Assignment 10: BOO Jordan Strange

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. THIS IS SO THRILLING.
If zombies attacked, this would for sure be the thrill of a lifetime. It's so exciting. It's be like a real life video game. This is weird because I've thought about this before. So. In my room, there's a secret latch entrance of sorts behind my bed. That you can't see unless you type in a bajillion codes and fingerprints and stuff to eventually get in. Once you get in, everything is steel, there's only one entry and exit, and nothing can get in or out, unless you go through a series of identity scans. So, only your family and close friends can come. So, once you're in, you slide down a steel slide that takes you about 300 feet underground to this steel house. This house has 2 bathrooms, showers, and 10 bedrooms, each with their own 10 year supply of every food imaginable. You have clean, running water, and backup water storage tanks for when things get worse. There's electricity and TVs and a huge game room with pool and air-hockey and ping pong and badminton. There's lots to do in this steel underground house. And no one knows it exists. And if the zombies find a way to get in, we have a self destruct plan and 5 different jets that take us to 5 more unknown steel house locations all around the world. There's even one underwater.

Worse comes to worst, we get found and we get killed. But that's okay because in the end we live with Jesus anyways. Whatta good life.

Assignment 9: What is it Good for? Jordan Strange

War. It doesn't make much sense in my mind. I get it that this world is not all rainbows and sunshine and everyone is not on perfect terms, but this world gets so involved with things we shouldn't even be getting involved in. War doesn't do anything for either side. It's a bunch of killing and destruction for no purpose other than to see which side is better or more capable of achieving a certain goal. I understand in some extreme, severe cases, war may be the best option, but really, is it? I don't believe so. As humans, it's in our nature to want the last word or win at everything, We constantly are looking to see who we did better than, how far ahead we are of another group or person. In a way, America is like this, if we aren't on top, and if we're failing to be the best, then we do something about it. We are willing to do whatever it takes sometimes to get out on top. For many countries, as well, this happens. They go to war. There's a multitude of reasons, but is war REALLY necessary?? In today's day and age, we don't think much of war, and we're not always fully aware of it. It kinda just brushes over us without a second thought, unless our country's the one involved in it.

War is such an odd thing. There are definitely cases where it may be necessary, but all-in-all, there's not really a time for war and it's not morally right. You're killing. You're destructing whole communities. Innocent people die, and there is no justification for war. Nothing about war seems right, and maybe some day this world will come to realize that it does nothing for us.

Katie Demetriades Assignment 10: BOO

Before I explain what scares me most, let me give you a little back story. When I was a little girl, you could say I was a bit of a chicken. I can't pinpoint an exact cause; maybe it's just instinct. I was afraid of most things I was unfamiliar with. I can remember when my older brother and cousin would play the Operation computer game, I would cower in fear and avoid the computer room like the plague. "Come on, Kate, come play with us!" My response was a shake of the head and the sound of a fading pitter patter. Similar situations happened in reference to other things, including meeting mascots, going down slides, etc. To this day, I'm still easily scared. So horror movies really aren't my thing. Even some of the cheesy not-really-scary ones get me paranoid, like Halloween (tis the season, right?)

But back to the prompt. Because I'm such a baby, it's hard to choose what really scares me most. My biggest phobia, hands down, is sharks. That came about when I was about 8 or 9 and I watched bits and pieces of Jaws, specifically the end. My mom is a big fan of the movie, so she thought I would like it. Too bad it scarred me for life and I can't go to an aquarium or look at images of sharks... As far as my abstract fears go, I guess I'm most afraid of the future. As you can probably tell from my childhood, I don't like change and I don't like the unknown (but that's mostly because I don't want to look stupid). Change has always been difficult for me, even when the change was small. Sometimes I get to thinking too hard and I realize I have routines now that I won't have 10 years from now, which makes me so anxious. It's not to say my future won't be good, it's just the transition from one thing to the next really scares me. I regain my balance once I adjust to the changes, but I fall back down once I realize change is coming. It's a never ending cycle. I'm still hoping the problem will one day fix itself, and I won't have to go through a huge change to realize it's not that scary. Only time can tell...

Assignment 3: Come to the dark side, Luke (Tyler Gorman)

It's funny that this assignment has the name that it does, because I think the best way to illustrate my position on this topic is Star Wars. Though I don't think I'd use Luke as a comparison, but rather his father.
Because of all the recent hype surrounding the new movie, I recently rewatched Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and noticed a few things I didn't the last time I saw it. Darth Vader--or, as I prefer to call him (as it's his real name), Anakin Skywalker--turned to the dark side of the Force because he was tempted by Chancellor Palpatine--a.k.a. Darth Sideous, or the Emperor--with the power to prevent his wife from dying in childbirth. While he does take a turn for the downright evil, murdering children, betraying the Jedi Order that raised and trained him, and pledging allegiance to the Sith Empire, he was doing it out of love--albeit shortsighted and selfish--and not because there was utter darkness in his heart.
I don't think Anakin Skywalker was inherently evil, nor do I think he chose to become what he ultimately did. He simply allowed his point of view to be twisted in a way that led him to commit acts of evil. While the acts themselves were evil, he justified them by convincing himself they were righteous. In a way I think that can be said of many figures people consider "evil."
The best way I can think of to sum up my argument is a quote from Obi-Wan Kenobi himself: "Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

Assignment 2: iwrite (Tyler Gorman)

Technology has influenced my life in many ways, most of which I'd say are pretty positive. I won't lie, though; there was (and perhaps in a way still is) a time when technology (namely gaming) had a markedly negative impact on both my grades and relationships, but I like to think that its benefits outweigh its downsides. If we didn't have technology as we know it, my life would honestly be kinda crappy. I have a far-from-photographic memory, so my grades and schedule would be even worse than they already are if not for the ability my phone gives me to text others and set reminders. Many of my relationships exist almost purely over text message simply because my schedule is so busy that it allows little time to see people around school, band, and whatever other activities happen to be going on at the same time. And let's face it, it would drive most of us insane if we wanted to know something but the easiest access to an answer would be a magazine or newspaper or encyclopedia.

What is it Good for? -Hope Reed

At this day and age, war seems inevitable. 222 out of the 239 years that America has been considered its own nation, we have been involved in some type of war. That's 93%. 

Though I do believe, in some instances war is the only way to go about addressing a foreign problem, I believe that war is an overused, hypocritical way to go about "making peace". Since the definition of peace is freedom from war, I don't believe we should reach peace through war... it makes no sense. Countries now-a-days just resort to war if there are any conflicts whatsoever, and it's unnecessary to the utmost degree.

Terrorism brings up a whole new side to war. I believe in justice to an extent. In the instance of 9/11, I don't think we could've ignored the fact that thousands of innocent Americans died, just because of these men's hatred towards our country as a whole. I think Bin Laden and his fellow al-Qaeda members should have rightly been executed, yet I do not believe that we should have gone on killing thousands of middle-easterners who are also innocent. That's just wrong. Innocent human lives are precious, and killing one who did nothing to hurt our country or our people is flat out immoral. 

I respect the lives laid down for my safety. And I definitely respect anyone who is risking their life right now for the United States. That's bravery at its best. And I look up to all of the participants in our military. War has an everlasting affect on the men who fought in war. I actually know a man who fought overseas who has PTSD, and it's not pretty. War is not fun or cool or in any way pleasurable for anyone. It strips away the layers of humanity, exposing vulnerability. I see it unlikely that there will ever be world peace, but if there ever is, what an extraordinary sight that will be. 

Alexis Kirkland: What is it Good for?

It always seems like there's some sort of war going on. Between us, Russia, the Middle East, China, and Korea, there's constantly something going on that could possibly provoke war. I personally feel too uninformed to have an educated opinion on this. However, I am obligated to do this assignment if I want to receive a grade for it, so I'll use what knowledge I have, paired with my personal morals, to form an opinion.

