Assignment 22: Fictional Character, Fictional Life

Out of all of the books, all of the movies, and all of the television shows you have watched, consider your favorite characters. Then, answer the following:

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

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

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

Assignment 21- Nick Joseph

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe...

A dog is running in a field.  The dog, named Billy, loves his owner.  Billy is a golden retriever and loves playing fetch.  As Billy sits at attention, his owner, Frank, hurls Billy's ball over a fence and through a cluster of trees, finally coming to rest under a thorn bush.  Billy is now faced with a dilemma.  His two choices are abandon the ball like a weak, pitiful, loser of a coward, or charge into the bush sacrificing life and limb for his ball.  Clearly, because Billy's mother raised him to be smart, he rushes into the thorn bush.  He lets out a yelp as a thorn penetrates his thigh.  He grabs the ball in his mouth and weakly limps back to Frank.  Frank begins to praise Billy, but then notices the thorn.  He does everything he can to save Billy, but Billy ultimately succumbs to his illness.  However, Billy dies content, knowing that he sacrificed his life for those of all the dogs who would play with his ball in the future.

Assignment 21 - Joseph Cook

Somewhere in the universe, as you read this, there is a planet. This planet is inhabited by eggs. Yes. Eggs. Eggs are the dominant form of life on this planet. All activities are egg based. There are such activities as egg skating, egg bowling, egg bobsledding, three egged races, egg running, egg swimming, egg canoeing, all sorts of egg fun. The eggs have one purpose in life, to hatch. What they hatch into is sort of an egg karma situation. If during their eggsistence they were good eggs, they would hatch into really large eggs. But, if they were very bad eggs, they would hatch into very small eggs. Being small is undesirable. Those poor small eggs.

Assignment 21 - Maddie Klumb

At this very moment somewhere in the universe...

...someone is working tirelessly to find the cure to cancer or some other life-altering disease. This is something I aspire to do with my life. It doesn't have to be as big as curing cancer; but the thought of helping improve another person's life in some way, no matter how small, makes me happy and feel as if I am leaving the world a better place than it was when I found it. I also like the idea of doing research as a career because it will enable me to pursue my goal of improving other's lives while allowing me to explore the world around me.

...someone is sleeping. I like sleeping okay, don't judge me.

...someone is doing what they love rather than what is easy. This doesn't necessarily stem from something I want to do, but rather a quality I admire. In my opinion it takes a great amount of bravery and courage to follow the original or challenging path that makes you happy rather than the path that is easy. This quality has led to many great people, places, and things that probably wouldn't otherwise exist. Painters who became famous after their time, people who changed the way entire groups of people are viewed and treated; they all had this admirable trait.

At this very moment somewhere in the universe... someone is considering what their future goals are, and may be inspired to pursue them despite all odds.

Assignment 21- Elizabeth Salamanca

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe...

A baby was just born. Her parents smile down at her, so grateful that she arrived both healthy and happy. Although she screams and cries, the sound is music to the new parents' ears. At first, little of her looks are known. When her hair grows in, will she take after her dad's black hair or her mom's blonde locks? Will her eyes be her grandfather's deep brown, or her grandmother's light blue once she first opens them? Or will she be something entirely new and different, something of her creation?

What will she do with her life? She may decide she wants to be a writer, and be immensely creative as she grows. She may have a particular fancy for math and science, and wish to become an engineer.

What achievements will she accomplish? Maybe she'll earn an award for her ability to play an instrument in a talent show at a young age. Maybe she'll earn the Nobel Prize her peace by running an organization designed to stop wars and aid those in need?

All of this flashes through her mother's mind as she listens to the cries of her daughter.

Assignment 20- Elizabeth Salamanca

God has granted me a gift: I am nearly always sick in some form or fashion. Therefore, I can only miss school when I am absolutely contagious and am a danger to my fellow students. Somedays, however, when I feel terrible because of any one of my issues (hypoglycemia, migographia, dyslexia, etc.), I must feign an illness to avoid school. As I've grown, I've become incredibly convincing.

1. Start the night before— if you have a feeling that tomorrow will not be your day, make sure to "go to sleep" earlier than normal and remind your parents that you feel sick.

