Assignment #10- Noah

Frankly, I hate the concept of zombie apocalypses as a whole because my pet peeve is unexplained or highly unrealistic scenarios in stories. Chief among those stories are zombie stories. There are two extremely common zombie stereotypes.

The first is the kind of zombies that bite other zombies in order to spread the virus. I believe that the military would be able to obliterate any and all hints of a start to a zombie apocalypse with our current military power. Think about it logically. The zombies would have enough time to spread to 1000s of people without the government noticing? And even in that scenario, we have helicopters and missiles and naval capabilities. Zombies would be quite easy to destroy.

The second stereotype is the decomposing corpses risen from the grave. Uh, this one is fairly self-explanatory. There is a  scientific explanation for this. Nanobots. Nanobots controlling them and ordering them around would certainly give the appearance of reanimated dead, but nothing a good EMP wouldn't destroy.

However, if there is magic involved, then we are screwed, because of how much our world is based on science and laws. Magic breaks laws of science, and zombies would just spread like a plague because of the raw amount of humans who have died in the past decade alone would be enough to kill enough humans to reanimate more corpses and continue. That's why necromancers are so overpowered in fantasy games and stories. Once they enter into a fray of battle, the people they kill become weapons to get more corpses.

My plan is to rely on our government to be safe, and probably commit suicide if magic is involved, because I would like a painless death, not getting gnawed to death by corpses of my friends. I am not afraid to admit that I am a coward in the face of death, so yeah, there is my plan. It isn't a material body survival per say, but more of a mental survival plan, if you catch my drift.

Assignment 8- Eli Dyer

Fears- Crickets, bees

Annoyances- passive aggressive people

Accomplishments- relatively good person (I think)

Confusions-

Sorrows- laziness (doing nothing is a large problem of mine)

Dreams- be happy, get into a good college, get interesting job

Idiosyncrasies- making fun of other people (but not in a mean way I hope), frisbee

Risks- can’t really think of any, I should probably work on that. I don’t want to be boring

Beloved Possessions- books (then), shoes I guess (now)

Problems: organization, laziness, procrastination

Crickets. Similar to other insects, they look extremely odd up close, like aliens. They used to really freak me out. I would about pee myself every time one of them jumped at me. I mean, can you blame me? They’re terrifying in a non-threatening sort of way. This fear was particularly detrimental because crickets could be found in abundance in the basement of my house, which is where my bedroom is located. Over the last year or so, I have seen more crickets than the rest of my life combined. Some days I’d walk out of my room and there would be 7 crickets in the hallway outside my door, which made it very difficult to get through. However, the constant exposure to the creepy critters has dulled my sensitivity to their sudden hopping. Although I’m still somewhat afraid of them, my current fear of crickets is nothing compared to its peak.

Assignment 7- Eli Dyer

On the subject of college, I am overwhelmed by all of the various options. My plans begin and end at studying some sort of English or writing. My favorite classes have always been the Language Arts classes because something clicks when I’m working with English. I haven’t put much thought into where I want to go to college or my plans afterwards.

At some point I considered a career in journalism due to my involvement in the school newspaper, but that died with along with journalism.

I would like to have a job related to editing writing, as that is what I find myself to have a real talent in.

I’m also interested in history, but only the history that I find interesting. I can recall entire lectures on topics that were engaging and fascinating, but fail to recollect entire units that were lackluster and boring.

The most important thing for me is to find a college and/or career that I enjoy because my happiness has always been the most important factor in my major life decisions.

Assignment 6- Eli Dyer

I am naturally geared towards Language and Writing, specifically Language. That is not to say I hate or am bad at Math or Science, I’m just not hard-wired for those subjects. My Language and Writing skills are largely due to my obsessive reading when I was younger. The correct ways to write and format a sentence were drilled into my head with each and every book. With grammar, I can almost always instantly tell whether something is correct or not based off of whether it sounds right or not.

My skill with grammar contributes a lot to my school activities, such as being an editor in the school newspaper. Although it doesn’t come as naturally as grammar, I enjoy writing and am hoping to better my writing skills through this class. I would consider myself a solid writer, but it frustrates me that I can read so much excellent writing but not be able to replicate it in my own work.

Assignment 8-Tag Howard

Fears: Heights, unremarkably
Annoyances: needless repetition, undue excitement, ignorance
Accomplishments: Well versed in a number of subjects, very good with computers
Confusions: Why partisan division continues to hinder society
Sorrows: Climate change, hatred, bigotry
Dreams: Importance (in legacy not in life), success
Idiosyncrasies: Long nonsensical tangents
Risks: A few dangerous climbs
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: My custom desktop (Now), my friends and family (Then)
Problems: Procrastination

In our world, there are few things that are categorically bad but climate change and hatred among people are among the greatest. Across the world and throughout history people have fought hatred but unfortunately, life is not a comic book, good doesn't always win. Climate change though is a novel issue but while may people want to do something about it nowhere near enough action has been taken. It seems every week a new story about a mass shooting or terrorist attack or yet another study about the dire effects of climate change. And even with huge movements that occasionally erupt (despite such events usually going without reacting), from where I stand the situation today is barely different than it was years ago. There is simply not enough reaction people have become deaf to the issues of our time because theses same issues are those of the previous generation and if they are not dealt with soon they will be the issues of the next generations, and the one after that, and (if there even is one) the one after that.

Assignment 5- Eli Dyer

To be entirely honest, I watch TV purely for the entertainment. I couldn't care less about any potential benefits or education that come from it. My parents always said, “TV will rot your brain,” and though this is at least a little true, that hasn’t stopped me.

In my opinion, TV is only a problem when it prevents you from engaging in other activities, such as going outside or doing school work. Personally, I watch TV as an alternative to those activities, not a replacement. Watching, through a screen, someone go outside with friends or play sports, is no substitute for doing so yourself. Though my parents may disagree, I don’t think watching TV impedes my life. As long as you’re getting the necessary physical exercise and keeping up with school, there’s nothing wrong with watching TV.

Regarding the popularity of the Emmy’s when compared to the Nobel Prizes, the situation is sad but understandable. The Nobel Prizes, while important, are not that interesting (to me at least), but the same is not true for the Emmy’s.

Assignment 4- Eli Dyer

As a child, specifically in 2nd grade, I loathed school. The endless, monotonous experience bored me to tears. It wasn’t so much the learning that bothered me, but the lack thereof. Everything we did was easy, and nowhere more so than in English class. I already knew the content that we were learning. When the class would do independent work in workbooks, I was working on a 5th grade textbook, which I still completed without effort. Nothing I did in school every stimulated me, or even interested me.

It was at this point I began considering the necessity of school. If I wasn’t going to learn anything, what was the point? The entirety of 2nd grade, I ceased my participation in school; it no longer mattered to me. The end result of that decision was 4 office referrals and being sent to SAFE twice.