Keep in mind, I don't know how politics work. I don't know if there are certain rules agreed upon by all major nations about what can be the cause for war or not. But to me, I feel like war should be the last thing a nation ever even considers. Looking at what I'm currently learning in American history, it seems like we think that nothing can be solved without considering war. Why can't we just stop all this fighting? It's childish! And these are our world leaders, we're talking about. They're all children. As adults they should know the consequences. Do they feel no remorse for being responsible for the thousands, millions of lives lost? It just doesn't make sense to me.

And they claim it's because if they don't go to war, it'll make them seem weak. What's weak is having no regard for the value of a human life.

Assignment 10: BOO

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

Describe a moment in which you were fraught with peril. Tell it as a ghost story.

OR

In the vein of David Sedaris write an observational humorist piece related to your daily life: school, home, social, etc.  (don't be mean)

Happy Halloween!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 1st at 11:59 pm

What is it good for?- Braeden Bowen

Don't get me wrong: I'm a big proponent for diplomacy. An attempt should at least be made to prevent bloodshed; there are, however, instances where war is necessary.

The goal of war is to establish dominance. We fight for territory, ideas, beliefs, and our allies; no matter the reason, the victorious party in a war establishes superiority over the other.

Sometimes war is inevitable. In the case of both World Wars, an outbreak of absolute destruction (due to the increasingly delicate circumstances) was unstoppable. So was the American Civil War; due to the circumstances, no amount of talking could resolve the deeply ingrained divide in American society at the time.

Sometimes, as in the case of the American Revolution, war was necessary. In order to achieve its goals of independence, American citizens would have to fight, as words weren't working.

Sometimes, though, America tends to get involved in wars it shouldn't. For instance, we had no responsibility or obligation to fight in Middle Eastern countries to instill democracy; the US could barely scrap together a real reason to start a war there in the first place; in the years after 9/11, diplomacy was our best shot at resolving the issues at hand and still maintaining dominance.

War isn't what it used to be. Technology has increased one hundred fold in the last century alone. A popular subject of debate regarding war technology now is the issue of drones. Creating flying robots isn't the point where we crossed the line, though. Where the human race really went too far was in the creation of the nuclear bomb.

The nuclear bomb was (and probably still is) the most destructive thing humanity has ever created. With one bomb, America took an entire Japanese city off the face of the earth. Then, they did it again. War is sometimes inevitable, necessary, or even uncalled for, but when we go so far that we are capable of ending all life on the planet to establish dominance, we've gone too far.

And unfortunately, not much is being done to stop production of nuclear weapons; so too, not much is being done about handling war machines (automatic weapons, bombs, etc.), or dealing with people affected by war. Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide because of depression, PTSD, and other mental disabilities.

So maybe the issue isn't establishing dominance. Maybe it's figuring out what to do with it, and how not to take it too far.

Assignment 9: what's it good for Emily Spivey

Yes. There is a time for war. I believe that war is the last resort. I don't think it's morally right but it is necessary. Sometimes it is the only solution. 

I believe that countries should exhaust every solution to a problem before resorting to violence because if you can avoid it, why have people possible injure themselves or even die? 

Once they have tried all of their solutions I believe that war is okay. If people want to help their country and protect them against foreign invaders then why not?But fighting just because you don't like the country or because you don't have the same beliefs is completely wrong. To go to war you need to have a good reason. For example, when Osama Bin Laden crashed planes into the twin towers and then the pentagon. Going to war was necessary. If someone threats your country and kills thousands of people it's almost your duty to do something about it. Your country needs to be protected and people need to know that they can't kill people just when they want to. 

If you want to go to war, fine by me. As long as you have a reason to, and a good reason. 

What is it Good For? - Rachel Bragg

In my opinion, war is stupid. When did someone decide that the way to solve a conflict was through killing one another? Did a ruler of a group of people just decide, "I don't like them so I'm going to use pointy things to harm them," was a good way to ensure change? I just don't understand. When I think about how people actually take away other peoples lives for their country, I just can't image why it is a thing that has to happen. I'm not saying that soldiers defending out country is wrong, I just think it shouldn't be necessary. We should have to feel so threatened.

It is crazy that as we study world history, a majority of it is centered around conflict. I understand that people disagree, that is fine. I just wish that people hadn't looked to violence in early nations as a means of solving conflict, so that it wouldn't have been so engrained in the rest of world history. I hate to be that person that is always like "can we just be friends all the time without any fighting at all?" but that is honesty how I feel. I don't see the point in large scale fighting just to settle a disagreement between two groups of people.

(Also I am aware that many people may disagree with me, and I probably don't have a very popular opinion on the matter and that is fine.)

What Is It Good For? -Lauren Spivey

Absolutely nothing, sorry I had to.

        Yes war is necessary but that's the reality of it. Sometimes you need to fight back for what you believe in and support. Imagine if no one fought back during WWII and everyone just let Hitler do his thing, that's the reason why war has to happen sometimes. If there was no threat or possibility of war would there be any consequence for peoples bad behavior? Would we let people get away with anything? There is always a consequence to something in some way shape or form and sometimes the consequence is war. Its sadly inevitable sometimes.
        There are some times when wars are started for no reason and it could be avoided so easily, but due to some peoples lack of self control or ability to have any disagreements, their immediate response is to try and cause death and wreak havoc on their opponent. 
         On the question if it is morally right depends on the motive of the war, there's always two sides, both sides believe they are fighting for the right reason but only one side is actually correct. So in cases when two countries are fighting to avoid a certain harm then there is some moral to protect yourself. In cases of war when countries are fighting to gain control of another country then no its not morally correct. The reason behind them going to war is greed through another country and there is no way that that could be a justifiable reason to go to war and kill innocent people. It's a matter of situation it's different every time so it's Impossible to make a claim as that war is morally or immorally correct because it can be a matter of opinion.

Evan Hays-
On War


What is war.
War is sacrifice.

War is the result of two parties in conflict, refusing on ample compromise, and thus as a circumstance they begin to coerce one another into a particular line of reason. In short, its when there is one sandwich and two people, and they dont want to share.
However, more broadly defined, war is simply a conflict between two groups. There have been hundreds of ethnically motivated wars, and thousands more wars based on other things. There is a war on terrorism, a war on drugs, a war on war even. So whats its value, why is the war, where does it start, and how does it end?

Or should it even.

I don't think so. The issue with war is not with war itself. War has many uses and applications. In the words of the Jackal, a notorious Liberian Gun Runner, "You aren't a good man, you've just been lucky, and have never had to be otherwise. I had to profit on this war, so I did. A man will do what he can do." The Bottom line stands, since we've found human skeletons fossilized in the dirt we have found spearheads lodged in their chest. War may not be the best course of action, it simply IS the course of action. Every time a person asks why a war happens in their home they may as well be asking why there isn't a war in another persons home. War is a constant part of humanity. People think they are sacrificing their lives for their country, but really they are sacrificing for humanity.
Radio
Rubber
Radar

Medicine
Motor Vehicles
Machine Washable clothes

All of these were invented by war. They were bread from war. And compared to the hundred lives lost, the thousands saved from these inventions speak to the virtue of conflict. "When everyone thinks alike, nobody is thinking". We require variation of ideas to make sure that innovation and invention persist. Without war, we would be dead in peace. With war, we can live in conflict. But we can live.

Who Are the Winners of War? by Brooks Spears

           As probably once said by somebody somewhere, "war sucks." And to that person, I say, you're right, war does suck. It stands as the epitome of hypocrisy- dying to prevent death. In war, both sides lose; there are no winners. No matter which side is supposedly deemed the victor, no matter how many of your guys are still standing, no matter how many of their guys aren't still standing; we all lose.
            The allies didn't win World War II, they simply survived. They only outlasted the axis, but still endured heavy casualties. As war rages on and as bodies pile up, it gets harder to peer over that ever-increasing mountain of death. Figureheads throw soldiers to fight in wars they sometimes don't even know the causes of. And for what? So thousands upon thousands of innocent people can get caught in the cross-hairs? What is the reason for all of the death?
              I believe that war though, even as the amalgamation of hypocrisy, is meant to create peace. The purpose of war should be to preserve humanity and save lives, but it cannot achieve this goal because it stands in the way of itself. It tries to save the world by ending it. War is just a beastly proposition which achieves nothing, only succeeding in creating more death and destruction. It means well, but is only an exclamation of ignorance. War is a game of death, and we all lose.

what's it worth? -catherine van tatenhove

On January 22 in 1999, a mother watched as her husband and two young sons were burned alive inside a car. Gladys Staines saw her loved ones lose their struggle for life at the clutches of Bajrandal activists in India. Days later standing over her husband and sons graves' she was asked how she was feeling, and this is what she said. 

