Week 1- "Personality Islands"
The movie Inside Out has lots of substance often not reflected upon enough. The “Islands of Personality” aspect is one of my favorites. Thinking about this idea of having different places in our minds for each of our personalities made me question what my personality islands would be. I wasn’t quite sure at first, but after thinking and reflecting on my five “main” personalities, I was able to distinguish what my islands would be. My first island, because it is the most important to me, would be a “Family Island”. Obviously, my family is very important to me, and I care very deeply about them. One major place on that island would be a spot for my brother. We have become very close, and I truly consider him one of my closest friends. My next islands would be a “Friends Island”. This would include my best friends and memories I have made while I was spending my time with them. I am very grateful to have made real friends recently that I know I can trust and count on. The next islands are a bit less emotional but still incredibly important to me. They include an “Outside Island”, “Excersize Island”, and “School Island”. The “Outside Island”, now that I think about it may be one of my favorites. This island represents my love for the outdoors, nature, traveling, and the planet. I have come to appreciate the outdoors and the serenity and peace that comes with it. When I am outside, I feel at peace and calm, which is something I value, making it one of my islands. Next, “Excersize Island” represents my love and passion for running, walking, and weightlifting. I participate in track and cross country, which gives me an opportunity to run almost year-round, and I enjoy weightlifting and becoming stronger both mentally and physically. Finally, “School Island” is fairly self-explanatory, it represents my dedication to school, clubs, and everything I am involved in outside of my personal life. As school is a major part of my life, I care deeply about it.
Reflecting on my different personalities proved to be something that I should have done a while ago. I found it really interesting to picture and envision what my islands would look like. Being able to be creative and think outside of the box was liberating and honestly quite fun. Word Count: 396 |
Week 2- "The Mirror Never Lies."
As I have grown up, I have always had a mirror present, as many other people have too. Looking into a mirror and seeing who I was has always been something I do. Whether it was glancing before I went into playing a rec soccer game, or staring intently into one before picture day, making sure I looked presentable. The mirror has been the one constant reminder of exactly who I was. A mirror can not lie, or make something up that isn’t there. A mirror is harsh, crystal clear, and most of all, the absolute truth. When people look into a mirror, they don’t expect to see something different than the truth.
Recently in my life, I have realized that many people today do not like to hear the truth, whether it matters or not, people will always find a way to ensure they are right and never wrong. I find this unfortunate, for now many people will not understand the true impact of their actions or their words. Unlike mirrors, people do not reflect what they actually feel, what they actually said or did, and most of all, they don’t reflect their true character. In some ways, I wish that people would take more time to reflect on who they are and who they truly want to be. I know I have lost myself before, in drama, stress, and lost sight of what the mirror reflects back at me. Most people, including myself, have gotten lost in presenting for the mirror and other people that I forgot it is reversed, the mirror shows us what we need to work on, who we are, and what we are to other people. I hope that in the future, people as a whole begin to reflect who they really are, and not a lie they wish to be perceived as. Word Count: 309 |
Week 3- "Emily Gold"
Emily Gold is one of the main characters in the novel, "The Pact," by Jodi Picoult. Emily's character is somewhat of an illusion. Emily dies within the first pages of the book, yet she is always the main focus, or rather, her cause of death is the main focus. Leading up to the conclusion of who or what killed her, her life plays out as stories and memories from the other characters. Readers get to know Emily, at all stages of her life, which is something I love about her character. Emily growing up was a fun little girl, with a sense of humor and lightness that always made readers feel uplifted and joyful. As she grows up through the novel, readers can notice changes within Emily. Her character shifts as she ages as different relationships influence her personality. As she grows and matures, readers are able to connect with her and understand her experiences, leading up to her murder. I loved her character, and how fun she once was, later on, I loved her passion for art, her boyfriend, her family, and school. I admired her relationships and her nature, yet sympathized with the pain she was facing every day. She struggled with depression, which led me personally to sympathize with her as a character. Readers were able to feel the pain she was facing through somber dictation and different descriptions of aspects of her life, for example, the symbolism behind her art. Throughout the novel, I could notice how her interactions with people she loved changed, and how she began to lose her spark. If anything, what I loved most about her character was her ability to comfort anyone, at any time, even though she was uncomfortable with herself most times. I found this heartbreaking but it drew me closer to Emily throughout the novel.
