Assignment 11- Richie Lane

I sit next to Max Marksbury and Brenden Knuckles in English class. I've never really talked to them outside of class, but we get along pretty well. As far as I know, they don't find me annoying or mean, and I can say the same for them. We joke around about things that happen in class, and occasionally make fun of the papers we are grading as a class. We haven't really discussed any hobbies or things we do outside of school. I'll often look over at Max and say something random, and he usually isn't sure how to respond to it.

Assignment 10- Richie Lane

Although a zombie apocalypse is a highly unlikely scenario, I like to make sure I'm prepared for everything. My plan has changed throughout the years. When I was younger, obviously I was the hero that saved everyone and was somehow secretly a survival expert that brought us all to safety. But now, I'm a little more realistic. I know some tough decisions will need to be made, and I realize now that I am in no way a survival expert. My plan largely depends on where I am when the apocalypse breaks out. If I'm in school, I would find my closest friends, arrange transportation for all of us(because I can't drive), and while doing this I'd call my family and discuss our next move. We would all go to the Walmart down the street from Henry Clay and stock up on everything we will need for the foreseeable future. Backpacks, non-perishables, clothes, walkie talkies, and any kind of weapons we can find(likely baseball bats and kitchen knives since we're at Walmart). We would meet up with our families and anyone else who is joining our group, and figure out where to go next. I vote we head to Dick's or an Outdoor store, where we can buy guns, tents, camping supplies, and other things we may need if we have to resort to hiding in the woods. We could go to my cabin in the mountains of North Carolina, but the fact that it's so far away could eventually become problematic as we begin to run out of supplies. Our best bet is staying somewhere that's far from the city but not so far that we can't go in for supplies runs every so often. Once we've settled in our safehouse, we set up the proper defenses, boarding windows, reinforcing doors, and anything else that may keep the house as safe as possible.

Assignment 9- Richie Lane

Flashback to 1941. World War 2 is at its peak. Millions of Jews have already been killed in Germany, and there is no end in sight. The U.S. still has not gotten themselves involved in the war, and Germany is marching through Europe. If Pearl Harbor was never bombed, and the U.S. had never gotten involved, how would the war ended? Millions more would likely have been killed. So even if Pearl Harbor hadn't happened, did the U.S. have a responsibility to join the war, for the good of humanity?
That is a difficult question to answer. In many cases of war, countries can stay out and let it play its course, and often a treaty is made, and the war ends "peacefully". But what about times of total war? When a country is hell-bent on conquering everyone in their path? Times like WW1&2 come to mind, as well as Napoleon, and many great nations in ancient history. In these cases, it was highly unlikely that there would be a peaceful agreement found. So, in these cases, the argument could be made that other countries have a responsibility to join the war and stop nations who are disturbing the peace of a region, because, in these cases, many more innocent people will be killed before the war ends.

Assignment 12: Joseph Craven

When reach the college of my choice in the future, it is likely that I will not know anybody going in. This means that will have to make a lot of new friends, which will most likely start with my roommate. After all, I'll be sharing a room with them for at least a year.

There are a few essential things that my roommate should know about. First, I prefer social activities over alone time. Obviously I believe that there are times when staying home and relaxing are preferable, but my ideal Friday night involves meeting up with some friends. In addition to this, when I am at home, I'll be spending most of my time there either playing games or watching shows. Hopefully, my roommate will have similar interests. Finally, I, like many students, procrastinate too much and have poor organizational skills. I hope that my roommate will be able to help me out with this.

When meeting new people, I believe it's important to be myself and convey a genuine personality. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll get a roommate who's similar to me.

Assignment 14 - Lauren Chatfield

My family doesn't have many traditions because every holiday looks so different. Someone has moved, someone isn't going to Dad's house, someone isn't going to Mom's, someone has to work, etc. However, when we were younger we had a lot of traditions. One of them, this one being closest to something we still do, is Christmas pajamas. On Christmas Eve, we go to church and then come home, open a present (shocker: every year it's pajamas) and we wear our jammies and eat our big Christmas feast. In the past few years, my brothers haven't been able to go to my mom's for Christmas Eve but we will still do this in the beginning of November if we have to. We will always make time for dinner in jammies.
The past three years, my mom and I have been working at Salvation Army on Christmas Day with our church. Although this is a newer tradition, it's become one of my favorites.

