Assignment 20: How to...

Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?
--Benjamin Franklin

Ben makes a good point. For this week, put your gifts and skills on display by developing a "how-to."Choose something that you have a level of expertise in and explain step by step how it is done.

No repeats though! If two people are both really talented at making ice and one beats the other to the post on "How to make ice..." then, second person - you need to reflect upon your other talents.

So, stop standing in the shade and astound us!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, February 21st at 11:59 pm

(Last day to make up posts 17-20)

Plastics -Hope Reed

Most advice we get we forget about a week after we receive it. The advice that truly sticks with us can be life changing. My cousin gave me advice one time that opened my eyes a lot. In middle school and the beginning of high school was going through a lot of rough patches in life, but I acted fake happy on the outside so that nobody would think that anything was wrong. A few years later my cousin told me something along the lines of, "Don't compare your life to other people's lives, and don't judge people because you don't know what their journey is like." This statement is so true for everyone. Many people compare themselves to other people on social media, and they think, "wow she has such a great life, and my life is nothing compared to them." But in reality, most social media users post the best parts of life on Instagram and Twitter. So we can't compare ourselves or look down on our own life because of them. And as for the second part, we can't judge people based on their outside looks or actions. The guy who bullies you at school may be abused at home. The girl who's always smiling could be faking it completely and is actually broken on the inside. This advice inspired me to be nice and welcoming to every single soul I meet because lots of people are just waiting for someone to say hi to them and welcome them without judging them, they may be waiting for just one person to do that, so do not judge anyone. Their journey is different than yours, but we shouldn't treat any journey differently than another.

Plastics- Braeden Bowen

Trying to think of life advice I've been given has become a bit like trying to remember saying my first words. I mean, both of them definitely happened, and there are other people out there that remember it,  but I don't. So as narcissistically as possible, I suppose I'll discuss life "advice" I've given myself.

Let's be truthful here, school is hard. Very hard. I get up at 4 in the morning, finish my homework, get to school by 7:45, stay until 3:30, go to work, come home at 7, try to eat some dinner, and keep working on homework until 11. But through and through, I absolutely, positively, will NOT give up. Seriously. As cheesy and cliché as it sounds, it is vital to me that I muddle through anything I must to be successful, whether that be graduating high school, college, or in a career.

Maybe I'll write a book about my own personal motivation, because it is often clear that some other people our ages have little regard for hard work. Then again, they might not read it; as I said, they have little motivation.

In any case, the moral of the story is this: work hard and be diligent. While this advice was not given to me by an outside source, I do apply it every day. In fact, I'm applying it right now. Sorry, Mr. Logsdon.

Plastics -Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer

When I was young, I was definitely not a perfectionist. My sister had neat handwriting and wore cardigans and just had everything together while the only homework I got done was my independent reading. She seemed to breeze through things that challenged me: getting my homework done, staying organized, caring. I would get stuck. When I was learning about multiplying two digit numbers, I couldn’t figure out which one needed to go on top so I freaked. Instead of trying out the possibilities, I gave up. I didn’t get a lecture from my parents about perseverance, I got a tactic: make it up. Seriously, this has been the secret of my academic development. Once you make something up enough, you get better at it, and you get right (as long as you learn what’s right to begin with). It’s not that I’ve really gotten better at math. It’s just that I’ve gotten better at making it up. Just as people say, the longer you fake it, the more you become it. That’s not to say the only improvements I’ve made in school or elsewhere stem from initial bullshit, but that’s how I react generally when I’m bad a something and, so far, it’s gone pretty well.

Alexis Kirkland: Plastics

I've heard many pieces of advice. Most of them are from One Direction, like "Work hard, play hard, be nice," and "Do whatever makes you happiest in the world," and "Nobody's feelings are more important than your own, so take time to love yourself." But the best piece of advice I've ever gotten was not from Harry Styles, but from my mother. Shocker, right? It's something her mother used to tell her when she and her siblings were younger. "It'll be alright in the morning."

Think about it. Anything that happens in a day is usually simmered down after a good night's rest. Bad day? It'll be alright in the morning. Sore from yesterday's workout? It'll be alright in the morning. Did you receive shocking news? It'll be alright in the morning.

