S2: Memorable Moments

I think that it is safe to say that our Online Publishing class has made many memorable moments throughout the school year. One memorable moment that I’m sure we will always remember is casual Fridays. On these days, if we chose to or not, we could bring in different foods for an office party. Luckily, we had Amber who would remember to bring food in for us. And then there was Emily. Let’s just say that she was a bit more forgetful than Amber. Another memorable moment was when Mike was on editor probation. No matter what he did, he was on that list, until April 1. Everyone knows that April 1 is April Fool’s day, jokes are a big thing on this day. Well Mike getting taken off of editor probation was Mr. Currin’s joke to him. Funny, huh? Another memorable moment was from the beginning of the year, between Mr. Currin and Tara. The phone rang, and apparently Mr. MacCowan needed to talk to Tara. When she went to the office, she claims that Mrs. Lorenzi looked at her like she was crazy because Mr. MacCowan wasn’t even in his office. The joke was shared with the class as soon as Tara walked out of the room, so we were all laughing while waiting her to come back, embarrassed. I’ll always remember our April Fool’s article too. I think that our topics were all really fun and interesting. We all made sure we had fun with it. There is one last thing that I am sure every student who has ever taken this class will remember whenever this class is thought of. Whenever Mr. Currin walks into the room and when he gives us the que to start working, what are his two famous lines? BEST CLASS EVER! and I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I’M RUNNING A NEWSPAPER HERE!

S1: To Make Online Publishing A Better Class

In all honesty, I don’t know if there is much to do as to making Online Publishing a better course. I think it is an easy course for any student. You don’t have to be the best writer for this course, which I really like. The deadlines are always really easy to meet. You are given two weeks to write three to five and an article which are all three hundred words. Three hundred words may seem like a lot to write about, especially if it is a blog topic that you aren’t so passionate about. It is so much easier than it may seem. It is extremely easy to go over the word minimum, whether is be by fifty words or a couple extra hundred words. Even with up to 1800 words to be typed every two weeks along with a fifty word item of interest, you are never crunched for time. Personally, I find it easier to do my work for this class on google docs, so I am able to access it wherever I may be. I think that’d be cool to make google docs a requirement so that if a student is absent, they won’t have a problem working on this class from home, especially if a blog or article is already started. I like that this class used Wikispaces to communicate with each other and you as our teacher. It means a lot more to our age group to digitally talk to a teacher rather than talk to them face to face since that is the generation we were raised in. I truly don’t think there is anything to do that would make this class better. I found it a fun class to take while still having a decent amount of work. The only changes that I would make to this class are miniscule changes such as using google docs.

R1: The End Of The Year

I think that the best part about school coming to an end is the nice weather. The weather is also a negative because I know that I would much rather be spending the time outside than inside a scorching hot school. My attention is usually drawn to the windows instead of the paper that is placed in front of me. I like being able to wear shorts and flip flops during this time too. I also love how lenient teachers are towards the end of the school year. Classes become more laid back, especially in the classes that do not have a state regents exam. They are able to talk more freely and bring in outside stories to the topic they are teaching about. When teachers relate current events, I find it more interesting and easier to learn. The best part about this specific school year coming to an end is the fact that I will be graduating. It’s a rather scary thought, but it is also very exciting. These halls have been all I have known for the past four years, but now we are moving on to bigger things. We also With school coming to an end, we no longer have to wake up at crazy hours in the morning to come into school and sit in a class. We can stay up late, until all hours of the night, and then wake up in the afternoon if we prefer. And even better, we get to spend almost every weekend of the summer at a grad party for one of our friends. I think the best part about the school year coming to an end is the anticipation of summer, even though we anticipate a break since the second week of the school year. While it may be the best feeling to anticipate the arrival of summer, it is also the worst part about the end of the school year because we know we are in school when we would rather be outdoors.

R3: Get Real Mr. Currin

Well, it’s safe to say that Mr. Currin really is a big deal. Anyone should be honored to be in his presence, let alone a class of his. Okay, now let’s be serious. I wouldn’t say he is a big deal, but I do know that many students enjoy being around him. Personally, I enjoy having him as a teacher. He is always so lively and greets the class when he walks in. As long as you are getting your work done, he will make the class fun. If all yourk gets done by the given deadline, then he won’t be too strict on you. Around the school, his face appears anywhere you look. His most famous pictures appear in a calendar that is located in the bulletin board near the main office. But don’t get me wrong, the pictures aren’t hanging because he is a big deal. They are only hanging around the school because Mrs. Gramza enjoys making fun of him. The calendar was created by Mr. Currin himself, as a gift to Mrs. Gramza but now it is being used against him. Having her as a teacher makes you realize more and more how little of a deal Mr. Currin is. He likes to think he is such a big deal in the English department but part of Mrs. Gramza’s curriculum is teaching you how he is the exact opposite. He thinks so highly of himself, that’s why the real big deal in this school is Mrs. Gramza, or as she likes to refer to herself as, Queen Gramza. I mean, how can someone who is so afraid of clowns be such a big deal? Clowns are there to make you happy, but Mr. Currin would rather be in the corner doing the exact opposite, crying. Get real, there is no way Mr. Currin is a big deal!

R2: What I Love Writing About

There isn’t really anything that I particularly love writing about. I really enjoyed this class because I was able to write about nearly anything. Some topics are more difficult to write about than others, it all just depends on how passionate you are about a topic. One thing that I find rather easy to write about is sports. I know a lot about different sports like football and baseball but the number one sport that I know I am capable of writing the most about is hockey, especially the Sabres. For a girl, I know the sport as much as I know the back of my own hand. I am well aware of the terms that come along with it also. It’s easy for me to write about things that I know a lot about. I am very into current events so it is easy for me to talk or write about it. I also enjoy being creative and writing fiction pieces. I think it is difficult to start writing one but once you get going, so many ideas start to flow and it is hard to keep up with the ideas your brain is giving you and the movement of your pen on the paper. When it came to writing for the Bulldog, I tried to pick topics for myself that were easy to write about, like prom and graduation. But with it being easy to write about, I had to be sure to draw the interest of the reader into my article and keep their attention so they wouldn’t get bored. It was easy for me to write about these topics because I can easily relate to them or get information about them for the readers. For prom, I was there, along with other members of the class, so I was able to get different viewpoints on what they thought of prom.

S3: I Am Very...

I am very happy that I chose to take online publishing this year. It wasn’t put into my schedule into school actually started and I took the last spot in the class. To anyone who is sceptical about taking this class, I definitely tell them to take it even if you aren’t the best writer. I really like that every two weeks, we were able to express ourselves through blogs and be able to reach out the district as a whole with the articles we write. The blogs have a wide range of topics, so there is a blog that will strike everyone’s interest. And then when it comes to the articles, you are able to write about nearly anything, as long as it relates to Alden in some way, shape or form. I wasn’t in this class until the first day of school when I dropped pre-calc to be in it. I’m very thankful for the switch because even though you are given a decent amount of work in this class, you can get it done anywhere. Even if you are sick, you are able to access all the class work through WikiSpaces. And I like the amount of work that we are given. It is easy to get in all done within the time limit we are given. The amount of work that we have every two weeks is very doable. In all honestly, I think everyone should have a class with Mr. Currin as the teacher. He is very fun and enjoyable. He is a laid back teacher but only when you get your work done by the given deadline. I’m going to miss this class once college starts because I know that no matter what classes I’m in, they will not be as relaxed and fun as this one has been.

