Howdy

Hello, I am Spencer Parsons and I am 17 years old. I have been seventeen for almost four months now so I am considered old for a junior. This can be good and bad at times because while I can see an R-rated movie WITHOUT  my parents, I still have to drive everyone everywhere. This leads me to my most memorable moment of my summer. I was driving three of my friends to Kings Island for the day, and we had a great time. The best part about the entire day was crossing paths with two current UK basketball players, Derek Willis and Alex Poythress. Of course, we stalked them the rest of the day, and had a great time.
My favorite thing to do is play golf which is convenient because I am on the Henry Clay Golf team. This is my first year on the team, but I have been playing for a while. My favorite golfer is Dustin Johnson, and that will never change. I was lucky enough to get to see him play at the PGA championship in Louisville last year, and I can say that the pros hit the ball a lot further than it seems on TV.
If I had to have one super power it would be being able to see 3 hours into the future at any given time. I would use this power to bet on various sporting events and astound everyone with my extraordinary ability to predict what will happen. This would also help me in dangerous situations because I will know exactly what to avoid.
Something that geeks me out is my passion for 90's and early 2000's rap music. Nothing us better than classic Slim Shady, the Notorious BIG, and of course, Snoop Dogg. I would give my right hand to see Biggie in a concert, but sadly that is impossible because he is no longer alive. I can name almost every song of his and rap them with confidence.

I am somewhere in that crowd.

http://www.notoriousonline.org/forum/content.php

Biggie Smalls website

Alexis Kirkland: Hello

Hello, I am Alexis Kirkland. I am 16 years old. My academic goals this year are to hopefully get good grades and get the 4.0 Award at the end of the year. Personally, I just want to make it to the end of the year with minimal mental breakdowns.
The most meaningful moment of my summer vacation was my trip to Indianapolis where I attended a One Direction concert! Now, listen. One Direction is the most important thing to me. I can literally relate everything back to One Direction. This concert was part of their fourth world tour, titled 'On The Road Again.' This was my third 1D concert, and it was beyond amazing. I went so hard that I broke the strap on my purse, and Katie Demetriades went so hard that she broke the strap on her shirt. Of course, I screamed and I cried the whole time. It was completely worth it, though, to see my son Harry Styles in person! Not to mention Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson. I love them more than I love myself.
A superpower I would like to have would be to stretch my limbs. I've always wanted to be insanely tall, so that ability would help me achieve that.

 This is one of my favorite videos of One Direction just being themselves. No, this isn't their song, but I think the video just exemplifies them as people so well. They're so carefree, down-to-earth, sincere, and full of life.

onedirectionmusic.com is my favorite website, obviously! Buy "Drag Me Down" on iTunes!

Thanks for reading!

Assignment 2: iwrite

In 1976, Steve Jobs became a co-founder of Apple. 35 years later he retired, putting his enormous company into different hands, and shortly thereafter succumbed to cancer. His retirement and death did not just mean a promotion for Tim Cook, the new CEO, but a major shift in a company that has been a key player in technology innovation in the 21st century.  Love 'em or hate 'em, Steve Jobs changed our lives.

So, this brings us to your writing for the week:

How has technology affected your life?

Choose one of the following prompts and in 150 words or more, provide your answer.

• Has technology affected you in a majorly positive way? What happened?
• Has technology ever inconvenienced you or hurt you? Maybe technology got in your way, slowed you down or even literally hurt you? Have you seen technology have a negative impact on society?
• How would your life have been different if you'd grown up 20 years earlier? How would you interact with others? Do you think your relationships then would differ from your present relationships? Which time period would you prefer and why?
• Become a futurist and theorize on how might technology evolve over the next decade and what changes might those changes bring.  

The deadline for this blog is Sunday, September 6th at 11:59 p.m.

Assignment #1 Hola

Hey 2nd hour, my name is Carl.

Amongst all the interesting things that go on in my life, I would have to say that I enjoy playing basketball, going on 4 am Waffle House runs, and spending most of my time on homework! I also enjoy going to football games.

One of the biggest parts of my life would probably be to basketball, because you know ballizlyfe. Anyways, I've been playing since I was about 7 years old, and to this day it's still been a big part of my life! When I'm not doing homework, you can probably find me thriving in the church leagues of Lexington, and I hope to make the HC basketball team this year!

This year is definitely the most challenging in my entire life in terms of academics, and my goal is to make straight A's in all my classes and score at least a 4 on all of my AP exams. Another goal would definitely to get a 30 on my ACT, which would honestly be the highlight of my junior year. As of right now it isn't too difficult, but as time moves on I am sure that the AP classes will begin to drag me down. However this will not stop my determination to shoot for the stars.

This summer has definitely been one of the best ones I have ever had. Even though I mainly worked mowing lawns for the entirety of my neighborhood, it was all worth it. The summer nights were of course great and memorable experiences to look back on. The best part would definitely have to be my trip to Hilton Head though, and the warm weather from SC (especially because it didn't storm for 3 weeks straight).

If I could have any superpower it would probably be the power to turn peoe into steaming hot gravy. I do not know why this is appealing in any way, but it makes sense to me. Wanna fight me? BAM! I just turned your limbs into gravy, now you can't do anything about it. And this in my opinion is a great ability to have.

As I thought about things that geeked me out, nothing would do so more than music. If I couldn't listen to music, I would honestly have no place in this world. I will listen to music as intricate as Frank Sinatra, to that of misunderstood and intelligence-lacking Chief Keef. Kidding, that man is awful, but I love music of almost all types. Make sure to pass me the aux, I promise I'll have the heat.