Word Count: 307 |
Week 4- "Taylor Swift"
Taylor Swift is by far my favorite musical artist. Taylor Swift is my favorite artists because she is able to help listeners connect with their emotions, as well as connect with hers. She writes about love, heartbreak, addiction, family, emotions, experiences, and life in general. Her songs cover many times of triumph and despair that are relatable as well as emotional and have great beats and lyrics. Anyone who listens to music should listen to Taylor Swift. Anyone can resonate with her lyrics, which are elegantly written and poignant. People like sad music?, she has you covered. Happy? Upbeat? Angry? Taylor Swift has written it all. Even down to genre, she has written songs that are country, blues, pop, hip hop, even instrumentals, and covers of various bands and artists. There is really no reason anyone shouldn't listen to Taylor Swift. Some of my favorite songs by Taylor Swift are "Ivy", "Jump Then Fall", "Paper Rings", "State of Grace", "All Too Well", and "False God". Honestly, I can not choose a favorite song because I consider every one of her songs one of my favorites. I have been listening to Taylor Swift with my family for as long as I can remember. Even when I was a little girl, I remember being so excited when a new album would come out and I learned very lyric by heart the day I got the CD. Listening to Taylor Swift has helped me through so much! In fact, when the person who introduced me to Taylor Swift moved far away, I listened to Taylor Swift's, "Come Back, Be Here", because I missed her so much. Even though I was only 8 years old, I was still able to connect with the lyrics. If I ever were able to ask Taylor Swift anything, I would ask her if she ever thought she would be able to connect with so many people. Even from a young age, she was dreaming of becoming a famous singer/songwriter, but I would like to know if she ever imagined she would be this successful.
Word count: 347 |
Week 5- "My Room"
My room has always been one of my favorite places in my house. My parents have always allowed me to decorate my room however I want. The rest of my house is always impeccable, clean, and highly organized, whereas my room does not fall to that same standard. If someone were to walk into my room, they would first smell the fragrance, “Mahogany Teakwood,” or “Toasted Vanilla”, which have been alternating depending on the season in a “wallflower” air freshener. I always strive to have my room be a comfortable place, in which anyone can be themselves and at peace. My walls are decorated with as many things as possible, in order to help the room feel homier. On the walls, people can find old written cards from family members, pictures of my friends and loved ones, lanyards from old events and experiences, and posters of Taylor Swift or things I am passionate about. In front of the door, there is an open space in the center of the room. My bed is pushed into the corner so it lines up below the window, which is a large square, and remains open so that sunlight can light my room. I enjoy the fact that memories are pinned, stapled, and taped onto my wall because I am constantly surrounded by things that bring me joy and that I love. My room is a safe space, that I hope feels comfortable for everyone who comes into it. Usually, in my room, I have Taylor Swift playing in the background, this goes for when I am getting dressed in the morning, doing the occasional homework assignment in my room, or just hanging out by myself or with my friends or family. My room is not perfect, but I appreciate that I have made my room my own. While it is not always super clean, it is always real and reflects who I am, through the things that are on the wall, or what state it is in. I am so grateful to get to call my room my own and have a place that reflects who I am.
Word Count: 355 |
Week 6- Stream of Consciousness (09/28/22)
Explanation behind the "Stream of Consciousness".
If I had to explain the stream, I would say that it is just that, I feel as though I have lost myself, and destroyed the person I once was in the process. I am very sad about this change, and always trying to find a way back to being the person I once was. I miss being such a positive person, a great student with straight A grades, and the person other people typically looked up to. While this is still partially true, and who I am, part of me misses the way I felt back then. I think that people who read my stream of consciousness would understand more deeply that there is more than just what meets the surface to many people. Word Count: 500 |
Recently, I have not been feeling like myself hardly at all. I feel as though I have lost the calmness and collection that I usually possess. My thoughts hav ebeen racing, I always seem to have a headache, and I can barely think before I act it seems. Nothing is really working in my brain, and i have lost my motivation. Usually, especially last year, I had been so on top of everything, my school work, cross country, and relationshios with my frineds. I feel like now I am failing in all aspects of my life and I have no drive or collection that I normally have. I have lost my speed for cross country and I dont know how I can get back to where I once was. All of my times have been slow and nowhere near as fast as I was last year at this time. Emotionally, I have been angry, irritable, and impatient. I do not have a happy demeanor anymore, I dont know why I have changecd so much in the last year, but i do not feel as if I know myself at all. My character does not reflect the person i want to be, and I feel as though i have lost myself in the process of trying to do everything right. My self esteem is lower than it was, and i do not feel successful with everything that I attempt to do anymore. I do not understand why this changed, and the more i try to get back to the person I once was, the more I seem to feel desperate and helpless because I never feel like I am matching my expectations. If I knew how to become the person I was a year ago, I would do whatever it takes, because this year, I am not proud or happy with the person i am. I wish that I still had the motivation, character, and kindness that i once had, but now I am consumed by drama, toxicity, and ugly thoughts that I do not know where they are coming from. I wish there was a reset button that I could press to truly undo the person i have become lately. "
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Week 7- Prompt, Drug Testing Athletes in Schools (10/05/22)
Drug use in high schools is a very large problem that plagues American schools. By implementing drug testing for athletes weekly, I think this would be a great way to combat drug usage within high school athletes, as well as improve high school sport programs across the country. I think that by eliminating the possibilities of drugs being used in high school sports, many dedicated athletes who do drugs will stop using drugs, making them better and healthier athletes. Drugs damage some students’ academic performance and their athletic performance as well. Drug testing athletes will help improve some students’ academic and physical performance, which does not have any negative consequences in return.