Q5: High School's End

I’m starting to fear the end of my senior year. The end is closing in faster than I imagined it would. It’s scary to think that in just a few short days, I will be taking my last seat in the classrooms and my last walk through the hallways of Alden High School. As stressful as it may be in the school, especially with all the drama that occurs, it’s easy to see the school as a safety zone because we are with the same people we have been going to school with since primary school. Once we all walk on to our college campus for the first day, we will be seeing nearly a hundred new faces that day. It’s also scary to think that in high school, we have the teachers here to “hold our hands” and make sure we get in our work on time. They guide us down the path that is best for us. Once we walk out the doors for the last time with a diploma in our hands, we are students of the college or university that we will be attending in the fall. The professors that honestly don’t care if we miss class or any work because it means nothing to them. We can choose to be lazy if we want, which I know is going to be tempting, but we are more independent at this time. Our future career will now be in our hands and it is up to us if we make it a reality or not. But as my time as another student comes to an end, I am realizing I just need to take deep breath and prepare myself for the real world outside of high school. I know that my talents will go far beyond the walls of this school, which is what everyone needs to realize as they leave this school for the last time.

Q4: MY Pop Culture Icon

When I think of the term “pop culture icon,” I think of someone who had a major entrance to Hollywood along with a huge exit from it. Between their entrance and exit, they need to do something drastic that always puts them in the spotlight. Someone that I look up to and is a pop culture icon is none other than Marilyn Monroe. The appeared in Hollywood when she was young. She was always seen modeling and appearing in films. She was married several times. In her later career, she starred in two amazing films, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Some Like it Hot.” Even at the time of “Some Like it Hot,” her career was starting to fall apart. She became hard to work with and wasn’t able to remember her lines; she became a real diva. Her slip out of Hollywood? Death. She was found dead in her home at the young age of 36 from a drug overdose. It may seem like she wasn’t much to look up to, especially at the end of her career. One reason that I see her as an icon is because of her true beauty. She was a pretty face and more. If you were to look at any pictures of her, you can clearly see that she is not stick thin like most other models or actresses during this time period. She had curves and wasn’t afraid of working with them. Not being the skinny little figure really makes me look up to her because she was able to make in the show business despite being difference. She shows young girls, even now, that you don’t need to be stick thin.

Q1: Beach Days

Now that warm weather is upon us and summer is near, the beaches are finally going to be opening up! Most beaches open for the season over Memorial Day weekend. I really enjoy spending a lot of my time at the local beaches over the summer, me and my sister make a whole day trip out of it. We will always leave early in the morning, making a stop for breakfast. It is a long drive to get there, about an hour, which is why we leave so early. The car is packed with everything we could possibly need, drinks and food for lunch, beach towels, tanning lotion and sunglasses. Once we arrive, we instantly find the perfect spot before everyone else starts piling in. With our towels laid out and our tanning lotion applied, we just lay there for hours, rarely stepping foot in the water. I love spending time at the beach and out in the sun. The worst part about the beach is how crowded it gets. Obviously, you don’t want to go on a day that is cloudy and raining. It’s impossible to not be on top of everyone on a nice day because of how crowded it gets, especially with Sunset being a well known beach in the area. Even worse, screaming children. I see the beach as a place to just sit back and relaxingly enjoy myself. It’s hard to do that when there are kids running around screaming with no parental supervision. Even though I spend the entire day just sitting around, being in the sun is rather tiring. By the end of the day I am completely drained from soaking up the sun. But I know I can always look back on the days that I spend on the beach and know it is all worth it. 

Q3: Life Lessons In Novels

It is hard to choose the best book that I have ever read in an English class, I think it’s tied between two. Sophmore year in Mr. Edward’s english class we read To Kill A Mockingbird. I don’t really know what I liked about this book so much. I think that it taught the readers so much without them even realizing it. The main thing I was able to take from the story was acceptance of others, and not to judge people. During the trial, Atticus was looked down upon for defending a black man during a trial. Even though they lost the trial in the end, it taught Jem and Scout that Tom Robinson wasn’t much different than they were. The only major difference was his skin color, which is something that people should not be treated differently because of. Jem and Scout also learned to accept Boo Radley. The learned not to listen to the rumors that people were saying about him and instead, learn for themselves who he really is. The other book that I read in an English class was Tuesdays With Morrie. I read it in my senior English class and she made it the last novel we read in hopes that it would touch our hearts and leave us more open minded as we graduate high school soon. It teaches you the importance of really living your life. Even when Morrie was on his deathbed, he tried making the best of life and passed his messages, or aphorisms, to his former student Mitch. What touched me even more about this novel is that it is a true story. The aphorisms that Morrie mentioned along with all the interviews with Nightline host Ted Koppel were real, not just something made up to patch up any open areas in Mitch Albom’s novel.

Q2: Summer Plans

It feels as if I had so many plans for this summer, but the closer we come to summer, it feels as if not many of them will follow through. My sister is constantly reminding me that this is the shortest summer of my life since I end school in June then start right back up in August, so I intend on making the most of this summer. My best friend will be attending college in Chicago, so we have so many plans for the summer. We are kicking off the summer by going to the Kiss the Summer Hello concert on June 2. We are both really looking forward to seeing artists Carly Rae Jepsen and Sammy Adams. Later on in the summer, we are also going to the Hot Chelle Rae concert that is at the Erie County Fair. I will be attending a ton of country concerts over the summer with my sister. At Darien Lake, we’ll be seeing Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. Concerts are not my only plans for this summer. Before going back to school, my sisters and I plan on taking a couple day trip to Virginia to go to Busch Gardens since we never get to do anything as sisters. I will try to spend as much time as possible at the beach too. I love spending time laying around in the sun and in the water. Even though I plan on keeping myself busy with concerts, vacations and day trips to the beach, I know that my summer will consist of a lot of working. Without my job, I would never be able to afford any plans I make for the summer. I will most likely be spending more of my time working than I will enjoying myself.

P5: 90s Music Recap

Lately, I’ve been reliving a bit of my childhood that I am extremely excited about. While scrolling through the Pandora stations on my phone, I came across a 90s pop station. I decided to take a listen, since that’s when I was really little, a child. As I listened, different artists such as Britney Spears, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and N*Sync started playing. I made me reminisce the times that my biggest worry was if I would be able to tie my shoes or not today. Since then, I’ve been drawn to the music on this station. It’s also making me realize how much music has changed since then when in reality, it’s only been just over ten years. Back then, the music seemed so light and carefree. Rarely would you hear an artist say any type of swear word or sing about the things that are sung about now. Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys were only seeing about the problems with love. Now everyone is using every swear word you could possibly think about. Being in love turned into making love. I always remember telling my mom that I’d be listening to these artists for awhile, as if they’d never leave the music scene. I can look back on that and laugh too. Artists are ‘hot’ for a short time. Britney Spears keeps popping up every so often, but whenever she’s in the tabloids, it’s about her latest slip up. She has changed so much, from being so innocent to someone that our generation can look down upon and laugh. I continue listening to her for who she was then, an amazing artist that many little kids looked up to.