My favorite website is definitely
https://mobile.twitter.com/?lang=en

Here's a hilarious video that reflects my strange sense of humor
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JbepN4dKLbU

HOWDY Maggie Arvin

Hullo! My name is Maggie. I am 16 and a junior, but in my honest opinion I am mature for my age. I am very independent and I quite like it that way. I am trying to think of some hobbies to share, but honestly, now a days I dont do much. I drive alot because I find it very soothing. I drive a 98 jeep wrangler that is stick, which is a million times more fun than driving automatic. Another consumer of my free time is music. I play stand up bass classically in orchestra, and I also play electric bass in a metalcore, or as some might say "screamo" band named Abandon All Philosophy (PS I didn't choose the name in my honest opinion its very stereotypical for a highschool, metalcore garage band). The rest of my time, and most of my time is taken up by my girlfriend (spoiler alert, I'm a raging lesbian, incase you didn't already know from the cargo shorts I wear daily and the 98 jeep wrangler I drive). Her name is Brooke and I spend as much time as possible with her because Bae (dear my Logsdon, in 90% sure you know what Bae means, but if not, look it up on urban dictionary). In an effort to make myself seem more intriguing, I will also bring into light my pet hedgehog. His name is Frodo, like the hobbit, and he is very grumpy. His hobbies include eating, sleeping, and well... The inevitable. My goal in life is to become a professional chef. Most people ask me why I would want to spend 10 hours a day in a hot kitchen when I could be sitting in an air conditioned cubicle answering phones, and the honest answer is that cooking is one of the only things that I willingly want to put work into because I enjoy it that much. In my opinion, being in a career field in which you create things for other people that will affect them and their emotions is the best that one can be in, which is why I alternatively want to be a tattoo artist, unfortunately though, I am a horrible artist. Actually, I'm not very good at many things. One of the only other things I am good at is helping other people, even though there is no gain for me (AKA BEING ALTRUISTIC, SHOUT OUT TO YOU MR LOGSDON FOR THAT ONE). On that note, I have decided to end my blog, leaving you with my parting thought being a shout out to mr. Logsdon.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UbivptXbkXs
www.spotify.com
https://36.media.tumblr.com/e09bafb984e8cd8c4d791eba5c194ecb/tumblr_nll6ze4c4f1s0pelfo1_500.jpg

Howdy Matthew Telfer

What's up guys it's THE Matt Telfer. Even though I'm tired of it, I lifeguard at Hartland pool. On second thought, who isn't tired of their job? Playing tennis is also a large part of my hectic life.
An academic goal of mine is to become more involved. These past couple of years have been just been me going to class and not really doing anything outside of that. On the personal side of things, I think most people want to become a better version of themselves every year, and I can't say I'm much different. I'm kind of shy, while not to the point of being antisocial, I would say I'm on the introverted end of the spectrum.
Saving lives everyday as a lifeguard was the most meaningful part of my summer. I'm kidding. How can anything be meaningful when you're getting paid minimum wage to do it? The REAL most meaningful part of my summer was on a kayak tour in Hawaii. During the trip, I didn't have a care in the world. It's cool to be halfway across the Pacific Ocean from your problems.
I'm not really a superhero kind of guy. If I had to pick a superhero and their superpower it would be Spiderman. He was a normal guy until a spider bit him, but now he's the ultimate bruh. What's cooler than shooting webs out of your fingers.Nothing.
I feel like a lot of the stuff that geeks me out isn't school appropriate. My favorite website is a no brainer www.espn.go.com . Speaking of sports, here's a good picture. Even though this picture probably doesn't mean anything to you, it means the world to Cowboys fan. Dez caught it.

Assignment 1: Howdy

Hi! My name is Elana Kelsey Ehl, and I was born in Lexington, KY on June 26th, 1999. I’m currently 16 and a junior at Henry Clay. I have two brothers: an older brother, Josh (who everyone seems to know already), and a younger brother, Jacob, who just started 6th grade at The Lexington School.

Over this summer I would have to say the most memorable thing that happened was my stomach surgery. I suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and I had developed a hiatal hernia, which is really just a fancy way of saying my stomach was moving into my chest cavity. Because of this my lungs were silently aspirating the contents of my stomach, which was really a wonderful experience. Who doesn’t love to breathe their own stomach acid? As you can imagine, it was pretty bad and it actually ended up turning my asthma from mild and manageable to severe and dangerous. As a result,  I ended up in the emergency room three times last year and had to breathe through a machine multiple times a day just to be able to walk. Things got so bad it became crucial that I had surgery as soon as possible in order for me to live a normal(er) life, and so on June 24, two days before my birthday, I arrived at the hospital and was operated on that afternoon.

I’m not really that great at this whole writing thing. I definitely see myself as more of a math and science girl. I love science so much that I plan on becoming a nurse practitioner, which actually requires a PhD believe it or not. My academic goals are simple: I want to A's, B's, and definitely not C's. That way, when schools are looking to recruit me for diving, I’ll be both academically and athletically qualified. I am very good at goal setting, once I know what I want there is really nothing stopping me from attaining it.

I may be a math and science girl in school, but I love to read for fun. My favorite book series is The Mortal Instruments. I can fangirl over it and talk about it ALL day. I often flip to my favorite parts in the books I like when I am having a bad day to make me happy. Books aren't the only thing I fangirl over though. I also fangirl over some of the bands I listen too, like 5 Seconds of Summer and Fall Out Boy. I really enjoy punk rock and alternative rock music, but occasionally some indie bands interest me. I also fangirl over YouTubers such as Joe Sugg and Dan Howell.
=
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGjylN-4QCpn8XJ1uY-UOgA

The most important thing in my life, besides my family and school of course, is diving. I am on elite diving team that trains at the University of Kentucky. I practice five days a week, and once the Henry Clay dive season starts in October I will be diving up to seven days a week. Currently I am ranked 6th in the State on the one meter springboard and 17th in the nation in synchronized diving on the 3 meter springboard. I also compete on the 10 meter tower. This is my passion. My goal for diving is to get recruited to a NCAA division one school, like Auburn.

Thats another thing about me people learn about me pretty quickly: I am a HUGE Auburn fan. Football season is my favorite season of the year and I follow Auburn football religiously.

I like to think that I am a superhero fan. Spiderman is my favorite superhero ever. I would love to have some rockin' spidey powers, but I also think it would be cool to be able to shapeshift, mainly because I want to be able to fly, breathe underwater, and be super strong all at the same time!

This is a general summary of me! Hope you understand me a bit better!

Howdy

I'm Harrison Broyles. I'm 16 but I feel like a five year old.

