Assignment 14: Megan Meadors

    All of my family lives in town, so seeing my family isn’t weird for me. But on Thanksgiving, each side of my family has separate Thanksgivings.

    In the morning, we are with our dad’s side of the family. We go to our Grandmother’s house and we have a Thanksgiving lunch. We have foods like turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, dumplings, stuffing, broccoli casserole, and rolls. We also have things like apple pie and jello for dessert. Normally our grandparents prepare all of the food for thanksgiving (and Christmas) and are finishing preparations for the meal by the time we go over to their house for lunch. My dad’s two brothers and their wives and kids are normally at Thanksgiving as well.

    We normally stay over at their house for a few hours before going to celebrate Thanksgiving with our mom’s side of the family. For that, we go over to our cousin’s house and then have thanksgiving dinner. There we have a much smaller meal that’s more like a potluck with foods like turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, and croissants. We also have cream puffs, apple pie, and macaroons for dessert (there was no apple pie this year though L). We normally stay there until we go home really late.

    I’ll be honest, I don’t like many Thanksgiving foods, but Christmas is at my house, so we get to choose what’s on the menu.

Assignment 13: Megan Meadors

Dear Parents and Students,

    We have recently become aware of some issues among our staff. After receiving multiple complaints about all departments, we have decided to revamp our entire school day. We hope that this change will be an acceptable solution for recent problems detailed below.
Many parents have brought to our attention the excessive amounts of homework being assigned to their children each day at school. These students go home each day, unable to participate in anything “fun.” This issue has been reviewed by several committees of teachers throughout every department and we have come to a conclusive decision.

    From now on, the school day will be extended by one hour. This solution was brought up to help aid our students by giving them time during the school day to cram for exams and to complete this unnecessary level of homework.

    Though we as staff don’t care about our students’ well-being, we would like to show our minimal concern with this adjustment. Trapping these students at school for an extra hour will allow us to provide them this time while still restricting any free time our students would normally have outside of school hours.

    We thank everyone for their cooperation during this adjustment. If you have any questions please call the school where an answering machine that never gets checked will delete your call or email us at idontcare@gmail.com where your complaint will be put with all the other useless parent emails.

    Thank you again for being cooperative and understanding throughout this transition. On the behalf of our faculty and staff, we appreciate your patience and input on our school community.


    Sincerely,
            Administration

Assignment 15 - Ben Sanner

I've always had a thing for planes. Ever since I was little I just found a big thing of metal flying in the sky to be so mesmerizing. I did not really act on this interest until I was about twelve. I had been bugging my parents to sign me up for this aviation camp for a few years and they finally did when I was twelve. The camp was one of the most fun experiences I can remember. Ever since I have gone back this camp going on 5 years now. Now whenever I have enough free time I venture online and try to learn the most about the field that I can. I'm not sure if piloting will be my career but I will definitely have a role in the field in my future. I have also recently begun to learn the basics of the field of aeronautical engineering and I look forward to learning more in the future.

assignment 15: Luke Taylor

I can geek out over many things from video games to basketball to comic book movies and shows. But the thing that causes me to lose track of time the most is probably drawing and art even though I'm still not all that great at creating it. When I was younger I made several comic books about batman (my favorite hero) fighting a villain name Peanut Butter Nut Head (I'm allergic to peanut butter). The thing gets so interested in drawing is that all my other interests can be expressed in art. Cartoons, comic books, and manga really spiked my interests as a kid. I remember going to the library to check out about 10 different comic books to practice drawing my favorite super heroes throughout the week. I stopped drawing for a while because I was so busy with basketball and music I think I lost to time to do it, but now that I'm not playing basketball I have more time to practice my art. But going back to Cartoons, I'm a huge fan for animation. I have a huge appreciation for animators because they spend so much time working toward their final product, about 2 minutes of animation takes about month to make. Imagine how long it takes to make Disney Pixar movies? That thought alone leaves me awestruck.

Assignment 12: Megan Meadors

    Okay, let’s get down to business (to defeat the Huns)

    As you can see above, I am slightly (okay more than slightly) obsessed with Disney. If you’re not down for singalongs, then I don’t think we can be roommates. You should probably leave now (I’m kidding!). With that being said, pretty much all I listen to is Broadway Cast Albums from just about every Broadway show. Let’s just clear up that I sing 24/7. Sorry.

    I am also a theatre kid, so I apologize in advance if I start going on and on about some recent theatre drama or anything like that. Or if I start complaining about how some Broadway show you’ve probably not heard about is going off Broadway because of some recent mishap in casting (*cough* Great Comet *cough*). But in all honesty, just tell me to stop, and I will. I know my endless stories will probably get annoying at some point, especially when I’m using them to procrastinate on an essay due the next class.

    Also, I am a Girl Scout. You will probably hear stories about my friend Bubbles. Don’t worry her name isn’t actually Bubbles, but I work at a camp and we go by weird names. So, yeah. On that same note, I have sold goodness knows how many boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, and I will probably buy who knows how many boxes. Yes I will share, but eating the last cookie is asking for a fight. (I’ve grown up with three siblings, so I’ve had my food eaten all too often and I am very protective of it. Hopefully you’ll understand)

    I do have a twin. Yes we do look alike. No, we can’t communicate telepathically. No, we don’t like the exact same things. I don’t care who is smarter, prettier, better at (insert activity here), or anything like that. Yes, I am shorter than my sister. Yes, you can talk to her. We do get along. Yes I am technically a triplet, but it’s easier to just say I am a twin in most situations. With all that being cleared up, I actually do get along with my sister really really well. We don’t have that normal sister bond where we hate each other, so don’t worry. You will definitely see her show up to our room at some point and start going through my things to find something I may or may not have taken without asking. Just a warning.