P4: Prom Follow Up

As a follow up to last week’s prom blog, I’m excited to say that the day is finally here! With less than twenty four hours until the final preparations begin, prom is starting to become an extremely stressful and expensive event! Anyone who goes in a limo knows that everything with the limo is NOT a piece of cake. There is always drama between those in the limo or what the limo is doing after prom. The limo that I’m in had these exact problems. Being our catty selves, all girls from the limo bickered about every minor and major detail about the limo. We eventually all realized that this is our senior prom, the last big thing other than graduation in which we will all be together. We are all seated at a table together at Salvatore’s so despite the differences we had about the limo, we needed to all compromise on something because our whole night will be spent together. After the limo comes the tux, which I was not happy with either. My dress is a bright yellow, I’m not exactly sure what Tuxedo Junction was thinking when they ordered my date the WRONG color vest. They must’ve thought I was wearing green that night. Along with this problem came waiting in line behind at least ten other students who also had problems. Several trips to Tuxedo Junction later, the problem was fixed. Then finally, there is hair and nails. Every girl gets them done for the big night. Except the prices that I’ll be paying are a bit higher than expected. After thinking about it, I realized that this is the last time that I have to purchase a prom dress or go get my nails or hair done for a high school event. So I realized that you can’t put much of a price tag on any of it!

P3: Teacher Evaluations

I understand that teachers need to be evaluated, but in my opinion, the tests are being taken a little too far. I don’t think that teachers should be evaluated on the tests that their students take. Some students are better learners than others, so how should that affect how good or bad a teacher is? A teacher should be evaluated on the improvement of his or her students. I also disagree with the rankings being released to the public. I understand that parents would like to know how the teachers that are in control of their children during the day are ranking, but they can know by their children’s grades by looking at the report cards. By seeing these rankings, they are practically asking to see how the other students are doing. Teachers are under enough stress being watched by administrators to begin with. Why add the stress to present their findings to the entire public? I think that the each teacher should be presented with the findings of administrators, and be told what they need to improve on or what they did improve on. Teachers also shouldn’t be losing their job over what the student’s capabilities. The students can also choose not to perform well, so why should their teachers job or ranking in a school be based upon those who would rather slack off? If I were a teacher, I wouldn’t want my evaluations being shared with the public. I don’t think it is fair to them at all.

P2: Blog Accomplishment Comparison

It’s crazy to look back on older blogs and see how much I have approved on my writing skills. Back in the first group of blogs, we wrote about what we planned on accomplishing this school year. One thing I wanted to accomplish this year was graduating. I’m not quite there yet, there are still a couple months of school left. Without a doubt, I will be walking across the stage at the end of June. I also wanted to stay on track with my school work. Being a senior, the last thing you want to be doing is homework. I am constantly getting into moods where I slack off on my work a little, then make sure I am able to pull myself together and work as hard as possible to make sure my grades do not slip. In all my classes, I am doing more than just “getting by” with a 65, which is something I hoped to accomplish. I also wished to accomplish high grades in the classes that I am taking for college credits. This year I will be receiving 13 college credits, which is practically a whole college semester. In those classes, I’ve been able to keep my grades up, even receiving a 100 in one of them on a report card. It’s important for these grades to be exceptionally high because if they grades are not good, the money that I invested in them will go to waste and they will either start my college transcript off with bad grades or not even count at all. Lastly, I was planning on doing track this spring, which I wanted to achieve my fastest time in the mile. I made the choice to not do track because I have a job and that was a bigger priority to me.

P1: Too Much Television

Compared to a few years ago, I do not watch television all that often. There are certain shows that I watch regularly, like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Teen Mom and Ridiculousness, but other than that, I am not glued to my tv. It also depends on the season for how much television I watch. During hockey season, I watch all the Sabres games. Even if they don’t make the playoffs, I follow as many games as I possibly can. On the weekends, I rarely spend any time watch tv unless it is at night before I go to bed. I have for the most part lost interest in watching tv because a huge majority of the shows that are now being put out have extremely stupid concepts. Throughout our house, there are two tvs. One is located in the living room for the entire family. This one is used more often. The other is located in the basement but is mostly used to watch hockey games or to play games on the Wii. I most certainly believe that there are much more negatives associated with the television, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any positives. Like most technology now a days, it can be very educational. There are various news channels. There are also channels that are made specifically to educate young kids. These positives are definitely overpowered by negatives though. Technology, such as the television, is why the obesity rate is so high in our country. People have become extremely reliant. Teenagers would rather sit on their behind playing a video game than spend it outside communicating with their friends face to face. I don’t think that tvs should be removed from houses, but they shouldn’t be placed in every single room. They are being extremely overused, and kids need to understand that a box projecting color is not the only form of entertainment.

O4: My Mother Is...

At one point, my mom was what seemed to be my worst enemy. Being a new teenager, it’s as if your life is full of struggles and the one who was always there for you, your mother, has now switched sides. With my mom, I felt like it was easy to lie to her so I could get away with everything I could possibly want. At the time, lying didn’t seem too bad; the consequences would come later so I should just live for the moment. Once you get passed those early teenage years, your views change. Now, my mother is no longer my worst enemy. She is turned into more of a best friend. I’m glad that I’ve grown up and realized that all that she is trying to do is help me succeed later on in life. I have learned that my lies are no longer necessary. If I tell her the truth, I know that I have her trust and respect. I know it probably isn’t easy for her to be raising three girls. And with me being the last of us all, I’m sure she’s exhausted with the hard work we have all brought upon her. Now that I have my mom’s trust and respect, it’s easier for me to go out and do things. I know that she won’t be worrying about what I’m doing or who I’m with. I can assume that my lies brought a lot of stress upon her. It’s now easy for me to be open with her and tell her things that are going on in my life. Also, I can now understand that she was my age at one point too. She isn’t all that much older than me, so she has gone through everything I’m going to so she understands what it is all like. Despite any differences I’ve had with her in the past, I love my mother more than any person in the world.♥

O3: Prom Purchasing

My choice for this week is about prom. It is just right around the corner and has become a very stressful event. Being a senior, it has become a very expensive event for me. I purchased my dress four months ago already. I figured it would be better to buy it early because at this time, the dresses are cheaper since not many people are looking. I paid only a hundred for my dress from a store that only sells one of a kind dresses. Tickets are also an expensive item even though it should be expected. Not only am I paying for fancy evening, it involves a gorgeous dining, that provides you with an elegant dinner and a night of dancing. It may seem like a lot of money, but when you think about it, it’s worth the price. Being a girl, you feel the need to look your absolute best and outshine every other girl for just this one night. All that has been purchased so far was tickets and a dress. Now all that’s left is shoes, jewelry, hair, nails, and makeup. Sure, they all seem like small things but the price of it all will definitely add up. The prices of it all together could be well over a hundred dollars to say the least. With all the little pieces for the appearance put together and the tickets purchased, the last thing left is transportation. Most people like to arrive at prom in style, preferably a limo. From experience, I can tell you that the price for a limo isn’t gonna be cheap. When the night finally rolls around, most people are already exhausted will how much preparation was put towards it. But as the limo comes to a stop in the parking lot and you step out, I can promise you that all the money put towards it will definitely be worth it!

O2: College Plans

The statistics shared in this article are shocking, but I was always taught the importance of a college education. I understand that college is extremely expensive and students can be in debt from the loans they take out until they are married and with children. But after high school, I want to take a risk with the extraordinary amount of money to do something that I want to do in life. After high school, I plan on attending a community college because it is the same education at a cheaper price. By doing so, I’m starting out at a good pace by avoiding debt so soon. After my two years there, I plan on going to a private college, preferably Daemen. I’m going to a private school because the class sizes are smaller and it’s worth the price that I’ll be paying to get attention from the professor. I plan on majoring in human services and then minoring in political science. I chose human services as my main career path because I’d love to work with programs such as Kids Escaping Drugs to help those who are currently my age avoid all the pressures with drugs and alcohol that are being put on them. I would be able to do more than just work in a rehabilitation center since the term “human services” is very broad. As for political science, I was always told that if you don’t like something, you can’t just sit back and expect it to change; you need to take action. That’s why i would love to get involved in politics. I want to be able to voice my opinion and stand up for issues that I feel strongly about.

