Assignment 15: Anne Nombe

Thinking about technology is probably one of the things that geeks me out the most. It's not the concept of it or the cool things we get from it, but thinking about where it will go. A lot of time, I find myself thinking about the future. Though I feel like we've gotten as technologically advanced as we ever will, I know that we're not. Will there be a day in the future where I don't know how to use the new, hip phone? Will phones even be called phones anymore? Will people a thousand years from now look back at the iPhone X and laugh at how big and old-timey it looks? Will all of our architecture appear to be made by cavemen compared to what's coming down the line? Whenever I ask my friends these questions, they just look at me like I'm crazy, but I think it's an important thing to think about! I also wonder if because we have so much technology now, we won't be like old people fumbling with laptops and iPhones. I really don't want to be that mom who has to ask her kids how to use her communication device, whatever the new device may be by the time I'm an adult.

Assignment 14: Anne Nombe

For my Thanksgiving, we either stay at home or go to close family friend's house. Often that family friend invites two other families, the same ones each year. We eat a mixture of African and American food, then after, we play board games and the Wii. One of my "cousins" who is 19 now, I think, will usually try to amuse us with his African accent impression. He honestly sounds like all of our dads when he does it, and it's pretty funny. But I don't think my dad has that accent, just that he says some of those things. I sort of like Thanksgiving and sort of don't, because on one hand, I get cook a bunch of stuff and get compliments for it, but on the other, cooking takes 5 years and multitasking while cooking is hard. Plus you have to look nice and presentable for Thanksgiving. I'd rather chill in my pajamas.

Assignment 13: Maggie Anderson

One of the most shocking things about being a Junior member of the Liberal Arts Academy at Henry Clay is the lack of summer homework. I find the bare minimum attitude of some teachers appalling.

 Take math. Many Juniors take AP Calculus. And what did we get from that? One measly packet and all review. We just had to watch the videos helpfully provided for us and it wasn't hard at all. In fact we got grades, easy 100%s, simply for watching the videos.And don't get me started on English. Our first assignment was due halfway through summer. A month! Where's the rush, the panic the stressful, sleep-deprived all-nighters? And the other assignment was partially based off our summer homework from last year. What good is it if we don't have to complete every stage over one summer.

    Don't even get me started on the classes that didn't assign anything at all. I'll have you know I was able to take two trips with my family this summer, on which I didn't think about my work at all. A total of almost fifteen days were spent miles from the assignment sheets themselves. It's like teachers at our school think it's okay if we don't spend all summer doing work we haven't been taught how to do for a class we haven't set foot in yet. Not to mention how this looks to colleges. If I don't spend at least 14 hours a day, 365 days a year on schoolwork for the last two years of high school, how am I expected to write a good application and get in to a halfway decent college? Ridiculous.

Assignment 15: Maggie Anderson

Baking fascinates me. Not only do I enjoy the act of making treats, I will also spend hours looking at cookbooks and reading every single recipe and thinking about what to make and how to make it. I often try to encourage my parents to go through the cookbooks with me, commenting on every recipe and listening to me read the instructions. (I can't imagine why they object to spending their evening this way!) The chemistry of baking interests me as well, learning why things rise, how the sugar/water ratio determines if something is a syrup or a caramel, or why chocolate always changes the bake more than any other flavor.
I would love to dedicate even more time to baking, but two things are stopping me, time constraints and the fact that my three person family can only eat so much dessert. Time constraints (mainly school/homework related) mean there are entire weeks during which I make nothing, hindering my goal of both making as large a variety of bakes as possible and making some things enough I become an expert. Another goal of mine is to make a larger variety, learning how to make more kinds of pastry. There's not much of a market for that here, as people tend to want only bread/cake/cookies/pie (Americans (said with disgust)).

Assignment 16: Speech

Post your speech!

Last blog of the year! Huzzah!

Full text of speech - due Sunday, December 10th at 11:59 pm.

December 10th is the last day to make up blog 16

Assignment 11: Luke Taylor

I sit next to Doug. For anyone that personally knows Doug, knows exactly what that means. Doug is a funny guy and makes AP Lang Interesting because of how spacey he can be sometimes. Me being a Louisville fan and Doug being a UK fan it's fair to say that debate is inevitable but I think none of the disputes we've had before is equivalent to our on going argument: Donovan Mitchell Vs. Lonzo Ball. I'm all for Mitchell because he played for the cardinals and is my current favorite player in the NBA and Doug is for Lonzo because he is a Lakers fan. We always send each other highlights of our preferred player on Instagram going back to the NBA summer league and then go back and forth about who will have a better career and who is more likely to win rookie of the year. If I could pick a color to represent Doug it would be yellow, representing his erratic energy.

Assignment 10: Luke Taylor

Nothing scares me more than clowns, they're just straight up creepy. I normally don't scare easy with movies, but IT shook me up. Clowns are supposed to be child friendly and nice, but there is something about a grown man covered in face paint that gets to me. I remember about a year or two ago when there was a lot of random clown sighting and it really got to me. People would see clowns standing on the side of the road in the middle of the night. This started to get into my head after a while. It started off with me just being super paranoid, but it led to me shutting down at 5:00. Shutting down as in locking all the doors, closing the windows and blinds, I did not play around.

Assignment 15: Olivia Klee

The thing that geeks me out is what you're using to read this right now. Not glasses, not a computer, but the brain. It's the tool that invented everything. Just think about it. Right now, there are thousands of impulses firing through the cells in your brain and you can't control a single one of them. If a few start misfiring in your amygdala, the emotional control center of the brain, you could be thrown into a fit of rage that you won't remember ten minutes from now. Overstimulate your occipital lobe, the vision processing region? You could have a crushing headache or worse, a sudden seizure.

You control your own thoughts. Or do you? Brain diseases like Alzheimer's can take your mind but leave your body. What is it like to walk around not knowing who you are? How do you know if what you're feeling right now is situationally appropriate or just an organic byproduct of a misfired impulse? These questions fascinate and terrify me at the same time, which is why I have diligently devoted hundreds of hours to sitting in my kitchen eating Oreos and reading about the brain. 

What I don't understand is how people are not fascinated by the brain. How can a brain not be interested in itself?

Assignment 9: Luke Taylor

There are so many evils in the world today from the genocides to countries testing nuclear weapons. Death seems to be at every corner and the only thing that appears on the news. So how do combat all these eminent dangers to humanity without throwing more fuel on the flame? I think violence should be the last resort to it. Fighting violence with violence will lead to more casualties so I believe the first option would be to try to diplomacy so everyone can be on the same page but if it doesn't work, I think violence might be the only solution. We have been relatively peaceful for a while now but I sadly think our time of peace will end soon and we will have some type of conflict sometime in the near future, but, hopefully I'm wrong.

Assignment 14: Olivia Klee

Thanksgiving doesn't start until Jungle walks in. I don't think anyone knows where she came from or how she's related to us, but she is always the loudest and most cringeworthy person in the room. She will yell, sway, and clap until you question whether what you are seeing is real. I've learned to walk in a circular pattern around my grandmother's tiny house so I can avoid the awkwardly exaggerated hug and kiss this distant relative gives me.

