looking back

When I look back on my high school experiences, I look back with so many fond memories. Memories of walking on to campus my first day of high school scared to death. I look back on all the pep assembles, football games, soccer games, talent shows, and other various events I attended. I remember my first day of Mr. Verver’s class being so scared of his class and his reputation for being a very strict teacher. I remember sitting through lecture after lecture in government and history. Looking back I took a lot of my experiences at Cascade for granted. So to the students left at Cascade I leave you the power to not take anything for granted, and to take the most you can for every experience. My wish is that you would be the best that you can be, and be involved as much as possible; because when you look back you will remember the experiences a lot longer then you will remember the people in your everyday math and sciences classes. I would also challenge future students of Cascade to make as many friends as possible and be a person of character and integrity. So that when you’re a graduating senior you can say I did the best I could, I made as many friends as possible, I was evolved in as many activities as I could have been and I helped as many people as possible. Then you will be able to say I made a difference at Cascade, and that will be your legacy.

I shall give what I can, and then I shall give some more

Every person that I have connected with at cascade, whether it be teachers, students, parents or coaches, has somehow impacted my life. They have all had a part in making me who I am today, and now it is my turn to give a little something back.


To my parents: I give the right to claim any and all of my successes, for without you I would have nothing.

To my brother: I give my greatest gratitude for setting a high standard for me to live up to and for teaching me everything you know. If I hadn't felt the need to live up to you, and compete with you, I may never have tried so hard.

To Colten: I give you the ability to provide happiness to everyone you meet. You have already done this for me, and now you needs to spread your gift to everyone else. I also give you thanks, for making my senior year the best it could be and for always putting up with my weirdness.

To Les: I give the middle name Jerk, and every punch in the stomach that you deserve for making fun of people.

To the softball team: I give the opportunity to arrive at a game with two left cleats and get to wear one cleat and one tennis shoe.

To Kink: I give an amazing 2nd semester TA to sit and talk to during your planning period about your cute little baby.

To Mrs. O.K: I give the best 3rd period Calc class EVER!!! You know you love us.

To Mr. Verver: I give you some jokes to tell in class... maybe even a smile to shock the class with :)

To Mr. Wilson: I give you my map...I don't think you'd let me take it off the wall anyways.

To the Dream Team: I give you a comic of my own.

For all the classes that follow the class of '06: I give you a standard to live up to. We were a great class, now make yourselves great as well.

And to Mr. McNamar: I give you a group of quiet, respectful, intelligent freshmen. (Hey it coud happen)

Reflections

I have tried to leave this space in your control. The outcome has satisified me, though I often wonder what more could this Pre-College blog be. I wonder if any of you will continue to blog by beginning your very own blog when it is no longer an assingment. I believe in the power of language to convey something of who we are. When you have allowed yourself to speak thoughtfully and honestly, I have learned from you.
A few of you began your high school journey when I did. You came into our school a bit shy, perhaps unsure of who you were and where you were headed. To a large extent, I came in the same way. To have had the privelege of twice teaching some of you will resonate with me throughout my career.
I will leave you with this:

Represent our school well, your family honorably, and yourself honestly. The latter is, if nothing else, what will always keep you grounded.

Movies based on September 11

Recently, I have heard a lot of discussion regarding the Movies based on the tragedies of September 11. Until this week, I was only aware of the movie United 93. This is the story the passengers and crew, their families on the ground, and the flight controllers who watched in dawning horror as the United airlines flight 93 became the fourth hijacked plane. The movie recreates the doomed trip in actal time, from takeoff to hijacking to the realization by those onboard that their plane was part of the coordinated attack unfolding on the ground beneath them. The film attempts to understand the fear and courage of the passengers and crew onboard as they became bonded allies who confronted an unthinkable solution. The story also includes actual conversation that passengers shared with their families.
When I went to see the davinci code this week, I saw the preview for another movie. This one is called World Trade Center and will come to theaters in August. This is about the true story of John McLaughlin and William J. Jimenez, the last two survivors found under the rubble of Ground Zero and the rescuers who never gave up on them. It stars Nicolas Cage who plays one of these two NY port authority police officers.
Part of me wants to see these movies, if only to learn more about what happened on that tragic day. However, another part of me does not want to see them at all. I don't want to relive the tragedy, it was hard enough watching it all the first time. Another reason I don't want to see World Trade Center is because it is mostly based on the firefighters and police officers who risked their lives in an attempt to rescue others. My dad is a firefighter and honestly, movies such as this terrify me. My dad is great at what he does, but sometimes I fear that he is just a little too selfless. I fear that he would be the one to volunteer to search for others, even if the odds weighed against him. Just watching the prevew was hard for me because I can't even begin to imagine what the families of thee people must still be going through.
I really can't believe that this September it will aready have been five years. It seems like it just happened, I remember the events so vividly. I don't think I will see these movies just yet, but perhaps someday I will. Because I do want to know as much as possible about what happed that day.

Tragic mix-up

Yesterday the Herald featured a story about a "Tragic mix-up revealed as coma ends". You may have heard about this story; a couple sat near what they thought was there daughters’ hospital bed for several weeks waiting for their daughter to awake from a coma. But when the girl woke up it was not their daughter but another girl that had been in the same accident. Both of these girls had similar facial features and similar body types. Because of broken bones in the face and severe bruising and a neck brace they could not make out the difference. The parents who had been sitting by the bed for weeks then found out that the body of there daughter had already been buried and a funeral had been preformed.
I can't imagine the emotional toll this would have on a family, not to mention the shock of the situation. All emotions aside, it will take years to sort everything out. The wrong family paid for the funeral and the burial and the other family has their medical benefits coming out of the wrong account for what they thought was there daughter.

