What's Your Obsession?

Shoes

            Have you ever counted how many shoes you have in your closet? Or how many types of shoes you have? I did because I was so bored today and I have found that I have an obsession with shoes.

            I have three pairs of soccer shoes, two pairs of basketball shoes, I have five different pairs of dance shoes for my different types of classes, I have two snow boots, and not to mention how many street shoes I have because it is over 20! I even found water shoes in my closet and I have no Idea where those came from. After looking at how many street shoes I have, I sat down and thought about why I have so many. I figured out that I love to have clean shoes and the more shoes I have the less often I wear each pair individually that way they don’t wear out as quickly. I also found that I have shoes to match everything. I love to match my shoes with all of my attire because I think it looks classy!

            There is nothing wrong with an obsession as long as you remain in control of it. That way you don’t go in the hole. In my case I don’t have to worry because although I have all of these street shoes the most I have spent on a pair was $89, and that was pushing it. Rarely will you ever see me spend one hundred dollars for a pair of shoes because I find shoes for fifty dollars all of the time. So why not get two shoes for the price of one, is my theory.

            If you have an obsession that is okay. Just make sure you are the one in control and set limits for yourself. Whether it be; your max price you spend on something or limiting the amount of items you buy per year. (320)

When Do You Do Your Homework?

When Do You Do Your Homework?

            Is doing homework early in the morning before school easier and more beneficial than staying up till 1 A.M. to finish and then go to bed? I honestly do not have a preference because depending on the day I will do whatever best fits my schedule cooperatively.

            I believe the mind thinks you get more sleep if you stay up late to finish your homework because that way you don’t have to set you alarm as early to get up the next morning and you feel like you get more sleep that way. Most will argue and say that you get the same amount of sleep either way. But your mind is a weird and unique thing. You can play many games to trick your mind into thinking differently.

            Some may argue that they would never even think of doing their homework in the morning before school because they would feel rushed and they would panic because they feel as if they won’t finish in time. Plus with all of the pressure of trying to finish in a limited amount of time before school begins, you quality of work may not be at its best.

            Doing your homework in the morning does give you the chance to go to bed at an earlier time, that way you get a good night sleep. For some people doing homework in the morning works better for them because they like to go to sleep early instead of staying up late to do homework. That way in the morning you are refreshed and are able to wake up early to do all of your homework.

            The downfall of waiting to do your homework in the morning is what if your alarm doesn’t go off and you over sleep. Now what? Do you rush to copy your best friend’s homework? No because cheating is wrong. Do you ask mom to call you out of first and second hour so you have time to do your homework? Maybe, I know a lot of students who take this route, but it’s sad that their parents let them do it time after time. It’s like how is your child ever going to learn responsibility! Or do you face the fact that you didn’t do your homework and show up for class empty handed? Yes you should, because that is what you deserved. If you don’t make time for your homework why should the grade book act as if you did! (418)

Twinning

The Benefits of being a Twin

            Do you know any twins? Do they act the same or totally opposite? Are they identical or fraternal? I know a lot of twins, some are fraternal and some are identical but I have found that either way they all have something unique and different about them.

            I have a set of twins on my club soccer team that are both really close to me. Of course I can tell the difference between Kattie and Meghan, but many others can’t. For example my mom still cannot tell the difference between them because she doesn’t talk to them up close a lot. It is pretty sad actually because I have been playing soccer with them for about four years now. The method my mom uses to help her try to determine the difference between them is, she has to say their jersey number along with their name and I can’t help but laugh. My mom is consistently saying Kattie 21 and Meghan 22, and she still can’t get it right. I told Meghan and Kattie about my moms’ method and how it isn’t working extremely well and they were on the floor dying of laughter.

            I know twins that finish each other’s sentences, do the same sports, have the same friends and are with each other almost one hundred percent of the time. But I also know twins that look nothing alike, one is a little bit rounder than the other, one is a total geek and the other is an all around athlete, one has a ton of friends and the other has maybe one or two, but they get along extremely well and are good friends themselves. My point being it doesn’t matter how different the twins are or how much alike they are, they will still have that special connection between them that makes them closer than the average brother and sister.

