I recently discovered the tresure of the schoool's media center, and am curenttly taking advantage of it durring lunch periods. So let me catch you up on my life~
Debate:
This past Saturday we had a debate in Blatimore, and my team did not do well. I came home frustrated and upset. after eatting real food (because they hadn't provided lunch at the debate, only chips) and sleeping for a hour, I woke with a much better outlook on life, but still a little duboius about whether I could continue to push myself into doing debate. My partner is also having these thoughts. so if you were wondering how debate ended up going for me, I did very poorly, ranking 4th speaker for the first time. (which means I was the worst speaker in my debate that round) But i don't want to be sympathized with, because I knew I wasn't really prepared for this. Anyways, my coach and partner and I have to have a serious disscusion about debate and see if I'm going to continue.
Fireproof:
If you follow my blog you know that I recently watched Fireproof, the seherwood film that was Fandango's top seller when it came out. I continue to be impressed by the effort this church puts into thier films and really enjoyed it. obviously there's no way for them to make a Hollywood style film, but it was impressive all the same. If you havent' seen it you should see if it's still out or rent it when it's out on DVD.
Spirit Week:
this week is spirit week at school, and it's lots of fun to see the ways people dress, but yesterday was slightly disturbing. it was wacky tacky day and several of the girls in school were wearing ther bikini tops over shirts and bikini bottoms over layers of pants. I understand that the sentiment of wacky tacky is to wear as much as you can that clashes, but really what was the point of that??? And I'm happy to say that some of the sophmore boys in my Spanish class agreed with me, asking what the girls were trying to prove by basically wearingg thier underwear on the outsides. just a thought, I don't really think there was a big modesty issue or anything, but it looks stupid, even for wacky tacky day. If it is going to mean wearing that suff like that or it's going to mean boys are going to cross-dress I'm going to vote against it next year.
"The isolation of the Americas had remained aimportant in physical and cultural terms, but that isolation came to an end in 1492 with disaterous results" ~ World Civilizations
(A line from my WH text that i found interesting, haveing never heard Columbus's discovery portrayed as disasterous.)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Compliments of Steven
A friend of mine posted this as a Facebook note. I really appreciated his thoughts, and thought I'd share them with you. I promise that I will try to post my thoughts on Fireproof (among other things) later this week, probably Thursday. And now, may I present steven's note:
"This morning something interesting happened to me. I was running late for school and I passed this one guy on the side walk. I had seen him before (usually when I'm late) and it was the same as always, He says "Good Morning" and "Have a good day", and I do the same out of politeness. But this morning there was something different. I had been having a really bad morning, and those of you who have been around me this past weekend know that I've been under a lot of stress. But after a simple "good morning" I was feeling relieved. All it took was a simple, genuine, no-strings-attached, non-forced, friendly "good morning"That got me thinking, is that really all it takes? All he did was say "good morning" and "have a good day" and it brightened up my day. How much more joy would there be in the world today if strangers just did this one simple thing for each other? It's not much, just one little greeting. And yet just think of the impact it could have on someone. It isn't really that much, it takes almost no effort. If all of this is true then why do we go to so much trouble to avoid eye contact when we see someone else walking in our direction. What has happened when being unfriendly is the norm? Now I thought that was it, my little "epiphany" (if you can even call it that) was over. But there was still more. I was late for school, something that would normally stress me out a little (this meant another morning detention), but it didn't. Now for those of you who don't go to school in Howard County there is something you need to understand. The Howard County school system has been trying to promote civility among students, so every Monday the principal gives a civility "rule" for the week.Well I was in line at the attendance window near the front office where they do the morning announcements. I looked in and saw that out principle was reading the civility rule out of a book! How ironic is it that the administration that is supposed to be promoting this knows so little about it that they have to read it out of a book.This sort of thing shouldn't even have to be necessary. People should know how to act by high school and nobody ever even listens to the announcements. Being friendly isn't something that should have to be taught and forced on someone. If you make someone be friendly an courteous it completely misses the point. As much as we make excuses about how what a difference can I, just one person, make. I can tell you that it really can make a difference in someone's life, at the very least someone's day. I really don't know how to end this, but I do have one thing left to say. I think the Black Eyed Peas song "Where is the Love?" sums up my point entirely, and if you haven't heard it yet you really should: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojpbOJjrGBQ"