"I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness because forgiveness brings healing and our land needs heeling from hatred and violence."

Not only did this shock me, but it also made me think on a global scale do we react like Staines or do we think the war on terror is justified because of horrors like this? I tend to believe or maybe want to believe that in light of horrific situations like Staines's and thousands more war is the lesser of the two evils. Because in a perfect world pacifism might be feasible, but the past has proven war is seemingly unavoidable. So, wether Staines new it or not she was showing so many who think the answer is to jump into combat that forgiveness is the most powerful weapon in the face of terrorists, who will die for what they believe in no matter how extreme. 

Assignment 9: What is it good for? - Elle Ogden

War is a tough topic for me. It goes against all morals that I've ever been taught, but when it comes to protecting your country against a nation that refuses to solve conflict with non-violence, I don't think you have a choice. What would be the point of armies and navies if they didn't protect their citizens. So I think my opinion on war is a little in between. Just like everything else, there's a time and a place.
When it comes to your country's citizens safety, and you've tried all other options to reduce conflict, I think you have no choice but to go to war. War is also about politics, which I don't understand, nor agree with. I hate that America gets involved in EVERYTHING. Why can't we mind our own business and keep to ourselves. We risk the lives of our soldiers in order to protect other countries and stay the main political power. I don't agree with it.
I think we could try a little harder when it comes to resolving conflicts with non-violence. We could try the concept of compromising. It seems as though when we don't get our way, we send out our troops and ask them to risk their lives, just so we will get what we want. I don't know much about war, or politics, but from the outside looking in, I don't like the way it looks.

What is it good for? Pretty much only that song-- Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer

War and violence are truths of humanity so far. No decade in the history of humanity, no matter how we’re dubbed it in retrospect, has ever been truly peaceful. And that’s terrifying. Me? I’m a pacifist but I also think that pacifism is naïve. While I want complete eradication of war and peaceful compromise as a means to all ends, I also can’t imagine that being possible right now. Basically, I have no idea how to think. All I know is I believe war is to be avoided at all costs. This isn’t like a, “Well, I asked [insert country here] really politely to stop attacking [insert thing being attacked] and they didn’t so now I guess we have to go to war with them,” situation, I’m talking about when a large, incredibly ruthless power is giving no option but full-fledged warfare that can’t be fixed economically or politically. I also will never condone a war that occurs because of personal beliefs. When a dictator personally believes that once race or culture or ethnicity or religion is wrong, they are wrong. When a powerful government thinks their way of governing is the best and everyone else’s is wrong, they are wrong. When that dictator is crushing those people, or when that government is attacking the other, that is when war is justified. It is in the protection of the people. Still, it’s a complex issue. I can’t say with certainty that I will support a war ever or that I will never support a war. But I can say this, Germany and Japan are (metaphorically) killin’ it and they didn’t have a military for a long time. Just think about it.

Is it worth it? Spencer Parsons

I believe this topic of war is entirely determined on the circumstance. Often times war is justified and necessary, but in other circumstances, based on recent examples, war is not worth the cost of the lives we lose.
Two of the most recent wars include the US infiltrating Afghanistan to hunt the Taliban group responsible for the attacks on 9/11. In this circumstance it was justified and necessary for us to pursue Osama Bin Laden and the terrorist group he lead. We also succeeded in this pursuit, and then promptly left the nation. We did our job, avenged the lives of the families affected by 9/11, and then left. This is a clear case when an act of war is a righteous task to pursue. If our country is attacked, it is a smart decision if we respond with force, but in a controlled manner.
At a similar point in time, the US saw fit to enter a war in Iraq that we had nothing to do with. We decided it was our duty to help people in Iraq when they did not ask for it, nor want it. We lost many lives in this war and accomplished nothing. it was also very chaotic because it was nearly impossible for us to pull troops out. We were not attacked in this war and it was completely unnecessary for us to get involved.
in some cases an act of war is ok, but many times it is not a promising decision because it is unjustified.

What Is It Good For? - Grae Chambers

War stories have long plagued the history of our nation. Brave men and women lose their lives over seas every day. And for what? Is it a love of country, a need for purpose, or is it a desire to fight? I believe that war is some what of a necessary evil. There is a time and place for war. It's the last desperate milisecond. This is a time that should only come around once in a life time, but the higher ups of our world make the decision to battle much too hastily. There are many alternatives to war that should be considered, but almost never are. Treaties are historically known as end of war acts, but could just as easily be placed to avoid war all together. Force is often seen as the most effective way to  War is never morally justifiable, but more of a lesser of two evils. Good people die in wars, and bad people. That's the idea. But who gets to judge who's good and who's bad? It's not me and it's not you and I don't think it's the government either, but they're the ones who have it in their job description.

What is it good for? Matthew Telfer

The American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm and finally the Iraq War. Since 1776 when America became independent from Britain, our country has been in ten wars. Sure, going to war in some of these instances was justified, but was it worth it? In the American Revolution there was no way of gaining our independence without war. Britain was unwilling to give up their New World territory peacefully. Yet we battled for eight long years and forced Britain to surrender. Even though it may be justified, I could never truly say it's morally right. Killing is never morally right even though it may be the only way to survive in war.

Yes there were certain times in the past when America had a responsibility to go to war. In World War II we could not have just sat back and let the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor without any consequences. We had a responsibility to fight for those who were killed in Pearl Harbor. There are always alternatives yet are the alternatives as effective as war? I believe we must try to always solve problems peacefully before we resort to war. Yet, I believe war is more effective because when a country has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, that country feels more vulnerable and are more willing to agree to different proposals. War is the last resort. If all options have failed, then a country can contemplate going to war. Yet there is always a loser in war. A country just has to hope that they won't be the loser when all is said and done.

Katie Demetriades Assignment 9: What is it good for?

I have never had much of an opinion on war. Because whether or not I like it, it's here to stay. Look at how much we support our troops and praise them for their work, which is well deserved. However, the cause they fight for isn't always just. I find the only time for war is when oppression is being fought. Revolutions against a powerful tyranny brings real results. Fighting between two nations brings too much destruction for the results to even matter. So in general, I am not a supporter of war. The few circumstances where war is justified are rare. Minus in the Middle East, I do not know of anywhere else in the world where civil war is occurring. So, that means less war should be happening in the world overall.

As we all know, the US is always the one to get involved in wars we originally had nothing to do with. Because we have our wallets open hoping to find natural resources we can make big bucks off of. Why do you think we're still in the Middle East? Because we love oil. I only find it just for us, or any other nation, to intervene in war when something inhumane is being committed. The mass slaughtering of innocent people is a good example. But other than that, war intervention is not the responsibility of any nation. It more than likely will only make matters worse.

I feel like throughout history, humans have tried to find an alternative to war. By talking issues out and creating compromises or avoiding contact with the opposite side all together. But because these alternatives are not always effective, we silently agreed that war was the way to find a solution in foreign disagreements. Although alternatives exist that we have yet to try, national leaders are so unwilling to try it because they don't know for sure if they work. I doubt we'll ever know.

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.- Anya Slepyan

My favorite book is Joseph Heller’s anti-war novel, Catch 22. One of its many memorable passages describes the thoughts held by the main character, Yossarian, towards war. “Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents.” These “benefits,” however, are not nearly enough to justify the deaths of millions of people, soldiers and civilians alike.

