down the high school hill and getting ready to go to college. Before I get ahead of myself, my junior year was full of different successes and failures. My biggest failure at the moment is my grade in AP chemistry, a class in which I pulled an A out just because the teacher is nice. This semester I have a solid B, which will only be my second in my illustrious high school career. If a miracle occurs and I get a 4 on my AP Chemistry test I will escape with an A but that is not something to get my hopes up about. Considering that is my biggest failure, other than losing in a playoff in regionals in golf, it has been a pretty easy going year. Not that my classes have been easy, I just have had great teachers to get me through. In the summer I will be working at Lakeside golf course and playing a lot of golf tournaments in order to try and achieve my biggest goal: getting a college golf scholarship. Next year will be fairly chill because my hardest classes will be in the subject that I am best at: Math. I will not have a sixth hour so I will be able to leave school early. The one thing I am most looking forward to is getting a parking pass so I can arrive at school at 8:20 every day and get almost an hour more of sleep every day.

Assignment #20

How to get healthy and stay healthy:
Many americans today are facing the problem or being overweight or obese. I you think you could be headed down that road then follow these simple steps and you could be healthy and in shape in no time. The first aspect of your lifestyle that you need to focus on to become healthy is your diet. You won't be healthy if you're stopping by McDonalds every other day. I would reccomend to eat home cooked meals as much as possible. Make sure you eat enough vegetables like asparagus, broccolli, beans, etc. Once you have started to eat at home more and focused on what you're eating the next step to living a more healthylifestyle is to exercise more. You may not enjoy running or liftintg weights but exercise can be as simple as riding your bike somewhere or going on a family hike one weekend. Instead of sitting on the couch and watching TV you could go play basketball with your freinds. Also if you plan on exercising to stay healthy you need to find an activity that you enjoy so that you will continue to do it and not stop after a couple of weeks. Just follow these simple steps and you could be on your way to being healthier in no time.

#25 Haley Longworth

SPOILER ALERT (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS) This past week, I was finally able to finish The Fault in Our Stars. It took me two tries because of being busy all the time, but it was definitely worth my time. Although I don't think it was as good as everyone made it out to be, it was a very good book. My favorite part was when Gus and Hazel were in Amsterdam. The details about the scenery made the Netherlands sound so beautiful, and I loved when they were at the fancy restaraunt and also when they went to the Anne Frank Museum. It created a lot of happiness before Augustus told Hazel his horrible news; that his cancer had come back and he wasn't going to survive. After they get home from Amsterdam, everything goes downhill and Gus never acts the same, which is very heart-wrenching since his character was so charismatic. The ending to the book was a surprise because it was more expected that Hazel would be the one to pass away after dealing with an awful cancer, but instead it is Gus, who had an 85% survival rate for his disease.

#25 Rhoman James

High school is fun but it is so silly. It is fun though. It is fun being in the academy and also having friends in other groups of the school. Some weekends I'll be with a couple of my friends from the football team and go see some fellow academy students. I think it's really important for people to hang out with new people in high school because you never know how that connection can benefit you. I've meet many people throughout high school that I randomly see and they come in handy in necessary situations! People like to stay secluded to the same groups of people and not branch out, but in the end that will come to bite them in their ashes (ha ha)

Will Atkins-The Future-24

Huh. The future. God is it finally here? I don’t even know what to think about it all. It’s hard to even fathom what is going to happen next. To review my junior year, I don’t know bro. To say there was a lot of internal growth would be to both underestimate and be super cheesy. I learned more about responsibility within my home with my siblings being off at college. I became much more independent from my parents. I learned about more than I could have ever hoped. Both in and out of school. Success: internal growth. Failures: I don’t know.

This summer? Work hard. Both with the jobs I will have (probably 2 or 3) along with the hard work that I will have to put into my running. All progress that I hope to make on my cross country times (to get offers from better schools than I already have) shall be accomplished through hard work this summer and fall.

Senior Year? Survive. Go to a good college. Leave .

Blog 26 Enjoy JDH

Mr. Logsdon

I have no past experience with your profession. At times, you may have found difficulty in directing our spastic attention to your lessons and/or, at other times you may have found relative ease at molding our minds to attack any necessary test. I have no realistic way of grading you due to my lack of experience in what being Mr. Logsdon: The English Teacher, entails. That being said I do have some critiques and compliments to dole out.

First off is what you did well. English writing is a very hard class to teach because it isn’t so much English as logic. I could spell every word A to Z, or quote from Shakespeare and give the modern translation of ancient pros, or even write a 100-page research paper with relative ease. This is because these are basic things that we do every day; we spell out our words as we write them, we draw upon previously read texts, and we manufacture print like machines. Ask me how or why questions and the degree of difficulty is raised significantly. Answering what, who, and when questions can be answered in a sentence at most: The plane, Me, and 5 o’clock last Sunday are basic examples. Answering why anybody does anything, or how anybody does anything are near impossible to answer definitively. Too often though, it is the how and why questions that English writing students face. We require logic to digest and regurgitate texts and sources on to the AP Exam. If we lack the critical thinking required to “get the job done” there is very little you can do to aid us. Over the past school year though, I feel that you have aided us in many ways. Although the trek of an AP English student is a solitary one, you provided us with a base camp of knowledge (Writing with Style) and gifted us the experience needed to bridge any perilous gaps in our logical facilities. I can only empathize with your struggles as an English teacher and thank you for what help you provided me over the last year.

Now comes the tongue-lashing of sorts. Well not so much a lashing as some advice from a pupil. First and foremost, keep your focus. You act as an author, while we, your students, act as the audience, the readers. Your primary focus must be on the end goal of the class just as an author’s focus is to inform and entertain the audience. Your lessons must be entertaining to keep us, you should think of us as easily distractible monkeys in this case, engaged. At the slightest provocation we will descend into anarchy and ignorance. You already know this basic fact though, which is why I am only reminding you of it. (In my opinion, videos on broneys, robots, and cannibalism, no matter how entertaining and philosophically stimulating, should be retooled into more focused lessons.) Secondly, and I should follow this advise as well, assess yourself constantly. The ordinary are content with their current condition, the extraordinary strive to be better in everything they do. If you wish to be an extraordinary teacher, father, or person in general, never be happy for longer than an instant and never stop striving. Evaluate the effect of every word you say and every action you do. It may be a Herculean task, but too often today people are stagnantly all right with the way things are. As was once said (Maybe by Gandhi I don’t really know) “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. Finally, don’t let us highschoolers get you down. We may think we all deserve A’s and know everything, but we don’t. Some day every bratty, slightly gifted kid will have to face the piper. We will all be off to senior year and then to college soon enough where the professors won’t yield to the rabid helicopter mom or the rogue psychotic father. Sadly you will still be left in the excessively caddy and annoying halls of high school, having to duke it out with a bunch of ignorant snot nosed idiots with identity crisises. I guess what I’m trying to convey, in essence, is the message stated in first paragraph; I have no possible way of accurately gauging your job other than from my seat in your class every 9:30-10:30 most Mondays through Fridays. I wish you the best of luck either as a continuing English teacher or as the new Academy Councilor/Coordinator (I fail to recall the correct title). I hope my final blog post has helped give you feed back on how you can improve future classes, and how I view you.

Jack H.