Thanksgiving '09

Thanksgiving this year was as interesting as always. It started out as a normal Thanksgiving Day. I would get up, go down stairs and see what is going on. Normally, I will try to refrain from eating anything until dinner, which I successfully did this year. My family and I went to my grandparents around one in the afternoon and spent some time with them. My aunt was also at my grandparents working hard on the meal with my dad (her brother). Around 5:30 dinner was ready and it was delicious. I remember eating all sorts of good food including turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and various other things you might not think would be on a Thanksgiving table. We ate for at least an hour and when we were done we stayed for another hour.

We said are goodbyes and left, but even though it was 7:30 there was still places to go to. The other side of my family is huge. I have over one hundred first and second cousins and we all get together at one of my distant cousins house We never arrive early enough to eat, but we always try to stop by and this year was no different. There were still around 35 people sticking around when we arrived. Many of them were people I only recognized by face and had no idea what their names were. This year at the party it was probably the most boring year yet. I hardly knew anyone and I am not a kid anymore. Nevertheless, I stayed until the end and we went home. However, my Thanksgiving fun was hardly over.

At a last minute change of heart my mom decided to get a doorbuster TV deal for our living room on Black Friday, tomorrow. She said I could have the old living room TV if I came with her. At 3 AM we stood outside of Target in a light rain for two hours (which in retrospect wasn’t that bad) to get a new 32 inch LCD TV. After two hours of waiting I was in charge of running past all the other shoppers to secure a TV for our family. At five AM the doors open and even though they said no running was allowed I was sprinting along with everyone else. And most importantly I got the TV. So that was my thanksgiving weekend.

Rwandan Class Debate

This Thursday, we had our class debate on the genocide in Rwanda. After studying on the subject from the point of view of Paul Kagame, I really do believe he was doing the right thing. For one, unlike many of the other groups think, he didn’t start the genocide at all. The problem started in Belgium. When Belgium created the identity cards to separate ethnic groups, they made tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi people even more prominent. The Tutsi people, who were already in power, were forced out of control by Belgium and put under a Hutu government. The Hutu government, headed by President Juvenal Habarimana, the FAR, and MRND, ruthlessly forced the Tutsi people out of their own country into exile in Uganda. The Tutsi exiles couldn’t live in Uganda forever and had to invade their own country just to be able to live in their homes. Hutu people took this action the wrong way and sent the FAR and Interhamwe to slaughter the returning Tutsi people. The Tutsi exiles couldn’t just let their people die and were forced to fight back resulting in the Rwandan Genocide. This is what I think truly happened to the Tutsi people.

This experience to debate helped me learn a lot about how SIMUN may work in the future it was also a fun way to learn. I thought it was interesting to simulate what a real world UN meeting would be like. Everything from “yielding” the floor to someone, to a moderator to control what goes on was 100% real. I liked the point of view I was looking from in this debate, as I believe Paul Kagame was doing the right thing. I hope the class can do these sorts of activities again because it was a much more interesting experience than learning about the conflict in lecture form. We were all able to express ourselves better in this form of learning. This helped the class get much more involved than what we normally are. I know all of us would like todo this again and I can't wait until it happens.

The American Scholar

Emerson's argument in "The American Scholar" about American society still holds true today.



Emerson's arguement has similarities to modern American society. One reason his argument is viable is the mention of division of labor within our country. In the past, people were taught a variety of different skills. Today, people have been reduced to doing one, specialized job. Modern people want to feel whole doing these jobs, but the have lost sight of what is important. The statement "a priest becomes a form and an mechanic becomes a machine" says that these people do not neccesarily need to do other things, but lost the meaning of being a priest or mechanic. In this way many people have become overwhelmed by their jobs.

These people who have become their occupation have also become "mere thinkers" the total opposite of "the Man thinking. Emerson expresses how he disikes mere thinkers and how they get their ideas from the work of others. "Men thinking", however get their ideas from the world around them. It is true people today are like this, an example being those who plagerize essays or take credit for others ideas for money. True Men thinking, generate their own ideas, and take together knowledge of the world to use. Inventors and scientists are just two examples of people who use this knowledge.