One of the things I love about my family's Thanksgiving get-togethers is the way we pray before we eat. The bluntest speaker is elected to pray, and by blunt I mean concise. It goes a little something like this:

"Dear God, thank you for this food that we partake in today. Okay! Let's eat!"

We do this because the prayers started getting a little excessive a few years ago when Betty Sue came to celebrate with us.

"Oh Lord, Lord Lord Lord, Lordy Lord, blesseth is the food today. Blessed are the rain and the sunshine that hath made the food grown. Father, Lord, Oh Lordy, we thank you today. We thank you thank you thank you. Oh Father, we just thank you for the food. We thank you, right here right now, Father, for this food you done given us."

Enough said.

Assignment 13: Olivia Klee

Henry Clay is Desperately in Need of More Students

With Freddy Douggy High up and running smoothly for the 2017-2018 school year, Henry Clay has lost so many students that its sense of closeness has vanished. An astounding twenty students were redistricted to the new school, and the loss has made a profound impact on the home of the Blue Devil.

"Henry Clay's halls are so empty without those twenty," explains Billy Bob, a junior at HC.

"I just wish there were more people at our school." reveals another student.

Officials at HC report that they are hastily trying to fix the problem by speaking to all middle schoolers in the state of Kentucky individual in an effort to coerce them into attending. But it might be too late for student Fartatooy Fitzgerald, an individual still grieving the loss.

"I never knew them, but I notice that they're gone. Friends of friends of friends, people I've seen on instagram, we were all so close. It feels like our small community atmosphere has been taken a fatal blow."

Assignment 12: Olivia Klee

Type A sums up my personality pretty well. It's disheartening to know that the term Type A was originally used by a cardiologist to describe the personalities of his most sickly patients, those with high stress and low self-care, but Type A is not all bad.

I think all my fellow Type A's will agree that our central dogma is this kind of go-getter attitude. We like to pave new roads and set new records. The thought of achieving something great doesn't just excite us, it moves us to the bench, the book, or the computer and makes us do it.  And when teamwork doesn't make the dream work, we are the ones that will complete the group project by ourselves, gosh dang it!

As a roommate, us Type A's are usually clean and early rising. We may not have time for your disruptive midnight taco runs, but if there is ever a water leak, we will be the ones to get both our laptops out of harm's way.  Also, since we live by our planners, we will never stand you up for a coffee date or study session because we "forgot" and overslept.

All in all, us Type A's just want a roommate who is relatively quiet and generally pleasant to be around, and other than that, we probably just want to get back to studying.

Assignment 11: Olivia Klee

To the right: Connor Holt.

I can pick out Connor's voice in any room. But that's not saying much. Connor was the first kid my age to get a "man voice" in middle school. I think he would be a great hype man or sports announcer because his voice just sounds important. What I like about Connor is how he uses his voice, though. Each and every time we analyze essays he has something insightful to say. Some may call him a hater, but I always appreciate his boldness in exploring the efficacy of an explanation or the diction used in an opener. His quick wit and nonstop dedication to becoming a better writer have earned him my utmost respect.

 To the left: Meghan Meadors.

I thought I was seeing double all of sophomore year. That, or she changed outfits every three hours each day at school. Being new to HC, I had no idea Meghan had a twin, and it took me until about October to figure out they have a brother, too.  Now that I've met all the Meadors (I think), my life has a lot more clarity. Meghan is an awesome seat partner. She has endless theatre stories that make me laugh out loud, great music recommendations, and her laid-back attitude constantly reminds me we're all in this together. What more could you want in a neighbor?

Assignment 10 Olivia Klee

It's ten o'clock on a Tuesday morning. I have been ordered to walk in a straight line. No talking, no stopping, no running. The fluorescent lights are buzzing and everything in sight is squirming with bacteria from hundreds of snot-nosed children. I enter a kind of fake-cozy space. Already inside are scores of girls that look just like me, all waiting for what comes next.

We were about to find out about The Blood.

Being the oldest child, I was given no warning, no chance to escape or fake an illness like my friends with older sisters. So there I sat, waiting like I was conditioned to do. There were a few nervous giggles, and suddenly The Woman appeared.

The Woman walked into the now stuffy room. She seemed to glance at each and every one of us before uttering her first word. It was all obviously premeditated; her perfectly-timed entrance, the elaborate makeup and pantsuit, and the clear whiteboard.

She contorted her face into an unnaturally stretched out smile and then pushed past some of the smallest girls to draw on the board. Everything she drew was red; the tube, the blood, the sideways lips. I didn't know whether I should believe her. I thought maybe it was some sort of cruel scare tactic. Then, without saying a word, she prowled over the small children to a sink and filled a measuring cup to the 15 ml mark.

"This is how much blood comes out when you get your period," she said.

I have never been more scared in my life.

Assignment Eleven – Jessica Ewing

Sam Clark. Oh, talkative, controversial, opinionated Sam Clark. Having known him for over five years of my life, I can wholeheartedly say that he's only grown stronger in those three traits.

From asking me how he spells 'woman' every day to the abhorrently non-PC comments he makes during class, there's never a dull day with Sam.

Sam will definitely go on to be President of the United States someday. There's really nothing more that I can say about that, other than it will absolutely happen. He'll definitely get elected, but at the same time be hated by a large number of people in the country. As I've said, he's a controversial one, that Sam.

If Sam were a color, there'd be no better one to describe him as as a neon orange. It's an odd color. It doesn't quite make sense. You're not sure why it exists, but it's intriguing. It's interesting. And you want to pay attention to it.

In all honesty, though, Sam is a great guy. He's helped to make a lot of my classes really interesting and hilarious where otherwise I would've found them mundane and boring. So you know what, thanks Sam.

And yes, I know. You spell 'woman' with a 'y.'

Assignment Ten – Jessica Ewing

Honestly, if the zombie apocalypse were to suddenly occur, I think I'd stand a pretty decent chance. Believe it or not, I can handle myself pretty well. Now White Walkers...that's a bit of a different story. Though with the zombie apocalypse, I feel I'm pretty capable.

Now, the thing with the zombie apocalypse is that you don't need to survive indefinitely, you just have to survive until they all decay into nothing but mush. They are still nothing more than rotting corpses, after all. They're dead. They will decompose. And zombies don't pose much of a threat if they're piles of goo.

Depending on the time of year of this apocalypse breakout, I have one of two options: if it's spring or summer, I'll head north to my grandparents' farm. 820 acres out in the middle of nowhere Indiana, it's perfectly independently stable. If the apocalypse occurs in fall or winter, I'll head south, to South Carolina or Florida. Down there in the humidity and the heat, even in winter, it'll be warm enough to where the zombies will decompose faster, and I'll have to spend less time scavenging and trying to survive.

All in all, I'll only have to hold out for about two months before the initial zombie wave will be totally decayed and gone. From then on, there will only be the occasional zombie left to watch out for, but they're just nuisances. Nothing more.