Art History

I have always enjoyed exploring the world of art history; and the secrets that lie behind each artist. Being involved in the art program at Cascade for the past four years has given me the opportunity to explore the careers of many artists. Most recently I have been looking into the life of Magritte, a Belgian surrealist painter. Most of his work deals with imagination. In several of Magritte’s painting he uses a black hat on his subjects. This hat appears in several of his painting throughout the years. Some speculate that the hat represents Magritte himself because he was often found wearing that very hat. Another interesting thing about Magritte is that he often times covers or wraps his subjects hiding them from view. This could have to do with his early childhood. When he was a young boy his mother committed suicide, when they found her, her head was wrapped in a cloth. There is so much to learn about the art world; and I feel that having a better understanding of the person behind the art helps build a lasting connection and understanding.

Animal Cruelty

In the past few weeks as I have been watching the news, I have noticed that there have been a very high number of animal cruelty cases. One story was about a family whose dog had just had a litter of 10 puppies. While the family was gone, 4 of the puppies had managed to get out and were in the neighbors yard. A passerby called animal control, not knowing who the puppies belonged to. This person was only trying to protect the puppies, hoping that their owners would find them at the shelter. However, just 5 hours after the puppies arrived at the shelter, they were all put to sleep. When the family contacted the shelter, they were told that the dogs had been put down. When further questioned, the shelter simply claimed that they had made a mistake. My question is why were the dogs put to sleep in the first place? There is ALWAYS someone who will adopt a puppy, which isn't always the case with older dogs. Also, why were they put down so soon after their arrival? If these were my dogs, I would be furious. That is someone's pet, and because they were out of their yard, they were killed.

In another case, I heard about a dog that someone had soaked in ammonia. The chemical burned the dag so severely that it had to be put down. The vet who cared for it said she had never seen anything so horrible done to an animal, and she was still having nightmares about it.

The final story is one that I have heard on a personal account. A kid I know, who lives in Lake Stevens owned a rot weiler (sp?). His dog did not fit the normal, aggressive and dangerous description that rot weilers are known by. Actually, the dog was very calm and friendly. One day, however, the neighbor called the cops and said that he had been in their yard. The police came out to investigate and the officer found the dog sleeping on his own front porch. The neighbor also claimed that the dog had bit him (which was not true). The officer then preceded to shoot, and kill, the dog. The dog was asleep, and had never left its own yard. For no real reason, the officer decided to shoot him. The kid I know is now in court over this issue, apparently the officer has done this before. He has shot and killed more than one pet for no reason.

I am disgusted by the way animals are being treated. Just like humans, they do not deserve to be treated this way. I think that the punisment should be more sever for the people who choose to commit these heinous crimes against innocent animals.

Mannerisms

Last week I compared mannerisms between blind children and autistic children and the similarity found with each disability. What I realized was that many people do not have a clear understanding of, mannerisms and the effect mannerisms cause.
Because I do not have an autistic relative I only know a small amount about, the effect mannerisms have on autistic children. I do however have a brother who is deaf- blind; so I have been exposed to the mannerisms, that effect deaf-blind children. Mannerisms defined are " physical behavior patterns that occur in visually impaired children and may last into adulthood." These mannerisms include: eye pressing, finger flicking, head banging, head weaving, fixated staring and maintaining a blank expressionless face. Many blind children engage in mannerisms because they are self-stimulatory behaviors. These behaviors interfere with learning, development, and socialization. They cause these children to withdraw from their surroundings and enter a world of their own. Mannerisms have a negative effect on deaf-blind children and there for should be diminished as much as possible.
I have learned through first hand experience that these mannerisms have a negative effect because they are causing these children to fall behind. Mannerisms are also causing social isolation and disfigurement. Mannerisms are real and they effect many blind children. The best way to counteract and prevent mannerisms is to engage these children in learning and the world around them.

Hundreds of Dollars spent just to ask a girl to prom... is it really necessary?

As we walk around campus, there is one thing that is sure to be talked about: Senior Ball. Who is going with who, and most importantly, how were you asked.

DON'T GET MAD YET MCNAMAR... THIS STORY REALLY DOES HAVE A POINT AND ISN'T ONE OF THOSE "CAN YOU BELIEVE WE'RE ALMOST DONE STORIES."

I myself have wondered why how you are asked to a dance is almost as important as getting asked at all. What ever happened to "will you go to______ with me?" I recently read an article online that discusses this issue. It said that asking someone to be your date has become such a production of the years that even before the big night the boys are blowing their money. It has turned into a competition between the boys, who can be the most creative when popping their question. And it has brought out bragging right among the girls "Well, MY boyfriend did this to ask me."

"Clearly, though, it is a big thing. A chat with her girlfriends, a phone call or a quick conversation by the lockers between classes won't do anymore. That's so 2005. In 2006, the request has to be painted on a giant sign parked in front of her house or accompanied by 50 red candles, hundreds of Hershey Kisses and an original poem. Why? For the same reason guys go to prom: because girls want it that way."

"Trouble was, he didn't have a clue how to impress her."
"I wish my boyfriend had done that."
"Lahr is the kind of guy who is terrified by the idea talking to a girl on the phone. "I'll be in my room, staring at a name on my cellphone, wondering whether I should call. The whole social thing is totally nerve-wracking," he says."
"The prom invite had him rattled big-time."

I think girls have become to needy, to many of us expect something extraodinary. As you can see from the quotes from the story, asking a girl to prom (or Senior Ball in our case) has become very stressful for the guys. I think this question should go back to something simpler. Save the extravagance for when you get engaged.

I'm not going to lie, my own boyfriend took a lot of time planning and asked me in a very cute way. However, I would have been fine if he had just said "Will you go with me?" I don't expect him do spend great deals of money on me, but when he does take the time to plan somethig special, I am sure to let him know that I appreciate it.

Overall, I think that girls shouldn't expect to be asked in an amazing way, and they shouldn't put pressure on the guys. We should all just be happy that we have been asked, and if they do go above and beyond, be sure to let them know how much you appreciate the efforts that they have made to make this a special event for us.