This doesn't apply to everything literally. The "morning" doesn't always mean when your alarm goes off the next day. It's a way of saying "give it time." Some things can only be given time to heal. It can be hard to grasp that, when you want results now and you want change now and you want things to be better NOW. But you have to wait sometimes, and there will come a morning where everything is alright again.

Plastics- Anya Slepyan

Last Wednesday was Health and Human Services day at the Leadership Lexington Youth Program. Part of that workshop included a panel discussion by a group of scientists and doctors at the hospital, who's fields ranged from pediatric surgeon to physical therapist to virologist (that was Nate Dutch's mom!). Although they each had different perspectives on the medical field based on their profession, there was a very definite common theme in what they had to say. One piece of advise that they each gave was to follow what you're passionate about. Now this seems both obvious and cliche (and maybe it is) but that doesn't mean that it isn't right. From their perspective as doctors it only makes sense--if you're going to spend additional decades of your life furthering your education, it should be something that you genuinely care about for its own sake, not because of money or pride or parental pressure. The advise that they had was that you should only become a doctor if it is something that you are genuinely interested in, otherwise you are doomed to fail. Without  personal passion, it would be simply impossible to fulfill the requirements necessary to succeed. Of course, becoming a doctor is an extreme example because it is so ridiculously hard, but the same idea stands for basically any profession or life-path.

My parents have always encouraged me to figure out what I'm interested in, learn about it, and then figure out what to do with it, which is the opposite of many people's career-focused mindsets. Of course, this slightly less practical approach may have something to do with the fact that they are both Russian Historians, a field that has always had a minimum sort of job outlook. But I appreciate how this method compliments what all the other doctors had to say, and underlines the importance of following one's passions.

Buckets and Buckets - Grae Chambers

1) before high school ends- Visit Europe
2) before college ends- join a sorority
3) before life ends- get married

Have you ever seen a bucket list so basic? I can already feel the judgment through your various computer screens but I'm sorry, I can't bring myself to care. These activities are "basic" because they're fun! Of course everyone wants to do them.

I don't want to join a sorority just so I can get a greek keyboard on my computer and "throw what I know." I've made some incredible friends in my life. Iv'e known my very best friends since elementary school. Being ripped away from them is going to be hard. I'm not sure I remember how to make friends. My mom was in a sorority at South Carolina and she stills sees her sorority sisters every year. They're all still best friends. When my grandpa died, she stayed with them for the whole weekend. They have reunions every summer and the stories i've heard are incredible. Iv'e always wanted something like that and I know every sorority experience isn't like that but hey, why can't it happen for me?

Plastics - Grae Chambers

My mom gives the best advice in the world. You'd probably say I'm biased because she's you know, my mom, but this is the wisest woman on earth. In my 17 years I've had a lot of problems. Granted, many of these problems are small in the scope of the world, where people are dying every day, but in my teenage girl bubble, theses issues are paramount. The only one who can combat my teen angst is my mother. She gives me advice every single day of my life so it's hard for me to choose the one thats stuck with me the most, so I'm choosing the piece that most applies to my current situation. There is no way i'm going to go into detail about this with all of you, but I'll say I'm not the first girl to have this problem and I certainly won't be the last: a boy problem. My mom and I are opposites in the way we approach the unfamiliar. I over think things so much that I talk myself out of them. She never thinks. I wanted to imitate her in this manner, so I asked her how she does it.

" Take the leap. There will always be a net to catch you."

I think that my fatal flaw is my fear of failure. If I don't think something will work out, I won't even try. I've never taken a risk in my entire life. I know that there is no net and something could go wrong and it'll ruin my entire life but at the same time if I don't even try I could miss out on something great but the risk is just too big and no i can't do it!! I always look before I fall. But that hasn't gotten me anywhere. I'm still trying to take this advice while everything in my screams not to, but I know that I'll grow as a person if I make this one decision and only worry about what could go wrong when it does. This advice can apply to almost anything you do and I think its important for each and every one of us to take it. We all have things that are important to us, and most of us live inside our heads. I mean were academy kids, but there is such a thing as thinking too much. So next time, don't. Take the leap. You might regret it and you might not, who knows? But thats the fun in life.