I believe that war is an absolute evil, and should be avoided at all costs. However, I understand the unfortunate difference between moral idealism and our reality. Therefore I must acknowledge that sometimes war is unavoidable, and must then be considered the lesser of two evils. Whenever possible, no matter how remote the chances, nonviolent negotiations and resolutions must be attempted to resolve the differences of the opposing parties. Should those attempts fail, violence is only justifiable if a group is under direct threat, and certainly not for economic or religious reasons.

Of all the types of warfare, and reasons for war, the least defensible to me is religious wars. I detest the fact that for thousands of years, a countless number of people have died for their personal beliefs, which should have absolutely no effect on anyone but themselves. Unfortunately, religious warfare continues today in the form of attacks from extreme religious sects, as well as divisions within larger religions (such as the Sunni and the Shiites). The continuous existence of such conflicts in human history is completely baffling.

Also, as a side not, a favorite music genre of mine is sixties and seventies protest songs. Artists ranging from Peete Seeger to Phil Oaks, Donovan to Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young to Bob Dylan, have each laid out their arguments against war in the form of really excellent folk music. I highly recommend a listen.

I never had to choose my subject- Emily Spivey

Fears: failing, not being happy, not living life

Annoyances: when people click their pen, when they chew gum loudly

Accomplishments: I've made it this far so that's good

Confusions: what do I want to do in life?

Dreams: to live life to the fullest

The territory that I have chosen to talk about is my fears. I believe that my fears are what hold me back. From these fears I have noticed that I have some anxiety. Wondering if you are ever doing the right thing, if you are going to succeed in life or fail miserably. It's crazy to think that one life choice can alter your future and the way you live your life. 

Even though these fears play a big part in how I live my life, I don't want them to hold me back. The things that people are scared of can hurt their lives and make it not turn out the way they had planned  but those fears shouldn't restrict your happiness or stop you from fulfilling your life and dreams. I believe that people worry so much about the "what ifs" that they are too scared to take chances. 

Assignment 9: What is it good for?

Genocide in Sudan

North Korea testing nuclear weapons

Iran creating nuclear weapons
Egypt
Syria

Terrorism
On and on. . .

Injustices and threats surround so many lives in this world. When injustices or threats progress to dangerous and harmful levels though, it seems logical for war to come into play as a way to "combat" the situation. . .or is it?  The conservative Christian group known as the Mennonites  as well as the Anabaptists believe that war (violence) is never appropriate.

Is there a time for war?

If there is a time, is it morally right and just or is is it the lesser of two evils?

If there isn't a time, why not?

Are there certain times when countries have a responsibility to go to war?

Are there any alternatives? Could they be more effective or less effective?

Due Sunday, October 25th at 11:59 pm

I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me - Grae Chambers

Fears: EVERYTHING. No but really, spiders, losing loved ones, drowning, suffocating, people hating me, being alone (specifically dying alone), the future, failure. Those are the biggies.
Annoyances: Popping knuckles, bragging, extreme ignorance
Accomplishments: I've managed to make what I consider good grades, I've avoided any major trouble, oh and my nap today was only 2 hours instead of 4!!
Confusions: Why doesn't math automatically click for me? How do people whistle? And most importantly why do my thumbs look like tree stumps?
Sorrows: My unathleticism, inability to breathe correctly, smile
Dreams: write a book, become a doctor, own a bunch of dogs, travel, get married
Idiosyncrasies: I talk with my hands way too much, I get obsessed with things really easily,
Risks: procrastinating homework almost every night, riding roller coasters, public speaking
Beloved possessions: Then- stuffed caterpillar, american girl dolls, VHS tapes ( i don't know, I used them as building blocks). Now- My dogs ( although I consider them more family members than possessions) , phone, old pictures, charm bracelet.
Problems: lol how much time do you have

I'm going to elaborate on my fear of failure. It's the quality that I fear will hold me back most in my life. I have been a cautious person for as long as I can remember When learning to walk, I was increasingly stubborn. I wouldn't even attempt to take a step until I was absolutely certain that I would not fall. I've carried this belief with me that I would rather not try at all, then try and fail. I resent this outlook on life, but it is mine. I've tried so hard to change it, but I've been known to let my fear control me. I've done swimming since I was 5 years old. I should probably be pretty good after 11 years of practicing right? wrong. When I was younger, I discovered that I wasn't automatically the best, swimming made me out of breath, so I assumed I was just bad. I didn't understand that I would have to try twice as hard as everyone else to get my lungs to cooperate with being forced under water. For the rest of my swimming career, and I use the word career pretty ironically here, I haven't tried hard  at all. I rarely practice and at meets I only attempt to do the easy events. I put myself in a little box and assume that if I'm not automatically good, I shouldn't try, because it saves the pain and embarrassment. I am not ignorant, I know that improvement only comes through hard work, but I tend to only try and improve myself in things I have the innate ability for. Here's a brief list of the things I tried to do for about an hour before giving up: Skiing, math, gymnastics, swimming, knitting, dancing, singing. It's out of character for me to be sitting here actually trying to write this semi- decently. In third grade, I decided that writing was going to be my thing. I loved reading, and had a knack for telling stories. I always walked around with a story inside my head. As I progressed in school, I continued to try and improve my writing, until freshman year. Every school subject was harder, and I put english on the back burner. My essays were worse than they ever had been. My english teacher was uninterested in me and my writing, so I gave up. I decided that I would settle with average, I could settle for B's. For the past two years I've been trying to return to my love of writing, but it's been hard. I still fear that even though i'm putting myself out there and trying really hard its going to come back to bite me.

I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me

• Fears -- Spiders (and most bugs), the dark, rejection, public speaking, letting people down, intense eye contact
• Annoyances -- judgmental/rude people, when people keep me from being somewhere I need to be, too much homework
• Accomplishments -- I am alive, I am healthy, I have amazing people in my life
• Confusions -- space and time
• Sorrows -- Stress, frustration with my sister, self image
• Dreams --  I want to travel, and experience other places that are completely different than here
• Idiosyncrasies -- needing to be places early or on time, my stuff being organized, spending too much time deciding what to wear, being constantly attentive to who is looking at me or near me in big crowds, (all of these things being caused by/causing my anxiety)
• Risks -- having spontaneous conversations with strangers (its actually impossible for me)
• Beloved Possessions, Now and Then -- then: my iPod touch   Now: my friends
• Problems -- Procrastination, lack of motivation, pleasing everyone

My list is pretty descriptive and self explanatory, so now I have to figure out which one to elaborate on.

My risk might seem sort of weird for some people that know me. Because once I know someone, and the how to carry out a conversation with them, I'm very outgoing. But if I don't know how to talk to you or how to start a conversation with you, then I most likely won't talk to you. Sometimes this part of me comes off as stuck up or rude, and that's not my intentions at all. I really enjoy being with people. I'm an extrovert, I'm just a shy one.

I am the actual worst when it comes to starting a conversation with someone I don't know well. I feel too awkward talking about school or stuff they don't really care about, yet I'm not creative enough to come up with a great conversation prompt. I just can't convince myself that going up to a person I want to be friends with, isn't weird. In my mind, I'm some strange person that will just walk up to you and start talking about the weather, due to my lack on conversation starters, creating an uncomfortable situation for both of us.

It's just baffling to me that my risk (something that makes me want to crawl under a table and hide) is something that some people do in their everyday life, and even enjoy.