If you'd like to read the article, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12863585/

YEAAAAAAAAAAA LES IS FAMOUS!!!! He even looks normal in the picture! Congrats Les!

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Les, congratulations on becoming published before me; I will forever hold it against you!

Go here, if you have not read the essay published in Sunday's Herald.

Autism vs. Mannerisms

This week I was reading an article in Time magazine about autism. I found this article to be very intriguing because there have been many times when I have heard about autism and have not really had a clear understanding of what it is and the effect autism has. What I found to be the most interesting was the classic symptoms of autism "spinning, head banging, and endlessly repeating phrases.” I found this very interesting because head banging and spinning are also commonly found with blind or visually impaired children; only they are called mannerisms. I researched mannerisms for my argumentative paper; only I argued that mannerisms have a negative effect on deaf-blind children and therefore should be diminished as much as possible. I thought that it was great to be able to connect something I had done in the past and apply my knowledge of mannerisms when I was reading this article.

Cry, The Beloved Country

I don't know how many of you are taking the time so stay caught up on the reading, but I am actually finding it quite interesting. It is books such as this that remind me how much I have yet to learn about the world. I realize that I am too wrapped up in my own world, and I sometimes forget just how big the world really is. I spend too much time worrying about the little things, rather than things that really matter. It is very interesting to hear about the struggles in South Africa, because although I know they exist, I admit I do not know the details. I never realized that they faced many of the same struggles as America has faced over the years. I have learned, many times, about the famous bus boycott during the martin Luther King era, but I had no idea that the same boycott took place in South Africa. As I read through the chapters, I sometime completely forget that I am reading about Africa, for the same struggles took place here as well. Sophomore year in world history, I remember learning about things such as the Romans and Egyptians. Now, I am wishing that we had spent more time studying times closer to the present. At times, this novel can be a bit hard to decipher, but the knowledge that I am gaining is far worth it. If you have yet to take the time to do your reading, I suggest you start now. The information that Paton portrays is really quite interesting.

Time magazine

This week Time magazine had a special issue about 100 of the world's most influential people. A majority of the people are household names; George Bush, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Condoleezza Rice, etc. However there were several people I had never heard about before; Mugtada Al-Sadr, Pervez Musharraf, Geoffrey West and Mukhtaran Bibi to name a few. All of these people have extraordinary stories behind their name. These stories are about how they are making a difference in the world and how they are influencing the world we live in. I read all of these stories with amazement wondering how one person could make such a large impact.
One story I found extremely intriguing was an article about Bill and Melinda Gates and the Gates foundation. This article talks about how the Gates Foundation is funding several projects and how they are making an impact on the world we live in. “The Gates foundation now funds more then a third of the worlds entire malaria research funding" There belief is that the each life has equal value. Jim Carter says “This is the must important foundation in the world."

Senior year

This past week, and especially today at the senior meeting, everything has become a lot more real to me in terms of the year ending. Now that prom is over, the halls are buzzing with talk of senior ball. Who will ask who? Where's the best place to eat? What are the groups? And so much more. Also, today we got the first details of graduation, jubilation, senior breakfast and all the other "senior" events. Until now, it honestly hasn't felt like high school is ending. Yea, I know I am going to UW in the fall, and I have made a lot of plans for next year. However, college has always seemed so far off in the distance. Now, it is just right around the corner. Not only are the number of school days left getting smaller and smaller, other things are ending too. Next Thursday is our last softball game if we don't move on to districts. This season has gone by so fast, it truly feels like tryouts were just a couple weeks ago, not a couple months ago. I always wondered why the seniors were always sad at the end of the season, and now I understand. I have been playing on this team for four years now, and it means a lot to me. It seems strange to think that next year I won't be out playing again. I believe i am ready for high school to end, I am ready to escape at least some of the drama, and to be in an environment where people are there because they want to learn. However, I am not ready to give up on the relationships that I have formed over the years. I hope I can stay close with people, especially those who mean the most to me.

Frank Lloyd Wright

I know the price of Success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Today I was looking at random quotes when I came across this one by Frank Lloyd Wright. I started to think about the meaning and I realized that this one quote sums up my senior year. Not only my senior year but who I am and what I have worked so hard to accomplish. This is a quote that represents everything I have done to become a senior; all the standards, requirements, every single late night I have spent studying for a test. This quote is about success and being the best you can possibly be, and never giving up. This quote is about reaching the impossible.

I think I will use this quote in my CE presentation.

Gas prices

Every day as I sit down to watch the news, I feel as if I am experiencing déjà vu when I hear the same story day after day: Gas prices have gone up again. We are breaking new records for gas prices every day and it is absolutely ridiculous. Every time I fill up, I am thankful that my car gets good gas mileage and i can literally go for a month without getting gas. However, I can't help but wish that there will be another fuel solution. Will we soon turn to bio-deisle? Will more and more hybrid cars be coming out that are affordable to the public. Will hydrogen be the fuel of the future? There has to be some alternative to the prices that are being thrown at us.

Although prices in the United states are high, i did a little research and found that European countries are actually paying a lot more than us.

"The Dutch have the dubious distinction of paying the most to fill 'er up, according to the U.S. Deptatment of Energy. As of April 10, drivers in the Netherlands were paying the equivalent of about $6.73 a gallon at the pump. The gas itself cost $2.61; the rest — $4.12 — represented tax. That’s a 158 percent tax. By comparison, the U.S. has the lowest tax on gasoline of any industrialized country: about 15 percent at current prices. Elsewhere in the industrialized world, the actual cost of gasoline ranges from $2.15 a gallon (France) to $2.61 in the Netherlands. But the after-tax price is $5.80 in France and over $6 a gallon in most other major European countries. Japanese drivers get off relatively easy: taxes there only push pump prices to about $4.50 a gallon."