In addition to improving the athlete’s health, the team will build a better, more dedicated atmosphere because the people who are willing to not do drugs will be the only ones allowed to compete and practice. In addition, I think that drug testing athletes weekly would improve the general school and athletics culture. By eliminating the ability to play sports while consuming drugs, people who want to play sports will practice enough self control to dedicate themselves to school and athletics. Logically, athletes should not be on drugs to begin with. In the case that an athlete is on drugs consistently, it must be up to them to make the choice to stop for their team, their school, and theirselves. Drugs and student athletes should not be mixed for any reason, therefore I think that schools should have the right, and practice drug testing their student athletes weekly. There should be no reason that students who are dedicated to their sports and their schools should be allowed to be on drugs either to enhance performance or “for fun,” on recreational drugs. Word Count: 293 |
Week 8, Quote: “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” –Thomas Jefferson (10/11/22)
I personally love this quote. I have never heard it before this, but I think that it is very valuable and I think that I resonate a lot with this quote at this point in my life. I think that this quote holds a valuable lesson that many people should learn, especially now. Working hard is something that many people do not do anymore, which is incredibly unfortunate. I think that more and more recently, people are finding working to be too difficult and finding ways to avoid doing their work. Thomas Jefferson was a wise man when he said these words, and this quote does make sense. When we work hard and work towards making something happen, most times, good things do come, which can be mistaken for luck. It seems that when something goes our way after working hard for that result, it is lucky, or a byproduct of the hard work we have put in. I know that personally, this is so true, especially in school. For example, my sophomore year, I took AP World History. I was very nervous going into such a daunting class, but after a little while, I figured out what I had to do and how much work I had to put in to be successful. After working hard, taking all of my notes, and studying, it seemed lucky that I did well on the tests, or that it was surprising that I continuously surprised myself by scoring highly. It was not a mystery where my grades came from, just like it is not a mystery that good things come from hard work. Another example, the more I go to the gym and work out, the stronger I get. Strength does not come from luck, but it does come with strength and work. I think that this quote is valuable, and can each people a lot. I believe that developing this mentality could benefit many people, especially people my age who do not seem to have too much motivation. The results that come from working hard can be quite surprising, and can even seem a little "lucky".
Word count: 355 |
Week 9, "Do you think that nice guys finish last?" (10/19/22)
Personally, I think that "nice guys" may finish last more often than not, but it is not for the wrong reasons. I do not think that people aren't interested in nice guys because they are nice. I think that in reality, nice guys are just really frustrating. If a "nice guy" says that they are a nice guy, it defeats the purpose of being nice. If someone is nice, great, please be nice, but to be nice a guy doesn't have to always talk about it. By having to "prove" that a guy is nice, it takes away from the whole point of being nice. For example, the summer before my freshman year, this boy and I liked one another. I ended up losing feelings for him and telling I'm I didn't want to talk to him anymore. Instead of being good and being friends again, or not talking at all, he later messaged me "Nice guys always finish last," those exact words. Something about that just really confused me. It simply didn't work out, and I didn't like him. So in this process, I did not understand how that translated to him not being "nice". The fact that he wanted to prove to me that he was "finishing last" and such a nice guy did not make any sense. I found it rather sad in fact. If someone is a nice guy and they constantly talk about how they are different than other guys, it seems like all they want is attention. As a girl, it is very frustrating talking to someone who's only good quality is that they're nice. If someone is really nice, they shouldn't feel the need to project that to every girl they like, people will like them because they're nice, not because they tell everyone. I think that being nice in general is a great attribute, but people do not have to know openly that being nice is their only character trait. I am not sure if that makes much sense, but to me, being nice is obviously important, but so is having a good personality, being passionate, funny, smart, driven, and kind. Being nice is not the only thing that guys need to have, which may be why they tend to finish last. In other words, nice guys do not always finish last, but guys who are ONLY nice, do. There is much more than just being nice to prevent people from finishing last.
Word Count: 411 |
Week 10, "Pen", 10/26/22
This week, the word of the week is "pen,". I find this word a little bit funny, pens, although we use them every day, remind me of my grandpa. My "poppe," while I do not get to see him very often, is such a positive part of my life. When I was growing up, and even to this day, Poppe has brought pens with him everywhere he goes, and especially when he visits. Poppe usually carried a pen with him in his pocket, pocket on his shirt, and even sometimes in his hat. The story behind which pen he was carrying that day always changed, whether his friend had given it to him, or if he had just bought it that day, the pen always carried a deeper meaning than just being a pen. Despite not being able to see him as frequently anymore, he still mails my brother and me pens every once in a while. Receiving these pens is usually a reminder that even though we can't see him, Poppe still thinks of us, and he continues to have stories and experiences we haven't heard yet. Poppe has always been that type of person, the type to have a story from his past, of a good friend of his, or something my dad did when he was young. I appreciate that despite the ups and downs, Poppe is always true to his character and morals. He lives in Redding now, and we barely see him, but still to this day, he send pens in the mail and writes letters occasionally. Pens, while they are still an everyday item that we use every day, are a constant reminder of my grandpa, stories, and the presence of family in our everyday lives that does not fade. I will always use the same pens that he gave me as a reminder that I will see him again.
