Sunday, July 27, 2014
Looks Guys I Finished
I went to a couple high school graduations this year, including my own. I know this is going to sound cliche, but I really did think that my schools graduation was the best. There were no speeches by the faculty, it was all students, signing, playing instruments, and speaking. There were no caps and gowns, thank goodness I hear those things are really warm, instead we were all in white and each had a white rose pinned on. I was lucky enough to have mine pinned on by my Latin teacher, one of the best people at the school, if you ask me. I got to pick who I walked in with and who I was going to be sitting next to. Unfortunately, I picked a walking partner who was over a foot taller then me so my family couldn't see me walking to my seat. But I did get to walk with one of my best friends so my family's view of me walking wasn't a big deal. We also had nice weather meaning that it was an outdoor ceremony, in a beautiful amphitheater. I think that the ceremony was special because it really focused on us, plus it wasn't so long that you were bored to death by the end of it. I'm really going to miss my high school, but I think this was a great way to end it all. So as usual next comes the onslaught of pictures!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Pram 2K14
I'm sorry, but I had to. When I was younger it seemed like in most movies I saw about high school they made prom out to be a make it or break it kind of event. I mean have you seen the Disney movie titles Prom? To me it was all a bit ridiculous, so much so that for my senior prom my mom picked out my dress. Yes, that is how little I was invested in it, I mean I didn't have a significant other to go with so for me there wasn't any pressure. I think this is the way people should look at prom. It's a time to dress up and stay up late dancing with your friends, I don't think it really dictates the rest of your life. That's not to say it isn't fun, I had plenty of fun at both of my proms. No
Now comes to point where I bombard you with pictures from my senior prom...enjoy!!!
Now comes to point where I bombard you with pictures from my senior prom...enjoy!!!
I'd like to thank my mom for her fabulous facial expression in this last photo.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Jump?
Have you ever really taken a risk? I'm not talking about trying something new on a menu, which I suppose in it's own way is a risk, but something that really could change things. I'd like to think in my life I've taken a couple of those types of risks.
For starters I did have the gran opportunity to go away to boarding school when I was 14. It's something I was scared about, but let me just tell you, every second of it was worth it, even the terrible seconds. I firmly believe that I made some lifetime friends there and I was able to have friendships with teachers who helped me in many more ways outside of the subject they taught. I got to live in a dorm, which had it's ups and downs, plenty of late nights, and bathrooms parties. I actually almost punched a wall in my last dorm, like four times. I would put this risk in the turned out well category.
After I graduated in May, post to come, I decided at small town PA wasn't for me at the moment and decided to move in with my brother for the summer. So I packed two bags and drove 9 hours to Grand Rapids, MI. Beer City USA as some have called it. This too I see as a risk, considering that finding summer employment for me has been basically impossible. I was able to find some good volunteer work though, which is a plus. It has also been a bit odd being around my brother for this long, we haven't really lived together in years, but I think it has been really good for us. I think that he, and his girlfriend, have really helped me in many ways. Being able to explore in a judgement free environment is nice, and a bit odd for me. Even if I haven't been able to make much money, this was another risk that I would put it in the good category. Don't worry Grand Rapids, I'll be back for Christmas.
The next risk I'm going to be embarking on is another big one, good ole college. I will be moving far again, to a nice little town about 40 minutes outside of Boston. It seems like I haven't been able to stay in one place for too long. I'm not sure how this risk is going to end for me. It's costing a great deal more then I was hoping for, and I worry that I won't fit in with the population there. After all I'm a small town girl, who went to a Quaker school, and is learning to play the banjo. What if I'm not challenged, or I don't get everything that I was hoping to out of the experience? What if I hate my roommate, after my wonderful experience with my roommate this year I don't really want another roommate. This is the risk that I think I'm the most worried about. I feel like I'm more worried about this then I was to leaving my house at 14.
There are many risks I know I'll have to deal with in the future, aren't they what makes life interesting, albeit scary? I think that a persons whole life is made up of risks that they have to handle. Why shouldn't mine be any different? After all don't you just sink or swim?
For starters I did have the gran opportunity to go away to boarding school when I was 14. It's something I was scared about, but let me just tell you, every second of it was worth it, even the terrible seconds. I firmly believe that I made some lifetime friends there and I was able to have friendships with teachers who helped me in many more ways outside of the subject they taught. I got to live in a dorm, which had it's ups and downs, plenty of late nights, and bathrooms parties. I actually almost punched a wall in my last dorm, like four times. I would put this risk in the turned out well category.
