The Final (Official) Post

The year has flown by so quickly!!  

I’m very sad that this is the last blog.  I’ve had a great time writing these, and I didn’t notice, until recently, that I do enjoy writing these.  At the beginning of the year, blogs were a great stress to me.  I felt like I had to be impressive and sound like a professional writer.  As the year has progressed, though, I started to lose my anxiety, and these blogs became a great way to express my thoughts and feelings about things in my life.  Then, the best part was having people comment on them.  It always brought a certain amount of excitement to feel that someone actually took the time to read it and respond.

Even though I’ve never talked to some of the people in this class, I still feel like I’ve gotten to know them.  If this had been a real class, in school, instead of just online, it would’ve been amazing.  This class includes so many different personalities, and it would’ve been great to spend more time with the people.  

Finally, I’d just like to thank Mr. T for taking the time to do this!!  He’s been the best, and even though I’m still disappointed that I didn’t have him for English, I was glad I got him through this class.  I’ve learned a lot from him, from reading his blogs to doing his fun and exciting tutorials.

Well, I’m so sad that I won’t see many of you next year, but, anyways, have a happy life!!
  
PS- Congrats to Hailee on getting the award for this!!!!

Post-Nationals

Nationals was such an amazing experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish that everyone could be able to go because it’s so much fun.  This year, it was at Indiana University.  Getting there was very enjoyable, and I thought it was cool to see a part of the country that I had never seen before.  The university itself was very beautiful.  Everywhere you looked, you could see giant groups of tress.  These trees were so tall, and so green, and so lovely!  

The competition was great, too.  My team placed 18th (out of 60 schools), which is the second best Fairfield has ever done.  Last year, we placed 31, so we made a great improvement this year.  In my events, I really well, though I was disappointed that I did not get a medal.  My best event was experimental design.  My partners and I received 11th place.  One of my favorite parts of the trip was being with so many wonderful people.  I really began to love my team, and I’m going to miss them, when I move on next year.  We all became better friends, and everyone had a good time.  

While I was there, I went and saw practice runs at the Indy 500.  It was very cool.  I have never really gotten into NASCAR, but I can now understand why people enjoy it so much.  The track was amazing and really big, but the best part was the cars flying by.  These cars can sustain speeds of over 220 mph.  Going this fast makes them really loud, to the point that you can feel them going by.

I’m so glad that I was able to participate on the Science Olympiad team this year.  It was a great experience, especially the culminating event, Nationals.  

Nationals

Hurray!  I am leaving for my national trip in less than twelve hours.  I feel obligated to be writing this, though, because I doubt we will be home before midnight, on Sunday, and also because there is no way that I’m going to want to write it then.

I participate on the Science Olympiad team, and I love it!!  It’s a great experience.  It takes a lot of hard work, throughout the year, but, in the end, it pays off.  At the state competition, I won four gold medals (one in each of my events).  My team also won state, and now we get to go to Nationals.  Nationals is in Bloomington, Indiana, this year.  My team gets to fly out tomorrow morning, and I can’t wait to go.  It is always fun because, not only do I get to compete and interact with others from all of the states, but I also get to be with my friends while I do it.  In the past, I have not done as well I hoped.  In seventh grade, I was sixth place in an orienteering event.  Sadly, though, it was only a trial event, and I didn’t get a medal (at nationals, the top six places get one).  In other years, the best I have done is fifteenth.  My goal this year to get any medal.  I honestly don’t care what it is, as long as I get one.  I know that sounds kind of bad, but I’ve been working really hard and studying a lot.   We’ll see how it goes.  

Well, I’d better get back to packing….

Wish me (I guess, us) luck!!!!!!!!!  

Would you cross it???!

I love to play soccer.  It is my favorite sport, and I really enjoy playing on my team.  During games, I love to be forward.  In soccer, the forwards are the ones who take the ball up the field and score goals.  It is a very exhilarating experience, when a goal is scored, but it doesn’t happen very often.  I generally feel like I could score many more if people would just pass it to me.  The idea, when trying to score a goal, is take it to the outside and then cross (pass) it into the middle.  By having a player take the ball towards the edge of the field, it makes the goalie turn and scoot in that direction.  It also draws the defenders to the side.  I am generally the center forward and many times I have felt frustrated because they wouldn’t kick it in to me.  The concept seems so simple.  I am wide open.  If they even kicked it in my general direction, I could get it, but this rarely (to never) happens.  After a game, I often wonder why.

I believe the first reason that they don’t get it to me is because they get themselves into trouble.  By having defenders follow them to the sides, they now have people to deal with.  Ideally, the other forward should center it immediately, but they often figure that if they just dribble for a second more or go farther to the side, they will be able to get the “perfect” pass.  Often they lose the ball because of this hesitation.