This makes me feel a little better about our prices, but as I read on I see that some countries pay between 12 and 40 CENTS per gallon.
"The cheapest places to top off, not surprisingly, are in countries that produce the most oil. In Iraq, until recently, pump prices were capped at 10 cents a gallon. Prices have recently risen to nearly 40 cents a gallon — still a bargain compared to the U.S. Iran also keeps pump prices low — less than 35 cents a gallon, according to a recent Reuters survey.

I don't know what will come to us in the future, but I can only hope that we don't end up paying drastically more than we are now. It would be a miracle to go back to paying less than a dollar for a gallon of gas.

Here's the whole story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12452503/

CE

Last semester I read everyone’s blogs that discussed CE. I want to know what the class all about and why everyone one always complained about the class and the requirements. The majority of these blogs discussed that feeling and views of the class. I really can’t remember any that were really positive. So I entered CE with a fear, that it was going to be terrible and I was going to hate every day until the end of the semester. I truly believed that it would be a huge burden that I would have to carry around for the last few months of school. The truth is I have actually enjoyed CE. I really don’t mind the paperwork and all the small steps required to journal the progress of my project. I choose to make a quilt; I have enjoyed every step of the process and have learned more then I ever hoped to learn.

Handful of Dust

Right now I am reading the book Handful of Dust. I have to be honest, this wasn't my first choice of books and, after hereing its description I thought it would be rather boring and dry. However, so far I have been pleasantly surprised by the plot and the characters. The book is a satire on the England's upperclass and I often find myself thinking "does this really happen?" and "Are there really people who act this way?" Believe me, usually I am NOT one to often enjoy books that I read for a class. Normally, in an occasion such as this, I would find my eyelids drooping after the first paragraph and have to seriously fight to stay awake. This time, however, the reading is going rather fast. I have been easily reading 50-70 pages a night. Just to give you an idea of the plot (without ruining anything of course) I will tell you that there has so far been a new love interest, a death, and many other interesting twists. I will definately be sure to let everyone know how the rest of the book is, but right now, I strongly recommend this book for people to read if we do another round of book groups. I hope everyone else is enjoying their books as well!

True Joy

For as much as I like all of you, nothing compares to experiencing my daughter. Tate Rose arrived early on Monday morning, 1:33. For the girls who are into all of this, she weighed 7 lbs. and 8 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long.
I will see you in all in a few days. Remember to do your post for this week and keep up on your reading.

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. McNamar! I hope all is well with Baby Tate.

Einstein

I have always loved reading books about various people and their life stories. I find that I would rather read these books then the best selling fiction novel. I think its because I like to read about real life experiences and the impact people have made on the world we live in. A few weeks ago I finished a book about the creation of Google, now I have moved on to The New Quotable Einstein. This is a book with a collection of Einstein’s thoughts and ideas ranging from himself, his family, religion, war, science and mathematics to miscellaneous subjects. I have found the book to be extremely fascinating, even though this is not the first book I have read about Einstein. The book was collected and edited by Alice Calaprice with a forward by Freeman Dyson.

Clinton for president?

No, Bill isn't up for another term, and this is nothing like we've ever seen before. Hillary Clinton, our former first lady and current New York Senator might just be in the race for the 2008 presidential election.

WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is raising money like a presidential candidate even though she’s only running against poorly funded Senate opponents.

“It’s mind-blowing. She is raising money at a presidential level,” said Doug Muzzio, a professor at Baruch College in New York.

Considering that 2008 will be the first presidential election that we can vote in, I am quite interested in the idea of Hillary running for president. Think about it, the first time we vote could ultimately be the first year that our country has a female president. I have no idea who she will be running against, if she does indeed run, but in many ways, I already feel that I have a strong idea of her belief system. Actually, I probably know more about her viewpoints than I have known about other presidential candidates...and her campaign is still a whole two years away. One concern that I have, however, is that the voters will have a biased opinion of Hillary that was formed during Bill's years in office. She is not Bill, and she is bound to make her own decisions. According to the amount of money that she has already raised, I think Hillary might just have a chance of winning, and of becoming the first female president in America.

“I didn’t give her money for the Senate, I want her to run for the White House,”

If anyone wants to read the whole article, you can see it online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12307755/

Google

A few weeks ago Time magazine featured a story about the creators of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. I found the article to be fascinating so I decided to read a book that has been published about them. This book is tilted Google, it by David A. Vise and Mark Malseed. The first few chapters talk about the childhood’s of both Larry and Sergey and how they met at Stanford University. Were they later dropped out of graduate school to in their words, " change the word". These two men wanted to create a search engine that would organize information down to the smallest detail and put it on the internet. I was surprised to learn about the way they conduct business and the way they organize their offices. These two men rarely where suits, but can be found wearing black shirts paired with jeans and a lava lamp sitting a their desk daily. I like the way they approached their business, ideas, dreams and goals. I have yet to finish this book, but I have found every chapter to be extremely intriguing.

Varsity Softball

Today’s softball game was definitely the most exciting one we've played so far this season. In the first inning, we scored first and started strong with two runs in the first inning. After that, however, the other team started hitting and we made some crucial mental errors. Before we knew it, the score was 7-3 and we were down. However, despite the score and the early mistakes that were made, we still held our heads high for a great comeback. We ended up winning 9-8 and I am very proud of our team for never giving up. When we have gotten in situations like this in past years, we'd get behind and then give up. From the second that the other team's score exceeded ours, the game was over. However, this year we have a different team with a different outlook. We got into many sticky situations and there were multiple times when Snohomish had the bases loaded when the score was 9-8. We got through it though, everyone came together in the clutch moments and we did what needed to be done. I think every one of us who played tonight was reminded of the lesson that even when times are difficult, you should never give up. We didn't give up and it certainly paid off. Now, we have to get ready to face Monroe on Monday. With them, there will be no time for the early mental errors that we had tonight. After tonight's comeback though, I know that we can do just about anything.

