I feel like this year has gone by so quickly.  It seems unreal that we only have three weeks until finals, not that I am complaining.  It’s not that I don’t like school, it’s just the stress that it causes and I don’t even procrastinate.  I feel that our high school career has many options, but ends up being limited by what colleges want to see.  It’s like democracy in China, they say they have it but they really don’t.  I guess you don’t have to do what colleges want, but we are pressured by everyone to do so.  I am happily looking forward to my senior year because I feel the pressure will be taken off when I get into college.  These last couple of weeks I have been relaxing more than usual, and I haven’t been really hurt grade-wise by this.  I wish that our teachers cared a little more about us just paying attention and learning than tests and homework.  For example, in spanish class I can do all my homework and not pay attention, but still get a good test grade.  Although this is true, I feel like I am not really learning anything but keeping doing this because my grade isn’t affected.  I know it’s not right, but when I have so much other homework to do I would rather do it in that class.  This is  the root problem of our educational system:  we cannot find a way for students to be graded in a way that actually shows that we learned something.  I may know how to translate spanish, but I know once I am done taking it I will forget most of it.  What bothers me is that our grades cannot just be based off of our effort level, or at least that cannot be taken into account.  I know that our effort level is subjective to our teacher, but someone can give as much effort as possible into a class and the grade still might not reflect it.  I feel like this is why so many students do not like going to school.  I personally love our school and everything in it, but I hate when we get so much work that it’s all I do every night.  On a typical school night I come home from school, go to tennis for 2 hours, eat dinner, then do homework the rest of the night.  It isn’t that I want a bunch of free time, but I would like time to read a book that isn’t for school or draw.  I wish that in school we didn’t have any homework or tests, but we just had to pay attention all day.  If it were between that and what is going on now I would choose paying attention all day.  Because this isn’t realistic and doesn’t happen, I don’t always pay attention in class and do other homework instead.  As long as my grades don’t slip I will probably continue doing this even though I don’t like to because then I have a little free time at home.  

First of all, I absolutely love this idea, and loved doing the scavenger hunt. The medicines I chose to acquire were courage, compassion, discernment, humor, joy, faith, heart, patience, perseverance, wisdom, strength, humility, and integrity.  I decided to get/look for courage because I think that to go on your own hero journey you need to be willing to stand up to the guardians of the gate.  The clue was pretty obvious, so getting there didn’t take much thinking.  Compassion and discernment I kind of got by accident because I went to those holders and asked them for something different and got compassion and discernment instead.  Now looking back I think those are two key medicines for me because I don’t have a great amount of either of those characteristics.  I am compassionate to a certain level, but I still feel that I could have more compassion.  The same goes for discernment.  I originally went to the religion office to find wisdom and I ended up with compassion.  Then I went to padre for patience and ended up with discernment.  I really thought that I was right the first time because I thought Mr. Mensel would be the definite holder of wisdom.  He is like the Buddha reincarnated.  I really wanted humor because I think that I have a really good sense of humor, but it just doesn’t come out of me as much as I would like it to.  Normally I am at my funniest only around a couple of my closest friends, and the rest of the time I tend to be too shy; it’s something I am trying to work on.  This clue wasn’t as obvious as for me because I thought the universal language was math, but after that was wrong I went to the language office.  Then I found joy because you have to have joy in life.  This clue was pretty obvious for me as well.  I looked for faith because I think I need more faith in my life.  I tend to be a skeptic because I have felt that for a long time nothing has really gone my family’s way since like my freshman year.  Since our winter break I have had a little better faith, but I still need more.  This clue was also pretty obvious.  Heart was one that I think I do have, and I think is important in life.  In life I think you need to put your whole heart in something and never give up.  I looked for patience because I don’t have any, at all.  It is something that I definitely need, especially when dealing with people.  I tend to snap pretty easily around people when I am annoyed or with technology especially.  Patience is key in life so I am trying to learn.  Perseverance is another trait I think I have, and really wanted to get.  I think that when you start something you need to put everything into it.  For me, I don’t see giving up as an option.  I rarely start something and don’t finish it.    Wisdom I swore would be Mr. Mensel, but it wasn’t.  This clue confused me because the second part says when books aren’t enough, and then it ended up being in the library.  Eventually I realized that there are computers in the library so that might have something to do with it.  I thought I needed this medicine because you can never have enough wisdom.  Strength had a pretty funny clue, but only if you know Mrs. McCarthy.  I don’t really understand why sand stood for strength, but I think you need strength in life to support yourself.  Humility is something I wanted because I cherish it in a person.  I think it is extremely annoying when people are egotistical and arrogant.  I can’t stand being around those types of people, and when playing tennis that is practically every teenage guy.  Arrogance is the biggest turnoff for me in a person.  The last medicine I looked for was integrity.  This quality is probably my second favorite quality in a person after humility.  I hate it when people lie to get out of punishments and other responsibilities.  If you do something that is against the rules, when you’re caught you should own up to it.  I feel like people will trust you more if they know you will tell the truth when doing something against the rules.  Not saying that to have integrity you have to break the rules, but that is just one example.  Overall I really liked this activity because it helped me realize and prioritize traits I like, as well as what I like in other people.  I learned that a lot of the time I hide some of my best qualities from people at school because I think people might think I am weird or not funny.  Like I have a great sense of humor and I am outgoing, but most people won’t see that in me.  For example, I went to the Lil Wayne concert last night and I saw people from Brebeuf there, and they were surprised I like that music.  I feel like from now on I just need to be me, and not worry about what everyone else thinks.  That just causes me to be quiet and unhappy a lot of the time.  

