Assignment 19 - Benjamin Givens

I used to be a sarcastic asshole. I still like to think that I have a certain wit about me, but I am not nearly as uncaring as to the feelings of others as I once was. What finally made it click for me was listening to Robert Moran talk about how he changed his entire way of thinking and creating content, because he realized that negative content was not what he wanted to create. He compared his current self to that of fifteen years ago and found that by making things that are more positive and happy that he felt better himself, and he hoped those watching would as well. Being negative is really easy, just point out all that is wrong any situation in a humorous way. It's like eating a pound of Hershey's chocolate in one sitting—it can feel good in the moment, but it has long term ramifications.

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!

Oh, this can be a video blog that you create.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, February 12th at 11:59 pm

March 26th is the last day to make up blogs 20-22

Kathleen Gibbs- Assignment 20

In order to hit a golf ball well and with consistency, you need to practice for many hours but, I can instruct you on how to begin. First, you should grab the club with your left hand (if you are lefty, do everything with the opposite hand that I say) and with your right hand, grip the club covering your left thumb. When you take your stance, you want to make sure that the face of your club is facing your target and that your feel are aligned with your target as well. When you make a swing, keep your arms completely straight and keep your head still. After you have practiced these simple moves for a while, you can move on to your weight shift. You should, at address, have 50% of your weight on one foot and the other 50% on the other. When you swing back, shift 75% to your back leg and when you swing through, shift 90% to the front food. Be sure and follow through the ball and point your back toe while finishing your swing and admiring your killer shot. And if Tiger Woods is your favorite golfer, you can twirl your club too.  

Assignment 18-Elizabeth Ueland

The number 1 item on my bucket list before graduating high school is winning a state championship with the girls soccer team. Highly unlikely-this would be a great way to finish out my time at Henry Clay. The girls soccer team has never won a state championship so we would make Henry Clay history and also have a "rager" because of it (also would make history.)
Before I finish college the main item on my bucket list is to graduate in one piece. Hopefully I will survive wherever I take me and my talents, but as long as I don't drown in school work or beer it will be a success.
Before I die I want to climb a major mountain. Not just a measly fourteener like Mount Sopris, (which I also haven't climbed yet) but a mountain rivaling Mt. Mckinley or Everest. If not a mountain than I'd settle hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.

Assignment 19 - Joseph Cook

I live by the motto: "Be cool, stay in school."

This little phrase has affected my life in ways you couldn't imagine, I have spent roughly 1.67 years of my life sitting in a classroom. that's a dag lot of time. for comparison, in that time, if I worked for 20 dollars an hour, id have roughly 300,000 dollars to do whatever I want with. the other half of the moniker, be cool, is what I do anyways, so no problem there.

Assignment 19- Emma Tucker

In fifth grade I had one of the best teachers of all time. She was kind but strict, funny and smart, and above all she taught my class about more than just Native Americans and basic geometry. She was full of advice. Her best advice came around the end of the year as she prepared to send us off to middle school. She told us that in life there is probably always going to be someone who is smarter than you, or prettier than you, or funnier than you, and that you can't let the people around you define who you are. And while at first glance that might not seem like the nicest piece of advice, it is truly what everyone needs to hear because it is true. When you can accept that there are people out there that are better than you, is when you can become who you are. Though this advice, my teacher taught us that we couldn't spend our lives comparing ourselves to others. It taught me that life isn't a competition. I have spent six years reflecting on this advice, and I always think about it when i start to compare my life to someone else.

Assignment 18- Emma Tucker

Like the majority of people in the world I like to make plans for my life. Thinking about the future brings excitement and hope to my life, and I add things to my bucket list all the time.

Before I finish high school I want to become a person that always finds the positive things in each day. It is so easy to focus on the negativity in the world, but I am working on remembering how blessed I am every day. There are so many beautiful parts to life, and I don't want to miss out on them because I am focused on little things that don't matter.

Before I finish college I want to travel. I know that is a cliche thing to say, but I think experiencing new cultures and exploring the world is an important factor in growing up that not everyone gets the chance to do. Seeing different parts of the world can give you new perspectives on your own life and change the way you see and interact with other people. I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and study abroad and go on adventures to places that are unlike anything I have ever seen before.