Our coach recently found out that she has breast cancer, and she has had to miss a few days already. She had to miss today as well, for a funeral, but we said before the game that this game, this season was for her. I can't wait to see her tomorrow because I know she will be so proud of our efforts tonight. And for her sake, I hope we can keep winning, and finally make it to districts.

Gender Selection

"The good doctor was promising that with just a little sperm trafficking, he could conjure up an “easy” and “afford­able” future baseball player or blushing bride."

Every time I come in contact with expecting parents, I notice that they almost always say something like "Well, all I want is for the baby to be healthy, but I'd love to have a boy/girl." Of course there will be love for the child, no matter what its gender, but I can't deny the fact that I’ve seen a flash of disappointment cross the faces of new parents when they realize that the baby isn't the gender that they were "hoping" for. The question is, are parents willing to take the destiny of their child's gender out of Mother Nature's hands and into their own? Is it even ethical to scientifically change the sex of your baby?

"Through my ethical vertigo, I discovered what was bothering me: the doctor was using his medical degree to perpetuate the myth that happy families have an equal number of boys and girls."

The mother that wrote this lost her son when he was a baby, and she knows that it is indeed nice to have balance in the household between the genders, however, she didn't feel that it was up to her to make that ultimate decision.

This article really got me thinking, and I have decided that I would never scientifically change my baby’s gender, I think that we have to be happy with the person that our child becomes, because although we may be able to control this, we can't control everything. We simply have to let them become their own person.

What do you guys think? Should parents be able to choose the gender of their baby? Would you do it?

Child Bride

"Married at the age of four, an Afghan girl was subjected to years of beatings and torture, finally escaping to discover that within all the world's cruelty, there is also some kindness. "

This was a headline of a news story covered by Yahoo yesterday, March 22, 2006.
As I read these lines my heart sank. This was a story of a small girl subjected to horrible suffering and pain. Day after day she was treated like a servant, tending to an entire house hold of 12 children and a few adults. As I continued reading this story I was shocked time and again by tales of how this small child was treated. These are just a few lines form her story.

"They beat me with electric wires," she says, "mostly on the legs. My father-in-law told his other children to do it that way so the injuries would be hidden. He said to them, 'break her bones, but don't hit her on the face.'"

"When he came to the shed he kept asking me, 'Why don't you die? I imprisoned you, I give you less food, but still you don't die.'"
But it wasn't for lack of trying. Gulsoma said when her father-in-law finally let her out of the shed, he bound her hands behind her back and beat her unconscious. She says he revived her by pouring a tea thermos filling with scalding water over her head and her back.

This little girl now 12 is now living in an orphanage, where she is recovering from a life time of trauma and pain. I can’t believe that anyone would treat another person that way. I am so thankful that I have never been subjected to anything close to what this small child has been through in the first 12 years of her life.

If you would like to read the entire story for your self; go to Yahoo, news and type in Child bride.

Time Magazine

I work in an office, where we receive magazines on a daily basis. These magazines come free every month; it’s a way of advertisement for companies. They want patients who are waiting to see a doctor to pick them up and get hooked. Generally I just put the new magazines out, without much care to what they are. But recently I can’t wait until Wednesday when Time Magazine comes out. Although I do not personally agree with everything they talk about, I enjoy the magazine. Time covers a variety of different topics ranging from politics, what’s going on in the world, opinions, technology and what new, to health and science and the new coach bag coming out this fall. Each issue is full with information and news about the world we live in.

Sorry my post is late.

Monotony is BORING!!! We need something new on here.

After writing many scholarship essays, the Childhood and Media essays, and the blog week after week, I am sick of open ended writing. This bog especially drives me crazy because everyone writes about the same thing, even when we are supposed to choose something of our own. One person will post, then every post after the first is about the same topic. Nobody is original anymore. I try my best to come up with something original, but even then someone will come after me and write about the exact same thing. I don't know how you can stand to read these, Mr. McNamar, they are all the same. I get bored just looking at the titles, people can't even come up with their own title anymore. I am running out of things to write about because frankly, my life just isn't that interesting. I don't know if an assigned topic would help, because then everyone will still be writing about the same thing, and that is boring, but we definitely need something to liven up this blog. Thanks.

During the game!

When I arrived on campus it was empty. Just a few students filled the halls and class rooms. In second period, four class rooms were combined making about twenty students in the room. I expected lots of students to go, but I was amazed that so many students went out to support the team; it was truly amazing. I would have loved to go, but I had no idea when the buses would return and I work everyday at 1:30. But for everyone who did go thank you for supporting our team.

Its really happening...High School is almost over.

Recently, in the past few weeks reality has really began to set in with me that High School is almost over. I have frantically been filling out applications for scholarship after scholarship. Softball just started and it feels so strange to be the senior captain, to no longer have anyone in a higher grade. Younger girls keep asking, "Sara, what should we do now?" Sometimes, I still have to take a moment before I realize that they are talking to me. I am the captain now, the role model. Last week, when I was at UW for World Language Day, as I explored the campus it really hit me that that is where I will be going to school in just a few short MONTHS. Today I had a meeting with the freshman advisors for the UW School of Business and we were already discussing registration and classes that I will want to take. All year long, I have known that we are seniors, and that we are graduating this year, but now it just seems more real for some reason. I am very excited, and can't wait to take the next step into college life, but at the same time, it all still feels a little strange. Anyone else feeling the same way?

media

This paper about media has been more difficult for me. Media is such an open ended topic. The media encompasses a wide variety of elements, using TV, newspaper, internet, magazines and radio. I had a hard time narrowing it down to find a real story. What is really happening behind the scenes, and how media affects the opinions of viewers and readers.

Money, fame, and beauty, what more could a person ask for?

