My Freshman Year

     I have had a very exciting Freshman year! Of all the great memories I've experienced this year my favorite memories come from show choir. Being in show choir has affected me greatly this year. I've made close friends and grown as a person because of it. The best thing about being in show choir are the competitions. This year we competed in Alabama, at Belmont, and in Ohio. My favorite competition would have to have been Alabama. So many wonderful memories were made at my first show choir competition! It was a great experience seeing other choirs and getting to perform in front of professional judges. My best memory from Freshman year would have to be the Alabama show choir competition.
     I have also learned many important things during this school year. I have learned that sometimes people are not always nice. I have learned that some people enjoy talking poorly about others- behind their back's. From experiencing that this year I have learned that you cannot let what other people say about you bother you. No matter what other people say, you are who you are. You should be able to be yourself without worrying about what others might say about you.
     There is a lot of advice that I could give to upcoming Freshmen concerning their Freshman year. My first piece of advice would be to get to know other people. My Freshman year was absolutely fantastic mostly because of the people I shared it with. I think that it is important to get to know upperclassmen. I would encourage any upcoming Freshmen to get to know people not just in your grade. Another piece of advice I would give would be to become involved. I would encourage becoming involved in a sport, in the arts, or in student council. By doing this you can meet new people and discover something new that you love doing. A final piece of advice I would give is to listen to God. God is constantly working in your life and you can do fantastic things through him. Freshman year was an exceptional year for me.

Leadership in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Throughout reading The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, I gathered many things. I learned, from reading the novel, the importance of leadership, and having good leaders. Without good leaders, hardly anything at all can be achieved. The novel depicts this idea frequently. The characters in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman need leaders to get out of the problem that they are in. Without leaders, the characters would not have been able to successfully get out of slavery. Great leaders are crucial in making a change. Before reading The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, I did not have as great of an understanding of the importance of great leaders. After reading the novel, I truly understand the importance. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman has influenced me to become a better leader.

How Miss Jane Pittman Is Not Stereotypical

Many stereotypes can be found throughout The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, some turn out to be true, but most turn out to be false. Jane Pittman is the perfect example of a young black girl that is not stereotypical. Jane is thought to be only a child. Different characters think that because she is young and black, she is not willing to work hard. They think that she cannot adequately perform duties or take any responsibility. However, Miss Jane Pittman can do all of those things. Jane is working hard to reach a goal she has set for herself- to reach Ohio. She is willing to do whatever it takes to reach her destination. Jane goes through many struggles without complaining or even thinking about giving up. Not only is Jane a hard worker, but she is also caring for a small child- Ned. She looks after Ned and cares for him. She provides for Ned just like a mother would. Miss Jane Pittman is only eleven or twelve years old and is already doing things that the majority of adults could not do. Miss Jane Pittman is the perfect example of a false stereotype.

Why Harry Potter Is An Excellent Series

There are so many excellent novels in our world today, so it is difficult to pick a favorite. My favorite novel, or series, would have to be the Harry Potter series. I believe that everyone should read them! The Harry Potter books are interesting, funny, and good for almost any age group. The series keeps your interest, and you're constantly trying to figure out what is going to happen next. Each book ties into the previous book, and each book leaves a clue for the next. Harry Potter cannot simply be listed under one genre of books, it contains aspects from every genre. For all reasons listed above, the Harry Potter series is an excellent series and should be read by every individual.

One Important Lesson In Animal Farm

The novel Animal Farm, studied by my English class this semester, includes many important lessons and themes. One important theme would be that you should never let anyone else take complete control over what you do. There should always be the element of independence in your decisions and actions. In Animal Farm, the animals are being completely taken over, and they do nothing to stop it. The animals in control do not allow the other animals to do anything, and it ends up being terribly bad for the other animals. If the animals would have fought back, they would have been in a much better situation by the end of the novel. If the animals would have been some-what independent, then they might have been able to save themselves. Animal Farm teaches readers to be independent of themselves and never let anyone have complete control over them.