Assignment Nine – Jessica Ewing

War remains to be a topic I fear discussing. It's naive of me, yes, but war has never been a topic that's settled well in my stomach.

It's difficult to find a solid foundation to stand on when approaching the topic of war. Would it be ideal if we never saw the world at war again? Yes, but I'm afraid we don't live in an ideal world.

It's human nature to disagree on policies and moralities, etc. etc. Our free will and choice in thoughts is part of what makes us all human. It's also human nature to be stubborn and inflexible at times. However, some groups and organizations are so forthright about their beliefs that they refuse and denounce the beliefs of others, oppressing the rights of those they believe to be beneath them. Other groups or organizations or governments find this wrong and the two clash. Things build up, and eventually one group decides the better option would be to wage war.

Why is there no option of diplomacy? If everyone could just...get along peacefully, there wouldn't be any of this violence and destruction and chaos that we see in the world. But that's not how this world works.

Assignment 13: Anne Nombe

Liberals are RUINING Christmas (and Christianity)

DEC 1, 2017. This article is an opinion-piece written by Richie C. Richards and does not represent the actual position of WOLF News.

As the holidays roll in, more and more people are heading out to buy gifts for their loved ones. Every December, millions of Americans purchase classic gifts for their families, such as play-kitchens for their little girls and play-hunting rifles for their little men. Despite the high spending rates during the seasons, good, Christian Americans refuse to allow commercialism to dominate their December 25ths. In order to honor the birthday of our Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ, they purchase in small amounts and participate in prayer services.

Christmas was once celebrated in this conservatively wholesome fashion by all Americans. But the liberal agenda, much as it always does, has come to suck the life out of another traditionally American holiday. They fight policies allowing our children to learn about Jesus Christ in their schools and advocate calling the federal, school-given break "Winter Break" rather than what it ought to be: Christmas Break. The left calls "Christmas Break" offensive to those who practice other, non-American religions, such as Hanukkah and Muslim - the latter of which is most definitely influenced by former Kenyan President Barack Obama (proved Kenyan heritage in this article here).

Also, need I remind the liberals that Jesus Christ's historical significance is too important to our country to ignore it? After all, Christ was born here, in our great nation, and his astounding miracles included the creation of wine and man. Why, then, does the left find it "offensive" to recognize such a great man while we celebrate a day for a man who slaughtered thousands of Native Indians across our country thousands of years ago?

Anyone can see how the liberal agenda's sick plan to drive Christianity away from our God-loving nation has affected us. Young generations are so confused about Christianity's legitimacy that they join cults of accursed atheism and go around proposing that they could "make a religion" out of anything.

It is our job to stop the liberals. Join the new champions of the people, who want nothing but to see our country return to how it was in 1850.

To donate to the Droite Party, who want nothing but to see Christmas be about Christ again, please click here.

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(unrelated note: if you're offended please click here for an image that will make you forget your anger.)

Assignment 12: Anne Nombe

My future roommate should know first and foremost two things. One, that I turn in early. Two, that when I say "turn in," I mean block the world out, ignore all my texts, and write for two hours until I either run out of inspiration or get tired.

And it's not like I don't want to talk to them when I say I'm going to bed early just so I can write. I just hate being interrupted in the process. Also I can't focus on talking and thinking of good plot points. Also I'm kind of insecure about my writing and don't like others trying to read over my shoulder.

Aside from that, my future roommate should know that I'm a really indecisive person. Want to ask me where to put that shelf? Or if you should choose the pink or red lip color? You're asking the wrong person because I'm just going to shrug and say anything's fine.

Assignment 11: Anne Nombe

In class, I sit by both Megan Meadors and Elizabeth Piper. I never knew either of them before sophmore year, when I was actually in the academy rather than just waiting with my "accepted" status, but by now I think I know a fair amount about them. The three of us plus Olivia can get pretty chatty.

As for their personalities, I'd say that both are extremely dedicated to different things. Megan is definitely a "theater kid," and you can tell how much she loves theater whenever she talks about it with us. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is certainly a "band kid," and I see her love for band as well. Both of them are really easy to get along with in my opinion. I find that an admirable trait among people, because it's really hard to talk to people you don't know that well sometimes.

All in all, both of them are great to sit by!

Captain America Removed as Leader of the Avengers Due to Sexual Misconduct Allegations; Assignment 13-Andrew

NEW YORK-- Former leader of the Avengers, Steve Rogers also known as Captain America, was removed from his position on Wednesday after multiple sexual harassment charges. Thursday morning, Nick Fury, as a representative of S.H.I.E.L.D., released a press statement. "As of yesterday, we received four detailed complaints from different colleagues about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. After serious scrutiny, we determined them a clear violation our standards at S.H.I.E.L.D. so we moved to terminate him from his position." This comes after a string of allegations against many celebrities including Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, and Matt Lauer. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by Steve's behavior," said fellow teammate Natasha Romanov/Black Widow, "However, we do not stand by our teammate's actions and stand by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions."

The rest of the team declined to comment on the situation.

Assignment 11- Andrew

As of right now, I only sit next to one person in class. Ben Sanner. I've known him for around 6 years now. We met in 6th grade during Percussion class at Hayes Middle School. He's been in every Percussion class I've had since then and multiple other classes throughout my time in school. I've been, at the least, acquaintances with him for the majority of this time. I have learned things about him over the years. He's an avid sports fan who follows different teams from many sports like soccer, football, basketball, and other sports. He's a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas University basketball, and Arsenal. I know he watches Game of Thrones and is a fan of other TV shows. He plays soccer for Henry Clay and in an indoor league with other people from school. He is one of the only people who I can discuss soccer with because it seems like no one else cares about it. Although we'll have our differences sometimes, I believe that we can be friends for as longs as we're in high school.

Assignment 14- Andrew Rogers

I've always liked Thanksgiving. It combines three of my favorite things, watching football, spending time with family, and eating. For most of my life, we've celebrated Thanksgiving the same way. Almost all of the extended family on my Dad's side travel to Paris, Kentucky and we all have a large meal for lunch and then continue to eat for the rest of the day. Although the same pattern has occurred every year, our family has gained and lost multiple members, from my cousin's new children to the death of my grandfather. This year was especially different because of his death, namely where we spent Thanksgiving, which was a little disheartening but still exciting nonetheless because of Henry and Sam, my cousin's young children.  Even though we go through changes in how we spend Thanksgiving and the holiday season, the coming together of our family will always be a special event for me.

Assignment 14: Katie Chen

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. Not only does it give me an excuse to indulge on some of my favorite foods (mashed potatoes, stuffing, ham) but Thanksgiving is just one step closer to Christmas

.

My family doesn’t do your traditional Thanksgiving. We don’t have any extended family coming to visit and have one large gathering, mainly because we don’t have any extended family in the country. For most of the day, we go to my mom’s friend’s house and celebrate Thanksgiving there. Later that night, we usually set off to do Black Friday shopping, as most stores open their doors Thanksgiving evening.

My dad and I always make it a tradition to go to Best Buy on Black Friday, even if we don’t buy anything. Just strolling around the store and watching people lose their minds over a television is enough entertainment for one night. Other than that, we usually go to Target and Michael's as they always have pretty good sales. 