Word Count: 316 |
Week 11, "Greek God, which one are you?", 11/9/22
When taking the test, I found out that, if I were a Greek God, I would be Artemis. According to this website, Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and the moon. It also states that Artemis is the patron of young girls and always holds a bow and arrow. One final attribute, Artemis receives the attention of men, but scorns them for it. I find this incredibly interesting. I personally found this very interesting. I think that this article was accurate oddly, and seemed to actually talk about traits that I relate to. For one, I love the wilderness and nature. Any chance I have, I try to travel and see the wonders that Earth has to offer. I appreciate the beauty of nature and work to conserve its beauty at all times. Additionally, I think that being goddess of the moon also fits me. Along with the patron of girls, the moon fits my personality because of my belief in feminism and passion for equality. Both the moon and girls represent my understanding and belief in a strong feminist ideology and a natural way of approaching life. Finally, I thought that the part about men was quite interesting to me personally. I do not think that men "desire me," necessarily as it says on the website, however I think that when I do get male attention, I do not necessarily care for it, same as Artemis. I think that oftentimes, relationships and males are not worth the time and energy spent on them. I don't think that I will ever need to find a guy, or relationship to make me feel whole. I get that from myself, my family, and my friends. A relationship, similarly to how Artemis thinks, is not all that I need to be happy.
Word Count: 302 |
Blog Post, November 28th, 2022- "If my pet were a person..."
I have two dogs at home, a younger dog named Bear, and an older one named Lucy.
If Lucy were a person, she would be elderly, who likes to sit on a rocking chair. Lucy would be a retired teacher, but not a pleasant one. Lucy would be wrinkled and have all silver hair, cut short of course. She would have taught 6th graders, and had been tired of them 4 years before retirement. Lucy enjoys the peace and quiet, and likes visiting with her sons. A few years ago, she lost her husband, whom seemed to be the only person who was able to cure her loneliness and make her shed a smile. She enjoys the occasional visit from her brother, but not too much, he always seems to try to challenge here and he has far too much energy for her liking. Her routine is basic, she drinks straight black coffee in the morning with a piece of toast. She goes on her daily walk and reads in the morning. Come the afternoon, she cleans the house and takes her nap. Finally at night she makes dinner and rocks in her chair until it is too dark to see, she lays awake at night and sleeps a solid 9 hours every night. Bear is quite the character. Bear is about 14 years old and full of energy. Bear attends high school and is the captain of the freshman wrestling team. He has a large group of friends and likes to spend a lot of time with them. He does okay in school, he is a B and C student, but he definitely doesn't have an affinity for school by any means. Bear enjoys exercising and playing pick-up games of football. One thing Bear is especially good at is rallying up a crowd. Bear is quite the player, as he has had about 4 girlfriends in the past year. Athletics come say for him and he quickly makes friends, he is cocky and quite braggadocios. To be completely honest, he will most likely end up in a frat house come college. Bear has one sibling, a sister, with whom he fights quite often. He doesn't sneak out, but he does enjoy causing occasional chaos within the town he lives. Word Count: 379 |
Blog Post, November 30th, 2022- "Competition Post"
Dance Moms is a perfect example of pressure, manipulation, abuse, and competition, all aired on national television. The show aired in the 2010s and starred young dancers, their mothers, and the dance coach, Abby Lee Miller. The episodes were about 40 minutes long and showed training days, free time, and dance competitions. This show was wildly popular with mothers, young dancers, and people who enjoyed the drama of a fast paced, emotional television show. Typically, the major dance competitions would be the highlight, instead, on Dance Moms, the main competition is between the Abby Lee Miller with everyone, the moms among themselves, and between the girls. All of the parties involved were competing constantly to be the best they could be and to knock anyone down they had to in the process. Throughout the 8 seasons of this show, many girls came and went, and Miller had her favorites. For example, Maddie. Maddie was always Miller's favorite dance student, she was always at the top of the pyramid; which was a stratified list of the student she thought did well, to the people she thought did the worst. This pyramid and blatant favoritism was one example of unhealthy competition. The other girls would always compare themselves to Maddie and try to be as good as her to please their coach. In addition, the pyramid gave the girls a false reflection of how they did. They could have gotten second in the whole competition, yet been 5th on the pyramid. Secondly, the competition between the moms was incredibly unhealthy. Fully grown women would scream offensive insults at one another for their daughters "dance career,". The moms were not doing anything except for watching their daughters. The terrible words, gossip, and hate used towards one another helps to prove that the competition between moms is unhealthy. In the case of "Dance Moms," competition is unhealthy, for mental health, emotions, and relationships. Nothing but treating people with kindness and school should be as important as dance was to these young girls because of their coach and their mothers.
