15-Morgan White : My burnt out elective

 

    In 6th grade when the middle school teacher, Mr. Woods would come around to begin his musical lessons with us and distribute interest. I only participated in it because I didn’t want to go do the other activities that the teachers had planned for the students who didn’t play an instrument. 

At that time, I picked up a clarinet and it looked really complex (come to find out it is) and was very discouraged because I had only ever played piano and done ballet. When it was time to register for our electives I put band as my very last option, I thought that ASL or even being a TA would be better, but I ended up with third period band. 

At first I was discouraged because I had recently stopped playing piano. I felt burnt out from it, practicing for 1-2 hours a day and 2 lessons a week. Shortly after I started being in a band class everyday instead of once a week, I found more joy in it. The people I was playing with started to improve slightly (for middle school at least). 

I decided to stick it out through highschool and partake in their marching band. I met some really great and horrible people that football season. And after football ended, it was time for the spring musical.

 As a freshman I auditioned but didn’t expect to get in since there was another player of my instrument who had done it before, I knew I was good, but I wasn’t better than her. Come to find out the night of the audition she was afraid of me taking her spot this year since I was so close to her skill level. 

That night we both found our names on the acceptance list and were overjoyed that we would be separated at the hip for the next 2.5 months. 

Going through covid though we barely got to perform this musical and I lost my passion for music again. I was failing band overzoom since I couldn’t play a majority of the time in my house, the lessons were confusing, teaching us things about music theory I had never heard before. 

While signing up for classes I had enough electives to take our schools auditioned band and our non audition band. Oftentimes seniors come back to the non audition band when they have enough room in their schedule and a period jazz band. 

We came back to school fully this year and I had 3 periods of band and I HATED it. We had to set up outside with these big tents to cover us from the sun when it was 90 degrees outside every single class period back and forth, wasting so much time and playing the same songs everyday for months. 

I wanted to quit. I had been through it all, in music over 10 years and then experiencing exhausting amounts of effort just to play songs we've played for years for 30 minutes. I was done. I wanted to change out my classes for Pre-Calc and be a TA. 

But then it got better, a lot better, we got some actual music that wasn’t just the songs we play at football games, I became the section leader of 2 sections between my two classes and we started to sound a lot better.

I got to do the musical this year and I found my passion again and now I’m planning to go to college as a major in musical education so that I can pass down and provide a happy space for kids to feel burnt out from music and maybe find their own passion in it. 

From this silly little pass time in 6th grade to a future expensive degree to do it all again

word count:630

15 - Connor King: Roller Coasters

My first roller coaster ride was at Disneyland when I had just turned 7 the month prior. I went with my dad to go on the ride. I remember waiting in line to go on the ride and feeling absolutely terrified. All that I could think of while waiting were the terrible things that could happen on the ride. Finally, we were seated in the coaster and my heart started banging out of my chest.

As we took off and started slowly climbing up to the drop my fear tripled. Finally, we got all the way up and started the drop. As my stomach started to rise from the force of gravity on me my fear started to go away. We reached the bottom and started going around in circles climbing smaller hills and doing smaller drops.

          However, as soon as it seemed that the ride started the ride stopped. When I got off with my dad he asked me “how was it?” To which I replied “not so bad.” Despite this seemingly good experience with a roller coaster I still talk myself out of going on any others.

Word Count: 189

15 - Kennedy H: PE could be made better

PE in our school district is required in 7th-10th grade and during 7th grade is your first experience in a typical kind of PE class. You have to wear a uniform, usually run about once a week, stretch and play some kind of sports game or just walk for a whole period. PE can be enjoyable if you know someone or have a friend to spend time with and I’ve found that I might have an acquaintance and I end up getting to know them much better during that class period as you are constantly doing something with a partner or merely standing around and just talking to someone. But honestly this experience hasn’t been very effective. PE means physical education and being in a broad PE class very activities vary don’t always align with students interests. 

Seventh through tenth graders are some of the youngest and immature through their teenage years so having a PE class is a mental break from the rest of their schedule but also a way to get some energy out so I still think it should be required. But it’s not an effective class in the sense of teaching. I’ve had many amazing PE teachers but the system to be effective could be very different. PE is some of the only exercise many students get during the day so a PE class should probably teach them how to implement an exercise they like into their life or they may choose in the future. Yes we have body works and weight training available to sophomores but any younger grades don’t really get a choice in their class.