    But honestly, I’m a people pleaser. So don’t hesitate to tell me if anything I do annoys you! I promise I’ll do my best to stop anything I do that’s annoying or disruptive. Besides, I’ve shared a room with my twin sister for my whole life so if there’s one thing I have learned, is there has to be a middle ground. So don’t be afraid to let me know!

Assignment 11: Megan Meadors

On my left: Anne Nombe
    I met Anne last year in AP Seminar, and I immediately knew she was a great person. Last year was her first year in the Academy, and although we didn’t talk a whole bunch last year, I’ve gotten to know her better this year. She is extremely interested in medicine and has helped start the medical club at Henry Clay. I can tell she is extremely passionate about this because her face lights up when she talks about it, and she is really excited. She is also extremely motivated in school and does her best on everything!

On my right: Olivia Klee
    I met Olivia this year in AP Lang. She is extremely kind and passionate, and is an amazing person to be around. She’s really good at giving advice when you need it and is awesome to talk to. She is generally very open and willing to tolerate my constant theatre stories, even if they do get a little annoying sometimes. I love hearing the stories she tells in class.

    Both Anne and Olivia are great seat partners and we all have fun debating tv shows, favorite foods, and many other things.

Assignment 15: Eli Wrinn

I'm sure whoever wrote the prompt to this blog post had something in mind that they really enjoy thinking about. I, on the other hand, do not have anything that stops time whenever I think about it. Of course, I am a rare case of the oxymoron a "sports nerd." I love watching and following basketball, baseball, and football at both the college and professional levels. I know you are thinking How can this guy watch MLB for 162 games. The trick for watching leagues that seem boring is to have a team to root for, it makes it much more exciting when the team isn't awful. I have this covered at the college level, being the biggest UK fan there is by my age. (Honestly, find me a bigger one) For the professional level, I love the Steelers, the Orioles, and the Wizards. Another thing that "stops time and transports me to a place of Zen" is philosophical and theoretical physics. This is the only thing that I enjoy learning about. This is another reason I am excited for college, because I will finally get to learn it and it seems like I will be able to fully enjoy what I'm learning. (Except for AP Language and Composition, I love this class!!)

Assignment 10: Megan Meadors

Public speaking is terrifying. Now, I know what you might be thinking, and the answer is yes. I am a theater kid. But I am also terrified of getting in front of people and talking. How can that work? Easy. When you’re acting in a play you can be someone else, but for public speaking it’s a different story. You’re simply yourself. There’s nowhere to hide and that’s absolutely terrifying. I mean, pretty much everyone I know is scared of public speaking, at least a little bit. It’s easier with practice to speak in front of people, but how often would you want to practice a speech or a presentation? Even if you go over it 100 times there’s still like 30 people in each class who you have to worry about messing up in front of. You can tell me that this is a “safe space” all you want, but nothing will keep the judgement from being there. You can tell me all you want that practicing will make that easier, but looking at yourself in the mirror is NOT the same thing.

Assignment 9: Megan Meadors

Personally, I don’t think there is a time for war. Imagine two (or more) countries sending their soldiers into battle. Imagine families letting their young boys and girls go into battle where they could potentially be killed. Imagine the worry their parents go through on a daily basis, wondering if their little boy (or girl) is coming home. Though there’s that, I still think it’s a necessary evil. If another country is directly threatening your country, I think their governments have the responsibility to protect their people. Diplomacy should definitely be the top option but if that and other options don’t work, then sometimes war is the only option and must be taken. Keeping diplomatic relations should definitely be a priority to keep tensions lower so that war can be avoided, but this only can go so far. Sometimes countries don’t want to cooperate or make a deal, which limits the effectiveness of this option.

Assignment 15: Elizabeth Piper

The smooth lines on a fresh blank sheet. The colorful post-it notes that line my walls. I have always loved office supplies, some may say I'm even addicted. I love to get the latest pens and try them out on my many pads of note paper. The thought of having a desk full of every office supply imaginable is so appealing and it would be a dream come true. When I am at my desk organizing my many index cards and paperclips among the myriad of other supplies I have I lose track of time. I can't help but be happy. The colors, the smell of the paper, everything is so wonderful.
As a child I always loved to do arts and crafts and now that I am older it seems foolish for me to pull out a sheet of construction paper and start gluing and cutting. I feel that office supplies are the grown-up version of arts and crafts. They are much more useful but you still get the pleasure of playing with your fancy pens and colorful highlighters. It makes it so much fun to write notes and to make lists.
When I want to learn more or get new ideas, I always turn to Pinterest. It is heaven for those who love to organize, take notes and above all love office supplies. I am always get new ideas on how to write my notes and what next to buy to add to my collection of office supplies. Whenever I am feeling down, I always turn to Pinterest and look up all of the aesthetically pleasing notes and pens. It always brings my geeky side to the forefront.

Assignment 14 - Ben Sanner

Thanksgiving for me has been the same for nearly all of my life with a few changes here and there. Me and my family always head out to my grandmothers house the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and arrive at her house at about 2-4 in the afternoon. After we are all settled in and unpacked we eat a home-cooked meal that my grandmother usually prepares for the whole day. Now onto Thanksgiving day itself, I usually get to sleep in to around 11 as I never eat any breakfast so I can make sure to stuff myself for the big dinner. Football is on every Thanksgiving and me and my family almost always watch it before and after the meal. After the meal I wind down on the couch watching football and dozing off here and there. Thanksgiving is a fun time for me and I look forward to it every year.