What Am I Thankful For?

The Thanksgiving Holiday is typically a time when people reflect upon themselves and think of what they are truly thankful for. This holiday season I have many things to be thankful for. My family is one thing that I am very thankful for. I have been very blessed with a family who loves me and cares for me like no other. My mom, specifically, I am very thankful for. She does everything for me and with me in mind; she means everything to me. I have also been blessed with a wonderful home. Many individuals are not so lucky as to have a place to call "home". Friendship is another big thing that I am so grateful for this Thanksgiving. I know that my friends are always there for me, and that is a true blessing. I believe the thing that I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving, is that I know the Lord. God has gotten me through some tough things recently, so I have to be most thankful to Him for His presence in my life.

My Thoughts on Career Day

Today was Career Day at school. For two hours, students rotated to four different classes. Each class was a different career. Throughout the course of Career Day, my thoughts drifted slightly from the career that I thought I wanted to do. I, going into this, had thought that I would enjoy the Performing Arts career most. It turns out that the Performing Arts Class was my least favorite. The Music Class ended up being the one I enjoyed most- to my dismay. I've always loved music, but never thought that I wanted to make a career out of it. After today, I realize that there is much, much more to the music career besides just being an artist. I learned that a career being a Publisher, Writer, or working at a Record Label may interest me. All of those positions sound extremely enjoyable- and make a large salary. Career Day really opened my eyes to careers that I had never even considered. I'm very grateful to have gotten the chance to participate in this, and cannot wait until next year!

My Presentation on Julius Caesar

My English class has been working on the play, Julius Caesar, for the past several weeks. To close out our study of the play, everyone in the class had to do some sort of presentation project. I chose to do a monologue from Julius Caesar. In my monologue, Cassius is speaking; he is plotting against Caesar. He is trying to trick Brutus into joining him in his conspiracies against Caesar. My monologue shows that Cassius is a bit of a villain, and that he puts great thought into plotting against Caesar. My monologue comes from Act 1, Scene 1. It reads:

"Well, Brutus, thou art noble. Yet I see
Thy honorable mettle may be wrought
From that it is disposed. Therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm that cannot be seduced?
Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humor me. I will this night
In several hands in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely
Caesar's ambition shall be glanced at."

Refining Our Hearts as Christians

This past week has been Spiritual Emphasis Week at school. Our speaker, Brent, has done such a wonderful job and has led many students to take a look at their own personal walk with God- or lack there of. Brent has talked about four main points this week. The first point being what it means to "move" as a Christian. The second was about the importance of "pouring out". The third point was about refining, and the last point about having a "calloused" heart. I have thought most about the third point- refining. I think that, as Christians, we have to constantly be refining our personal lives. We need to never think that we know all there is to know about Christianity; we will never know all there is to know about God. God is constantly refining us as individuals, if we allow Him to do so. Our walk with God will increase and we will grow stronger if we are constantly refining our lives. If, however, we do not refine our lives, then our walk with God may begin to diminish- and we cannot allow that to happen. In my opinion, the refining process is one of the most important aspects to Christianity. We need to trust in God and allow Him to take us over.

What Does It Mean To Be A True Friend?

The play Julius Caesar displays many themes that can be applied to almost everyone's personal life. One theme depicted throughout Julius Caesar is what it means to be a true friend. What does it mean to be a true friend? That is one question that many individuals struggle with. In Julius Caesar, Julius's friends are not true friends. They end up killing Julius Caesar in a very public, gruesome manner, actually. Julius trusts all of his friends throughout the beginning of the story, but towards the end his friends turn their backs on him. In life, everyone needs to have some aspect of what being a true friend means. Friendships are one of the most crucial types of relationships; everyone needs a friend. Being a true friend will not only benefit the people around us, but ourselves also. Having the ability to be a true friend can improve all other relationships in life, and also give the capacity to handle situations in a different manner. Being a true friend is an important aspect of Julius Caesar, and should be in real life as well.