Assignment 13 - Lauren Chatfield

It appears that politicians, athletes, actors, and many other respected men in our society have concluded women are objects and must be sexually harassed to satisfy the men. As a society we have said this is shameful of them and fired and sued them over their actions. While this is one way to handle things, it is not putting an end to the problem all together. It is simply keeping an individual from continuing their actions (if that). I propose that instead of reprimanding these men, we celebrate them. We congratulate them for their bold and humblingly selfish actions and we reward them with a trip to an exclusive Island. On this Island, we could keep all of these men together and provide them with each other to satisfy their needs. In this scenario, Roy Moore and Bill Cosby can have all the fun they want -- with each other! This will keep the women in our society safe and these men can still fulfill their needs. These men are too dumb to know wrong from right and we can't try and train them to do this.

Assignment 16: Speech

Post your speech!

Last blog of the year! Huzzah!

Full text of speech - due Sunday, December 10th at 11:59 pm.

December 10th is the last day to make up blog 16

Assignment 15- Kristin

Everyone's heard me talk about this before, but of course the thing that really geeks me out is music.  There's something about a good piece that takes my mind away from my body.  I can feel it in my bones (that might be due to the amount of rosin that must be in my bloodstream), and it swells in my heart in a remarkable way.

Music will always make me feel better.  I've had days when my head hurts or I feel sick, but when I leave orchestra, I realize that I don't feel sick anymore.  It might just be distracting my brain from the pain, but I'm convinced it's acting as a sort of medicine (again, the rosin might be a factor).

Listening to string music especially gets to me.  Whenever I hear a song with string instruments, especially the deep, strong tones usually produced by violas (of course) and cellos, my interest piques.  I'm like a dog who hears the doorbell; I can't help but be intrigued.

Music is one of the only things that makes me cry, and it does so regularly.  Sometimes, it's because of the meaning of the lyrics, but sometimes it's the music itself.  Well-scored movies and musicals do this, with soaring melodies and raw emotion in the musicians.  It's truly magical.

I also often associate people or memories with music.  For instance, I can't listen to any music from Beauty and the Beast without tearing up, because of the wonderful time I had playing the piano for the musical last year.  I also think of certain people when I hear certain songs, either because I have a memory with the person and the song, or the song just reminds me of them, and it forces me to hear the song in a new way.

I have no idea why music captivates me so much.  Maybe because I have an ancestor who was a composer, or maybe because I was just meant to be a musician, but it has always had a profound effect on me.

Assignment 14- Kristin

Thanksgiving for me is usually pretty similar to the "stock image."  My family alternates every year whether we go to my mom's side of the family in Indiana or my dad's side in Kentucky.  We get together with a lot of people, and everyone brings food and we eat and hang out together.  I get about twenty comments about how tall I am, and how old I've gotten, and how much I look like my mother (it's the glasses and the hair).

This past year we went to see my mom's family.  I always get really excited those years, because we don't see that side of the family as often as my dad's.  I get to see my younger cousins and their adorable dogs.  I love seeing my cousins grow into little people.  They're not toddlers anymore; suddenly they're in school and they want to play video games and they somehow know more about technology than I do.  It's also fun to watch them pester me and my brother, very much like the way me and my brother pestered our older cousin when we were that age. 

I enjoy Thanksgiving.  There's always good food, and it's usually pretty calm and nice, and I get to catch up with people I haven't seen in a long time.  It's not super cold out, but it's also not sweltering hot, and there doesn't seem to be as much pressure as Christmas (especially because my family is the one that hosts Christmas).  It's not my end-all-be-all favorite holiday, but Thanksgiving is highly underrated and deserves some thanks itself.