PE could be more effective if there was a variety of classes to many grades including different sports like tennis, running, maybe even soccer where students who either participate in these sports get some extra work and direct guidance on rules and techniques for the game or students not wanting or couldn’t be on that team for the school get exposure to a new activity. But exercise isn’t just sports there could me more classes on weights, crossfit, yoga, pilates and many other forms of exercise available. Equipment and enrollment could arise as an issue but it may offer smaller class sizes unlike general PE classes with 40 or more kids. Also these classes could be arranged in beginner to advanced levels so an athlete wanting extra learning options in a sport like baseball isn’t learning rules like other beginners may need. 

Word Count: 414

15- Megan U: Does lack of sleep affect our emotions?

 

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As a student myself, i tend to lose sleep due to school and other extracurricular activities. I’m fully aware that it isn’t healthy at all and that i should always get a good night sleep but hey, whatever it takes for that grade right? Anyone reading this could most likely agree to this and those who don’t, just how? 

The answer to the title is completely obvious, of course it does affect our emotions and our ability to make decisions as well as reactions. In a room full of students, you could always tell who’s well rested and who’s not. There are those that use their time to sleep in class and those that are fully focused. Personally I think it’s important for us, especially students to always try to get at least 8+ hours of sleep. We don’t really know at all how to handle our emotions, so getting a good amount of sleep would help us lessen the possibilities of potentially lashing out on someone. Emotions could always take over us, if you think about it, really its unpredictable. We can’t always run on caffeine and energy drinks( though it does kind of work sometimes) taking care of our body especially during sleep is the only healthy way to fully refresh our mind and keep us awake. 

You could also try to take it from me; I myself don’t even sleep for a good amount of time to keep me awake. If i’m lucky, the best i can do is sleep for 7 hours max. In all honesty high school really changed my sleep schedule. Constant homework being handed to me and on top of that having to juggle sports. Sometimes when I want a little time to myself i let off by staying up and playing games all night. I do wish i had the ability to balance everything and be able to get a good nights sleep after, it would solve at least half of my problems. It’s understandable for teachers to get mad at us for sleeping in class but most of the times we have a reason to. So please try to cut some slack for us students, we do  try

15 - Richard Hsia: An Athlete's Worst

 

An Athlete's Worst 

"The mark of a great athlete is not how good they are at their best, but how good they are at their worst."

    Unfortunately this quote is wrong.

    Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players ever, and has ascended so high into sports greatness to be considered one of the greatest athletes ever, regardless of the sport. It's been about 20 years since he stopped playing basketball, and this narrative still stands and is proof that his greatness will always outweigh his worst. 

    Many desperate Jordan haters will try to point to his years with the Washington Wizards towards the end of his career, where he was old and washed up. He was far from the player he used to be, and of course, didn't play like the elite player we remember him as. Many agree, however, that these years 'don't count' and really have no impact on his legacy. 

    Let's dismiss that, though. The worst Jordan played in his prime was in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997. He missed all 11 shots attempted in the first half and missed 14 shots before making his first shot in this particular game. If you are not a basketball fan, take it from me that this is awful shooting, regardless of the player, and he holds the 2nd place spot for most shots attempted in a half without a made shot in a playoff game, ever. He ended the game with an awful shooting percentage and choked in an important playoff game. 

    But this is almost never, ever mentioned or taken seriously when someone tries to argue against Jordan's legacy. Nobody remembers his worst, because his best completely outweighs it. People only remember that he won that series in the end. They only remember that he won the scoring title that year, won finals MVP, and got his 5th out of his eventual 6th championship title. 

    In short, his absolute worst has been forgotten. It doesn't matter when compared to everything he's done at his absolute best. The mark of a great athlete will always be how they performed at their very peak, and a bad performance shouldn't and doesn't define them, regardless of how bad it is. 

376 Words

15 - Cassandra S: Physical Education's Importance

 

There are many teenagers in high school that complain about PE. They complain about it because it’s something that requires them to get up and move and they have to change into ugly uniforms in the smelly locker rooms. Even though it can be annoying, it actually has many benefits. In fact, PE is something that is important for teens as it has many physical benefits and it can give useful information.