Word Count: 385 |
Blog Post, December 7th, 2022- "Spotify Wrapped"
My Spotify wrapped this year was very interesting. First, my top artist this year was, as always, Taylor Swift. I am not surprised by this at all. I was in the top 0.5% of listeners which is understandable. I spent quite a bit of time listening to music, especially rap. I spent 74,557 minutes listening which does not surprise me very much. My top genre was rap and my top songs were Wet Dreamz, I wanna be Yours, All too well(10-minute version), Money trees and She Knows. Some of these surprised me, but I suppose they were always in my playlists, no matter the time of the year.
If someone were to guess the type of person I am, they would probably guess that I am a girl who likes upbeat music, with the occasional slow song thrown in. I think that my music taste is not that different from anybody else’s. I don’t listen to underground music, but I do enjoy a wide variety of musical artists and genres. People may be surprised that I listen to rap and the number of other artists I listen to, but rap is quite good. I usually do not like rap, however this year I have found that it is nice to listen to when I am trying to get hyped, motivated, or just trying to turn my mood around. Finally, people may think that I am young from my music taste. If people were to see that I listened to Taylor Swift a lot, they may think that I have a lot of “breakups,” or other issues like that. In that area, they would be far from correct. I never listen to Taylor Swift about any of that. Taylor Swift is the music that I listen to when I feel happy, sad, excited, angry, or any emotion. I listen to Taylor Swift so much because I feel as though I can always relate to her music, I want to feel nostalgic, and I want to express myself in ways that I couldn’t quite put into words. Swift’s music has provided me with expression ever since I was born. From listening to the old CDs in my room when I was in first grade to memorizing every lyric with my babysitter’s daughters when I was even younger, it has been playing in the background of my life since the very beginning. Word Count: 402 |
Blog Post December 13th, 2022- "Personality Quiz"
When I took this test, I was characterized as a "loyal friend". When I take these tests, I always enjoy seeing what my results are and what a computer can possibly find out and predict about my personality. I agree with these results though. I think that I am a very loyal friend who will always value my friendships and family relationships. I will stay loyal and defend my friends because that is what friends are for. Frustrations may occur, but the one thing about friendship that I will always believe in is that friends are meant to always be there for each other, especially when they need one another. I think that I am a "loyal friend," because I feel as though I will always do my best to be loyal to my friendships and my obligations toward them. For example, if you are embarrassed by other people, I will defend you and protect you. If something comes up but I know that you need me more at that point in time, I will make time for you and prioritize our friendship first knowing that our friendship and you mean more to me than some other obligation. When I am friends with someone, it may seem as if I care too much or try too hard, but in reality, I just care a lot about our friendship and I want to make sure you know that I am doing my best to be the best friend I can be for you. The characteristics it says that loyal friends have been sensible, cautious, and practical. This could not be more true, I try to plan ahead and make sure everything will be okay, during anything. Finally, something else that I think is very true about this summary is that I expect the same loyalty in return. This part makes friendship more complicated. When it seems that you care too much or expect too much from a friendship, the other person can feel overwhelmed and that can cause conflict within the friendship. Reading this reminded me of a friendship I had long ago with one of my best friends at the time, we aren't friends anymore, but this reminds me of the struggles that came with always trying to be someone's number one.
Word Count: 382 |
Blog Post January 11, 2023- "Boredom, Humans' Greatest Asset"
Boredom can be one of the best tools or downfalls, depending on how it is used. Of course, everything in moderation, but I believe that boredom is essential for mental health, personal happiness, and hobbies. I personally do not think that being bored should be considered being "lazy". Laziness in my mind has a negative connotation, which being bored doesn't carry. Boredom gives our minds time to settle down, reflect, and realign with our bodies and spirits. I like to set aside time, or take advantage of free time so that I have time to feed my mind, rest my body, and recharge before something new happens. When I'm bored, typically I read books for fun, journal about my life and things that had been affecting me in any way shape or form, watch Netflix, or take walks either by myself or with my family members around Ripon. I personally love having some free "bored" time once in a while. It gives me times that I can be creative, I can choose what to do and really think about what I want to do, sometimes I do not have that liberty. When I am alone, I give myself a chance to breathe. I take time to think about how I have been feeling and resolve any unsettled emotions. I used to feel really badly after being bored and "wasting time," but now rest is a priority in my life. Even if I do not always put rest first, I do not feel opposed to it if it happens to occur in my schedule. Rest is necessary for my wellbeing. I have even noticed that sometimes, I find that when I do not have any time to rest, I get more agitated with people and I become more antsy throughout the day. I would much rather feel as though I am well rested and aligned than create a false sense of productivity in my head when I had really just been spreading myself too thin and going without rest.