"This morning something interesting happened to me. I was running late for school and I passed this one guy on the side walk. I had seen him before (usually when I'm late) and it was the same as always, He says "Good Morning" and "Have a good day", and I do the same out of politeness. But this morning there was something different. I had been having a really bad morning, and those of you who have been around me this past weekend know that I've been under a lot of stress. But after a simple "good morning" I was feeling relieved. All it took was a simple, genuine, no-strings-attached, non-forced, friendly "good morning"That got me thinking, is that really all it takes? All he did was say "good morning" and "have a good day" and it brightened up my day. How much more joy would there be in the world today if strangers just did this one simple thing for each other? It's not much, just one little greeting. And yet just think of the impact it could have on someone. It isn't really that much, it takes almost no effort. If all of this is true then why do we go to so much trouble to avoid eye contact when we see someone else walking in our direction. What has happened when being unfriendly is the norm? Now I thought that was it, my little "epiphany" (if you can even call it that) was over. But there was still more. I was late for school, something that would normally stress me out a little (this meant another morning detention), but it didn't. Now for those of you who don't go to school in Howard County there is something you need to understand. The Howard County school system has been trying to promote civility among students, so every Monday the principal gives a civility "rule" for the week.Well I was in line at the attendance window near the front office where they do the morning announcements. I looked in and saw that out principle was reading the civility rule out of a book! How ironic is it that the administration that is supposed to be promoting this knows so little about it that they have to read it out of a book.This sort of thing shouldn't even have to be necessary. People should know how to act by high school and nobody ever even listens to the announcements. Being friendly isn't something that should have to be taught and forced on someone. If you make someone be friendly an courteous it completely misses the point. As much as we make excuses about how what a difference can I, just one person, make. I can tell you that it really can make a difference in someone's life, at the very least someone's day. I really don't know how to end this, but I do have one thing left to say. I think the Black Eyed Peas song "Where is the Love?" sums up my point entirely, and if you haven't heard it yet you really should: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojpbOJjrGBQ"
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Life is going by so fast!
Sorry for not having posted in like a month, but school started and life caught up with me and dragged me along as it whirled past. (Boy am I in a poetical mood)
Anyway, here’s the latest life update, just so we’re on the same page when I start getting philosophical:
~ Being a junior in HS is like impossibly hard, esp. with 4 AP classes
~ Being in Varsity Debate doesn’t help too much either
~ Trying to get in driving hours and looking at college mail just adds to the fun
~ Add to that that I still have a social life and therefore have youth groups and stuff to do with friends…
You can see how my blog would not be a major priority. Anyways, today I have a day off from school and so I can catch everyone up and try to make this more regular.
And now into the mental stuff!
Did you know that Google is only ten years old?
About three days ago they had a Google doodle window celebrating their tenth birthday. Imagine that! I can’t think of a day when I don’t use Google, either to find pictures, or websites for school, or recipes for my mom, or simply to use my Gmail account and post on my blog. How much does the rest of the world rely in Google? How many hours a day do you spend in front of your computer? What if Google crashed or got shut down one day, what would we all do? Did you know that your Microsoft word document would probably not recognize google or blog as a word? Try it! On one of my friend’s blogs (see it in the side, the one called insert really cool blog name here) has a post called the facebook files. How old is Facebook? How many of you are signed up for the Facebook event ‘the day with out facebook”? Now, how many of you won’t remember to do it until you log into facebook and see the event on the side flashing at you. Reminding you that you’re not supposed to have logged on that day? Yes, we can say big brave things, we can tell people that we aren’t dependant on our computers, but in reality we are, and we just need to make it work for us rather than us work for them.
New phrases related to online sites:
I’ll google it (google bring the verb here)
Facebook me about it (Facebook also being the verb)
That is SO my new facebook quote
I’ll look in Wikipedia (like Encyclopedia, but no one uses those anymore)
Because publishers do not censor the Internet, pretty much anyone can post stories or ideas up. What are you putting on the Internet everyday? When you post on someone’s facebook wall, are you going to remember that all your mutual friends will see that? Just something to think about. It’s hard to have integrity online, And I know it most of all, having a blog, but it’s important that we do. It’s here to stay, so lets use it for good.
Thoughts on Grades
So how many people have read the report card by Andrew Clements? I think that it has a very good point about grades. Grades are for teachers to see how their students are doing, how they are succeeding, whether they need help. Grades are for colleges to determine whether students will be able to keep up with the courses at their schools.