Exercise can make you happier. The release of a certain chemical suppresses hormones that cause stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are something that is very common in high school as teens try to look their best and do their best academically and socially. Reducing stress and anxiety by exercising can definitely benefit teens and help them have a better high school experience. Because PE activity includes physical activities that are exercise, PE is important for teens for them to improve their mood.

In some cases, PE gives students useful information. For example, how to have better eating habits. During last year’s online school year, we were assigned to research how much from each food group our age group should be eating. Doing this research allowed us to know how healthy we were and give us an opportunity to change it if there was a food group that we were lacking a lot in. PE also gave us access to certain exercise routines that we wouldn’t have normally tried or thought about, and much more. Without PE teens wouldn’t have access to all of this information which would maybe cause them to be less healthy later in adulthood. This means that PE is important for teens to have.

Word Count: 280

15 - Alexis A: Sleep Well, Stay Stable

Sleep is what ultimately keeps us grounded. Any troubles or stresses of our lives are put to rest in the hours that our mind is asleep. Whether we get more or less of it, we are familiar with habits that can make or break what we feel after a nightly slumber. Inevitably experiencing a lack of sleep affects our brain, which can explain the build-up of these unstable emotions.

Emotions are justified by our reactions. According to the Ted Talk, How lack of sleep affects your emotions, the part of the brain where our strong emotional reactions come from is the amygdala. Being sleep deprived does not result in an appropriate response due to a hyperactive amygdala. This deep emotional center of the brain produces irrationality, in which negative emotions occur from a lack of sleep. By taking a deeper look into this part of the brain, it uncovers why we act in a specific manner that isn’t our normal selves. 

With emotional reactions, there comes its process. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for controlling the amygdala. The amygdala becomes hyperactive because of its communication with the prefrontal cortex. The Ted Talk provides a good comparison of this relationship by describing an all-emotional accelerator pedal with very little regulatory control brake. Disrupting this process shows how sleep is essential to who we are, and why it can’t be taken away as it's uncovered.

Sleep is something that changes with time but we are all aware of it. Understanding why we sleep is in the parts of our brain keeping us emotionally centered. Sleep acts as our first aid for our feelings, and only a good nightly slumber is the key to staying stable.

Word Count: 283

15 - Kristina G: The Comfort of the Same Old, Same Old

Change can provide new opportunities and new experiences. Change is new, something that one is not used to. Change is scary, as you don’t know if the outcome will be beneficial or unfavorable. Therefore, I am more like the idea of stability, the idea of staying the same. 

If I wrote this blog weeks ago, I would say how important change is and how much good it can bring. Simply put, change can push self growth, can create exciting experiences, and even allow us to move forward with our lives. This is all true and some may argue that the same old gets boring and provides no excitement. Although to me, sameness brings me comfort. I find comfort in repetition and knowing what to expect. I love knowing what is in store and what the outcome will be. 

I can greatly apply this to my life at the current moment.  As I grow, mature, and live each day, the more I experience the repetition of my life. Going to school, working out, and doing homework until I am too tired. This is definitely monotonous. For a while, it got boring and all I wanted was change. I definitely received that change when me and my significant other decided to part ways. 2 years of being with the same person. 2 years worth of repetition, simply gone. In addition, spring break had put a halt to schoolwork and the weight it had on my shoulders. It was refreshing. The combination of all of this change at once made me feel liberated, free, and opened up exciting experiences. Although, in a sense after experiencing it all, I felt lost. Nothing compared to the productiveness and stability I felt before I underwent all of this change. 

Of course, I am grateful for it and there should always be a balance, but I am more comparable with the same old. Going with the flow of what I know is going to happen. Too many new things happening at once stresses me out. As a person, I don’t change for anyone or anything. Sameness is something I value, even if it means risking not opening a new door of opportunity.

Word Count: 365

15- Madison Apostolos: Traditional P.E. Has Got To Go

 15- Madison Apostolos: Traditional P.E. Has Got To Go

When prompted with the question “should P.E. be required”, take a moment to view this topic with empathy for those spoken about in the conversation. It can be quite an emotionally charged topic for some, considering that the majority of America has either participated in a physical education class. Understanding others should always be the goal, in this conversation and any other that may be defined as “controversial”. 