Free Blog- Halloween '09

After a busy week at school, I was definately ready for Halloween weekend to be here. I was glad this year the thirty-first falls on a Saturday because I usually have to worry about getting homework done before I go out. The benefit of having Saturday off is I can spend some time doing homework early and have fun later that night.

On Thursday I cleaned and carved my pumpkin. Since I am going to be gone Friday to go to the Stevenson football game it seemed to be the perfect time to carve. It has been a tradition to carve pumpkins while listening to Halloween music, but we couldn,t find the CD we usually listen to, so we played songs off our iTunes library. I decided to carve out a skeleton pirate's head. The book I got the sketch from said the design was challenging, I found it to be pretty easy to do. It dosen't look like a perfect copy from the book but I did all right. Normally our family carves pumpkins the day of Halloween, but the pressure is off for this year.

We also decorated Thursday, too. Our house is never scary and thats just something I've gotten used to. Our neighbors, however, always have the scariest house on the block. Their dad has been on the Channel 7 Saturday news every couple of years talking about his house. In fact on Wednesday after school was over I came home to be greeted by a ten feet tall monster standing on the front lawn.

As for a costume, I had no idea what I was going to be. For the past three years I pulled together a costume with one hour to spare. We have a bunch of costumes and wigs in our basement that just sit down there and I could always borrow a monster mask from my insane neighbors. Unlike when i was little I dont buy a costume anymore. This year I ended up going as Slash, the guitarist from from Guns 'N' Roses. I wore the band t-shirt, sunglasses, a top hat, wig, and fake tatoo sleeve. As you can see, I use what I have and make the best of it. I love Halloween but I plan on next year being the last time I go trick or treating. However, I also plan on getting loads of candy this year.

We had the family over on Halloween night as usual. Every year we get pizza, go trick or treating and come back and have pumpkin pie. This year however, there was a Halloween party down the block that started around 8:30. We decided to go to the party instead, and it was exciting. All of our neighbors from around the block showed up, and we hung out, ate food, and sat around a bonfire.

Halloween will always be fun even when I stop dressing up. It is a cool holiday that I am glad was started. I've loved it since I was little and most likely always will. Happy Halloween!

Spirit Week

This week is Spirit Week. Each day we dress up as something different as preparation for homecoming. Monday was Country Club day which I dressed for because I golf a lot. Tuesday was for Tie-Dye which I don't own any of. Wednesday had a western theme, and I didn't dress for it. I don't plan on dressing up Thursday, but I will most likely dress up Friday for Super Spunky Spartan Day.

I haven't been dressing up that much but I am really excited for the game this Friday. One reason is because we are playing Churchill, and it will be a fun rivalry game because I know a few people from Churchill and other schools that are coming just to have a good time. Another reason is that I have been working on the Global Education float after school since Monday.

Global Ed. is working on a Ghostbusters float, and even though its not a "horror" film, it fits the theme and it is going to be a awesome float. A couple of seniors went out and and bought some strobe lights and other special effects to make the float better. Last year the Global ed float won the competition and I expect no difference this year.

I decided to go on Monday just to see what was going on. The first day I was cutting out letters and that was an easy job. The next day after I was folding flowers which was also easy, and Wednesday I was painting the background of the set. I was surprised I got to help on such an important part of the the float. After the float building was done each day I wondered what I would work on the next day. Then Thursday we put it all together. I stayed until the very end and it looked really awesome. It took from 3:00 to around 8:00, but it was worth it to stay. I ended up meeting some upperclassmen and seeing the other classes floats. I really do believe we are going to win.

This week has been busy, but it has also been really fun. I will definately remember what happened this week and will look forward to it again next year. And in honor of the game this Friday, GO SPARTANS!

Free Blog- The Final Frontier

On Monday I was sitting home and had just finished up doing my homework when my dad came home with some movie tickets. He had found them sitting in the lobby of his office free to take if anybody wanted them. They were tickets to an IMAX show at AMC 20 called Space Station profiling the construction of the International Space Station that has be floating above our heads since 1998.