Assignment 12- Andrew Rogers

Picking a roommate is of utmost importance when going to college, so it's important that whoever I pick understands my interests. I probably would want my roommate to know some specific things about me. I’m mid-organized person. I’m not extremely organized, but organized enough to where I can still find my stuff. I never make my bed, I find it unnecessary, but I can be persuaded by a good argument. You should know that I love sports. It doesn’t matter what sport it is, I’m watching it. I will frequently wake up early and watch Premier League soccer on Saturdays and stay up late in the fall for college football. I'm am fascinated with history and roller coasters, I'm sure that there will be sometime where I bore whoever my roommate is with random roller coaster facts or something about civil war history, so they best be prepared for that. I'm a pretty outgoing person, so my roommate and I should get along well, despite our differences.

Assignment 14: Doug Vaughan

I love thanks giving because of food and family. My family thanksgiving is extra special because I go to both of my grandparents houses. At one house my aunt visits from Chicago this is special because she doesn't visit often. Since she doesn't travel for Christmas we exchange gifts and presents. We then proceed to munch down on some very appetizing meals such as turkey, mac n cheese, mash potatoes, and my favorite, pizza. I then visit my other grandparents house and eat many desserts. When my brothers, cousins, and I were younger we used to put on plays for the adults. One play was the thanksgiving Olympics. This was particularly memorable as it was one of the stranger ones. It consisted of Pilgrim, an Native american, and a turkey who all competed in different challenges like mash potatoes eating contest, a race, and a wrestling match. It ended with them all deciding to stop competing and have a feast.

assignment 14: Luke Taylor

I normally love Thanksgiving and it aggravates me when people skip over it and go straight to Christmas. When I hear I hear a Christmas song in a department store before December 1st I get put into a bad mood for the rest of the day. It's kinda on my bucket list to write a hit Thanksgiving song so people can play that instead of all the Christmas music so everyone can properly appreciate the holiday.
So normally my Thanksgiving consists of me going to my dad's hometown, Central City (not be mixed up with the Flash's home city), and meeting all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles. We normally have a ton of food that will last around 15 people 3 days. I enjoy the time I spend with my cousins, we normally make videos or play games to pass the time. But this year Thanksgiving was not so fun for me. every thing was good for the whole entire time in central city, but problems arose on our trip back. My brother threw up on in car on our way to Lexington making the trip back unpleasant for everyone in the car. And it actually gets worse, whatever my brother had I picked up. So I ended up throwing up when we got home causing me to miss the nice weather for a day in November.

Assignment 15- Sam Underwood

Something that makes me totally geek out is theater. All types of theater totally mesmerizes me. I love watching bootlegs and listening to musicals. I adore the Tonys. I spend my free time watching interviews of my favorite broadway stars. One of my favorite things to do is perform. I love putting my “all” into a character or a scene, it’s both thrilling and relaxing to me. It’s as if all the chaos in my life is put on pause when I’m performing. I was a really shy kid and never saw myself performing even though I loved watching plays and musicals. I remember watching backstage tours as a child. As I grew older my confidence grew. I became more and more comfortable speaking in front of others and found my love for the stage. Whether it be performing or watching others perform, theater has a very big spot in my heart.

Assignment 13: Doug Vaughan

The Laws Of Christmas
Everyone must conform to these laws of Christmas if they are of any Christian sect or participate in Christmas in any way. The number one rule of Christmas is to spread its cheer. Make it known that its Christmas time by playing Christmas music, wearing ugly sweater, making many holiday treats, and most importantly wish everyone you know and meet a merry Christmas. Children under the age of 14 must behave nice and mature coming upon Christmas time or else Santa will give them lumps of coal instead of presents. People who are 14 or older are required to give gifts to their family members as they are of giving age. When you receive a gift you must at the least act happy about it even if it is of ugly Christmas socks as this spreads Christmas cheer. You are required a Christmas tree in your home or office with a meeting the standard height to decoration ratio of 1ft: 5 decorations. Infractions of these laws of Christmas automatically puts you on Santa's naughty list. Being on his naughty list brings you bad luck for the entire new year however if you conform to these laws you will be granted a happy new year.

Assignment 9- Sam Underwood

I feel that war can be needed at times. All my life war has been a scary and almost mysterious thing. I knew little of it. It seemed easy to write it off as an “evil” thing that was never needed. As I’ve grown older and learned more about the world around me and the both good and bad it holds, I’ve learned that war happens whether or not it’s the “good” or “right” thing to do. I believe that war can be the right action when a country is inhibiting the natural human rights of their citizen’s. I think that if no political compromise can be made then war is needed. Human rights of the people must be protected. War is destructive, messy, and terrifying but sometimes good can come from war. A better way of living for some people can be a product and I think at sometimes that can be worth going through the pain of war.

assignment 13: Luke Taylor

Donald Trump is my absolute hero. When I grow up I want to be just like the greatest president of all time. Abraham Lincoln who? I don't see him insulting 394 different people with his twitter account, all he did was keep the union together during the civil war and then get assassinated. Lame! Donald J. Trump will build a wall to keep the people invading our country and threatening our lives. We were here first, we found it first, we shouldn't have to share our great country with anyone else. But lets step out of the office real quick and just admire how he is such pioneer in the fashion industry. I don't see anyone else rocking the lovely orange skin and the flowing whiffs of blonde hair. Ask any lady, they will tell you he is the most attractive president of all time. And speaking of the ladies! Donald Trump is the prime reason why chivalry isn't dead yet, I can't think of any man on God's green earth more respectful than he. Donald Trump should be everyone's hero, he is what the young men of America should strive to be.

Assignment Ten: Elizabeth Piper

It was a dark winter evening, I just rose from my bed. A chill ran down my spine so I slipped on my fuzzy boots. Hardly any sleep was coming my way that night, and I decided to go get a drink. My fuzzy boots snuck across the floor into the kitchen. I made myself a cup of hot chocolate to warm me up. Then I heard a creak, randomly in the dead of the night. It sounded like it came from downstairs. Being that I couldn’t sleep, I felt I should investigate. But something didn’t feel quite right. I hesitantly made my way to the stairs to journey to where I thought I heard the sound. Then I took a big gulp of my hot chocolate and set it down, hoping it wouldn’t be my last. Step by step I made my way down the stairs, as carefully as I could. WOOF. It was just my dog Pixie, who had decided to get her toy from downstairs. I was then going to go say hello. But then, it felt like the whole world moved. My heart skipped a beat and I lost my breath. My entire life flashed before my very eyes. I just encountered the most horrid thing in the world. 

