Austin Hopcia.

I now have to get into the habit of doing a choice blog once a week, because Mr. Currin feels like that is the right thing to do. I’m sure you have all seen my complaint of even having to do any choice blogs, and now I have to for the rest of my high school career. Enough with the complaining now, time to get to the subject. I decided that I would write about the new seating arrangements in my Online Publishing class. Not only do I disagree with them, but I also think it is affecting my performance in the class. Recently, Justin Patterson was switched with Joe White, so Joe white started sitting next to me. Joe and I got along and it was a good time, and I actually got my work done. Just a few days ago, Mr. Currin thought it would be a good idea to switch Joe with Austin Hopcia. Not that I have anything against the kid, but he is truly affecting my ability to perform will in this class. It’s starting to get noticeable, but I don’t think Mr. Currin sees it. Hopefully he’ll move either me or Austin sometime soon because I want to perform well in school, and I don’t want my grades to get dragged down because of something so easily fixable. If a change doesn’t come within now and the next week, something bad is going to happen. And by bad… I mean bad. I’m talking skipping class and not sitting where I’m supposed to be sitting. It might sound like a risky thing for me to do, because I could possibly be expelled from the school for doing such acts. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Nothing would please me more than being moved away from such a distracting human being. That is all.

The Practical Joke.

For my third and final choice blog of this hectic and tedious week, I am going to talk about the practical joke that my fellow classmates thought would be hysterical while I left the room to get Joe White and I an Intense Milk. When I walked back into the room from my adventure, I thought everything was normal. About a good ten minutes after, I went to see if I could listen to the music on my phone. To my dismay, the phone wasn’t in my pocket, nor was it in front me. Those are the only two places that the phone would be. I immediately took action and searched for the culprit. Nobody would admit to it, and I was starting to get very flustered. It took me to the point of threatening Brian Stoldt. I told the man I was going to turn off his computer if he wouldn’t fess up on the whereabouts of my phone, even if he had it. He claimed he didn’t know where it was, so I turned to my computer neighbor, Joseph White. He started laughing so I knew immediately that he was the one who did the crime. He got it up, and it was miraculously on the table that I knew I checked beforehand. I’m still curious as to who put the phone back on the table, but I know Joe knew about the entire thing. This ends my rant on the situation, and I thought it was choice blog worthy. I hope something like this never happens to me again in this class, because it was pretty embarrassing. The next time Joe walks out the door, I am going to do the worst thing that will ever happen to him in his entire high school career. That is all.

Intense Milk

Since I am being forced to do a second and also a third choice blog this week, I may as well just jump into this second one. I’m contemplating on what to for this second blog, and I think I am swaying towards the Intense Milk that they sell to the students at the Alden High School cafeteria. This is one of the greatest ideas the school has had yet, because milk is a great source of calcium, and it’s only a dollar to purchase. They come in many different flavors, and they have a reasonably decent sized bottle (16 ounces). Most of the time I don’t have a dollar to purchase myself one of these delicious milks, but nine times out of ten a close friends will lend me a dollar so I can satisfy myself with this tasty beverage. Nothing sounds better than a refreshing cold bottle of milk at the end of the day after strenuous work in Online Publishing. Everyone gets sick of Gatorade and water after a while, so adding in the decision of milk is definitely a benefit to the students. Another drink they allow to the students is the Arizona Iced Teas, which are also sold for a dollar. It may provide you with a more satisfying drink since it has more liquid in the can, but nothing completes a meal like milk does. It might seem like I am ranting about milk over and over again, but it is a well-known fact that milk is one of the essential liquids you need to make your bones stronger, and provides you with calcium, which can benefit your teeth. If I were to choose one drink to drink for the rest of my life, it would no doubt in my mind be milk. White milk preferably, because you start to feel kind of sick after too much chocolate milk. Everybody knows that.