Plastics - Elle Ogden

I will be honest and say that this is my fourth time writing this blog post. I've been given so many life changing pieces of advice, that its hard to pick just one. That being said, I have decided to go with the most cliche piece of "mom advice" that exists, "always be yourself, and you'll find people like you."

I didn't realize how important this is until my trip to California. I had a five hour flight to think of how I would portray myself when I got there. Five hours to worry about if I would like my roommate, if I would make friends, if the seminars would be interesting, and on and on. But to my surprise, I made a friend within the first ten minutes of being on campus; and she was so much like me. And then, later that night, I made two more friends, identical to me. It was one of the most eye opening experiences I've ever had.

After coming home from that trip, and leaving my new friends over a thousand miles away, I realized what I was missing. I think when you go to school with the same people for so long, you get caught up in being the "image" that you've created for yourself. In high school, theres so much judgement and stress to be the best version of yourself. However, when you're put in a situation where no one knows the other versions, you can just be, you.

This isn't to say that I don't like my friends and my home because I love them, I've just learned the importance of being yourself. When I started freshman year, I sheltered myself so much. I didn't understand the importance of making new friends, and I regret that to this day. It's taken me two and a half years to realize it, but it's better late than never.

I've been so much happier this year, for the sole reason that I'm not trying to be anyone. I've rekindled friendships from middle and elementary school, I've made new friends, and I've realized that it's okay to make mistakes. Who knew I'd have to go across the country to find out my mom was right all along.

Assignment 19: plastics (Tyler Gorman)

I think the advice that's most stuck with me that I've received in my life is (pardon the language) to "bulls**t confidence until it's real." It's really changed the way I go about interacting with people.
Middle school kind of sucked for me. Well, that's not entirely true. It REALLY sucked. Everywhere I turned someone was there waiting to target me, to say what I had to say was stupid, to isolate me for no good reason other than the fact that I was me. My grades suffered as a result, so not only was I going to school to be singled out by my peers, but I would then come home to be berated by my family for my grades. I didn't have anywhere to go, anyone to turn to. Now, granted, part (not all, though) of the reason I felt this way was likely because most people feel this way in middle school, but I couldn't help but notice it happened with me quite a bit more than others and it still completely sucked.
Then high school happened. I remember showing up the first day terrified to talk to anyone; high school was supposed to be my fresh start in society, and I didn't want to accidentally say something that would ruin it right from the start. But then I made a friend, someone who is still very close to me today. When I told them about my predicament they told me that the best way to build confidence is to "fake it till you make it," so to speak; to act confident around others, and then as time went on it would no longer be an act. After two and a half years of following that advice as well as I can, I still feel the effects that that piece of advice had on me.

Assignment 18: Buckets and Buckets (Tyler Gorman)

High school:

• First chair trumpet in wind ensemble
• Straight A's at least one semester
• Finish reading Dante's Inferno

College:

• Get a degree in music education
• Student teach (preferably at Henry Clay)

Life:

• Get married
• Have kid(s)
• Become a band director
• Get better at playing trumpet
• Get better at playing piano
• Visit Europe
• See Hamilton

So that's a rough version of my bucket list, generated mostly off the top of my head. It's quite generic but I suppose that just makes me a kind of generic person.

Getting first chair by the end of high school is a rather important goal for me because it will show how far I've come in terms of growth as a trumpet player, especially after the setback freshman year of getting braces.

A degree in music education is also quite important to me, as I've wanted for a while now to be a band director and to be able to teach the skills I've learned in my years in band to others.

Katie Demetriades Assignment 19: Plastics

I cannot tell you the countless numbers of times in my life that I have asked someone for advice. Sometimes it hasn't been the best, but for the most part, their intentions are genuine, so their advice is useful. Whether it's good or not, I'm always appreciative of anyone's help. But if I had to choose one person to go to for all my problems, I would definitely choose my mom. She's experienced, she's honest, and she's always there. She's my mom, why would she want to steer me down the wrong? I always know she has my best interests at heart. In my 16, almost 17, years of existence, I have asked her probably around a trillion questions. Of the trillion responses she's given me, one has stuck out, and has become my mantra. When I was younger, I went through a period where I spent too much time looking back on all my questionable decisions and worrying about the effects of those decisions. I told her about some of these instances, and she told me there was no point in living if you spend your life regretting every decision you make. If you can't go back and change it, what's the point in worrying about it? She recognizes that I'm fairly careful when it comes to making decisions, so my decisions are based on what I felt in that moment was right. Later down the road, things may be different, but I can't go back and change that one decision. It is what it is. You'll learn to live with the decisions you've made for yourself.