    I missed a step.

Assignment 14: Eli Wrinn

Thanksgiving break falls at a time of the year when I need a break. The three days off plus a weekend are magical and there is no place I would rather spend days off than in my recliner in the living room. Also I have a rather small close family my age with my brother and two cousins who I have never met. My grandparents on one side live in a small house all the way in Connecticut and my other grandma has traveled to Florida by then. A three day trip that far isn't worth it so we usually stay in Lexington. We have no family in tow, of course, and a three-person Thanksgiving with just my mom, my brother, and I is kind of depressing so we go to a friend's house. My mom is very much of an academic, hip, artsy person and so are her friends. This means, naturally, that their food has to be artsy as well, which means I don't enjoy it as much as normal Thanksgiving food. Usually, the only things I can rely on are the mashed potatoes and the Turkey itself. They even provide gravy with an odd variation on it. I realize now that I sound kind of whiny, so I must clarify that the mashed potatoes and turkey are really good. Just kidding, I realize that there is nothing like being able to share a great meal with friends and family that truly love and appreciate you which Thanksgiving specializes in providing.

Assignment 14: Elizabeth Piper

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have always enjoyed eating all of the food and seeing my family. For the past couple of years we have started a new tradition and the entire family goes to my Uncle's house. When we arrive in the early afternoon it is always bustling with all of the kids running around and playing, the adults are congregated in the kitchen helping to cook and my favorite part, my Uncle's dogs are scurrying around trying to find scraps of food and get as many people to pet them as possible. Whenever I arrive I immediately go and find all of the dogs and make sure to give each one of them a proper hello then I go downstairs where the rest of my cousins are playing games, watching football and talking. This is one of the few times a year I get to see all of my cousins in one spot and we all have a chance to hang out.
After hanging out for a while we all go upstairs to eat the Thanksgiving feast. Every year we have turkey and ham. My grandma makes her famous dressing balls and everyone else brings a side dish. The tables are overflowing with food and we all start to salivate at the mouth. We say our prayer and then we dig in. We go to sit in the dining room with lavish silverware and china plates. It is the one time a year we all dress up and we use the nice dishes.
When eating the room is silent because we are all enjoying our meal too much. My fondest memory involves the feast. One year the room was dead silent, you could even hear a pin drop. All of a sudden a piece of turkey is flung across the table. It hit my aunt right in the forehead and then the room erupted with roaring laughter. It looked like it was in slow motion and everyone seemed to have seen it. The culprit of the flying turkey was my grandma. Of course she did it by accident but it was hysterical nonetheless. Now every year as we sit down to eat we warn whoever is sitting across from my grandma to beware of the flying turkey.

Assignment 12: Doug Vaughan

I would want my college roommate to know a few things about me. First off I am pretty messy person because I am just really lazy whenever I'm in a place of comfort. Then I would like him to know even though I am messy I hate awful smells like dirty clothes or BO. It would be nice for him to know my favorite food, pizza, so he can surprise me with some of my favorite food. I am also a pretty busy person as I don't get to spend much time at home because of all the activities I am doing. Also I would like him to know I not going to study in the dorm. I don't want to study where I sleep because if I get tired my bed is only a few feet away tempting me. I also rather study with friends than alone so we can help each other out. If my roommate understands and is totally fine with all of these then I think we would be great roommates.

Assignment Twelve: Elizabeth Piper

Both of my sisters are much older than me so it feels like I have been living as an only child for most of my life. This being said I am not used to living with someone else close in age and I often keep to myself when I am home. I am a very quiet person and I like to have my alone time where everything is quiet and I can be productive and accomplish everything I need to. I do like to talk occasionally but I would rather not be chatty all the time. 

The most important thing I would like a future roommate to know however is that I am very organized and I can't stand to have an untidy desk or room. Mess does not bother me, but personally I like to stay nice and tidy and have everything clean. In my space, everything has its place and it always goes back to the same spot. I would not mind a messy roommate as long as they kept their mess on their side of the room and did not interfere with my organized side. 

Another thing I would like my roommate to know is that I am a morning and a night person. I never sleep for long so I am often up very late and I wake up with the sun. My most productive time is at night so I often will work well into the night to get things done. I would hope that I had a roommate that does not mind light when they are falling asleep because I can't sleep in a pitch black room. 

I think I am very easy to live and I often keep to myself, but I do like to talk occasionally. As long as people aren't disrupting me while I am trying to study or clean, I tolerate many things and I do not like confrontation so I won't nitpick at small things.

Assignment Eleven: Elizabeth Piper

Currently I only sit next to Anne Nombe. I met her sophomore year when she entered the Academy. I first noticed her in our first period world history class. My first impression of her was that she was very studious and definitely knew her stuff when it came to history. I never really talked to her last year but this year we chat all the time in English and in Physics.
I know that she really likes to bake as do I and she is involved in orchestra. In five years I see her in med school on track to become a top doctor in her field. I know that she helped to start the Medical Club at school and she is really interested in medicine.
If I had to characterize Anne as a color it would be, purple. Purple is a strong confident color just as Anne is very confident. Purple is also a very likeable color and Anne is a very likeable person. She is very easy to talk to and I always enjoy talking with her. I know that she is very intelligent as well and is motivated in school. This is a very admirable trait because it is always hard to stay motivated and on track when it comes to anything especially school.

