Assignment 20- Taetum Crawford

How to survive a day as me (cause why not)

1. hit snooze, a lot. oh you have to leave at 7:20? ha ha no, you're too exhausted from yesterday. wait... archery practice!
2. realize that you archery practice and actually need to be on the shooting line at 7:20
3. jump out of bed, shake your dogs awake and send them outside. Prepare their food, let them in and race to step 4
4. rush around to find clothes; hmmm, these smell clean enough. hurry hurry hurry, your socks dont need to match. shoes smell like mildew from yesterday, febreeze it ( or hit it with some smell good spray because you lost the febreeze moths ago)
5. let the dogs back in and run out to the car. got it started all's good, shoot. you forgot your clothes for softball practice. oh its fine you have shorts in your bag. gotta leave, it's 7:00.
6. turn on some music so you can not relax as you carefully and semi legally weave through traffic and back roads to get to school on time. Cheesy pop and some rock alternative will work
7. park on the side of the road (legally mind you), grab your backpack and rush to the gym
8. 7:20, go get your bow and start shooting. fail once again to figure out why you can't get yourself together at 15 m.
9. go wait in the rain for your first hour teacher to show up, late, to unlock the portable door.
10. endure health by yourself in the back of the room, probably working on something for softball instead because the girls want a new playlist. Avoid staring at crush because guy who sits across from crush keeps looking at you.
11. Alright, it's time to form some coherent sentences. You manage to sort of succeed, after you scribble a poor bell ringer down. realize you forgot to get breakfast and are now really hungry.
12. Get out of APUSH and walk with your teammate to physics.
13. Try and pay attention, and fail, because your lovely squirrel brain is fascinated by all the wonderful trinkets around you. also because, wow he has nice hair. Listen to Queen radio while working
14.  leave physics class and be way to aware of that one that's walking behind you until you turn to go to German.
15. German is one of the best times of the day. Sit back and ignore your growling stomach because lunch is coming soon... shoot, you forgot to pull out cash for lunch didn't you. well crap.
16. Due to your lack of sleep and food you are a loopy mess in German class. You manage to answer many questions but also spout off along the lines of "colors smell funny", "Bowen's sagging again", "your molesting my backpack", and endure many that's what she said jokes that leave your poor brain spazzing.
17. go to lunch and refuse to let a friend buy your lunch. Laugh and shake your head at the soft more boys you sit with. Don't stare at HIM. Realize you are staring at he who shall not be named, and abruptly tune back into the conversation only to realize its about something seemingly completely inappropriate and wonder again why you choose to sit with this group.
18. realize it's because you actually enjoy the laugh and that they are also pretty good kids at their core
19. go back to German, do your math homework.
20. Go to AP Lang. try your hardest not to space out because its actually an enjoyable class. You just don't understand the English language and are too nervous to speak because you don't trust yourself to hold a train of thought. Also, still hungry.
21. make it to AP Calc. say hi to Chris Beebout and see how he's advancing with his dating battle plan- the one you supplied intelligence on. Count the minutes until the bell rings.
22. FREEDOM
23. go meet Shelby, manage to not freeze when he walks by, and then go to your car. don't forget to say hi to Lucas and Drew O. On your way.
24. Go to McDonald's for food. Listen to the antics Shelby's ex is up to now, and tell embarrassing stories from your day to make her laugh.
25. relish in the food
26. go back to school and wait for practice to start.
27. practice. Don't talk back to Frakes, don't tell Frakes he's wrong, remember you need him to not hate you so he can put in word with Westerns coach.
28. be annoyed that instead of being outfield coach is having you 'practice' catcher since despite being the stating center fielder you are also the backup catcher and therefore have not fielded more then three balls since the fall.
29. Now depending on the day you either take shelby home, go to youth group, or get to go home. today let's just go home. Blast rock, alternative puck or whatever its called, and modern country the whole way home
30. Go home, let the dogs out and let your mom know you made it home so she doesn't worry.
31. feed the dogs
32. blast some music, any and all. sing your heart out as you get cleaned up because that's your favorite way to release.
33. Sit down and attempt to do some homework, fail.
34. realize you need dinner but don't want to make much of anything or go pay for something. So you eat cereal, a oven bake personal pizza, a dozen fruit snacks, or twelve crescent rolls because that's healthy.
35. take you dogs and crash. don't actually get a good nights sleep. toss and turn a bunch and wake up a lot because you forgot to take melatonin and now its too late.
36. laugh at every second of your hectic day and wake up and do it all again tomorrow