People idolize celebrities because we feel that they have everything that the world has to offer. Every movie that they are cast a major role in earns them a multi-million dollar deal. They earn enough money to live in luxury for the rest of their lives. They are beautiful and can date nearly anyone that they want to. Their lives are so interesting that normal people can't help but be drawn to the magazine stand where they can read every detail, no matter how personal, of their life. While it would be fun to live the life of a celebrity for a while, I can't help but think that in the end it really wouldn't be all that great. The media tears the celebrity's lives to pieces. Can you imagine having cameras in your face every single time you go outside? Imagine trying to have a nice evening with a significant other and seeing pictures of it in the tabloids the next day. Imagine being pregnant, and having the whole country know before your close friends. Imagine going through a rough stage in life and having the world know about all of your problems. Imagine how the stories would effect your family and close friends, they don't ask for the attention. And finally, imagine have lies written about you day in and day out. Not only does the media ruin the lives of "normal" people; it can also ruin the lives of celebrities. Sure, they should know what they are getting into when they go into the business, but does anyone really deserve to be scrutinized so closely by the public eye? The media is having a negative effect on everyone, just in different ways. Therefore, I think that we need to do something about it. The country as a whole needs to focus on their own lives and stop dreaming of the life of someone else. We need to realize that there is more to life than money, fame, and beauty. If we could do that, the world would be a much better place.

I have really enjoyed reading about the media and the roles of media in your lives. Media is around us all day long, every where we go. People are trying to reach us with any method they can, newspaper, TV , internet, magazines etc. There is really no way of escaping the media and the news. The media plays an important role in our society. The news influences the way we view situations and the world. Although the news is not always enjoyable I believe people need to know what’s going on around them.

The media's effect on a teen's body image

When we were asked to vote on the topic we wanted to write about this essay, I was immediately interested in the topic of media. There are so many types of media around us, especially as the technology around us continues to boom. I feel that there are many approaches that I can take on this essay, but one subject that has particularly caught my attention, through a little research, is the effect that the media has on a teenager's body image. The media is constantly displaying beautiful and thin models, actors and actresses Even the news anchors are generally good looking people. The female models that we see in magazines today generally weigh 23% less than the average woman. The average height and weight for a model is 5'10" and 110 lbs, and the height and weight for the average woman is 5'4" and 145 lbs. These images portray to young girls, and boys as well, that being thin is being beautiful. Because of the skewed images that teens are viewing, in the media all around them, they seem to think that unless they look like these models do, they won't be good enough. Not only are the models thinner than is healthy to begin with, their photos are also airbrushed to make them appear perfect. I feel that the media is having a very negative impact on the body image of teen-agers and is driving teens to take very extreme actions in order to achieve the "perfect" body. Every day, more and more people develop eating disorders. In order to prevent these actions and negative body images amongst teens, I think that the media needs to portray more realistic pictures, rather than favor the impossible. The images that teens see every day are having an effect on both genders. Although females more commonly develop eating disorders, males develop them as well when they think that in order to be attractive they must me lean and muscular. Nobody is perfect, but sometimes it is hard to remember this when all you see are thin, beautiful people in front of you.

Final review

The childhood essay was a great opportunity. I enjoyed having the freedom to edit and make changes to my paper. Having the chance to make revisions helped me understand the simple mistakes I was making. Removing prepositional phrases and be verbs helped be realize and understand how much I truly rely on them. Having to replace these words made the content and the overall paper better. In the future I will keep a close account of the words I am using.

Spring Sports

Spring sports start in eleven days and I am so excited. The softball team has been having the batting cages open for a couple of weeks now and I am happy to see that a lot of people are showing up. In the past years, to my disappointment, only a few girls have dedicated the time to practicing before the season started. This year, however, I am seeing new faces every day. Although we are going to have a young team this year with 6 spots open on varsity, I think the girls are really showing potential. The incoming freshmen, as well as the returning sophomores have already made a strong impression with me, as well as the coaches. I am hoping that if they are this dedicated before the season even starts, then the energy and good work habits will last until the end of the season.
In the past years, there have always been people that play more for the social side of softball than for the sport its self. This has always bothered me because even though some of us really want to do well, we can't without the total efforts of the entire team. This year, I have a feeling that everybody is going to be more dedicated, and not only play for fun, but also to win. I want to do well this year. Rather than only have a strong first half of the season, I want our team to keep fighting until the end. We can do it; we just have to work hard.
Finally, I hope this year that along with spring sports comes Spring. For once, it would be awesome to go a whole season without snow and hail. It would be nice to play games on the day they are scheduled for, rather than two weeks later due to rain. Actually, it would just be nice to be warm again.

The Power of Your Voice

I recently checked up on the site statistics. I found that we have returning readers from all over the country. I also discovered that we have been refrenced on more than one occasion.
California teacher Dan McDowell taught on the use of blogging in education. In his powerpoint, he refrences our site.
With this tool, you have the power to reach a wide audience. Continue to value this opportunity to express something of who you are. I am proud of what you all have done so far. The fact that someone else recognizes what you have done here, should make you proud as well.
Take the time to check out his site.

Cast Your Vote

Your final drafts for the Childhood essay are due on Thursday. Use this week to perfect your drafts.
Here is your chance to vote on our next topic. Please leave a comment with your choice.

Options:
1. Femininity and Masculinity: We find ourselves confronting a fork in the road.
2. Communities: We find ourselves in a place we call home.
3. Insiders and Outsiders: We find ourselves dislodged and excluded.
4. Nature and Civilization: We find ourselves among the beasts.
5. Progress and its Price: We find ourselves in our work and works.
6. Media: We find ourselves in a hall of mirrors.
7. Understanding: We find ourselves in our findings.

Just a Friendly Reminder

When you post, or when you comment, please keep personally identifying information out of your work. This also goes for when you refrence other individuals in the class. Thank you.
I look forward to your latest drafts on Monday!