 If I were to be a geek about anything, it would be work. I love my job. A lot. Probably too much. I work at Chick-Fil-A as often as I can, and I feel that speaks more about my personality than anything I could ever write. I'm one of those people who loves to get to interact with a variety of people, everyday, and being able to put a smile on a stranger's face is probably one of the best gifts life has to offer. I love the coworkers at my job, for the most part, because almost everyone there is sincere and legit as a person, you don't have to deal with anyone who is "fake."

One of my biggest (and only) pet peeves is when people don't have a work ethic. I can't stand it when I have a manager on my case because I have to compensate for someone else not doing their job and maintain mine on top of that. I can't stand it when I have to run around the store but I get paid the same as someone who stands around in the kitchen talking. I can't stand it when someone has to be TOLD to work- you aren't getting paid to stand around, so get busy. If you have time to lean, you've got time to clean.

On that note, my desired superpower would be to clone myself.

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures:

And my favorite website is undoubtedly www.google.com

hellooo -catherine van tatenhove

Hello second hour I'm Catherine Van Tatenhove.

It's hard to grasp that I'm a junior. I vividly recall seeing my brother, cooper, have his fair share of junior year meltdowns and thinking there's no conceivable way I will ever live to see my junior year. It's decades away. But, nevertheless, here I am feeling a lot less like a junior a lot more like a middle schooler walking the halls with my trapper and dreaming of the day I would get my braces off. Thankfully, I did accomplish my goal of ridding myself of the horrid "brace-face" photos, but I hope I can keep up that track record with the goals I have set for this year.

Of course, I hope to maintain good grades, AP test scores, and standardize scores, but really I just want to consume and devour everything I love to find out why I am trying to maintain the grades that I am. Consuming and devouring is kind of my thing, whether it’s a season of True Detective, Tame Impala’s new album, or a grapefruit. There seems to be a constant stream of film, literature, music, and yeah food in my life that I can’t get enough of.  

So, it won’t come as a shock to know that this was in essence how my summer was spent with the occasional (everyday twice a day practices) kick of a soccer ball. However, even though on paper I look like I am soccer fanatic young republican loving student. I truly wish I could let college admissions in on how much I can’t wait to go to Amsterdam to see the Anne Frank  house, or Peru to climb Machu Picchu, or to speak seven languages fluently, or to be able to run a 6:00 minute mile, or to write something that makes up for all the math problems I can’t do. Because I intend to check all of these things off my list at some point just as I did with my braces. 

Enjoy this photo of Meriwether, Isabel, Keeley and I pre shark encounter post third degree burn in Bald Head Island.

Matthew McConaughey is well just watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I

Favorite Website (shhh lol) : http://projectfreetv.so/

Howdy

I am Rachel Nicole Bragg, and I am going to start this off with all of the generic boring stuff that few people actually care about. I run. I swim. I play the violin. I use a lot of social media. I am awkward and shy, yet loud at the same time. I shop way too often and buy way too many clothes. I am obsessed with music and the way specific songs make me feel when I listen to them. Judgmental people make me angry, like can everyone just chill and let other people live their lives? This introduction is random and messy but I feel that it is an accurate representation of my life most of the time.

Most of my time, when I'm not at school or doing homework, is spent with people I care about, my friends and family. But other than that, I like to run and swim. As you might realize this year, I'm not very coordinated at all, so when I began trying out sports, it was obvious to me that I wouldn't be playing soccer or any other sport of that nature. Even during cross country, I struggle sometimes. Example being that last week I tripped on the sidewalk while running and completely wiped out; I will probably have a permanent mark on my knee to remind myself of my stupidity. Swimming is a little different because my biggest struggle is remembering to keep my feet kicking while maintaining the correct arm movement for the stoke. Once again, it's a coordination issue.

I don't know why I spend so much time looking at what other people on the planet are doing at all times but it is something that I do during the 24 hours I get for every day. Instagram, Tumblr and Youtube are slowly taking over my life and I don't know how to stop it.

Music is such a beautiful thing. It is the only thing that keeps me from being 100% stressed. I play the violin so I have a little better understanding about the notes and technical things of music, but it just amazes me to think about all the work that artists put into their music. The cords, the beat, the lyrics, everything that makes a song unique; it is marvelous. I am going to compose a list of the people I have major respect for as artists and people who I just enjoy their music. One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, Bea Miller, Ariana Grande and Fall Out Boy. One thing that  hate is when people call my music taste "basic". If I like a song that everyone else likes, it is not basic, it is a good song. People ask me, "You like One Direction?" then they go on to tell me how they are just another "boy band" and that only "kids" like them. One Direction is a pop/rock music group of four men that write their own music and enjoy performing the music they work so hard to make. This paragraph is turning into a rant so I might as well transition to my "what I hate" paragraph.

Spiders, the dark, pickles, sweating, speaking in front of big groups of people, people who don't say what they feel, and judgmental people. I hate everything I just listed. I'm sure I could think of more but I don't have the time or energy to think of them.

One Direction, Supernatural, Netflix shows I've watched (too many to list), cute animals, music/facts about bands, llamas, and Pinterest recipes/crafts. Those are the things that "geek me out". If I tried to explain each of them to you I would type way more than what is asked of me, so if you want to know about anything on the list, ask me.

I have already typed way more than I expected to but that's okay right? I hope whoever reads this was slightly amused by something in this post. Have a good day.

shipyourenemiesglitter.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Fz_egtEgc

Howdy!

Hi! My name is Tyler Gorman.

I like to think that I'm rather ordinary; extraordinarily so, even. In fact, I can't really think of much that's all that interesting to put here.

I play mellophone in Henry Clay's marching band, piano in the school jazz band, and trumpet in the school's top concert band, so I guess one could say music is pretty important to me. Most of my personal goals, in fact, are band-related, and include making first chair trumpet by the time I graduate and becoming drum major for next year's marching band.

As for things that "geek me out," I'd say anything that could be qualified as "nerdy": Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Star Wars, Marvel, etc.