iPhone

My first choice blog to start off this week of blogs is going to be about the iPhone. The iPhone comes to mind because I am going to get it on Saturday, and that is probably the most exciting news I have heard in a few months. I recently smashed the screen on my phone because I got angry at Madden. That might seem kind of pathetic, but it is definitely a legitimate reason to do such a thing. I obviously regretted it immediately, but there is nothing I can do about it. I have wanted the iPhone for a while now but T-Mobile doesn’t sell it, so I have to get a whole new contract with Verizon and get a whole new number. It’s going to be a hassle to hand my number back out to everybody, but it’s whatever. No other phone quite compares to the iPhone. It’s convenient, fast, and has thousands upon thousands of apps that can assist you with everyday life, whether it is for personal reasons, or just entertainment. Also, if you have an iPod, you won’t even need it anymore, so you could sell it to get some cash back. This phone should last me a long time because I know I will enjoy it so much that I wouldn’t dare smash it because of a video game. If I do, then I’m just an idiot. The iPhone will not only keep me satisfied for many years to come, but I will also not have to worry about phone problems or things of that nature. Everyone I know who has had an iPhone always says how perfect it is. That’s one thing I have always wanted because every phone I ever get ends up doing something I do not want it to do.

Billy Madison

I’m sure you have all seen the great classic that I am going to write about during this Blog, and that great movie is called Billy Madison. Starring Adam Sandler, it was filmed at the same time as Happy Gilmore, and they were released to the public at around the same time. The amount of one liners that one person can recall from the movie in one sitting would probably take about a day. This movie doesn’t only bring back childhood memories for me, but also for the one and only Mr. Currin. Mr. Currin actually called me and Jose Blanco into his so called ‘office’ to tell us that we were reciting lines that made him pretty nostalgic. It makes you think about what makes a movie so memorable that even your super old teachers remember it from their child hood. But for this movie, it’s no doubt the comedy parts of the movie. If for some odd, unexplainable reason you haven’t seen this timeless classic, the movie is about the son of a millionaire that is not the smartest guy in the world. His Dad decides that his son isn’t smart enough to take over the business, so Billy goes back to school starting from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade to prove to his father that he is smart enough. If he fails any of the grades, the business will be handed over to one of Billy’s dad’s business partners, Eric. Eric is your typical jerk in a movie, and Billy really hates the guy. The movie has a pretty big twist in the end, and Billy actually ends up depending on an Academic Triathlon. I’m not going to tell you how the movie ends obviously, so you are going to have to take the remaining time out of your day to go to the store, buy the DVD, and watch it. You’re welcome.

Three Wishes

I’m sure I’ll never come across a genie at any point in my life, but if that were to happen, I know the exact three wishes that I would say to the man. First off, I would wish to always have exact change for whatever I was buying right in my pocket. For example, if I were going to buy a new television for $501.76, I would have that exact amount of money in my wallet when I pulled out my pocket. This would be way better than wishing for a million dollars, because you wouldn’t be limited and you wouldn’t have to store your money anymore, or even worry about it. The next wish that I would want to be granted is the power to resurrect people that are deceased. Not that I have really lost anybody too close to me, I just think it would be the greatest thing you could do for somebody that lost somebody that had a special spot in their lives. People would never have to worry about losing a significant other in their lives, and that would just be one less thing to worry about during your life. The third and final wish that I would want to be granted is the ability to recall any information that I have ever picked up either consciously or subconsciously. I’m sure anybody would be surprised on all of the stuff that has been fed to them, but not remembered because they let everything go in one ear and out the other. You’d be seen as a genius to the public, but you wouldn’t have to study or take time away from the stuff that you would actually want to do. These would easily be the three wishes that I would wish for, because they would not only make my life a lot easier for myself, but it could be a great benefit to others.