Assignment 12: Katie Chen

Dear Future College Roommate,

First things first: I like to live in an organized mess. Unlike most people, who need to have everything perfectly spotless all the time, I really don’t mind a mess. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate a well-organized room as much as the next person, it’s just that having a mess around doesn’t bother me as much. Not an overly horrendous mess where nothing can be found, but not completely and meticulously organized either. A nice happy medium. For example, on my desk, a quick glance and it looks like a tornado swept across it. However, I have my system. Although papers are strewn all across the surface, there is an order. The middle part of the desk is clear so I have space to do work. The upper left corner is filled with blank pages to do scratch work on, and the upper right corner is stacked with old binders and notebooks. So if that annoys you and you feel the need to constantly pick up after me, apologies in advance.

                                              Yours Truly,

                                                   Katie Chen

   

Assignment 11: Katie Chen

Sam Clark. What a guy. I've known Sam for a little over 5 years now, but this year, might be the most time I've spent around Sam. Because seating charts are usually in alphabetical order in most classes, I sit near Sam Clark in almost every single class.

Overall, Sam is just a really nice guy. He's on the speech and debate team, participates in Model UN as well as KYA. He has this sense of humor that’s ridiculously witty but also makes you question whether he’s serious or not. He spells “woman” with a “y” and likes to remind us of that fact on a daily basis.

In middle school, I never really talked to Sam all that much. In fact, I didn’t even know who he was until seventh grade, when he pulled out a vegetable platter and just started eating it in the middle of class and the teacher called him out for it. Because of that incident, Sam became a local legend around our middle school.

Assignment 15: Awwwwww Geek Out --to the song Freak Out (College)/ Cover Girl

This is a Make UP Blog Post NOT Extra Credit

We all have something that peaks our “Geek-meter.”  That something where time stops and transports you to a state of Zen.   Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, December 3rd at 11:59 pm

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Assignment 14- Sam Clark

It was a quarter ‘till midnight, and all was not well. The people were rowdy, refusing to quell. And from this chaos, this terror, this fear, my family departed for where they did not tell. I hung back and followed, my heart a’swell, the blood thumping in my head like the liberty bell. Oh, if only I were as clever as Alexander Graham Bell! Then the truth hit me like a bombshell, they were headed to the meadow where all things were swell. I ran, in short, like a gazelle. The meadow then revealed its secrets, mademoiselle, there my family stood, howling like Ronnie Rondell. “What a bizarre tradition,” a thought my mind did expel. I howled with the brood, in fact, I excelled, my form as perfect as a citadel. Despite this, some say my cries sound like those of an infidel. Oh well!

Assignment Thirteen: Sam Clark

Can one satire satire? Or is the satire contained within satire enough to override any earnest (What is earnesty?), satirical feelings derived from an honest interpretation of the satire itself? Or is satire merely a way of communicating ideas and expressions which cannot be communicated honestly (What is honesty?)? What if I end every sentence in this blog post with a question mark? What if, and hang with me on this one, satire is used only by the degenerates, those whose feelings are so atypical and unorthodox that to convey them would be a complete violation of the social contract, to voice those ideas which they completely and honestly believe, and that they’re so calculating that they know, and I mean absolutely know, that our minds, driven by an inability to understand true evil, will automatically assume that what they’re saying isn’t what they believe, isn’t truth? What if it isn’t satire?

Assignment Twelve: Sam Clark

I do not negotiate with terrorists. Never have, never will. End of story. This one fact is all my roommate needs to know about me. It encapsulates my entire being, my raison d’etre. It shows that, if placed in a situation in which I had the opportunity to negotiate with terrorists, I would abstain. It shows that I am the kind of man who looks evil incarnate in the face and says “No, we’ll be having none of that today.” It shows, in short, that I am a man who will stand up for freedom, liberty, and fraternity without exceptions.  Of course, my devotion to all things true may tarnish my relationship with my roommate. If he condones negotiations with terrorists, I cannot tolerate him, for anyone willing to cooperate with a terrorist enables some facets of terrorism to escape into the world. Ergo, the cooperator is a terrorist. Ergo, I cannot negotiate (speak, work with, live with, etc.) with him. In such a fraught political world, it may seem unlikely that I will room with someone who completely agrees with me. Hopefully though, those of us who follow the truth shall be placed together.

Assignment Eleven: Sam Clark

When I first met Katie Marvolo Chen, strife filled the world. The war trickled into our village, slowly saturating our lives with bloodshed and anger. We were nine when the first bombs fell. Ten when the men left. Eleven when the women followed. Twelve when they started drafting children. They picked the strong ones first, then, as fighting became more intense, the weaklings. In our world, no child was free from fear, though Katie managed to cope. She moved into the village just before the conflict became a conflict, when the enemies of foreign extraction hadn’t been extracted yet. We watched together as our families and playmates were slowly dragged away, kicking and screaming. And then they came for her. Our infantile minds fantasized that a great polar bear, the udjuk nanuk, watched over us, a protector from the great evils. When they took her, they shot nanuk, spilling his red, red blood over our his white hide, our childhood innocence.  

Assignment 14: Maggie Anderson

 I enjoy Thanksgiving a great deal. My parents and I drive to Pikeville to spend the day with my paternal grandparents, my aunt, and my two cousins. We head up in the evening the day before and stop for dinner at a Miguel's, a pizza place. about an hour from Lexington, a tradition that is part of any trip to Pikeville. Miguel's is a tiny little building in the woods that exists to serve rock climbers, including a campground behind the restaurant and a collection of gear for sale inside. The pizza is fantastic. We eat in the basement because the main room is always already full, surrounded by climbers wearing hats and puffy coats charging their phones and laptops and talking. There's usually a group speaking what we're pretty sure is German.
  In the past, my parents and I both had separate rooms in my grandparents' house. Two years ago, they moved into assisted living and my family now stays in a hotel. The setting of the dinner has shifted recently too. In the past, my mother would make pies in the morning at my grandparents', then we would go to my aunt's and help with sides all afternoon while my grandmother made the turkey. Around five, we would load up the sides and go to my grandparents' for the dinner.
 Well, two years ago we had the dinner at my aunt's, which we did again this year. We have the turkey, already cut up, on the table along with the rolls, butter, and cranberry sauce. Another table against the wall holds all the sides, including mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli  casserole, stuffing, and macaroni and cheese (a tradition my mother has disdained since it started, before I can remember). We get sparkling grape juice for the occasion and it's the only thing we drink out of a real glass. The plates and water cups are paper and Styrofoam, the napkins and tablecloth are also all disposable, a condition I abhor. In the old days, my grandmother would roll out real place settings for the dinner, but the changes in recent years have ended that.
At the end, we have the pies my mother made, a pumpkin, an apple, and a pecan. At some point, my grandmother will steal some crust from other pieces. Sometimes my mother makes an extra apple, which my grandmother and my cousin split so that the rest of us can have a chance at the other pie. Afterwards, we talk around the table, usually playing a board game or two.