I'm also a huge fan of drum corps (basically a marching band on steroids (not really, they're just REALLY good)) and one of the coolest things I got to do over the summer was go to Indianapolis the weekend before school started to watch Drum Corps International world finals at Lucas Oil Stadium (where our school marching band happened to perform at the end of last season).

Video games are also a thing I find fun, though I do my best to limit myself, what with high school and all.



I think this picture pretty much sums up most of what you need to know about the things I enjoy. Except DC. Marvel all the way.

Favorite website: https://www.tumblr.com/

Assignment 1: HOWDY Tyler Rosenkrantz

Hello, My name is Tyler Rosenkrantz, and i answer to either my first name or my last name. In fact i am more often called Rosenkrantz than i am Tyler, which is fine with me. :)

My Birthday is March 28. I am currently 16 and i do have my drivers permit. However, my permit also lists me as a female...how someone could mistake me - A 6'6" hairy man child for a female i don't know! It still says that; my dad didn't want to wait in line again to get it changed.

In case you didn't know (although im not sure how you wouldn't XD ) I am a band geek, and am involved in literally all things band. I participate in marching band, jazz band, Wind Ensemble, and steel band. I also participate in extracurricular musical activities outside of school such as CKYO and CKYO JAO.

I have a math and music brain, that's just who I am, and it's what I'm good at. I get it from my dad. Most of my personal goals for this year are musically oriented. Some of my goals for this year include: Making first chair wind ensemble, making all-district and all-district jazz, and making first trumpet in CKYO JAO. Two of my loftier goals are making 1st chair all-state jazz and making GSA- both are very prestigious ensembles to be accepted into and I would be more than thrilled to make one if not both.

Junior year is said to be the hardest year. That being said, one of my academic goals for this year is to pass all of the AP tests that I am taking this year. I would also like to make straight A's, and I acknowledge that will take a lot of hard work. Passing the AP tests will definitely help with my goal though.

The most meaningful moment of my summer vacation was probably when my parents surprised me with a ticket to DCI Finals (Drum Corp International) in Indy with one of my best friends. The easiest way to explain Drum Corp to those who aren't familiar with it or music/band would be marching band on steroids. Drum corps consist of the top musicians/marchers from the nation who spend a summer (season) building and crafting their show to be the best it can be. I plan to march Drum Corp in my future. I would love to march Blue Devils, but they are located in Concord, CA, and i will more likely end up marching Carolina Crown, debatably my favorite corp.

I am a huge tech nerd and enjoy all things new and techy, thats what geeks me out. I enjoy watching videos and learning about all the new tech stuff like iphones and apple watches and stuff like that. I also get geeked out by band stuff, especially trumpet and Drum Corp. I have multiple trumpets and enjoy playing them all. I like testing out new trumpets and helping people find horns that our good for them.

One of my main sources of entertainment is YouTube. I enjoy watching comedians, and video gamers, from Minecraft to shooters, and also watching Drum Corp Videos. I would probably say that YouTube is my favorite website, so I will hyperlink one of my favorite videos. It is Carolina Crown from 2013, when they received the first perfect hornline score EVER. Fantastic. Must Watch.

http://youtu.be/cvlnq0gntkg

This is a video of their Victory run. This is their entire show, also phenomenal! http://youtu.be/mjadtT78NsY

And the last video I will post is the Blue Devils Space Chords. This is probably the best warmup/chord progression you will ever hear. If u dont watch the other 2 videos atleast watch this one. It will give u chills! http://youtu.be/2EDIDCdy5Es

I originially planned on posting one video but i got geeked out and continued to post more, because this is what i love :)

I use this picture to describe me simply because it does. This picture perfectly describes me, doing what i love, with those i love doing it with, and it also explains everyone the picture very well and my friendship with all of them. XD. And yes, I am wearing a Carolina Crown hat and shirt. I love band. :)

Howdy- Anya Slepyan

Hey guys, my name is Anya Slepyan.

My life goals include learning lots of languages (especially Esperanto) and then becoming a hermit who lives alone in the forest and doesn't have to use any of the languages that I've learned because there are no other people. I haven't quite decided what kind of forest I'm going for, but I'm thinking that New Zealand would be cool, although Montana might be more economically feasible. I would also like to learn how to play the accordion that I bought a few years ago. Then I could use it as an incentive to keep people away from wherever I end up living.

I love debating, and I'm really interested in politics. Surprise-I'm a liberal (Bernie 2016!). I also run cross country (slooooowly).

My favorite movies are the Lord of the Rings trilogy and my favorite show is Arrested Development.  I am seriously geeked out by LOTR, history, and Esperanto. My favorite books are Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. I also love music, especially folk rock. My favorite bands are the Shins, Simon & Garfunkel, Lord Huron, and the Fleet Foxes. Milkshakes are my favorite food.

I'm really into history, especially Art History, so I love to visit museums around the world. Traveling and eating are two of my favorite pastimes, so one of my favorite parts of my summer was when I got to do both continuously for five weeks, in Poland, Austria, Slovakia, and Turkey. I also love camping and nature (duh, hermit) so I enjoyed working as a camp counselor when I came back from my trip.

A picture that describes me pretty well is this one, from when I couldn't jump as far as Lucy.

 I don't really spend much time on the internet, but I guess that my favorite website would be 
www.theonion.com

Howdy

Hi friends. My name's Jordan. Jordan Strange. And I really love fruit and dancing and Jesus and traveling and sunsets and sunrises. Those things mostly sum up my life. I'm really looking forward to this school year, and I've tried to set some higher goals for myself, even though I am horrible at reaching them and convincing myself that they'e actually important.:) I want to get all A's and pass all my AP exams. And for this year (and the rest of my life), I really want to learn to love life, not that I don't now, but in past years, it's been so easy for me to have such a negative attitude towards school and life in general. But over this summer, I learned that there's so much more to life than stress and going to school and doing hours of homework. So this year, I'm determined to love everyone and live in the moment and live simply with a purpose. 

