A few days ago, after dinner, my family and I started talking about things we heard that day and the news we had read. At some point in the conversation, Natalie Portman came up. And my dad said, "Oh yeah, did you guys hear that she is the new Thor?" Crickets (or rather cicadas at our house). “No, that’s not possible” I knew that this wasn’t possible because Chris Hemsworth had extended his contract and Natalie Portman played Jane Foster. But then I started thinking, what if because Thor joined the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers Endgame, there was some way of making Jane Foster the new Thor. A billion theories started going through my head trying to come up with an explanation. Eventually, I realized that this was crazy and that there was no way. So I did some research. Turns out my dad was wrong, he either read the article incorrectly or he was reading fake news. The result? I texted him a copy of an article that read something along the lines of “Natalie Portman will reprise her role as Jane Forster in new Thor movie Thor: Love and Thunder."
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Assignment 5- Lin
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Rukavina-Assignment 5
I watch tv mainly for background noise while I do homework or as a break from studying. I know that you shouldn’t watch tv when doing homework but I’m convinced it actually helps me stay focused on my work for some weird reason. My favorite tv shows include Criminal Minds, Boy Meets World, and Bones. I think these are some of my favorite tv shows because there are a lot of seasons and you don’t have to watch the episodes in any particular order. Which helps me not get too involved with the show while I’m doing homework. My favorite genre is mystery which is another reason I love these shows so much. Boy Meets World is an exception to this because it is not a mystery show but it is still one of my favorites because I watched it with my sister when I was little. I despise any police detective shows besides Criminal Minds and NCIS because I am a ride-or-die fan for those shows.
Monday, September 28, 2020
Assignment #5- Church
I watch tv when I can because it gives me a distraction from the world. I watch a lot of drama shows because they make me laugh and I watch medical shows because I find that the science part of it fascinates me and intrigues me since I want to go into medicine. However often times during the week I don't watch a lot of tv. I switch between work and school so often that there isn't time to watch tv. However with streaming apps like Hulu, Netflix, and Youtube it makes it easier to watch tv whenever you want. I mostly find myself occasionally rewatching Netflix shows that I've already seen and I think sometimes its purely for the background noise while I'm falling asleep or doing homework. Most of the shows I watch are Greys Anatomy, Lenox Hill, American Horror Story, and some other random shows. I like these shows mostly for the engaging of my mind and making me think about medicine or about the creepy parts of American horror society. I really don't hate these shows because I don't keep watching a show if I hate it I just stop.
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Sara Anderlich- Assignment 4
As someone with anxiety, I'm constantly questioning and rethinking why I believe what I believe. It's a constant and overwhelming cycle that never seems to end. I'm a lot better now, but in the past I've overthought my decisions in nearly every scenario from what I should've said to what I should've done or worn...It's insane. Anyways, I think what really got me out of that was challenging what I was overthinking. it started with little things where I would try and use logic to convince myself that it was nothing I needed to worry about. In other words, it was allowing myself to do certain things and realizing that no one actually noticed or cared. I really don't feel like giving examples just because of how personal some of this is, but I do feel like I have overcome being so self-conscious. My anxiety still exists, but it's different now and not as controlling in such minor areas. I'm hoping that in the future I can continue to successfully challenge myself to overcome this. It's always going to be a part of me, but I really want to get better.
Assignment 4-Aiden Beach
Assignment 5: For the Love and Hate of Television
Assignment 4
As kids grow older they then begin to form their own ideas of the world and create their own opinions and this ideas can sometimes disagree with their parents. An experience I had with this was when it came to religion. My parents both grew up christian as their parents made them go to church and they adopted these beliefs. However, as i grew up i began to not believe in religion nor do I want to swipe it all under the rug so i identify as Agnostic. This contradicts my parents beliefs about it but they still respect me for my own ideas. I believe there is no way an all powerful being can save, lead, and help everyone in their daily life. Life is a messed up game of luck and random events and how we choose to deal with them mentally. However, people who do choose to believe in religion I will not disagree with them and tell them there isn't one as it is impossible to explain the unexplainable without there being some all powerful being that could have caused the explainable. The outcome of this thinking was a very mutual agreement of my parents disagreeing but still respecting my beliefs as i am at the age where i am more independent and can choose what to identify with.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad- Assignment 4
Growing up, my parents and I tended to have very different thoughts and views on many things. Because they were raised in Pakistan, their lifestyle and upbringing was much different than mine in America. Their parents were stricter, their culture was entirely different, and their daily routines were nothing like mine. As a result, my sister and I often butted heads with them. Growing up, something that they were always very strict about was how often I could go see my friends outside of school. They often told me that I didn't need to be hanging out with my friends, and that I could just have fun doing something at home. They told me that since they never got to see their friends when they were younger, I couldn't either. Obviously, this made me upset, and while I tried to be calm about it, I would normally end up arguing with them about it. It made me feel excluded in a sense, and I just didn't understand the logic behind it. Why couldn't I go see my friends -- just once every few weeks -- when they all got to see each other every weekend?
As I grew older, my parents eventually started loosening up. Now, they are much more lenient and are more understanding. Looking back, I think I was in the wrong. I was obviously super young, and sending me to random peoples' houses whenever I wanted to go would probably not be the best choice.
Blog 4; On second thought -Henry Adams
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tMx0Itim_POJ3UJ-X0GS2wa9cvrb0Qtvro1iJ-tko9w/edit
Assignment 4 Duncan Wingfield
As a kid I had never really had a pet. When I was very little we had a really old dog but that was about it. My little brother had been begging for a dog for basically as long as he had known what they were but I had always been opposed to the idea, I liked being different from everyone in not having a pet and I didn't want my brother to get what he wanted. His begging became more and more prominent until I was in 7th grade when him and my mom came back from an average shopping trip with a puppy. At first I was very upset with them, partially because I didn't like my parents setting the precedent for my brother but mainly because I just wasn't expecting it. This challenged my ideas of how I veiwed my life as I had always seen it as not having room for a pet. The change in life and thinking that the puppy caused me to change and adapt to how I thought about things and became very attatched to the dog.