I personally loved this weekend and kinda wish it wouldn’t end.  It was mostly good because my birthday was on Sunday, but that basically meant I got to have fun all weekend.  Saturday was probably the best because I went shopping with my mom and got clothes from Kohl’s, Pacsun, and American Eagle.  Then for my birthday my Grandma came with us and bought me my prom dress from Cache.  I would post a picture but I don’t have the time. 

Then on the way home my mom all of a sudden said my feet were disgusting and dropped me off for a pedicure.  About an hour later I was home and resting for about thirty minutes, then met friends at laser tag.  I was there basically all night and got home at around 12:30.  I can honestly say that this was one of the first times I have actually been awake for the first minute of my birthday.

Sunday, we had family over to celebrate my birthday and my mom’s birthday because hers is March 21st.  I thought I was done with presents from my parents because of all the clothes shopping, but I was pleasantly surprised when my mom gave me a gift card for a massage and facial at David and Mary’s.  

What a Wonderful Weekend!

The all american rejects new song, gives you hell, is the most amazing song out right now.  For some reason singing it at the top of my lungs on the drive to school makes me extremely happy. 

As I was pondering what to write about this week I decided to give my opinion on the controversy concerning Michael Phelps.  When I first found out that he smoked pot I was kind of surprised.  He just didn’t seem like the type of person to do that.  Then when I was watching the news yesterday I saw how everyone was blowing it so out of proportion.  

He made a mistake and now everyone is on his case.  He apologized for it but everyone is saying he wasn’t sincere about it.  On the news they said they want him to do anti drug speeches.  Seriously?  That is a bit over the top.  He did it one time; it’s not like he is smoking all the time.  I think it would have been worse if he was doing steroids because that is telling kids to cheat to win.  

I also hated hearing the news reporter saying what are the parents going to tell their kids, and how their kids don’t even know what a bong is.  First of all, if your kids are old enough to go to school they should be educated about drugs because they are going to be everywhere.  I remember doing drug education from the time I started school.  (maybe that is because I went to public school but who knows)  A lot of celebrities do worse things than this, so how do you explain that to your kids?  I think people need to relax and get off his case.  The good things he has done far outweigh the bad.  

You may be asking yourself why I am posting about summer when we are only halfway through the school year.  It is not because this year has been awful or anything, it is because I am so excited to go to Israel.  Every time I get more information about my trip I become more anxious.  Like today I just found out that the junior tennis will be held near Tel Aviv.  I am not sure of the actual place, but I looked it up and it is a suburb of Tel Aviv.  (about 20 minutes north.  

I think this is an awesome location, especially because it is so close to the beach.  I just can’t wait to get there and see all the sights, and the opening ceremonies will be awesome.  They are actually televised in Israel.  Here is a youtube video from the 17th Maccabiah Games:

17th Maccabiah Games

If anyone knows how to embed videos into a post please let me know.  Above is just a link to the youtube video which is really cool.  I would advise watching it so you can understand how big these games are in Israel.  Not many people know much about them in the United States, but in Israel they are huge.  So many people participate that each sport has to be held in a different city.  In total there are about 60 countries participating and 9,000 athletes.  Alone there are 900 people coming from the United States.  Some famous swimmers that are Jewish that have gone in the past are Lenny Krazelburg and Mark Spitz.  