Assignment 12: Maggie Anderson

All my life my father has been telling me that my college roommate will hate me. He has enough reasons to think so. First, I am cranky a great deal of the time. Mostly in the mornings and while at other times I am able to acknowledge the fact that this isn't the fault of the person nearest to me, when I'm cranky, I don't care. It's alright now because that's usually my parents and at this point they're used to it, but it will probably be a problem with someone new. Secondly, I like everything just so. But only when I feel like it. So some days I need everything just so, in the right places and at the right times, but other days I can let all of this fall apart. So even if somebody gets used to my various idiosyncrasies, they'll never know which mood I'm in. This drives my parents crazy, so there's a good chance my father will turn out to be right. I should probably just tell any potential roommates to ignore anything I do or say, continue living their own life around me, and to disregard anything I say to them when I'm in a bad mood. 

Assignment 11: Maggie Anderson

I sit next to Breanna in Mr. Logsdon's class 4th hour. Over the past few months I have had many conversations with her, but as we are in many of the same classes, these conversations center mainly around schoolwork. She is quiet, but has amazing tolerance for listening to me prattle on about whatever I did or saw recently, which is nice, because I like to talk. She is accommodating, particularly when it comes to the vocab, as she often lets me study over her shoulder before the quizzes when I have forgotten to look at the words or my phone won't let me look at them during lunch. We did crew for the school play together and I found out she is very strong, but I'm incredibly weak so that could just be by comparison. She doesn't do many extracurriculars besides the school plays, and spends much time on schoolwork. Though I haven't discussed future plans, I assume that in five years she will be in her fourth year of college.

Assignment Ten- Sam Clark

When zombies attack, men will die. This is for the greater good.

In a world in which man is no longer the dominant, living species, the industrial sector shuts down, ending that rape of the earth we call progress. Agriculture reverts back to a sustainable, highly-local craft, restoring fields lost to modern corporatism. Communities develop again as culture is rediscovered in books. As the earth heals, so too does the ocean. The reefs recover. All endangered species stage a full-scale recovery. The polar ice caps grow back, shrinking sea sizes and temperatures. It is a happy day.  Assuming that most humans convert to the other side (and that those who survive are smart enough not to get eaten), the zombie population dwindles and eventually disappears, negating any negative impact they may have had on local ecosystems. In short, zombies would save humanity. I, for one, embrace their rise.    

Assignment 10: Katie Chen

Now I know I'm supposed to tell this story as if were a ghost story, but in this case, this example of a time when I was fraught with peril is my experience with the supernatural. Everyone has those moments when they think they've seen a ghost. Whether you went a tour of a supposedly haunted asylum or if you just live in an older house, there's always this moment of "wait was that a ghost or am I being paranoid?" This moment was something that I couldn't explain was terrified in the moment.
About two years ago I attended a summer camp at some college in Ohio that I forget the name of. It was an arts camp and included two weeks of living on campus. During our orientation, some of the tour guides (who were current students at the college) told us the college used to be a hospital during the tuberculosis pandemic. Never believing in the supernatural, I thought nothing of it and continued with the camp.
One night I randomly woke up in the middle of the night because I felt someone sitting on my bed. My initial thought was my roommate trying to scare me. But as I rolled over and saw that she was lying in her bed, my stomach dropped. I slowly tilted my head to look down towards the edge of the bed. The end of the bed was dipped down, as if someone was sitting on the edge. Obviously I was terrified and turned to see if my roommate was seeing what I was seeing. I roll over and I see a glowing, mountain-dew colored cross above her bed. It was almost like a light projection, as it was glowing on the wall. I instantly became petrified to the state of being not able to move. I somehow ended up being able to fall asleep later that night.
The next morning, I approached my roommate and told her what I saw the previous night. I was nervous that I was just seeing things and it was all in my head. When I finished my story, my roommate's eyes widened as she told me she saw the cross too.
Of course we both freaked out and, not having any other explanation as to how it happened, we concluded that it was a ghost.

Assignment 9: Katie Chen

When I was eight years old, I wrote a letter to Santa and asked for world peace. I didn't ask for the newest toy or brand new clothes because I genuinely thought we lived in a perfect world with the potential for world peace. Years later, I now realize that our world isn't so perfect after all. Riddled with injustices, threats, and violence, war will always be a possible threat looming over us in our world today.

I do believe that there is an alternative war. I believe that foreign diplomacy should always be tried first when dealing with foreign issues. War should be a last resort to any problem. However, there are times when war in inevitable. In that case, negotiating for days on end will lead to nothing. If one country is set on initiating a war, there's really nothing another country can do to try and avoid war.

Assignment Nine- Sam Clark

Against the earth wages the only true war. Other fights pause. Others pitch. Others stop. Others culminate into a collective bang, a giant whirlwind in which truth and falsehood disappear into the void, mating and unmating, fading in and out of view. Still others simmer, pulsating with the buildup of arms; a hushed whisper, a false start, a stalemate. Others remain primitive, the sting of an arrow, the feeling of a heavy stick, blunt and cold, whacked up against the side of an arm. Or leg. Or head. Others draw on emotion, a war for something, against something, on something. But true war turns the self upon the self, it is the final contradiction. Are we not one with the earth? Do we not eat and drink? Are we not eaten and drunk from? Shall we end our division and satisfy the self, situating it in cooperation with the earth once more. We have no choice. Join or die.

That’s some fineeeee prose. I should be a poet.    

Assignment 9: Olivia Klee

War is one of those subjects that I would rather just hide in a dark corner so I don't have to think about it. Sure, I've read one book about a child soldier and I've raised money for UNICEF before, but what do I really know about war? I've never seen an army, never fled from violence. Actually, I don't even know anyone that has been affected by war. If ignorance is bliss, I've been dancing around in a snow globe my whole life.

But then how do you respond when you hear that children are being killed by explosives while walking to school in Syria? When hundreds of girls are being raped in Sudan? The truth is I don't know. I lament for the victims of all the violence, and I'm especially sad for the children who did nothing to deserve it, but I just don't know that there's much I can do to help.

However, there is one thing that becomes clear in light of all the horrors we hear on CNN; the fortune of living in a safe place. Cliche as it may sound, no one gets to choose where they are born. So even when Trump tweets something ridiculous and public transportation sucks, I'm going to continue to count my lucky stars that I was born in America.

Assignment 3: Olivia Klee

Three years ago I got onto a plane from Cinncinati to Canada, hopped another plane to Tokyo, took another plane to Sapporo, and finally arrived at Shinhidaka by bus. I was fresh out of the eighth grade and beyond excited for my first experience out of the country.

As the bus rolled up to the train station where we were to meet our host families, I checked the time on my phone. It was four in the morning, which meant I had been traveling for over 24 hours. To say I was exhausted would be an understatement.

The first words out of my host mother's mouth were "HELLO! English no, okay?"

Well, shoot.

Rather than going into panic mode like I would usually do, I just got in the car with these complete strangers who spoke no English whatsoever and fell asleep on the ride to my new home. That's how tired I was.