Assignment 19- Taetum Crawford

"Be kind and courageous"- Cinderella Live action movie

As a minor, many have tried to impart their so called "wisdom" on me. I ignored most of it. Not just because I didn't care to listen (though that was half of it) but because much of it was truly uninspiring advice. "Don't drink", "Don't smoke", "Don't hurt yourself"; well no duh. most of the advice bestowed upon me left that thought in my head. Duh, of course I'm not going to ruin my brain and liver by guzzling a burning liquor that doesn't even taste decent according to my sources. Duh, of course I'm not going to smoke. I have asthma and play sports, my lungs need all the help they can get. that last one i tend to fail at, but that's because I'm a klutz, not just because I'm stubborn. I tend to ignore common sense advice because I already planned on following it because it's logical.

Be kinda and courageous. I didn't just steal that from Disney; my parents and family never really said it, but they taught it to me through their actions. I remember riding with my Pawpaw one day when we suddenly veered across traffic and to the side of the road. confused I shook off my daydream and took in my surroundings. My Pawpaw had just pulled over to see if he could help a man stuck on the side of interstate, and he apparently was the first one to have stopped in the hour and a half the man had been there. As my Dad's father was talking to the man, i looked to my mimi and saw the love in her eyes as she told me what I already knew, my Pawpaw was a kind man.

My Dad stands by his morals, no matter what. he has stared down corporate heads and battled corruption among them his whole career. He as had his emails, and phones tapped; he has been ostracized by his co workers and bosses who claimed he was only trying to make a name for himself. Through it all he never backed down from what he knew was right. He never came home and took his anger out on me, despite how much of a headache i prove to be. He has had people he thought of as friends betray him because he would not condone their unethical practices. My Dad is courageous.

I don't see my mom as much as i would like, because most days she is in an ER saving people's lives. She has been assaulted several times. Bruises, broken ribs, concussions. but she keeps going back. Almost everyday she saves someones life; she sacrifices her time with family, her assurance of complete safety, all to help people who often times are trying to throw that very same life away. Even before then she kept me, despite threats from my biological father. she kept me despite the risk of losing all of her scholarships. She put herself through college, fought through a brain tumor that still affects her life today, all while caring for and raising a daughter and caring for a hurting mother, and dealing with the looks and judgement she received because of me. My mother is kind and courageous.

I could tell countless stories, though these people are not perfect, they always maintain; always be kind to someone no mater how they've treated you, help where you can help- always give a hand up when you can, and no matter what, always have the courage to do the right thing. It's not always easy, it honestly rarely is, but you will live a better life for it.

Assignment 18- Taetum Crawford

Bucket List

High School- before I graduate high schools i want to...

1. have an actual date to prom/ an actual romantic relationship

I know, it's short. it probably made you laugh when you read it. Silly boy crazy teenage girl, so it seems. but It's more than just some superficial wanting a guy just because. I want to feel that cliche moment of euphoria so many girls have described when the guy the guy they've liked for months finally asks them out, and the  Moments I've read about, seen, moments that I've never felt. Sure, I've had moments that came close. I've led off with home runs that broke records. I've won medals and awards for Archery and Softball, my dresser top is loaded down with them. But I've never been on an actual date. I've gone and gotten food, watched movies, and played video games with guys before. But it was never a date. i have many close guy friends, but that's all they are. friends. its a mutual friend zone because these guys are my brothers and best friend. I could never date them.
I've hugged them when one of us needed it, we've all told each other we loved one another and meant it, when my best friend had to have an emergency surgery to remove his appendix i kissed him on the forehead and told him i was glad he was okay. But all of those were not done out of a romantic infatuation. It was done out of love between people who might as well be family.