This entire rant is dedicated to all the teachers who DO NOT give pointless assignments.  All year long I have gotten pointless assignments in AP Environmental Science.  Like today I have an assignment to read an article called, “Breakdown of an Ant-Plant Mutualism Follows the Loss of Large Herbivores from an African Savanna.”  Honestly, who here actually cares and/or understands what this articles is actually about??!! If our teacher is trying to keep us interested in his class by giving real life examples this is a pretty crappy one.  

On top of the boring article we then have to do an MLA citation of it, list and define 10 words that we didn’t know, list all the species involved and their role in the environment, identify the independent and dependent variables, and summarize the whole thing.  I have done the first three (mostly because they didn’t require much work) but now I have to read this snooze fest of an article.

Then I feel like our labs are meant for elementary school.  We count and mark beans half the time!!! Then we have to go to an excel spreadsheet and do more pointless things that take hours.  I don’t know how much more I can take.

The tests in this class are even worse.  For a two chapter test he will have a two day test.  The first day will be anywhere between 75-125 multiple choice, and you are told the questions aren’t extremely specific.  This is the biggest lie ever!!  I got asked what type of species are in a certain biome and percentages on another test.  Then  the second day we have a written section.  

Never take this class!! Our teacher is nice and all, but the subject is awful.  Now that this is out of my system I feel much better.  Thank god for all my other classes that have meaningful assignments.  Feel free to leave your own pointless assignment story.  

Health has been a fun class so far, mostly because our teacher is amazing.  This semester we have to make a semester long wellness goal and I don’t know what to do.  I have already kind of have a goal but I am having trouble sticking to it.  By summer I want to be able to do 40 push ups.  This may seem easy to some people, but I have literally no arm strength.  I have been working on building that strength by lifting weights, but it gets sooooo old.  I am normally so tired that I just don’t feel like doing it.  If anyone has any suggestions on how to keep working towards a goal and not got bored please let me know!!

Don’t we all wish we could get more sleep?  I see sleep deprivation as a huge problem at our school and high schools in general.  In health class we had to watch a movie about sleep and it made me realize that it is unhealthy to stay up so late and wake up early for school the next day.  I don’t generally have a sleep deprivation problem, but this year with zero hour I have noticed a change.  Last night I made the commitment to go to bed at 9:30 and wake up at 6.  Normally I go to bed between 9:30 and 10 and wake up at 5:30.

This made a huge difference in my day.  By getting 8.5 hours of sleep, I felt so much more energized.  I was even awake a couple minutes before my alarm went off.  (Needing an alarm clock to wake yourself up in the morning was a sign of sleep deprivation in the movie.)  I definitely recommend trying to get more sleep.

Some of you who read this might say that you are too busy to go to bed this early and get your homework done.  I disagree with most of you.  I get home from school, do homework until about 4:20, leave to go to tennis, workout afterward, get home at 7:15, eat dinner, shower, and finish my homework by 9:30.  I don’t get to watch much T.V. but I fit everything in my day that needs to be done.  The only special circumstance I have heard of regarding not getting enough sleep is if you go to morning swim practice.  

So my message to everyone is to get more sleep!!

I think that being called doesn’t have necessarily just one meaning.  For me, I think it is a gut feeling that you were meant to do something in your life.  I think I have just recently  had this feeling, but I am not sure if I am going to take my call yet.  I recently got a letter from the Naval Academy about playing college tennis there.  I don’t think playing college tennis in my call, I think that going to the Naval Academy and eventually working for the Navy is my call.  When I got the letter I just had this feeling that I should look into it, and that I would fit in there.  I know that the hero journey does not permit fighting (which is what I would most likely have to do once I graduated from there), but I disagree with this part of the hero journey.  I think this can be my call, and that it is heroic to serve your country in battle if need be.  If I do take my call I wouldn’t hope to partake in military combat, but would do so if necessary. (Although my mother said I couldn’t go if I had to fight.  How motherly of her.)  My hope would be to go to law school and be a lawyer for the Navy.  Just my gut feeling after getting the letter is that this is a way I can help people and become a better person myself.

 Before this I have never really thought I was or could be a hero.  I just sort of saw myself as someone who followed the rules and tried to excel at what I was doing.  I only thought of reaching my own goals instead of helping other people.  I think that is how most people think until they have found their true call.  Hopefully I will take my call, but you never know.  I still have a year or so to decide what I want to do.