2. Use makeup, if you can—I apply a base coat to my face in my mom's shade to appear paler than normal (if that's possible) and use concealer on my lips to really look sick.

3. If things get really desperate— put some water in your mouth, stand over the toilet, and let it all spill out loudly. Then immediately flush and go to your parents.

Use these tips wisely.

Assignment 19- Reagan Smith

I guess you could say this is advice, but it was actually a quote that I heard from Max Lucado that was something like this, “If you are leading an orchestra, you have to be willing to turn your back to the audience.” This is essentially saying that the conductor of the orchestra must be focused on what they are doing, not what everyone else thinks. This is valuable insight, because there are sometimes where we are leading that we need to seek the input of others and consider their thoughts and ideas. On the other hand, like in an orchestra, there are some situations where you are the sole leader and people are only looking to you for advice and guidance, so you have to be willing to fulfill your responsibility. So whatever the orchestra might be in my life, Student Council, SBDM, or leading middle school students at Church, I need to know that if I’m seeking approval from God first, that I can’t worry about what others think.

Assignment 18- Reagan Smith

High School- To make the best of every day that we have left. As of today, February 11^th, we have 64 school days left in our junior year, with another 183 in our senior year, for a total of 247 school days left of high school. That is unbelievable. I want to work on long term projects over time, not just right before they are due. I want to have a balance of school sponsored events- sports and social activities and academics.

College- Start college strong and end even stronger. Regardless of what I choose, I want to major in something that is interesting, manageable, and sets me up for the next step, whether its graduate school or straight into a career.

Life- To live a Christ centered life to its fullest. In all I do, I need to seek God first and my wants second. With that being said, my personal goal is to get married and have a family.

Assignment 17- Reagan Smith

I watched Friday Night Lights. This movie is centered around a high school football team that clearly has their ups and downs, with an interesting ending. This movie encapsulates multiple conflicts with a complex plot line that keeps the audience well engaged. While the majority of the plot is centered around the successes and failures of the football team, the side plots include a player with an alcoholic dad as well as another player that has to make tough decisions about his morals and ethics. The director, Peter Berg uses a variety of camera shots that capture the action at just the right moments, with varying levels of audio that can sometimes be beneficial, and others annoying. The audio situation may be an intentional choice, or a result of an older movie that is not up to today’s standards with audio balancing. This was a minor issue, and many may not notice. Overall, it was a well-developed movie that deviated from typical “sports movies”.

Assignment 19 - Haley Drake

I'm gonna be honest and go ahead and say I can't think of an incredible piece of advice that's stuck with me for more than a few minutes. I'm sure someone's given me good advice at some point, but as of now nothing's really coming to me. So I'll just talk about some advice that was given to me pretty recently. About a minute ago my mom told me, "Maybe you shouldn't leave things off 'til the last possible minute. Then you wouldn't be so stressed out." And yeah, she's totally right. If I wrote this blog post weeks ago - when it was assigned - I wouldn't be having to do it now, at 8:45 pm Sunday night. Will this advice change my life, and cause me to completely change my ways? Probably not. But it was a nice thought and maybe if people keep telling me that, I'll actually stop procrastinating someday. Then I wouldn't be so stressed out...

Assignment 17 - Haley Drake

I know I'm not the first one to say La La Land is good, but I gotta say it. La La Land was an amazing movie and I'm really glad I finally went to see it. The vivid, dream-like imagery and romantic story really pulled together to make something beautiful that I'm sure a lot of people are going to love for a very long time. Even though it was one of my favorite movies of the year, I don't think I'm qualified to say whether or not it should win Best Picture over all the other amazing movies nominated this year. What I can say though is this movie 100% deserves the Oscar for its enchanting music score. The music had a classic, romantic theme about it, reminiscent of not only jazz but older musical theater as well. Throughout the film I was enthralled by the use of a live orchestra and band (something you don't always see in modern movies). I've listened to soundtracks for the other films nominated, and while Moonlight comes pretty close in terms of innovative orchestration, I'm honestly rooting for La La Land!