Endangered Species Concervation (Biology Blog 8)

Kenya Leopard:
     Kenya Leopards are a medium-sized cat that grow to be about six feet long. These cats are able to adapt to almost any habitat but prefer rocky surroundings or areas around water. The Kenya Leopard is going extinct because of humans hunting them.

Puerto Rican Boa:
     The Puerto Rican Boa is a snake that can grow to be six and a half feet long. The snake is found in Puerto Rico and prefers a moist, dark, and damp rain forest for a habitat. The Puerto Rican Boa is going extinct because of humans hunting them, although it is illegal to do so.

Columbian White Tailed Deer:
     The Columbian White Tailed Deer is a large type of deer that can be found at the lower parts of the Columbian River- where it got it's name. These deer serve as a food source for many creatures, but their main predator is humans. Humans frequently hunt this deer.

Hawaiian Munk Seal:
     The Hawaiian Munk Seal can be found in the uninhabited, northeaster islands of Hawaii. There are only about 1,200 of this species left, due to a great loss of the species many years ago. The population of this species is still declining because of a lack of food source, getting caught in fishing nets, and humans.

Red Wolf:
     The Red Wolf is the most endangered species in the world; it has a population of only 200. The Red Wolf's habitat is a forest or any agricultural area. Due to deforestation, humans are causing the Red Wolf to go extinct.

All of the above species are extremely important to our earth. These creatures all play vital roles in the environment, whether it be as predator or prey. We should be taking measures to protect these animals. We could "adopt" one of these creatures or take measures to protect our environment to ensure the safety of these animals. It is very important that these animals do not become extinct, and we should all do our part to save them.

Food For Thought (Biology Blog 7)

     In an activity performed two days ago in class, we saw about how much food and people each continent has. Each continent had representatives to show about how much the population was, and these representatives were given food for their continent. North America was given the most food...displaying the fact that North Americans produce more food than any other continent; despite the fact that North America had one of the fewest representatives.. Every other continent had a significantly lower amount of food but typically more representatives. This suprised me. I knew that North America produced a lot of food, but I didn't realize just how much food..and how much more food than everyone else. Asia, for example, had the most representatives, but one of the lowest amount of food. This led me to believe that we are very blessed to live in North America. We typically do not have to worry about having food...and that is a very big blessing. This activity changed the way I thought about North America, and the other continents.

Controlling Population Growth (Biology Blog 6)

     With worldwide population growth exceeding at the rate it is, a problem is beginning to form. The problem is that we are about to reach our carrying capacity. The earth's resources can only sustain us for so long. There are few solutions to this problem. The solutions that there are, are generally not preferable. One solution to slow down population growth would be to put a limit on how many children each couple can have. Some countries have already begun to do this...China, for example. Another solution would be to raise the cost of living. As stated above, this solution would not be preferable...but it would help with the growing population rate. A last solution would be to open up more opertunities for women to control their fertility. This, however, many would not agree with...but it is, in fact, a solution. When/if earth's carrying capacity is reached, there will not be a positive outcome. A loss of resources would be one thing; we would run out of food and/or water. Another thing would be over-crowding; there would not be room for all of earth's people. A last thing would be a loss of oxygen. If/when earth reaches it's carrying capacity our resources would be destroyed, which would result in a loss of many things...including oxygen. Hopefully there will be a solution discovered for this growing problem.

The World with It's Hunters and Huntees

     In a short story read in my English class, "The Most Dangerous Game", a character made an important statement. "The world is made up of two classes- the hunters and the huntees" said Rainsford in the story. I agree with his statement. I believe that the world is made up of hunters and huntees. The world contains people (the hunters) that are always trying to bring other people down. These people bully other people; their goal is to "hunt" or bring down those around them. The world also contains people (the huntees) that are being hunted. These are the people that have other people trying to bring them down. These people are affected by bullies, or by individuals striving to "hunt" them down and cause them pain. I think that everyone is either a hunter or a huntee. Everyone has either been a bully to someone else, or been bullied by someone. We are all affected by other people and need to remember that our actions affect others as well.