It wasn’t until I was accepted and enrolled in the gifted and talented program at Tates Creek Elementary that I finally found some challenge and enjoyment in school. The program at Tates Creek Elementary continued to Tates Creek Middle, and then to the Academy. It’s how I’ve gotten to where I am today: enjoying school for the most part.

Assignment 3- Eli Dyer

Growing up, my cousin, who is 1 year and 6 days younger than me, was my best friend. When I was around, he and his family lived in Sweden for around a year. My mother and I went to visit them for a week or two, and that was my first and last time, so far, leaving the country. From what I can remember, Sweden was cool. I took a ferry for the first time, although I don’t remember where or why.

Today, my cousin and the rest of his family live in Maine. We visit them in Maine every other summer, and other than the temperature, Maine is similar to Kentucky. But the temperature is very difficult to get over. We go in the summer and the water is still freezing. I’m highly disappointed that I have yet to see a moose, despite the entire family going on an expedition into the forest in order to see one.

Assignment 2- Eli Dyer

Although I used to read a lot, almost an excessive amount, that is no longer true. Today, with my various extracurriculars and school work, I struggle to find the time. As a result, I only read when my family essentially forces me to or for school. This summer, when I found myself with nothing to do, my mother and sister compelled me to read Gone Girl, written by Gillian Flynn. The book began as a stereotypical mystery, but transformed into anything but. Gone Girl was fascinating, and I could not bring myself to put it down, every chapter leading to a new development. Another book, somewhat forced upon me, was The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I read this book for World History last year, but I genuinely enjoyed it. The Joy Luck Club allowed me to see life from a different perspective, the perspective of an Asian immigrant in America.

Although I don’t read as much as I should, when I pick up a satisfying book, I read it. For me, the struggle is not to finish, but to begin.

Oh Yeah, Death-Connor Foley Assignment 8

So like, yeah. I'm afraid of some small scale stuff. I occasionally get spooked by intentionally spooky items and concepts. But the thing that absolutely shakes me to my core in the most human of ways is just death itself. It might sound silly to say you're afraid of death, because like, duh. Most people are afraid of death. But I feel like for me, it's much more than a surface level woe. Sometimes I'll be outside doing something, and then just look around and notice the things that could just end my life right there. When I walk down stairs, sometimes I remember halfway down that I could totally trip and snap my neck, killing me instantly. It's a really morbid thing to hear, and trust me, it's a morbid thing to think about too. Part of it stems from my dreams of the stories and characters I want to bring to life in a digital space. If I die I can't do that. If I die there is so much I can't experience, stuff that I was looking forward to. That's why death scares me so much. It can come at any minute, whether I'm ready or not.

I will go ahead and tell you though that clowns are certifiably not scary. Like come on. Clowns? Really? 

College Seems Kinda Wack-Connor Foley Assignment 7

As of the past few years I find myself criticizing the education system more and more. Whether it be over matters of educational content or over other matters regarding school, such as cafeteria food, "school safety", and disagreements about break/day off policies, I just tend to be much more harsh on the entire foundation. However, what I have seen and continue to see in my elementary-high school career seems to be nothing compared to the beast called college. I just think it seems kinda sketchy that I have to pay such a large amount of money to take college classes. If education is so important to the youth of America then why do they suddenly drop a brick on you just as you're almost to the surface of the pool. The majority of what you learn in prior schooling is going to be absolutely meaningless to your job of choice, so why is the part where you actually learn specialized skills for your intended job course so notoriously deadly to both bank and morale? I'm super worried that I'm gonna end up despising college.

Assignment 7-Tag Howard

In college, I look forward to an environment where I can learn and work in a place that is more focused to my interests. It is my hope that the college I end up going to is an extension of the work I do now, researching that which interests me whilst simultaneously maintaining knowledge in other fields. In doing so I hope to emerge from college with the ability both to excel in my career (computer science) and to be proficient in similar or even irrelevant fields. It is with this expectation in mind that I make my choice of which colleges to send my application to. By taking college courses in this subject-rather than just studying on my own-not only do I gain the invaluable degree certifying that I do indeed understand the subject, but I will also find myself immersed in a community of individuals such as myself. And while the academy (and the accelerated cluster in middle school) created a semblance of that experience, it simply is not the same. And once I graduate I can see the future I hope for and many of the ways it can proceed being greatly supported by a college education.

Assignment 2 - William Begley - I'm Not an Avid Reader

During the last year I've only read 3 books all the way through (I'm not a great reader). These include The Great Gatsby, The Teenage Brain, and  The Joy Luck Club. All three of these books were required for school and looking back, I haven't read a book for enjoyment in multiple years. I did moderately enjoy The Great Gatsby and get pretty interested in The Teenage Brain during some chapters but I've never had the drive to finish a book instead of doing almost anything else. I just prefer to have either physical or visual parts to activities in order to enjoy them, weather that be playing a sport or watching a show. I have started many books that seem interesting but I never stay attentive enough to finish and I think it says more about me than it does the book. I have a short attention span and I just can't stay connected to a book. In fact, there are very few things I can do for multiple hours and not get bored with it. I've always wanted to increase my reading skills but I've never really given it my all to finish a book and I think it'd be rewarding to complete one and I will try to read one all the way through after reflecting on my embarrassing lack of reading.

Assignment 6-Tag Howard

It is without a doubt in my mind when I say the future of humanity lies with technology and advancement. It is antiquated ideas and technologies that have landed us in the mess we find ourselves in today. This contributed to my interest in computers. Computers can do anything given the right code and enough processing power. Anything we can't do in real life we can conceivably do on a computer, and sometimes that helps us to do it in real life. But people don't like change, among my favorite quotes of any movie is "A person is smart. People are dumb," from Men in Black. The idea that we have the capability to save the planet, advance our species, and to discover more about the secrets of the universe and that we have not done so is among the most repulsive I can conceive. And the worst part is that it is true.

Assignment 8 - William Begley - History gets a big thumbs down

Fears - my family dying (pets included)
Annoyances - kids, rabbits chewing on my things, injuries
Accomplishments - Frisbee Club Captain, having friends that like me, jumping through my leg
Confusions - why history, in-depth, is important (we can just use broad ideas so we don't repeat it)
Sorrows - I have no regrets or things I am unhappy about
Dreams - be an aerospace engineer, drive a car over 200 mph, fly
Idiosyncrasies - listening to music, driving, video games
Risks - flying a plane, stealing our car
Beloved Possessions - Dog (my rabbit who is her own free animal in my heart, but I own her legally) (now), my g-shock watch (it got stolen) (then)
Problems - too little time

In some of my previous blog posts I've talked about my love of math and why I want to go into a field involving math and science in college. I've always been good at math and science, but one subject I have almost always hated is history. No matter what history class, weather it be world history, US history, or anything else, I've always hated it. I have never really understood the point of putting so much effort into history and why anybody needs to know the exact dates or names of significant historical events. I do understand the emphasis on understanding our past mistakes in civilizations and knowing to not make them again but I don't need to know exact dates to know I shouldn't kill Jewish people. It seems monotonous and useless. History has always been my worst subject because I really don't see the point. I don't mind if people enjoy it and want to keep records of the past but it does not make sense as a core "important" subject over something that could be much more valuable to the majority of students. I don't think I will ever really understand what compels people to put so much emphasis on knowing our past, it doesn't matter, we are in the future now.