Assignment 19- Logan Gehefer

The one piece of life advice that has stuck with me throughout my whole life is to always show respect. Throughout my life I have gained more friends and more respect simply by showing more respect to others. Being respectful has helped me land jobs, raises, and help from random people I didn't even know. Also, it simply creates a more positive effect on your life as people tend to view you as a better person and will do more to help you out or enhance the quality of your day. If everyone showed respect I believe the world would be a much better place as people generally feel good about themselves when someone is a quality person to them. Hearing " hey how are you doing" is much more pleasant than receiving cold blank stares. Acknowledgement causes people to feel wanted and usually receives a positive reaction from the person you acknowledged. Someone can be having a terrible day but you turned that frown upside down by simply being a friendly and enjoyable person. All I know is this has furthered my life experience and has definitely created  a better and more quality life for me.

Assignment 18- Logan Gehefer

1. The number one thing I want to do before i finish high school is get accepted into a good college. Basically the only reason I put forth so much effort and place so much stress on myself through tough times is for the motive of getting into a good school. Most other things in my life are very minuscule at this point and likely will mean nothing to me in a few years.
2. Number one item on my bucket list before I finish college is to succeed with high honors from a good field of study. I want to be able to get an incredible job and help provide for my family so I plan on trying to get into the best subject and field I can that will provide me with high paying job positions that could make life easier for me.
3. The number one thing I want to do before I die is see the world. I would like to travel and see the beauties in many different countries. I'm not a good swimmer but I've seen many a photo of beautiful scenic lakes in random areas from Instagram posts in attempts to be artsy. The world is gorgeous and I feel as though it deserves more appreciation.

Assignment 17- Logan Gehefer

1. The two movies I chose to review are two of my favorite movies by potentially my favorite director. Se7en and Fight Club are two outstanding films directed by David Fincher. Both films take a look at the madness of one's mind. Se7en does it through a serial killer while Fight Club's main character is just a psycho who doesn't realize he is truly Tyler Durden. Both star Brad Pitt, an excellent actor for Fincher's style of movie. While Se7en is more of a serious and slightly traumatizing thriller, Fight Club is somewhat a comedy that leaves you thinking "what the hell just happened?" Fincher has a great direction style and creates a great tension build up in both movies that creates a brutal moment you had no idea was coming. Both also use a somewhat depressing mood, as it rains a lot in both movies and they both make you question life. As these are two of my favorite movies, I couldn't tell you which I like better. I can simply say they are both masterpieces.

Assignment 19 - Ethan MacGillivray

I think that the most important piece of advice that I have ever received in my life came from one of my soccer coaches when i was in elementary school. I'm obviously not the tallest guy, but I'm an average height today. In elementary school and middle school though, and even freshman year, I was really short. My soccer coach when i was about ten years old told me not to listen to anyone that told me that I couldn't do something because of my height. I heeded that advice, and I never let that stop me, and I never used it as an excuse. I still played sports, especially soccer, at a high level, and developed a tenacity that many shorter people have. I'm actually very grateful for that experience, and it has given me an almost permanent chip on my shoulder that I use to my advantage in everything I do, in sports, school, and all other aspects of life.

Assignment 18 - Ethan MacGillivray

The number one thing on my bucket list for before i finish high school is to go on a trip, preferably senior year, with all of my friends. I figure that since the Academy, especially my group of friends, is pretty tight knit, and a senior trip on one of our breaks would cap of my high school experience with them perfectly. Lots of times, you don't see your high school friends a lot after college starts, other than occasionally on breaks, and almost never after college. This trip would be a great experience for everyone involved, and would bring us all even closer together.

The number one thing on my college bucket list is to play soccer, and win a championship in whatever conference we play in, and play in the NCAA tournament. I obviously still have work to do in high school to even sign to a college team, but I know that I can go to a good school, and play for a good team. I would really love to have one season to remember for the rest of my life, where we won our conference/division, giving us a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. That tournament experience would also be so good for how close the team is, and for my memories of soccer, especially that in college.

The number one thing on my bucket list before I die is to maintain good relationships with my family, and my eventual spouse's family. I think that keeping in touch, and not having division between families or within families is very important to the success of the couple. I really don't want to ever have to go through a divorce in my life, so I want to ward off those possibilities as much as possible.