Before I die, I want to positively influence the world. Even if it is just in a small way like bringing joy to the people around me, or having a happy family that encourages and helps the people around them.

Assignment 17- Emma Tucker

Review of La La Land

The first word that comes to mind when I think of the movie La La Land is enchanting. From the opening scene to the credits I was captivated by the singing and dancing, the vivid colors, the phenomenal actors, and every other element that went into the movie. When I first saw the trailer months before the movie premiered I knew it would be a must see, but any movie featuring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling typically falls into that category in my mind. However, the movie exceeded my already high expectations. The old Hollywood style was beautiful, and it made me want to wear dresses every day and dance on top of cars in traffic. The songs were beautiful and the talent of all the actors was inspiring. It is safe to say that La La Land found its way into the ranks as one of my favorite movies.

Assignment 19-Kathleen Gibbs

No one has ever sat me down and told me this advice or explicitly told it to me but my mom has been teaching me since I was an infant to know my identity in Christ. This has shaped my world. It is incredibly easy to get caught up in this technology and social media age and begin to feel like you aren’t enough or that you are “too much”. These are lies that we may believe and not even know, that may run thick in our personalities and hearts, but knowing who I am in Christ (though it may not always be easy) allows me to see through these lies of our fallen world and know who God says I am. I can always look to God’s Word and see who I really am. I am a child of God (John 1:12), I am a justified and redeemed (Romans 3:23-24, Romans 6:6), I am accepted by Christ (Romans 15:7), my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in me (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19), and there’s more where that came from! Anytime this fallen world gets me bogged down, I can look to Christ and find my identity and you can too! 

Assignment 19- Nick Joseph

I have received a lot of different advice throughout my life, but rarely do I ever take it seriously.  Typically I seem interested and grateful, then absolutely forget about it as soon as anything even remotely more interesting comes up.  With this being said, there is one piece of advice that has truthfully stuck with me.  A friend of mine who is a few years older than me once told me not to worry about what other people think about me, as long as I am happy with my own actions.  I really took this to heart.  In a time period where everyone tries so hard to fit in, it was refreshing to hear the opposite.  This advice has influenced my actions in countless ways.  It has impacted the friends I have, the parties I go to, and how I treat people, even people who I absolutely cannot stand to carry on a conversation with.  I am grateful for this advice each and every day, and I truthfully try to live by it.

Assignment 18- Kathleen Gibbs

My top priority thing to do in high school on my bucket list is to play golf at a level where I can go to college and get a scholarship/play on their team. I have only been serious about golf since the end of eighth grade year but, hard work will enable me to achieve my goal. My top bucket list thing for college is to know what I’m going to “be” I want to know “I want to be a doctor” or a “nurse”. Basically, I want to be able to label exactly what I want to do for my career. For my life ultimate bucket list item, I’d love to be able to retire and open some sort center where I would give after-school cooking and craft classes to children and summer camps when the kids are off school. I’d love to be able to share my love of cooking and crafting/pottery with children in inner-cities where they wouldn’t have the opportunity to be exposed to it otherwise.  

Assignment 19- Elizabeth Salamanca

In middle school, our school year was broken down into 4 quarters. On the second to last day of the first quarter, my best friend Julia and I were walking to my house, despairing. Neither of us had ever received anything less than an A in a class, and we were both about to get our first B. I couldn't smile, or feel better, all I could do was think about how my computer and friends and free time would be taken away from me by my parents. Julia turned to me and said "You know, life... Is like a flower. That never opens. And dies." In that moment, when I was almost about to start sobbing, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Anytime I feel like my situation is hopeless, I remember that and can't help but smile.

Oh, and neither Julia nor I received the B: both of our teachers had somehow mistakenly put a grade in incorrectly. Or maybe it had something to do with the cookies we baked for our geometry teacher that night...

Assignment 18-Elizabeth Salamanca

My number one goal before I finish high school is to help Maddie Klumb fulfill her goal of going on a road trip with all of her friends. Not only do I also want to do this, but I have a car (and she doesn't), and my parents would be cool with it (her's probably wouldn't at first), and I'm much more spontaneous than her. My one condition, however, is that I do not drive for more than an hour at a time. I get sleepy fast and really it's better for everyone if I just stay in the backseat.