I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me Morgan Lakofka

Fears- Being alone, spiders

Annoyances- Tapping pencils, mispronounced words

Accomplishes- Learning new skills (painting, running, driving)

Confusions- Difference between affect and effect

Sorrows- Too quiet

Dreams- Live somewhere cool, do what I love 

Idiosyncrasies- Harry potter fan, cat lady, I hum when I' m happy (totally unaware until my mom tells me to stop), obsession with a certain type of candy that's like an off brand of banana runts but I have no clue what they're called

Risks- I'd probably do anything once just to say I did it (unless it's completely stupid)  

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- My friends (Now) Stuffed animals (then) Snow globe collection/souvenirs (then and now)

Problems- I usually go to bed at 8:30, can't get over the stage of only eating kids meals (people think I'm 5)

Problems- I have a lot of weird habits that are somewhat problematic. For instance, I get tired as soon as it gets dark which means I get sleepy around 7 and I’m usually in bed by 8:30. It’s problematic because I get nothing done and I go to bed without finishing homework. My childlike sleeping patterns really cut the day short and I probably miss out on a lot.  I often wonder how other teens stay out late because it seems fun. My second problem is eating habits. My mom spoiled me as a kid and would always cut up my food, so now I like things bite size.  I have a really small stomach; I get hungry and full pretty fast. I’m constantly snacking and I can never eat a lot at meals. Whenever I go out to eat I constantly struggle with menu decisions because all I want is a kid’s chicken finger but I always get judged so hard when I order off the kids menu. I’m also super picky which doesn’t help the situation. All of these combined I’m the biggest kid I know and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I Fear, I Fear with all my Heart by Brooks Spears

Writing Territories

Fears- Spiders,

Annoyances- Cliches in movies

Accomplishments- None

Confusions- equality

Sorrows- death,

Dreams- becoming a director

Idiosyncrasies- doodling on everything

Risks- Driving

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then-

Problems- Improving my talents

                                                     I Fear, I Fear with all my Heart

I don't have a lot of fears, but when I do- wait that's not right. Let me try again. I don't have a lot of fears but  when I do. Ah, well, I'll just go with it. I don't have a lot of fears, but when I do they're spiders. 

Spiders are great, don't get me wrong, but they are scary as hell. Imagine walking into your room, tired as can be, stumbling into your bed and ready to sleep; but out of nowhere, a huge, walking, talking, breathing, eight-legged freak jumps out at you. I don't know about you but I'd be out of there faster than a race horse going for the triple crown.

Spiders are scary, but as any sane person, I would still love to strike a deal with them. If they stay away from me, I'll stay away from them. Sounds great, right? But if they ever cross it, I'll end them. With that being said, I am terrified of freakishly big spiders that spin acid webs like the ones from "The Mist" even though they're fictional (hopefully). But hey, it's still a fear.

On This Date: October 3, 1863

On October 3rd of 1863, which happened to be in middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued the Thanksgiving Proclamation that created the holiday that we celebrate today.

When I first began researching this event, I was under the impression that Lincoln was the one who wrote it; that assumption was incorrect. It turns out that his secretary of state, William Seward, wrote the document, Lincoln just issued it. Then as I continued my research I found that even though Seward wrote it, a woman named Sarah Hale proposed the idea. I am a little mad that Sarah doesn't get much credit for the creation of the holiday.

(Side note: Ahhh, I just read that Sarah Hale is also the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

Even though the idea of an national Thanksgiving had been around since the beginning of our nation, Sarah Hale was the first one to publish about it, writing editorials about it often, and bring awareness to the president about it. She felt that it would be a "unifying measure" that would help ease tensions during the Civil War. Through the creation of this holiday, she is basically saying "Guys, I know we are fighting right now, but can we be friends for a second and celebrate the things we are thankful for?"

I enjoyed researching this event, and I'm glad that I got to share my little finding with you. I used History.com for my research.


This part is extremely irrelevant to this blog post, but it thought I would share it. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving this year, I will be getting my wisdom teeth taken out. That right, my face will be full of intolerable pain on a holiday centered around food... yay.

I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me -Hope Reed

Fears- not being able to live out my dreams/ living a "normal" life, losing friends, loneliness
Annoyances- racist people, judgmental people, pride
Accomplishments- I'm pretty sure I have the award least favorite/worst behaving kid in the family, made it through middle school, mediocre painter, mediocre runner, able to see the beauty in this world
Confusions- why college is so expensive and why scholarships/ full rides are so hard to get
Sorrows- my past was a little rough, fading friendships, low self esteem
Dreams- travel the world, live somewhere tropical, take risks, inspire people
Idiosyncrasies- constant day-dreamer
Risks- parasailing, jet skiing, adventuring through "no trespassing" property, roller coasters, cliff jumping, hopefully skydiving sometime in the future
Beloved processions- my friends (now), my artwork (now), my American Girl doll (then)
Problems- too hard on myself, don't compare to my straight-A brainiac siblings

I have pretty big dreams compared to most people my age. Most people that I know want to go to college, get a job, get married, and raise a family. 89% of people end up living in the city they were born in. I've lived in Kentucky my whole life. I've never been out of the country. I don't want to stay cooped up in one area for the rest of my life. I love Kentucky, and I think it's beautiful here, but I don't belong in this state forever. I want to travel the world and see the beautiful creations and sights around this gorgeous earth we live on. I honestly don't want to go to college, because I'll only be able to afford in-state tuition (wow!! yeah, I know all you smarties think I'm crazy, but I don't care). I don't think I can stand to waste my life in a place that I feel as if I don't belong in. I want to  fall in love with the earth. I want to live. I want to take risks and feel my heart race each and every day with a new thrill of a life time. I want to live near the ocean, I yearn for a life full of sandy clothes, salty smells, and sun-kissed skin. I want to be able to live to inspire others through my actions and words. I want to be able to awake to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean to paint. I want to feel the hot sand and cool, clear water against my skin each and every day. I don't want to live so that I waste my life stressing over whatever's next, whether it be college, or a job. I want to take life day by day, each day filled with exciting new adventures. At the moment, school consumes my life. My daily life is school, practice, homework, sleep. How dreadfully awful is that? I honestly can't stand where I am in life. All people care about is success, money, college, etc. I just want to live an exciting life in a place I love with people I love. I don't want to spend it caring only about money and success, because one day we're all going to die, and I can guarantee you that a life full of breath-taking sights, heart-pounding thrills, and unbreakable friendships will be much more satisfying than a life consumed in work and money ever will. I dream to live a life full of adventure.

"I never had to choose my subject-rather my subject chose me" Elle Ogden

Fears- snakes, spiders, failure
Annoyances- wasting time, repetitive noises
Accomplishments- GPA, relationships with friends and family
Confusions- favoritism, politics
Sorrows- being anxious, self-doubt, confidence
Dreams- I want to contribute something of importance to our world
Idiosyncrasies- dog lover, allergic to everything
Risks- lol I don't really do risks, they're not my thing
Beloved Possessions- toys and material items (then) my dogs, my friends, my family (now)
Problems- relaxing, not worrying, sleep

When I think back on all the answers I've given when asked about my dreams, I laugh. I had such cliche answers. One's like "I want to be a doctor" or "I'm gonna play soccer professionally". My 8 year old self was so naive to think that those were the most important things I could possibly do with my life. Don't get me wrong, doctors are incredibly important to our world, but I never even liked biology or doctors. I found myself telling people what they wanted to hear. And what adult doesn't love to hear a little kid say they're going to be a professional athlete or give the commonplace answer of "I'm gonna be a doctor".
If I've learned anything as I've grown up, it's that I want to contribute something to our world. I want to die knowing that I've done everything in my power to improve our world in some way or another. Big or small, that is the only way I will be satisfied with my life. I'm sick of wasting time (one of my all time pet peeves) doing pointless things that won't help me accomplish my dreams.