The car finally stopped in front of a cute little house in the Middle of Nowhere, Japan, and my host family led me inside. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to take a shower, but of course, I had no idea how to say that in Japanese. And there was no internet.

So I just took a wild guess at the Japanese word for shower. (And let me just tell you this may have been the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me.)

"Shawa?" I said.

"Hai! Hai! Koko desu."

Apparently "shawa" is the exact word for shower, so not only did I get to take a shower, but my family was immediately impressed with my Japanese. Let's just say my guessing skills came in handy a lot while in Japan.

Assignment 14: Flying Turkeys

The stock image of Thanksgiving involves a lot of people around a nicely decorated table with a large turkey and a ridiculous amount of extra food. This image doesn't always depict the reality of the holiday though.

What does your Thanksgiving look like? Do you enjoy the holiday? What is your strangest or most wonderful memory of the holiday?

OR

What are some of your family traditions in general?  Holiday or otherwise.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 26th at 11:59 pm

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Assignment 10: Maggie Anderson

Zombie Apocalypse: Just die so I don't have to deal with it.
What scares me most: Snakes. They're weird little legless lizard freaks that shouldn't exist and you will not convince me otherwise. I used to be fine with snakes. I didn't love them or anything, but I thought they were kind of cool. Then I started to have nightmares about snakes. They were rare, one every few months, but they were enough. In fact, I can only remember one nightmare I've ever had that wasn't snakes. (It was flesh eating slugs and that was my great-uncle's fault.) I would always wake up scared from these dreams and call my mother in to check around my room and at the foot of my bed for snakes, but I still didn't fear snakes in general, just these nightmares. However, as years went by, I steadily began to fear snakes more and more. Now, I can't even look at a picture of one without getting really jumpy and paranoid. At first I thought this was stupid, after all I had been fine with snakes for years, even while having the dreams. But now, I accept that my subconscious is probably right. I haven't had a nightmare in a little while, they've been replaced with a real fear.

Assignment 9: Maggie Anderson

While I believe that war is bad, I think that it is sometimes unavoidable.. I think the best answers are: Let other countries do their own thing. Try diplomacy.
The problem with the former is when the other country is unnecessarily harming either a group within the country or another country. Sometimes, the lesser of two evils is to enter the conflict rather than remain silently complicit. However, diplomacy should always be tried first between the conflicting countries or groups, potentially with other countries or groups in supporting roles.
The problem with diplomacy is when people want war. A country can negotiate all they want but if the other side wants to fight, they will get nowhere. Sometimes this happens because one side knows they won't get what they want in a compromise, other times it is because they simply want war. In The Princess Bride the prince tries to provoke his own country into attacking their neighbor and traditional enemy simply because he thinks war is the right thing to do, even though they don't seem to be doing anything.
War is the wrong choice, but sometimes the only one. Two sides must initiate compromise, but it only takes one to initiate war.  

Assignment 13: Cha Cha Changes!

Think of all of the things and ideas that exist in the world.

Which one bothers you the most?

Think on Jonathan Swift's "Proposal" and write your own satiric solution to your troublesome issue.

First I would spend some time watching and or reading a great deal of satire to get into in the mental mode satire requires.

To Be Absolutely Clear - 

You are writing your own SATIRE, not discussing satire.  Read lots and lots and lots of The Onion or NewCircleCircular before you start!  If you do not write a satire you will not receive credit and you will have to redo the assignment

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 19th at 11:59 pm

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Assignment 12: I’m not crazy. I promise (College)

How do you “sell” yourself to a stranger?  For most, when you step onto your new academic home you will know no one -- so your roommate is an important safety line.  As such, it’ll be important to pick a good one.  What you would want your future college roommate to know about you?   This question asks you to share something significant about your day-to-day way of being. You can discuss just about anything here! Although you could approach this essay in a somewhat playful manner, do not be tempted to address a topic for its shock value. It’s important that your response is genuine and conveys your personality in an appropriate tone.

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

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Assignment 10- Andrew Rogers

Okay. Zombies. Well, I will assume this outbreak happens while I am at school because I spend my entire life there. School is crowded so there is a large chance I just die there. But for this prompt, let's just assume I am amazing and I escape. Step one, find a safe place to go. If I'm at school, I am probably going to go the Island neighborhood. It's down the road to your left when exiting the student parking lot (hence the no outlet sign). It's an isolated area with a large group of people with a lot of resources. That takes care of my food and shelter for at least a little while. I'll then try to contact my family. There is a good chance I never see my family ever again, soooooo... Anyway, that seems to be a pretty good way to survive the onset of the zombie apocalypse. As we progress through the now zombie-ridden world, we can easily protect ourselves, due to the one entrance to the neighborhood. We can access the outside world through boats that are already there and resupply. Eventually, I would try to reach some of my family and friends or I may just live out my days on the Island. Sounds pretty good to me.

Assignment 9- Andrew Rogers

In the grand scheme of things, war has a place in our modern world. Upon the hearing the word, we conjure up horrendous images from films like "Saving Private Ryan" and pictures from civil war and other documentaries. War seems inevitable.  From the beginning of civilization, it seems, war and fighting have always occurred. As a kid in elementary school and even now, I've been fascinated with war history. From the conquests of Genghis Khan to the Battle of Gettysburg, the intricacies of war have fascinated me. But in looking at the overall concept of war, I've never sat down and really considered the need for war. Sure, we should strive for a perfect society is world peace. However, war is necessary. For all the ways war falls short, it solves an awful lot of problems. It seems to be the way for humans to solve their problems, rather than resolving things through peaceful negotiating. It's human nature to take the easier way. Don't get me wrong, war is never inherently easier for a country, especially for those who fight in them. Even though, it is a necessary evil that will always be present as long as human civilization exists.

Assignment 10: Anne Nombe

I'm a paranoid person. A lot of things that might not ever even happen to me make me nervous, like being in a mass shooting or being aboard a plane that's hijacked by terrorists. I have plenty of fears, but my biggest fear isn't death or injury.

In fact, what scares me the most is much, much smaller than you'd think. By that, I mean physically smaller. We live alongside them and see them everyday, but that doesn't put me at any more ease.

Yes, the things that scare the most are bugs. I'm not even sure why. I can't stomach looking at a spider on my wall for more than a second before I have to call my older brother to kill it. It's gotten so bad that my little sister makes fun of me for even avoiding the fly swatter. It's not really what they are that scares me, but how they make me tense up and shiver.

How am I going to deal with this when I'm older and have to be the one who kills the bug in the house? I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Assignment 9: Anne Nombe

If all the world's problems could be solved peacefully, we wouldn't be having this discussion. And as much as I wish we could all join hands, sit around a fire, and sing "Kumbaya," I know that world peace is merely a fantasy. People are too different, or maybe they're too similar. Whatever the case, it prevents us from all seeing eye-to-eye. Such disputes are a natural part of life.

I see war as the most extreme, natural form of dispute in our world. Avoiding it altogether is out of the question because it's simply in our nature to either fight or flee when we feel threatened.