After I graduated in May, post to come, I decided at small town PA wasn't for me at the moment and decided to move in with my brother for the summer. So I packed two bags and drove 9 hours to Grand Rapids, MI. Beer City USA as some have called it. This too I see as a risk, considering that finding summer employment for me has been basically impossible. I was able to find some good volunteer work though, which is a plus. It has also been a bit odd being around my brother for this long, we haven't really lived together in years, but I think it has been really good for us. I think that he, and his girlfriend, have really helped me in many ways. Being able to explore in a judgement free environment is nice, and a bit odd for me. Even if I haven't been able to make much money, this was another risk that I would put it in the good category. Don't worry Grand Rapids, I'll be back for Christmas.
The next risk I'm going to be embarking on is another big one, good ole college. I will be moving far again, to a nice little town about 40 minutes outside of Boston. It seems like I haven't been able to stay in one place for too long. I'm not sure how this risk is going to end for me. It's costing a great deal more then I was hoping for, and I worry that I won't fit in with the population there. After all I'm a small town girl, who went to a Quaker school, and is learning to play the banjo. What if I'm not challenged, or I don't get everything that I was hoping to out of the experience? What if I hate my roommate, after my wonderful experience with my roommate this year I don't really want another roommate. This is the risk that I think I'm the most worried about. I feel like I'm more worried about this then I was to leaving my house at 14.
There are many risks I know I'll have to deal with in the future, aren't they what makes life interesting, albeit scary? I think that a persons whole life is made up of risks that they have to handle. Why shouldn't mine be any different? After all don't you just sink or swim?
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Fall Frenzy
As I write this snow is falling outside of my window. I can't wait to go outside in the morning and see how wonderful my campus is going to look. I wanted to share some photos that my friend and I took one afternoon in the early fall. Looking back on the fall is always one of my favorite things because I can always remember how the air starts to change and the leaves fall from all the trees. These were taken by the stream on our campus.
I really enjoyed taking these photos and I think that some of them turned out quite well.
What are some of your favorite memories from the fall?
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Hamlet
I apologize for the boring topic today. But I have some fun things planned for the near future so don't you worry.
It's the school year again which means I tell you about the books I've been reading in class. One of the first books we've read this year is Hamlet. Yes, the great play. Personally I have some problems with the book, none of which have to do with the fact that it's written in old English. If you take a look at the text you'll learn that Hamlet is 30 years old. For that time period he's middled aged and he's still in school, unmarried, and throwing hissy fits. Hamlet should have a prefrontal cortex that is fully developed. This would mean that he is capable of making decisions. Yet throughout the entire play that is exactly what he struggles with. If Hamlet is 30 then, in conventional thinking of the time he should be married, and yet he won't make a commitment to Ophelia. His actions just don't make sense considering how he should be much more mature then he actually is. I simply don't think that there is any sense behind what happens in the text.
Hamlet can't even b described as a tragic hero. He is instead an anti-hero. Someone who tires to be heroic but ultimately fails due to their fatal flaw, however, unlike a tragic hero who learns of their fatal flaw, an anti-hero never does. This is how Hamlet is, he simply doesn't learn from his own mistakes about himself. Instead of learning he simply fails and wonders why everything is happening to him. It is the realization of ones flaws that truly makes someone a tragic hero.
Because of these two things Hamlet lacks the climax that readers are used to seeing, this work leaves the reader hanging with the sense that something else should have happened in the story to complete it. This was what really turned me off of Hamlet, there is no resolution, but rather unfulfilled deaths. This book was also awful to write an essay on, however I do think it was difficult because of the views that I have. I wanted to write a review of how odd some of the details were but I couldn't. I also think that my views may have helped with the analyzation that I did with the text. But then again it may not have.
Have any of you read Hamlet? What are your opinions on it?
It's the school year again which means I tell you about the books I've been reading in class. One of the first books we've read this year is Hamlet. Yes, the great play. Personally I have some problems with the book, none of which have to do with the fact that it's written in old English. If you take a look at the text you'll learn that Hamlet is 30 years old. For that time period he's middled aged and he's still in school, unmarried, and throwing hissy fits. Hamlet should have a prefrontal cortex that is fully developed. This would mean that he is capable of making decisions. Yet throughout the entire play that is exactly what he struggles with. If Hamlet is 30 then, in conventional thinking of the time he should be married, and yet he won't make a commitment to Ophelia. His actions just don't make sense considering how he should be much more mature then he actually is. I simply don't think that there is any sense behind what happens in the text.