Assignment 5-TagHoward

What does it say about our society that the Emmy's have so much glitz and attention and the Nobel Prizes are quietly announced in the news? Is this bad? Good? Appropriate?

The Emmy's and Nobel Prizes are inherently different, it is this that can account for the difference in coverage. The primary reason for the gap in "glitz" is that the community of science and entertainment are reflected in the way the two awards are covered, science is slow-moving and when a breakthrough occurs it may either be met with resounding silence or with great fanfare, but nobody usually cares when an experiment that might yield amazing results outside of other members of the field. In entertainment, however, every little thing is somehow remarkable. The way Justin Beiber holds his girlfriend's hand can be a full-page story and prominent figures are household names, in stark contrast to the relative obscurity that scientists usually languish in. On whether or not it is a bad thing though, in the end, it matters very little. Science moves on, and sometimes it works better when ignored by the public, take stem-cell research as an example. But do the Nobel Prizes deserve more attention? Of course it does, ask yourself what will have more impact on the future, carbon nanotubes or the last season of Game of Thrones?

Assignment 7- Ava Nielsen

Quite frankly, the prospect of moving out of the house and going to college, while mildly exciting, makes my stomach turn. At the moment I'm really not sure of what to do, because on one hand I have my dad telling me to join the air force to get my college education payed for and secure a job easily, and on the other I have my mom telling me I should go to medical school. While I'm not sure what exactly to do, I know I want to pick a major that really interests me (so not something like law or business) and as for my ideal college, I want to go to a large school with a nice campus. My ideal university would be something similar to the University of Michigan, which has really good academic programs and a great location(but unfortunately, it's also super selective and expensive). Currently, I'm thinking I'll probably go to the University of Kentucky. It's close to home, so it wouldn't be a huge change, but I might choose to live in a dorm my freshman year to get used to college life. Another advantage is that I'd be able to use my keys money by staying in-state. Previously, I've been absolutely against going to a college in Kentucky. This may be due in part to my brother, who moved as far away as possible after graduating-Edinburgh, Scotland- and also because I felt, in a way, that it would and tie me down to Kentucky, which isn't exactly my residence of choice. Now I feel that going to a college in-state isn't a bad thing, and in a few years my parents are going to move back to Michigan to be closer to family, so I wouldn't really be tied down at all, and after graduating I could find a job wherever I wanted to live.

Game Journalism Sucks-Connor Foley Assignment 6

So the video game industry absolutely blows right now. It's simultaneously not as bad as some people would have you believe and not as good as some people would have you believe. Anthem is a video game released in February of this year that has as much soul and creativity as those husks that cicadas leave behind. That might actually be giving it too much credit. It tried to be everything. Four player co-op third person looter shooter. Even if you don't know what any of those words mean you can surely appreciate how long that is and understand that it's way too much. Why are video games so bad though? Game critics. You can shove out an absolute diarrhea-fest of a video game and game journalists will eat it up if you're a big company, because if they don't that company won't send them review copies and they'll get absolutely bodied by the fans of that game. When every game is an 8-10 out of 10 then no game is actually good. And then you have sites like Metacritic where the game is rated by a body of conflicting voices and is subject to mass bombing in either direction and as such shouldn't be taken seriously. What am I getting at? Video game journalism sucks and I want it to actually be better for the sake of the gaming market and core gaming audience.

Assignment 4-Tag Howard

Religion is, and always will be, a contentious topic. With my parents divorced they already disagree on many issues, but with both of them being of different religions, discourse is especially intense on this issue. In the terms of the shared custody agreement regarding my brother and me, there was an agreement that we would be raised Jewish (my mother's religion). And while I did go to Sunday school and all that I have never been one for blind faith or automatic respect. I am not one to commit to something easily nor to easily embrace a set of beliefs that re not my own. For these reasons, I broke with my mother and her family and chose not to have a Bar Mitzvah. I decided that I did not want to totally embrace Judaism nor Christianity (my father's religion) and instead set out my own beliefs for myself. And while those beliefs may generally align with Judaism there are many cases where I starkly disagree. It is on this point that I have broken with my family. Especially my grandparents (on both sides) who would like nothing less than for me to either take a Bar Mitzvah or to attend church. But I am staunch in my decision, despite my parents' opinions on it.

Assignment 8 - Averi Ricks- Writing Territories

Fears: bugs, drop towers, not being successful, not living my dream life
Annoyances: people that walk slow in the middle of a hallway, biting my cheek or lip when I eat or chew gum, having a 91 in a class, blabbermouths, liars
Accomplishments: 5 AP classes, straight A’s on all report cards so far, making varsity on the volleyball team,
Confusions: my classes, life, people, why people are still discriminatory
Sorrows: procrastination, getting stressed out easily
Dreams: travel the world, retire early, go to a really good college
Idiosyncrasies: popping knuckles when nervous
Risks: not doing assignments and hoping it works out
Beloved Possessions: my dog (are dogs property?), my phone, some of my friendships
Problems: time management, being positive in bad times, getting to school early


Lately, I’ve been thinking about what my dream life would be. In a perfect world, I will graduate high school with straight A’s and go to Columbia University in Manhattan. I will study abroad in Europe while I am there. I’ll do work study all 4 years so that way I graduate with no debt and I’ll get a job either in Manhattan, on the outskirts of the city, or in California (preferably socal or in the middle part). I’ll start off making six figures (again, perfect world) and I’ll be in a job that I love and that I’m excited to go to every day. I’ll go on vacation out of the country with my friends two or three times a year for at least two weeks at a time. Eventually, I’ll be able to afford a Lamborghini, and it’s gonna either be yellow or orange. I’ll eventually get married and have kids, and live a long happy life.

Assignment 7 - William Begley - College Life

I've wanted to be an engineer for about half my life, just recently truly deciding to focus on this area as I've developed my math and science skills further in high school and have continued to enjoy the subjects. For about a year I've wanted to go to either the University of Southern California or California Institute of Technology. These schools are selective and expensive out of state schools so I’ve had my doubts of acceptance or even being able to attend if I get accepted, but I continue to hope. My choices of two Californian schools stems mainly from my love of both California itself, being a beautiful state, as well as the culture apparent in California, specifically Southern California. This culture is one of active, exciting lives, and I’ve also loved skateboarding for years but the Kentucky skate scene is essentially nonexistent so I want to experience and embrace this love of mine. I also really want to get out of Kentucky and live somewhere very different, especially in terms of politics and landscape. These schools also both excel in their aerospace engineering fields which is the field I wish to pursue. I’m excited to live by myself and grow myself seperate from my family, the distance separating us will also force me to be self-sufficient and take me out of my comfort zone and into an exciting new environment.