My younger brother, wanted the third ticket so he tagged along. We got to the theater probably around ten minutes early,looked at a few posters for movies coming out this winter and bought some popcorn. We walked into the theater immediately recieved our 3D glasses and turned around to a sea of people. We had managed to get to a sold out show. Sitting in the perfect seat in the middle of the crowd the movie started.

I hadn't been to an IMAX show since the summer of 2007 at The Henry Ford. I obviously forgot just how real it was. The movie started with a space view from earth and then the crowd heard a quiet countdown. The noise became more definate at the last three numbers 3...2...1... and my ears exploded. It was the most realistic sound of a rocket blasting off I've ever heard. The noise was earth-shattering, the ground was literally shaking and being 3D, dust was flinging in my face and rocks were narrowly missing my head. The only way my brain knew what I was seeing was a movie was the abscence of the actual wind.

The movie was amazing. It followed the construction of the International Space Station and how the astronauts actually lived inside of it. It gave an interesting history lesson about Russia and the United States and the race to the moon. Today they are working together on a future home in space. It was a really cool movie for a totally free event.

At the end of the film it profiled what pieces will be added to the station in the years to come, including parts from the United States, Russia, Italy, and Japan and the credits rolled. Walking out of the theater, my dad and I were talking about what we had just saw and my little brother decided he wanted to be an astronaut. I never knew much about space, and before this film I didn't there was ann actually space station right above our heads. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years.

World Issue- Invisible Children

I woke up Wednesday morning around six. I knew it was going to be a long day and had no motivation to get up at all. Then I remembered that it was September 30 and tonight was Night on the Field. I went to school got through the day and went home ready for the event.

My family sat down for dinner and talked for twenty minutes and the I left for Night on the Field wondering what was going to happen. Aside from the pretty terrible kareoke performances it was a really fun night. It didn't actually take place on the football field, but that didn't make it any less interesting.

There were a few tables and tents in the back courtyard with people lined up for kareoke and the Wii. After directly getting dropped off in the parking lot I got to meet Tyler, the main Invisible Children associated with Stevenson High School in the Schools for Schools program in person.

He ask if I would be going to the courtyard for Night on the Field and I said yes. He then asked if I could help carry some stuff over to where the roadies were selling it and I agreed. The Invisible Children van was packed with so much merchandise, the three roadies that came barely had enough room to fit them. So for the next few minutes Tyler and I were constantly moving T-shirts, DVDs, Braclets and other things over to the table. After that I told him how the first movie I saw last week really inspired me to do something. He thanked me for my help and support of the charity and then he went busily to work. I ended up buying a T-shirt from him a few minutes later.

The video we saw that night was just as inspiring as the first. The only difference was this video was shown outside and it was freezing. The videos played for about 45 minutes and there was a 20 minute discussion afterward. The roadies started cleaning up their stuff and loading it back into the van. I was waiting for my ride home in the parking lot when the van pulled out and continued its cross country journey. I left shortly after the video was over, finished my homework and went to bed. It was a really cool and informative experience that I was glad to be a part of. I've been very inspired and hope to attend the next time the roadies come to town. I decided to go online to learn more about Invisible Children.

Memories of the Morning-First day of High School

As, I walked out of my parents car into a cold September morning I slowly whispered under my breath, slightly smiling, “This is it isn’t it?” I stumbled through the doors of a building I was only a little bit familiar with and began a very different kind of adventure than middle school still unsure of how the day would unfold. Four hours later, believe it or not, I was in a good mood. I had made it through the morning relatively easy and the best part of all, it was lunch. Despite how crowded it was in the north cafeteria, I made my way to a half filled table. I sat down with a mix of people I have known for years and people I had just met that day. I was bombarded with the usual questions that occur on the first day of any school year. “What did you do today?” was one of the most common of these questions. When I was asked that, I sat back in my chair and recalled my morning.

I told of when I wandered into Mrs. Bergeski’s classroom, a large room lined with all sorts of posters, with a cluster of students swarming the seating chart like bees swarm flowers on a summer day. Being in a whole new school entirely I didn’t expect to know a lot of people in this class. However, I immediately recognized faces. My global education class was filled with people I had gone to school with the past nine years. “So I sat down and had a fun class.” I finished. We took turns asking around the table as to how things went that first morning, eating our lunch simultaneously. As though it had come too soon, the bell for the second half of fourth hour rang. I stood up said my goodbyes and went back into the crowded halls, a scene I could of never imagined until I saw it. Weaving through what felt like a busy city street I thought to myself, “I already did the hard part; the afternoon should be a piece of cake.” As I walked back to class I felt happy that the first day had gone okay so far. I sat back paid attention and enjoyed the rest of my day. The first day went a lot better than I thought after all.