O1: Dick Clark

A recent news story that really caught my attention was the death of Dick Clark. He passed away at the age of 82 on the morning of April 18 from a heart attack. Clark was known as a an “ever-youthful” television host and producer. Clark was also called “the world’s oldest teenager.” Even after he suffered a stroke in 2004, he was still on the scene, ringing in the New Year in from Times Square. Due to this stroke, Clark was forced to sit back on the sidelines while Ryan Seacrest took over the main hosting position on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. After a year off, Clark was honored for still being there, even while his speaked was impaired.  Clark also became the founder of his own production company, supplying movies, games, music videos, beauty contests and much more for television. Among these productions were the $25,000 Pyramid and the American Music Awards. Over the years, Clark was also accredited with bringing major stars into the music scene, like Madonna and Buddy Holly. Dick Clark didn’t limit his talents just to the screen. He also wrote several books, including his self help book entitled “Looking Great, Staying Young.” Clark leaves behind three kids and his wife, Kari Wigton. When I heard about the news of his passing, it was sad but I wasn’t too surprised. I knew of his amazing career and contributions to the music scene. Seeing him on television on his New Year’s party ever year, it was apparent that he was struggling with talking and it was extremely sad to see it. His contributions were extraordinary to say the least, and I know for a fact that he will not be forgotten anytime soon. It just won’t be the same watching the ball drop every year without seeing his smiling face.

N1: Five Questions With Phil Bifulco

Recently, I received the privilege to sit down with our senior reporter Phil Bifulco. He describes himself as hard nosed, a good listener, and a hard worker. And for those of you who know him well enough, you’d all be able to tell that he is very outgoing. Phil plays both football and basketball. When asked who influenced him to do both of these sports, he replied by saying his father because he coached him along since he was about six or seven years old. With his final year of high school soon coming to an end, that seemed to be a hot topic during our interview. After graduation, he wants to pursue a career in sports management. He is currently planning on attending Genesee Community College, but says that it is bound to change. He would like to attend a Division 3 college, in hopes of playing basketball. His most memorable moment in high school was during the basketball season of his senior year when the varsity team that he was currently playing on beat Lackawanna in front of a home crowd. When I asked him where he sees himself two years down the road, he said he plans on being a family man, being married with children. He would like to own his own business, consulting and managing various athletes in different sports. It was a pleasure sitting down with our staff member. For those of you who aren’t familiar with him, it would be worth the time to get to know him!

N2: Spring

Many people have mixed emotions about Spring, but personally, I really like it. In the Winter, you are locked up inside with the weather being so cold. In Spring, the weather is starting to warm up. I love the Spring weather since my whole Winter is spent indoors, having the fresh air is amazing. With the warm weather comes the sweet singing from birds, blossoming flowers and beautiful colors appearing outdoors. Along with mother nature’s Spring beauty, the warmer weather allows me to put away the sweaters and boots and instead bring out the shorts and flip flops. I used to live in Florida so I hate having to be bundled up in layers of clothes, I’d much rather have the heat. When it is warmer out, I love to spend a majority of the time outdoors, enjoying the weather while we have it. Spring always makes me happy because you know that Easter is right around the corner. Even though I love Spring, there is one major flaw with the season. Even though I love the warmer weather, I see it as a bit of a tease. Like I said, I like to spend my time outside when the weather is nice, especially since it’s the break of the colder weather. Still being in school when the cold weather breaks, it kinda sucks having to be inside. I get distracted by the weather outside. I’d much rather be spending my time staring out the window rather than inside listening to a lecture. But knowing that the weather is starting to become nice outside makes me happy to know that the school year is coming to an end, and this year, it makes me happy to know that my high school years are coming to an end. Also, Spring is just before my favorite season, Summer!

N3: Present and Future Jobs

To me, it is important to have a job in high school. You learn how to have responsibilities at a young age and it starts to prepare you for the real world. I’m currently working at Tim Horton’s located in Alden. I’ve been training for the position since the end of November, then started at Alden at the end of December when it first opened. I don’t just have one position at work, I’m constantly running around doing a various array of jobs, like making food or coffee for the customers. I may be getting a second job at Jeanettie’s, the ice cream shop connected to Geoffano’s. The owners are family friends, and I’d only be working a few nights a week to earn a little extra money. I really like my job, so there isn’t a different place I’d rather work at. I enjoy the people I work with. I have tons of fun while I’m at work because everyone is so sociable. My manager works well to work with me when it comes to my schedule. As much as I love my job, it is not what I plan on doing for the rest of my life. After I graduate, I plan on pursuing a career in human services. Human services is a very broad major, so I’m not completely sure what I want to do with it. I have a couple ideas though. My first thought is to work in a rehabilitation center, like the Renaissance house. I’d like to do this because being in high school, I see many people getting involved with drugs and alcohol. In the Renaissance house, they work with teenagers who got addicted at a young age. I was also considering being an adoption agent since many of my family members have been in foster homes or have been adopted out.

N4: Jayvon Martin

Before reading the article about seventeen year old Trayvon Martin, I never even heard about him and what happened in the gated Florida community. Now, I’ve constantly been hearing about it on the news and radio stations. It’s been a month since the teen was murdered, and the police in Sanford have been keeping their mouths shut, not saying a word to the public. Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend at the time that he was walking home, and she heard all the cries and screams that were coming from her boyfriend as he was approached by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. The shooting may be a incident of racial profiling, since Zimmerman is being described by the police as a white male, but is said to be a Spanish-speaking minority by his family. Even after Martin’s girlfriend released the tapes of the phone call to police, no charges have been made against Zimmerman. This is because they have no evidence to contradict what he has said, that he shot Martin in self-defense. It’s hard to believe that Martin was shot in self-defense since the police found him unarmed. His cries were heard by three nearby witnesses, who all said that Martin was crying for help. Martin’s father was quoted saying “It’s heart-wrenching, because those actually were my son’s last words. And to hear his last words being cries for help, it’s devastating. It tears me apart as a father.” It was Zimmerman who called 911. In the call, it was apparent that Martin was screaming for help. Zimmerman’s family denies that race played a role in the shooting, saying he has many black friends and family members. A month after the shooting and no justice has been brought to Martin’s family, not even questioning of Zimmerman. Still, Martin’s family is looking for the justice they deserve.