Assignment 3-Tag Howard

In all honesty, I travel much less than I would like to. While I've been all around Kentucky, I have only been outside of the US once (to the Dominican Republic) and ended up seeing far less of it than I had hoped to. Within the US, however, I have been around. Mostly on family trips and vacations; we take an annual trip to Hilton Head Island, I have been there 14 of the 16 years of my life. But when it comes to truly enriching trips, vacation doesn't really make the cut. My family does, however, go hiking often, something I have become quite adept at after so many trips. Though most of our trips are to smaller places like Mcconnell Springs or Raven Run on occasion, we will take longer trips out to the Red River Gorge or areas closer to Appalachia proper. It is on these trips I get to actually take some time and think. My mother is a massage therapist and constantly lectures my on the benefits of meditation, I don't sit for minutes on end but in the middle of these forests or at the top (or bottom) of a cliff or at the end of a long trek I get a moment of clarity that allows me to look inward towards what I'm actually doing in life and all the other mysteries of life.

Assignment 6- Ava Nielsen

Although not my academic strong suit, I have always been interested in science. That being said, the way the school system presents science- specifically biology, chemistry, and physics- I usually find boring and convoluted. However, I really like learning about it in an interactive way. I love science museums because they're interactive and interesting. I also really enjoy ecological and marine science, found easily at zoos and aquariums, both of which are really fun. Pig, worm, clam and starfish dissections in freshman year biology, while disgusting, were perhaps one of the most memorable parts of high school. The following year in chemistry, we did a 2 week chemistry lab, which seemed to come naturally to me and I found to be an escape from regular boring class. Overall, I have a strong love for environmental science and the study of animals and ecosystems, which I hope to be able to learn more about in the future.

Why I Hate TV-Connor Foley Assignment 5

So yeah. I'm not a huge fan of TV. I watch some shows occasionally, but it's almost always as background noise, or at the very most something to look at while I do another mundane task. Something about television just has never grasped me the same way video games have. That's not to say I've never just sat down and watched a TV show while doing nothing else, but I tend to wander while I watch. I like movies just fine, and obviously video games carry my attention, but TV shows...I just can't get behind. I have never once binged a show, I don't even actually have Netflix or Hulu. I have watched a little bit of TV on Amazon Prime, but not much. And my taste in TV shows seems to be essentially one of two things. Either a cartoon I watched as a kid (Justice League, Pokemon, Chaotic, Bakugan, Looney Tunes, etc) or a mystery crime drama from the 80s or 90s (Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Monk (which is actually from the early 2000s, but you get the point)). I perform the same way with movies at home, I rarely watch them without doing something else. The spectacle of watching a new movie at a movie theater and the interactivity of video games are what keep me interested, but with home television and movies, they just cannot hold my attention. Why Youtube can confounds me.

Assignment 6 - William Begley - I like math

I think I'm pretty good at math I've always been wired to understand rules and guidelines of math much more than other subjects. Ever since middle school I've always been able to strive in my math classes, no matter what they be. In 8th grade I even had an ongoing battle between me and Teerth Patel to score as high as possible on every test because we knew nobody else would even be a challenge to beat. I knew I was good at math in middle school but starting freshman year, I began to really enjoy it. Finishing a problem and getting a correct answer always made me feel more fulfilled than a question in a class like history that didn't have a wrong or right answer. This love for the subject has really guided me in deciding what I want to do in life. With my love of creating things, I've known for a long time that I want to work in engineering as it involves both my love of creating and math. Math is also just the best subject, objectively.

Indoctrinated by Youtube-Connor Foley Assignment 4

When I was in middle school I was really into a certain sphere of Youtubers. They all shared the same general political beliefs and I listened to them because I found them entertaining. As I watched them and became engrossed in their channels, I bought into their political opinions. I was completely "brainwashed", you could say, by the media that I was watching on Youtube. But as I grew up and matured, I started to realize that I didn't actually agree with a lot of the viewpoints of the people I watched. I realized that I was so focused on listening to them because I thought they were funny, that I stopped to really ask myself if I truly grasped what they were saying. Once I started exploring my own political compass, I realized it was a lot more complex than the almost blatant bias being spewed by the Youtubers I used to watch, and as a result I feel like a more unique individual.

Assignment 5 - Ava Nielsen

I watch TV a lot, often way more than I should. I like it both because it gives me something to do when I'm bored and just because when you find the right show it can be really entertaining. I'd agree that non ad-free television is "convenient delivery system for advertisers to send their messages to the masses" but at the same time I know at times, I buy into it. Because of this, Netflix is my go-to streaming platform because(thank god) it's ad free. One of my favorite shows to binge is The End of the ******* World, which I think I've watched like three times through. I love it because it's funny at times while also being dramatic and romantic. As far as comedy shows go, my favorites are 30 Rock, The Office(so unique, I know), and Parks and Rec, all of which are super funny and entertaining while also developing an interesting plot and characters.

Assignment 5 - William Begley - How I Feel About Modern Entertainment

I think the scale of award shows such as the Emmys is only a consequence of the intelligence of the common man. Everybody can understand Avengers, not everyone can understand the importance of theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology. This ease of understanding has always driven the television industry. Simply being able to sit down and press a button to turn to something that can entertain you without any critical thinking draws millions, while I do believe many would applaud the outstanding intelligence of a Nobel prize winner, rarely would any understand enough to enjoy watching it. I don’t believe this is “good” but I don’t think there is anything wrong with people enjoying awards that are simple and extravagant. I do think the importance of a Nobel Prize needs to be a little more accentuated but there is no blame to be placed on the people who cannot understand these prizes.

I also believe that cable TV has devolved to a platform for advertisements and not a quality entertainment source. Service like Netflix or Amazon or Hulu are better sources of shows or movies for most people and it makes almost no sense to remain using cable when these services exist and are cheaper. Using time to watch TV shows is a good use of time in moderation as it can be stress relieving, entertaining, and easy for people. So the source of the shows is the most inexcusable, not the act of watching shows themselves.

Assignment 2 - Tag Howard

A few of the books I've recently read include What If, The Westing Game, and Game of Thrones. What if is a personal favorite of mine, written by the highly satirical author of the XKCD comic (another personal favorite), it is a series of well thought out and highly scientific answers to completely absurd questions. It includes such gems as "What if I took a swim in a typical spent nuclear fuel pool?" and, in case you were wondering, you'd be absolutely fine unless you swam within a few feet of the radioactive fuel. This I did finish, repeatedly but I unfortunately completed neither The Westing Game nor Game of Thrones. I was reading the books for distinctly different reasons, but in hindsight, I am not surprised I didn't finish them. I got The Westing Game a year ago and felt bad not having read it, but the book is a mystery novel that did not help it to gain my favor as I have never been a particular fan of the genre, and while interesting it failed to capture my attention. Game of Thrones, on the other hand, was simply too tedious a read. I began the first book (ironically) shortly after the last season of the show began, unfortunately, this was too weak a motivation to keep me enthralled and the book fell into the same trap that Tolkein's novels did for me up until just a few years ago when I finally read them.