"i never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"-catherine van tatenhove

Fears- sudden death of loved ones, heights, not having enough time
Annoyances- mumford and sons fans, ungratefulness
Accomplishments- having a best friend relationship with my brother, mission work in costa rica, traveling to france alone for three weeks, and volunteering my Saturdays to coach 4 year old's soccer.
Confusions- math, country music, and where I stand on pretty much all major political issues
Sorrows- see I'm trying this new thing where I focus on the positives, so I have sorrows, yes, but I also had two pieces of cake today. So, life is good, man.
Dreams-to pay for plane tickets instead of paying a house mortgage, to never feel like I work, to be trilingual, to run a 5:00 minute mile, to be my kids best friend (without turning them into entitled brats), oh, and to go to Thailand/become a mahout (n. (in South and Southeast Asia) a person who works with, rides, and tends an elephant).
Idiosyncrasies- being overly pretentious about music tastes, never capitalizing the first letter of words or sentences, having an unprecedented love for all pickles, candles, dark rooms, and mexican food
Risks- swimming with sharks (want), swimming with stingrays (did)
Beloved Possessions- books, music, and relationships
Problems- procrastinating, comparing myself to others, spelling 

One of my fears of not having enough time seems to infect every part of my life. It starts in small ways by begging the time gods for more hours in the day to do more homework, read more books, listen to more music, run more miles, and have more late night enlightening text conversations. Then it forges its way to my cherished relationships because I find myself struggling to find time to see people I don't cross paths with on a daily basis. Therefore, sometimes I feel responsible for just simply the innocent and frankly normal diffusion of relationships. Similarly, time is crippling when surveying my aspirations in black and white above, and not just when attempting to run a daunting 5 minute mile. Knowing I want to travel, learn to speak with natives in THEIR language, meet and love people that are hard to believe exist, swim with sharks, and overcome my seemingly insurmountable problems and sorrows I worry. I worry that I won't have enough time. I worry I won't have enough time to do the things above, and I worry the people I love don't have enough time either. This can become a rather fatalistic and vicious cycle to be at arms with, but the solution is surprisingly in complex.
Be happy with how you use every waking moment of your time, so you more or less don't care how much of it you have. And, if I am able to live that statement out, then THAT would be my fifth and greatest accomplishment.

"I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"-Matthew Telfer

Fears: dying at a young age, being unsuccessful in adulthood
Annoyances: selfishness, lack of caring, creating drama
Accomplishments: receiving a 5 on AP Psych, passing my drivers test
Confusions: why people make poor decisions in life
Sorrows: grandparent's death, Kentucky losing in Final Four(joking)
Dreams: to be accepted into med school, travel the world
Idiosyncrasies: hard work ethic, pretty good at ping pong
Risks: jumping off a cliff
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: my tennis racquet now, my dog then
Problems: procrastination


Everyone is annoyed by something. Yet nothing annoys me more than when people act like they don't care. It's when a person usually doesn't do as well as they thought they should've done on something, that they resort to the phrase "I don't care." I see it happen all the time in tennis. A player will lose and instead of accepting that their opponent was a better player, they blame it on the fact that they didn't try. Why even step on the court if you're not going to try.  If you accept the fact that you didn't play your best that day, it motivates you to go out and work harder the next day. Even Michael Jordan said, "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." He is the greatest basketball player ever because he knew this one thing. There was no way he could've improved if he just attributed all his failures to not trying.

I never had to choose my subject --Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer

Fears: heights (sometimes), darkness (SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO RUN UP THE STAIRS AWAY FROM THE EVIL THAT’S CHASING YOU OKAY?)

Annoyances: slow people and traffic lights, inspirational quotes

Confusions: republicans (sorry), light (HOW IS IT PARTICAL and A WAVE?)

Sorrows: Going through the motions

Dreams: travel the world, finish GOT, feel like I’m doing something

Idiosyncrasies: If something happens to one side of my body, I need it to happen to the other side; If you poke me, I have to rub the spot to make the poke go away; I don’t like it when my eyebrow hair goes the wrong way (it hurts and no one believes me so they do it and it hurts. People suck)

Risks: go parasailing, learn to rock climb, be Harry Potter’s best friend (because you know that’d be dangerous), be a spy

Beloved Possessions, then and now: passport (both then and now), I don’t really like THINGS

Problems: keeping up with the news, self-crafted anxieties

            One of my biggest problems in life is my constant battle with the things I own. I despise clutter and would probably make a good nun because giving up my worldly possessions sounds super great, not like some huge sacrifice for God (but then again it would be actually the only part with being a nun I’d be okay with). But seriously, I’m a non-materialist. It’s not that I think people who value their material things are any less thoughtful or interesting or selfless than people who don’t, it’s just that I don’t really have “beloved possessions” because I hate owning things. What I value most is experience (I’m sorry for the cheese); I’d much rather spend $500 on parasailing or going to some place like Utah than on a shopping spree. I look forward to Christmas and my birthday because that’s when the flood of emails from disgruntled family members requesting my non-existent wish list stop. That doesn’t mean that a.) I don’t want things ever and b.) I don’t buy things ever, it’s more that I get less excited by the prospect of getting things than by all the other exciting things in my life. If I get a shirt that I love or a new computer, I’m going to be really happy about it. If someone gives me a present that’s not a trip to England or an admission to a water park (no one’s done that yet but I’m super open to it happening), I’m not going to be disappointed. Ultimately, I hate having things that I don’t use and really, really hate sorting through them so I avoid things in general.

I have never had to choose my subject - rather my subject chose me

I find it difficult to accurately judge yourself because you don't want to come off as cocky or someone who just isn't interesting at all. so, please don't think of either of those things as you read this because I am trying to avoid both.

Fears- Being kidnapped, becoming paralyzed
Annoyances- Fakeness(if thats a word), Louisville fans
Accomplishments- not kidnapped yet, beat Lego Star Wars on the Wii in 4 days. (not easy)
Confusions- the stock market, curling, why people do things that are just so wrong i.e. kidnapping
Sorrows- procrastination, losing my friend Tanner
Dreams- to become an NFL sports announcer/commentator, be on SNL
Idiosyncrasies- can rap really well, people person
Risks- Rappelling on Lake Powell, surfing, skiing on expert stuff, parasailing
Beloved Possessions- Then- my bear, Sammy. Now- my dogs
Problems- organization, procrastination

Dreams- My dreams aren't terribly far fetched, but they are awesome in my mind. My first dream is to become an NFL commentator. I want to discuss the games on ESPN and be lucky enough to travel to various cities to watch teams play in buildings/stadiums that are beautifully constructed. i would also love to be a commentator of college basketball, but possibly only at UK. That could be a dream I reach after a traveling career as an NFL commentator. My second dream is to one day make it on SNL. This dream sort of acts a s a backup. I think i can be pretty funny at times and I would hope that I would eventually have a talk show similar to Jimmy Fallon. I feel that I could easily do what he does and be pretty darn good at it. I love watching comedians and quoting them all the time, and one day want to generate my own comedic material. I hope that somewhere along the road these dreams will be achieved. I at least want one of them to happen, but both would be even better.

Assignment 8- Anya Slepyan

Fears: Fish/things that live underwater, forced social engagement/small-talk, people
Annoyances: rudeness, ignorance, obnoxious people, Donald Trump (he qualifies as all three!)
Accomplishments: debate team, school stuff, camp counselor, speaking to people I don't know sometimes
Confusions: Religious warfare, GEOMETRY
Sorrows: not having enough time to try everything I want to do
Dreams: travel a ton, become a hermit who lives in the woods and just camps all the time.
Idiosyncrasies: introvert, misanthrope (to some extent), a little nerdy about some things I guess
Risks: not too much yet, but I'm sure I'll find some crazy stuff to do later
Beloved possessions: teddy bear (then), music library, poncho (now)
Problems: I look silly in hats.

If Satan existed, his number one pastime would be organizing mixers and creating get-to-know-you games. Forcing people to "bond" over a short period of time by demanding that they tell embarrassing stories, share personal likes and dislikes, and invade each others' personal space is nothing short of evil. Supposedly these activities  create an open environment where people become more comfortable with one another; in realty, they embody my personal version of Hell.
Let me give you an example. My Freshman year, I went to a conference in DC sponsored by the Religious Action Center for Reformed Judaism. Basically, we attended seminars on political issues of our choice, then wrote speeches and presented them to our representatives (or more frequently, employees of our representatives) in the Capitol Building. It was a great opportunity and a very fun program. Unfortunately, the conference organizers decided it was necessary to have a mixer for an entire hour and a half.
"Find someone with the same color shoes as you and tell them about the last movie you watched."
"Get into groups of five and tell each other your favorite animals while holding on to the left ear of your neighbor."
"Hug three different people and give them a compliment."
These  commands, and the dozens more that followed, forced us to exchange pleasantries, cursory introductions, and physical contact with hundreds of random teenagers from around the country. It was awful. Forced conversation is already deeply unpleasant, but the added measure of unwarranted physical contact among strangers really put this activity over the edge. I really can't think of a worse way to make people feel comfortable. For the rest of the conference, I would recognize someone as the chick who's ear I touched and that guy who gave me a hug, and avoid eye contact with those people for all that I was worth.
Mixers and similar events, in addition to small-talk, are the kinds of social interaction that I live to avoid. 