Assignment 13: Eli Wrinn

There is a problem, as I'm sure you know, with the United States Government today. They don't realize how important it is to love this country. All they care about is making as much money and gaining as much power as possible. They fail to realize that this is the best country to ever exist and that ever will exist. They don't realize that compared to us, the other cultures of the world are shallow and silly. Take Russia for example, their music includes composers like Shostekovitch and Tchaikovski. Please, I bet I didn't even spell their names right let alone pronouncing them. In America, we have gifted artists such as Big Shaq and Lil' Pump. Also, have you seen the disgusting food these other cultures have. The USA invented pizza and hamburgers, the best foods I have ever tasted. I am getting progressively angrier as I am writing this so I might as well get to my proposal. We need to make people appreciate how special it is that they get to live in this great nation. The government is letting people pour into this country because they only care about making money off of them and not so that they have more people to love their nation. Therefore, I suggest that no one can enter the country unless they show how much they love it. Immigration tests must include taking a hit from an NFL linebacker, completing the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin' Wing Challenge in under 3 minutes, and singing the national anthem while in a straight jacket upside-down underwater and then escaping. Now I know some of these challenges seem very difficult and almost impossible, yet if people wanting to get in love this country as much as I do, anything is possible.

Assignment 11: Doug Vaughan

In my English class i sit next to two great and friendly people who are somewhat different from each other. Sam Underwood is my neighbor in English class who I didn't really know until this year in which we created a friendship. Sam is a smart, somewhat nerdy girl who is also kind and compassionate. Some of my favorite memories with her was when she shared some brownies with me. Those were the best brownies I had ever and what made it even more that moment even more special was the fact that those brownies where a special birthday present for her. When I have no idea what is going on in class she always clears things up or guides me. The same cant be said for my other neighbor Lucian Taylor. Lucian can be a distraction at sometimes but he is a good conversationalist. I've known Lucian since freshman year and have many same interest such as sports. Lucian can seem insane at sometimes when he says stuff like Lonzo Ball is bust and Donovan Mitchell is the next Michael Jordan but he makes it up with his funny jokes and personality. When I say that Lucian can be a distraction I don't want Mr. Logsdon to take it the wrong way and move me. I don't want to be move as I really enjoy sitting with neighbors Sam and Lucian during class as they have helped make A.P. Lang one of my favorite classes of the day.

Assignment 10: Doug Vaughan

It depends on the type of Zombies they are so for this scenario I’m going to base it off of the walking dead zombies. The walking dead zombies were slow and attracted to sound. If zombies attacked the first thing I would do is gather many of my things like my clothes and valuables. From there I would runoff deep into the Appalachian Mountains with my family. There we would live in a cabin and make weekly runs into the city where we would grab supplies. Overtime we will make a wall and expand our land. We will also find supplies to build a energy generator so we can use tools and luxuries from before the zombie attacks. We will accept some people but not too many so the Zombies won’t hear us. Eventually we would have built a fully functioning fort. This plan is not that well thought out so I hope we never get attacked by zombies

Assignment 12: Eli Wrinn

Whenever someone is thrown into a new environment in which they must stay for a while, their natural reaction is to be shy at first. I am no different. However, I know that my roommate will be someone who I will spend lots of time with, so I may try not to come off as shy to seem rude or awkward. In terms of cleanliness, I can't say I would be the neatest person, however, it shouldn't be that much of a problem because what I am known for is having very few material possessions, so the messes that do appear would not bee overly large and therefore not too much of a problem. One thing that my roommate will learn from me is that I will stay in the dorm or house as much as possible--I do not go out often. It isn't that I am antisocial so much as that I appreciate rest time about as much as anything. It also doesn't mean that I would be lazy. If my athletic career doesn't continue to college, I plan to still be a part of multiple activities such as inter-mural sports, volunteer services, or maybe even continuing my music career. Finally, I hope that we share a lot of interests (sports, certain TV shows, etc.) so that if all else fails in college, I have a solid friend who I can always rely on, even if he has no choice because we live together. 

Assignment 13 - Ben Sanner

Republicans and Democrats are always at odds to get more power in government than the other. The two parties have been the source of many conflicts in government and beyond. The simple solution: get rid of government. This way we can get rid of the problem at hand and solve many others at the same time. For example, I always hear people complain that the government messed up again. Well now we do not have to worry as there is no government to get mad at. I'm sure the American people would be fine as they are always so independent and always unite as a whole nation on important issues. As far as all of the jobs that would be lost with this decision, that is just a price you would have to pay for the greater good of our country. It is quite surprising that no one has thought of this before as it solves the problem and so much more.

assignment 13 Breanna Bradley

America has the best education system in the world. Students leave high school well prepared to go to college or enter the work force. It allows 17 and 18 year olds make life changing decisions like choosing their major, and what college they want to go to when less than a few months ago they could not use the bathroom without permission. People leaving college leave with thousands of dollars of debt that they will spend a large portion of the rest of their life paying off. People leave college financially safe, setting up a good track for the rest of their life. Students entering the work force are well prepared after being fully educated on taxes, how to apply for a mortgage, how to pay bills, and many other things they will have to do as a functioning adult. Quite frankly I think America has the best education system.

