My Last Words As A Sophomore

As my sophomore year comes to an end, I would like to take a look back at everything that I've accomplished in this short amount of time. Without a doubt, my sophomore year has been nonpareil to any other school year that I've had so far.

In many ways, my freshman year in no way prepared me for what sophomore year had in store for me. Freshman year had prepared us for an easy ride through high school that would be filled with simple vocabulary quizzes, and tests that would always be multiple choice. Much to my dismay, sophomore year was the complete opposite. Almost every week throughout this year I've had multiple quizzes and tests from day-to-day; not to mention all of the homework assignments that I've had to keep up with on top of that. I must admit that it's been a pretty tough job to maintain "good" grades, a decent sleep schedule, and steady work ethic. Nonetheless, I've grown to be a better student and overall person in general.

I give extreme credit to myself for holding on to my sanity throughout this year, and for staying dedicated when things got tough. I know that Algebra II has been a very tough class for me to get through this year, and I think this is where I give myself the most credit. There were countless "bad grades" that I had made in that class, but I stuck to it. I started studying more, and staying after school to get help. With that, my grades started to grow steadily.

Not only did I learn that I needed to focus more on math and take my time, but I also learned that I needed to dedicate myself a bit more to my work. One of my weakest points is that I give the simplest form of an answer possible for everything. Being an honors student, my teachers expect me to elaborate my explanations further rather than stating a short and simple answer and moving on. It's still a working process, but throughout time it's gotten easier to extend my knowledge and pull more information from just a few words.

However, I think the biggest effect that my sophomore year has had on me would be one of the scariest, yet most exciting things ever: growing up. It's crazy to think that in two short years, I'll be graduating. Graduating is so exciting because you finally get to get out of high school, you get to experience college and new-found freedom, and you get to be recognized as an adult. Graduating is definitely the "big step" that throws you straight into real life; that's why it's scary. However, while graduation may mean leaving those horrible days of high school behind, for some people it may also mean leaving your old friends behind. Of course some of your former high school friends will attend the same college as you, but overall you will most likely have to completely find new friends for yourself as a new college student. It's almost as if you get so close to people who learn to love you and accept you, and then you're forced to move half-way across the country and not keep in-touch with those people very well. That's probably not entirely how that whole process is, but it definitely seems that way. Sophomore year has definitely proved to me that I need to go ahead and start preparing for what college will bring, and for being an adult, because it won't be long and I'll be ready to graduate.

In conclusion, I think it's necessary to give myself a pat on the back for holding on for this long. This year has definitely been tough, but with dedication I've learned that I can get myself through just about anything. This year has also taught me that I'm growing up fast, and that every step of the way from here will be one step closer to being an adult. It's quite exciting to think of everything I've learned this year, but it's also scary when I think of how close I really am to the end.

So long, sophomore year!

            ~Taylor xx

A One-Word Essay: "Escape"

One word: "escape"

es·cape 
/iˈskāp/

Verb Break free from confinement or control.

Noun An act of breaking free from confinement or control.

What does escape mean to you? For some people, "escape" means something they can do to get away from everything else. For others, "escape" could literally mean getting away from somewhere. Therefore, depending on the context, "escape" could mean a lot of things. 

To me, "escape" means something that will completely take me away from everything else. My main "escape" happens to be music. As I've discussed before, music does a lot for me. It takes me places that nothing else can, and also lifts me when nothing else can. Through music, I’m able to express almost exactly how I feel. It’s almost as if the artist or composer of the song has written something specifically for me. It’s amazing!

Music then becomes my escape because not only does it express exactly how I feel, but I’m able to get lost in what the song is trying to convey to its listeners. Whether it’s the lyrics, or the melody, or the overall emotion of the song, something always captures my attention in such a great way that I’m forced to stay and listen to the song.

Music becomes my escape because I am able to get so lost in what I’m listening to, that I forget about anything I was worried about prior to listening to a specific song. For instance, I could have had a horrible week, been stressed out because I was going to have not only a Chemistry test, but also an Algebra II test, not gotten much sleep, or even fallen behind on schoolwork, yet once I get into my car and that one upbeat song blasts through my speakers, I'm in a completely different world than I was before. It's almost as if, for a few moments, everything else drifts away and all I'm left with is the hype of the song and the catchy lyrics. 

Music allows me to escape. And that is exactly, and solely what I think of when I think of "escape". I think of music, and only music. 

What do you think of when you think of "escape"?

                                                 ~Taylor xx

Knowledge

Imagine: one day, all knowledge is lost and only one sentence is left for the coming generation. What sentence would you choose to leave behind? 