Zent- Assignment 4
My brother, Carter, is two years older than me. Which means everything that affected him at whatever age he was at was later going to affected me when I reached that age. When Carter turned 16, we had one family car and a van that was running on its last life. Our parents were majorly against getting him a car. Claiming he didn't need to drive anywhere anyways so he doesn't need one. But, Carter and I both knew that that was not the case and that he will need and really want a car. I knew at that time that this was not a good thing for either of us. If Carter didn't get a car that meant that I would definitely not get a car. So, Carter and I both pushed the idea of getting a car for us and we convinced them. What really changed their minds was that Carter couldn't take me to school if we didn't have a car and then down the road I wouldn't;t be able to take my younger sister to school if we didn't have a car.
Rukavina- Assignment 4
While my parents and I don’t differ in opinion over many political topics, we do have different thoughts on social media. My parents make out social media as more of an evil than a revolutionary source that connects millions of people. I believe that social media helps us educate ourselves and stay connected with one another but my parents feel as though it separates us even more. However, as I get older each year I can see why my parents and I might start to view things differently and why they might feel the way they do. Since my parents grew up with a lot less technology with me I can see why they might think this about social media but I still believe it is very helpful to the world. While my parents and I may argue over a topic like this, they still respect my point of view and let me believe whatever I think is best.
Assignment 4- Church
Something that my parents taught me that my view points have changed on is self care. I don't think my parents meant for this to be taught to me, but growing up in a family where my parents are always stressed and working and never taking time for themselves, taught me to do the same. I use to find myself struggling between three sports and school and never was taking time for myself. This caused a diminished mental health and a terrible personality. However as I've gotten older and starting working while doing school, I've realized the importance of taking a break from work or school and giving yourself days to relax. In all honestly I feel like this actually makes you more productive when you go back to work. All though these breaks could be as easy as a couple hours to yourself or even a few days off. It doesn't have to be going on vacation, it can merely be the idea of not doing school or worrying about school.
Assignment 4 - Palmer Lee
There have been a number of times where I’ve questioned a belief. For example, up until about 7th grade, I thought I believed in the Christian God. It wasn’t until I started the confirmation process at my church that I started to question this. By the end of the year, I had pretty much determined that I didn’t really believe in God as he was portrayed in the Christian faith. I did still end up getting confirmed, and am a member of the church, but it was mostly because my mom peer pressured me into it. Another time I’ve questioned a belief was my sexual orientation. I thought I was straight until, again, about 7th grade, when I realized that I could be bisexual. Then I thought I was pansexual, then asexual, and now I’m fairly confident that I’m lesbian. But, I still don’t know for sure, and by next year I may have found a different label for myself.
Friday, September 25, 2020
Assignment 4- Katie Taylor
Upon reflection of my transition into a teen, I have questioned some of my family's beliefs. My family is quite democratic/liberal, and I am too, so political views were not disputed often in my family.
When it comes to religion, however, I find myself sticking out a bit from my family. My family is not super religious, and I don't think anyone in my immediate family truly believes in God, but we still go to church whenever we can. I enjoy it, as my church is beautiful and old, and I feel so classy whenever I'm there. I also really enjoy the community that my church fosters, of course. However, I am not so sure about organized religion telling people what to do. Personally, I find that a lot of churches are not properly interpreting the word of God, and in that have excluded many different types of people. I believe in God, or some kind of being, as I like to think that nothing is random and there is a purpose to life. I think everyone should worship what they want, when they want, and I wish that aside from the community aspect, churches should work to become more open-minded, etc. It's funny- I actually think I'm more religious than my parents and sister, despite having a bit of an anti-religion phase in middle school.
Another way I differ in my parents' thinking is my opinion on social media. My parents make it out to be a place full of terror and horrible people who will steal your identity and where you'll rot your brain. I personally think that on apps like TikTok, it's nearly impossible to me fooled by someone when they've posted videos of themselves and their face before. I've made several internet friends, all of whom were wonderful. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I should be able to call internet friends my "real friends". I am not stupid enough to get fooled by someone on the internet, and I wish my parents would recognize that.
Assignment 3- Katie Taylor
I visited Montgomery, Alabama in February 2019 with my family and other members of my church. This trip was designed to educate my mostly-white church about Southern history, especially the Civil Rights movement. It was fascinating to see two different narratives colliding in one town- the Confederate States of America's capital, along with a huge center of the Civil Rights movement. The trip, especially our stop at the Equal Justice Initiative, reminded me of how recent the Civil Rights movement was, and especially how there is still injustice against black Americans. Thanks to this trip, I became more aware of my racial privilege, and have become more conscious to the social issues surrounding us today. I go to new places with wide eyes, and soak in as many interesting new sights as possible. This experience can help my learning by helping me be more introspective on what people from different backgrounds may feel about a certain topic.
Assignment 3 - Grace Barnett
I absolutely adore traveling and if I could that is what I would do for the rest of my life. I have been blessed with many opportunities to go to some cool places but I think one of my favorite places that I have been was to Alaska. I went back in 2016 with my family because it had always been on their bucket list to go. One thing that I learned while being in Alaska was how people had a different relationship with their environment than people do in Kentucky. I feel like in Alaska, they really respected the environment and took care of it as a way to say thank you because they relied on it so much for things like fishing and hunting. It was also really cool to see the different cultures represented in Alaska. There was a lot of Native American culture in Alaska and it was interesting to have a small insight into their traditions and art. It is definitely a place that I would love to go back to.