Now this isn't just a, I'm boy crazy and want a boyfriend. it's also fear driven. I plan on pursuing a career path that makes starting new relationship almost impossible. I know that i want to get married someday and have kids, but how can i do that when i cant even find a partner? my career will begin in college, so high school feels like my only chance. I'm Desperate, i still have standards, and won;t date someone just because they asked me to. I feel embarrassed writing this, knowing that anyone can read it, but I have nothing left to cross off that's meaningful.

College

1. FBI internship
2. degree in Forensic psycology
3. successfully Apply to the FBI, CIA, or other Intelligence organization

That career path i mentioned, the one that will make any attempt at a relationship past high school difficult. That's this bucket list. To put it simply, I've wanted to be a spy since i was a little kid. My favorite show was Kim Possible, and as I got older I was entranced with every Cop show, spy show, spy book, Hero tale I could get my hands on. NCIS, McGeyver, Chuck, Criminal Minds, marvel character such as Black widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, all of it. I trained. My uncle T is an army Ranger, my Papi a cop, I have an Uncle who works for  NASA, and another relative in special forces. i convinced them to work with me, teach me.  My pawpaw was an accomplished martial artist, and he taught me some sword and hand on hand combat. My Uncle T would spar with me, teach me how to escape and throw a proper punch. He used to grab me by my ankles and tell me to do fifty sit ups before he would let me down. It's always been my dream, and I plan to pursue it.

Life

1. live past thirty
2. get married and have two kids before thirty
3. save lives

This one is simple. My life has been anything but "ordinary" and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. And I wouldn't have it any other way; but those first two are "normal" things that i want to have. I wish to be able to raise a son and daughter, teach them to be the type of people I aspire to be. i want them to grow to be better than I ever could.
 I want to make an impact. Helping people has always been my priority, often to a fault. But fault or not, i plan to continue that. in some capacity i want to be the reason some someone gets to see the next day; that a parent gets to see their spouse or child one more time; or that a child gets to grow up and live a better life. I admire those that strive for that, and want to be one of them.

There's my bucket list. It's short, but it covers the basics of how i hope my life turns out.

Assignment 21: OB-STA-KELS – oh Brother Where art Thou (College)

We love obstacles.  When other people are facing them that is.  But where and who would our heroes be if they didn’t face any obstacles.  The same can be said for us.  Our obstacles shape who we’ve become and who we are becoming.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

OR

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, March 4th at 11:59 pm

March 25th is the last day to make up blogs 20-22

Assignment 17: Anne Douglas

My Rotten Tomatoes review of "On Golden Pond" (1981)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/977111981/ratings

Assignment 20 - Gloria Dietz

How to Procrastinate on Assignments Without Consequences

Step 1: Read through assignment requirements and get familiar with them when the teacher talks about it or sometime before hand.  Get an idea of what you’re going to do for the assignment.

Step 2: Estimate how much time it’ll take you to complete the assignment then multiple the number by 1.3333 to get a good estimate of the time it’ll take you.  (You add a third of the time, because often procrastination happens when it’s later in the day, so you’re more likely to be fatigued and move slower through the assignment and the third also gives you some leeway if it takes longer than you anticipated.)

Step 3: Set aside the time you’ve calculated for the night before the assignment is due (or the most convenient date before the assignment is due)  and write down the time interval you will work on it (you may want to add an extra 15 minute break for each hour of time so that you can have a break if it’s an especially long assignment) If doing it the night before, set the end time of your time interval to be the time you’d like to go to bed that day. This way if you finish on time you get more sleep (and reward yourself for working hard on the assignment), and if you don’t finish even with the adjusted time you still have an hour or two before you absolutely need to go to bed. If it’s a writing assignment, make plans to reread and edit it again in the morning to account for any mistakes made from fatigue.