We never stop to think about how valuable history is to each and everyone of us. In the past, there have been many horrific events that have occurred, ans without prior knowledge to these events, they could easily occur again.  History is also valuable to us because of scientific reasons. Because of documented history we've been able to discover not only new things about our species, but we've also been able to learn about many other species' that live on Earth. History helps us every single day. So what would we be without it?

If I could only leave one sentence behind for the coming generation then my sentence would be this: "all things are created equal, no matter what." The reason why I would choose this sentence is because I think this is what people tend to forget about. No one is better than anyone else in any kind of way. Somehow, a lot of people seem to think that they are better than everyone else when they really aren't. 

Believe it or not, many bad things have happened in the past because of people being treated unequally. Even in today's current society problems arise because not everyone is treated fairly. It's pretty ridiculous that so many things have happened before in the past because of people being unfair to each other, and we still haven't learned our lesson from it. 

In conclusion, I think it would be most important to leave the fact behind that everyone is equal. If people don't keep this thought in mind then huge problems could come up in the future. 

Teen Probems

It is no doubt that there are many problems facing teens everyday. We are faced with stress, insomnia, cramming, homework, chores, jobs, grades, and life in general. At such a young age we are expected to carry out all of these tasks with ease. Sometimes though, these problems can add up and cause us to come undone because they are too much to deal with. I believe the biggest problem that teens face in today's time is bullying.

Bullying is a worldwide problem that generally everyone faces, but teenagers get the most of it. In the past decade, bullying has gotten so bad that it has not only caused school shootings, but has also caused a higher rate of suicide, and violence.

Studies show that in 2010 alone, suicide was the third leading cause of death in the upper teen age group (15-24). Not only is it the third leading cause of death, but studies also show that over 3.2 million students each year are victims of some type of bullying. The next question that I'm going to bring up is why isn't anyone doing anything about this steady-growing problem? Almost everyone has either witnessed, or been a victim of bullying. Whether it be cyber-bullying, at-home bullying, or just bullying around school - everyone's experienced it somehow. If everyone notices it then why don't they try to stop it?

Most studies show that teens are not happy with the support or help they receive about bullying. Why? Because most schools think that to get rid of bullying only requires a small "chat", and then everything's back to normal. This concept is incorrect. The way to fix bullying is not by having a small conversation with the victims and their abusers. I believe the way to fix bullying is by actually taking time to analyze and fix the problem.

The number one thing that I can really think of that would relate to teens would be the "Cross the Line" program. What this is is a program that schools do where you gather all of the students of a particular class/age group, and then you put them together in a very large space (i.e. gymnasium). You tape a line down the middle of the room and have all of the students stand on one side of the line. You then read a question out loud for the students to answer. For example: "cross the line if you have ever been bullied." After a few questions you group about five students together in however many groups you can form. The students will sit in a circle and discuss a problem that they all have in common. The objective of this activity is to show students and teens that they all have things in common, and they're all dealing with the same things.

The reason why I think this would be a good idea is because most of the time when students and teens are judged it's because they're different than everyone else. They may not wear name brand clothes, or wear expensive make-up, or never wear the same outfit twice, but they all deal with the same problems. The activity would not only bring the students closer to each other, but it would also point out to them that they don't need to judge anyone because everyone has problems they're dealing with.

Bullying not only ruins people's lives, but it also causes long term effects. Bullying causes people to change themselves to fit in, it can cause suicide, school shootings, school violence, substance abuse, self-harm, depression, anxiety,  and many other long-term problems. Teenagers already have enough to deal with, they don't need to deal with such a horrible thing as bullying. We need to put an end to bullying someway, somehow. I truly think that with a little thought, we can end bullying completely. 

  

http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2013/02/03/11-facts-about-bullying-in-usa/
http://www.ditchthelabel.org/the-annual-bullying-survey-2013-results-are-in/
http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/10LCID_All_Deaths_By_Age_Group_2010-a.pdf
http://freechild.org/Firestarter/CrossingTheLine.htm

                                                            

   ~Taylor xx

Fourteen Final Lines

In the poem "Fourteen Final Lines" by J. Allyn Rosser, I think the most powerful final line would be the line that says "we watch the puppet show to spot the strings".

To me, this line is the most powerful because of how true it is. Basically the meaning that I got from this line was that we watch people just so that we can try and pick out their flaws. It's kind of like we watch people because we enjoy seeing them mess up, or maybe we watch them because seeing them mess up will make us feel better. If you think about it, it really makes sense. Sometimes we get it in our heads that people are "perfect", or "flawless", and we think that they could never do anything wrong. However, we are only fooling ourselves. Everyone messes up someway, somehow, we just might not ever notice it. Either way, finding a way to pick out someone else's flaws is never the right thing to do.