The Alphabet

A is for Alabama. I find myself traveling there a lot because of cousins that live there. It is a fun trip we usually take once or twice a year.

B is for burgers. Burgers fresh off the grill are probably my favorite food. There is no way I could ever be a vegitarian.

C is for cars. I like most cars coming out of movies. The kind that I will never be able to afford are usually my favorite.

D is for dogs. I've wanted one since I was little but my family hasn't ever got one.

E is for eagles. They are one of my favorite animals. An eagle is also the symbol for America.

F is for football games. I'm always interested in watching whether it's Stevenson or the infamous Detroit Lions.

G is for golf. I started playing two years ago during summer vacation. This past summer I went every other week with friends or family.

H is for history. Its my favorite school subject. Learning about the past can tell a lot about the present.

I is for Italy. Italian is about half of my total ethnic background. I hope I can visit Italy one day.

J is for juggling. I have been trying to learn to juggle since middle school, but have never been able to do it for more than five seconds.

K is for knowledge. Even though school is not my favorite thing to do, I still like to learn a lot and am open to trying new things.

L is for loyal. I try to be a good friend and will help anyone whenever I can.

M is for music. Music is a big part of my life. I like listening to all kinds, but like rock the most. I've been playing guitar and piano for two years.

N is for nature. I like to go camping every so often. I haven't gone sice sixth grade, but it was a fun time for me.

O is for optimism. I like to think positive and look on the bright side of things.

P is for Pittsburgh. Thats where I was born. I moved when I was three. I'm the only one in my immidiate family born outside Michigan.

Q is for Queen. They are one of the coolest bands of the 80's. Most of their songs are really good.

R is for Rock ‘n’ Roll. It’s been my favorite kind of music since I was around 10 years old.

S is for snow. For some reason I never get cold. For this reason I like all sorts of winter stuff from snowball fights to snowboarding.

T is for tacos. They're the best kind of Mexican food. I like to make my own sometimes, but hate Taco Bell.

U is for the US. I find myself involved more and more with whats going on at the Capitol for disscussions during World History

V is for vacation. It's always fun to go to a different place or a place you have never been to. I like the idea of traveling the world.

W is for water. I like to be in water as much as possible. I am pretty good at swimming and like to go out to my cousins cottage over summer vacation.

X is for the X-Games. I watch some events this summer and thought it was interesting to see the tricks the contestants can do.

Y is for Youtube. I will go on youtube to see one video my friends told me about and end up watching everything from movie trailers to music videos.

Z is for the zoo. My family goes to the zoo at least once every year. We go to the Toledo Zoo every once and a while, too.

First Week Memoir

My first two weeks at Stevenson High School have proved to be pretty exciting. The first few
days started out slow with the constant reminders of the school rules and what we would actually be learning in the semester. Because of everything being new and having classes with people I didn’t know you can understand was really nervous. However, by the first Friday of the school year, everything was running smoothly. I’ve been getting to my classes on time, doing well in those classes, and making new friends along the way. That Friday was the freshman dance. It was a really fun way to meet people I had only seen passing by them in the halls between classes.

The following week was definitely a more challenging week of school, since we were back in the groove of getting up early and done getting used to things. It was normal to get homework every night, unlike in middle school when we may have had one easy thing to do. I had at least three assignments to do every night and I am sure I am not the only one who did. We have been learning a lot in Biology and English while subjects like Geometry and Spanish are mostly review. We have started softball in PE and have been having a lot of fun playing it. The second week was much more fun than the first because we got to do many more activities. Despite everything that’s been happening around school and the long hours it goes on, I have had a good time. Even when it seems the day will never end, I still manage to learn more about academics and other people every day. Between the Geometry homework, current event discussions, English essays, and Science experiments, it was still a good couple of days.