Word Count: 338 |
Blog Post January 25, 2023- "Word of The Day: Track"
Track has to be one of the most fun, interesting, eventful, and challenging sports there is. I have run track for three years now, and no feeling is better than finishing a good race, pre-race nerves, or the friends I have made through running laps around a track. Even the idea of track and field, having so many different events for anyone to do is incredible. So many different people are brought together over their shared love for pushing themselves while still doing what they want to do competitively. If you run track, you can sprint, run long distance, jump, do pole vaulting, or throw, truly any form of athleticism is celebrated and practiced in track and field. It is no surprise that nearly 150 students signed up to do track this year at the small school of Ripon High School. I personally enjoy track because I feel like I am able to be myself and work hard every day for myself and a team. This is one of the many beauties of track, you compete, obviously for yourself, PRs, and to get medals, but every time you compete, the school or team you represent also benefits. This leads to athletes feeling a deeper sense of pride and increases motivation for students to run for something bigger than themselves. The feeling of getting ready for an intense race, warming up, and getting on the line is unmatched. Adrenaline pounds through every limb, as your surroundings go silent, waiting for the gunshot, there is nothing that is more important than the race you are about to run. Each run is different, but every one allows you to tune out the world and focus all of your energy on the race that lies ahead. As track season is beginning, I am getting more and more excited by the day to be able to do something I love and start the season strong!
Word Count: 321 |
Blog Post February 1, 2023- "Tyre Nichols"
Word Count: 365 |
Blog Post February 8, 2023- "Dear Susan B. Anthony"
Dear Susan B Anthony,
Hello, I hope you are doing well! Your birthday is approaching rapidly, and with that, I am writing to thank you for all of your contributions for women, African Americans, and people in the workforce. You probably know this, but life today would not be the same without your bravery and passion for what you believed in. Today, believe it or not, I am able to vote, have the same jobs as men, speak out for what I believe in, I have the opportunity to be the same or better than any man in any career or education system. I am so grateful for this gift you have given the United States. Your advocacy for the things you believed in has changed the world in so many ways, especially for women. The NAWSA is a foundation and organization that will forever be remembered. Although the 18th amendment was repealed by the 21st amendment, your activism for temperance was not unnoticed. You had the best intentions, and you were a pioneer for many laws today. You helped teach this country that criminalizing something is not always the best idea, though it may help in times of crisis. I thought I would let you know that today, unfortunately, we have a terrible epidemic of drug use. Even my friends struggle with this. I have learned about your contributions, and have tried to use your viewpoints for ideas and different ways to view these issues to try to find a solution that I can help create. You inspire people every day to look beyond the government and recognize that anything can be done to help at any level, and by anyone. Thirdly, I would like to thank you for your activism in protecting the rights of workers across the country. Workers everywhere thank you today for your contributions to protecting people in the modern workplace. People around the world do not have the same luxury that so many Americans take for granted. I appreciate you protecting the lives of all Americans with your rules for worker safety and health. The world would not be the same today without your contributions. I appreciate everything you have done, thank you for being you. Sincerely, Jenna Skavdahl Word Count: 377 |
Blog Post February 15, 2023- "Letter"
Imagine you are 7 years old, checking your mail and opening the mail box to see a crisp, white envelope, with your name on the front. The handwriting is neat and in a bright blue color. As you walk home in your mix match socks from checking the mail, the only thing that occupies your mind is what could possibly encrypted in the letter you are about to open the second you get home. As you walk through the front door with your letter and a stack of other bills and ads in your hand, you shout out, “Mom, I got a letter!”. The grin grows across your face as you sit down and begin to tear the thick paper. Once you have it opened, your eyes dart to the beginning of the writing to begin the investigation into what a mystery person could possibly want to say to you. As you read, slowly the words begin to form into a message meant for you. The letter is from your grandparents, wishing you a happy Valentine’s Day. You are ecstatic, the pretty pink card with hearts and cats is just what you love. This form of happiness is not likely to come around too often. Now, I have to admit, this was a true story that I had expirenced.