Before college, I wanna have a good idea of what I want to do with my life. At the moment, I think I'll be an engineer, but I don't know if that'll work out in the end. Some days when I'm sitting in Calculus class I really can't bring myself to care about math or science enough to pursue a career in it.

Before I die, I'd like to finish a Unit Assignment for Mr. Cain without bribing myself with candy.

Assignment 17- Elizabeth Salamanca

Ok, the only movie I've seen recently was The Miracle Worker (1962) because it holds a special place in my heart. It tells the story of Annie Sullivan teaching Helen Keller to "speak" and communicate with others through feeling sign language. When I was seven I went through this weird phase in which I was fascinated with Helen Keller, so my mom and I would watch this movie like once a month. It was filmed in 1962, our copy is a VCR from the 80s (I think), and the quality is distracting to say the least. Nevertheless, the soundtrack is beautiful and emotional, just like the acting- a sixteen year old played a blind-deaf girl and yet conveyed more emotion than I ever could. The story is heartfelt and inspiring. It even moved my dad to tears when she finally learned- and he didn't cry when he dropped a hammer on his face or took half his finger off with a set of pliers.

Assignment 19 - Maddie Klumb

I, like so many others, have difficulty accepting advice - even when given in my best interest. However, the piece of advice that has most shaped my life (to this point) was given to my by my eighth grade science teacher. He told his class to do what they loved in life, be that science, art, social studies, english, math, or something else altogether. This advice allowed me to see that I could have a job doing something I enjoy even if it doesn't fit neatly into a box provided by society or the education system. He has inspired me to study a variety of sciences, even if they aren't related, because I am interested in them and want to explore the possibility of fitting them together like puzzle pieces to craft the perfect career for me. Without this advice I might still be suffering through a band class I only moderately enjoyed (sorry band kids it's just not for me), or still lost and confused about what area I wanted to study in college (not that I have a very specific idea beyond science).

Assignment 18 - Maddie Klumb

       The number one item on my bucket list before I finish high school is to go on a road trip with my friends. I like the idea of going on an adventure with several of my close friends piled in a car. We could explore surrounding areas and create lasting memories before we all go to different colleges.
       My number one "to-do" before I finish college is to travel abroad. I really want to study in a different country and learn their culture. I really want to explore Europe and Australia. I haven't done anything like this before so it would be an extraordinary experience.
       The thing I want to do most before I die is help someone, if even only one person, the way so many kind people have helped me. I want to be able to be selfless and improve the life of others and guide them to happiness not only in that moment, but throughout their life.

Assignment 17 - Maddie Klumb

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - 3 stars

Overall Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was well made. The graphics, creatures, and peculiarities were interesting and enhanced the mood of the unusual and kept me entertained throughout the movie. However, because I had not read the books I found the plot hard to follow and a little confusing. While I understand the movie is an adaption of the book, I think it should still make sense to those who haven't read the book. I also wish we would have been able to get more background on the peculiar children. The film was also darker than I was expecting based on the ads I saw on TV. I was also bothered that there didn't seem to be a clear ending to the movie as many plot points were left unresolved or unexplained. I might be tempted to watch the movie again, but it is not one that I could watch often.

Assignment 18 - Benjamin Givens

Before high school ends, I would like to finish a long term programming project. I have finished many short projects and I have started many long projects, but I have not finished a long term project. Whether it is for mentoring or simply for my own enjoyment, I want to complete something that took a lot of thought over a lot of time.

Before I finish college, I would like to take a class abroad. Whether this is an exchange program in Germany or Sweden or going to graduate school in Canada, such as at Simon Fraser, I think that schooling provides a good opportunity to immerse your self in another culture.

And finally, before I die, I would like to master a competitive game. I have played a lot of games and watched a lot of people play games, but I have never excelled in a multiplayer game. To do so takes a lot of practice, game knowledge, and mechanics, but with enough time and dedication it could be done.

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 on your life.


Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, January 29th at 11:59 pm

February 12th is the last day to make up blogs 17-19

Assignment 17-Elizabeth Ueland

The infamous director Tim Burton is renowned for his eccentric movies as he portrays striking differences in society through his fictional movies. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Burton compares rich and poor and good and bad as the bad children are punished for their actions and Charlie is rewarded. In Edward Scissor hands otherness is illustrated between the abnormally simple and identical town people and Edward. Both movies include extreme and unlikely situations to demonstrate major differences in real life. The movie Edward Scissor Hands illustrates the difference between the ideas of normal and otherness through color choices, camera angles, and lighting techniques. The dark features are not as extensively used by Burton in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as the movie also includes childish features an characters like the oompa loompas. While both movies are similar in their peculiar plot and characters, they differ in theme and purpose. 

Assignment 17-Kathleen Gibbs

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/975946672/

I went to see this adorable film during a snow day in a theater full of children ages 7 and under. They were wild and one little girl spent the whole film dancing next to me but that didn’t take away from this creative and unique cartoon. Most children’s movies have predictable story lines but I felt that this movie was extremely different and engaging. I felt that the music was great and that the songs were appropriate and at appropriate times comical. The animations were cute and the way the audition scene was done with hundreds of different types of animals was great. The movie was uplifting especially the last few scenes. There were plot twists throughout that were funny and shocking. I imagine myself as a very sheltering parent and I would definitely allow and even encourage my children to watch this uplifting and very age-appropriate film about perseverance and the pursuit of your dreams. 

Joseph Cook - Assignment 18

My bucket list before graduating high school consists mainly of not dying. It's much easier to sit back and let things happen then to forcefully change them to what you want them to be. I'm not the type of person who gets the manager involved when there are pickles on my burger, but I asked for no pickles.

Before graduating college, I want to get really good at rock climbing. I plan on college in Utah, so that's not too hard.

Before death, I want to go on American Ninja Warrior, get a well paying job, have a family, own a house, and either solve of commit the crime of the century, it doesn't matter to me.

Assignment 17 - Benjamin Givens

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/975945206/rating/771415158

Assignment 18- Nick Joseph

I often think about the things I want to accomplish before I die.  Additionally, I set more short-term goals to have things to look forward to.

The number one item on my bucket list before I graduate high school is to register to vote.  I believe that voting is an exciting civic responsibility.  I'll be 18 at the start of my senior year, meaning I will get to vote before I go off to college.

The number one item on my bucket list before I graduate college is travelling out west.  I have been to a lot of places, but the Midwest is not one of them.  Seeing as I love to hike, fish, camp, and hunt, I would absolutely love to spend some time in the mountains.

The number one item on my bucket list before I die is skydiving.  This sounds really common, but I think skydiving is a must-do.  It looks like it would be a lot of fun, but I am just not sure I could bring myself to jump out of an airplane.  I definitely plan on trying it if the opportunity ever presents itself.

Assignment 17- Nick Joseph

I chose to watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2 over Christmas break.  Both movies are directed by Chris Columbus.  Home Alone revolves around a little boy, Kevin, whose rather large family is preparing for a Christmas time trip to Europe.  Once the family arrives in Europe, the parents realize they left Kevin at home in  America.  The story then focuses on how Kevin outwits two burglars attempting to rob his home.  Home Alone 2 is the sequel to Home Alone.  This movie also features Kevin, but this time he is lost in New York city.  He then defends an abandoned home from the same two criminals.  The two movies are very similar in that both are set at Christmas time.  Additionally, Kevin uses booby traps in both movies to outwit the criminals.  Finally, much of the cast is the same, including Kevin, his family, and the criminals.  While similar, these movies each bring their own quirks to the table.

Assignment 18: Buckets and Buckets - Matthew Logsdon

Welcome to your first blog prompt for 2016! Yay!

A bucket list is a list of everything you want to accomplish before you kick the bucket. That doesn't mean you can't have such a list for specific aspects of your life as well.


To begin the year, generate your own bucket lists - one for high school, one for college, and one for life. Then, write about the priority on each list.

1. What is the number one item on your bucket list before you finish high school?
2. What is the number one item on your bucket list before you finish college?
3. What is the number one item on your bucket list before you finish living?

(This blog is inspired by Axel Liimatta - former academy teacher - my friend and former colleague that inspires me to live every day more fully)

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, January 15th  at 11:59 pm

February 12th is the last day to make up blogs 17-19