Step 4:PROCRASTINATE!!!!! (till it is the time interval you set for the assignment to be done in)

Step 5:Work on the assignment, STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE. You’ve been allowed to procrastinate a lot, but the time you’ve set aside is when you have to actually do an assignment.  My advice is to work hard and distraction-free on this assignment till it’s done.  If you actually fully focus on the assignment odds are you’ll get it done earlier  than you expected.  And then you can go back to procrastinating or work on other things.

The key to this strategy is setting enough time aside to actually be able to complete the work to your or the teachers standards, even if it is a little last minute.

—————OR—————

An alternative method (if the first is too much effort):

Step 1: Just don’t procrastinate

The key to this strategy is to do things early so you don’t have to worry about them later. This strategy comes highly recommended.

Assignment 19- Kristin

One piece of advice that I've received fairly recently was from a (fairly famous) conductor I had the privilege for playing for.  He was talking to the orchestra about careers in music and deciding whether to pursue it, and he told us that if we could not imagine ourselves doing anything besides music in the future, than we should continue with it.  Otherwise, we probably shouldn't, because we may not have the drive to brave the risks and work associated with music degrees and music careers.

I feel like this advice can apply to anything- if you can't imagine yourself doing anything else, then don't do anything else.  Whether it's about your career or college or even an everyday decision, I think that we should live by this mantra.  So many people get caught up on what they truly want to do, because they believe it would be hard, or because other people tell them not to, or because they are expected to do something else.  But if they don't want to do anything else, why should they settle for something that won't actually make them happy?  I've studied the effect of pursuing your passions, and almost all research associates following your calling with increased happiness.

This advice has affected my life by pushing me more and more towards my decision about the rest of my life.  I cannot imagine myself feeling any more happiness in any other career than the happiness I would feel in music.  So, as my conductor says, I should do it.  Despite my nerves about following a path of twists and turns that many do not make it out of, my passion for music fuels me forward.

Assignment 18- Kristin

High School Bucket List:

• figure out what I'm going to do after high school
• survive high school without any major panic attacks
• pass my future AP tests
• work on organization
• stop procrastinating

Priority: Don't let my time go to waste (i.e. spend my time doing useful or worthwhile things rather than things that don't matter).  I don't want to find myself doing nothing too often, but I don't want to feel guilty about what I've done and how I'm using my time.

College Bucket List:

• figure out what I'm going to do after college
• learn what my true passions are
• do some work for the communtiy
• soak up as much knowledge as I can before my main learning years are over
• learn how to live on my own
• become a pro at adulting (or at least proficient)
• study abroad

Priority: Learn what my place in the world is and where my piece fits into the puzzle.  I want to leave college with some sort of clue of where my life is going to go (even if it's only a tiny inkling).

Life Bucket List:

• do something big that scares me
• adopt a pet
• never let my life become boring or monotonous
• become bilingual
• finally finish writing one of the many stories I've begun

Priority: Make a difference for at least one life that's not my own.  I don't want to leave this world the way it was when I entered it; I was put here for a reason, and I want to fulfill that reason.

Assignment 17- Kristin

One director that always puts out beautiful movies that could almost become works of art is Hayao Miyazaki.  His films always feature rich and emotional storylines, soaring scores, and wonderfully drawn animation.  Two of his movies that I watched over the break were Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away.

As a music nerd, I am always on the lookout for movies with great scores, and each of these checks that box.  The themes were extremely well-written, and strings are not used sparingly (which is always great).  Each piece matches the events in the story, and there are several sections of no dialogue, just music and scenery.  This is unique to Miyazaki because one would not usually associate scenery with animated movies.  This not only showcases the amazing animation but gives the music a moment to be the main character.

In today's age of computer animation, hand-drawn movies are rare, but Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away are both animated by hand.  This elevates the movies from mere entertainment to pure art.

Although technically children's movies, these stories do not fall flat.  The viewer becomes attached to each of the characters, from mysterious but lovable No-Face (Spirited Away) to conceited but chivalrous Howl (Howl's Moving Castle).  The stories go deeper than romance or good vs. evil, which we see so much of these days, into themes of family, bravery, and finding where one belongs.  Anyone can glean truths from the movies.