So I no longer dwell on the past. I no longer worry about the future (well sometimes I do okay I can't help it). I live in the present, where I belong. I still act carefully when I make decisions, and that's on my side. There's no point in me regretting parts of my life. So take it from me, focus on what's important now. Your past is in the past FOR A GOOD REASON. Leave it there, forget about it... That's all.

Buckets & Buckets: Jordan Strange

Bucket lists are stressful. Because with the things we want to check off often come with the little details about how and when those things will be completed. But they're also fun. Because who doesn't love to dream? And who doesn't love making those dreams come true?

Before I finish high school, I want to travel to Australia & South America. That pretty much completes all the continents. Except Antarctica. But that's not even like a continent so we'll save that one for after high school is complete. I love traveling. Hopefully the future is full of it. 

Before I finish college, I want to have lived somewhere abroad for more than half a year. Because how incredible would that be? I don't want to spend my college career doing ordinary things. OR also how cool would it be to hike the Appalachian Trail. 2200 miles of pure excitement and solitude. What a good life. 

Before I die, I want to start an organization. One that is focused on helping kids somewhere. And sharing the Gospel to people. I don't really know where yet. Maybe Africa. Maybe Europe. Or maybe somewhere in South or Central America? Who knows. Ideally, it would be a children's home, and there would be a doctor, a school, and a church. I want to bring in lots of children and give them a home. A home where they're loved unconditionally. That's really a life goal of mine. And I'd love to adopt before I die. Because I love kids SO much. And I also hate to see hurting people in hurting places with no hope. So to make a change in a community is a huge goal of mine, even if that community happens to be in America.:) 

buckets and buckets -catherine van tatenhove

I have never sat down and intently thought about a bucket list much less actually generated one, however on almost a daily basis I think about what I want to be doing and how I need to accomplish it. Bucket lists are usually a stressful concept for me because I never want to feel like it is too late for me to do something after I have "kicked the bucket." It's also difficult for me because I have abstract goals, being successful, finding my passion, and having a family ect, but specific ones get clouded and uncertain. But, with all that said I sat down and made a, only slightly stress inducing, list and here it is.

Before High School- Before high school winds down I want to travel to Thailand. Thailand has always been a destination that has interested me, and it has almost become a goal of mine to find the right time and program to travel with to have the best experience. I have appreciated growing up in Lexington and the childhood I have had here, but I know this isn't where I'll be for the rest of my life and Thailand seems like a good place to step out of my comfort zone. 

Before College- Before college ends I want to be fluent in French and Spanish. I am traveling to Costa Rica for the second time and France for the first time this spring and summer. I am in AP french now, and hope to improve upon my basis of the language with my three weeks in a foreign exchange program this summer, however I don't take Spanish. But, I have been leaning as much as I can in preparation for Costa Rica hoping one day both languages will come with ease. 

Before life- Before my life ends I hope to have written a book. I don't know what it is going to be about or if it will even be published, or if books will even be a thing when I am 90. But, I am going to accomplish that in one way or another because I love to read and will have hopefully read hundreds by the end of my life. So, being on the other side of the experience has now become an admittedly lofty but important goal.  

Assignment 18- Alexis Kirkland

Prior to this assignment I never really thought about a bucket list. Then again, all I ever think about is One Direction, so... Let's try to construct a bucket list, shall we?
Before finishing high school:
1. Pass all my classes
2. Get the 4.0 award (my only hope is senior year now)
3. Get my license

Before finishing college:
This one's a bit harder because, well, what do college kids do? Drinking and partying are not on my list of to do things before finishing college, and that's all I feel like they do besides go to classes.
1. Pass all my classes
2. Make new friends
3. Have a stable job

Before dying:
1. MEET ONE DIRECTION
2. Do something with the music I write
3. Please lose weight sometime Alexis