Nearly 1 in 6 adolescents are overweight or reaching a critical level of obesity. This means that physical education no longer caters to the majority of its audience, but more so feeds into an expectation that cannot even be reached by the majority of U.S. citizens. 

It is hypocritical for a teacher, who is supposed to be nonjudgmental and empathetic, to grade their students based upon physical appearance and performance as a result of such features. Oftentimes, an overweight student is not responsible for their condition, which is often as a result of their socioeconomic status or quality of life. But then… why do these individuals often carry its burden? 

We do not judge disabled or chronically ill students in the same light as those who are struggling to perform in PE as a result of their weight. Instead, the class and teacher gives them the benefit of the doubt that they are trying their best.

Instead of a class that inherently judges upon the conditions of a person's life, we should implement further mental health services and active student counseling to those attending. In addition, consider a scoring system based upon the improvement of each individual student, instead of upholding an outdated national standard. I truly believe that these methods can improve the judgment surrounding physical education, and address the deep rooted problems that are not simply seen in a bad mile time or low pacer score. 

Word count: 308

15 - Isabella V: Roller Coasters... Yeah No!

 

Roller coasters were never my thing growing up. Any ride in fact I never enjoyed. When I was younger I didn’t like the feeling of not knowing what was going to happen next and riding a roller coaster that I have never been on would stress me out. I would happily hold everyone's bags down below, but living in my family that was not an opinion. My family would make me ride all the rides at Disneyland. They would say you have to ride every ride at least once, so my first experience at Disneyland was a little stressful. The second time I went to Disneyland I was way more excited because I wouldn’t have to ride the big scary rides if I didn’t want to, but I didn’t read the fine print of my family's Disneyland rules that say you have to ride all the rides at least once, every trip. 

Now Disneyland didn’t have roller coasters as Six Flags did. Every time I went to Six Flags I was normally with my Grandma and she never made me ride anything I didn’t want to because she didn’t want to ride the roller coasters either. The first time I went to Six Flags without my Grandma I went with my Youth Group. My leader did not give me an out on any of the roller coasters. I was going to ride all the roller coasters at least once, just like my family rule in Disneyland. I remember walking up the stairs freaking out in my head but trying to keep my cool on the outside. When I sat in the seat and pulled the bar over my head panic set in my hands started sweating and the only thing I could think of is that I wanted to go home. As we made it to the top and the clicking of the ride stopped I squeezed my eyes shut as we went down the steep drop. After getting off I didn’t feel scared anymore and I was ready to ride again.

From this day on I love roller coasters and now have a fear of missing out if I don’t go on with everybody else. There are still a few that I don’t mind sitting out on but for the most part I am down to ride every ride I come upon. Sometimes it is a good thing for family and friends to push you out of your comfort zone especially if you trust them and know that you're not going to get hurt.

Word Count: 425

15 - Annabelle N: The House on Mango Street (Looking Back)

 

I had never read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros until we were assigned it in class. And I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

The book is very short, and it doesn’t have a traditional story structure. It’s made up of vignettes that stand on their own. There aren’t any connected plot threads between the vignettes, which made the reading experience slightly frustrating, but at the same time the disconnectedness illustrates feelings of childhood and coming of age. The themes of racism, sexism, and insecurity do weave the short stories together even though no real plot points connect. If you don’t like this format, you can at least acknowledge that it was a purposeful choice.

Not just the “plot,” but the structure of sentences also differs from a normal book. There are no quotation marks for dialogue, which sometimes makes it difficult to decipher when and where characters are speaking. But the choice makes it seem as if someone is reciting a story to you. When someone is verbally reciting a story, they don’t say “quote and end quote.” Perhaps this was the intention, to give The House on Mango Street the illusion of a story being told aloud.

Whether or not you like Sandra Cisneros’ creative writing choices, the way this book brought attention to her culture and childhood is a good eye-opener, and it helps us realize that writing rules can sometimes be broken. Breaking unspoken rules in writing may be controversial, but when it’s executed right then it can serve the desired purpose.

Word count: 265

14: Morgan White - My Hatred for Sunscreen

 

    To many, sunscreen smells like summer long waited for after the cold winter. And to others it’s an item they dread wearing.