This summer was incredible. The first 5 weeks I spent in a small, middle-of-nowhere Tennessee town, working as a counselor at a camp. It was so much fun. Another thing I love is kids. And this camp was a Christian camp so it was centered around Jesus and there's nothing more satisfying to me than seeing a child come to understand their purpose and get to fully experience Christ and eternal comfort. Those weeks were filled with wilderness fort building, tea parties, cookouts, and flower crowns. I also canoed around 14 miles to an island and  lived there for a week, eating lots of fruit, brushing my teeth out of a water bottle, and "showering" in a lake. It was beautiful. 

That being an awesome start to my summer, the fun didn't end. I came home for 36 hours, and then left on my next adventure, which was to Africa. I went on a 3-week mission trip to Arusha, Tanzania. It was the best thing I have ever experienced, without a doubt. It was so incredibly freeing. There was just something different about lack of communication and social media and experiencing a new culture. The people there were so beautiful as well. So welcoming & loving & accepting. And the children. I could go on for days about them. They were so happy and filled with joy, something that I feel most kids in America don't experience often. These kids were happy with corn shucks and sticks. CORN SHUCKS AND STICKS. It was so wonderful. We got to reach out to over 4000 high school students and it was so neat to see how different their lifestyle was. We also got to go on a 2-day safari. And I'm talking your real-life safari safari. Where you stand with your heads out the roofs with binoculars and elephants and lions and giraffes 10 feet from your vehicle. The scenery was breath-taking and  I'd go back in a heartbeat. 

Here's my picture. These girls were all around 18-20 years old, spoke perfect English, and were so fascinated with everything about America. Their hearts were beautiful and they have the sweetest souls. I love people. And their stories.

If I had to choose a superpower, it would probably be to fly, only because how cool would that be? So thrilling and you could go anywhere anytime without worrying about gas or a car, and that sounds so wonderful to me. 

Something that geeks me out is books. A really good, solid book. I could read for days with the right books. And a good romance or life story? Those are the best. I love people's stories and hearing about other peoples' adventures. It's always fascinating to see what other people are like and what they do and how they live and whatnot. Because life is just THAT great. 

My favorite website is http://faces4hope.com/wp/

It's an organization that helps rescue African girls from sex slavery. It's pretty incredible. :)

Howdy

Hey 2nd hour, my name is Grae Chambers and before I tell you anything about myself I'd like to apologize for being truly terrible at "getting to know you" assignments. I always use the same generic answers, but this time I'll try to be honest and interesting, just for you all.

Let's start with the basics: I'm 16 going on 17,  with a birthday on December 14th. I've lived in Lexington for the majority of my life but my roots are in Winchester, something I was ashamed to admit in elementary school. I live about 2 minutes away from school with my mom, dad, younger sister, and 3 dogs.

Now I'll acknowledge Mr. Logsdon's suggested questions, which I'd like to thank him for providing, because they'll give me some ground to stand on while I'm telling you all about myself. Before school started I created a list of goals for this year, because I was hell bent on doing a 360 from my life sophomore year. Some of those goals included actually dressing nicely for school, and saving my GPA. Unfortunately, I've been cursed with being a lazy perfectionist. The cycle goes like this; I set an unrealistic goal for myself, work toward it for about 5 minutes, and get upset when the results aren't as good as I'd like them to be.

The most meaningful moment of my summer occurred on July 15th. There was not just one meaningful moment, this was one of those occurrences where every event is only profound when strung together. I woke up that morning around 8 am, which in the time zone of summer is equivalent to about 4 am, and took an exercise class. This was to calm my nerves before taking my restricted license test. After the class my mom got the text she had been dreading for the past week, her fathers condition was getting worse and he was being sent to a hospice center. This news distracted me and when it came time to take my test, The driving test proctor got into the car and told me my first task was to attempt parallel parking. When I hit the curb I didn't ask for a second try like I knew I should. True to my "all or nothing" personality, I couldn't just hit the curb, no, I had to panic and plow over it. I'd like to take this moment to apologize to the flowers and grass that met their untimely death via tire that day. Needless to say, I didn't pass. Later that night my spirits could only be lifted by going to the store with my mom to purchase an entire cake, and eat it by ourselves. At the end of what could be called the most disappointing day of my life, I crawled into my moms bed, and we debated life and death for what seemed like hours. I knew I couldn't say anything to stop her sadness over losing her dad, but I knew I had to be there for her. That day taught me that despite any personal problem you could ever have, the comfort of others is the only thing that can get you through it.

Okay jeez that was deep so I'm going to move on to one of my favorite topics: Netflix. Now you could ask any 16 year old white girl what her favorite activity is and she will respond with just 2 syllables: Netflix. But I feel that unlike the fellow girls of my social Ingroup I take it to a whole other level. Basically, I geek out over any and every show I've ever watched. My favorite thing to do is debate the finale of How I Met Your Mother with my sister, speaking about the characters as though they were real people. My entire freshman year was spent binge watching Grey's Anatomy, I watched all nine seasons in less than a month. My current obsession is The Vampire Diaries and I'm impatiently waiting for the 6th season to be available online.

I'm sorry this was so long but sometimes when I start writing my fingers can't stop. So I'll leave you all with a picture of me when I got my wisdom teeth out:

and my favorite website: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/index.jsp

Assignment 1: Howdy!-Elle Ogden

Howdy second hour, I’m Elle! 

Some of my favorite things to do are play soccer, go for long runs (when its not 100 degrees outside), go for walks with my dogs/play fetch, shopping, going to orange leaf (probably more than I should), and traveling. 

A quick yet important aspect of my life is indeed, soccer. Within the past few years it has quickly taken over my life with practices, games, and offseason training 12 months a year, I can’t remember the last full week I had off. I’m still unsure about if I want to play in college but I’m hoping that all of the training will prepare me well if I decide it is something I want to pursue. 

Some academic goals I’ve set for this year seem far fetched even to me, but I would like to maintain my 4.0 GPA this year and also to pass every AP test that I take. However, taking 5 AP classes could prove to be a challenge. So far, it isn't bad, except for AP French, which causes more headaches and stress than any class I’ve ever taken. I’m a math and science person, give me a calculator and an equation and I’m all set. English and foreign language are a different story though. 