Assignment 9: Doug Vaughan

There are a few instances where war is necessary. War is necessary when you have to defend yourself from an aggressive attacking force that is intent on destroying, enslaving, or however they want to bring justice to a group of people of what they believe they have done. The group of people could be a country, a race, or an alliance. Ultimately, I believe in this situation going to war is the lesser of two evils because if a group of people don’t defend themselves then the result would be in the favor of the aggressors. Now going to war is not morally right or necessary when you don’t have to defend your self but you go to war anyway based on your beliefs of justice to that group of people. War is pretty much unavoidable because when humans get into disagreements it in our nature to win. Sometimes humans do whatever it takes to win even if the only way to win is through violence

Assignment 12- Sam Underwood

Dear Future College Roommate,

I’m a morning person. I like getting up with the sun. I like hearing the birds chirping in the morning. I absolutely love the Beatles and burning candles (even though that’s not allowed in dorm rooms). I’m vegetarian and have been for about 6 years. I love dogs but have sadly never had one. I like to knit and bake in my free time. I also enjoy listening to podcasts, my favorite being “My Favorite Murder” because I love true crime. I would like to say I’m pretty easy to get along with. I imagine myself to be friends with my future college roommate. I’m also completely in love with all things musical theater/theater related so you might have to put up with some show tunes. I’m a Christian and try my best to integrate that into my daily life. I try to take life one day at a time and make the most of each day.

Assignment 12 - Ben Sanner

I have been thinking about college a lot lately and I have also been pondering social life. The first thing about social life in college is your roommate. Ideally, of course, I would love to have one of my high school friends as my roommate because it would make me more comfortable as I would be familiar with them. But the chance of that happening is very slim as I would like to go to college away. I would like my roommate to know that I am not the most neat person in the world and that I would be able adapt to changes if something were to happen. They would also have to know about my love of sports, as I would hope that they would know something too and we could talk about it often. Overall even if they did not like sports as I do as long as they are nice and willing to adapt it would work out fine.

Assignment 13- Sam Underwood

I love people who "man spread." To have as little personal space as possible to myself is my dream. Honestly, I believe all men should be allowed the most amount of space possible to spread their legs and invade women's space. After all,  they're entitled to more space than women. They are the breadwinners. My solution to ensure men get the space they need is to have designated spaces in a classroom for girls and boys. We would divide the classroom into two sections: one section being 80 percent of the space of the room and the other 20 percent. The 20 percent section would be given to the female students seeing as they take up less space and deserve less. It's the only solution that makes sense to achieve the space men and women deserve.

Assignment 11 - Ben Sanner

For the duration of this year of have sat next to Andrew Rogers in this class and APUSH. We actually have quite a lot in common as we have both taken the same percussion class going on six years now. We both enjoy percussion and even writing music sometimes as last year near the end of the semester, we wrote a peace after playing a little freestyle during class. He is a capable sports fan as he is one of the few people of which I converse with that actually knows what they are talking about when it comes to soccer. I know for a fact that his greatest passion is rollercoasters as he goes to multiple theme parks as much as he can and wears about 3 rollercoaster shirts every week. Overall we have become good friends over the years and I look forward to the next year and a half in our many classes together.

Assignment 14- Sam Underwood

My thanksgivings usually take place in West Virginia, where most of my family resides. I usually do a lot of baking for the holiday seeing as it's one of my favorite past times. I love spending my holiday helping in the kitchen creating pies, casseroles, homemade masterpieces. My strangest memory from thanksgiving is getting "pie'd" in the face from the grandmother. One year, when I was about seven or eight, I was eating pie with an obnoxious amount of whipped cream. My grandma had told me to stop putting whipped cream on my pie. My eight year old self defiantly kept putting whipped cream on the pie so my grandma shoved the plate in my face. My grandma is a quiet and reserved woman who isn’t the type to be known for such outbursts. It was quite the surprise to say the least.

Assignment 15 Breanna Bradley

I love space. Space is so cool. The universe is seemingly infinite. The human race will never find the end. We will only be able explore the smallest fraction of space. The human brain can’t even comprehend the enormous size of space. It is so mysterious, there are so many questions we can ask and may never be able to answer. Do aliens exist? How many inhabitable planets are there? Will we be able to inhabit other planets? How quickly can space traveling technology advance? Will the average person be able to vacation to the moon?  Yes aliens exist. There may be thousands of inhabitable planets. I think humans will be able to inhabit Mars in the very near future. Hopefully technology will be able to advance quickly enough so that I can go to space. I think people will be able to vacation to the moon. Not only is mysterious but also beautiful. Stars, the moon, absolutely beautiful.                 

Assignment 10- Sam Underwood

Ghosts are never something I’ve ever thought were remotely scary or something I’ve ever found myself to believe in. The other night was was left home alone, a normal occurrence for a teenager. I walked up to my bedroom for a night of homework and television. When I tried to turn on my lamp, I found that it wasn't turning on. I resorted to burning some candles around my room. While trying to download a movie, I decided to practice a song for an upcoming audition. I recorded the song so I could hear what I needed to work on. When I listened back to the song, I heard whistling in the background. I was home completely alone. The whistling had no culprit, so my paranoid mind jumped to the conclusion it must have been a ghost. Since that night the whistling hasn’t occurred again. I don’t know whether to believe that it was a ghost or merely poor audio quality, but it certainly scared me.

Assignment 11- Sam Underwood

My seat partner in AP lang is Doug Vaughn. Doug and I seem unlikely friends. He's interested in sports and from a totally different friend group. I'm a complete theater nerd and no absolutely nothing about sports. Over this semester, I've learned that Doug is hard working and when he sets his mind to something he can accomplish anything. He's nice and cares for others. I've found that he's willing to be friends with anyone and is over all a really good person. I've enjoyed Doug being my seat partner....even if that means putting up with him and Luke Taylor's schenagians  from time to time and watching them scramble to study on the day of a vocabulary quiz. I believe that Doug is both a good student and a good friend. He brightens my day with his wit and constant want for brownies, chocolate bars, and really any food in general.