It's odd to imagine so many similarities between two movies that seem so different at eye level.  Howl's Moving Castle tells the story of a girl who gets swept up from her ordinary life to war, magic, and the magician Howl, and how she finds where she belongs and becomes the glue in a dysfunctional family.  Spirited Away shows a child who, after spending her life complaining about the things done wrong to her, is forced to depart on brave adventures to save her family.  Both movies deal with what happens when magic is used for evil, but while Howl's Moving Castle shows how one can make their own place in the world, Spirited Away encourages one to be more appreciative of the family one has.

Assignment 19- Richie Lane

In my life, I have received a great deal of great advice. Never ask a woman when the baby is due, because she may not be pregnant. Never lick a steak knife. A person who is nice to you but not to the waiter is not a nice person. Try new things. Treat others like you want to be treated. But I think a piece of advice that I find to be most helpful is if you don't absolutely love something, then don't do it. More often than not, I find myself in situations where I am presented with a task I simply don't want to do. In these trying times, I come back to this golden advice; and I do not perform this task. Whether it be homework, studying, lacrosse practice, or anything else, if it isn't something I truly do not want to do, I don't do it. This has made my life much easier, and there are clearly no consequences to these actions. By only doing things I want to do, I find myself having much more free time than the average person, because the average person is tasked with things they do not want to do. I, on the other hand, when presented with something I have no interest in doing, simply relax and watch TV-which happens to be something I enjoy doing.

Assignment 18- Richie Lane

1. Before finishing high school, one thing I would love to do is have at least a general idea on what I'd like to do with my life. As of right now, I have absolutely no idea on what I'd like to do in terms of work. I don't know what I want to major in, and have very few ideas. There are many things I can easily rule out, but not many I can rule in. If something were to happen to me, whether it be in school or something that happens outside of school, that gave me an idea of what I want to pursue with my life, I'd feel very confident leaving high school.

2. My goal for what I'd like to accomplish before finishing college is similar to the goal for high school. Before finishing college, I'd like to have an idea of what job I am going in to. Preferably, I'd like to have a job already lined up, but in today's business climate, I know it's very unlikely that happens, especially given I don't really have any connections. So realistically, I'd like to at least have an idea of what specific career I am going to pursue after completing college.

3. Although there are many things I'd like to do before I "finish living", nothing sounds better than the goal I've always dreamed of - to finally reach the age where it is socially acceptable to 1)Use those electric carts in stores, and 2)Be able to say 'back in my day" and really mean it, and no one remembers what you are referring to because you are just so old. Yes, I'd love to build a large, happy family, and give back to society, but what's the point of having a family if I can't embarrass them by getting on a slow, electric cart while we go to buy adult diapers and bore and annoy them with my stories that no one cares about and are probably factually incorrect because I can't actually remember them?

Assignment 17- Richie Lane

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/977106329/rating/771382945

Assignment 19 - Max Marksbury

I've been the recipient of many pieces of advice throughout my life. It's just natural for a teenager to be given pieces of guidance by their family and mentors. Some of it has had an immense impact on my life - others, minuscule, or I brushed it off immediately as either incorrect or just wrong. Most of it hasn't been so impactful. But it can't be denied that all of this guidance has shaped and molded me into who I am today, in one way or another. It's important to give this kind of advice to somebody so they can figure out who they are and what to do in life.

But one piece of advice I haven't forgotten is: when a friend of the family told me the best place to go near school if I ever felt like skipping. I haven't used this advice yet, but I'll definitely never forget it.

Assignment 18 - Max Marksbury

I'm not exactly the type of person to have a bucket list, or have huge goals to aspire to. I'm really more of a person to just ride along with whatever's going on. But, if I need to make some goals, then I suppose I'll have to.

1) High School - Before I finish high school I'd like to work on a personal project that really interests me. I'm not really doing much, so I'd like to change that. Perhaps this could be a small music album just for fun, or something bigger than that.