Assignment 19- Gus Carlson

   When I was volunteering with my church over the summer before the tenth grade in Charlotte, NC, I ended up working on a team that built a ramp for this old man(I'll call him Pete) who was wheelchair bound. Pete lived by himself, and most of his family had passed away. One day, while I was went inside his house to ask for tweezers to remove my friend's splinter, Pete approached me and asked if I wanted to talk with him. I was confused, but I accepted because I figured he didn't get to talk with many people. I gave the tweezers to my friend and sat down with Pete. He told me much of his life story, most of which I will not relay due to its length. Suffice it to say that he had suffered a great deal of loss and pain in his life, from the accident that bound him to his wheelchair to the loss of his family. One thing he said though, I will always remember: "It doesn't matter what the world does to us, but it does matter what we do to the world." This message of optimism and hope from this man who had no source for such hope inspired me. To this day I try not to focus too much on the negative. I try to have a positive impact on people's lives. I will always remember Pete and his words of wisdom.

Assignment 18- Gus Carlson

   Before I finish high school, I would like to finish a list of classic books that I have made and keep adding to. Most of these books are incredible, but there are a lot and I keep adding more. This goal might be unrealistic but I want to at least get close.
   After high school, most of my goals involve travel. Before I finish college, I would like to visit at least three countries outside of North America. I've always wanted to travel around the world, and foreign study programs in college can probably help me achieve this goal.
    Before I die, I want to visit all 7 continents and all 50 states. Then I could truly say I had traveled far. Seeing all of these places would improve my world view and widen my horizons. If I can accomplish all of these goals, I will have seen a lot and accomplished a lot with my life, and I will be happy.

Assignment 17 - Ethan MacGillivray

I recently went to see La La Land in theaters. I was skeptical about the movie at first, since I'm not usually into anything with music, singing, or dancing, but I was eventually convinced to give it a chance, since it has Emma Stone in it, and more importantly, Ryan Gosling. The first scene of the entire movie was during a traffic jam, and everyone got out of their cars, and started singing and dancing, and I thought, "Oh god, this is gonna be awful." But as the movie wore on, it got better and better, and I even enjoyed the jazz music. The plot was very interesting and unpredictable, and the setting, a place called "La La Land" was a very unique place that held many secrets. As the movie was over two hours long, I became very invested in the plot and the outcome for the characters, as I was supposed to, and wasn't happy at all with the ending. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that the ending was not what I expected from a movie like that, and I was genuinely angry when it was over. I would rate it a solid 8.5 or 9 out of 10.

Assignment 19 - Claire Thompson

Artist Teresita Fernandez, in a talk at a university, said, "Contrary to popular belief, moving to Bushwick, Brooklyn this summer does not make you an artist. If in order to this you have to share a space with five roommates and wait tables, you will probably not make much art." That has always stuck with me. In the talk, she gives 10 pieces of advice to aspiring artists, and starts the whole thing by giving that line above. I think that that sets the tone for the whole talk, and changed my view on being an artist all together. I read a transcript of those 10 pieces of advice while I was staying in Pittsburgh with my aunt, and I can't express enough how perfectly me reading that advice fell in line with my life at the time. The day I read that, I had visited the Andy Warhol Museum, a place that--and I mean this completely--fundamentally changed who I was as a person and how I viewed the future. Andy Warhol, as I learned at this museum, started out as kid from a poor family, and didn't go to art school. He only started getting his footing as an artist by doing drawings and paintings for advertisements. He got a reputation as being an incredibly hard working person, for when he was commissioned to do an advertisement, he would come back the next day with huge piles of work he did for the ad. And as he became more successful and self-sufficient, he also garnered quite a lot of celebrity. And the most important thing I think to remember about Warhol's story is that he started as a kid with no money in a steel town that certainly had no big art scene, but Warhol made one. I think that learning about Warhol's life, and how it coincided with hearing Teresita Fernandez's advice has impacted me in an incredible way. As long as I always have enough courage to be an artist, I want to remember that I don't have to be in NYC to do it; I just have to have the passion to do it.