Assignment 14 Breanna Bradley

My thanksgiving involves an hour drive to northern Kentucky to go to my aunt and uncle’s house with my brothers, my parent, and my grandparents. I get to see my great grandmother. We eat turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and sweet potatoes. My grandmother makes the best pumpkin pie ever. We eat and play board games for most of the evening. I love thanksgiving. It is one of the few times I get to see my aunt, uncle, and great grandmother. My best memory of thanksgiving is last year when my family stayed in a family friends’ cabin in the country on their farm. It was peaceful and quiet, we could even hear coyotes at night. It was so beautiful. We got to feed their goats. We plan on doing it again for next thanksgiving. We sometimes go black Friday shopping, but rarely go shopping on thanksgiving.

Assignment 11: Eli Wrinn

Since I am in your fourth hour class, there are not that many people in the class. Also, since I am low in the alphabet, as you know, I sit next to you whenever you sit in the circle. But on the other side of me, two seats down, is Sydney Wall. Since we are two seats away, we do not talk much so I know very little about her, however I have had classes with her before so I know at least a little bit about her. For example I know she is a fan of superhero movies because she frequently gets in conversations with you about them. I also know she is a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy because she really wanted to watch it in Mr. Wise's class last year. Finally, I know she is not best friends with Griffin Coates, but that is a long story. I know little about you except that you are my language teacher and have a daughter and a wife and you sometimes go to the Polo Club. That's about it, and I don't think you wanted me to write about you anyway.

Assignment 12 Breanna Bradley

I think my college roommate should know that I like my privacy. I tend to keep to myself in most situations but can be very outgoing. I prefer quiet places to study and do my work. I think that I will be a good roommate I keep my space clean, and expect them to do the same. I am easy to get along with, and we most likely have very few problems. I think they should know I will spend most of my time studying or working. That I am majoring in zoology. And love animals.

assignment 12: Luke Taylor

Dear Future roommate,

Don't eat my food without asking and we'll get along just fine. But honestly, what I want you to know about is that I'm a easy-going guy, so we shouldn't have too many arguments no matter what background you have. I'm messy but I’m not a slob; I'm organized but not a neat freak, I think I have acquired a perfect medium in between so I don't think you must worry about me not pulling my own weight. You also might want to prepare for me to play a ton of video games and drawing, that's a part of my life that I won't cut for college. And because I'm into art I'll probably cycle tons of posters on the wall from my favorite movies and artists, so if you aren't a fan of Star Wars or haven't watched it, prepare to be enlightened. You'll not only get a taste of my favorite entertainment, but music as well because it plays a huge role in my life now. I listen to pretty much all genres EXCEPT country music, I really can't stand it.

        

Luke Taylor

Assignment 11 Breanna Bradley

Maggie Anderson. She’s a genuinely nice, and funny person. She recently started doing crew in the theater program, which is where I began to get to know her better. We played go fish in the dressing room during rehearsal. She is very smart. She is always reading a book. She is taking French and Latin. If she were a color she would be yellow. It is a nice, warm color that projects happiness. If she were an animal she would be a cat. Cats are nice, and calm. I think Maggie will be very successful later in life, being intelligent, and nice she could do anything she sets her mind to.

Assignment 10: Eli Wrinn

I would say by far, my greatest fear is uncertainty. This is because I don't really fear the conventional things that most people do. For example, I am not afraid of heights, in fact I might even be fond of heights of that is possible, I'm not really afraid of the dark, I think bugs and spiders are cool, and I don't really care about public humiliation. To be fair, being buried alive would probably stink so that sort of scares me, but other than that, no real conventional fears apply very strongly to me. I like to think of this in terms of movies that scare me. The predictable ones do not. Ghost movies with jump scares, while maybe still enjoyable, don't scare me as much because it is pretty clear where the movie is going--a freaky reappearing ghost or demon that is going to pop out on the left side of the screen because our eyes scan screens from the middle to the right. (It's true, try it next time you watch a jump scare movie) Zombie apocalypses don't scare me either because odds are, I would be a zombie anyway. The movies that really scare me are the ones that do not really fit in any specific subject and you have no idea what the evil is going to be and how it is going to be portrayed. This is why some of the movies that scare me most are Sinister, Saw, It Follows, and The Human Centipede. They don't conform with any common fear and you are uncertain of what they are going to scare you with. (Oh my gosh why did I have to think about The Human Centipede I'm about to throw up all over my keyboard)

Assignment 10 Breanna Bradley

My zombie survival plan would be to drive the ten hour drive to Mackinac Island in northern Michigan with my three brothers and my parents. We would use Fort Mackinac as a base where we could grow our own food, and become self-sufficient, allowing the citizens of Mackinac Island to join our commune. There is a plethora of natural resources. We could use weapons from the police station, therefore we would be able to protect ourselves and the island. The fort was used in the war of 1812. It has room for everyone to sleep, and already has a surrounding wall. We would be able to see incoming attacks. It is the safest place on the island, considering it has been standing since before 1812 it seems like a perfect place to hide out during a zombie apocalypse.

Assignment 9 Breanna Bradley

I believe war is only justified as a last resort when diplomacy is no longer an option. War is brutal and effects everyone from children to soldiers. But war is pointless, it results in the death of millions of innocent lives. Every war is a “rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight.” The problem with war is everyone is a victim, mothers’ and fathers’ losing their children at the end of gun, citizens dying at the hands of soldiers. The only time war is justified is when it will not cost the lives of innocent people. With the advancements in technology this will be possible. Unmanned drones, robotic soldier. War without soldiers is a justifiable war. The fact that the leader of each country is willing to sacrifice innocent people for war, knowing their own life is not in as much danger is the problem.