            I have always wondered if twins split up the homework they have every night or if they have a crush on the same person, what do they do? If I was a twin I would make sure I had all the same classes as him or her, not necessarily the same class periods as them but the same classes. That way we could do every project together and work around our schedules that are a lot similar than a friend that lives across town, so we can manage our time more wisely. I would also split the homework load up each night, that way we can get to bed a lot sooner and get all of our homework done. It would also be nice to have someone at home that can help you with a subject you don’t understand and you can have a mini study session before tests and final exams. That would be very beneficial to have. Having a crush on the same person may get a little tricky, because you never want a girl or boy to get between you and your siblings. So as of now I don’t know the answer to my question but maybe I will ask some of the twins I know if they have ever been stuck in a similar situation and what they did to solve it. (546)

Teen Dating Violence

Teen Dating Violence

Question: Why do the film producers use this statistic in the documentary Miss Representation?

            Like I have stated in an earlier post we have been watching sections of a documentary in class called Miss Representation. During the video a statistic came up that said roughly twenty-five percent of girls will experience teen dating violence. On this website, it describes teen dating violence as physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional violence within a dating relationship. Why did they decide to use this statistic? Hopefully this post will show you evidence to find the answer to this question.

            Teen dating violence has really been beginning at a very young age according to this website. Says that teen dating violence begins to occur at the age of eleven and ends roughly around age seventeen. This is extremely sad to see that before you actually are a teen, you can be involved with teen dating violence. To be honest, in my opinion, seeing eleven year olds’s dating is just nonsense! Something to prevent, or at least cut down on teen violence, can be parents not letting their kids “date” before they are a certain age.

            The producers in the film believe teen violence is a problem and needs to be stopped. This is the reason why teen violence showed up in the film in the first place, to show the viewers that teen violence is a problem that needs to be stopped.

            I think the violence has become a bigger problem due to kids watching shows that are above their maturity level and they think it is okay for them to do things that they have seen on the television. Teen violence may be occurring due to how a boys’ father abuses his mother and the boy may think it’s okay for him to treat girls that way too, because he wants to be just like his dad. (316)

Smart Phone Probs

Smart Phone Probs

                Do you think IPhones are a bad thing for teens to have? I would agree that they can be in some cases. I think they are a big distraction especially in school. I would agree that over fifty percent of high school students would do one hundred percent better in school if they didn't have smart phones. Yes, people text during class but it isn't as big as a deal as smart phones. Smart phones have million of different applications, also known as distractions.

            I can even say so myself that I text every day in every class for a good amount of time at school. I do know it is taking away from my learning but as soon as I feel my phone buzz I feel that I have to look at it. I’m not a bad student but I know I could be better if I didn't bring my phone to school. Even knowing this will I ever leave my phone at home, no, no I won’t. I am not one of those kids that can’t live without their phone it’s just that I like to text people when I get bored and I like to play games on my smart phone at lunch. I have been trying to hold back on texting lately and so far I am doing a lot better in class and my focus has been better. Yet I still text during classes and play games, that is my choice.

            Not only have smart phones become a distraction in the classroom they have also been a problem in the family house. All over the world kids are getting smart phones at a younger age each year and are getting in more and more trouble. Some children loose all respect for the ones around them when this device is in their hands. When you are at the dinner table you are supposed to be talking to the ones around you, not playing games on your phone. When you are at a fast food place it is so disrespectful for you to be on the phone while ordering, paying and receiving your food that you have purchased. Don’t be that disrespectful person.

            Smart phones are supposed to be for emergencies. If you get lost you can pull up the GPS on your phone to get you back on track to where you are safe. More and more people are beginning to feel that it is necessary to waste your battery on games and the internet doing nothing, than it is to save a little battery that could possibly save your life.