 Summer is generally a favorite season or the most dreaded season. It can either be filled with lake trips, pool parties, friends and a nice break after going through the school year and the end of seasonal depression but to others it's just a pause in their schedule, long awaiting the next school year hoping to get back as soon as possible, simply waiting with nothing more to do than pick up the occasional shift or sleep over. 

To me sunscreen brings a mixed feeling to me. The smell of it reminds me of summer, and lake camping trips with all my friends and family, but also one particular bad lake day. 

Four summers ago, right before going into middle school, I was with my best friend and her family. We were having a family lake day and we all soaked ourselves in coppertone sunscreen. About 15 minutes later after we had all gotten in the water my face started burning horribly. I thought for sure that I had been getting sunburnt and needed more sunscreen. 

Applying more sunscreen made it even worse

As soon as my best friend's mom sprayed it on my face I gasped in pain and fell to the floor. I was there for about ten minutes trying to pour water on my face to get it off. It felt like my skin was about to melt off into the sand. 

I tried washing it off with soap and water but once again that just made it worse. The combination of all the chemicals was not working very well and all that helped was ice cold water. 

I was up there for the rest of the day, in fear that going back into the lake would cast me back into that horrible feeling that felt like fire. 

After that day I've figured out thuat there's something in generic sunscreens that my skin just can't handle, I never figured out what it was or why it happened or if i was allergic to something 

But this thing that brought me so much joy to use again, that smelled like summer and long days out in the sun became toxic to me. and i think that can show a way deeper meaning that I intended this to have. 

Even things (including people) that you have the greatest memories with can become toxic and unbearable.

word count:418

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14- Connor King: My 15th birthday

          My favorite memory from one of my birthdays is just watching movies with my family when I turned 15. There was no party or anything like that but it still was a great memory. I brought a really comfortable chair downstairs and sat down to watch 5 entire movies. 

          We started with Saving Private Ryan,because my dad and I had just watched Band of Brothers and The Pacific for another time. It felt fitting to follow with Saving Private Ryan. Spending those 3 hours with my family just watching a great movie I could not ask fir a better time. 

          After that movie finished we went on to watch The Star Wars original trilogy. Star Wars has always been my favorite franchise so being able to watch it on my birthday with my family was a great way to spend that day.

          Finally, we finished the night by watching 1917. The movie had come out earlier that year and I was super excited to see it. It was a technical masterpiece so all my family were excited to watch it. 

          I have never really been a really social person so being able to spend my day with my family watching movies that I thoroughly enjoyed was my ideal birthday.

    Word: 210

14- Kennedy H.: Class Sizes Depend on the Teacher and Subject

A giant room of unruly talkative kids can be just as loud as a tight knit small group of students in one classroom. In my own experiences I’ve had many classes be really big and really small. And even as today as I walk from period to period, my classes differ and the vibe of the classroom, as certain teachers manage big and small class sizes to benefit their class and teaching. 

At the beginning of the year we all know our AP Language class was overflowing with students, some not even having desks for a bit, so another period was added and the room downsized a bit. But we still have a decent amount of students who are mostly familiar with each other and can be a bit chatty. But our teacher manages us and our bigger class size benefits our discussions with many perspectives when talking about arguments or theory ideas in Your Own Backyard podcast. 

My Precalculus and Kinesiology classes are very small, less then about 15 each. As a higher math class there is more needing to be focussed on and much less distraction with so much to learn. With a teacher with more expectations a smaller class allows us to joke sometimes but also collaborate in smaller teams on certain assignments and keep a quiet classroom. My Kinesiology class sometimes has many hands on discussions in sports medicine and our very small class size is prime to our teacher to be more interactive with these electives ideas. 

But my Spanish class is very large. Usually a small class size may benefit a language class to allow students to speak to each other more, but a large size is okay in our instance as our teacher is very organized and has expectations we know and work to meet, And our larger class size gave many students the opportunity to transfer in and some students have different backgrounds and places theyve traveled so when talking about culture there is much diversity.