This summer was incredible. Though I spent the majority of it at work being a secretary and playing soccer/training, I still had a great time. First, I got my restricted license two weeks into summer which changed my summer for the better. Driving on my own is probably one of the best things to ever happen. I also attended a FEE conference in southern California about 30 minutes from L.A. It was a national conference on the economics of sports, and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. I met such incredible people who were all so similar to me. The only downside is that we are now spread out across the United States and fighting with time zones for the video chats has proven to be a challenge. Here’s a picture some of us on the university sign. 

As for a super power, I would love to see the future. My fatal flaw is overthinking everything and I feel that if I was able to see how things turned out, I would have a lot less to worry about. 

My favorite website is probably www.pinterest.com. 

Howdy palmigos

Good afternoon everyone, my name is Evan Vee Hays. I'm a sixteen year old right now but on the 9th of September I'll be seventeen physically and about 7 or 8 mentally. I'm not entirely sure what I should say about myself, and I don't want this to look like a really bad resume so in the interest of perpetuating a true image of myself, I'll share the following. My favorite song is either Rain Song or Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin. I really like jazz, the cooler stuff from the late 50s really grooves well with me, especially Miles Davis. I really like to read, and think thatsince I'm trapped in school most of the time these days, the best thing I can do for myself is read everything I can about anything there is. Broad Horizons make for broad aspirations.

This year I have no real "set academic goals" this year aside from to be as involved as possible and to work hard (efficiently) at whatever I'm given to do. I give a lot of flak to the public school system, most of it heavily biased, but in the end its better to be hard at work than bored. Physically I want to improve my boxing skills. Mentally I want to read a book a month starting September. Spiritually and Socially... I guess I just don't want to be a D-Bag.

This summer, the weekend before school began, about 7 of my friends and myself went to my farm in Lower eastern Kentucky to camp. The whole experience was very stressful because it was just a logistical nightmare to cart everyone down with the proper supplies. I spent about the whole of the first day freaking out and trying to get everything set up and it was no fun at all. Then, on the second day, I woke up early and looked at all my buddies who were just chilling in their various tents and hammocks, sound asleep. They were so utterly... chill. I decided then and there to just lay back and enjoy the rest of the trip for regardless of the conditions, and that night we watched the first of the Perseid meteors streak across an unpolluted sky. It was, as this assignment says "the most significant thing I did this summer".

I don't have any one particular power that I would choose above any other power, but the super "hero" I envy the most is Dr. Manhattan from the watchmen books. Having total grasp of the universe to such a degree that even though you can have anything you want, you are just too omnipotent to care? That's my definition of awesome.

Many things geek me out. In all honesty I could probably be enthusiastic about everything if its presented right. For example, I, Evan Hays, LOATHE, the study of Mathematics. I hate it. I suck at it. Math and I have made a pact of mutually assured destruction together. However, after watching an episode of Cosmos with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, in which he basically proved how old the universe was and how much of it we can see with simple arithmetic, I was all aboard the math train. I really enjoy writing, maybe not in the way I should, but I scribble poems and soliloquy nonetheless.

My favorite website is
The Art of Manliness

Here's a photo of me when I was in DC this summer in front of the national archives. Apparently the woman in the chair is supposed to be Hypatia, the last librarian of Alexandria.

Assignment 1: Howdy

Hello, my name is Braeden Bowen. If you like technology, film, and photography, then you might find me interesting. If not, I'm honestly not sure what to tell you.

As I mentioned, there are three things that really "geek me out." The first is technology. I love how intricate it is and how many things you can do with it. Computers, phones, printers; I'm fascinated by them all. Film and photography, however, are another story entirely. I enjoy photography not for its technicality, but for the challenge of taking a picture that captures beauty and makes a statement. This one is one of my favorites.

Film gets its own paragraph because of how special it is to me. I honestly don't enjoy just sitting and watching movies. I love the behind the scenes aspect of it: script writing, directing, set design, etc. Like technology, I'm interested in knowing how it works. Like photography, I want each frame to capture beauty and make a statement. When these two things collide, it creates a film that can inspire and entertain. I'm working now on filming the pilot episode for a science fiction show that I've been working on since last summer. Here's the title card.

Sure it could be considered plugging, but my favorite website is my photography blog: http://bw-photos-official.tumblr.com/. It's not that I am full of myself, it's that the blog is a great opportunity for artistic expression that doesn't often present itself in school or at work.

Over the summer, I did two things: first of all, I started my job at IAKSS. I work in technology, which means I run around Central Office every day fixing things that perpetually seem to be broken. As frustrating as it is to fix the same printer 11 times in a week, my job is very rewarding; I like it a lot. The second thing I did was move houses. I haven't done that in 14 years, and so it was a difficult transition at first. I've gotten used to the new space now, and I'm really enjoying myself in it. I don't think any moment in particular was more meaningful that the rest, because they were all pretty great.

My academic goals for this year are to get all A's both semesters. I haven't done that in high school before, but I'm really working at it now. I also want to do well on the PSAT and ACT in the spring.

My personal goals for this year are to finish at least two short films. I have four or five written, I just have to bring all of the pieces together and film them. I'm not sure which goals I'm more excited about; personal or academic.

Howdy

Howdy 2nd hour, I'm Hope! Here's a few fun facts about myself.

A few things that I really enjoy are eating (mostly ice cream), sleeping, procrastinating, drinking coffee, painting, drawing, playing volleyball and soccer, riding roller coasters, and going to the beach. I do not enjoy running very much, however I am on the cross country and track team... ironic huh?

I have set a few hopeful goals for this year. My first priority is to continue to get A's and B's throughout the rest of my high school experience. Another goal is to get a 4 or a 5 on at least 3 out of the 4 AP exams I'm taking this year... physics might be a little iffy. But my real goals are my life goals- to become an elementary school art teacher and to live near the ocean. Those two things would be a dream come true.