Assignment 8 - Beppy Badgett - My Spider Plant

Fears - the dark, being alone, growing up

Annoyances - people who think they're better than everyone else, people who hate other people, people who drive to cautiously its dangerous

Accomplishments - passing my drivers test, having an A in Spanish for two months, making all-state orchestra

Confusions - what if everyone sees colors differently but they call them the same things, like my red is someone else's blue

Sorrows - not having good time management

Dreams - to be a really happy old person, to do something cool that makes a difference on the world

Idiosyncrasies - I move my face a lot when I'm concentrating

Risks - driving in West Virginia

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then - Hello Kitty t-shirt (then), 10 year old spider plant (now)

Problems - accidentally ignoring people 

When I was in 3rd grade my class went on a field trip to Meadow Side Nature Center, in Rockville, MD (I used to live in Maryland). I remember being so excited to go on this field trip. That morning I pulled on my super cool boot-cut jeans, my teacher told us we would be going hiking and exploring. As the trip progressed I got more and more disappointed. They split us into groups, and I was in a group with none of my friends. The "exploring" we got to do was around the building, in our groups. The hiking was through a field full of briars that got stuck all over my clothes. It was very underwhelming. We were almost ready to leave, but there was one activity left. They sat us all around a table and let us all pick out a spider plant to take home. Somehow I picked the smallest, scrawniest, plant, but I was still really excited to keep it alive. My family is not very good at taking care of plants, all of our house plants die after a few months, but I did not let this stop me. I always remembered to water my spider plant, I would move it throughout the day so it got the most sunshine. This spider plant moved to Kentucky with me, on top of boxes in the back of our car. This spider plant is sitting on my dresser in my room right now. I water it every Sunday. It serves as a reminder to me that if I dedicate my self to something I can do anything, even keep a plant alive.

Assignment 4 - WIlliam Begley - My Beliefs

I've always grown up in a very liberal and culturally diverse household, my mom being a very dark Honduran and my dad being a white American made me see things from the perspectives of multiple  races. During my life, I've grown very attached to democratic beliefs and I have remained fairly aligned with my parents on many of their views as they are often grounded in facts or personal experiences.

I am by far the most athletic member of my family, I am often out of the house playing frisbee, soccer, tennis, etc. This is different from my brother who is always holed up in his room playing video games or my sister who spends hours a day taking naps. My dad specifically has never pushed any of my siblings to do any sport with a belief that a lot of sports are unfair to the poorer kids who cannot afford to join high level teams or have personal trainers and that these sports team shouldn't be supported as they are made to exclude those unable to afford training. I have never received any training in any of my favorite sports (besides football in middle school) and I excel in almost all of them due to my dedication to working hard on my own and perfecting skills. I don't believe these sports are unfair to anybody as they can all be done by those who work hard to create strong skills. This belief is one of the few I believe I differ on with my family. I don't ever speak up about the importance of athletics to my family, however I have personally pushed my little brother to get out more and work to make sure he remains fit and healthy with an athletic lifestyle.

Assignment 3 - William Begley - My Life Outside the US

My mom is from Honduras and my dad works as an archeologist that travels around the world to work with various organizations or on various projects. My dad is a professor at Transylvania University and every 7 years he takes a sabbatical to work on a project in a foreign country. In 2012, my whole family went with my dad on a 9 month sabbatical trip to Honduras. During this time I went to school and became immersed in the Honduran culture and spanish language.

I was 8 then 9 years old during the trip (my birthday was about halfway through), and it was one of the things that shaped me most in my life. Living in a country where I did not speak any of the language and learning how to communicate and live in a foreign environment made me the person I am today.

During this time I lived in a house about a half mile from the main city center of Tela which is a coastal town in Northern Honduras. It was a fairly good sized city with a large resort beside our house which was right on the beach. I woke up and walked to school which was only about 5 minutes from my house after we cut through a horse field. We also lived right beside a bakery where I went often to get different treats. I spent a lot of my time playing at the beach and eventually it became less fun than staying home as our house was effectively on the beach and we would go everyday. 

After living in Honduras, I came back to the US and hearing people speak English at the airport was something I remember vividly as being very weird to me. Also, coming back to a culture much different made me appreciate the different little things people do differently around the world.

Assignment 1 - Tag Howard

My name is Tag and I am primarily interested in computer science but have always enjoyed working in other STEM clusters. That is not, however, to say that I have any particular dislike for English or other subjects: I simply have a greater affinity for more mathematical clusters. This has led me to consider various possible careers, but I think that I have at this point decided on computer programming. Some people may think it's just sitting in a cubicle for hours every day, but most programming jobs actually end up being very interactive, having known may in the field I have high hopes. Of course, the starting salary helps too.  And though I have always been socially introverted (though it may not show in class discussions) I also appreciate the potential of meeting like-minded individuals in college and an eventual job. I hope to achieve all this over the next eight years, probably the most impactful period if my life yet.


While not my most used website, I have recently gotten a lot of use out of stackoverflow for working with coding projects, short of that I would have to say my most used sites are (in order) google, youtube, and Reddit.

And below is some of a program I just started working on recently.

Quality Over Quantity-Connor Foley Assignment 3

I’ve rarely ventured outside of the state. As far as venturing outside of the country is concerned, I have never done so. I've rarely been granted the opportunity.  This last Summer, in one afternoon, my mom, grandma and I drove into Virginia and Tennessee. The “visit” was so cursory, however, that I refuse to call it a real visit. I went to Tennessee once to visit relatives, but I spent most of the time in a suburban house in Tennessee, which isn’t a far cry from my living situation in Kentucky. I went to Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World, but I was far too young to remember most of that. I’ve gone on a few class field trips, but the one I remember the most is the trip to Charleston, South Carolina. The entire trip was fun. It wasn’t a constant learning field trip by any means, it was entirely recreational. My favorite part of the entire trip was a cruise we went on. We all have those moments that we look back on with nostalgia, and one of mine is sitting on the deck of that ship with my friends under the night sky, staring up at the stars.

Assignment 7 - Averi Ricks- College

The most important things in a college to me are if they have my major, location, and class size. These three things have led me to look at colleges in the northeast because I want to be as close to New York City as I possibly can and some of the best schools in that country are in that region. With my degree, I hope to be able to start my career anywhere in the country and possibly outside the country. I also want to be able to work in whatever I want to, which is why I want to do engineering - it’s a very versatile degree. I’m most excited to meet different types of people, join clubs, and do research with professors. I’ve been to different college of engineering visits and the research that they do sounds SO COOL!!! You have a chance to work with professors and even INVENT STUFF. You could literally be Dr. Doofenshmirtz. A degree from my ideal college would be my key to life; I could be super successful as well as loving my job and helping others.