Hamlet can't even b described as a tragic hero. He is instead an anti-hero. Someone who tires to be heroic but ultimately fails due to their fatal flaw, however, unlike a tragic hero who learns of their fatal flaw, an anti-hero never does. This is how Hamlet is, he simply doesn't learn from his own mistakes about himself. Instead of learning he simply fails and wonders why everything is happening to him. It is the realization of ones flaws that truly makes someone a tragic hero.
Because of these two things Hamlet lacks the climax that readers are used to seeing, this work leaves the reader hanging with the sense that something else should have happened in the story to complete it. This was what really turned me off of Hamlet, there is no resolution, but rather unfulfilled deaths. This book was also awful to write an essay on, however I do think it was difficult because of the views that I have. I wanted to write a review of how odd some of the details were but I couldn't. I also think that my views may have helped with the analyzation that I did with the text. But then again it may not have.
Have any of you read Hamlet? What are your opinions on it?
Monday, October 14, 2013
My Story: Concussions
I've been in the concussion club; three times in the past year. I thought it was important to talk about them. Much of the concussion research has been more recent and has caused changes in many athletic programs so they are safer. I thought I would share some of my experience with them, just so you all have some more information.
A concussion has many effects besides what might be conventionally known. Yes, I have headaches everyday still, even though I got my last concussion over a month ago. I was out of school for three weeks, which has left me in a position where I'm very behind on my schoolwork. It's going to be a very long process for me to be able to get up to speed with all of my classes, especially since I've decided to do the IB Diploma. If my problems persist I may have to drop the diploma. Because this was my third in a year, I'm no longer allowed to play sports. As a senior I was looking forward to playing soccer for my school one last year. That's no longer a possibility for me and it's something that disappoints me greatly. The last consequence that may not be known to everyone is the emotional toll that concussions take on you. This is something that I have had particular problems with. Whenever I'm concussed I've noticed that my emotions are much less balanced then they normally are, as someone who already deals with anxiety, it causes many problems. For instance, its much easier to make me cry now than it normally is. I also get frustrated more. This is because of the emotionally imbalance but also because of my feelings towards being concussed and not being able to work at my full capacity.
A concussion never goes away. It's a brain injury and those, in some amount, never go away. Which means that I might be dealing with these problems for the rest of my life. It's something that I'll just have to adjust to and live with, there's nothing I can do about it.
However, the only good thing to come out of this was that it really showed me that people cared. I got tweets and texts from my friends telling me they missed me and asking when I was coming back to school. I got a care package from one of my dorm parents with notes from everyone from the dorm. These things were really something that helped me get through some of the feelings of hurt that I wasn't at school experiencing all the things I should have been.
Overall, I just want this to be a warning to you all to try and be safe with what you do to yourself. No one wants a concussion, they aren't pleasant at all. If you play sports, just be as safe as you can, you can never prevent anything from happening but you can takes steps that help. But I also just wanted you all to see more about what it's like, just to have some more information so that you have another point of view.
Stay happy and healthy!!!
A concussion has many effects besides what might be conventionally known. Yes, I have headaches everyday still, even though I got my last concussion over a month ago. I was out of school for three weeks, which has left me in a position where I'm very behind on my schoolwork. It's going to be a very long process for me to be able to get up to speed with all of my classes, especially since I've decided to do the IB Diploma. If my problems persist I may have to drop the diploma. Because this was my third in a year, I'm no longer allowed to play sports. As a senior I was looking forward to playing soccer for my school one last year. That's no longer a possibility for me and it's something that disappoints me greatly. The last consequence that may not be known to everyone is the emotional toll that concussions take on you. This is something that I have had particular problems with. Whenever I'm concussed I've noticed that my emotions are much less balanced then they normally are, as someone who already deals with anxiety, it causes many problems. For instance, its much easier to make me cry now than it normally is. I also get frustrated more. This is because of the emotionally imbalance but also because of my feelings towards being concussed and not being able to work at my full capacity.