Grades should NOT be for students to show off to one another, should NOT be for schools to compete on whose students have higher GPA’s, should NOT be a stress filled thing when students are waiting to receive them.
However, Grades are all of the above (both the good and the bad) and more. I’m not sure what I think about this yet, but I know that grades are so stressful, and I feel like they shouldn’t be, because in ten years which will matter more, my grades or the friendships I built, both with God and with people?
FIREPROOF!!!!
I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m going to see it today. I really like what Alex Harris (I think it was Alex) said on the Rebelution blog about it and the previous sherwood films (see side bar). I will post again this evening when I’ve seen it, but it promises to be really, really good, the trailer gives me shivers and causes emotion to rise to the top.
Debate
This years Policy debate topic is Alternative energy. There’s so much out there on it, and I’m trying to read up more on it, but the choice to do debate is not an easy one, and it requires a ton of outside work. Please pray for me in this, as my academics have to come before my extra-curricular, and the extra-curricular takes a ton of time.
Quote:
“It is our choices that make us who we really are, much more than our abilities.” ~Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone
Anyway, here’s the latest life update, just so we’re on the same page when I start getting philosophical:
~ Being a junior in HS is like impossibly hard, esp. with 4 AP classes
~ Being in Varsity Debate doesn’t help too much either
~ Trying to get in driving hours and looking at college mail just adds to the fun
~ Add to that that I still have a social life and therefore have youth groups and stuff to do with friends…
You can see how my blog would not be a major priority. Anyways, today I have a day off from school and so I can catch everyone up and try to make this more regular.
And now into the mental stuff!
Did you know that Google is only ten years old?
About three days ago they had a Google doodle window celebrating their tenth birthday. Imagine that! I can’t think of a day when I don’t use Google, either to find pictures, or websites for school, or recipes for my mom, or simply to use my Gmail account and post on my blog. How much does the rest of the world rely in Google? How many hours a day do you spend in front of your computer? What if Google crashed or got shut down one day, what would we all do? Did you know that your Microsoft word document would probably not recognize google or blog as a word? Try it! On one of my friend’s blogs (see it in the side, the one called insert really cool blog name here) has a post called the facebook files. How old is Facebook? How many of you are signed up for the Facebook event ‘the day with out facebook”? Now, how many of you won’t remember to do it until you log into facebook and see the event on the side flashing at you. Reminding you that you’re not supposed to have logged on that day? Yes, we can say big brave things, we can tell people that we aren’t dependant on our computers, but in reality we are, and we just need to make it work for us rather than us work for them.
New phrases related to online sites:
I’ll google it (google bring the verb here)
Facebook me about it (Facebook also being the verb)
That is SO my new facebook quote
I’ll look in Wikipedia (like Encyclopedia, but no one uses those anymore)
Because publishers do not censor the Internet, pretty much anyone can post stories or ideas up. What are you putting on the Internet everyday? When you post on someone’s facebook wall, are you going to remember that all your mutual friends will see that? Just something to think about. It’s hard to have integrity online, And I know it most of all, having a blog, but it’s important that we do. It’s here to stay, so lets use it for good.
Thoughts on Grades
So how many people have read the report card by Andrew Clements? I think that it has a very good point about grades. Grades are for teachers to see how their students are doing, how they are succeeding, whether they need help. Grades are for colleges to determine whether students will be able to keep up with the courses at their schools.
Grades should NOT be for students to show off to one another, should NOT be for schools to compete on whose students have higher GPA’s, should NOT be a stress filled thing when students are waiting to receive them.
However, Grades are all of the above (both the good and the bad) and more. I’m not sure what I think about this yet, but I know that grades are so stressful, and I feel like they shouldn’t be, because in ten years which will matter more, my grades or the friendships I built, both with God and with people?
FIREPROOF!!!!
I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m going to see it today. I really like what Alex Harris (I think it was Alex) said on the Rebelution blog about it and the previous sherwood films (see side bar). I will post again this evening when I’ve seen it, but it promises to be really, really good, the trailer gives me shivers and causes emotion to rise to the top.
Debate
This years Policy debate topic is Alternative energy. There’s so much out there on it, and I’m trying to read up more on it, but the choice to do debate is not an easy one, and it requires a ton of outside work. Please pray for me in this, as my academics have to come before my extra-curricular, and the extra-curricular takes a ton of time.
Quote:
“It is our choices that make us who we really are, much more than our abilities.” ~Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone
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