            Smart Phones are good though because they can keep you occupied if you are alone or if you are bored. You can watch Netflix on them and surf the web and like every phone, communicate with friends. They are also helpful in an awkward situation when you are at a friends’ house and their parents are yelling at them and you are sitting there like oh my goodness this is so awkward. Instead of just sitting there all red, you can pull out your phone and play a game or at least pretend like you are doing something so you feel like the situation just got that less awkward. (547)

               

                

Ice Storm

Ice Storm

            I really wish this huge ice storm would have hit a little bit harder and one day later! That way school would have been cancelled and I could have hung out with my friends and have a movie day. But instead I was stuck in my house all day today and bored out of my mind. I went on the KCRG website to find out more about the roads and this is what I found.

            It was so bad out on the roads that I only saw two cars drive on my rode today and one of the cars was my dad coming home from work. It’s not like I don’t live on a busy rode either, because I do. While sitting in my living room I heard the fire trucks two different times and the police car three times. That is way more than usual considering I hardly ever here a police car around my neighborhood or a police car. I was kind of curious as to what was happening that so much help was needed, but at the same time I didn’t know if I wanted to know.

            When I woke up early this morning to let my dogs out, I opened the door and my dogs’ immediately ran the other way. They were so scared because they hate being out in the rain. When I tried to let them out a few hours later they went out and I had never laughed so hard! My dogs were trying to run on ice and they were flying all over the place! The thing that made it funnier was that my dogs didn’t want to come in and they stayed outside for ten minutes. The only thing they were doing war running back in forth on my patio and sliding all over the place. They looked like they were doing it on purpose and they looked like they were having a lot of fun. I guess what makes this funny is the fact that neither one of my dogs are hurt and they had a great time in terrible weather.

            All this rain and freezing ice is killing my yard. Especially with having dogs in my home it is very muddy everywhere. The whole yard is pure mud and it is beginning to create a huge mess. I just wish that we could have a normal winter for once instead of having to deal with all of the pains this crappie freezing rain is giving us. (419)

Women in the Media

Women in the Media

            Over the past couple days in class we have been talking about how women have been portrayed in the media and how it affects teenagers and young adults. We have been watching part of a video called Miss Representation that did a good job showing how the way women in the media look, and how they are compared to real life women and how it affects teenagers today. After watching some of the video I found a couple different claims. Do I agree with the claims? Yes and no.

            One clip that was shown in the video was this women that was expecting a baby girl and how all she was saying was that she doesn’t want her daughter to turn out how teenage girls are now a days. Thought this section of the video a lot of ethos and pathos was being shown. Pathos was being shown because of all of the emotion in the video and she was trying to make her audience, (the people watching the video), feel bad for her. Ethos was used by trying to make herself look good. She had mentioned that she felt as if she needed to act as two daughters because her sister had died at a young age. But I’m sorry how does that have anything to do with her not wanting her unborn daughter being like teenagers today?

            I totally agree with clip showing how the majority of girls aren’t happy with their body, which is sad. So many people get bullied and picked on because they are overweight. It just makes me sick seeing people making fun of kids that don’t have the perfect body. But honestly what is the perfect body? I bet if you ask boys what they think a perfect body is, they will say big boobs and a huge ass. But I guarantee if you ask a girl they will not say that. Most girls are unhappy with their body not because of what other girls say about them but what other boys say. Most girls get jealous and may make a few comments here and there but boys are just straight up rude! They will yell down the hallway unnecessary comments and will make the whole foyer look at you because he drew that much attention to you by being super loud and obnoxious. Girls out there that haven’t seen this video need to take the time to watch it because no matter what other people say or think, you are truly perfect just the way you are. (429) 

Iowa Womens Basketball

Iowa vs. Purdue

            Today, January 20, 2013 my basketball team and I attended the Iowa Women Basketball game at Carver Hawkeye Arena. When we found out we were going to the game we all got super excited! We found out we were going last week, so the week felt super long and we couldn’t wait for Sunday to come!

