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.