Now that I have read and analyzed this poem, I am assigned to write my own poem. I have to say that usually, when I write, I don't have a designated "theme" for my writing. Instead of having a theme, I let my writing come to me and let it out as I go. I'm going to try that here and see how well it works. After all, aren't all poems are supposed to be unique?

 The outside is warm, yet bitter and cold

I look for freedom, because it fills my soul

The house is tumbling, with cracks and mold

We're all searching for something to fill the empty hole

Our hearts suffer from hurt and despair

Because nothing can make us tender and kind

We cry at night because life is unfair

We've got too many thoughts to fill up our mind's 

With nothing but hurt to take up our time

What is left to keep us alive?

We take a chance off of the line

Hoping to find some way to thrive

We find this hope, buried deep inside

And decide to try for one last time

Carpe Diem

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Gil Bailie

When asked what makes me come alive, a million memories run through my head. There are so many things that can make me come alive, but I'll sum it down to the things that mean the most to me.

One of the major things that makes me come alive is music. Music influences me in pretty much every single way possible. It can change my emotion, inspire me, and even change my overall outlook on things in life. Just by a certain choice of song I can go from being upset, to being the happiest I've ever been. It's all because of the affect music has on me. Music moves me in many ways that other things would never be able to, and I absolutely love that.

The second thing that makes me come alive would be dancing. Dance partially makes me come alive because there's music involved with it. Dance gives me the opportunity to express how the music is making me feel deep inside me. A good description of this feeling would be how I feel right before dancing in dance recitals every year. I'm onstage stuck still in an exact position that I always start the dance in, the lights are down, and everything's quiet. Right in that moment my body is completely filled with jitters and I have a huge smile on my face, and then the music starts. The jitters start to slowly ease away, my smile gets bigger, and the dance comes with ease just as it always does when I practice it. And in those few minutes, the stage is mine and I feel infinite. Once the dance is over I run offstage and feel pumped and instantly my mood skyrockets.

The third thing that makes me come alive is adventure. The idea of traveling to Europe, or LA, or NYC, or Seattle, or really anywhere makes me feel jittery and happy. I love getting to see new places and just getting to explore new things. Every year my family and I either go to the mountains or the beach at least once just to get away for a day or two. Each year it's the same exact scenery, but it never gets old. Sitting on the stone wall at Lovers Leap and just looking out at the vastness filled with trees and fog, it's just beautiful scenery. It's the same thing with the beach. The warm, salt-filled air, the beautiful sunset, and the overall feeling of carefree-ness of the surrounding people. It's ecstatic! Being in new places and traveling just makes me feel so free and alive, because I'm experiencing new things that are more beautiful than I could ever imagine.

The fourth and final thing that makes me come alive would be long car rides. Right about now you're probably thinking I'm crazy because I like long, boring car rides. But you're wrong, so let me explain first. The long car rides I'm talking about are the ones you take with your best friends. The ones where you pack up your car and ride to the beach with your friends when you're a teenager.  Your windows are rolled down, the sun is out, your music is up, the wind is in your hair, you sing along to your favorite songs, you laugh about the little things, and you feel electric. Those are the long car rides I'm talking about. The ones where you feel so free that nothing could hold you back from any of the things you wanted to accomplish in life. Those moments with your friends when you feel like nothing else matters other than right then, and right there. These are the car rides that are worth living for, the ones that make you feel endless. I love those long car rides.

So, these are a few of the things that make me come alive. Now you should think about what makes  you come alive. I hope you enjoyed hearing about what makes me come alive. Now go find an adventure to take!

~Taylor xx

Character Explanation ~ Ismene - Lines 1-99

We chose this character for our Voki because she looked like Ismene. She looks very woman-like, and also very fierce; like she really knows what she's doing. This makes the character really reflect how Ismene acts in the text.

The Voki looks like a very strong and put together woman, this is what Ismene has to be in the book because of Antingone's actions. The Voki explains Ismene's anger towards Antigone for wanting to bury their brother, Polyneices, when it is forbidden.

Originally, Antigone had wanted Ismene to help bury Polyneices, but she refused to do it because she didn't want to go against Creon. Ismene warns Antigone that she will be killed, but Antigone defies her sister.

Even though Ismene is contempt with Antigone with this, she still cares and worries about her.

                                                            -Taylor xx

Fraction Friends

Who are the people you spend the most time with? Your friends? Family? Teachers? Co-workers? No matter who they are, they tend to affect your personality. The most important parts to consider with these five people is if you accept how they affect your personality or not, if it bothers you that they affect you, and if you feel like you've become a better person because of how they affect you. 

The people I spend the most time with are my small group of best friends: Chelsea, Amy, Nicole, Alyssa, Kayla, and Bryson. I do agree that all of them have some affect on my personality, but some have more of an affect than others, and they all affect me in different ways. The person who has the biggest affect on me is Chelsea. I partially think the reason for this is simply because we spend so much time with each other, and because we've been friends for practically forever. However, I also think that why she has such a big affect on me is because she understands me on so many levels and she's able to connect with me on almost all of them. 