Assignment 2: Grace Barnett
Over the last 12 months, I have not read many books even though I do enjoy reading. I guess that whenever I do have free time I don't necessarily feel like picking up a book and reading it unless it is raining outside then that makes me want to read. Some books that I have read are The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon and I enjoyed this book which is a teen romance kinda but it is a pretty easy read. Another book I read was We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and it was really good and I decided to read it because it was recommended to me multiple times. I also read the first book of The Mysterious Benedict Society series again because I read it when I was younger and I remember really liking it and it is about a group of gifted kids that kind of get recruited for this mission. That's all the books that I can think of that I finished, but I have started The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have enjoyed the book so far but there are times when I feel tired of reading it, but I want to finish the book.
Assignment 4- Koen Lin
One belief that I had for a long time, and I still think about this now, is the idea how you don't need anyone to be around you or help you. For a long time, I would think how one could just go on with their daily routines without interacting with people. Over the years, I have seen and experienced the need for interaction with others. It creates a community where you are able to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas. In that sense, I have also realized how building relationships with others and networking are key skills that are necessary to be successful in the future. The more diverse your connections are, the more opportunities you are able to get whether it comes to friendships are job opportunities. In general, being more open to ideas and getting to know everyone you meet will allow one to create this series of relationships that will eventually create a community where they can help and inspire you.
Blog #2- Katie Taylor
If I'm being honest, I rarely read outside of required reading for school. The books I can remember reading this past year were Little Women, The Great Gatsby, Tina Fey's memoir, Amy Poehler's memoir, and maybe one more that I'm forgetting. I used to have a love for reading in elementary and middle school, and I feel bad because sometimes my parents bring that up when shaming me for spending so much time on electronics. For me, books I genuinely enjoy are usually ones that are written by a funny person. All around, I enjoy comedy the most out of any other genre. Funny enough, (no pun intended), I also really enjoy classic pieces of literature. I adored Little Women and The Great Gatsby. Reading about drama from 100+ years ago just really makes me think about how different but still the same we are after all these years. I want to read more classics, but honestly they are like a hit-or-miss for me, and that kind of scares me off. For example, I remember when I tried to read Old Yeller and I almost fell asleep halfway through the first page. I guess that means I like books that are pretty fast-paced- whether that means through jokes or drama. So yeah, that's basically my two main types of book.
Assignment 3
In my entire life time I have only been out of the country once as far as i can remember. It was during a trip to Alaska where we had to spend a night in Canada before taking a boat over to where our cruise would be. Surprisingly in that one night it was my first time ever having sushi and an earthquake struck a city near where we were staying. We woke up in the morning and just heard an earthquake hit so that was cool news to hear. The sushi was also alright nothing life changing at all really tasted like fish and rice. One thing I did hate was that nowhere had sweet tea that was eye opening to how much people are missing out on with sweet tea. Unsweetened tea and putting sugar into it just doesn't hit the same. Other than my Alaska trip I mainly just travel to Florida for Disney world and the beach and sometimes to Memphis and New York to see my siblings. Nothing exciting going on in those places just a nice change of scenery and how people interact with each other differently than in like Lexington.
Assignment 3- Gaby Rondel
My family loves to travel and it is what we save up for so that we can travel as much as possible. My favorite two places that I have been are Spain and Israel. I probably love them so much for the same few reasons: 1) The food (the food is amazing) and 2) the history. The history part is what I found really fascinating. Growing up in America, it seems like history starts two or three hundred years ago with the colonization of the New World, but going to Spain and Israel and seeing architecture from the 1000s or even from before the common era was not really eye-opening because I knew it existed, but eye-opening in the sense that history didn't really feel real until I was there walking through it. These experiences gave me a greater appreciation for not only history classes, but learning about the past in general. It no longer became memorizing facts or something I dreaded (although I still dread certain topics), but something I was actively interested in doing.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Howdy
Hi, my name is Jimmy Chen. I live with my two parents and a fluffy white dog named Ollie. I have a sister but she's long graduated college and works in Los Angles. My academic goals this year are to get straight A's and get good scores on my AP tests. I play violin and tennis outside of school, my personal goal is to get better at violin and hopefully sit in the first 2 rows at Allstate and get into All Nationals again this year, where it is hopefully in person at Disney Land. I also hope to get into a good summer music program like IU or Bowdoin and hopefully win the CKYO concerto competition which I doubt will happen. I also hope to get better at tennis, which I've played for a while off and on with lots of breaks in between (I've been off more than I've been on) but I hope to be able to play some matches this year in the spring. During corona-staycation I finally persuaded my mom to get me Xbox live which is a very important moment because I could play console games with other people and I got game pass which is also a perk. I also enjoy listening to music, the most memorable experience I had with music was probably when I went to L.A. one of my friends there took me to see Gunna, which (aside from all the Gunna memes) was pretty epic.
https://www.thewiltern.net/events/gunna/#.X21BWWhKhPY
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Assignment 1 - Grace Barnett
Hi, my name is Grace Barnett. I play lacrosse for Henry Clay and this will be my 5th year playing lacrosse. I would say that I am more of an English and history person rather than a math and science person, but my main goal for this school year is to maintain straight A's and get a good score on my AP exams. Some personal goals of mine is that I would like to do more reading and try not to procrastinate as much because I have a nasty habit of pushing off my homework until the day it is due. I did not really have any meaningful moments during my Corona-staycation rather I was reminded how important family was. One thing that Geeks me out is Harry Potter; my favorite of the series is probably the Half-Blood Prince. Some things that I like include; rain (if I could create my own world it would rain every day), I like otters/sloths, and I have always wanted a hedgehog. I have a brother named Noah and a sister named Emma, Noah is 10 and my sister is 20. I don't really have a favorite website but one website that I go to when I am bored is Webkinz. ---> https://www.webkinz.com/
Also here is a picture of my brother from like 5 years ago that makes me laugh:)
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Duncan Wingfield Assignment 3
I'm not particularly fond of traveling as I hate packing, long car trips, airports etc. I also haven't really traveled that much, furthest I've been is maybe San Diego. I went to San Diego with my family over spring break in 7th grade. It was the first time I'd ever been somewhere that really felt different. Most other places I'd traveled too had still felt relativley similar to home but San Diego really felt different. I remember the thing that really set this realization for me was seeing a palm tree on the side of the road on our way from the airport to the hotel. There was nothing particularly special about it but just seeing this completley alien looking tree in such an unassuming place really hammered in the difference. I'd seen different kinds of trees than what I'm used to in person before but they were always in special gardens or something like that, this tree was just out off the road. No one had ever tended to it or stopped to take a picture of it, it was just a normal tree. This really hit me with the realization that there's so much more to the world than what I'm used to.