Valentine’s Day in early childhood used to be a day of love celebrated by everyone. Now however, as teenagers, it feels a bit different to be celebrating something that not everyone believes in. Valentine’s day is the one holiday that sometimes leaves teens feeling badly about themselves for not being in a relationship with anyone. I think that this is a ridiculous! So what if you don’t have a Valentine, everyone should take the day to celebrate the day and everything that you love about the people in your life and the world around you. As Valentine’s Day had just happened, I think this would be a great opportunity to remind people to care for themselves and the ones around them this year, don’t feel badly or upset if Valentine’s Day didn’t go your way, just see this as an opportunity to focus on yourself and the things YOU love! Word Count: 352 |
Blog Post February 23, 2023- "Laughter is the best medicine"
Sometimes I feel… like everything is funny. I love this feeling if I’m being honest. Being able to laugh uncontrollably at something that may or may not be funny, is definitely freeing. Oftentimes, I get this feeling when I am talking to someone similar in age to me, whether it is my friends or my brother. It starts with a simple joke or comment that makes us laugh then it quickly morphs into more jokes and the laughter just keeps coming. The more we add to a simple phrase or situation we have created, the harder the laughter gets, and the more difficult it is to keep it calm. I always love this feeling because it seems that nothing else in our lives matter except for this “joke”. After we calm down, our cheeks hurt from laughing and our stomachs feel tight from being constricted from air for an amount of time. It is quite fun to think that everything is funny. You know what they say, laughter is the best medicine. This is very true. Somebody can be having the worst day, but a quick joke that makes them crack a smile or a little laugh can really turn anybody’s day around. Being able to laugh about the most random things throughout the day can also help us look at the world more positively. For example, say you are talking with your friend and you recall a memory of when your friend cut your hair and gave you terrible layers. That might have been awful in the moment, but now, you two can laugh about it and get pleasure from something that might have been more dramatic or unfortunate at the time. Or, for example, say you are walking with a family member and you trip and stumble, but you’re okay. Then would be a great time to just laugh it off and make that moment a positive one that seems funny. After a while, I have found that I even think I am funnier for doing random things that could be considered mistakes; rather than being embarrassed by something that happens, I make the conscious decision to laugh it off and lose the seriousness that comes with messing up, even slightly.
Word Count: 373 |
Blog Post March 1, 2023- "Everything Happens for a Reason"
Stars Aligning :) |
I think that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, this may be hard to see, but at the end of the day, some things become apparent as to why they happened. If things didn’t happen for a reason, there would be no point to anything. Nothing would make sense because nothing would have a reason to happen. Therefore, nothing would ever happen because it wasn’t supposed to, if that makes sense. In my life, I think that things have happened for a reason, usually it has been good, but there have been some instances that it took me a while to realize why what was going on, was happening. At some point in time, the stars align, and what is meant to be, is. Last year I had biology with one of my friends and I was really stressed about something. I was on the verge of tears when she finally gave me simple but wise words of advice. She said, “if it is meant to be, it’ll be,”. This was a great explanation, although it was vague, it put my mind at ease and I was able to temporarily forget about everything that was happening at the time. I think that this sort of mentality helps give people a reason to keep going. What is unknown in life drives us, it is the mystery of living for what might happen that is the real reason behind what we do. If everything happens for a reason, it gives everyone more of a reason to keep trying, and it makes hard situations easier in the long run. This ideology doesn’t work for everyone, for example, if someone has cancer, that obviously isn’t their fault, and it isn’t easy to explain that that “happened for a reason,”. However, hard times can make us stronger, which could be the “reason,” behind all of the bad things that life throws at us. Everything happens for a reason, and things that don’t make sense are only confusing before the truth is revealed to us in experiences or revelations. These experiences help to expose the truth about why something happened, and gives us closure for things that do or don’t make sense in the moment that they happen.
Word Count: 372 |
Blog Post March 8, 2023- "Dear Past Jenna,"
Dear Middle School Jenna,
Hi! I hope you are enjoying your time at Colony Oak! It seems like just yesterday I was back there, each and every day. High school is a lot different than you thought it would be. I know you love Colony Oak and everything there is to it. Everything right now seems simple, which it should feel like for you at this point. However, there are some things that I think you should know about the rest of your middle school career and your future in high school. Firstly, right now, while you can, continue to focus on school. High school is hard, so much harder than whatever you think is difficult now. You have so much homework, about 1-4 hours of work per night. So you need to be prepared to work hard and keep up your grades, which you will end up doing, but it is not as easy as you think. Secondly, If I could redo high school, or start from scratch, I would be more outgoing, especially in leadership. Stand up for what you believe in and be true to yourself, but don’t be too shy. Especially your freshman year, you need to voice your opinion and don’t be as afraid of rejection as you were. People want to be around someone who is fun to be around, not someone who is anxious and scared. Nobody is really paying attention, so be polite, but put yourself out there! Being loud is not something you should be so embarrassed of! Basically, just don’t lose the spark you have now. Your freshman year is hard because you feel as though you are embarrassing yourself for every little thing. Just keep trying to improve yourself and be more outgoing in high school, you got this. Also, don’t try to hang onto your friends for so long. You have such better friends once you let go of the ones you have now. I know it seems hard to imagine, but hardly any of your friends are your real friends anymore. Just a little spoiler alert, you are friends with Alyson Harvey now… I know, I was shocked too. Be careful of people you surround yourself with, because they will have an effect on who you are and the type of person you become. Especially the later part of sophomore year, just be careful and listen to what people say, sometimes you aren’t right about things:). Lastly, if I were to tell you anything else, be happy with who you are. It takes a while, but try your best to be more comfortable with yourself, it will help you be more successful in the long run. Love, Jenna now Word Count:452 |
Blog Post March 15, 2023 "Planes"
When I was one, I first went on a plane. Planes have been such a large part of my life, they have shaped who I am and my experiences. I have been incredibly fortunate to be able to have these experiences throughout my life. Planes themselves have not shaped who I am, however, in this case, planes serve as a vehicle for me to be able to learn and see life in a different way. My parents have always encouraged travel, learning, and seeing the world from a different perspective, in order to be more open minded.