How does our childhood impact the rest of our lives?

Growing up, I was the only girl in a neighborhood of older boys. Although I adored my baby dolls, I never passed up the opportunity to join in a game of kickball, explore in the nearby forest, or climb trees along with the rest of the kids. Not wanting to be left behind, I always raced to keep up with everyone else. When the older kids started to ride bikes, so did I. Because I didn't want to be the baby of the group, my training wheels were removed at the young age of two and a half years old. Whatever my big brother, and the rest of the boys, was up to, I could be found right alongside them, not missing a minute of the action. These experiences led to my love of sports and have indeed had a great impact on my life. As much as I enjoy getting all dressed up for special occasions, such as formals, I have never been know as a girly-girl. When I get out on the softball field, you will constantly see me on the ground, for I go all out and dive when necessary. Mud and bloody knees will never bother me, when I am in the middle of a game all I care about is putting out the most effort possible. To this day, I cannot stand stupid girls who have nothing better to say than "omigod" and "like, totally!" Given the option of playing sports or cheerleading, I would rather play sports in a heartbeat. The person that I have become has been very much affected by my childhood. If I had grown up playing Barbies and sipping tea at my imaginary tea parties, I probably would have turned out very differently. However, I chose to spend my childhood covered in mud and playing football, which explains my personality today. Anyone who doesn't believe that their childhood has an impact on their life needs to step back for a moment and reanalyze that thought, for I am proof that it does.

young girls

I believe the world and the media have a lot to do with the way young girls dress. These girls are looking to celebrities and adults for what to wear and how to act. The problem with this is that these people are much older then them in most cases! So if a ten-year-old puts on a low cut shirt she may be perceived as a "slut," Where on the model, etc., it was appropriate and complemented that person. The problem is when young girls try to grow up to fast, by looking to older women. They are wishing their lives away without even knowing it. I believe young girls need to dress in a way that is respectable to themselves, and the people around them. When they can accomplish this they will have more confidence in themselves.


Sorry its late!

DON'T Give Children the Vote

Although Vita Wallace brings up some good points in her essay, she is far from convincing me that children should have the right to vote. Children have not had enough education or life experience to be capable of casting a knowledgeable vote. Just as there are reasons that children aren't allowed to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, there are also reasons for them not to vote. Wallace says that children need the right to vote in order to protect their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, I disagree. The children of today are already being pushed to grow up prematurely, simply because of the expectations held by society. If we give children the right to vote, we will be causing them to grow up and make important decisions even sooner than they do now. Childhood is an important phase of life, and there is no reason to rush into adulthood. It is the duty of a parent to make sure that their children aren't robbed of their rights. As soon as a person turns eighteen, they can take these matters into their own hands; until then, parents can handle it for them.
If children receive the right to vote, many other things would also have to change in our society. For example: if a child who holds the right to vote commits a crime, they should be charged in court as an adult, not as a minor. They should have to pay taxes, and they shouldn't be dependant upon their parents. None of these are logical advancements for our society. However, Wallace feels that she should have been voting since she was eight or nine years old. Eight year-old are simply incapable of making a vote that would benefit our society, even if they were "naturally curious and mostly interested in the electoral process."
As far as I am concerned, Vita Wallace is attempting to change the world, yet she isn't ready to do so. She is a standard sixteen year-old who wishes to be treated as an adult. Although I don't think she is yet ready to change the world, perhaps in two years, when she can legally vote, she will be. Her idea of allowing children to “grow into their right to vote at whatever rate suits them individually” sounds good in theory, but it would never work out in the real world.

The semester is over!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited finals are over and the new semester is starting! For as long as I can remember I have loved school! Last year I didn't miss one of Therrel’s lectures! If there was school I was here. This year is completely the opposite! This semester seems longer then any other. I am hoping that next semester will be more entertaining and my love for school will be refreshed!

Perfection isn't possible... at least not for me.

Throughout all of my school years, I have striven to be perfect. Perfect grades, perfect attendance, perfect assignments, perfect employee, I wanted to do everything (that I was in control of) perfectly. I have never settled for less because I have always felt that if I am not doing things the right way, then I am not doing them good enough and I will let somebody. This has always come pretty easily for me; I have always done well in school and I have very few absences and I always turn my work in. With the exception of a few hard classes, I haven't had to push myself all that hard in order to achieve my goals. They just came naturally. However, things have started to change. Last year in Mr. Verver's class, I had an A- throughout most of first semester. It had me a little bit concerned, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I would be able to pull it up. Before the semester came to an end, I did just that and I was proud of the A that I had worked so hard to earn. This year in calculus has been my second struggle in school. It is by far the hardest class that I have ever taken. I have spent hours upon hours studying for that class, yet this time I wasn't able to pull it out in the end. As of today, perfection is no longer possible for me. The 4.0 that I have worked so hard to maintain is down the drain. Perhaps later on this will be a good thing, for it will probably give me a more realistic view on life. For now, though, I am simply disappointed.

Sorry Les, you can no longer make the comment "Sara has a 4.0." You will have to think of something else to say.

What the heck!

Friday During fourth period I did my post, but for some reason it didn't publish. I logged on today because I was bored and saw that my post wasn't on their so I am rewriting it now. Mcnamor, I hope you will still grade this as on time!
I found out over the weekend that a lot of my friends do have myspace. I have never had one of these or knew my friends even had them. Personally I think myspace is kind of stupid, but if they help kids feel like they are more popular by braging about parties and talking bad about other people then whatever. I think it is a wast of time.
Do people really think they need a web page about themselfs? I think people just make them because theirs nothing else to do because it's always raining.

Revenge

Revenge is and always will be a choice. A choice to take the higher road and not return a wrong that has been done to you. By taking revenge you are making the problem larger. I am not saying that’s its easy. No it is extremely hard sometimes. It takes a commitment to not let your emotions get the better of you. Revenge will never right a wrong.