Assignment 13- Kristin

As a high school student, the one problem I encounter most in my life and in my peers' lives is stress.  Being teenagers is a weird time for our minds already, and the added pressure of meeting high grades and social standards is almost too much for us to handle. 

And here lies our problem- having almost too much to handle.  It's that "almost," that little bit of extra space that pushes our worry meters through the roof.  I suggest that we take away the almost, and make sure that we are doing exactly what we can handle- no more, no less.  Not only would this eradicate the time we spend worrying about things, but it would allow us to do even more activities that are beneficial to ourselves and our community.

Filling our plate to the max will leave absolutely no time for students to spend doing nothing.  Therefore, they will have no time to worry about the things they have to do.  Who has time to stress about something you have to do later when you have something to do now?  Procrastinating (and feeling guilty about procrastinating) will be eliminated, because we will always have other things to do instead.  This additionally always gives us something to do.  No more having to make decisions over what to do next- your schedule will be always full, and you will know exactly what's up next.

We will also never be unproductive.  Students can fill the extra time with volunteer inside or outside the home.  Teens will never be called "lazy" or "unproductive" again if we're always giving back to the community that has given us so much.  I bet you can think of at least one thing you've always wished you could do.  Stop wasting time on wishes, and do it!  It'll help with your mental health if you aren't pining over something, and you'll be doing something that you enjoy.  Bonus points if that thing helps other people, too.

The only issue with this is that we need to make sure our schedules don't overflow.  There are only so many hours in the day, so filling up the day with more things than we can do in twenty-four hours is dangerous and could take a toll on our mental health.  However, if a student accidentally makes too many commitments, they can always take some time out of their sleep.  In the grand scheme of things, five or six hours of sleep a night isn't really a big deal.

Overall, I believe this plan will greatly alleviate the stress of students, give back to the community, and help us better appreciate the twenty-four hours given to us.

Assignment 12- Kristin

My name is Kristin Earnest, and I am...

- A musician.  I am an extreme music nerd.  I love listening to music, and I enjoy a wide variety of music styles and artists.  I always get a happy feeling in my heart that I can't describe when I listen to good music (most of which includes string instruments and emotional swells in the music).  I play viola and piano, and I want to learn to play as many instruments as I can.  My dream is to play in the orchestra of a movie soundtrack (bonus points if John Williams is the composer).

- A bookworm.  I read almost any books I can get my hands on, but I like fiction/fantasy stories the most.  Books are maps to new worlds and help one escape from any issues of reality.  I believe that a person's favorite book, character, author, genre, etc. tells a lot about who they are as a person, and about how they see themselves

- A writer.  Again, I like writing fiction stories the most, but it brings me joy when I write a phrase or sentence that sounds so perfectly crafted that it's almost poetic (it doesn't happen too terribly often, so I write as much as I can to increase my chances).  I like making people smile or think, so I try to write pieces that make people smile or think.

- Doing my best to be a good person.  I despise when people are sad or hurt, and I try my best to alleviate that pain, or at the very least not add to it.  If I can't help someone, I will at least try to take them away from their problems for a little bit, giving them some time to not worry and be at peace.  I think this is why I am the other three things I've listed.  Music, books, and writing are all things that simultaneously distract people from the stresses in life while helping them think about and therefore cope with those stresses.

Assignment 11- Kristin

The person I sit next to is very studious.  She exudes an air of casual intelligence (at least it seems casual, even if she's intending to be viewed as smart).  She talks about school and studying as if it's simple and natural, and she's pretty nonchalant about getting good grades.  

She's pretty studious in ways outside of school, too.  I'm pretty sure she did some sort of volunteer work at a hospital or lab or something over the summer (I don't remember what she said and I may have made that up) that included learning a lot of new things.  She also is fairly bookish, because she's often commented on books I'm reading that she's read before.

She always strives to be friendly and talkative, including anyone in her conversations.  I respect that she is not afraid to socialize with anyone.

For some reason, The color I characterize her as is navy blue.  I'm not a hundred percent sure why, but it might be because she's pretty chill and simple.  I think she also wears that color fairly often.