M2: Distracted Driving Dangers

By the Overview of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Driver Distraction program, distracted is a subset of inattention, which means the drivers focus is on something other than the initial activity. This could also include fatigue and the physical and emotional condition of the driver. Since 2005, the number of car crashes have decreased by almost 10,000. The number of deaths in these accidents have also decreased by around 10,000 people. Out of the 30,979 car crashes that occurred in 2009, 16% of those accidents were due to distracted driving. Also, 16% of the deaths were due to distracted driving. The accidents that were caused by distracted driving were broken down even further, to age group and type of vehicle. Drivers between the ages of 20 and 29 were the most likely to be involved in the car accidents caused by distracted driving. Twenty one percent of these drivers got into accidents due to their distraction being disturbed by a cellular device. Drivers between the ages of 30 and 39 were most likely to get into a car accident while being distracted by a cell phone than any other age group. In 2009, there were over five million crashes, whether they were fatal, injury, or property damage only. Out of those five million crashes, nearly one million of them were due to distractions. In order for these numbers to drop, the driver distractions need to stop. Attributes to the distractions are coming from other passengers, by moving items in the car, talking or dialing on a cell phone, texting, or adjusting other devices in the car. The distractions are not limited to these few, they are nearly unlimited. A stand against distracted driving has begun in Western New York with WGRZ’s Pledge 2 Hang Up. Other drivers in the area have signed the pledge, now it’s up to you to do the same.

all statistics were gathered from http://www.distraction.gov/research/PDF-Files/Distracted-Driving-2009.pdf

M4: Bad Girls Don't Die

Author Katie Alender takes her readers on a paranormal adventure in her first novel Bad Girls Don’t Die. Outsider Alexis feels as if it’s nothing out of the ordinary for her younger sister Kasey to be obsessed with antique dolls. Out of the blue, everything starts to change. Kasey’s naturally blue eyes start appearing to be green, and she is speaking in an old-fashioned language. After shrugging the changes off her shoulder, more strange stuff started to occur. The break lines on their dad’s car got suspiciously got cut, causing him to get into an accident and be put in the hospital. When Alexis opened Kasey’s closet, she found the all the reports of her classmates in her bag. This really made Alexis realize that something strange was going on, since it was not like Kasey to steal. Things were really acting weird, and it was Alexis’ goal to figure out what it was. One of the people that Alexis hates the most, cheerleader Megan, starts to realize what she is going through. Megan tries explaining that she’s always been interested in paranormal activity and she that she wants to help Alexis figure out what is going on in her house. With Megan being a cheerleader, Alexis refused help from her. But as the problems got worse, she gave in. Sarah, the paranormal spirit in the house, exerts her force on the girls when they are in the house. With twists and turns with every turn of the page, Katie Alender grabs the attention of her readers and holds it in the book until the very end. Does this novel leave you craving for more of Alender’s paranormal pages? Then check out the other two books of the series, titled From Bad to Cursed and As Dead As It Gets.

M1: St. Patty's Day

Even though Buffalo has a huge Irish population, I am not one of those people. In my house, we don’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The only one who really does is my oldest sister Megan. Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, she feels the need to watch both of the Boondock Saints movies. For those of you who aren’t familiar with these movies, they are about two Irish brothers who accidentally kill members of the mafia. After turning themselves in,  they were released and said to be heroes. Then then say it as a calling from God to kill of the mafia members. As a detective sets out trying to catch the unknown assassins, he starts to realize that what they are going is a good thing. In the second movie, the twins, who live with their father in Ireland, were informed by their uncle that they were framed for killing a Christian priest in Boston. The twins are forced to return to the city, not to show their identity but instead to find out who framed them for the murder. Along with watching the movies, she always goes to the St. Patrick’s Day parade that occurs downtown the Sunday prior to the holiday. Last year, she even got a little stuffed dog, who is green. His name is Patty. Also in our house around St. Patrick’s Day, my mom makes an Irish dinner, corn beef and cabbage. I’m far from a fan of it, I think it’s rather disgusting. Even though I’m not Irish, the entire month of March is a month to celebrate the holiday. It’s one of my favorite months because spring is slowly appearing and it’s the only month that it is acceptable to wear green everyday and you don’t need a reason for it!

M3: Badminton Blow Up

The most embarrassing moment of my life was when I hit myself in the back of the head with a badminton racket. I was on a team with two of my friends and we were playing Katie Herter’s team. Our team was losing pretty bad, by twenty points to be exact. For those of you who don’t know, badminton is played to twenty one points. So now that we all now my team was on the verge of losing, let’s get the the embarrassing moment. I was really preparing myself for Katie’s serve, hoping that my team could actually get some points. I was just standing there, waiting, with a perfect stance. She served the birdie in my direction, you and best believe I hit it! Waiting for her team to rally it back, I was back in my perfect stance (it kinda looked like I was waiting to hit a baseball). As the birdie came back in my direction, I swung. I missed the birdie, but not the back of my head. Of course, I started cracking up along with mine and Katie’s teams. It didn’t hurt or anything, it was just very unexpected. Instead of finishing the game, we all sat there laughing. When we finally resumed our game, I thought that Katie had the birdie. I thought that not only did I hit myself, but I though I hid the birdie too. It turns out that I never hit the birdie. After everyone laughed at my very embarrassing moment, the game continued. I’m sure you all expected our team to not even score a single point, but don’t worry, we did! But we were far from winning. That’s why in a later gym class, my team came back to beat Katie’s team. She got a little too cocky, her skills turned against her.

L3: Furry Fears

There are two things that I fear greatly, one in which everyone will laugh at and the other that I’m probably not the only one have this fear. We’ll on a not so serious note, one of my biggest fear is squirrels. Sure, they are cute and fuzzy, but in dreams and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, those little things raise hell. When I was little, I used to love seeing them. Then years ago, I had a dream that I was by my grandma’s house in Cheektowaga, which is where I always saw them running from tree to tree. As I walked down the sidewalk, one appeared right in front of me, just staring at me. I bent down to pet him, when suddenly, he jumped and choked me. I understand that it is an absolute crazy fear (and that if you read this, you’ll probably share it with the whole class) but every since that dreams that occurred years ago, they’ve terrified me. My other fear is the after high school world. In high school, we have the teachers here, holding our hands and guiding us along to help us get through everything. When we miss something, they are always nagging to us to make sure we get it done. As annoying as the nagging can be, they are only doing it to help us. Once I graduate and am in college, the professors will not be there because it seems as if they could care less about their students. If I don’t have that little nudge from the teacher, I feel like I’m just setting myself up for failure. After graduation, I’m officially an adult and have no one there to hold my hand. I’m sure I’m not the only one who fears this, but one of the only ones who will admit to it.

L4: The Death of Jayson Porter

This week’s book consists of a very touching topic that everyone has at some point voiced their opinion on, child abuse. Jamie Adoff’s story The Death of Jayson Porter is about a city boy, living in the so called “ghetto.” He tries making everything better off for himself, by working weekends cleaning RVs and going to a nice school outside the slum side of the city. He doesn’t try to be a bad kid, but his mom’s alcoholism doesn’t see that. Night after night, she comes home drunk. What better of a target than a sixteen year old to take out any of her pain and anger? His only way of venting was to his best friend, who didn’t always have the time to listen because of his stripper girlfriend and their son. But then suddenly, his friend was gone; dead. Jayson was now stuck with his alcoholic and abusive mother and his crack head father. With no one to turn to, what are the options? He chooses the balcony and the concrete underneath it as his option. The process was a lot slower than he thought, but he was in the hospital bed much quicker than he thought. After all the pain he went through prior to the accident, you’d think his mom would be there right next to her son. Finally, it’s time for him to leave the hospital and guess who shows up? None other than Jayson’s mom! Of course, drama and trouble follows close behind. You’d think that him being physically impaired would leave his mom giving some support to him, not just being back to her usual self. At this point and time, Jayson’s life ironically starts to fall right into place. The unfortunate events that are constantly occurring in Jayson’s life are all pulled together in the end for a shocking and happy ending.

L3: What Makes You Angry?