"I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"

Ernest Hemingway once said that he said never had to choose his subject; it chose him. Every day, something new happens. Even a routine day is unlike every other day before it; it is unique. Even still, uniqueness in continuity is a subject. Hemingway didn't choose his life, his life chose him; even on the most uninteresting of days, the uniqueness of life was still a subject. The same is true for the rest of us, too. Even the smallest parts of our everyday life are worth exploring. For example:

Fears- Not being successful, not being "good enough"
Annoyances- Loud chewing, uncooperativeness, ineffectiveness, unprofessional people
Accomplishments- Editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, NSHSS Ambassador, author/director of a short film
Confusions- Why some people are more different than others, calculus (that was a joke)
Sorrows- Not letting myself have more fun
Dreams- To impact the world in a big way
Idiosyncracies- All but obsessed with figuring things out
Risks- Spending a lot of time building a resume vs. taking time to relax
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- Camera (now), "Summer Book" (now), first computer (then), "Summer Book" (then)
Problems- Focus, work ethic

I didn't chose what things confuse me. There are things in life that our minds simply cannot work out; for me, I have a hard time understanding other people. They say you can tell what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face. They say you should enjoy getting a hug, because it's an important social connection. I don't get it. Why do my mouth, eyes, shoulders, hands, head, and belly move uncontrollably and without my knowledge, but other people's don't? Why do other people like getting a pat on the back, but I don't? Did I do something to make myself unlike "normal people?" I'm not sure. I'm confused.

That's part of me. Part of my life. Part of my most boring, uneventful, routine day. And yet, it is a subject in my life that I think about every day-- just as Hemingway said. I didn't chose any of those any of those things,yet they are so prevalent in my life that I can write for hours on them. Here's another question that comes from all of this: if things I can't chose are some of the most important things in my life, is that proof of destiny or free will?

Assignment 8

Fears: Uncertainty

Annoyances: Hypocrites, ingratitude

Accomplishments:  5000th visitor in the HC library (can you believe it?! hear the excitement in my voice.) and I've been to over like 20 countries.

Confusions: world peace.

Sorrows; maintaining friendships, forgetting experiences & people

Dreams: full time ministry around the word someplace

Idiosyncrasies: people & Jesus lover. 

Risks: I've never really done anything super risky. 

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: then: stuff in general (and the best stuff, too) now: relationships with everyone I love. 

Problems: work ethic. mine sucks to be honest.

Dreams.

I love to travel. I love to experience different cultures. I love people. I love meeting and loving new people in different cultures while traveling new places. My dream would be to do this for the rest of my life. But in addition to this, I'd love to share the wonderful story of Jesus to hundreds and thousands of people across the world who have no hope. Who have nothing. There are over 3 BILLION people who have never heard anything of the Gospel. Anything of a powerful God. Anything of a bigger purpose. I want that to change. As a Christian and a strong believer in the mission of Christ, my purpose in this world is far more than getting a good degree and making money. My purpose in this world is to share the message of Jesus Christ with the billions of people who have never heard. My actual goal (forgetting about money and reality and the actual requirements this would take) would be to start a non-profit organization that has bases in different countries all around the world. We would own facilities in a few countries that would include a church, a health center, and a school. We would bring in children that need a home. Almost like an orphanage, but not at all. We would teach these precious children about Jesus, and give them an education, and medical attention if needed. I would give up everything I had to make this work if I wasn't stuck in the entanglements of school and life and the reality I actually live in. But one day, that's what I'd hope to either start of be a part of. :) It would be so wonderful. And there would probably be a facility in Tanzania, in a little cottage on top of a hill that overlooks a sunflower field. How beautiful would that be. This world has so much to offer, and one day I hope to explore it all. 

Alexis Kirkland: I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me

Fears: caterp*llars, the way raw cotton looks, the way mushrooms look, if 1D ever breaks up

Annoyances: slurping, people trying to get food from between their teeth, people not letting me finish my sentences before making assumptions

Accomplishments: Existing today, telling someone about my past, moving out of a harmful household.

Confusions: Why do I have to think they way that I do, why do I take longer to learn things than everyone else, why am I such a crybaby, why didn't I spend more time with my younger sister when I had the chance

Sorrows: my weight, height, teeth, missing my younger sister, when people tell me that I'm not "natural" or "normal" or that who I am isn't okay to be.

Dreams: Seeing my younger sister again, meeting 1D, being a role model for a large group of people

Idiosyncrasies: synesthesia, my dedication to 1D, the way I want to present myself changes from day to day, if I say "I love you" to someone I don't actually love, I have to sort of blow the air out of my mouth afterward because I don't want any remnants of that false "I love you" in my mouth (extremely strange???)

Risks: talking back to adults, opening up to people

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Then, my old chihuahua, Ariel, and my Nintendo DS's (I had 3). Now, my phone, tablet, iPod, old tickets to 1D concerts, photos and videos from 1D concerts I have been to

Problems: controlling my anxiety (because right now it seems to control me), extreme procrastination, caring what other people think

Something that I'd like to discuss is my synesthesia. I've had this for as long as I can remember. Synesthesia is when your 5 senses overlap. For some people, it can be extreme, to where they see an object and it makes them hear a certain sound or smell a certain smell. For others, like me, it can be to a milder extent. For example, imagine that when you think of the letter B, not only do you associate it with the color blue, but its gender is male, it's the father of C and D, is married to A, and has a naive personality. Well, this is what my brain is like 24/7. My numbers and letters and days of the week and months and years all exist in a certain spatial pattern, and almost all of them have colors and relations to the others in their category, and all of then have gender expressions and personalities. Allow me to elaborate on one of these topics (it would take way too long to discuss all of them):

Numbers:

0- colorless; male; the supposed leader of the other numbers

1- white; gender-fluid; a better leader of the other numbers but whose powers are limited because it is so far up in the sequence of numbers

2- colorless or brown; male; a father figure to 3 and 4

3- yellow; female; a younger, naive, giggly sister to 4

4- blue; male; the older brother to 3, sort of a jock, kind of dumb

5- orange; male; dumber than his best friend, 4

6- green; usually male but sometimes seen as female; scared of everything, confides in 5 and asks him for help when 7 isn't looking, but of course, 5 is too dumb to know what's going on with 6.

7- red; female; takes advantage of 6, picks on 6, doesn't care about 6's feelings. She is the one who makes 6 anxious and scared all the time. 

8- purple; male; extremely depressed with suicidal tendencies. Hates his life, wishes he was never born. Emotionally and verbally abused by 9.

9- black; male; ruthless, filled with hatred, pushes 8 to the edge, finds it amusing to trigger 8. He is the one who made 8 become a shell of himself. He's worse than 7.

10- black and white; male; completely oblivious to the magnitude of anything 9 does, sort of bothersome to 11.

And this goes on and on, for all of the numbers, 0-99, and then it starts over at 100. They are organized in a line, at an incline going up to the right ending at 10, then numbers 11-19 are doing the same thing, but inside a dimly lit, floor-less room made of white walls and a low ceiling. This is literally how I imagine my numbers existing. In rooms, interacting with each other. Strange, I know, but to me, I find it strange that people don't think this way. I guess because it's all I've ever known. I drew the following picture to serve as a visual representation of how I picture my numbers in their spatial configuration.

Sometimes my synesthesia can help me, other times it can hinder me. It's useful when I have to remember a sequence of numbers. I can remember things like student IDs because when I read them on paper or a screen, they are put into my mind as "white and green, double blue, purple-clear-white, purple-orange-black." This goes for phone numbers and social security numbers, too. It can be a pain in the neck, though, when you're trying to do a math problem that includes sine and cosine and radians and theta and angles, and the only colors you can rely on are the few numbers involved in the problem. There are no patterns of colors you can remember, you can't do these kinds of problems like everyone else, when you've always learned math through the colors in which the numbers are associated with. No matter how hard you try to retain what you've been attempting to learn, you find it so much harder to, because you've always used colors to remember and learn, and when those are taken away, you struggle. And it doesn't help that certain letters and numbers are associated with one another, either. So even when you know then answer to a problem is 7, you write accidentally write Y instead, turn it in like that, and get points off because you wrote the wrong thing. And it sucks that you have no idea why you do this, you just do it.