In five years, I could see her in college getting some sort of graduate degree, keeping up her responsible studying habits while still keeping time to do what she enjoys to do.  

Assignment 13- Erica Currier

People can get messages to each other in the blink of an eye. With one tweet you could start a war. With one text one could make a jump in a romantic love interest. People are so glued to their phones they forget to go outside and buy groceries so they buy them on Amazon with fancy buttons you press to automatically order products when you get low on it. So why should we make people leave their couch to vote?  
On YouTube you can conduct a poll with many, many options and it would be easy to conduct the election that way. If the candidate's vlog their daily lives people may actually begin to understand the inner workings of American politics and the number of subscribers one candidate has would help people know who has the most chance of winning. It is a citizen's right to vote and why not make it as easy as possible.  

Assignment 9- Erica Currier

"Love is love is love is love"  -Lin Manuel- Miranda.  

That saying is the only thing that I could ever bring the world to peace. The best time I ever heard someone describe why humans fight is that one day a caveman looked into a pond and saw that the human reflection next to him wasn't him so he must kill it. Because it wasn't him. We fight over the things that we believe divide us, our beliefs, our skin color and our nationalities. And until humans can look past the ends of their noses I don't believe we could ever end war. I am a humanitarian by nature, I believe every life has its purpose and it saddens me to hear of the people caught in the cross fire of wars they have no say in. Currently in North Korea (I am reading a book called the Orphan Master's Son that deals with North Korea and it saddens and angers me every time I pick it up) people are killed for simple things, using state founded newspapers to wipe themselves when their paper rations run out, not meeting factory quotas or falling asleep at a meeting. I believe there can never be peace until we have leaders who put themselves last and the people they govern first. But I won't hold my breath till that day.  

Assignment 15 - Erin

One of the great pleasures of life is that moment in the cinema when the lights finally dim fully, the screen widens, and the whole room is silent. The anticipation. The energy. The incredibly human experience of sitting in a large, darkened room with others to be whisked away into a story.

It's safe to say I've always been a movie geek. I love stories. And I've grown to love creating those stories for other people to experience. The process fascinates me, which of course is why my career aspirations lie in the field of movie-making. Even when I was young (we're talking single digit ages), what came after the movies enthralled me. I coveted the behind the scenes features on my precious DVDs, becoming captivated by how a bunch of people created what I just watched. I learn terms like "dolly zoom" and "ADR," intent on one day being able to use them.

Further yet, I fell in love with watching interviews and press junkets with directors, producers, actors, anyone involved in the process. I'll hardly be able to contain myself the day that I premiere a film or do any sort of press for it. That's the goal, really; to craft stories and tell people about them. Anytime I get to do any work related to my field of (currently independent) study, my severely geeky side comes out. My energy level goes through the roof when I'm working on a project, despite how little sleep I've probably gotten. And here's the real geeky truth: I am incredibly excited for all the sleepless nights and abundant stress that awaits me in my career. My outlook is if I'm stressed about what I love, if I'm losing sleep over what I love in order to better it, then I will content.

Assignment 12- Ally Tripure

       New roommate? Meeting new people? I cannot wait, seriously. I love meeting new people and spreading my friendship and love to more people. Meeting my new roommate...hmm...it would probably go a little like this:
       "Hi roomie! I am so excited to be rooming with you this year."
       "Hey roommatey, I hope its a great year, tell me a little about yourself."
       "My name is Allison Tripure, a lot of people call me Ally, it is whatever you prefer. I came from Henry Clay High School is Lexington, Kentucky and was very involved there. I played trumpet in band and ran on the cross country and track team. I also swam for the swim team, but I try to forget about that, I am not a very good swimmer *laughs*. I am pretty studious when it comes to school but definitely love to have fun as well. I love the outdoors and would love to go hiking sometime soon, hope you're in! And I love reading books, especially romance page turners, so if you have any suggestions hit me up. I love dogs, I have two at home that I will be showing you many pictures of. I love making new friends and getting to experience many personalities. Again, I am so excited to get to know you and cannot wait for this upcoming year :)."
       "Well that is just lovely."
       "Tell me about yourself!!"
       "*explains life story and hobbies and everything*"
       "AWESOME!"