There aren’t many things that get me angry, but this blog topic couldn’t have came at a more perfect time. I absolutely  hate two faced people, and there couldn’t be a better example of a two faced person than the kid trying to get autographs at the Sabre’s game on Valentine’s day. The worst thing to do around a huge Sabres fan is to put down every player on the team. Sure, they lose games, you can’t win them all. Not every player is gonna score with every slap shot taken. Problem number one, he bashed the whole team that he is at the game supporting in front of a huge fan. You don’t tell me that our back up goalie isn’t good enough and should go back to his own country to practice for a few more years. Not as if that made me mad enough, when our back up goalie Enroth pulls up to sign autographs, this kid told him how much he loved him and that he should be our starter. I may be a little girl, but I have a bug mouth and I’m not afraid to open it up to voice my opinion. And that is exactly what I did. I made sure he was well aware what he said about our backup goalie just a couple minutes prior to meeting him. Another not so serious thing that doesn’t necessarily make me mad, just more so irritates me a little bit is when people eat mashed potatoes with a fork. Ever since I was young, I’ve had to eat my mashed potatoes with a spoon. I don’t know why, but to me, forks and mashed potatoes do not go together. My mom knows how mad I get when she doesn’t put a spoon at my seat when we have mashed potatoes for dinner. Usually, she will put one out just for me.

L1: Superbowl Sunday!

This year on Superbowl Sunday was looking as if it was going to be a boring one. My boyfriend’s birthday always falls around Superbowl, so his family party is always the big game day. I was scheduled to work all day, which meant I was going to miss the party. Luckily, I wasn’t feeling good at work and got out early enough to make it to their house. All but one party goer were rooting for the New York Giants, due to our extreme hatred for Patriot’s quarterback, Tom Brady. I’m a Bills fan, but since they fell short of making the playoffs for the twelfth straight year, I put money towards football squares to give me an incentive to actually watch the game. I was definitely not interested in the halftime show since I wasn’t born in the 80s, so instead we did cake and presents for my boyfriend. Since we did cake first, we all grabbed our pizza and wings, then all piled onto the couch to watch the second half of the game. We were all glued to the TV, but mostly to see who won the money on the football squares. Towards the end of the game, the played NFL trivia with about twenty questions. The questions were about former players or some of the first Superbowl games. I helped to find the questions the day prior to the big game, so I remembered some of the well enough in order to win. My boyfriend’s mom gives prizes to the top two players, which happened to be me and my boyfriend’s sister, Renee. We each won a Superbowl t-shirt in a Superbowl mug. Just as we ended trivia, the final seconds of the game slowly ticked away to reveal the Giants as the winners, which we were all relieved about. No one can get away talking about Buffalo the way Tom Brady did and get rewarded for it.

K4: A Glimpse

Hot, sticky summer nights didn’t occur much in the nice hills of Colorado. The widowed Miss Newer was just getting used to the lonely house without her husband. All her kids moved away years ago so it was hard for her to manager such a large house on her own. With all the fans blowing, she drifted from the kitchen to the living room to sit back and relax. She started to drift off to sleep, so she decided to move herself into the bedroom. But first, she wanted to open up a few windows throughout the house to bring in some of the night time breeze. She zigzagged in and out of several bedrooms, bathrooms and hallways. Finally they were all opened so she went into the larger master bedroom at the end of the long hallway.  Despite the stickiness of the heat, she drifted into a deep sleep in what seemed like the snap of a finger. In the bedroom right next to hers, the one that used to belong to her youngest daughter Rose, the breeze was blowing the curtains right into the room. On the particular night, her dog got up to go into Rose’s bedroom and sleep in there. In the middle of the night, Miss Newer heard barking. It was unlike her dog to be barking like that, he was usually very quiet and calm. She walked into the room , which was quite a bit colder than hers. She walked up to the window to close it. When she turned around, she noticed a small white dove, just like the ones painted on the wall, sitting right on the dresser. At first, she was a little frightened, seeing as doves aren’t lively during the night. But then she caught a glimpse of its eye, just like eyes of her husband.

K3: The Big City

Brad had a simple life, living in a small town, in a small farm house with his parents. One day, his dad came home from work with big news for Brad. He got all excited, thinking his parents would buy  him a brother or sister to play with. He quickly found out this wasn’t the case. His father got a new job in a big city. An apartment building would be taking the place of their farm house. It took hours for them to get to their new destination, with a huge moving truck following behind their car. Once they got there, they were greeted by the doorman. Brad grabbed his small box of toys and walked into an elevator that he rode for what seemed like hours. As he stepped out of it, his mom walked him into their new home and then to his room. There was a huge window. He set down his toys and walked towards to window. Outside was a huge harbor with giant ships sailing. Buildings towered over the harbor. Brad wasn’t used to anything like this. Later that night, he wandered down to the lobby of the apartment building where he bumped into the same doorman that was there earlier. As Brad stared out the doors, the doorman could tell that Brad was in shock with the night time city lights. He decided to grab Brad by the hand and take him on a little personal tour. He waved to the security guard telling him he’d be back soon. Minutes later, they were standing on a bridge overlooking the harbor and the buildings surrounding it. Brad just stood there staring, amazed at how big it all was up close. He asked the doorman what all the buildings were for, and he responded by telling him they had a bunch of different purpose. Some were office buildings and others were apartments, just like the one he was living in. They stayed there for an hour longer, just looking, completely amazed. At this moment, Brad decided that moving to the big city wasn’t as bad as he thought it’d be.

K2: Noah's Dream

Noah curled into bed later than usual that night. His mom came into his room and tucked him in after their long day. He drifted off into a deep sleep when his dreams started to run wild. Little did he know, his dreams were putting on a performance right in front of him. As his first dream started, he was sailing on a huge ship, surrounded by sword swinging pirates. His bedroom floor turned into the rough waters of the ocean and his bed was the ship. His little LEGO men turned into life size pirates. Suddenly, Noah was awake with a sword by his side to fight back. Swords kept flying close, lightly brushing his Cars pajamas and puncturing small holes into them. He got close enough to push what looked like the leading pirate overboard. He prepared himself for the remaining shipmates to attack, but then he heard the clatter of the swords on the ship’s deck. He realized they have dropped their swords and were throwing up their hands in excitement. They all rushed towards him as the ships rushed towards the land in which the pirated called home. Noah was carried off the ship, over the shoulders of the pirates and was set down as a king’s crown was set upon his head. Quickly, Noah was awake in his bed, sweating with excitement. He looked around his room at what was just a raging ocean not that long ago. He felt like the whole dream was real. He rolled out of bed and slipped on a puddle of water. As he grabbed the edge of bed for support, he noticed one of his LEGOs, a pirate, laying in the puddle. He walked towards the kitchen and noticed a small puncture in his pajamas, from what could have been a sword. As his mom asked how he slept, a smile crept up on his face. Now he understood why his room looked like a hurricane tore through it when he woke up every morning.