2) College - My biggest hope for college is to sort of "reinvent" myself. I don't want to be disingenuous to who I really am, but I would like to make some personal changes that allow me to open up more

3) Life - Of course, I'd like to travel somewhere sort of exotic. I think it would be very eye-opening and a lot of fun to go take a trip somewhere far away. I know this is a bit of a generic answer but it would still be a very interesting experience to have

Assignment 19: Luke Webster

The piece of advice that has stuck with me the most, was given to me by a lifeguard, namely Trent Mattingly. He was working with me on my stroke, having offered to give me a few pointers. However, it wasn't something about the stroke, it was a generalization that he made.

He said, " Listen, you can do anything for a minute, if it hurts that means that you're going fast enough."

That has really stuck with me. It's the first thing I say to myself before I do anything that I know is going to be hard. I just think that it simplifies the drive that anyone has to do anything, and I think that its something that everyone could use.

I know personally that whenever I swim I hear him the back of my head, and I'm grateful for that, because I don't know where I'd be without it.

Assignment 18: Luke Webster

I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about what I want to do on my bucket list. Death seems kind of far off, and I have too many things on my plate now to enjoy my youth. However, if I had to name those things on the list now, here's what would go into each.

#1 Before The End of High School

Before I leave this lovely concrete prison I'm in, I would like to be able to do one thing, and that would be to finally participate in some kind of school production. Whether that be theater or something else like Senior Benefit, which is the far more likely of the two. I think that would be a neat experience and something that I would look back on with joy later on. 

#1 Before The End of College 

I want to rush before I leave college. Both of my parents were in some kind of Greek-like organization (Evans Scholars and Delta Zeta). I have friends who have rushed and have loved every second of it, and I think I would enjoy it as well. 

#1 Before the End of Life

This one was kind of hard to figure out. It sounds cliché, but I would really like to visit the rest of the world. I've always been a huge history buff, and I would really like to visit places that I've only ever read about. This would probably be something do when I'm younger rather than older. 

Assignment 19- Ben Hayden

Typically, I would describe myself as a pretty calm person, but earlier this year a co-worker really made me mad... I mean beyond anything i've ever felt before. My friend that was also working sensed i was mad and knew that he needed to clam me down before I did something I would regret in the future, so he pulled me over and said Ben if you let him or people like him get to you, you are worse than them. this simple quote, which may not mean anything to people who read this really hit me hard, Because I know for a fact I am better than the co-worker who made me mad, so if i stopped to his level it wouldn't make me just as bad it would make me worse, and I try to use this phrase anytime I get mad to this day, any and every time someone makes me mad.

Assignment 19- Stone Poole

The best advice I every received is that God already has a plan for us all. We can follow it or we can walk down a darker path away from him, but his path is the best one for us. The original quote is a bible verse Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord,' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I love this because I know that God has already created a plan for me and I just have to follow it and it's better than any plan I have for myself.

Another piece of advice I hold high and think of often is, " It is hard to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys." It means in order to be your best you have to surround yourself with others like what you want to be.  You can be the best you and hang out with others who will hold you down. And although we like to goof off and have a little too much fun. I think the group of friends I have with me is just the ones I need for right now.

Assignment 18- Ben Hayden

1) The Number one item on my bucket list or before I finish high school is definitely to buy my own car for college and beyond. Nothing fancy, just one that I know can get me to and from wherever I need to go and that doesn't look to crazy. As of now me and my brother share a car, but I have been saving up money for two years of working now and I believe after this summer I will have enough money to buy a nice car for myself to be able to drive next year and beyond.
2) Before i finish college I want to know what I want do with my life. By the time I leave college I want to have a plan for what I am going to do with my time, and have a job lined up for me to use my future college degree on and overall, have stability.
3)Before I die I want to go to a superbowl with the falcons in it. I missed my chance last year, and I may have to wait many many more before I get the chance; but before I die... I swear to you I will go to a Falcons superbowl.