My priorities:
High school- of course, above all, my grades come first. There should be no reason why I would put them at any other place than the top of my list. Without my grades, I can say goodbye to everything else!
College- again, grades come first. College degrees are nearly a requirement for most jobs nowadays, so I really can't flunk out because of the new friends I make or my job taking up too much time. School always comes first!
Lifetime- NOTHING ELSE MATTERS ON THIS LIST BESIDES MEETING ONE DIRECTION OKAY? I even had a dream last night about meeting Louis... It's always Louis... It must be fate. But anyway, they're such an important part of my life, they've impacted me in ways I can never reverse. I can't even hear someone say the word "Perfect" without thinking of their song with that title. My brain proceeds to break out into song whenever someone says "at the end of the day" because of the song they wrote with that title! Even when someone says the phrase "one direction" my head whips around so fast as if it's my own name. They've been there through thick and thin and kept me entertained for 4 years now. I regret none of it. I am determined to meet these boys and tell them how much they've done for me and how much they mean to me.

Buckets and buckets - Elle Ogden

Before I finish high school: go back to Vermont

Before I finish college: travel to another continent  

Before I die: open a completely nut-free bakery

Traveling and I have a love hate relationship. Club soccer has made me hate long car rides as I am far too frequently sitting in the car for hours at a time. However, I love planes and the idea that I can go hundreds of miles in the same amount of time that I can drive to Cincinnati. Though I've never been to another continent, I really want to do that one day. Traveling out of the country can be complicated when you have allergies, but sometime in college, I'd love to just go for it. I've found that when you just go for things, not knowing any of the people or surroundings, it makes for the best memories. Whether it be studying abroad, mission work, or just vacation, I hope by the time I have my college diploma, I also have lots of stamps in my passport. 

Assignment 19: plastics

Most of the advice we receive in our lives is unsolicited and quite frankly inane.  However, every once in a while we get a real gem and changes our trajectory.  What is the one piece of advice given to you that has stuck?  Explain its effect.


Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, February 7th at 11:59 pm

Buckets and Buckets- Braeden Bowen

High School Goals:
1. Get into a top-choice college
          -I've worked really hard for the last three years, and I plan to keep it up. I'm pretty sure I can actually do it.
2. Find someone to give me scholarships
          - I don't have an annual $40,000, so scholarships are absolutely vital.
3. Grow my resume as much as possible
          - I'm pretty close to having the resume I want, which is why it is so low on the list, but it is still worth extra work.


College Goals:
1. Graduate, maybe
          - It's sort of necessary, isn't it? I mean, I want a job.
2. Make a feature-length film   
          - As a high school student, I am not fully equipped to produce an entire film. But as a college student, that dream is more likely.
3. Sell my TV show idea
          - I would love to sell my idea while still in high school, but I'm so busy I don't have time to breathe. College, perhaps?


Life Goals:
1. Be successful in some respect
          - I just want to do well at the things I am passionate about.
2.  Go skydiving
          - I'm pretty sure this one is on everyone's list, but I think it might be fun; all the pants-peeing excitement of jumping out of a plane!
3. Own an entire house
          - I think it would be pretty great. Except for bills and taxes and stuff, none of that is any fun.

Buckets and Buckets --Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer

High School

·      Learn another language

·      Get into college

·      Accept the college I get into and GET PUMPED

·      Get a beanie

·      Go to a legit high school party (I don’t really know if I want to do this or just be in the position to observe as an outsider. It’s probably the later.)

·      Do a full Hobbit and LOTR marathon

·      Go rock climbing in the Gorge

·      Grow out of my angsty teenage phase where a resent the system and society and everything it entails.

·      Take that last goal seriously

College

·      Become a legal adult (that’s a pretty sure thing but I still think it deserves being on this list)

·      Do a study abroad some place unexpected

·      Find out if I really like to science

·      Take a humanities class that changes my perspective on the world as much as science does

·      Find one of those sketch bars where they let underage people drink to feel legit

·      Climb (part of) a mountain

Life

·      Read!!!!!!!!

·      Also, read

·      Go to space (I’m banking on tourist trips to space being a thing by the time I die, kind of like climbing Mt. Everest)

·      Smash the patriarchy

·      Find the climate I like and live there

·      Live in the city and on a farm

·      Go to every continent except Antarctica

·      Write something even if I hide it forever

·      Become a spy in some form or fashion

·      Hydrate