"Bad Guys" in Comic Books-Connor Foley Assignment 2

Over the past year, aside from books that were assigned to me as schoolwork or homework, the majority (if not all) of the books that I read were comic books. At first I thought that there wasn’t much to say about them, but as I reflected more on my favorite comic I read, Suicide Squad, I realized a story element that I highly value in all works of fiction. I personally despise the “good vs. evil” dichotomy that a lot of fiction media works itself into. The “this character is bad and this one is good” that plagues so many tv shows, movies, video games, etc. The whole purpose of Suicide Squad however is to give insight to the “bad guys”. The story makes no effort to try and imply that the main characters (all of which are working off prison time doing tasks for the federal government) are saints, but it explores two things that I think are very important to every “bad guy”. Why they became what they are and why they continue to do what they do. By giving these characters that are usually the “bad guys” of the story and nothing more understandable motivations, it makes them more interesting as characters.

Assignment 6 - Averi Ricks- Chemical Engineering

I know that I want to study chemical engineering in college, but that’s about it. I don’t even really know how I came to this conclusion; I think I saw that it was the highest paying engineering job and I was sold. I’m not 100% sure what it entails, but from what I can see it seems pretty cool. I know it involves chemistry, and I like chemistry so I’m sure I’ll like it. There are a ton of different fields you can work in (like, a ton) and I think that the ones that interest me the most are pharmaceuticals and energy. Pharmaceuticals interests me because it could be fun making drugs and it doesn’t seem insanely difficult (and, lets be honest, it pays well) but I’m worried that it could get boring, because I’m assuming I’d be working with the same drugs everyday; although I guess I could potentially be making new ones. Energy seems really cool to me because I really wanna find a way for us to hurt the environment less. Even if I don’t create something entirely new, helping with other projects that would make the Earth cleaner would be just as great.

I am Connor-Connor Foley Assignment 1

My name is Connor Foley. I like to spend the majority of my time relaxing. I’ve always been a “worry later” kind of person, or if you’d prefer, a procrastinator. However, that isn’t to say that I never do anything productive. When not playing video games or watching Youtube content, I enjoy taking my dog, Jaeger, on walks. I enjoy walking in general, it gives me time to just think as I stroll around my neighborhood, probably listening to music, and preferably, if I can help it, bathing in the warmth of the outside world. I hate the cold with a burning passion. In my ideal world, if I had to choose between every day being 30 degrees or 80 degrees, I’d take 80 any day. The slightest of chill breeze infuriates me personally, and as it starts getting colder, I start bundling up to avoid the harsh bite of the winter weather.  Back to my dog, Jaeger (pictured below at my great grandfather’s 93rd birthday), he’s a total nutcase. I volunteer with the Lexington Humane Society, and one of the activities I perform is helping out with adoptions at a local PetSmart on the weekends. At one of these adoption events, I saw a young dog named Bentley. He was 7 months old, and looked bigger than a lot of the other dogs there. He was a total mess. A couple came in to look at him, so I tried to get him out of the crate, and he just wouldn’t. He peed in the crate, and when I went in to clean it, he backed up to the back of the crate and whimpered. People came in and gave all sorts of love to the other puppies, but when they saw Bentley’s quirks, they were scared off of him. I began an effort to actively try to get this dog adopted...but to no avail. Soon my mom arrived to pick me up and take me home, but I knew what I had to do. Our first dog, Callie, passed away February 2nd, 2016. There was a massive hole in our hearts, and I was very much so ready for a new dog. So in January of 2017, I asked my mom if she wanted to see Bentley. I finally got him out of his crate and carried him to a back meeting room. My mom liked the dog, and I loved him. That day, we took Bentley home, now named Jaeger. His eccentric habits and personality has proved challenging at times, but I love him just the same. A lot of things geek me out, mostly video game related, but occasionally related to tv and movies. I’m a huge fan of Nintendo games, and also love a lot of the gaming library of companies such as Capcom, Sega, and Activision. As far as movies go, I enjoy classic horror movies and modern action movies. So anything from Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Halloween, to pretty much any of the modern Marvel movies, Star Wars, etc. 

Assignment 5 - Averi Ricks - I watch too much TV

When I was younger, my family and I would watch the prime time shows together after dinner, and this was like our family bonding time. I used to watch TV all the time when I was younger, and it was a fun outlet for me. I would go to school the next day and talk about the shows that came on with my friends. Now, I don’t watch TV that much anymore mostly because I don’t have the time. When I watch TV, it’s for relaxation. I get stressed out so easily that when I need a break from my phone, television is an easy option. When I was younger, I would watch pretty much any cartoon that was on. Now, because it’s the most wonderful time of the year, I’m watching a lot of Halloween and Holiday Baking Championship. I think that TV is a form of entertainment for most people. Sure it’s a huge marketing machine, but companies can only market if the network is doing well (entertaining people).

Assignment #1

My name is Noah Ford, and I am what I consider to be the ultimate geek. I read manga and watch anime, play Dungeons and Dragons with Swazey S. and Sam E. I love reading books. I play golf and videogames. My two current favorite manga is I Alone Level-up/The Rising of the Shield Hero. My three (of about 25-30) favorite animes as The Seven Deadly Sins/My Hero Academia/Overlord. I have two campaigns of D&D with Swazey (soon to be three campaigns) and one with Sam because he has marching band. I have known Sam since third grade and Swazey since sixth. My current favorite books are Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (A D&D book) and the Eragon series. I am on the golf team at Henry Clay, and because I played inanely bad during the tryouts, I am almost on Junior Varsity, but not quite. I had jaw surgery last year and had to spend the night in a hospital. It took me 6 months to completely recover from it. That's about everything there is to know about me.

kissanime.ru is my anime site where I watch all of my animes. Normally they release ever week

The Seven Deadly Sins Protagonist, Meliodas of the Demon Race

Assignment 9- Madison Underwood- War: Small Word, Big Meaning

Confrontation is not my thing, I am guilty of being a "people pleaser" in that I just want everyone to be happy. So right off the bat, my apprehension towards war is to be expected. However, my uneasiness about war is combated with my logic. In my personal opinion, war is necessary in extreme cases but it should be the absolute last resort. Only after all other solutions have been eliminated should war even be contemplated. A nation must consider if the issue is so pressing as to risk the lives of millions of citizens. A nation must decide if the violations against their country by another are so grand that war is the only option. I believe terrorism lends itself to war because of the direct threats posed on American citizens. But disputes that could be rectified by simple negotiation are morally and logically ill-suited for a conflict that involves the well-being of an entire nation. With this said, I don't think I can ever classify war as morally right, but rather a necessary action in the most extreme of cases.

Assignment 4 - Averi Ricks - My Dad's Beliefs

My dad believes somewhat in the idea that a woman should do all the cooking and cleaning in a family. He says that men can cook too, but he also always tells me that I need to learn how to cook because no guy is going to want to marry me if I don't know how to cook. He and my sister constantly have discussions about this, and he definitely is coming around to the idea that a woman doesn't have to do everything. I started thinking about this a lot this summer because I was home alone most of the time and I never really cooked anything, thus prompting my dad to start telling me I needed to learn. The way I see it, women only did all the housework because they didn't work. Now they do, so it's only fair that the cooking and cleaning be split equally in a marriage. When I told my dad this, of course he agreed, but he argued that men like to be taken care of in the marriage and that that's also the wife's job. Can the man not take care of the wife too? She's working just as much as he is. I don't think I told him that though, I just moved on. Obviously, I'll learn how to cook in the future, but I don't think that me not knowing how to cook is gonna prevent me from getting a husband. And if it does, that's the guy's fault, not mine.