Assignment 9: Eli Wrinn

This is a question long pondered by philosophers since the dawn of civilization, and for an answer that has the potential to be so simple, it seems as if nobody has ever thought of a viable answer in tens of thousands of years. This fact should lead people to realize the plain truth: there isn't a way to prevent war without completely overhauling civilization and life as we know it. Humans at war is, of course, a terrible thing, millions of people die and countless lives are destroyed yet humans fighting is simply part of our evolution. All war is is competition between people over land and resources, its not like that isn't unusual among all other animals within their species. When birds, for example, fight over a mate, it seems harmless and almost funny. When giraffes, much larger and stronger animals, do the same, it is interesting and awe-inspiring. (You should watch giraffes fighting by the way it's really cool) When humans, the most powerful and dominant creatures to ever walk the earth, fight, it has the potential to destroy the earth itself. As long as DNA-based beings live on earth, there is no simple way to end war between them. My solution is to have robots put everyone in machines where they go to sleep but think they are living a real life. You can't make the reality too good or too bad for the people because they will realize something is wrong. The best is to put them in an average time period like the USA in the 1990s. (Not such a bad idea now is it?)

Assignment Thirteen – Jessica Ewing

The world finds itself in near total chaos once more as the impending consequences of the irrationally high mortality rate settle in.

For the 200-thousandth year in a row, the human mortality rate has sat at a staggeringly high 100%, with no foreseeable changes anywhere on the horizon.

The United Nations gathered together last Thursday to discuss what should be done about this horrendous lack of improvement by the world medical field, where French president Emmanuel Macron introduced his own idea for a world policy concerning the high death rate.

"La cause de mort est rien plus de naissance. Ca c'est le pire information que nous sommes confrontés," he said. "Je et le pays de France proposons que le monde arrête accoucher les enfants jusqu'au nous pouvons résoudre ce problème."

He was met with applause from every country except the United States, who sat in confusion, asking for the president's proposal to be translated into English.

The United Nations will vote on this policy next Thursday.

Assignment 13: Katie Chen

Welcome to High School, the best four years of your life! Factors such as a teacher's salary and a student's enthusiasm to learn all contribute into making a public high school's education system as perfect as it can be!
Even if you don't like teaching, the salary enough is pretty rewarding. Not to mention spending over six hours a day with disrespectful teenagers. Who wouldn't want this job? In addition to that, teachers are very lucky for having to do little to no work outside of school. Most jobs require employees to take work home or stay after for overtime pay. But for teachers, they almost never have to stay late or take work home to grade papers.
While teachers do add to the energizing knowledge atmosphere in the classrooms, students are the ones that really make it happen. In almost every class, students are always focused solely on the teacher, absorbing every word with such passion and integrity. You'll rarely ever find someone looking at their phone, having their head down, or staring off into space. The dedication to come in at sunrise everyday is a true inspiration. By coming in sleep-deprived and groggy in the morning, students are able to unlock their subconscious mind and absorb information through it. According to many scientific studies, students are more likely to focus in class when their brains aren't working.
As you can see, the high school education system is just flawless. Teachers are rewarded handsomely for their hard work with a well paying and secure job. Students' dedication and eagerness to learn the material and then forget it about it immediately afterwards is an example of true passion.

Assignment Fourteen – Jessica Ewing

My Thanksgiving is about as traditional as one can get. Family carts in from every corner of the country to cram themselves into a too-small house that smells of turkey and potatoes and green beans for nearly 12 hours while the women cook the food and the men watch TV.

And just like any traditional family holiday, my Thanksgivings are chock full of Republican vs. Democrat arguments and grand proclamations that Christianity is the greatest thing to ever happen to this world.

This year, however, I managed to escape the political debates and the religious nonsense and went early Black Friday shopping with my good ol' pal Katie Chen. My grandmother was not happy with me for "ditching" my family and gave me a good yelling-to when I got back, but being able to get out of that toxic environment for a while was refreshing, even if it instead going to a packed department store, hunting down the free perfumes and super cheap sweaters.

Assignment 10 - Ben Sanner

Now I will admit it, I can get scared easily with a quick jump scare or two, but that is about it. I'm not really afraid of what is "lurking in the shadows" or serial killers like most. But it is very rare however is a special type of fear. The type of fear that pennywise the clown utilizes in his warfare of fear. I am most scared of someone who uses every little fear about me and puts it into practice, and slowly and methodically drives me to the brink of insanity of leaves me as a shell of a man.
Also I was scrolling through twitter and came across this short story and wanted to share.
"I pointed the gun at the man who killed my wife. He sobbed as he feared for what was to come. I pulled the trigger. If only he spoke and tried to reason with me then maybe he could've lived. But that was obviously not going to happen. After all, he was born just a few minutes ago." 

Assignment Twelve – Jessica Ewing

Are you looking for someone who will leave you alone 95% of the time, spending most of their time in the silence and solitude of their room?

If so, look no further than me, Jessica Ewing, your friendly neighborhood hermit.

I spend almost the entire day in my room, writing stories or watching movies. Very little time will be spent bothering you, and when I do, it will only be for very important things, like where the toaster is.

When I do get to become more comfortable with you, however, you'll start to hear from me more often. I'll remove myself from my room-cave to talk to you about less important things, like your opinions on Vincent Van Gogh's works or your favorite movie or band. Over time, you'll start to see me more often, and I may even start up traditions with you, like Friday night movie nights with pizza, or Sunday afternoon coffee shop ventures.

In any case, though I may be one of the most introverted people you'll ever meet, I'm also quite interesting once I emerge from my protective shell.

Assignment 9 - Ben Sanner

I would like to start this out by saying that many of my family members have been/or are in the military. Going forward with the question, I believe that war is inevitable simply due to the nature of mankind. War only happens when there is a problem with keeping the peace. Especially in todays power-hungry world in which every major country has entered into a contest to see who can become the most "powerful" among their peers. "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind", said JFK. While some believe war is necessary to solve problems and keep the peace, I am of the mindset that war may eventually kill us all. On the other foot, however I enjoy studying and learning about the history of war in our world and just how big of a role it has played. I have enjoyed social studies the most when delving into the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and even WWI.