Duncan Wingfield Assignment # Two
Over the past year I haven't read very many books but I have read Thrawn: Alliances by Thimothy Zahn and The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin. Thrawn: Alliances is a Star Wars spin-off book that really interestingly juggles two stories happening at two different times. It's well written and enjoyable but nothing that's like groundbreaking. The Lathe of Heaven, however, does feel groundbreaking. After my mom had been nagging me for years to read it I finally did over the summer and I'm very glad I did. It's a truly unique sci-fi experience that's quite unlike anything else I've read.
Assignment 3 - Palmer Lee
The summer between seventh and eighth grade, I went to a summer camp called Duke TIP. It was for people who had scored well on the ACT, and gave these kids the opportunity to experience some of what college would be like for three weeks. The one I went to was in Davidson, North Carolina, and I got the opportunity to be around other people who had similar interests as mine. While I was there, I learned a few more advanced concepts, and I learned that just because people have the same interests doesn’t by any means show that they have the same, or even similar, personality traits. This camp also revealed a more social side of me that I didn’t realize I had before. Since then, I’ve been more willing to talk with new people. This experience may enrich my educational environment by allowing me to approach more difficult topics in a different way than I would’ve before I went.
Asignement 3- Henry Adams
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tMx0Itim_POJ3UJ-X0GS2wa9cvrb0Qtvro1iJ-tko9w/edit
Monday, September 21, 2020
Assignment 3- Church
Oh the places you'll go
When I was in seventh grade my family went on a vacation cruise to three different islands on the coast of South America. The one the really changed my idea of the world was Belize City, Belize. The other two islands were full of tourist shops and restaurants and really just reminded me of being in Florida, but when we got to port in Belize City, it looked so different. There was many different stands set. up all along this dirt road. There were stray dogs and cats just roaming around that I was told not to pet. It was so different from any place I had ever been to in the United States. My family was suppose to go snorkeling somewhere 15 minutes away from the port. We had payed a taxi driver to take us. Surprisingly we all got into this beat up van. On the way there the driver explained to us that there was only one stop light in the entire city and it was broken at the time.. He also explained that every day families set up and took down their stands to try and make money to support themselves. After that experience it made me really think about what I was taking for granted in my life. Including the food I eat, the house I live in, the kind of work I do for money. It made me wish that there was a way I could help them and support them even if its just donating money to their small businesses.
Assignment 3- Koen
One experience I've had around the world is getting to visit Hong Kong, a cultural hub for international affairs. My mom's family is from Hong Kong so I usually visit there every other year. Hong Kong is not like any other place. The people there are Chinese descendant, but they speak the dialect of Cantonese which is vastly different from traditional mandarin. If there was one word to describe Hong Kong, it would be "Rushed". Everyone walking to the metro in the morning and the afternoon looked rushed. Everyone had somewhere to go work. Like New York, they had little time for small talk with new people. They just had somewhere to be. But, after the work day, the city had a vibrant mood for relaxing and talking with friends. They would go to local bars or walk the streets shopping for food. I fell in love with Hong Kong and the diversity when it comes to people, foods, and cultures. Hong Kong truly represents the international setting which I hope to be a part of some day.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad- Assignment 3
A cultural/travel experience that has changed my life has been in Pakistan. I have been to Pakistan a number of times because it is where my parents are from and it's where most of my family lives. While I have been brought up in a very Pakistani household, going to the country itself has been a whole new experience altogether. Although the country is very interesting and the culture is amazing, there is one very important thing I learned from my experiences in Pakistan: hygiene is a privilege. In America, it is so normal to be able to shower whenever you want; to be able to buy lotions and perfumes and smell as nice as you please; to have clean water almost everywhere you go. In Pakistan, that is not the case. While it isn't a 'poor country', there are not enough resources to be able to provide clean water all the time; as a result, not everyone has access to it. There are also a large number of people who simply cannot pay for good hygienic products. For many people, it comes down to spending your money on food or deodorant, and the obvious choice is food. Being in Pakistan has helped me realize how privileged most of us are in countless ways, and it makes me more aware when I interact with new people from different places.
Rukavina- assignment 3
Although I haven’t had a traveling experience impact my life that much, an extracurricular experience that has is my swimming experience. My years of swimming have shaped my current and future life the most. I learned to swim when I was four years old and have been on a swim team ever since. Over the years swimming has helped me learn how to manage my time and to work hard to achieve my goals. With two hour practices every day of the week except sunday, I have had to work school around my swim schedule since elementary school. This has helped me prioritize my school work and work ahead so I don't end up doing it all on one day. Swimming has also taught me how to work hard toward my goals and not give up. This helps me in school whenever I struggle when learning about a new subject. Instead of giving up on whatever I'm learning, I work through it and figure it out what I'm having trouble with. Overall, swimming had led me to create higher goals for myself and taught me to work hard to achieve them.