Favorite Music Genre

I don’t I can really choose a favorite music genre, but if I were to choose one I would have to choose bluegrass. Nothing too bluegrassy, but something in between bluegrass and rock. My favorite band, the Avett Brothers, are labeled as bluegrass and rock. They have many different types of songs ranging from slow and quiet to fast paced and loud. If I were to choose a favorite song by them, I’d have to choose Murder in the City. It’s more of a slower song and the lyrics are more meaningful. I can also play the song on guitar, which is another reason why I like it so much. Another music genre that I would have label as one of my favorites is rap. I don’t like Lil Wayne though, unlike most rap fans. My favorite rappers would have to be Mac Miller and Eminem. It’s kind of ironic that they are both white, but whatever. Eminem is obviously seen as one of the greatest rappers of all time, and most respected because he made it into hip hop even though it’s seen as the black area of music. He raps about real life rather than drugs and women like 90% of rappers these days, and it’s always nice to hear something different. Another music genre that I have grown an interest to just because I have been around it so much due to moving here is country. I think every single kid in Alden is a fan of country music. It all sounds the same to me but there is no denying that it can get catchy at times. I think once you hear it at first there is really nothing to enjoy about it, but eventually you will become a conformist and just tag along with everybody else. That’s how everybody is these days, they like whatever everybody else likes. Nothing I can do about it, though.

Favorite Book

I wouldn’t call myself much of a reader, but I have read enough books in my day to choose a favorite. This might sound cliché, but I have to be the one to say that the most enjoyable book that I have ever read was the third Harry Potter book. I am not much of a reader nowadays, but back when I was in middle school, Harry Potter books were the thing to read. I started reading the books before middle school, but I reread them in 7th grade and actually got an understanding for them. I haven’t read them in a while now, the only stuff I read nowadays are the things that are mandatory for school. I read articles and news and stuff, but I never feel the urge to pick up a random book and read it. I don’t feel that not reading is doing me any harm or affecting me in any way, because it’s not like I need to pick up any new vocabulary. I can already speak the English language well enough. Reading would be doing me nothing beneficially, especially if I don’t even want to read. Recently, I have been reading a lot of Cracked articles. Cracked is a website that provides articles about random things, but actually provides factual information. The best part about it is that they put a comedy spin on in, so you can actually enjoy it while you’re reading if it’s a topic that you’re not interested in. One example of a cracked article is “The 7 Dumbest Ideas of 2011”, then gives 7 things that are considered dumb to society, and describes them with comedy. They can make you laugh at loud at times, and provides you with information that you can tell to other people because the information is actually true. I suggest you check out the website because you will find yourself looking at the website every day for a new article.

3 Favorite Movies

There is no doubt that there are three movies that stand above the rest from the ones that I have seen. The number one movie that I have ever watched was The Shawshank Redemption. It’s even ranked the number one movie on the movie rating site, IMDb. The movie is about a guy named Andy who is sentenced back to back life sentences for the murder of his wife and another guy, even though he was innocent. He makes good friends with another convict named Red, who can get just about anything from outside of the jail. I don’t want to spoil the movie, but his main goal throughout the movie is to escape jail and move out of the country. I highly advise it because I can watch the movie over and over and enjoy each time. Another great movie that I have seen was Law Abiding Citizen. This movie is about a guy whose wife and child were murdered and raped right in front of him, and he wants to get revenge on the guy who did it. He ends up murdering the guy who did it, and once he is in jail he still finds ways of murdering other people. He ends up becoming delusional and starts killing all of the people who were to blame for his family’s death. They can’t figure out how he is doing it from inside jail, and there is a big twist at the end. The movie has a great story line and a good amount of action and violence to keep you interested. The third and final movie that I am going to choose that make it into my favorite all time would have to be Inception. A lot of people find this movie too hard to follow and degrade because they can’t understand it. You have to watch a couple times to get a full understanding of what is going on, and once you realize what is going on, you realize that it is one of the most unique and creative story lines of all time. The main star in the movie is Leonardo DiCaprio, who is obviously seen as one of the greatest actors ever. If you haven’t seen the movie in a while and only saw it in theaters when it first came out, I highly advise you see it again so you can see where I am coming from when I say it is one of the greatest movies that I have ever seen.

I hate choice blogs.