Assignment 11- Ally Tripure

       I sit at the famous table known as "The Island" in AP Lang. Along with me, at the island sits Luke Webster, Sean Young, Max Young, and Delaney Weber. This blog post only requires 150 words so I will choose one person to focus on and that is Delaney Weber.
       I have known Delaney since preschool and cannot remember a time we were not friends. We went to school together until 5th grade and have gone to the same church our whole lives. Because we go to the same church, we are involved in many of the same extracurriculars, such as: Youth Ensemble, Handbell Choir, Adult Choir (Christmas Choir), and High School Choir. Delaney is involved in these choirs along with many other choirs that she loses count of sometimes. I am not sure how she has enough hours in the week to be a part of so many ensembles, but she does it, and she does it well. One big choir she is part of is Lexington Singers Chamber Choir. This is an audition only group that she excels in.
       Delaney has always been fond of fire as well. I love this quirk about her because if I ever want to have a campfire or need tips on how to build a successful campfire I know exactly who to ask, the talented pyro, Delaney Weber.
       I would say Delaney is a maroon color. I choose this color because it is warm and she is warm and loving towards her friends and maroon is also a pretty color and Delaney is very pretty (cue the awwwwws). Delaney is a wonderful friend who I am so grateful to have had as a friend for so long. Everyone should get to know her!

Assignment 10- Ally Tripure

       Describe a time when I was fraught with peril? I was not such a brave kid so this one is only difficult because there were so many times that I was "fraught with peril" to choose from.
       The first events to come to mind, though, are the horrible moments that I was outside my grandparents house in the dark.
       I hated going outside in the dark and most especially at my grandparents house in rural southern Ohio. This fear was for good reason. My older cousins had always told me ghost stories from around those parts that gave me nightmares. I knew their were coyotes and deer roaming around, making noise, but I could never decipher what was what or if I was safe or not.
       One night, I was playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of my cousins. Hide-and-seek was always better in the dark, at least they thought so. I had hidden behind the house, crouched beside a rock wall, hidden in the shadows. I was alone. It was not quiet though; every shuffle of leaves, every wisp of wind, every car that drove by was a threat to my safety and it made me quite uneasy. At that point, I just wanted to be found and around my cousins again, safe.
       As I sat in the dark shadows, I saw another shadow. Oh, finally, they found me. But it was not my cousin. I had no idea what it was, but it was scary. I could see its shadow creeping up the side of the house. Its shape resembling a beast, mixed between a coyote and a bear. My heart was beating a million times a minute and I could hardly breath. I was trying to keep as quiet as possible in hopes that the creature would not hear me. I was about to run. It began to turn the corner. This is the end, I am not going to make it out of this alive. It turned the corner...SPIKE?! Oh, thank God. It was only my grandma's beagle. He had wandered outside to go to the bathroom. I ran over to pet him and I gave away my hiding spot as my cousin rounded the corner.

Assignment 12 - Delaney

            Having a friend when you start off college is important. No one wants to feel lonely or as though they are living with someone they don’t know.

            I think it’s important for my roommate to know that although I can be social, sometimes I just want some quiet, down-time. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to be alone, I just don’t want a raging party in our dorm at all hours of the day.

            Also, I have some idiosyncratic tendencies that I forget are not normal. For example, my morning routine. When I get up in the morning, I will get dressed and ready for the day and then I will go lay down for about twenty minutes just for an extra boost of sleep before I leave my house.

            I am friendly and loyal to those who are close to me. I can become protective of my friends. So, if my roommate were to talk to me about how others have wronged them, I would be likely to step up and defend them – something that many people thanked me for but also something that a person looking to avoid conflict might not appreciate.

            In any case, I would make a good roommate and do my best to help my roommate with anything they may need.