Assignment 19 - Alex

I can't remember where I heard it from, but the piece I remember was "You never quite know what you were hoping for until you flip a coin." It started in relation to a coin toss of making a random choice, but when you think you couldn't care in the slightest, toss a coin. Head X happens, tails Y happens. You may just find out what you really wanted. Should I go to laser tag or mini golf? Apple or Samsung? Wendy's or McDonald's? That last one was a trick question, it's Wendy's. If it seems like a hard choice and you have actual free reign on the situation with no drawback on the other option that isn't just doing the second option, try flipping a coin. Say it out loud so someone else can hear if you want.

Assignment 19: Caili Harris

This isn’t necessarily advice that I was given, but these are words from a friend that I really took to heart. I was walking down the hall after school.  I saw my friend acting super goofy, and, I don’t know how I came to utter these words, but I said, ”Dude, what the heck, you’re a senior and you’re acting like a freshman.” That’s when my friend turned to me and said (I’m not sure if this is the exact phrasing).”I may be growing older, but that doesn’t mean I have to grow up.” I probably laughed and rolled my eyes at the time, but later I got to thinking, ’What does growing up mean and is it even a requirement?’ My mom, who adore dearly, is… a grown up, and I still find her at times behaving like a kid. The conclusion I came to is, as I grow older, I need to be able to decide how I grow up, and I need to be able to keep a part of my inner child within me. It’s what keeps us young at heart, even when we’re physically old.

Assignment 17- Stone Poole

I'm going to cover the Science fiction genre in my compare and contrast between Star Wars and Harry Potter. Since each has so many movies in the series, I'm going to compare them as a whole not a single movie. I'll also begin at the chronologically first movie because Star Wars first came out with number 4.

Both series begin with a chosen one. Anakin Skywalker, a young boy who is seen to have extreme potential and will restore the balance of the force. Harry Potter a rising wizard who's legend began as an infant when he survived Lord Voldemort's curse. Both go to school for their respective arts (Jedi and wizardry) to master their craft.

Except one falls off the path. Anakin Skywalker has been clouded by Lord Sidious and now sees the Jedi as weak and thinks he must join the sith to find true strength and protect the ones he loves. Eventually he helps Sidious and fails to become the chosen one however his son, Luke Skywalker, would be the true chosen one and kill Lord Sidious bringing balance to the force

Harry Potter, mentored by Albus Dumbledore, follows his path as the chosen one, fighting off death eaters and Voldemort himself as he destroys horcruxes to weaken Voldemort and ultimately kill He Who Must Not Be Named. Harry after a horrific journey through childhood, in which many he loved died, was able to over come it unlike Anakin and defeat the evil and save everyone from Voldemort not joining him.

Both series are amazing and very famous and rightfully so they follow similar plots just with different ideas and destinations.

Blog 17- Ben Hayden

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/977106159/

Assignment 18 - Alex

High School-

Get good grades

Get Eagle Scout

Get a job

Get better at archery

Realize I don't have many plans for high school - check

College-

Get good grades

Get a job where ever I'm at for college

Find a girlfriend eventually

Realize I don't have many plans for college- check. I'm on a roll!

Life- 

Get a good job so I can pay for whatever I want to do

Get married

See and try new things

Have fun

To be honest I'm not a very complex person. I just want to have fun and that's really about it. Yeah I know I have to do well at school and all but you can't just view life as work and school, school is a way to get a good job, and work is just a way to get resources so you can do what you REALLY want to do. You can't travel the world without some way to buy food, plane tickets, clothes, etc. Yeah it's always a good thing to love what you do but your work can't be your fun at the same time. The best analogy I can think of right now is when doing a book project, any book you read because it's required is automatically worse.

Assignment 17: Luke Webster

Upon catching the first glimpses of the 8th installment to the main Star Wars saga, I was blown away. I'd always enjoyed the films, even the infamous prequels, but I never imagined how much the third trilogy would blow me away. The Last Jedi is no exception. 

Coming in at two and half hours, the film is a long one, and some might say that it was maybe a little too long. However, this was made up for in a dazzling display of special effects, a great score, and astounding acting. 