Assignment 3 - Averi Ricks - Traveling for Club Volleyball

I play club volleyball during the off season and we travel to surrounding states like Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and Florida. This is pretty much the only traveling my family does, so my experiences are kinda limited. I can't say that this impacts my views on the world much, but it definitely does impact my views on our country. I think it's interesting how Ohio and Indiana are one state away, yet they're considered to be part of the Western half of the country, and this shows when you order traditional southern food at restaurants and sweet tea. That contrast is crazy to me! It's also interesting to see how much southern values intensify as you go more south, like to TN or FL. For example, the food is always better there, and I always see more confederate flags (I'm not saying this is a southern value just that it's a problem mostly in the south). Here in Lexington, it's rare to see a confederate flag, but in Gatlinburg every tourist shop has clothes with the confederate flag proudly displayed in their window for all to see. People are also way more open about it. All these changes are so crazy to me because TN is only a state away yet something that's so minuscule here is a lot more prominent there. From all of this I've learned that every state is very unique from the ones that border it. These experiences enrich my educational environment because I'm learning about the people of that place. For example, I learned that some people really are proud of their "roots" and want to display it. I honestly didn't think that mindset still existed before I went to TN, but it's very clear that it still does. It's good to visit other parts of the country because you're constantly learning things about that specific state and you start to understand that states in the same region aren't exactly alike.

Assignment 2 - Averi Ricks - Books I've Read

As I think about the number of books I've read in the past twelve months, I've realized that I haven't read a lot. I used to love reading when I was younger, so this makes me a little disappointed in myself. In the past year I've read The Joy Luck Club, Mosquitoland, The Great Gatsby, and I revisited the The Mortal Instruments book series. Mosquitoland is about a girl, Kim, who goes cross country by herself to try to save her sick mom. She meets many people along the way, but the people that stuck out to me the most were Walt, a boy with down syndrome, and Beck, who she met earlier on in the story. There's a moment where Beck is driving Kim and Walt to see a baseball game. Walt was super excited and was being loud in the backseat and Kim tried to calm him down. Beck then started explaining how it's weird that as a society, whenever people with a disorder like down syndrome get really excited, we try to calm them down, but we wouldn't do that if one of our friends were to get excited about something. This is something I think about constantly because I see it happen so much and honestly it makes me a little sad that we almost try to suppress their happiness because they express it differently than we might. The Mortal Instruments is a series I became obsessed with in seventh grade because we moved seats in my English class and I wanted to fit in with the people I sat with. My grandparents spent $500 on the entire series that Christmas and I only got halfway through the second to last book. The main reason I stopped reading it was because my friends had long finished it and moved on. I felt guilty (and I still do) because my grandparents spent so much money and always tried to finish it but never could. This summer I realized fantasy just isn't a genre I like. That entire process has taught me not to do anything just because everyone else is doing it. I know it's super cheesy, but I still feel really bad every time I see them on my bookshelf and it's a constant reminder.

Assignment 1 - William Begley - Who is William? I am William

My name is William Begley and my main goal for this school year is to pass my classes with straight A's. I don't often stress about grades but I do usual keep mostly if not all A's in my classes. this year I want to try a little harder and make sure I get a high GPA.
I spend a lot of my time doing various sports and I am the captain/organizer of the Henry Clay Ultimate Frisbee team. I took control of the club this year after Sebastien Geroli and I've managed to grow the sport as a whole a lot here, making our average attendance quadruple and we have even begun to compete against other schools and even college teams.
I also have 2 rabbits which I love and I think caring for them is the thing I'm most dedicated to. I've always believed that a pet's life should be as good as you can possibly make it so I try my hardest to make their lives great.

https://www.boredbutton.com/random

Assignment 4- Ava Nielsen

As time goes on, the differences between my opinions and those of my loved ones, whether political or fundamental, have become more apparent to me. Specifically, the often starkly contrasting views of me and my parents. I guess as I've become older my opinions have developed, sometimes causing arguments amongst my family members- especially about politics. However, I've learned that instead of getting mad and attacking someone else for their views, it's usually better to hear the other persons viewpoint and try to relate to their point of view, even if it's polar opposite to your own. While often difficult, approaching conflict in a more calm manner, in my opinion, usually results in a better outcome instead of everyone getting mad at each other. Even though I've fallen short of this goal more times than I can count, on differences of opinion with relatives or friends I think it's important to see the bigger picture and get along before starting an argument.

Assignment 3 - Ava Nielsen

When I was 5, my family moved from Richmond, Kentucky all the way to Italy. While it may seem daunting, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Living for several years in a culture so different than that of America has both inspired me and taught me things; at school, I was a part of the Italian language immersion program, which, looking back on it, was a great opportunity. For a while, I was even fluent in Italian(though sadly not anymore). It was also really good to be able to make friends with other people in a similar situation as me. Since then, I like to think I've had a better appreciation for other places and cultures and I would love to experience more culture, whether European or not.

Assignment 8 - Ethan Scott - Fear of Driving

Fears - Failure, losing friends and family to unnatural causes, driving, old age health problems.

Annoyances - Uncomfortable temperatures, people that talk way too much, apathy over important issues.

Accomplishments - 24th trumpet in district 2018, 4th trumpet in district 2019, All-state runner-up 2019.

Confusions - English.

Sorrows - Losing my dog and grandmother.

Dreams - GSA and to become a great trumpet player.

Idiosyncrasies - I nerd out over lots of things. (Star Wars, trumpet/jazz/band, movies)

Risks - TBD

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then - Trumpet and phone (now) stuffed animal (then)

Problems - Anxiety and struggle to meet new people or carry on conversations.

Of the many things to fear most people would not expect driving to be one of them especially when it comes from someone in high school. Nearly all of my peers have been in a rush to learn how to drive and drive themselves since before they even got their permit but I have turned out to be much different. Personally the thought of being responsible for for not only my own life but the people in the car with me as well as the drivers around me is terrifying. Since getting my permit last November I have slowly started to drive more often but I am still hesitant due to my lack of experience as a driver. I do plan on getting my intermediate soon though because being able to drive on your own does have plenty of pros. It's only a matter of time until I actually get it done.