14- Megan U: Inspiration(s)

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Who inspires us? We’ve always been asked this question at some point in our life. Most people have an answer right away, and some have several answers regarding that question. To me, there are a lot of people that inspire me and shaped me how i am today. Famous filipino athletes that worked their way up to the top, shining light on my home country truly inspires me. These important figures show the world how significant and strong filipinos are and because of them we are finally getting more recognition everywhere.

Everyone knows manny pacquiao, the famous filipino professional boxer that fought hard for 26 years in the ring and made a name for not only himself but the country. His hard work truly inspired me to keep pushing forward, no matter what it was either it was sports or school or just in general, his influence completely changed me. Another thing that amazes me about him is that he became a senator of the philippines after 26 years of fighting. Despire the face that he has already made a significant effect in the ring, he continues to do the same thing in the philippines 

Honestly when I first seen Hidilyn Diaz win her first gold medal I was hyped than ever. A filipina weightlifter winning a medal for the philippines is in fact a really big deal. Though we’re such a small country, a person like Hidilyn showed the world that we too can win gold medals like any other countries. Not only did she put a big influence on filipinos but filipino women in general. She showed how strong women truly are and the abilities we could be able to do. I remember sitting in front of the TV,  eyes and mouth wide open, and emotions being scattered all around. 

14 - Richard H. - Class size doesn't (really) matter

 Class Sizes

    The logic seems to make perfect sense. The less kids in the class, the more a teacher can effectively engage with individual students and the more they will succeed. However, I feel this concept is conditional, and isn't universal.

    Kindergarten classrooms and elementary school classrooms usually have less kids. This is because at such a young age, it's completely necessary for each individual student to get as much individual support from a teacher they need - they're very early in their education, and it's important they get a good start and develop good learning habits early on. 

    However, the older you get, the less that class size matters. There's a reason that college lecture rooms will pack hundreds of students in one hall, while elementary school classrooms usually only have 10-20 students. 

    Once you're older, your learning habits, classroom skills, and self-discipline are already embedded into your brain, and you become less reliant on the 1 on 1 engagement with your teacher to be successful. A 20 year old college student is much more independent and capable of doing things on their own than a kindergartener. 

    I believe that class size doesn't really matter, for the most part. I believe it's absolutely necessary in elementary school to have smaller classes, but as you get farther in education, it becomes an insignificant factor. You become more responsible and capable and don't need to be able to call upon your teacher at any given moment to help you. So, while class size technically does matter, it doesn't matter as much as you may think. 

261 Words

14 - Cassandra S: Creature of Habit

 

I order the same thing at McDonald’s without fail, I get the same Starbucks drink when my friends and I walk there after school, I hang out with the same people. I am a creature of habit. 

As a little kid, I wanted to cut my hair, but the thought of changing my hair absolutely scared me. It seems like such a stupid thing to be scared of, it’s just hair after all, but it kept me from cutting my hair for about 6 years. Boy was I glad I decided to take the leap because it has been so much easier for me to take care of my hair with it short.

Routine is my best friend and as soon as I am pushed out of my routine, I panic and slip up. That is why block schedule was hard for me. Suddenly I was forced to write essays at 9:00 am when I was barely awake and go to different classes afterward, causing me to completely rethink my routes. As a person that likes the same thing over and over (routine), it was hard.

I guess this is fueled by my fear of the unknown. Not knowing what will come next in my day frightens me. I hate feeling unprepared. It makes me shake and bite my lip and unable to sit still. I know life sometimes likes to throw the unexpected pop quiz at you, but it still doesn’t keep me from wanting a routine over chaos so I can feel prepared and not feel like I’m making a fool of myself.

Word Count: 266

14 - Alexis A: Redefining Family

Family isn’t just defined by blood. Instead, the presence of those you surround yourself with makes them feel like family. We’re all fortunate to be born with some type of family, but family is bigger than that. Whether it's close and distant family or friends that become your family, they are a big part of how the meaning of family impacts you.

In the picture above, these are my relatives on my mom’s side. I see them more than my dad’s family, and that makes me closer to them. I’ve formed strong connections with my cousins, pictured in the front row, as we follow the legacy of those standing behind us. Nonetheless, I’m continued to be influenced by both sides of my parents, who are always supportive and want me to succeed. Family makes you feel safe, and being related just gives that extra push.