All of my other friends have the same amount of influence on me, and that isn't really a problem with me. Overall, I don't mind the affects they have on me at all. I don't feel as if I've become a better, or a worse person because of how they affect me either. I actually try not to let my friends influence my well being because I feel as if it interrupts my ability to form "myself". What I mean is that I don't want myself to become what my friends are, I want to be my own person. 

So now I leave you to answer all of these questions on your own. Do you think the people around you affect you? Do you mind? Are you a better person because of it? 

~Taylor xx

Society, Why Can't You Solve Your Own Problems?

We all know that we have internal and external problems of our own, but do you ever stop and think about societies problems? If so, then what would be the biggest problem that today's society has?

I believe that the biggest problem society has is setting a specific standard for everyone. What I mean by this is that society sets a strict example of how everyone "should" be, and then the expect you to follow it. If you don't follow the trend that they set then you're considered an outsider.

For example: in the U.S., the "proper" image of how a girl "should be" is to be skinny, tan, have flawless make-up, and to most importantly be pretty. The "proper" image of how a guy "should be" is to have a six-pack of abs, to be tall, to be athletic, and to be attractive. Society has these standards and they are very evident, because instances when they occur happen quite often. If a girl isn't tall enough or skinny enough, then she could be turned down from a modeling job because she "isn't good enough." A guy might even be turned down by a "popular" girl because he doesn't fit her "image."

This is a huge problem for society. Not only does it make a big impact on peoples self-esteem, but it also affects how society acts together as a whole. People push themselves to great lengths to fit these "perfect" images of how people should be, and it's detrimental to their health.

But why does society have this issue? Well, this question can be answered about two different ways. The first way it can be explained is by saying that society has become accustomed to what they think perfect is supposed to be, when no one can be perfect at all. Another way to think about it is that each person in our society is in "competition" with each other. Meaning that it's always a race. Who has the best clothes? Who has the best make-up? Who doesn't have any zits? Who has the brand new iPhone? It's always a race to have all of the top-notch things.

I think a really great way to solve this problem would definitely be to have more campaigns like the Dove campaign, and less of the Victoria's Secret campaigns. Dove  has a campaign and it says that "everyone is beautiful." This is what people need to hear, and to be told instead of seeing one-hundred pound supermodels in undergarments and then have other people expect them to be like that. If there were more campaigns like the Dove campaign then I definitely think people would start believing that they're beautiful.

Another solution would be for everyone to take a step back from the norm and realize that everyone's different, and no one's ever going to be perfect. Therefore, stop trying to be perfect. You're absolutely fine the way you are. Always remember: "what you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful."



                                                        ~Taylor xx

A Whole Person Score

When you think about your life, and all of the things you've achieved, do you ever rate yourself on certain aspects? For instance: you make straight A's on your report card, so you get a certain amount of "points."

Well, this weeks blog is going to be a "self-rating rubric." After I've completed the rubric I'll use it to grade myself. The way it will go is that I will make a list of miscellaneous things and they will each have a point rating. From there, you will be able to add up anything on the list that applies to you and you can come to a complete score.

*Keep in mind that you may have a different set of criteria for the list. This list is just what I came up with.*


Being honest: 75
Making good grades: 20
Doing drugs of any kind: -45
Lying: -35
Being nice: 50
Playing a sport: 55
Owning a pet: 15
Having/keeping a job: 85
Being a safe driver: 100
Keeping yourself healthy: 100
Spending time with loved ones: 50
Dropping out of school: -75
Reading regularly: 40
Completing assignments on time: 20
Having/keeping a pet: 35
Keeping promises: 95
Staying in school: 200
Playing a musical instrument: 20
Going to college: 150
Buying a house: 250
Keeping your room/house/apartment clean: 30
Studying: 35
Having close friendships: 45
Being responsible: 50
Being involved with school clubs: 20
Traveling: 100
Getting your driver's license: 50
Graduating high school: 100
Having respect for yourself and others: 75
Going to church: 50
Standing up for yourself: 50
Having your own opinions: 75




So there's my list! It isn't too long, but overall the list contains most things that are really important in life. There are many things on the list that I haven't achieved yet, but they still will still count someday.

Now would be the time to rate myself using my own list. Overall, I would give myself a score of 1275.    I guess you could say that I'm not doing so bad since my score looks pretty good! However, realistically, I'm sure that score would be much higher or lower depending on who you are or what you've achieved, rather. Either way, it's just a fun way to total up some of the things that you've done and see what your score is!



                                                             Hope you enjoyed!
                                                                 -Taylor xx