K1: Fluff's Not so Fluffy Friend

It was late one evening as Mr. Mathews walked into his house from a long day at work. Not bothering to turn on any of the lights, he took off his overcoat and threw it onto the kitchen chair as he dragged himself into the living room. There, he turned on his reading lamp and slowly sank into his cozy armchair. He grabbed that morning’s newspaper and started to read when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement in the dining room. He figured it was either his cat, Fluff, running around or his imagination running wild after the long day. He went back to his reading and was started with Fluff jumping on his lap. Once again, he noticed a movement in the dining room. This time, Fluff noticed it too. He got frightened and ran away. Mr. Mathews figured it wasn’t his imagination since it frightened the unfrightful cat Fluff. As he turned a light on in the dining room, he noticed a huge lump under the carpet! He jumped back, letting out a shrieking scream. Goosebumps started to appear on his arms. He was unaware of what to do and backed away into the kitchen to figure out a plan. He didn’t necessarily want to hurt what was under the carpet, so a knife was out of the question. He looked around, frightened, for something to attack the object with. He hurriedly grabbed a chair, thinking it would scare the object and probably hurt it, but not enough to kill it. He ran back to the dining room, waving the chair over his head. He slowly brought it down on the object, when he heard a frightful and loud MEOW! As he pulled the carpet back, he found a friend of Fluff’s who must’ve made his way in through the kitty door while Mr. Mathews was at work that day. At this point, he regretted using the chair as a weapon. He scooped up the cat and brought it to the bath tub and splashed a few cups of water upon it to slowly wake him up. Luckily, Fluff’s friend walked away from the scuffle with a little less fur.

J4: The Diary of Pelly D

Let’s take a trip with author L.J. Adlington to City Five. I bet it doesn’t sound familiar, probably because it hasn’t quite become a city yet. The Diary of Pelly D takes place in the future. Toni V, the narrator, is drilling in City Five, rebuilding it after the war that took place. While drilling, he comes across an old water can with a note on it saying “Dig, dig everywhere.” In the water can was a diary. As something to read, he decided to keep it even though if he were to get caught with it, he’d be in huge trouble. Every night after drilling, he would go back to his bunk to read it, even though most of the other guys would head to the bar or the pool. While reading, he finds himself very interested in Pelly. He learns about her family and eventually their background. Not only is Toni going through the stress of possibly getting caught, the popular Pelly D is worrying about her brother running away to the O-HA and learning her families true social status. It turns out that not everyone in her family is socially the same. This causes her family to split up, and Pelly to climb down the social status ladder. After every day of work, Toni V constantly keeps going back to this diary. After he digs, digs everywhere, even more stuff is found! Money and jewels, but this time, unlike the diary, they items are turned into to avoid getting in major trouble. The rest of the story continues with Toni’s interest in Pelly’s life. This is a great sci-fi novel but don’t worry, that’s not all it contains. It turns out to be a great love story. It may be hard to get into at first but I can promise you that the story is definitely worth reading!

J3: Favorite Music Group

It’s hard to pick one favorite band or musician, especially since I like to listen to almost any genre of music. I’m a huge country fan, so one of my favorite musician would have to be a country artist. One of my favorite musicians would be Eric Church. He’s a great country singer, but he doesn’t follow along with the country stereotype. Instead of a cowboy hat, he is mostly seen wearing a baseball cap. His songs aren’t the general heartbreak songs either. His music is much more lively and upbeat than most other country artists. He is what I classify as “party country.” Most excitingly, I get to see him in concert this upcoming June. Another favorite artist of mine would be Hollywood Undead. Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what music genre they are. Sometimes it’s a rap, other times has more of a rock feeling to it. But no matter how they are delivering their music, it almost always relates to sex, drugs or drinking. Despite their inappropriate message, I’ve been listening to them for a long time. Their music is always catching my attention and it’s something I get always sing along to. Lil Wayne is another of my favorite artists. Despite his recent run ins with the law, he still comes hard with his music. Even though he is a rapper, he tries to add a rock sound to some of his tracks. Also, he collaborates with artists of a variety of genres, expanding his fan base. Lastly, I really like the band Hedley. I heard them on a radio station a couple years back. They are a Canadian pop/rock group. I think it’s awesome that we live right by the border so we can expand our knowledge on the Canadian culture. I really like love songs, which they have tons of. As for their more upbeat songs, they are always catchy and easy to listen to.

J2: Grade School Teachers

It’s hard to flash back to several different years to pick a favorite of anything It’d be extremely hard for me to pick a favorite teacher from seven or more years ago. I can automatically eliminate kindergarten because I never went due to living in a different state at the time. My first place favorite teacher would have to be Mr. Perry. He was the first guy teacher that I had and it was a bit weird getting used to that. But eventually I opened up to the fact that I had a male teacher. Mr. Perry made class so much fun, doing more than an every day teacher would. He would make you remember class by adding in silly little things. To this day, I can talk to anyone who was in that class with me and we will all remember and joke about the time in which he jumped off a table, playing the air guitar. Just by adding in little things like that made his class so enjoyable and memorable. Since he lives in Alden, I still see him sometimes around town. Like I said, it’s not that easy to pick just one teacher to be your favorite. So the second teacher I greatly enjoyed in grade school was Mrs. Applebee. To this day, I remember her telling the class how she has an apple tree in her backyard that she would regularly read under. She was such a sweet teacher that I miss dearly. I was lucky enough to have her just years before she retired. Despite her retirement, I occasionally see her since she lives right around the corner from me. Even though these two teachers are my favorite, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoyed all the others because without them, I wouldn’t have gotten this far in life.

J1: Real Heroes

A hero is defined as a person, usually a man, who is admired for courage or noble qualities. In some ways, I agree with this definition. A hero should definitely have courage and noble qualities. They should be someone who goes out of their way to do something ordinary or extraordinary for someone. But I most certainly disagree with the definition too. A hero can be anyone, not just a man. To little kids, heroes are portrayed as someone who is super, with super powers. I think they are given the wrong idea at a young age because when you learn something young, the idea sticks in your head. But when I grew up, I was taught that firefighters, police officers, and most importantly, soldiers are the true heroes in life. Someone who is a hero to me would be my grandma. It’s sad for me to admit it, but she isn’t my real grandmother. It is what she did that made her such a great person. Her and my grandfather adopted my dad when he was only eight days old. I think that adoption is a great thing. They opened up the home and hearts to a child that wasn’t theirs. I love that they adopted someone right here from Buffalo instead of doing what celebrities do; they adopt children from other countries. It’s like they don’t realize that kids in our country don’t have proper homes. I’m so thankful for what my grandparents have done. Even though my grandpa has since then passed away, my grandma remains the most amazing grandma anyone could ever ask for. Out of all my grandparents, she is the one in which I remain the closest. An adoption is a somewhat simple thing to do to be a hero. By adopting a child, you could be taking them out of an abusive home. This little act my grandparents did over fifty years, it’s really influence me to want to adopt a child when I get older.

Waking Up To Boys

This week’s book blog is author Hailey Abbott’s Waking Up To Boys. Chelsea McCormick is a wake boarder whose parents own a resort on Lake Tahoe. Before the resort is filled with tourists, the workers pile in including Todd, one of the instructors that Chelsea has had a crush for years. Chelsea always sees him with other girls, but no matter what, she is still crushing on him. But at the employee welcoming meeting, two new people catch her eye; one is a hot new tennis instructor from Brazil and the other is her absolutely gorgeous half sister from California, Sara. While Sara is getting all the attention from the guys, Chelsea and the new tennis instructor are locked into each other while Chelsea’s heart still aches for Todd. Throughout the summer, Chelsea faces so many problems, like throwing a huge pool party, the wakeboarding challenge being held at the lake near the end of the summer, her first year of teaching wakeboarding, and most importantly, boys. But her check list isn’t that easy to check off. The party, that gets crashed and results in physical labor. A halt was brought to her wakeboarding practicing after trying one of the hardest jumps. Chelsea breaks her arm and her ability to compete is very questionable. And boys? Well that’s the hardest summer task for her! She gets the Brazilian hottie, but her feelings for Todd are still there. As much as she tries, it’s hard to get  him out of her head. Most of Abbott’s books have similar themes, mostly involving a summer on the beach and a romantic “the girl who gets the boy” ending. The question mostly left for you to figure out is if Chelsea gets her long-time crush or the new boy in town. Wanna find out? Check it out right up in our school’s library!