I have never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me

Lately I've noticed little quirks about myself. The thing is that these quirks aren't necessarily good things. I've come to notice that I am indeed a germaphobe. I notice things that other people probably don't notice like for instance how dirty a gas pump truly is, so many people have touched that handle and then you go and use it and then afterwards you might go and eat chicken fingers with your dirty hands or bite your fingernails and get other people nasty germs in your system. After I use the gas pump I lather my arms and hands with hand sanitizer and then I clean the entire steering wheel.  I don't know what has made me like this because at home I can make my room so dirty but it doesn't bother me. 

    I'm writing this at my grandmas house and I hate even touching the doorknob of the bathroom. I people watch a lot too and I just see all the nasty things they do like for example picking their nose, not washing their hands, coughing and/or sneezing all over themselves. It actually makes me angry because I can't make myself touch anything let alone open a dang door, but it's also kind of a good thing because it protects me from excess germs. I can't stand when we're at the grocery store and my mom asks me to push the cart because I physically can't make myself do it just from the thought of the bacteria on the bar. 

  This does scare me a bit though because I'm afraid one day I'm going to be one of those people who has their own TV show about OCD and can't stand going out in public. There have been proven studies that children who are germaphobes do grow up to have certain problems. Other things do get me too though like little noises that people make, for example my mother chews her food the way normal people probably do but I cannot stand the sound she makes. It gets to the point where sometimes I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't block out the noise in some way shape or form. I have seen a girl on TLC who had a similar problem just more extreme and she could not stand the little ticks her mom had like the noise of the silverware on her plate. She couldn't even handle not being able to visibly see her mothers hands on the table and she would remind her by saying "hands" and her mom would show her her hands. I just really don't want to end up that severe with my Germaphobia habits and my Misophonia annoyances. 

Katie Demetriades Assignment 8: "I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"

Fears: sharks, wrecking my car, losing my mom, anything falling under the horror genre

Annoyances: the tongue clicking thing, people who interrupt others, yelling, talking/walking loudly while someone (specifically me) is sleeping, mean YouTube comments that have no substance (seriously, no one cares)

Accomplishments: made straight A's my whole life, getting several letters from colleges "interested" in me, passing my drivers test, getting through rough periods in my life

Confusions: why disease exists, why my dog always feels the need to play Frisbee every time he's outside

Sorrows: weight (!!!!!!!!!), why bad things seem to happen to me at the worst of times

Dreams: to be successful (whatever that means for me) and to be happy

Idiosyncrasies: needing things to be placed a certain way, getting anxious any time I am responsible for doing/saying something, colors associated with certain numbers, watching night routine videos even though I don't need to

Risks: riding roller coasters that make my mom cringe, some of my driving experiences

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: my former dog (then), my cell phone/my car (now) (SEE HOW MY DEMEANOR HAS CHANGED!)

Problems: anxiety (not professionally diagnosed with unexpected panic attacks anxiety, I just get nervous in situations I shouldn't be nervous about), expecting everyone to always get along and getting upset when people fight

 

Let's talk about my issue with people interrupting other people. When I was a little girl, I was extremely shy. That has stuck with me, but it has drastically improved since childhood. So during conversation with others, I never had much to say. So I never dealt with being interrupted. Now that I speak to people besides my mom and dad, I also have a lot more input on a subject. So the first time I was interrupted, I didn't know what to think. Is that actually a thing? Do people really stop someone in the middle of their story just because they don't want to hear about it? Is that not the rudest thing you can do socially? If you don't care, stop listening, that's fine. I can't control whether or not you care about what someone has to say. But don't sit there and start talking about something else just because you don't care. PLEASE. It's not even when it just happens to me, it angers me (on the inside) when I see it happen in other peoples' conversations, too. But it's not my business to say anything. Plus I would hate to interrupt them (tee hee). This is not directed at anyone in particular. Everyone interrupts other people. It's natural. I do it too sometimes, but I'm trying to be more self aware about it. And you should too. Okay, that's my rant for the day.

On This Date- Grae Chambers

On September 15th, 1620 the Mayflower left an oppressive England with 103 passengers. These passengers hearts were filled with hope for a brighter future. These men women and children sought a land where they could practice their religion freely. Later dubbed "pilgrims", these passengers devised a compact as a governing document for their new colony. The mayflower compact was significant because it was the first written governing agent in the new world. When it set sail on September 15th, the mayflowers courageous passengers were unaware of the hardships they would face.

I appreciate this event. After all, the most memorable result of the pilgrims making their voyage to America is Thanksgiving. This began a long tradition in America, based on an unusual moment of unity between the American Indians and the new colonists. This was a rare moment in early American history unlike many that would follow with other colonies and indian tribes.

Assignment 8: "I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"

Writing territories are a range of ideas that one generates to spark their writing. In general, it is just one of the many ways one can brainstorm for different types of writing.

This week's blog is more undefined than others because it depends so much on your unique personal experiences. Below, is a list of 10 writing territories and you'll begin by answering them. Your answers do not have to be lengthy, they only need to be definitive enough so that you, the writer, could look back at it weeks from now and it could trigger what you were thinking about.

Writing Territories

Fears

Annoyances

Accomplishments

Confusions

Sorrows

Dreams

Idiosyncrasies

Risks

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then

Problems

For instance, my list looks like:

Fears: drowning, loosing family in catastrophe

Annoyances: rudeness, expecting fairness in this world

Accomplishments: still being married, being a dad my children want to be around

Confusions: inequity (different than fairness)

Sorrows: anger management, weight, (totally working on both but to be honest "weight" is harder than "anger" 'cause food is goooooooood)

Dreams: retirement, travel,

Idiosyncrasies: nerd, paper/pencil RPG (redundant?)

Risks: pilot's license (want), jumped out of an airplain (did)

Beloved Possessions: comic books (then), friendships (now- i know, cheesy)

Problems: Organization

Simple, right?

Now, once you have your list, choose one topic to expand upon in-depth (or at least 150 words). This may be as simple as an explanation of this topic (e.g. I discovered I had an anger management problem when I realized that I was taking out my frustrations on my family. . . .). It may turn into to a short-story or a beginning of a short story. It may turn into a narrative of a memory. It may turn into a  social commentary. It may turn into 150 words of freewrite. It may turn into something all together different and weird and delightful. Whatever you wrote down in your list, reflect upon it and allow it to guide your entry for the week.

"There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges." -Ernest Hemingway

Due Sunday, October 18th at 11:59 pm

Assignment 7: On this Day in History

September 17, 1789. That was the beginning of our country as we know it. It was the fateful day that the United States Constitution was unanimously ratified by all 13 states. The United States of America had to start sometime, after all the Americas was only found by Europe in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, whom we will wrongly celebrate tomorrow (October 12). But that argument is for another time.
Many people argue that the United States was created when the Declaration of Independence was signed, it is what we celebrate on July 4th. But the United States was not recognized as a separate country from England until the Treaty of Paris was signed. Still the United States had a long way to go before it became the United States of America we know and love today.
Before the Constitution there was this thing called the Articles of Confederation, it was truly awful. No one remembers much about it, unless you're a U.S. history teacher, because it did about as much as a participation trophy, it just said that it was there not that it was useful. If the Articles of Confederation hadn't been disband then we wouldn't be the Untied States we are today. Heck we wouldn't be united, let alone still one country.
The Constitution took place of the dreaded Articles of Confederation, luckily. This lead to the America we know today: the President, the Congress that can't ever seem to make a decision, and the rulings of the Supreme Court. That is what who we are as America and it all started with the ratification of a single document on the 17th of September in 1789.