            When I woke up this morning at 9:00 A.M. I didn’t know what to do for the next five hours before we were going to leave to head to Iowa City. The first thing I did was texted Madi Meier! I sent her a long message that basically had no meaning and was a bunch of jibberish. She told me how she was laughing so hard and how she could not wait to get ready and leave for the game. While I managed to do some homework before leaving for the game I almost forgot to get ready! I was freaking out because I was running late but I still managed to leave with my dad on time as planned.

            When we arrived at Carver we couldn’t find a place to park, it was crazy! We had to park so far away that I froze the whole way to the doors and managed to defrost in time for the game. Right off the bat the Hawkeyes were on fire and they couldn’t be stopped. At half time the score was 41-18, Hawkeyes.

            Ever since Madi and I were little we always came to a couple of Iowa Women’s games a season. And every game when there are three minutes left in the first half we run as fast as we can up the steps in the arena to beat to ice cream rush. By the time we get to the stand the line is piling behind us as we try to order as we are heaping for air. When we get out gynormus cones of ice cream we lick them so they don’t melt all over our hands before we get back to our seats.

            Today at half time was a great surprise! They brought out all the old women basketball player from back when I was in fifth grade. I knew every single one of them because when I was little I always went to the Iowa basketball camps in the summer. My mouth dropped when they introduced them and zoomed up on them with the jumbo tron! They all look so different, I was amazed! That definitely made my day seeing all these girls and how much your life truly does change after college and how much you grow up.

            When the second half began the Hawkeyes looked sluggish. They let Purdue right back in the game. Luckily we were able to pull it out and win the game. Another exciting event took place tonight because we won; this win was Head Coach Lisa Bluters’ 600 career win! The held a mini ceremony after the final buzzer, it was pretty cool.

            When my dad and I headed up to leave we had forgotten what entrance we had come in at. We kind of began to panic because we didn’t want to be walking around out in the cold, but we took a guess and we guessed right! Before we knew it we were defrosting in my dad’s truck headed home after a day’s fun! (565)

Crazy Weather in Iowa

Crazy Weather in Iowa

            Oh my gosh! Weather in Iowa is seriously crazy! Just yesterday I was wearing shorts and a light jacket because it was almost sixty degrees! And today it was maybe ten degrees! I woke up this morning and went to my cousins’ basketball game and as I was about to leave my mom told me to go change because I thought it was going to be as nice as it was yesterday but apparently I was wrong. I went back in my room and got my winter coat and put pants on and I was still cold walking out side to my car.

            After my cousins’ game my mom and I went to the store. We were maybe in there five minutes and when we came back out it was snowing! Holy cow, what is this? First it’s warm enough to be wearing shorts and then I need pants and now it is snowing! All of this happened within twelve hours, call me crazy but that is just not right. Now what am I supposed to expect for tomorrow? Is it going to be hot? Is it going to be below zero? Am I going to need an umbrella? Who really knows, I guess I will just have to wait and find out in the morning. (220)

Guns at School

Should Teachers’ be able to have a Gun in their Possession at School?

            I do not believe it is necessary for teachers to have guns at school. Honestly school is a safe place, and I think most students and parents would say so too. Otherwise if they didn’t, I’m sure way more kids would become home schooled.

            Think about it, where would the teacher keep the gun? Would it be a distraction? What happens if a student goes crazy and ends up with the gun in his hand? All of these questions have theoretically great points. Because what would you do as a student or a teacher if a student took the gun from your possession and threatened people with it? Things could end up being pretty nasty and scary. Even if the kids know the gun is put away safe in the filing cabinet drawer, some kids may become very paranoid and may feel very uncomfortable knowing such an item is in the same room as them.