The nerves set in...

Although this semester seems to have gone by rather fast, it seems like a lifetime ago that I started working on my senior project. I have everything at standard and I am prepared to present; I have done everything that I can to make tomorrow run smoothly. Now, however, I just want to be done with it all. My only hope is that tomorrow goes a little more smoothly than today. This morning I went to the classroom in which I will be presenting; lucky me, I am in the math building where they really don't use the Infocus machines. I take the time to go there and make sure all of the equipment works for tomorrow, but just my luck: nothing is set up. I ask the teacher if she has an Infocus and my response is "Yes, right here in the closet." Now that is definitely a useful place for it to be; I will be sure to project my presentation onto the closet door. When I ask if it will be set up tomorrow, "I am sure someone will set it up" is my answer. Nothing in this classroom seems to be organized for presentation and this simply adds to my stress. What if something doesn't work? I wasn't able to check things out for myself, so I can only hope that by the time I present tomorrow night things will be ready to go. Is it really that hard for teachers to take the time to cooperate and set a few things up? This is graduation we are talking about, and the nonchalance that I faced today wasn't very encouraging. All I can do, however, is sit back and hope that someone took the time to be concerned about this graduation requirement that is set upon us. I know that tomorrow night; I will feel a flood of relief. So, good luck to everyone who is presenting tomorrow, and I hope things go smoothly. And to everyone presenting next semester, well now you know what you get to look forward to. Have fun with that.

The Tempest

When we first started the Tempest I was skeptical, I was truly not looking foreword to another one of Shakespeare’s play. But what I have found is that reading the book in class has helped with understanding the context of the play and what is really going on. The characters that Shakespeare develops in this play are far more interesting then the characters of Othello. I find it interesting how Prospero is on an island and he has been planning his revenge for twelve years.

A perfect world

I would love to live in a perfect world! If everthing was perfect, then we wouldn't have to worry about anything. Everyone would be the same and have the same amount of money, we wouldn't even know the difference between perfect and imperfect world. Everyone says that if they had a choice between a perfect or imperfect world then would have the world stay imperfect, and I disagree. If everyone was perfect we wouldn't even know the difference so the world would be perfect and eveeryone would be happy.

Intrigued by something that I would never have read on my own.

Although I have never been a big fan of Shakespeare’s work in the past, I am slowly warming up to the Tempest. In the beginning of this play, as we dove into Act I, I was bored, as is usual for me when I read Shakespeare. For a literary piece to interest me, I have to be sucked into the plot right away, or my attention will be drawn elsewhere. If I am able to relate to the actions of the characters in a novel, or in this case a play, then I am much more likely to enjoy what I read. Normally, I like literature that is realistic. I enjoy reading about (or seeing) something that could in a way relate to my life. The Tempest, however, forces us to use our imaginations, because some of the ideas within the play are a step out of reality. Although this play is nothing like what I would pick on my own to read, and goes against all of my normal standards, I am still finding myself actually paying attention and following the plot closely. Even though this isn’t something that I would normally enjoy, the different characters that make up this play intrigue me. Prospero, to me, is very interesting. It seems that all he wants is to get revenge upon Alonso and Antonio for stealing his title of Duke of Milan. However, I don’t understand why he isn’t happy with the fact that he now has his own island to rule where he has absolute power. Caliban is also very interesting because he is so content with being a servant. He is no longer happy with serving Prospero, but he is begging to serve Stefano and Trinculo. All of the characters contribute to the effect of the play and make it more enjoyable for me to read. So, it seems, I can no longer say that I dislike all of Shakespeare’s work. Instead, I am finding that, when it comes to the Tempest anyway, that I have been drawn in.

Life in a perfect world would be boring! Living is about making mistakes and learning from your mistakes. Perfection can only be defined by one person and that perfection is limited to themselves and their ideas. With out diversity and other people’s ideas we would be stuck in the same place and the world and are ideas would be immature. For example if I was to define my perfect world when I was five I would no longer be satisfied. The world of dolls, pink clothes, ice cream, and waterslides has no appeal to me any more! It would be an endless cycle to always try for perfection, perfection can never be met because perfection is always changing and the standards are always rising.

The Tempest

I thought this book The Tempest, was going to be as boring as Othello but it turns out it's not that bad. I think this play is a little more interesting than any other shakespear play that I have read. The text is really hard to read for me and, I have the read every sentence about 3 times to understand it but, I think I might enjoy the rest of the play.

Would a perfect world really be all that great???

In class today, we discussed what it would be like to live in a perfect, Unitarian society. Many people seemed to feel that the world would be so much better if everyone was perfect. I however, disagree with that. The first topic we discussed was physical perfection. People thought that if everyone were beautiful on the outside, the world would be better. My question though, is who determines what achieves perfection. If I were to describe what I though would make the perfection, my answer would be different than someone else's description. In fact, it is very likely that you would never get the exact same description from multiple people. So truly, I think it would be impossible to every have a perfect world. Even if we were living in fantasy and had the ability to create a new world full of perfect people, that world would only be perfect to us. Every person has their own ideas of perfection, their own likes and dislikes. Therefore, what is perfect to me is only perfect to me. I also brought up the topic of perfect circumstances in class today. As I said in class, I believe that it would truly be boring to live in a perfect world. Experiences are what make life interesting. If there were never any mistakes to be made, or challenges to face in life, then what is the point of living? Nothing new would ever be achieved or discovered. Nobody would ever win and nobody would lose, for losing isn't perfect. Day in and day out, people would be living the same activities over and over again. Really, it wouldn't be all that perfect.
Every person in the world has his or her own idea of perfect. We could never have a perfect world because every person is looking for their own perfect soul mate, and their own perfect circumstances. While the world we live in today may not be at its best, and may be in need of improvement, I think it is still better than living in a perfect but boring world.