Holiday Highlight

This holiday break was hectic, as always, for my family. I was lucky enough to have several Christmases. My first Christmas was spent with my boyfriend’s family at his grandparents house on the eve of Christmas eve. With it being the first Christmas with my boyfriend, I was very blessed to be accept into their festivities. On Christmas eve, I finished my shopping with my sister then went to my grandma’s house with my parents and sisters for dinner and gifts there. My parents went to her house early so dinner would be prepared at a decent time. While me and my oldest sister were on our way, she pulled over to let me drive. This was really exciting but scary for me because it was my first time driving on Walden and making a left hand turn. Christmas eve dinner at my grandma’s house was really nice. It was the first time in a long time that we all got to spend time together. Even though one of my sister’s lives with her fiance, she stayed home with us Christmas night since me and my sisters have a Christmas morning tradition. We woke up at seven, turned on the lights on the tree, turned on the Christmas music, made coffee for my parents and let both of the dogs outside. After this is all done, we woke up my parents, which is always a hassle. We spent a long time opening gifts then playing with the different gadgets we all got. In the early afternoon, we went to my grandpa’s house to open even more gifts with him and my aunt. After my grandpa’s, I went home and was welcomed by my boyfriend with even more gifts from him to open. We exchanged half our gifts at my house, then had dinner with my parents. Afterwards we went to his house and exchanged the rest of our gifts, then I exchanged my gifts with his sister and brother in law and their parents. Christmas came to a conclusion with the final dinner around midnight. With all the happiness over the break, it came to an end two days later when I got a call from my mom telling my the CO detectors were going off in our house, so I needed to report home immediately. We found out the their were deadly levels in our house, and one of our cats was unable to be found inside. Despite this all, me and my father were taken to the hospital since the amount of CO in our blood was almost at the highest level it could be at. We were both on oxygen for two and a half hours, while my mom and sisters were at home looking for our cat. Eventually, she was found but a cause for CO being in our house. With it being the third year and a row, it’s not a Christmas vacation in my house without the Townline Fire Department being present!

My Bucket List

I’ve never thought about my personal bucket list until now. The number one thing that I’d put on it would to be a successful and well-known social worker or adoption agent in the Buffalo area. Throughout our lives, we start at the bottom and work our way up, just to be pushed back down again. My goal is to work my way up, and stay there. It’s not necessarily about making money, since I know it’s not a high paying career. The career outlook isn’t even that great, that’s why it’d be great to have a high position. The second thing on my bucket list would be to be an extreme couponer. I constantly watch the show and it is crazy to see the amount of money that some people save. If I were to become an extreme couponer, I would have stock piles of various items that would last me for months. Even after one shopping trip, the money saved with be an extraordinary amount! Some people on the show can go in and have hundreds of dollars worth of items and get their total down to nothing, or have the store pay them money. Not only would I want to be an extreme couponer, but I would want to appear on the show. The third item on my bucket list is to be a foster mom. My dad is adopted, along with a couple of my uncles. There are so many kids in our country that are unable to be in safe, loving homes so I would love to be the one to open up my home to those kids in need. I think the hardest part about being a foster mother would be that you are opening your heart to these kids and eventually, they leave once a permanent home is found for them.

The Pact

To follow up on the previous book reviews, my choice blogs will always be dedicated to that. The most recently book that I have read is one of Jodi Picoult’s many novels, The Pact. Like many of her books, it was made into a movie shown on television only in 2002. It starts out with two families, neighbors, who are both expecting a child. When the children are born, Chris and Emily, they are insuperable. They were constantly with each other. As they got older, they became a couple. Still, they were insuperable. Everything is normal until tragedy strikes. At one of Emily’s favorite place, Chris’s work place, Emily is found dead with her childhood friend sitting next to her with a gun. After the incident, Chris was in the hospital, unaware the Emily was actually dead. He was questioned while in the hospital but wasn’t taken into police custody until he was released. Emily’s murder caused tension between the families. Like many of her books, the point of view is constantly changing, getting you into the minds of both parents. She keeps you trapped into her novels until the very end, and this one is no different. You are drawn in to the emotion from both parents and more importantly, Chris. The story takes many twists and turns going on until the end of the trial. When Chris finally speaks for himself at the trial, what he has to say completely shocks the entire courtroom and causes the jury to rethink any information that they already had. The jury has a hard decision ahead of them and Chris’s fate is in their hands. All characters are shocked by the choice, and you will be too! It’s a great love story that will capture your heart, leaving you astounded in the end!

Stop Spending Money!

Every New Year’s, people make the same resolution, to loose weight. I really don’t need a resolution like that though. I’ve never had a New Year’s resolution, nor have I been forced to make one other than now. The number one thing that I know I should change this year would be to save money. Before Christmas, I built up my bank account, trying to save for my car and eventually, a house. Once Christmas shopping came around, my bank account emptied out. I didn’t realize how much I was spending until I saw the balance in my bank account was just over two hundred dollars! It didn’t seem like all that I bought added up to that much money. Since I have a new job and I’m making much better money, I want to rebuild my bank account. In order to do this, I must stop shopping. After work and on the days that I don’t work, me and my boyfriend are usually at different stores or the mall. Even though I usually only buy little things or things that are on sale, all the money will eventually add up. I will have to stick to buying the absolute necessities. Another money spending activity that me and my boyfriend often due is go out to eat. Whether it’s fast food or a nice sit down restaurant, we are hardly ever eating at home. I usually pay the tip whereas he pays for the meal. Once again, the money will all eventually add up. Even when I’m at work, working with food and drinks, it’s always tempting to get something to eat on my break or when my shift ends. I get food and drinks half off while working, but it’s still an necessary purchase. This year, I need to stop spending money. Clothes and constant eating out isn’t nearly as important as college, a car and eventually a house.

Can You Dig It?

If I were to get to take a trip back in time, I would go back into the 1970s and 1980s. The main reason this time interests me is because the big hair and vibrant colors were mostly associated with this time. While visiting the 1970s, I would encounter many people and events. Richard Nixon was the president until 1973, when the Watergate scandal arouse. In that same year, former president Lyndon B. Johnson passed away. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I would be there to understand the tragic death of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. To be in style, I’d get a pet rock, since that was cool in the 70s. My wardrobe would consist of platform shoes and jogging suits, but I’d be smart enough to not wear them together. I would participate in Earth Day because it was an event that most people took part in. People wore gas masks to show their concern for pollution’s affect on Earth. On television, I’d be watching All In The Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Sanford And Son. But at the theaters, I would’ve been at the premier for Saturday Night Fever which makes sense since it was the disco decade. Led Zeppelin and David Bowie would be playing through my speakers but as the decade faded into the 80s, punk rock would be the new rage. The computer would be introduced into schools, homes and offices. In the middle of the decade, space shuttle Challenger exploded just over a minute after launching at Cape Canaveral. All seven of the astronauts on board were killed, one being a Florida school teacher. In the second half of the decade, the use of cocaine increases by thirty five percent, but I wouldn’t be one the users. And at the end of the decade, President Bush called for a kinder nation which caused volunteerism to be at an all time high.