Assignment 14 - Delaney

            Thanksgiving is always a great time for my family. We drive the eight hours to my aunt’s house in Michigan and settle in for a long, relaxing weekend. Spending a couple days with my cousins is a lot of fun.

            For the actual day of Thanksgiving, all of my mother’s father’s family comes over to my aunt’s house for a potluck dinner (more of a lunch since it starts at 1 pm, but it lasts all day). I enjoy catching up with all my extended family and playing (well, winning) euchre, my favorite card game.                    

            However, over the past couple of years, my dad and I have started a new tradition of driving to Detroit to attend the annual Detroit Lions NFL Thanksgiving game. It’s so much fun, especially last year when the Lions kicked a field goal in the last six seconds to win the game. My cousin comes with us and occasionally the Thanksgiving dinner is gone by the time we get home. We’ve figured it though – we just have to ask them to save us a plate ahead of time.

Assignment 9 - Delaney

     In a perfect world, where everyone and every leader had the same morals and beliefs, there would be no reason for war. As it is, war should be avoidable in most cases. Political leaders should compromise at any cost. But there comes a time when their differences are too great and there is no way to come to an agreement without compromising their own beliefs or morals. 

     If everyone was the same (an entirely different conversation all on its own), there would be no reason for war.  Similarly, the same effect would be caused by everyone being altruistic, and not greedy. A major cause of war is people trying to serve their own needs at the cost of others. 

     People need to care about others. Many times, this will mean not going to war in order to prevent the deaths of the people who would fight in it. However, like in World War Two, when the Americans fought to save the lives of the Jews from the Nazis, the United States was morally obliged to go to war in order to care for others. 

Assignment 10 - Delaney

     In the case of a zombie apocalypse, the first thing I would need to do is gather weapons, canned food, and my camping gear. As I thoroughly enjoy camping and going to the shooting range (and some green beans), I have all of these things at my house. I would pack all of my denim clothing (it’s really hard to bite through denim). 

     I would then put all of this into my dad’s Ford Explorer and would begin making the journey to my aunt's house in Michigan. She lives in the country, has a generator, a wood-burner, pigs, cattle, chickens, and a large garden with several varieties of fruits and vegetables. Also, her family is really into hunting and has lots of weapons. The perfect place to live during the zombie apocalypse.

     Of course, I would bring my immediate family and some friends with me if I could (see erica's zombie blog post for our admittance plan to our survival group). However, if they put me in any additional danger they would have to go. 

Assignment 11 - Delaney

     In AP English Language and Composition, I sit at a table with Allison Tripure. I have known her for as long as I can remember - at least twelve or thirteen years. We are both Catholic and go to the same church. We went to school together for elementary school at Seton Catholic. We are involved in Handbells and Youth Choir at our church. Ally is really funny and cares about all of her friends. She is also involved in Band. 

     Ally has always been an overachiever. One time, in the fifth grade, she asked the teacher if we could have more homework. The whole class groaned and begged the teacher not to.

     The color I would characterize her as is the brightest orange of fall leaves. Her personality is so bright and cheerful and warm. 

     In five years, I see Ally in college somewhere, having the time of her life. Definitely studying, but also hanging out with her friends and relaxing.

     Ally is definitely a good friend of mine and I know she will do great things.

Assignment 15 - Delaney

            As I’ve mentioned in some of the earlier blog posts, I was involved in the Commemorative Concert for the five-hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation at Christ the King Cathedral. The choir I was in sang Faure’s Requiem – one of my favorite pieces of music by one of my favorite composers.

            Our rehearsals were three hours long on Sunday afternoons for about two months or so. Whenever I mentioned them to someone else, either in the choir or not, they would groan and tell me they felt sorry for me. But I never wanted those rehearsals to end. The director, Tony Arnold, would discuss the composition in a way that my other choirs just don’t have time to do. I was fascinated by the music. Mr. Arnold would tell us that rehearsal was over and I would be so surprised because the three hours had just flown by.

            When I want to learn more, I join more high-level choirs or look up information about classical music. I also listen to Faure’s other music as well through YouTube and Spotify.