Sara Anderlich- Assignment 3
My experiences with travel are few and far between. I've been to Wisconsin, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Colorado, North Carolina, and Tennessee, though none of these vacations are extremely recent and I was never there more than two weeks.
The most relevant for me to discuss would probably be Tennessee and Colorado. I wouldn't say that I learned anything new as I never spoke to the people outside of my family, however there was a strong sense of culture.
Music City, Tennessee, is remarkable. It's full of country and rock music, so if you don't like that, I wouldn't visit. I remember going last year (2019) for an ELO concert. I didn't know much about them, but my mother and stepfather wanted to take the trip to see them live. It was really interesting for me because it was much more crowded and memorable than Lexington, where I have lived my entire life. There were so many gift shops and little parlors where people would sit in the window and play live. It definitely made the place seem more alive as each store or restaurant you passed had something different to offer. It let me visualize another way of living, where you payed attention to what was going on around you. It wasn't all happy and the more you looked, the more you would see that. There were so many alleys and nearly everywhere you look there were people in poverty.. adults and children that were homeless. It was a city with both worlds.
Colorado on the other hand, at least where I was, was so much more serene. When I went, we had a cabin up in the mountains and I remember going out at night and actually being able to see the stars... so many stars. It was incredible and part of me wishes that I wasn't there for a family reunion with 30 some people. It was the kind of place you would go to really sit down and be at peace, and I would love to go there again, by myself or with one other friend.
I wish I could say more or call on some of my grandfather's experiences. He's been nearly everywhere in Europe, one of his most recent excursions where he walked the Camino. Being as religious as he is, and also a philosopher, I know that that experience was something that gave him so much more to learn, as well as a new perspective. I do plan to travel in the future, maybe walk the Appalachian trail, but as of now I don't think I've even scratched the surface of what there is to learn and explore.
Zent- Assignment 3
One unique traveling experience I have had is traveling to Costa Rica. My dad sells coffee for a company that is based in Costa Rica. Most of the company's coffee is grow at a farm in the countryside of San Jose. My dad goes there many times through out January and February to show clients the process of picking and packaging the coffee. When I was nine years old, my entire family went to the farm for two weeks during the summer. We flew into San Jose and took a four hour car ride through the mountains to the farm in the countryside. While there, we got to explore the farm and meet the people that live and work there. The farm is on the top of a mountain and a small town surrounds it with the people who work there. It was really cool to be in a place where I didn't know anyone but they all knew my dad and who I was. It made me feel connected to all of these people I didn't even know. Mostly everyone there spoke no English so my dad had to translate. I got to learn about the way of life of the workers and their culture. We ate Gallo pinto and picked our own oranges to make orange juice. I am really glad I got to experience this other culture and a place where my dad goes often.
Assignment 3-Aiden Beach
I haven't really been anywhere other than California. I've been to Florida, but that was just for a school trip. The trips I've been on haven't affected me much, nor have I learned from them. I would say more, but there really isn't much else to say.
Assignment 4: On Second thought. (College app)
November 1st is the last day to make up Blogs 1-8
Friday, September 18, 2020
Assignment 2-David Butler
Not gonna lie, i have not read many books in the last year, i've been off and on incredibly busy and i'm usually someone that to relax doesn't sit down and read a book. I know I probably should do this more often but habits are hard to break. Out of the books i could likely count on a single hand i would probably say that my favorite was The road by Cormac McCarthy. It was a deep delve into the mindset of a father and his son in a world turned to ash. It had burned for some unknown reason and as fire spread across the world it turned to chaos. It is very interesting and it uses such strong and striking language that it really grabs you. One thing that I thought added a lot was the fact that the father and son were referred to as the man and boy which I felt really helped set the readers mindset for a world without rules, culture, and or society. It was an interesting take and variation off the generic and overdone apocalyptic story. Other things I have enjoyed are the Lord of the Rings books which I am still reading. I took a short break from reading but I plan on finishing it semi-soon. Me not finishing many books may reflect laziness but i feel that i rarely am doing nothing and my free time is always full of a fair mixture of useful activities.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Assignment 2
Over Quarantine I needed something to distract my mind from the real world so I bought some books that sounded interesting to me. My favorite book currently is "How emotions are Made" which is by Lisa Barrett and it takes a closer look at how our brain creates and forms emotions and how we interpret our own emotions. Its super interesting and a great way to understand whats happening who you start to feel angry or happy. Another book i'm reading is 'The Definitive Book of Body Language." It is written by Allan and Barbara Pease and it takes a look at what certain body language could mean and how to appear certain ways to people. The last book im reading is called "The Body" by Bill Bryson. It is a fun and interesting read about all of the major structures in the human body and how we came to discover and understand them.
Monday, September 14, 2020
Palmer Lee - Assignment 2
While I haven’t had much time to read books within the past year, I have read a few. One of them is called Sea of Poppies, and it’s about India in the 1830’s, right before the Opium wars started. While reading the book was required for a project, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it, and I connected with several of the main characters. Another book I read was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This book is a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy, and it’s told from the perspective of the main antagonist of the original trilogy - President Snow. While the book itself wasn’t particularly profound, I do enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy novels. I also started another book called The Horse Whisperer. My grandma had lent it to me so I tried to read it, but I couldn’t really get into it. It seemed to be well written, but realistic fiction isn’t really the type of thing I like to read.
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad- Assignment 2
Growing up, I was always the kind of person who was constantly reading books. I would always ask my teachers for book recommendations because I genuinely had a passion for reading. The older I got, the less time I had for reading. In the past year, I really have not read that many books. During quarantine, I decided to reread both the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series. While these are basic books to read, I really enjoy both series and the complexity of the plots. I love the characters and seeing their character developments throughout the course of the series. I also reread the Fault In Our Stars. The first time I read this was when I was pretty young, so rereading it allowed me to pick up on a lot of details I missed. I usually am not a fan of sappy stories, but this one was actually quite intriguing. The last one I read was Kim by Rudyard Kipling. I read this for my AP World History book report last year, and it was truthfully one of the most difficult books I have ever tried to read. I didn't even make it more than halfway through. The way it is written is very complex and the overall plot and events were so difficult to understand. It was also not very interesting to me, which made it even harder for me to read.