The best part of my summer was going to camp and hiking in Gatlinburg up Laurel Falls. I love the outdoors and water. I'm sure that sounds super weird, but I absolutely love waterfalls, rivers, lakes, the ocean, pools, and like anything with water. I guess that brings me to what I "geek" over. I am obsessed with tropical places, and my biggest obsession is Tahiti. Yes, that island in the middle of nowhere. Something about that clear water, beautiful mountains, and pure white sand gives me joy.  I've probably researched just about everything about the island. I've researched the population, percentages of religion and ethnicity, how much housing and vacation bungalows cost over there... pretty much everything! In fact, I probably spend more time researching tropical islands than I do studying. Oops. Though I've never gotten the chance to leave the country, in the future my dream would be to travel the world with my bucket list of places that I've collected over time. I guess it's safe to say that I have a bad case of wanderlust... and no money. Bad combination.

If I could have one super power it'd be my fourth grade birthday wish. Flying.  I've always loved riding in airplanes since I was little. I've also wanted to go sky diving for FOREVER now. Only 1.25 years and I can legally on my own now!! How exciting!  (Yes, I know I'm crazy.) But wouldn't it be so exhilarating and exciting to fly over the ocean and neat places around the world such as the Grand Canyon?! Plus, it'd get me around the world quicker than a car would, and you could travel over seas without having to pay for an expensive airline ticket that I wouldn't be able to afford.

So, to sum me up, I'm quite adventurous and daring, but not many people would think that about me. Usually people think I'm pretty shy, quiet, and "innocent", and that I would never be one to go skydiving of all activities. But I'm just that weird I guess.

But anyways, my favorite website is my Pinterest. Here's a link to my travel board. Don't worry if you don't see Tahiti on there... I have a whole board for Tahiti alone.https://www.pinterest.com/hereed1/travel/
. And here's my favorite video. Just because it's adorable and I want a golden retriever puppy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlPb8vsvcoM

Howdy

Hello! I'm Emily Spivey. I am sixteen years old and in two weeks I will get my restricted! Whoop whoop. So some basic information about me is that I am a twin and I have two parents. Lauren, my twin, is probably my best friend. We used to despise and physically abuse one another but you could say that we're "besties" now. My parents play a big role in my life. We have a strong bond that allows us to rely on each other and I am very thankful for that.
   I have lived in Lexington my whole life and I love it here. I have some awesome friends who always support me and make me laugh (shout out to CAKLE). Without friends life would be extremely boring. Everyone needs someone that makes them laugh, especially during school hours.
   I have set some major goals for me this year as far as academics go. I have taken on the roll of five AP classes which has shown to be a struggle within these first couple of weeks. I am striving to get all A's in all of my classes. I have also set a goal to pass all of my AP tests. Getting all fives would be amazing but hey. Passing is passing. Another major event in junior year is taking the ACT. I have decided that I would like to score above a thirty on this test. This will help me get into the colleges that I am considering and help me gain some scholarships at some of these colleges.
   This summer was one of the best I've had. Two events that made it awesome were our family beach trip and my One Direction concert. My mom, sister, and I accompanied some family friends at Palm Coast Beach in Florida. It was my first time there and I had a blast. The other highlight of my summer was attending the One Direction concert in Indianapolis. It was an incredible night and the guys were very entertaining (as usual).
   I geek out over music. There is a genre for every mood that you could possibly have. My favorite artists are Ed Sheeran, Kodaline (an Irish Band), and of course, One Direction. My favorite genre is probably pop but I listen to everything. Sometimes putting your headphones in can turn your whole day around.
   If I could have any superpower in the world it would definitely be telepathy. I would love to have the ability to read peoples minds. I always wonder what people are thinking when they are staring off into space. I would also like to know what people think about me.


   To finish off, one of my favorite videos is this vine: https://twitter.com/weloverobdyrdek/status/618079667396816896
and my favorite website is definitely www.twitter.com






  

Howdy--Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer

Hi. I'm Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer (no hyphen). First thing you should know about me, I really suck at get to know you things. This assignment will probably send me into a deep existential crisis with that little person in the tin foil hat in the back of my brain rocking back in forth muttering Who am I REALLY? until I gradually go insane. So thanks for that in advance.

Still, I have to try so here goes. I'm your pretty basic nerd I guess: I read; I watch or have watched "geeky" TV shows and videos (my biweekly pleasure www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers); I care about, even like, learning BUT I don't wear glasses so I can't pull a Disney Channel become-a-normal-person transformation. But I want to do well, to try, to improve and to attempt to actively participate in class (even on Tuesdays which are, without a doubt, the worst days of the week).

My ultimate life goal is to become a spy--as in the Natasha Romanoff, Sarah from Chuck, Agent 99 kind of thing--but if that doesn't pan out I'll settle for being some kind of scientist though I haven't figured out what kind yet. As of now my spy training hasn't started so I'm forced instead to focus my energies on school and finding an inexpensive private martial arts teacher.

I'm one of those people that jump around from thing to thing because a.) I'm critical and a bit cynical and b.) I've never found THAT thing that makes me super happy. I'm workin' on it. Anyway, I love traveling and get to do it a lot because I have a very generous aunt who loves to spoil my sister and me (and yes, we are spoiled). So far I've been to Germany, Australia, Italy, Scotland, England, Costa Rica, and all over the States on some crazy cool adventures I will never be able to afford when I grow up. Highlight of my summer: when my host mom woke me up because THERE WAS A SLOTH IN MY BACKYARD 

Before I quit here are some super speed personality questions:

Superpower? Flying, no question.

Favorite artist? Hozier. 

Favorite book? Harry Potter 3 (ITS JUST SO GOOD) or The Phantom Tollbooth. 

Favorite season? Fall especially in KY. 

The animal I most want in my life? A pig. (Another one of my dreams is to live on a farm. Basically my life goals are developing into Clint Barton's life in the Marvel movies). 

My weird mild obsession? Maps. 

Constant emotion state? Very stressed out.
That's all probably. Who knows though because WHO AM I? 

Howdy

   Hi I'm Lauren Spivey! So when it comes to grades I'm not really one of those people who are obsessed with getting straight A's, but that doesn't mean that I don't care. I am very serious about keeping adequate grades and hope that I can stick with it this year. Last year was the first year I got a C in a class, ever. I was not a big fan of that so I'm dead set on not having to go through that again this year. So far though, I'm loving junior year. I was originally going to take 5 AP classes and I decided that it wasn't such a good idea so I switched out of AP Calculus and AP Physics and it was honestly the best decision I've made so far. I can already tell I'm going to really like this school year and it also helps that I will be able to drive by myself in about 15 days.