A concussion never goes away. It's a brain injury and those, in some amount, never go away. Which means that I might be dealing with these problems for the rest of my life. It's something that I'll just have to adjust to and live with, there's nothing I can do about it.
However, the only good thing to come out of this was that it really showed me that people cared. I got tweets and texts from my friends telling me they missed me and asking when I was coming back to school. I got a care package from one of my dorm parents with notes from everyone from the dorm. These things were really something that helped me get through some of the feelings of hurt that I wasn't at school experiencing all the things I should have been.
Overall, I just want this to be a warning to you all to try and be safe with what you do to yourself. No one wants a concussion, they aren't pleasant at all. If you play sports, just be as safe as you can, you can never prevent anything from happening but you can takes steps that help. But I also just wanted you all to see more about what it's like, just to have some more information so that you have another point of view.
Stay happy and healthy!!!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Let's Talk Sports
I know that from everything on this blog I seem like a pretty girly-girl, which is kinda true. I do however, love watching professional sports; in fact I think my mom is getting me ice hockey tickets for Christmas this year. One sport I absolutely adore is football, no not soccer, but gold old American Football. Don't get me wrong, soccer is amazing and I love playing and watching it. But I'm much different when I'm watching football.
I get so rilled up...yes the kind of rilled up where I'm yelling at the TV to people that can't hear me. I'll jeer at the other teams and get annoyed when bad calls are made. This is especially true for the teams that I don't like. When I say that I don't like them, it's pretty serious. There is a different level of dislike for these teams, sure not as bad as other things, but still bad. I grew up in Western Pa, so of course I'm a Steelers fan. Yes, I know they aren't doing well this year but I can't help but love them. I do have a soft spot for the Bears though. On the other end of the spectrum are the teams I would never root for. These are basically as follows, The Patriots, the Cowboys, the Jets, the Ravens (especially them), Notre Dame, and The Ohio State. It may seem like a lot but there are plenty of teams out there.
I think that I really like football because I just grew up with it. My school's team was pretty good, Penn State is just a way of life where I live. That means that we always watched them. Of course there was professional football with my favorites! All day Sunday, once on Monday and Thursday. There's really not much else you could ask for. It's a cultural thing, everyone just loves football where I'm from.
There are somethings that do upset me about football right now.One is that most of the teams I like kinda suck right now. But another thing is how they're taking away everything that makes football what it is. Please keep the running game strong. Passing every play is boring and it won't always work. If you have a strong running game you can easily get short yardage. I also think that while the rules needed to be made more strict so that people don't get hurt, that at this point it's turing into something it shouldn't. We're paying these people millions of dollars to play a game that's slowly turning into flag football. I just don't think it's the right thing to do. That being said, once again I understand it's for the players' safety but I do think at some point it might be a bit too much.
Either way I'm still in love with the sport. What sports do you love to watch?
I get so rilled up...yes the kind of rilled up where I'm yelling at the TV to people that can't hear me. I'll jeer at the other teams and get annoyed when bad calls are made. This is especially true for the teams that I don't like. When I say that I don't like them, it's pretty serious. There is a different level of dislike for these teams, sure not as bad as other things, but still bad. I grew up in Western Pa, so of course I'm a Steelers fan. Yes, I know they aren't doing well this year but I can't help but love them. I do have a soft spot for the Bears though. On the other end of the spectrum are the teams I would never root for. These are basically as follows, The Patriots, the Cowboys, the Jets, the Ravens (especially them), Notre Dame, and The Ohio State. It may seem like a lot but there are plenty of teams out there.
I think that I really like football because I just grew up with it. My school's team was pretty good, Penn State is just a way of life where I live. That means that we always watched them. Of course there was professional football with my favorites! All day Sunday, once on Monday and Thursday. There's really not much else you could ask for. It's a cultural thing, everyone just loves football where I'm from.
There are somethings that do upset me about football right now.One is that most of the teams I like kinda suck right now. But another thing is how they're taking away everything that makes football what it is. Please keep the running game strong. Passing every play is boring and it won't always work. If you have a strong running game you can easily get short yardage. I also think that while the rules needed to be made more strict so that people don't get hurt, that at this point it's turing into something it shouldn't. We're paying these people millions of dollars to play a game that's slowly turning into flag football. I just don't think it's the right thing to do. That being said, once again I understand it's for the players' safety but I do think at some point it might be a bit too much.
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