Ben Belin -assignment 2
I have not read many books in the last year, but I hope I am able to read more this year. The few books I have read are Drinking the Sea at Gaza and White Fragility which were both pretty interesting books. I also read a few other books but they weren't as interesting to me as those two. With quarantine going on I should be able to read a lot more now though.
Sara Anderlich- Assignment 2
-Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
-Redcoats and Rebels by Christopher Hibbert
-The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
What I'm looking for is a book with a really fun and interesting world that's not too complicated to be confusing. This would probably be science fiction or fantasy.. both are good for world building. So if anyone has any recommendations I would love to hear them...When I read The Rithmatist, though it seemed a little young for me, I really liked the world that the author created.
Assignment 2- Gaby Rondel
I am really happy that I don't have to list all the books I have read in the past 12 months. I don't remember most of them. I read many many many feel-good romance books because they're easy reads that I always enjoy. I read Pillars of the Earth for AP World last year- it was a good read that took me quite a bit of time to get through but it wasn't earth-shattering. I reread several series that I have and probably always will love: Harry Potter, The Gallagher Girls Series, The Ruby Red Trilogy, and a few more that I am not going put down here. There was a book I didn't finish, English Spy by Daniel Silva, but it doesn't really stand out. I just think it's one of those books that it takes a while to get to the good part and I haven't yet had the patience to get to that part. However, one book that stood out was Kites by Romain Gary.
Lin- Assignment 2
I have not spent that much time reading over the summer and during the school year. The only book that I have read over the past 12 months is The Years of Rice and Salt. That book was for my book report with Mr. Wise and it was about an alternate reality where history is created in different settings. It gave me new ideas and new perspectives on history and the human story in general. I haven't read any books besides that but I constantly read news articles that are much quicker to read through online. I don't have that much time to get into a book and read it through. News articles are quick bits of material that I can quickly read it and get some information out of it. As I go through this year I will try to get more opportunities to read. Some extra time can be diverted into reading.
Aiden Beach-Assignment 2
I have not read any books in the past year other than a book I found about Isaac Newton's life. I forgot the name of the book and don't know where it is. I have also completely pushed it into the back of my memory so I forgot everything about it.
Assignment 3: Oh! The Places You’ll Go! (College app)
Assignment 1 – Butler
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Rukavina- assignment 2
Over the past twelve months I have read Oliver Twist, The Naturals, and We Were Liars. I probably have read a lot more than that but these were just a few of my favorites. Oliver Twist is one of the first classic books that I have picked that I haven't been forced to read for school. I was actually really surprised when I started reading it because I thought it would be really boring but I enjoyed it a lot. To sum it up the book is about an orphan in England who escapes his orphanage to live with a house of thieves. I also loved The Naturals, which is a series of 4 books, because it's a lot like Criminal Minds, one of my favorite TV shows, except all the characters are in a high school and have one special skill that helps them solve the crime. I just read We Were Liars a few weeks ago because I kept seeing it everywhere and the plot twist was supposed to be really good. I kinda guessed the ending but I still think it was pretty surprising ending.
Friday, September 11, 2020
Zent- Assignment 2
I honestly don't read that many books. But in the past 12 months I have read The 100, The Fault in Our Stars, and Little Women. The first book is The 100 by Kass Morgan, which is actually a series of four books and I read all of them. It is about a dystopian future where there was a nuclear apocalypse and people had to go live in space. But, the space station they are living on is starting to run out of life support. They decide to send 100 delinquents to Earth to see if the ground is survivable. I read the books because I watched the series on the CW. So I started The Fault in Our Stars a long time ago and never finished it. Over the break I started to read it again but didn't finish it again so I still haven't finished it and don't know how it ends. I read Little Women over Christmas because thats when the movie came out. I read the book and then my mom and I went to see the movie after winter break. Those are probably all the books I have read in the past 12 months.
Blog 2: Favorite books -Henry Adams
Here is my post. I am linking it to
google docs. I am doing this because
blogger is broken. When I post
normally, It is written as one big
line
of text with no spaces or paragraphs.
My Post:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tMx0Itim_POJ3UJ-X0GS2wa9cvrb0Qtvro1iJ-tko9w/edit?usp=sharing
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad: Assignment 1
Hi! My name is Ghazzal Hammad (pronounced kind of like guh-zawl). I live with my little brother, my older sister, and my parents. I unfortunately do not have any pets, but I would love to get a dog at some point. My academic goals for this school year are to try and maintain good grades and to do well on my AP tests. I also want to try and treat this school year as normal as possible, even though it is anything but. My Corona-staycation was, unfortunately, quite uneventful; however, I did learn how to bake, and it is something I actually enjoy. I watched a few shows on Netflix, too, but overall the past few months of my life have been very boring. I have not been out of my house much (unsurprisingly), so there hasn't been much for me to do. Something I would like to go do soon, though, is play tennis. I have played tennis for years, but I have only played a few times in the last 6 months. It is unfortunate, but I hope to get back into a routine of going again. I don't really have a favorite website, but at the moment I use this one frequently: https://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/index.html?promo=subnav . The US Open is happening right now and I like to checking the scores to stay updated.
Here's a picture of a puppy because he's cute and I want one.
Howdy-Henry Adams
Hello, I am Henry Adams.
My personal goal this year is to get my non-permit drivers license. My academic goal is to get all A's and to do well in school. I hope to learn to cope better with the NTI.