This film didn't stack up however in the plot category. The plot meandered side to side, with no real sense of a story. This could be partially due to the film's focus on the Force, which can be just as mysterious. 

Regardless, the film still piqued my interest, and I would go see it again if I had the time. My advice for those who haven't seen it yet would be to re-watch The Force Awakens, as it will make sure that you are up to speed so you don't lose yourself in The Last Jedi.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/977105524/ratings 

Assignment 18: Caili Harris

1 I want to learn what it takes to scare someone. If you can’t already guess by this post I get scared…. a lot, and, believe it or not, I’m not great at scaring people. I mean if you find a 5’4”, moderately high pitched voiced, quiet girl scary, you do you my friend. If you can imagine it, when I try to jump scare someone it’s more like a kitten attacking your toes.

2 Before I leave college I want to know who I am as a person. I feel like high school me is so afraid of everything. I want to have the opportunity to be bold and take chances in college.

3 I want to be able to say that I’m happy and have lived with no regrets, and I don’t want to simply fade out of existence. I want to be remembered and loved for ages to come.

Assignment 17 - Max Marksbury

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/977106124/ratings

Assignment 19 - Anna Baskin

My favorite piece of advice was actually never intended for me – or for humans at all. It was intended for horses. My horse instructor told me once, during a particularly frustrating lesson for both me and my equine companion, that the most important part of riding was keeping the horse “in a learning frame of mind.”  She explained how horses pick up on your state of mind and tend to mirror your frustrations and fears. Once a horse has latched onto these negative emotions, you’re never going to get a good ride out of them, and even if you do somehow manage to whip them into shape, the lesson won’t stick. Instead, we as riders need to scope out how the horse is feeling at any given time and make sure the ride is positive and encouraging to make sure the horse stays in learning-mode instead of stress-mode.

This advice was helpful in my riding, but invaluable in my life. After all, horses may have brains the size of peas and thought processes as complicated as “eat, sleep, poop” but we’re essentially wired the same way. Shouldn’t it make sense that I also keep myself in a learning frame of mind? This idea has prompted me to step back from stressful situations and reevaluate my mindset, which has helped in school and at home. Almost like there’s a separate part of my brain that’s the logical “rider,” when the animalistic side of my brain freaks out, the “rider” can step in force the direction of my thoughts to change to a more positive, learning-focused attitude.

Assignment 18- Stone Poole

1. Before I'm finished with high school I'd love to receive a division 1 scholarship in swimming. It is my dream to be able to become a NCAA Division 1 Student-Athlete. The sad thing is division 1 scholarships are usually partial so I would most likely have to receive an academic or merit scholarship as well because my main focus is graduating college with 0 student loans.

2.Before I finish college I want to visit and travel somewhere away to experience something new. After college I want to quickly find a job and settle down to so I can become financially secure but that would make me wait until I'm secure in order to travel so I'd love to either go to college somewhere far away or take a trip to have a new experience.

3. I like the wording there Mr. Logsdon. Before I have used up all my living time I want to have created a family and many memories with them and my friends. I also want to fully create my relationship with God so I can go to heaven. No matter what I just want to leave my loved ones in a good situation after I'm gone so they don't have to struggle with out me.

Assignment 17- Alex

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/977106098/

Assignment 17: Caili Harris

The two movies I will be comparing and contrasting today are Moana and Thor Ragnorak, both directed by Taika Waititi. To state the obvious, Moana is a Disney princess movie and Thor Ragnorak is a Marvel superhero film. Thor Ragnorak features the story of a male hero and Moana is the story of a female heroine. However, that said both depict a hero’s journey in which a family member dies spurring them to go on a big adventure in which they pick up a costar who doesn’t initially wish to come but is overall won over by the charm and charisma of the main character (so pretty much your typical Disney film). Both main characters are descendants of royalty and are teamed up with a trickster.  Finally, in the end of both films, the main characters lead their people to a new home, due to the destruction of their old one.