But is war morally right? Is it ethical to harm another human being "for the good of one's country"? Or do we just tell ourselves that--that by fighting our enemies, we're doing our families and communities a service, just to escape the guilt we get from seeing the bloodshed and destruction on the news? I wish I knew the answers to these questions, but I feel that all I can do is speculate.

Assignment 11: Who’s your neignbor?

You are juniors. You are in the Academy. You sit next to each other in Mr. Logsdon's class. You've been here for 11ish weeks and only 7ish to go until the end of the semester.

I think it is safe to say that you know at least a little about each other. Your understanding of each other may include extra curriculars, favorite TV shows, hobbies, but your level of familiarity may also extend into knowing each other's personality. Are they intimidating, carefree, honest?

This week, write about the person you sit next to in English class. What do they do? What are they like? What color would you characterize them as and why? Where do you see them in five years? What type of animal are they like?

I know you're in a seating chart, but you are writing about your peers. Getting to know for the past few months, I have seen you as genuinely nice people and so I expect genuinely nice things in your posts. It doesn't have to be all puppies and ice cream cones, but your entries shouldn't cut anyone down.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 5^th at 11:59 pm.

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Assignment Nine: Elizabeth Piper

I believe that there are certain reasons that make war a valid and  necessary choice. If a country is deliberately being attacked by another and negotiations aren't making any headway then war would be the choice to go with. Many reasons however thay countries have gone to war for in the past have not been good reasons. Countries are responsible for going to war or at least take steps toward a solution if its citizens are being attacked. It is the job of the country to protect its citizens.
I also believe that countries should not intervene in a war that doesn't have to do with them. War always causes destruction and if it isn't absolutely necessary then it shouldn't happen.
War should never be the first answer. Countries should try to negotiate and take the peaceful route. War should only happen if nothing else works and the citizens of that country are under attack or in danger.

Assignment 10: Boo

ZOMBIES (or White Walkers) HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

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

OR

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

Happy Halloween!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday,

October 29th at 11:59 pm

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Assignment 8 - Rachel Burns

Fears: losing control, sudden/unexpected death, being shot, being raped

Annoyances: people who chew with their mouth open, know-it-alls, when people are chronically late, slow walkers, when people spell my name 'Rachael'

Accomplishments: getting a four year scholarship to KSU, leading Youth worship at church, participating in TASS

Confusions: why other people think it's ok to hurt someone (physically, mentally, or emotionally)

Sorrows: hurting others feelings, not continuing soccer, taking Comp Sci

Dreams: perform at Madison Square Garden, live in New York City, become a social activist

Idiosyncrasies: wearing bracelets my best friend gave me in 4th grade, always wearing hoop earrings and my mom's ring

Risks: skydiving, big roller coasters, walking into the street without looking 

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Barbie dolls (Then). My moms ring, my rope bracelets (now).

Problems: procrastination, time management, self esteem

WHY DO PEOPLE THINK ITS OK TO HURT OTHER PEOPLE?!?!? Look, I’m not a saint. I’ve hurt some people in my life. Everyone has. It’s practically inevitable, whether you mean or not. But when I see things like the Las Vegas shooting happen, or even small things like a rumor being spread around school, it makes me wonder why people find joy in hurting others. Everyone has feelings. You have feelings, I have feelings, my dog has feelings (I think). Why do you find joy in seeing them hurt? Why do you continue to hurt people when you see the damage you’ve caused in someone’s life? I sill beat myself up over something I said that hurt my friend in 7th grade. I still regret it! I still wish I never did that because seeing her hurt for weeks over something I said made me feel like Satan. I never wanted to see her or anyone that hurt bexause of something I did. Has it happened since then? Of course it has, I’m human. But I feel guilty. It doesn’t happen everyday and yet I see people get hurt every day by the same person. Why do people enjoy giving others grief?

Assignent 7 - Rachel Burns

I have absolutely no clue where I'm going to college. I feel like my choice changes everyday. If you asked me this question two years ago, I would've told you that there was absolutely no chance whatsoever that I was staying in Kentucky. But ask me now, and I'll say there is about a 1/10 chance I won't stay in Kentucky. It scares me, honestly, that in less than two years, I will be on my own. Nevertheless, I'm excited to start a new chapter in my life soon.

To be honest, I don't even know what I want to major in. I do, however, know that I want to become an immigration lawyer, so a Pre-Law program at a university would be amazing. I really want to study either Sociology or History, but I still want to also take classes in Spanish and hopefully study abroad in Spain or South America. I want to meet new people in college that have the same interests as me and want to do the same things I want to do.

I just want to receive a good education, wherever at may be. I want to go to a college that will open doors for me, give me new opportunities to go places and meet people. Where hat may be is still a mystery to me. I just want someplace that will support me in my efforts of receiving a quality education.

Assignment Three: Elizabeth Piper

This summer I went to the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs. It was a business and entrepreneur summer camp for three weeks. Going in to the program I was expecting something much like school. You go to class have a project to work on and you have very little freedom. When I got there I was shocked. All of the staff were very trusting and thinks were much more lenient than I had expected. You could do as you please and it was not a situation where you were forced to do anything. Of course the staff encouraged you to try your best but, whatever you decided to put in is what you got out. I had never experienced something like this before. I had so much freedom and I was independent to do what I wanted. Obviously there was some restrictions and rules put in place but nothing to the extent I was thinking. This camp gave me a real glance into what life outside of high school was like and the freedom I could potentially gain during college and beyond. I learned that when it comes to learning you can have freedom and be independent while still learning as much as possible. In fact I found that when I was responsible for learning things myself and I wasn't force-fed anything allowed me to really grasp content and retain things much better. I now look forward to the future when I will get more freedom in my education.

Assignment 8--Eli Wrinn

Like I said in Assignment 4, my worst fear is being fooled or tricked into believing something that benefits another party. This leads me to be cynical and possibly paranoid, but I hold that to lose credibility, I have to be much more so. The area in which this appears the most is corporate advertising. Since I gave some examples before, I'll give some more. Dating services are COMPLETE crap and wastes of money. No algorithm can determine love and interests in common aren't nearly indicative of it. Also, health supplements like protein powder are not usually effective and the FDA does not have as much power to regulate what actually goes into them as you think; sometimes, crushed up rice has been found in some capsules. Finally, glasses only cost so much because a single company, Luxotica, bought all glasses companies out and raised the prices, they really only cost around 10$ to make. As you can tell, I love the TV show Adam Ruins Everything, however it did not make my top five TV shows in assignment 5.