One thing that geeks me out is reading. I love to read. In particular I love science fiction. I have started to read Isaac Asimov and have begun to to visit the library again, after a long period of staying at home. One thing I love about reading is the fact that a book provides endless entertainment, while also providing a distraction from the stress of the real world.
In addition to reading, I love to watch videos on youtube. I love science channels, In particular Mark Rober. His channel focuses on cool everyday science, and using it to do crazy things. This is the channel linked below.
Lastly I love a good meme. Enclosed below is a funny-ish meme about the toilet paper shortage that happened back when the covid pandemic hit. I still cant wait to return to school.
Ben Belin -assignment 1
My name is Ben Belin. My academic goal is to not get any zeros this year, and my personal goal is to get my drivers license (I only have 5 hours right now).
Alright time for some fun facts about me. First, I can move my ears. This technique requires years of training in the mountains and only few can master it. Luckily for me I was skilled enough. Second, mints make me sneeze. I don't really understand why this happens its not like I'm allergic, but whenever I have a extremely minty piece of gum I always sneeze. Ok I just looked this up and apparently its because the mint is overloading my senses, and this is why some people sneeze when they are exposed to a bright light. I don't have something that really "geeks me out" but I do like fishing, and am trying to learn to skateboard (I'm wearing a splint right now because of the latter).
My favorite website would have to be https://cat-bounce.com because it lets you throw kittens around a screen and watch them bounce off walls. Here is a sad cat if you're feeling down.
Book List- Church #2
Eligible
A world without you
Emma
That is the list of books I’ve read in the last 12 months. Well, not all of them but probably close to the same amount. Not that I don’t like reading but it takes me time to find a good book and when I finally do find a good book I’m always working. The first book is “A world without you,” This book is by Beth Ravis, she grew up behind a cemetery and this caused her to use a lot of ghost stories and haunted stories. Even in this novel, although it is contemporary, it still adds on twists and turns. So the actual plot is about a boy named Bo who goes to a school for children with special abilities. The entire book is from the point of view of Bo and his sister who is just “ordinary.” So Bo believes that he can control time and see the past and future. After “losing” his girlfriend he spends so much time trying to go back to the past to find her. (spoilers ahead) So through the entire book you are seeing Bo struggling with his health and thinking that he is losing his mind. In the end you find out that Bo really is a kid with special needs and that his girlfriend had killed herself and he had told himself that he lost her in time. This book really made me question a lot of what I thought I knew about mental health illnesses. I spent most of the entire book thinking it was a fantasy or a supernatural book until the end. Although the author ends the book by having Bo tell his sister that she's going to lose her earring that he had seen in the future and she reaches up to feel her earring about to fall out. Another book I read was Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. This was a modern remake of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The book does a great job of getting the same points and ideas across at the old Pride and Prejudice but puts it into a modern perspective. I thought the book was interesting and I finished it in 3 days and couldn’t put it down. It held the romance of a romance novel, the feminism that I loved, and the maturity of an adult book with real problems. Speaking of Jane Austin books I started Emma a few weeks ago and I’ve just not had time to really get into it and the problem with old books like that is they start off slow and it's hard to get into them. Since all I do is school and work I haven’t had time to really dive into it. I know this doesn’t say much about me. I just find it more important to work hard and to do well in school than to spend my free time reading. I think it would be more important for my mental health to hang out with my friends then to spend time at home in my room reading a book. Anyway I know there weren't many books in this list but of the ones I did talk about they are probably some of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
Assignment 1
Hello! My name is Jake Walters. I live at home with my parents and my dogs. I have 3 dogs and 1 one cat. My dogs names are Jeauno, Baxter, and Zoe. My cats name is rocket named after rocket the raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy. I am a tennis player and a big fan of psychology and the aspects of the brain. One of my favorite sites is cool math games https://www.coolmathgames.com/. It got me through all of middle school and still holds some of my favorite games to play ever. I hope for this year to get high grades in order to get into a high end school so I can hopefully become a psychiatrist in the future. I love psychology as i think its very interesting and holds an important part in every day and everybody's life. i also like to skateboard and play xbox in my free time.
Koen Lin
Hi, my name is Koen Lin and I was born and raised in Kentucky. My goal for this year is to learn as much as I can from the new NTI instruction. NTI instruction is not my preferred method of learning but as circumstances change, I will learn to adapt and succeed in this new setting. My favorite school subject is math and I like solving problems. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Over the break, I stayed at home and stayed safe. I spent a lot of time watching TV shows with my family that revolve around the environment in Taiwan. Currently, Taiwan is one of the safest places to be from the virus and I hope get the opportunity to go there soon. When I did get out, I got the opportunity to go kayaking and I got to visit a cave. I love to travel and when the pandemic gets better, I hope I can go out and explore new places. In my free time, I like to play my violin, play golf and play video games. I don't have a favorite website, but I do spend a lot of time on it.
Monday, September 7, 2020
Palmer Lee-Assignment 1
My name is Palmer. I hope to make straight A's throughout the year, but I'm already not sure if that's going to happen. But, I do hope to get better about procrastinating on assignments (since this was posted a day late, I'm not sure if that's going to happen either). I am 16, and I have my permit, but I'm hoping to get my license by September 18th. I have been spending a lot of time with my dog (image attached) over the course of quarantine, and he always likes to nap in my chair when I'm not using it. A website that I discovered during quarantine that I think is really funny to use is talkobamato.me, which is a synthesizer that allows you to put in any text and it shows clips of Barack Obama saying each word (the default it gives you is "obama don't like you and he likes everyone.")