Assignment 18 - Claire Thompson

I don't have a bucket list, and, to be quite frank, I don't want one. I do things as I wish. I want to live as freely as I can, untethered from my own inhibition. Sure there are things in my life that I want to do, but the idea of a bucket list scares: the possibility of dying without all of the boxes checked leaves me feeling empty, unfulfilled, and upset. I don't want to judge my own worth based on a catalog of things that I have crossed off a list or not. Of course I want to ride an elephant, travel the world, and find true love! But I don't want to write it down, or bind myself in any way to the abstract concept of a bucket list.
I guess if I do have a bucket list, all it says is to do things that make me happy, stand up for what I believe in, and live as freely as I can. And I can check that box as many times as I want. My favorite French cliche is not "carpe diem," but "c'est la vie."
I want to be a boundless river, the infinite desert sky, the tiniest speck of dust that flies in the wind, uncaring and unbothered by the whole ordeal. A gull is not upset when the sea breeze carries it along the coastline, largely conforming and bending to the wind's will. A dog is not upset to live for the ones it loves, almost completely selflessly. Fish are not upset at the Gulf Stream. Whales are not upset by arctic waters. Thus, I am not upset by the constant flow of life or time or inevitability. And I want to continue that way.
(That sounds fake deep, sorry about that.)

Assignment 17 - Claire Thompson

Review of Moonlight

If this movie doesn't win Best Picture over La La Land, I'm seriously going to be so upset. It is absolutely one of the most emotionally beautiful and visually breath-taking movies I have seen in a long time. I saw it with a few friends in the theater, and when it was over, none of us said anything, we just sat there staring at the credits even after the lights went up and most people had gotten out of their seats. I broke the awestruck silence by saying, "That was so good! That was so f*cking good!" in a hushed whisper. We were all speechless. I didn't know what to say other than make random exclamations of praise. And I still don't know what to say about this movie to give it the praise and credit it deserves! I ask just about everyone I know if they've seen Moonlight, because everyone DOES need to see it. It does just want film has largely always meant to do: tell stories that we cannot experience personally, and make us understand a world that we do not live in.
The movie is about a boy growing up in a rough neighborhood in Miami, and about how he dealt with being black and gay in a world that didn't want him to be. The movie is in three parts: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, following our protagonist, Chiron, as he grows up being bullied, beaten, and abused, but ultimately finding peace and love. The colors in the movie are beautiful, and carry so much of the symbolic weight of the movie. They represent him as he matures, finds love, and deals with his emotions. Chiron, through each chapter, steps closer and closer to being the person he was meant to be. And, most importantly, tells this narrative through the lens of real life: the ups and downs, the people who change us, the losses, the pain, the grief, the hardship, and the joy in a way that is relatable and applicable to everyone.

Assignment 17- Gus Carlson

  I recently got the opportunity to watch Bryan Singer's The Usual Suspects.  Overall, this movie was great and I would highly recommend it. The casting is surprisingly effective, as the actors seem to match their characters. Kevin Spacey and Gabriel Byrne especially stand out.  Occasionally, during the middle of the film, the story felt a little confusing, convoluted, and slow, but it slowly draws you in. The complications compel you to pay attention, and by the end all can be forgiven.  The film works excellently as a composite piece that builds up to one of the greatest film endings ever. I had to re-watch the movie the next day to catch all the things I missed the first time, and it possibly got even better the second time around. The major problems are the complicated and sometimes unnecessary plot points, but their negative effect is diminished next to the conclusion.

Assignment 17- Ella Jensen

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/id/934964895/rating/771418254

Assignment 19- Ella Jensen

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to “put it in perspective and enjoy every moment”. As a anxious person I can fuss over one single thing or one decision for hours on end and every time my mom sees me with my worry face on, she tells me to put it in perspective. It only takes a second to actually think about and once I do, every time I feel more calm and accepting of what happened. For example, with grades I will freak out over a 89 versus a 92 and in the long run, it couldn’t matter less. Right now it may seem like the biggest deal but life will go on and if I think about my goals further down the line and one grade in the scheme of things, it is most definitely not as big of a deal as I think it is. Once I have calmed down from whatever the latest drama is, I can finally experience and enjoy every moment because it will only come once.