I really don’t know what to write about for my choice blog. Therefore, I am going to write about how much I despise writing choice blogs. To be quite honest, I don’t even know why Mr. Currin even gives us the choice. I think it’s because he is too lazy to think of another topic for his students, so he makes us to do all of the work. Nothing new under the sun, though. Whenever we are done with a week of this class, I always look at the next group of blogs and see if there is a choice blog or not. If there is, it just makes me have to think so much more than I already do in the class and it really gets me stressed out. Not only do I have to deal with Mike Steffan complaining about what to write for his article, I also have to think of what to write for my choice blog. Another thing that makes this whole thing tough is having the one and only Justin Patterson sitting to my left. I always hear the music blasting out of his headphones and I would definitely consider it a nuisance. Then there is Brian Stoldt… oh man where do I start with this one? He always claims he is working when in reality he is just socializing. There are only two things that that kid does good… play the quarter back position, and socialize. Work definitely is not his forte. This blog has turned into my complaints about Online Publishing, when in reality it all revolves around choice blogs. That is one solid reason why I think choice blogs should be eliminated and never brought back. Mr. Currin… if you’re reading this, take it into consideration. My opinion obviously means everything to you, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see a choice blog again. Good day.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is one of the most anticipated holidays throughout the year and everybody looks forward to the food. On the day before Thanksgiving and the day of, I don’t eat anything so I can eat as much as possible when the dinner comes around and then pass out. Every year I go to my grandparent’s house, and everybody else in the family goes as well. Everybody brings their own food that they are good at making, and they share with everybody else. Before we start eating though, we usually play games like the Wii or Apples to Apples. It always gets competitive, especially when I face my brother in anything. We usually play cards too and we have money in the middle so whoever wins gets all of the money. We sit in the same spot every year when we start eating. Since everybody makes the same food every year, we know exactly what to expect from people and that’s the best because you might have a favorite thing that somebody makes and you know that they are going to make it. My personal favorite is my Aunt’s cheesy potatoes, but let’s not go there. There isn’t much else to say about my Thanksgiving traditions because the main focus of Thanksgiving is the food and nothing else. The weather isn’t usually good enough to do anything outside, but if the weather is good enough we usually go outside and play dodge ball or Kan Jam. Once everybody is done eating and everything is said and done, we leave to go home. I’m obviously stuffed at this point, and all I want is a good, undisturbed slumber. I pass out a lot earlier than normal on Thanksgiving, for obvious reasons. Thanksgiving definitely is not my favorite holiday throughout the year, but I do look forward to in these next couple weeks.

Favorite Holiday

There are not too many holidays throughout the year that you actually celebrate with all of your family, but out of the ones that I do, I would have to say that Christmas is the greatest holiday of all. All of your siblings come home and you get free presents, nothing beats it. I open up all of my presents on Christmas Eve at night, and then deal with everything in the morning. It makes it easier to sleep at night, and since everybody is already home, you may as well open up the presents that are there. The dinner on Christmas is one of the best as well. Eating ham with the whole family is such a good feelings and knowing that everybody around you is happy only makes you happier. Another positive to Christmas means that there is snow outside, and that means ice hockey. I started playing hockey with my friends at the park a few years ago and it’s always been fun. One of the greatest parts of Christmas is the break off of school. It’s about a week off of school and it’s nice to just relax and not have to worry about homework all of the time. Once Christmas is over, you know the New Year is right around the corner and it’s a whole other chance to set goals for yourself and have another chance at things that you didn’t get to do the year before. Christmas is going to be here in a little less than 2 months and I have no clue what I want for Christmas. It seems that the older you get, the less you really want to get anything big. Giving to others starts to become more important than getting the presents. This year I am going to focus on giving people presents rather than expecting people to give me presents.

Influential Teacher

There are not too many teachers that have really impacted me, but there is definitely one guy in this district that has changed my high school life in a huge way. That man would be Mr. MacCowan. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be working out as much as I do to this day. Way back in 9th grade, somebody pointed out that I was putting up impressive numbers, and he confronted me in the hallway asking me if it was true. After I agreed, he was quick to tell me that the weight room was open three days out of the week every week, and that he was there every day. The first day I went there, I obviously wasn’t as strong as most of the kids in there, but those kids were definitely there to help me whenever I needed some motivation or something as simple as a spotter. Working out is one of my favorite parts of going to school, because when I am done with a workout, it always feels good to know that I accomplished something that day. Not only does it make me feel better physically, but also keeps me in check emotionally. Some of the kids I work out with have definitely made some memories with myself, and I have made some great relationships with them. They motivate me and help me put up bigger numbers than I ever even imagined on doing. Now that I am a senior, it gives me the opportunity to the kids that are starting to work out. I was in the same position they were in, so I know exactly what they need to get their head on straight and make sure that they are working out correctly and getting the right forms. They are there for me as well, especially when I don’t think I can handle a certain weight and I need a spotter. If it wasn’t for Mr. MacCowan, high school would definitely not be as enjoyable as it has been.