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Duncan Wingfield- Assignment 1
Hello my name is Duncan Wingfield. I live in a house with a dog and a few other people. I hope that by the end of this year I'll know what I want to do about college and start looking around. I also hope I pass all my classes. A big meaningful moment in the break was when I passed out on my way to the bathroom because it freaked my parents out but it's a funny story to tell people. I really like legos and star wars and can ramble on about them for hours. I also like Mario and orange juice. Orange juice is very good but the Trader Joe's brand is my personal favorite, the texure is always nice and it tastes very good fresh out of the fridge. However, every once in a while I get a leaky carton and those always taste kinda funny. My favorite website was https://ilooklikebarackobama.com but it has been taken down recently which is very sad boo hoo I cry. I don't know what other websites I like I guess google.com is a pretty cool place. I don't know how to check word count but I hope this is enough. Here's an image I like.
Katie Taylor- Assignment One (get 2 know me)
Hi Mr. Logsdon!
My name is Katie, and I live with my sister, two dogs, and my parents. Over the corona-induced break, I've vegetated on social media, played Minecraft, biked a lot, started to learn to drive, and helped my grandpa move into his new house.
This year, I hope to earn all A's, but also cherish the social aspect of high school as it is going by pretty quickly. I also hope to get at least a 4 on all my AP exams.
As for what geeks me out, I would have to say that I really enjoy comedy TV, including shows like 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Community, Glee, and Parks and Recreation. I hope to one day work in the TV/Film industry, maybe as a writer. I want people to know my name in the future, but I also want to make a positive impact on the world.
Okay I am not sure how to check the word count on this.
I very much enjoy female rap and I personally think that female rappers>>>>>male rappers. If we were in person, this is the moment where I would start rapping. In lieu of this, I've decided to type a verse out.
This excerpt comes from "Bottoms Up" by Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj.
Yo
Can I get that Tron, can I get that Remmy
Can I get that Coke, can I get that Henny
Can I get that margarita on the rock, rock, rock
Can I get salt all around that rim, rim, rim, rim
Trey, I was like yo Trey?
Do you think you can buy me a bottle of Roseé?
Okay let's get it now
I'm wit' a bad b****, he's wit' his friends
I don't say I hi, I say keys to the Benz
Keys to the Benz, keys to the Benz
Mofo rite yea V to the 10
If a b**** try to get cute I'm a stomp her
Throw alotta money at her then yell f*** her
F*** her, f*** her, then yell f*** her
Then I'm go and get my Louisville slugger
Excuse me I'm sorry, I'm really such a lady
I rep Young Money
You know Slim, Baby
And we be doin' donuts while we wave in the 3-80
We give a lot of money to the babies out in Haiti
Yellin' all around the world
Do you hear me? Do you like my body Anna Nicki?
Rest in peace to Ana Nicole Smith
Yes my dear your so explosive
Say hi to Mary, Mary and Joseph
Now bottoms up and double my dosage
Thank you for letting me perform. Now, I'll link my favorite website (Sinjin Drowning's Youtube Channel), and add a fun picture.
https://www.youtube.com/c/SinjinDrowning
xoxo, Katie
Blog Post #1
Hi! My name is Emma Thi Snyder, (pronounced “tie”), and I have pretty simple goals this year. I just want to try and get straight As throughout the year (which I’m hoping will be easier with the new grading scale), and I also want to pass all my ap exams, and those are my big ones. For smaller goals I’d like to act more (hopefully when it’s safe we can do more productions at hc), and I’d also like to try and draw more, and improve on violin. I love love love music in all forms but I especially musical theatre! That’s probably what “geeks me out” the most. My favorites are Sunday in the Park With George, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Company, Phantom of the Opera, and Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. As you can see I’m a BIG Sondheim fan but I also put a newer one I like as well. Some of the newer ones though, are getting to be too much, for example I don’t know if every 80s movie needs a musical… (example, Heathers, Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, etc…) I definitely prefer the classics because they always just seem to have much deeper meanings that the music is able to convey and there seems to be much more symbolism put into some of those older ones. Especially with Sondheim’s word choice in his lyrics, he’s able to write lots of puns and things that have double meanings in his lyrics and I think it’s so clever the way he can do that and also invoke different moods in people with his music and also use his songs to develop characters and stories and if anyone wants to discuss musicals with me I’d be glad to do so! Speaking of musical theatre, in 9th grade I auditioned for my first musical in the spring and got the toks I auditioned for. This link (https://youtu.be/zO6Ak6ocjQM) should take you to my solo I got to perform in the show! It was my first time performing and was so much fun and it was a difficult thing for me to do so I was really proud of myself. I’m not a typical theatre kid (I hate public speaking, I’m not in speech and debate, I hate talking in class and in group discussions), but I love it and I hope anyone reading can come see future productions at hc. :)
As for the most meaningful moment during Covid, I haven’t really had one I don’t think. I’ve just been getting more sleep and spending more time with my family so that’s good I suppose. I don’t really use too many websites other than like google docs, and canvas, and stuff like that, but I’ve always loved https://m.coolmathgames.com/. Cool Math Games always has some fun stuff to mess around with when you don’t wanna do schoolwork. Plus it’s got some good childhood memories for me.
Ps my middle name is the same as my grandmas middle name, and she is from Vietnam so it’s a Vietnamese name!
Zent-Assignment 1
Hi! My name is Emma Zent. I play soccer for Henry Clay and LFC and like photography. The most meaning thing that I did during quarantine was spend lost of time with my family. Before this, we all did not have time to eat dinner all together, but during those four months we were able to eat together almost every night. Some things that I love are photography, travel, soccer, and hanging out with my friends and family. We spend a lot of time with my younger cousins who live in Michigan. We go on vacation with them all the time and last year they came down for Halloween. Here is a picture of my youngest cousin and I from Halloween. My academic goals for this year and to pass all of the AP tests that I am taking. I also want to be able to understand all of the content from NTI. Here is the hyperlink to the girls' soccer team website to see our stats and scores. https://henryclaygirlssoccer.weebly.com/