Assignment 18- Ella Jensen

1)   get into college

2)   senior prank

3)   music festival

High school #1- get into college.

There is lots of other fun and stereotypical things that I could put on my bucket list like playing a high school prank, senior skip day, maybe finally being content with a b (?), but as a junior in high school all I can think about is college. If I can just get decent scholarships and go to one of my reaches then I think I would just start crying.

1)   get involved in community

2)   study abroad

3)   be in a sorority

College #1- make a difference in the community/study abroad

Wherever I do end up for college, I want to get as involved as possible to make a difference. I could just continue to volunteer like I do now or maybe get involved with volunteer missions abroad or join organizations that create service projects for the area. I will also campaign the hell out of the 2020 election like my life depends on it, because it kinda does. This past summer I went to Europe for a month and I would be perfectly content to leave and never come back.

1)   hike the Appalachian trial with my dad

2)   learn a new language

3)   do a triathalon

Life #1- Travel

Like studying abroad, I want to visit everywhere I can to get new experiences and shape my views.

Assignment 21: Right Now

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe...you tell me.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, February 26th at 11:59 pm

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

Assignment 19 - Erin Caudill

The best - and most cliche - piece of advice I've ever gotten is to not let other peoples' opinions of me affect what I think of myself. I'm naturally a very self-conscious person, and for a really long time everything I did was dictated by how other people would react to what I was doing. I would act a certain way around certain people, and I'd be absolutely miserable. If someone likes being around you when you're being someone you aren't, life gets pretty miserable. Eventually I realized that it's better to be as socially awkward and laugh as loud as you want at dumb jokes that everyone else hates if it makes you happy than to do something that makes you miserable. It's some pretty solid advice even though it seems pretty straightforward. However, if you're a psychopath maybe you shouldn't follow that advice because that wouldn't end too great for the rest of us.

Assignment 18 - Erin Caudill

High School:
- Get an A on a Physics test (ahhhhhhhhhhh)
- Stop procrastinating on every assignment
- Stop being scared of asking teachers for help
- Pass all my AP tests
- Start consistently going to club meetings

College:
- Actually socialize with people you don't know
- Get over fear of public speaking
- Stay organized
- Actually edit essays
- Take classes you actually enjoy

Life:
- Travel outside of the country
- See Niagara Falls
- Go to all 50 states
- Ride all the Disney monorails
- Visit all Disney parks
- Move to California
- Buy a really cool car
- Go to all the continents (minus Antarctica...)

1. Pass all my AP test
2. Get over fear of public speaking
3. Travel outside of the country

Assignment 17 - Erin Caudill

Christopher Nolan movies are always some of my favorite movies, and The Prestige is definitely not an exception to that. While most people might be reluctant to follow through with watching the entire film due to it's confusing plot, I find every second riveting. It allows you to think through things yourself and you never know what exactly is going to happen next. Sure, it's a movie about magic and most people don't even give magic tricks a chance, but this movie has such a complicated plot that anyone can forget that the tricks presented in this movie are entirely possible. Christopher Nolan manages to keep crucial plot points a secret until the last few minutes, which leaves the audience wondering at the end if ever plot hole was filled in within those last few minutes. My only complaint is that I can't watch it again without knowing the ending and being mind blown over and over.

Assignment 20-Elizabeth Ueland

Other than strikingly good looks, God blessed me with the ability to craft music playlists. Although much of my music taste stems from my elder siblings and cousins, I do possess an affinity for making playlists on Spotify. The first step to making a kick a*% playlist is figuring out the name and style. Whether it’s alternative, rock, soul, rap, classical, reggae, or a blend of genres, the style is the most important. After you have a style the name is the next step-a lame name entails a lame playlist. Sometimes if my creative juices are stagnant I just search for random phobias online. My personal favorite is sesquipedalophobia, the fear of long words. After the style and name, the first four songs are critical in this stage of making a playlist. These are the covers that appear on the playlist title and provide the only aesthetic portion of the playlist. Finally, the rest of the songs are up to you, however, it is forbidden to go over 45 songs unless it is a throwback playlist. If you follow these steps then you have , as the kids would say, a “dank” playlist.