Post-High school Plans

Even though it’s only October, I can already tell that I am going to miss high school as soon as it’s gone. It’s the place where you can socialize with your friends and learn. You don’t see half the kids you see in school over the summer. That’s one thing I have learned to appreciate about school. You get to see everybody, every single day. Unfortunately, it has to come to end. I’m not entirely sure of my plan yet, but I think I have an idea of what I want to do. Accounting is coming really easy to me compared to most of the kids in my class, and I think I might want to go somewhere with that. I want to get all of my basic classes done at ECC or GCC and save up enough money to get to a decent college and get a degree in Accounting. I don’t have the best grades in the world, but I think that if I get a good enough grade on my SAT’s, that will show that I do have the wits to do whatever I want to do. I still need to find a job so I can start saving up some money. My total income is zero at this moment which obviously isn’t a very good start. I also have to start saving up some money so I can make my sister’s wedding in Jamaica in August. According to my sister, I have to save up $1900 dollars which is going to be quite the challenge if I want to have a good time with my friends without wasting too much money. I’m sure there are more kids out there that have their future more planned out than I do, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’ll be fine with whatever I happen to do.

Favorite Class

Senior year has fewer classes than all of the other years, so it’s much easier to choose a favorite class. Out of all of my classes, I would have to say my favorite class is, without a doubt, Online Publishing. The first and main reason behind my decision is because Mr. Rob Currin is the teacher. He is the easiest going teacher throughout the school and he makes the class fun by keeping a smile on everyone’s face. Also, the things we do in the class are relatable to you in real life. You have to write blogs that actually relate to you rather than having to do research on different things and trying to find information on different people. This makes the class much easier and you don’t have to worry about getting a topic that you don’t know about. Another good part about the class is that you write articles for the school newspaper, and everybody gets to see your published work. The thing that I write about each week is called “Teacher Feature”, and I choose a teacher each week to interview about their life and what they enjoy about teaching. Not only do kids get to learn about some of their favorite teachers, but teachers get recognized and noticed. These kinds of things can really boost a teacher’s confidence and make their day that much better. It makes me feel good that I can make a teacher’s day, because not only will they respect me, but then I will be a remembered student. Nobody wants to be the kid in school that isn’t remembered by anybody. You want to be able to visit the school in years to come and still be able to have a conversation with any teacher and bring back memories. Those are several reasons on why I enjoy my Online Publishing class so much.

Choice Blog 2 - Doodler

Since this is my choice blog, I have decided to dedicate this one to my good friend, Michael Steffan. When I first moved here in sixth grade, I had no idea the kid even existed. In middle school, there were teams. We happened to be on separate teams in the sixth grade, so we didn’t have the chance to meet each other. Pretty much all of middle school was the same without Michael. Although, when ninth grade rolled around, we finally conversed and befriended each other. Ninth grade Spanish is when the memories started to come up. It all began with Michael, myself, and Ryan Snyder. I think the most memorable part about Spanish was when we made a project about Tom Brady falling off of a roller coaster and breaking all of his bones. There was another time when Mrs. Zimdahl put on some weird music, and us three started laughing extremely hard and Ryan got moved to the other side of the room. The worst part about it was that she kept the music on and we could still see each other, so it was still difficult to maintain our composure. When we hang out, literally anything that happens around us gets us to laugh. No matter what it is we can find something to laugh at about it. If it wasn’t for Michael, there is no doubt my high school experience would not be nearly as enjoyable as it has been for the past 4 years. My senior year has basically just begun, and I plan on making several more memories with my good friend, Michael. Since we are in the same Online Publishing class, which is why I’m doing this blog, we get to see each other every other day and we get to laugh about whatever comes to mind. If it wasn’t for Michael, my life would not be what it is today.