Annoyances: People expecting the world to owe them something.
Accomplishments: Straight A's, Varsity basketball and baseball player
Confusions: What defines consciousness
Sorrows: Not born athletic, divided family.
Dreams: Control of time, normalcy/consistency in life
Idiosyncrasies: Student-athlete (jokingly/ironically)
Risks: Strong ideals, dig my heels in sometimes
Beloved Possessions: Don't really have any, value experiences more
Problems: Don't take things seriously sometimes

Assignment 8: Megan Meadors

• Fears: failing, crowds
• Annoyances: arrogant people, not getting straight answers
• Accomplishments: being Belle in Beauty and the Beast, going on the Deauville Exchange
• Confusions: confidence
• Sorrows: not being good at learning names, stage fright
• Dreams: travel, learning language, helping others
• Idiosyncrasies: indecisive, confident, fearful risk taker
• Risks: performed for large crowds, auditioning
• Beloved Possessions: musical sticker water bottle
• Problems: being on time, forgetfulness

I hate being in front of crowds. Believe it or not I’m a theater kid though. I’ve been a lead in the musical, I like to sing, I like to act, but I’ve always had stage fright. I’m not sure at what point it doesn’t bother people, but it still bothers me. This still confuses me because I haven’t quite figured out how I make it through a show, especially with my past in performing for people, but I did it. And that’s what counts. But I guess it’s because I work really hard to develop my character and I get comfortable. But then again, when I’ve practiced for an audition for weeks and then haven’t been able to perform it well. Why isn’t that the same thing? I guess performing is what terrifies me but I’m not sure. But on to the next audition and then the next performance. Rejection isn’t bad, it’s just how you come back from it.

Assignment 7: Megan Meadors

One of my biggest goals in college is to do a study abroad in France or a francophone country. Even before doing an exchange this summer I have wanted to travel the world and explore a new culture. At my dream college, Berea, there is a program allowing students to go on a study abroad without it costing an arm and a leg, so I hope to be able to participate. As far as for what I want to study, I would like to major in Business Marketing and minor in French. Besides that though, I am excited for the independence college brings. I consider myself fairly self motivated to do well, but I am ready for the other clubs and classes that college will allow me to participate in. All of these should help prepare me for the future, going into business and will hopefully set me up for a good career. Though it is still difficult to find a job in today’s society, a degree in business is very applicable in many fields and I hope I can find something of interest for me.

Assignment 6: Megan Meadors

Though there are so many things I could talk about here. I suppose this topic is something that affects a lot of teenagers, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ever felt like this, but I hate when adults assume that teenagers incompetent. I’ve worked with a fair share of adults in my life. Between working at a summer camp, volunteering to help run Girl Scout Cookies for troops in our area, planning events, and many other things I have noticed one common trend. Adults look at me like a child. I’m not talking like them recognizing the fact that I’m younger than they are, just when they look at me like I couldn’t possibly know anything because I am not as old as them. One example was at my Girl Scout Camp during a Mom and Me camp, which is when moms and daughters come and they do activities together, which the camp staff run. I was the youngest person on staff and while I was helping to entertain the children, the adults all had a meeting with the camp director and they were told that I was a part of the staff that they would have to listen to, especially when giving directions on safety and other things that were important because I knew as much as the older members of the staff. Even after this, there were still some issues. When I was helping harness people at the rock climbing tower, parents refused to let me help them if they were struggling, insisting that “they were fine” and then going to another member of the staff. This happens to everyone I’m sure, but it’s really annoying to me, but yet it’s something I can’t exactly help. I try to let it go, but it always has annoyed me.

Assignment 5: Megan Meadors

I like TV because it is a way to get a window into another world, like reading, only with less of a time commitment. It’s also a form of entertainment, like music, that can just be on and can serve as background noise that varies more than music does but it doesn’t take your attention away from doing homework or working on other things. But then again it can also be a quality form of entertainment when you just sit down and watch it and invest times into following a character or a storyline. I usually find it difficult to just watch a TV show without doing something else while watching, but I feel like I use it as a way to relax and not have to devote a lot of time or energy into it.

I watch some TV. I normally don’t watch Netflix, but I watch a few TV shows when I have time. My favorites are Big Brother and Survivor. I really enjoy both of these shows because they challenge contestants to compete for their prize through competing for power, forming alliances, and creating strategies. I enjoy watching them interact both with how they are represented in the show and by watching the live feeds of what’s happening. I have several more shows on my list, like Stranger Things and Sherlock, but I haven’t gotten a chance to watch them yet.

Assignment 4: Megan Meadors

I’ve normally believed stereotypes when I hear them. This past summer, during my trip to France I saw a lot of things that I wouldn’t have gotten to see otherwise. Although there are a lot of stereotypes about Europeans, what I noticed most was stereotypes about Americans. Most that I noticed, were the ones I didn’t fit into and people asked me about. Others were ones that I noticed being portrayed in the media. Some were simple, like that some people I met were surprised that I didn’t wear makeup because that’s how teenage American girls are portrayed in the media. Others were more surprised that I didn’t just eat marshmallow fluff all the time (I actually did get asked this) and there were even some people who were surprised that Americans actually learn other languages. I wasn’t fluent by any means, but they were surprised that I was even making an effort. There were a few people who I met that went as far as to only speak to me in English.  They were really surprised when I told them I spoke a little French and that I was there on an exchange. Sometimes it isn’t the groundbreaking revelations that challenge beliefs, but this definitely will affect how I view other people and their cultures.

Assignment 3: Megan Meadors

Activities I’ve Been Involved In:

• Girl Scouts (Troop, Camp, TLC)
• I’ve been a Girl Scout since I was six years old. I’ve sold thousands of boxes of cookies, gone to camp for 10 years, worked at camp for 2 years, and joined the Girl Scout Teen Leadership Council. Through Girl Scouts, I’ve learned about money management, public speaking, event planning, teamwork, leadership, and much more. This has allowed me to work with many people who I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to know. It’s also allowed me to see how leadership roles for older Girl Scouts can influence younger Scouts, and that has been cool for me to see.
• Voice Lessons
• I have been taking music lessons at the Central Music Academy for 8 years, with 5 years focusing on vocal music. I have gotten to sing many different styles of music in many different languages. This has allowed me to grow as a musician and has helped me to develop my love of musical theater. This is one of the things that’s helped me build up my confidence.
• Theater
• If you asked younger me what I would be doing with my life now, I would definitely not have said theater. Yet here I am. I’ve been in the cast for 3 shows and I’ve stage managed 2 shows. This has helped me develop my leadership skills through stage managing and leading rehearsals. Also with being in multiple casts and a lead of the musical helped me overcome my stage fright
• Lexington Deauville Sister Cities Exchange
• This program allowed me to go to France and stay with my correspondent and his family. It taught me a lot about myself and about my ability to go to another country and be immersed in another culture. I learned about how I view the world, and I found it really cool to see that while I could stay in my comfort zone with what I know, it’s also amazing to put yourself into someone else’s shoes and see how their world differs. It has helped me grow my love for language and has driven me to want to study French in college.

Assignment 2: Megan Meadors

I’m really sad to admit I’ve not had time to read as much as I would like, but I can say the few books I have had time to read were amazing!

The most recent book I have read was Room by Emma Donoghue. This book was written from the perspective of a six year old who was locked in a one room house with his mom for his whole life and how he saw the world. It is probably one of my all time favorite books because how the book captured and described everything from the little boy’s perspective. Other than that, I have tried to reread the Harry Potter series. I didn’t get very far, but I still want to go back and finish rereading the series at some point. Then, of course, the assigned summer reading books: The Teenage Brain, and Writing With Style. But those were assigned readings and I didn’t exactly enjoy them, but I read them.