    So about me, you obviously know I have a twin sister. We are closer than ever, which is a good thing because I always have someone to talk to if I need it. Even though we are twins, we have very different personalities. Emily is very happy-go-lucky and me on the other hand, well, I'm what they call moody. If you ever catch me in a bad mood, I apologize.  The only downside to being a twin, in my opinion, is that I think it has kept me from being more independent. I get so freaked out when I have to go somewhere or do something by myself. I also really, really hate public speaking. It's better if I can calm myself down but my worst fear is getting picked on in class. Those kinds of teachers who call on people who don't have their hands raised are the epitome of evil in my eyes. I also think this is because of being a twin. Don't get me wrong though, I love to talk. In fact its one of my favorite things to do but I like to do it on my own terms not by being forced into doing it. I also have two very loving parents. My mom is the HR manager for a non-profit called the Child Care Council, and my dad is the Controller of Webasto, a manufacturing company that makes sunroofs for cars. We always have a great time together and I know that I can credit what I call my humor and my personality to them.

   The most meaningful moment of my summer vacation by far, was my One Direction concert. Don't judge. I'm always pretty scared to tell people that I like One Direction because I'm given the typical teenage girl stereotype but honestly I can't remember what it was like to not be a fan of them. I originally started becoming a fan in the seventh grade and my sister made so much fun of me for it. But summer before 8th grade I converted her to a fan so we see where making fun of me got her. This last concert in Indianapolis was my 3rd time seeing them live and it was probably the best day of my life so far. I'm 99.9% sure that I will be 45 years old and going to their reunion concert. Don't ask me what it is that makes me like them because  I cant answer that.I honestly don't know. I heard about them for the first time when What Makes You Beautiful came out and then I just started watching Youtube videos and buying their music on iTunes and I haven't stopped since. I can tend to be very defensive about them sometimes but I cant help it. People judge them so hard before actually listening to more than What Makes You Beautiful and thinking that they are a traditional boy band that do synchronized dance moves, but they aren't. They are probably the worst dancers I've ever seen and I think if they had done synchronized dances I wouldn't have been much of a fan. They are so stupid sometimes but they make me happy so I think that's what matters. I could seriously go on and on about them but I wont.

   Asking what superpower I would have is pretty difficult. I think if I had to pick it would be Teleportation. I would love to not have to go up or down stairs and just magically appear in the room that I want to be in. That and that I would never be late or have to worry about long drives and planning around time. And how cool would it be to play ping pong by yourself? You could just teleport to the opposite side of the table after every play, and you could never loose.

   This video makes me so happy. It's a guy named Tom Fletcher who is a member of the band McBusted, and his son Buzz who is the cutest thing ever. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU4DgHHwVCc

My favorite website by far is: https://twitter.com/

Katie Demetriades Assignment 1: Howdy

Why hello! My name is Katie Demetriades, and I am awful at describing myself, but I am going to try my best.

However, one thing I do know for sure is I am not a goal setting person. We have been taught "goal setting skills" since elementary school, but I have never followed through on any goals I have actually made. I guess it is just my personality. Even with that being said, for the purposes of this blog, I will make some goals for myself. Personally, I would like to be a better person. By that, I mean I want to have a more positive outlook on this world and all the people in it. I started out sweet, and somewhere along the way, I turned sour. The goal is to get back to being sweet. My academic goals are much more simple. I want to continue making straight A's, doing my best, and learning as much as I can. Academics have always been my strong suit, and using the same goals every year, I have always managed to make not only my family, but myself, proud.

Ninety nine percent of my summer was filled with boredom. There was only one event that I had to look forward to, and it did not come until the end of July. My best friend, Alexis, got us tickets to a One Direction concert in Indianapolis back in November. After nine months of waiting, July 31st finally came! Not only was the concert incredible (obviously), but the rest of the weekend, that was spent exploring Indy with my best friend, was amazing. I could not have asked for a better ending to what was a sleep filled summer.

I am not much of a superhero person, but if I had to pick one superpower, it would have to be super speed. I lack all athletic abilities, including the ability to run like a normal person. I consider myself to be a pretty fast walker, but when it comes to jogging or running, I go as fast as my grandmother. Plus it is not a pretty site. If I had super speed, I could get so much more done by eliminating the extra time it takes me to get from one place to another. No more saving money for gas!

I don't "geek" out, I fangirl. I am not sure if those two terms are interchangeable, but fangirling is one of my areas of expertise. I tend to fangirl over people (famous, that is) rather than objects. I am most involved in the Katy Perry and Dolan twins fandom as of right now, but it is constantly changing. I have been a dedicated KatyCat (a fan of Queen KP) since 2013, but I have been enjoying her music since I was 11 years old. The Dolan twins are my newest obsession, but their comedy and cuteness make a great combination.

If there was ever a video to describe my life perfectly, it is this: https://youtu.be/xCsvDz761Ho The story behind it is this couple who own a German Shepherd put a GoPro camera on her back to see what she did when she was home by herself. As you can clearly see from the video, she does not enjoy being home by herself. My German Shepherd, Jake, is the exact same way, and I am sure he runs around in the same fashion when he is alone. Unfortunately, if we ever attached a GoPro camera to him, he would just eat it.

Favorite website: www.katyperry.com (in case it was not obvious enough) The only place to go to get the latest on the Queen of Pop!

Assignment 1: Howdy

For your first post, introduce yourself!

Share your name, but also a little bit about who you are. Some ideas to consider are:
What are your personal and academic goals for this school year?
What was the most meaningful moment of your summer vacation?
What superpower would you have if you could pick anything?
And so on and so forth.

I want to know what Geeks you out.
To receive full credit, you must insert a picture or video (of something)  AND a hyperlink to your favorite (appropriate) website.

This must be completed by midnight on Sunday, August 30th.
150 word minimum and posted on time.