Assignment 7 - Ethan Scott - My Dream College

When talking about college with people at school I often hear from my peers that they want to go to highly prestigious schools and are going into intense and competitive fields where they would have lots of difficulty in achieving their goals whether they are realistic. Now don't get me wrong setting high goals for yourself can be very motivating and can lead to great success but I often find out that while you may strive exceptionally hard to achieve you may never reach it. Unlike most of my peers the ideal college for me would be the University of Kentucky. While they may not be the greatest academic school in the country I have seen that the University of Kentucky would just have far too many pros for me that I couldn't pass it up. Personally I really like the idea of staying close to home for college although I would like to stay in a dorm. I have also been a die hard Kentucky Wildcats fan my whole life and I cannot imagine passing up the opportunity to be a part of the fan base as a student. I am also very interested in pursuing music in college I have lots of experience with former U of K school of music attendees and feel as if it would be my best option.

Assignment 6 - Ethan Scott - Music Makes No Sense

An area of study that I am highly interested is music theory. I have played the trumpet for seven years now and I have always been fascinated by how music is actually made. I like to think that over this period of time I have gotten pretty good at the trumpet and have been pretty successful. Although I have always had a level of success in music the thing that continues to amaze every day is music theory. At surface level most people think that music is just people playing random notes and no matter what you do with these notes it may sound good and it may not. As I continue making music and playing trumpet I continue to learn just how wrong these people are as I continue to learn more about music theory and how different chords, rhythms, and inflection can intentionally create different moods and feelings for the listener.

Assignment 5 - Ethan Scott - No More Cable

As most families nowadays are doing my family cut cable many years ago and turned to streaming services for television. Nowadays the only reason why I will plan to watch to TV is to watch a football or basketball game. With cable becoming more expensive and cable television seemingly getting worse at the same time there really isn't a good reason to watch traditional television anymore.
Netflix, Hulu, and the plethora of other television streaming services are also finding ways to improve their many types of programming and they have also begun offering live TV packages that substitute entirely for cable if you still desire to watch it. The TV shows that I enjoy the most are The Office and Breaking Bad which have both been off the air for many years but are good enough to keep re-watching without losing interest. Occasionally I'll get bored and find new TV shows to watch but most of the time I could spend watching traditional television is spent playing trumpet or video games.

Assignment 9- Swazey Sexton- A Friendly Game of War.

War is a tricky thing to discuss because so many people would say that wars are corrupt and awful, but at the same time they'd say they'd go down fighting for their rights and freedoms if they had to. War to me is best described as a game of glorified chicken. A game in which any and all sides involved throw resources and people out the window until the other side(s) concede, thinking they have nothing else to give. It's a game that we as a species have been branded with, and it leaves a scar we won't ever be able to get rid of. Saying there is never a time for war would be like saying there is never a time for disagreement. There will always be times for war. So long as people keep conflicting and arguing there will always be a time in which people feel they must defend their beliefs and ideals by taking the lives of those who think otherwise. It is never the just thing to do, but it is something we as a species are cursed to do forever. Revolutions, World Wars, Civil Wars, Cold Wars, Invasions, Overthrows, our modern society couldn't function without these. It is never the right thing to do to take the lives of so many over something so small like some of the disagreements we read in history books. But, I would be lying if I said I believed countries should avoid wars. Countries need to be able to defend and protect the rights of their people when those lives are threatened, and it is up to the world to free people from countries whose ideals and governments leave their people unhappy. Sadly, war is ineffable. War will always be the option chosen in times of crisis. It creates heroes, unites the country under fear/hate of an enemy, and it is a contest of power among peoples/ideals/cultures.

Assignment 4 - Ethan Scott - I Don't Need My Parents

Around the time I was seven years old I thought I was the absolute best at everything and did not need anyone's help doing anything. These thoughts began from the smallest of things like me taking out the trash and cleaning the dishes but turned into me believing I could care for myself all on my own. My seven year old self was also dumb enough to confront my parents about this and request that they stop taking care of me like a parent does and I would do it on my own. After discussing with my parents they made the decision to follow through as much as they could before it became child neglect to let me learn the hard way that I couldn't do it on my own. Unsurprisingly this situation did not last long. I remember that within hours of discussing it with my parents I decided I would go to the store for a snack and thought that since I was taking care of myself I could drive to the store myself as well. This didn't last long because the first thing I did was drive into my garage door. Luckily no one was hurt and very little damage was done to the garage door but I clearly was not thinking correctly.

Assignment4- Swazey Sexton- Conflicting Cultures

One of mothers (Cathy, for those of you who know me well enough) is a very political person, and from a very young age she started to raise me with those ideals and beliefs and did her best to teach me how to a be a good person. And for the most part she succeeded. I'm a good listener, I try my best to be respectful of others opinions, and I share the majority of the liberal ideals she has. But where our differences is lie is in our outgoing natures as political individuals. She is very open, expressive, and at some points aggressive with her beliefs and makes sure other people know of her beliefs and stances in times of conflict. I, on the other hand, am one of the most reserved political individuals you will meet. It's not that I don't have beliefs or I'm not not strong willed in them, it's just that I grew up in a different culture and saw different things occur.
In my eyes, the extreme polarization of politics is the biggest issue in our political system. My mother, along with several others, would instead say it is the opposing party for not being able to see the right way; their way. For me, I do not consider myself to be of any political party, I hold a lot of liberal beliefs, but I have only seen republican and conservative beliefs from a specific lens, and while I don't think my views on human rights or distribution of healthcare would change, I think it would help me understand how to argue my points if I understood others. My mother says she tries her best to see the other side of things but I don't think she does truly. And so until I can say I see both sides as clear as day and can pick and choose what I want to argue for, I refuse to be openly aggressive with my beliefs, cause how is anyone supposed to even consider my ideas if I don't have a counterclaim to them?

Assignment 8- Katherine Henson- Scary Stuff

Writing Territories

Fears -losing family, constantly worry about car crashes and tragic events like that

Annoyances - people that think everything in life comes easy, people that think they are better than others

Accomplishments - working and being wise with my money

Confusions-people that take life to seriously

Sorrows- not being organized

Dreams - get married, start a family, be a stay-at-home mom 

Idiosyncrasies - always writing in colored gel pens

Risks- not paying attention to something really important

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- pictures/notes people have written me

Problems- need to work on not getting annoyed with people

I have a section in my desk drawer that is full of every handwritten note and letter that has been written to me in the past 5 to 6 years. This is one of my most valued possession and I definitely don't look at it enough. Every 2 or 3 months I'll clean out my desk and get sucked into that section. I'll spend a while just sitting there, reading birthday cards, notes I passed in class with friends, and looking at photo booth pictures of my sister and oldest friends. I'm so glad I hoarded all these notes. One of my favorite notes I have is from my 8th-grade geometry teacher. After a month of struggling in his class, I got a handwritten postcard in the mail from him encouraging me to never give up on learning and complimented my participation in his class. I'm sure I was the only student to receive this kind of letter, and I'm sure it was prompted because of my low test grades. He wrote about the energy I brought to the class and ended by saying he knows this year will be a success. I was so touched by this note and never got to thank him. The next week at school he was replaced by a long term sub. It was later revealed that he had cancer, and he passed away the next summer. The note he wrote to me means so much to me. As I'm looking at his postcard right now it serves as a constant inspiration to me and I'm grateful I still have his words written not on an email but in print.