            At the following website, http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-teachers-have-weapons-in-their-classrooms-to-protect-students you can find a pull as to why teachers should or should not have a gun in the classroom and the reasoning behind it. On this website 29 percent of the people said yes it is a good idea to have a weapon in the classroom and the remaining 71 percent said absolutely not! Something I found myself reading over and over again for the people that disagree with having a gun in the classroom was that how often is there a school shooting or break in? Granted Sandy Hook school down in New Town was just broken into and shots were fired and innocent souls recently doesn’t mean this happens multiple times a year. Yes there are cases where if we would have made it a law to allow teachers to carry a gun this horrible tragedy may not have occurred, but you can’t just look at it that way. We can’t go back and try to make laws to stop things like shootings in schools because if you try to stop something that happened somewhere else, it may have just started up something new in your own community… (363)

Winter is Winding Down and Spring is Beginning to Show

Winter is Winding Down and Spring is Beginning to Show

            It’s just about that time of year again, when the weather turns cool and the flowers begin to bloom. Not only do people begin to build up their gardens again but for others it is the greatest season of all, soccer season. Last year couldn't have been more exciting for the Womens’ Soccer team here at Kennedy. Winning the 5A State Title was more than anyone could have dreamt! Now is the time when we have to start the process all over again from a clean slate.

            Pre season is where it all begins. It is the time when you have to accept the fact that last year’s seniors are gone and aren't coming back. You have to welcome the new freshman and others that are new to the Varsity team so you can start out on the right foot. The only way you are going to as strong as you were last year is if you begin team bonding and early team workouts in the pre season.

            As much as people don’t believe that you don’t need to have team chemistry in order to be good, well they are wrong. Without team chemistry you have no team work and without team work you can’t when a game. Soccer is a team sport not an individual sport therefore you need to have team work throughout your team. It is a proven fact that the better and more you get along with your teammates off the field the better you play on the field. Another key thing is to have minimal gossip in the team that way there are no clicks and zero drama issues. Because we all know with girls especially, it can get nasty.

            With winter ending, we soccer players begin to get intense and maybe even a little nervous. We begin to start eating more carbohydrates and we go on a no pop diet. There will be some weeks where I will look back at a weeks’ time span to find that all I have eaten was pasta and subway with either Gatorade or water to drink. If you are wondering if we soccer players ever get sick of eating subway four times a week, than the answer is yes. But we know that subway is a light meal compared to a hot dog or a fast foods place that is fried and contains a lot of fat.

            As Spring Break inches closer and closer it gets harder and harder to imagine that it is this time of the year again. The time where you put all your time towards the sport you love the most, to earn each and every one of your teammates respect so you can have a great outcome just like the season before. (470)

Reading the Newspaper

Reading the Newspaper

            My mom always used to get the paper until I was about three and then she discontinued the issues because she never had time to read it anymore. I have been begging her since was a freshman in high school to start getting the paper again because I was on varsity and I wanted to be able to read about my team. Finally she ordered the paper again, now that I am a junior. She told me that since we are getting the paper I have to read it and so far I have been. I take it to school just about every day and read it in my least favorite class. Not to mention names or anything, but Espanol isn't very interesting to me.

            Ever since I have started reading the paper I have found myself more up to date on things happening around me. Before I barely knew things that were happening in my town! Before you knew it I was talking with people about how milk my cost eight dollars by the end of the week, or how minimum wage is soon to be eight dollars or higher! Reading the paper has really increased my knowledge and the articles are quite interesting actually.

            Just like any other teen, the first section I go to is the Sport section, referred to as 1B. I get so excited after a Friday night high school game to see if my school made the paper, and if we are lucky to see if we have pictures of us playing! Nothing is more exciting than waking up bright and early to open up to the sports section to see you giant face playing the game you love!

            For me to actually read the paper and pay attention to the articles I read and to look through the ads, it takes me a good hour and a half. This is good because on Saturday and Sunday mornings instead of me watching television for a couple hours, I spend that time reading the paper. I have found myself enjoying my weekend mornings a lot more and I have found myself being more educated. I enjoy reading the Newspaper and I think every =one should, even if it’s only the sport section. Just so you can spend less time glued to the television and learn more about the community of which you are a part of. (404)