My Pea Germination Lab Report (Biology Blog 4)

For my Pea Germination Lab Report, I probably could have done some things better. First off, I could have had a more descriptive title. My title contained little detail and should have been more interesting. On the next lab report, I would definitely have a more descriptive title. I utilized the rubric almost to it's full extent. There were some things I could have improved on, but over-all it was okay. After doing this lab report, I definitely have a better understanding of how to do lab reports and expect to do just as well or better in the future.

(Biology Blog 3) What Makes A Biome Unique?

Every Biome is unique and different from all the rest.Each biome possesses unique qualities that separate it from others. One biome may have an average temperature of 98 degrees..as to where another biome's average temperature is 70 degrees- each biome is different. Every biome receives a different amount of rainfall each year. Some biomes may be the home to many varieties of fish, while others are home to many varieties of birds. Each biome has characteristics that separate it from the other biomes.

Freshman Year: My Goals

I have many goals for this school year. I have academic, social, and spiritual goals...all of which I hope to achieve in the coming months. As far as my academic goals are concerned, I would really like to be very successful in my school work this year. I would like to take the ACT test...just to see where I stand. I would like to make all A's on my report card(s). I hope to also do well in this year's exams. As far as social goals are concerned, I would like to make more friends this year. Being in the drama and choir department, I have many oppurtunites to make friends with people that I'm not necessarily in class with each day. I would also like to build relationships with people in other grade levels...I believe that being in the drama/choir department will help me achieve that goal. I would also like to build up, even more-so, my current friendships. My friends mean a lot to me and I would like to spend more time with them this year. Last, but definitly not least, my spiritual goals. I really hope to build my relationship with the Lord this year. I want to reach out to other people, who don't know the love of Chirst, and help them. I want to credit all of my success to God- for everything I have comes from Him.

(Biology Blog 2) Pea Lab

     As a scientific experiment, my science class is currently testing to see how long it takes for peas to begin to grow roots. Also, we are testing to see which peas germinate the most. My prediction is that the peas that were soaked for 6 hours will germinate at the fastest rate. I believe this because after only one day, the 6-hour-soaked peas had produced the most roots. I do, however, think that the soaked-for-48-hours peas will produce the most roots (or germintation). They may go at a slower pace but I think that, in the end, they will have the most roots. We'll just have to wait and see.

(Biology Blog) The Most Influential Person In My Life- My Mom

     I definitely have many influential people in my life...but I think that my mother is most influential of all. People say that you are influenced by your surroundings..and I completely agree. I am so happy that, of all people, I spend the most time with my mom- so that I may be influenced by her. My mom is very successful and I hope to be like her one day. She tries to have a positive perspective on everything in life. That is a great characteristic to have, to be positive, so I try to be positive all the time- just like she is. She has done her best to handle every not-so-fun situation given to her- and she has done an excellent job overcoming the obstacles in life. I really do love my mom and I hope to be like her one day.

The Reliance We Have On God In Relation To Family/Friend Bonds.

     As a Summer Reading requirement, my English class had to read The Outsiders. A major theme in The Outsiders was that you have to stick up for your family and friends. To be a good friend or a good family member you have to be there for one another. When someone you love is in need of help, you have to be there to help them. That's what being a friend or being a family is all about. I chose to use a picture of praying hands to symbolize the family/friend ties that were so prominant in The Outsiders. I chose praying hands because that obviously represents prayer. God is always there for us when we need Him...just like the characters in The Outsiders. The characters in the novel were there for each other just like God is there for all of us. We rely on God in almost the same way that we rely on our friends and our family.