Family is found in things you include yourself in, like at school or extracurricular activities. At school, we are a part of the Wildcat Family. It is what connects us together as a community, and creates a sense of togetherness in a learning environment. In sports, the idea of teamwork is tied to the meaning of family. It is an example of an extracurricular activity that forms connections that allow people to share passions and goals on a team. Online friends and family, or distant family, are still family too. The feeling of making connections from far away still gives the essence of being a family.

Family is what you make it. If it's the connections or having people to grow in life with, the feeling you get is the meaning of family. Redefining family is in your hands, and how you see the people in your life makes an impact on you.

Word Count: 298

14- Madison Apostolos: An Appreciation Post for all the “Gross” Pets / Core memory

Quarantine was tough, especially without someone to keep you company. Although my mom and sister had quarantined alongside me, I felt more lonely than I ever had in my life. 

During this time, my mom and I made a very rare trip outside our house and had a very nondescript conversation about how she’d had a pet rat as a teeneger. I was always under the impression that rats were “gross”, by seeing images of feral ones on the news and National Geographic. I came to realize through speaking with my mom that the rats I had seen were not the species treated as pets, and can actually be very caring and calm creatures. By that point I was already convinced that I wanted one as a pet, and soon after purchased one from a local pet store.

At this point I’ve had my pet rat, Itchy, for around a year now. By having such an unorthodox pet I’ve come to realize that things that may seem stereotypically “gross” can actually be very kind, and care for you in the same way a more aesthetically pleasing alternative can. Looks deceive when it comes to the nature of a person or animal. “Gross” doesn’t necessarily mean “bad”, or vice versa. 

In my case, my pet rat has loved me more than any other pet I’ve ever known. He lives to love me and I appreciate that part of him, no matter how others view him as my pet.

Word Count: 250

14- Isabella V: Wild Cat Theater

 

On campus there are many classrooms that I have never been in, this is true with many other students on campus as well. One class room that I was shocked that students have never been in is the theater, but I guess I understand why. Many people think of theater and instantly think of performing in front of people and that is normally the reason people shy away from taking the class. Theater does definitely put you outside of your comfort zone especially if you have never done anything where you have to perform in front of people. 

Another reason I think people shy away from taking theater is because they think people who take theater have been doing theater for awhile. The truth is everyone is in the same boat as you are. Yes there may be people in the class that have more theater experience than you but a lot of those people would love to help you if needed. The thing I love about taking theater is the amount of different personalities you get to work with while taking the class. Theater is a safe space where you feel you can be yourself. We play lots of games and have many opportunities for fun acting skits. 

What better teacher is there to teach theater that Ms. Jimenez! She cares so very much about all of her students and loves to watch them grow throughout the year from day one coming into the theater scared and wanting to drop the class to being the first one to volunteer for a game. Theater is a class where you can really see yourself grow as a person. High school is where students try to find who they are and what they want to be and theater I think helps students realize who they are.

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14 - Kristina G: Click On This Blog

 

Click On This Blog

Choices. They create an impact that affects every aspect of our lives. You reading this right now is a choice, even if the title tempted you to. You chose to click on this blog to read and even write a comment on. An average person consciously makes about 35,000 choices a day. Whether they end up being bad or good, we still make them because we have to. 

It’s important to think about where you are at in your life. Are you happy? Are you satisfied with your accomplishments? Are you excited for what the future holds? Are you a kind and respectful person? Whatever the answers may be, your choices have affected them. Of course, uncontrollable circumstances around these decisions have influenced them, but you still chose. “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”

Every choice has an outcome. Usually, when we make good choices, we are grateful for them. They lead to the joys in our life, the people we want to be around, or it may even lead us a step closer to the future that we yearn for. People don’t like to make bad choices. They end up occurring because it was a good decision in disguise. Most of the time, we don’t realize that they’re bad until we experience its consequences. Sometimes, it’s dreadful but the outcome may not have even been in our power. 

Simply put, your choices are what make up your life. To name a few, your goals, your achievements, the way you portray yourself to others, the people you surround yourself with, the way you treat someone else, the way you feel about your life is ultimately YOUR choice. I hope this serves as a reminder that you can choose what you are capable of. It may seem like there are limits, but at the end of the day, you can choose to cross these limits. Your choices are what make up you. You can do everything you want to do, if you choose to. 

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