Since my first flight at the age of one, I have used planes to travel to 47 states in the United States. When I was younger, I created a goal with my dad to get to all 50 states before I graduated high school. Amazingly, we are on track to meet that goal and this summer we have a plan to make it to the last three states! One of my favorite places a plane has ever taken me was Vermont. This was during a two week trip to the east coast, in which my family visited many cities and states including New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. I noticed that in Vermont there were no billboards or advertisements around the roads. This was very different from the other cities we had visited in the days prior to being there. I loved the natural greenery and peacefulness of Vermont. With experiences coming from across the country and being able to travel, I have come to appreciate the variation this country offers. From one of the busiest cities in the world to one of the cleanest, green places in the country, America has been an amazing place to travel and explore with the help of planes. I am so grateful for the experiences planes and my parents have given me. They have opened my eyes to the beauty of nature and the walks of life that are unknown by people. I have learned to appreciate all people and understand the differences between people in the United States. Word Count: 352 |
Blog Post March 22, 2023 "Let the River Flow"
I love nature. I think that Earth in its natural state is its most beautiful state. If I were to be any part of nature, I would choose to be a river. I think that being a river would be so beautiful, as I would always be moving, changing, and seeing new places. Rivers bend and twist through cities, forests, and end up in the ocean. This sounds like a great way to live and go through life, constantly seeing new areas and living in different styles of life as the water flows.
Being a river would fit my personality because I think that I am ever changing and always willing to do or go somewhere new. Like a river, people have many different parts to them. I remember when I went in a kayak for the first, and only time. I was with my neighbors and we were floating down the San Joaquin River from Riverbank to a little park a bit down the river. It started off fine, just cruising along and looking at the trees which were slightly dangling in the water. However, the peace was short-lived. Just after, we noticed the water was deeper and we were moving quite a bit faster. As soon as that was over, we turned the boat and found ourselves stuck in a bush being pushed back and forth. We couldn’t control the boat and we definitely couldn’t control the river. It was in that moment, being stuck and feeling as if the paddles we had were tiny sticks, that I realized that the river seemed to have a mind of its own. Like people, rivers have “smooth sailing periods”. The water is calm and moving at a nice pace. Maybe during this time in our lives, everything seems to be going well. We win something big or have a lot of success. Then other times, the river goes fast and speeds up, just like when life flies by and we barely have time to recognize we are living because the present seems to go by in a second. Finally, the parts of the river that can swallow people whole, get boats stuck in the trees, or get you lost represent the parts of our lives that pose challenges. This can be death, the loss of a relationship, or anything else in life that makes us question what the point of life really is. There are so many more similarities to a river and people than we think. Rivers can be slow, angry, and even seem energetic at times. The important thing to remember about rivers is that just like humans, they are all different, parts of life can be different for everyone and we can’t always control what happens, as a river can’t control the direction it goes. Word count: 468 |
Blog Post April 4, 2023- "Reality As We Know It"
If I could change either the past or the future, I would rather be able to change the future. I think that changing the past would or could take away from the gift that we have which is learning. If we could change the past and everything that has been done, we would take away from the lessons that come with mistakes, challenges, and struggles humanity has faced. However, if we change the future, we could avoid mistakes that we have made in the past and use previous events to steer away from repeating history. If we have the power to change the future, we could avoid so many events and outcomes that it would be beneficial to society.
In all seriousness though, I would not want to genuinely change the future or the past. I think that in both situations, time and events are meant to happen for a reason, whether to learn from or change for the better or worse, events in our past and futures are all meant to happen. Events from our past allow us to remember, honor, and learn from all that came before us. While events in our future are waiting to teach us, help us live, or are there to make sure that we get genuine, real, human experience. If either of these realities were altered or tampered with, it would take away from the truth behind being a human and the world that surrounds us would misrepresent human experience and life as we know it. Without knowledge of the past or the unknown nature of the future, we would never be able to be the society and people that we are today, we are simply an outcome of everything before us, and we are experiments for the future. Nobody knows what life is like in the future, and it is best we leave it that way, for that is the way that nature wants it. Without a doubt, altering the past or the future would be nice, but for the sake of humanity and “real life,” it is best that we as humans leave time alteration to movies and books, and focus on living genuinely while we still can. Word Count: 367 |