Another reason that they don’t pass it is because they believe they are better and could make a goal more easily.  They don’t realize that by making a simple pass to me, I would be able to kick it in, without having interference from anyone (since no one ever bothers to guard me and the goalie is facing in the opposite direction).

Well, that’s all I have to say about that for now!  

Mother's Day

Have you ever taken the time to think of all the work that a mother does?  As I’ve thought about it, I can’t believe the things that my mom, from cooking meals, to doing laundry, to keeping the house in the shape, or to reading to my younger siblings.  Some people don’t think that staying at home is a suitable career, but, in my opinion, it is the most worthy of anything a woman can do.  So much is accomplished in the home and so many problems would be solved if more people took time to be their family and if more moms took a greater interest in their child.

My family always takes Mother’s Day very seriously.  We try to do everything for my mom, and, as we worked willingly, we all had a great time.  My mom took a nap and stayed in her room while my father and the rest of my family made dinner.  We laughed as we tried to make strawberries and cream for her (we tried to put a sliced strawberry on, for garnish, but it didn’t go nearly as well as we had hoped), and we all had a great time peeling potatoes and setting the table.  The reason we found it so enjoyable was because we were working together, to achieve a common goal.  It had an even better payoff to see my mom smile and be pleased.  That’s one of the best parts of serving others: the reward and feeling of self-satisfaction.  

A Different Kind of Hero (My Poetry Contest Entry)

When most people think of heroes,
They think of all the great things achieved.
Whether mountains were moved or great records set,
These things are easily believed.
But there are different heroes,
Not so obvious to the eye.
That we may each pass daily
As we hurriedly go by.
These people that are heroes can really be anyone,
From a good friend or a teacher, or a mother, a sister, a son.
These people don’t slay dragons, or sail across the sea.
They may just be a good example and treat everyone equally.
Heroes might leave kind notes to be found on a pillow late at night,
Or they teach everyone around them how to choose the right.
That kind of person becomes a hero, through actions everyday.
They slowly find a place in someone’s heart,
And then they’re there to stay.
These kinds of heroes did not become a hero deliberately.
They just lived their lives and didn’t know that they were being watched so earnestly.
To be a hero you don’t have to be the best looking on the block.
Or be the most athletic, always able to make the shot.
You just have to live your life the best way that you can,
You could really be an influence to some other boy, or friend, or man.
So when you think of heroes, do not be so quick to judge by looks
Or whether or not the hero cam out of storybooks.
Look at the people around you, and just try to see what they do.
You may find that while you’re looking, that people are watching you!

Flowers

Last Saturday, I decided that I wanted to plant flowers all around my house. To accomplish this, I weeded a couple of flowerbeds and got everything ready. My parents then agreed to my plan, and we bought five flats of flowers, which equal about 250 individual flowers. We started to plant them on Saturday, but then it got dark and we didn’t have enough time to finish. I watered the ones I had done, and then I went inside.

On Monday, we began to plant them again. I checked on the flowers that had been planted, and, to my absolute horror, they looked wilted and there were white spots on some of the leaves. I was very sad. I ran to ask my mom if she knew what the problem was. She laughed and unconcernedly said, “It’s a shock to be planted.” My mom then quieted my fears by telling me that they would be fine, and they just needed more time to adjust. I’m happy to report that they’re now looking great, but this comment has really made me think.

The phrase, “it’s a shock to be planted,” has gone through my brain many times. Not only does it apply to flowers, but also to us in our lives. In any new situation we encounter, we have to learn how to deal with the “shock.” This can be from big things to something as simple as being asked to come up to the board and answer questions. This can stretch someone (especially if they aren’t 100% sure with their answer). If the situation is handled well, a person can learn from it, even if they do make a mistake. It is better that this person took the opportunity, and failed, than to never have tried at all. This, once again, is perfectly personified in the flowers. In a greenhouse, a plant is perfectly sheltered. It sits in its small pot, which gives it plenty of room, next to people who are similar to it. The plant receives water at the same time every day and is never too cold or hot. When a flower is finally planted, I would imagine if feels slighted. How dare these people make it do something that it doesn’t want to do! Yet, if the flower were allowed to stay in its pot, it would eventually wither and die because it would have no way to get bigger and better. Planting it gives the flower this opportunity to improve itself.

In our lives we must also do this. Be willing to leave the protected shell that you live in!! Talk to different people. Try new things. At the time, it may seem like a bad idea, or it may appear that no good has been done, but slowly and steadily it allows us to become better and to grow up. Try to remember this as we start high school because you’d hate to be one of those sad adults who never learned these very basic skills.