Bullying

As you may all know, there has been another recent death out here in Western New York. The reasoning behind this one seems a little less ethical compared to others, and it’s because the kid was gay. He had been tormented for a few years in school for being gay, and a lot of the kids in school were saying there was no point in him living and he may as well kill himself because nobody cares about him. Some of you may say that the kid should have stood up for himself, but it’s a lot harder than you think when it happens to you. Day after day he was being bashed for being gay, and it’s not like he could control it. Teenagers in school need to learn to accept people for who they are and move on, rather than constantly being on their case about what they are doing. You should let people live their lives the way they want to, and worry about yours in the meantime. Just because somebody isn’t the same as you doesn’t mean you should make fun of what they do, just because you don’t do it the same way. I think Lady Gaga deserves a lot of respect for reacting the way she did, because people pay more attention to serious situations if a celebrity a somebody well known is taking action on the topic of bullying. Bullying is and always will be around, but actions should be taken if students are caught doing it. It’s not right that kids have been committing suicide because of bullying. It’s basically murdering somebody, because it’s somebody that drove them to do that. There should definitely be serious consequences if a teenager is caught bullying another kid, because who knows how many more will end up committing suicide over something so stupid.

Favorite Alden Restaurant

When you think of restaurants in Alden, not too many come to mind except for pizzerias. Carbones, Geoffanos, La Paloma’s, Town Line Pizza… But those get old. If I were to pick a favorite restaurant, I would have to choose the WAK. For the people in Alden that don’t know what that means, it’s the West Alden Kitchen. It’s somewhat secluded, and not something you really notice when you pass it. I have personally only been there once in my life, but the hamburger I got there was one of the best that I have ever had. The service there was great, and the food didn’t take too long. Also, it wasn’t very crowded at all which is something that is very important when it comes to restaurants, because nothing is worse than waiting in line to sit in a restaurant. Because then, you have to wait even longer to even get your even since there are so many people there. I definitely plan on taking many more trips there in the future, because it’s been a couple months since I have gone. Another nice little restaurant in the town of Alden is Weber’s Grill. I have only been there three times, but each time has been a successful experience. I once when in there running on zero hours asleep, because I had already been up for about 26 hours. The breakfast there woke me up and allowed me to carry through about 42 hours without sleeping. That’s probably one of the greatest things I have ever accomplished, but that’s a different story. Out of all of the pizzerias in Alden, I would have to say it’s a tie between Carbones and Geoffanos. Geoffanos definitely has the more superior pizza, but their wings do not even compare to Carbones. They both have their ups and downs, and that’s why it is tough for me to make a final decision on which one I would rather choose.

Favorite Schools Lunches

There are many enjoyable lunches here at Alden High School that kids look forward to when they wake up in the morning, but the one that stands out in particular for myself would have to be the chicken patty. Everybody else chooses tacos, so I figured that would be kind of cliché. Chicken parry doesn’t come often either, unlike tacos which come once every two weeks. There is no specified day for chicken patty, which is what makes it best because it will catch you by surprise when the day comes around, and it makes that day so much better. There are some benefits to taco day, though. They come with the churros, which are always really good. They basically make taco day. I think the closest contender to chicken patties would have to be the hamburgers. They give you so many options to put on them (lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, relish, cheese). At first glance, the hamburgers are nothing to drool over, but the taste of them really surprises you, they don’t taste how you think they would taste. But chicken patties are still much more superior. Next in line for one of the best lunches that nobody really talks about is the meatball bomber. It consists of a sub roll, four meatballs, spaghetti sauce, and some shredded cheese, which basically tops it off. I don’t know why that lunch isn’t talked about, or why it doesn’t have its own specific day. It’s definitely a lunch that should be looked forward to. One lunch that would have been added to this list is the pizza. Unfortunately, the school’s pizza does not compare to what it had last year because something happened with the Big Daddy Pizza Company. Not really sure what, but either way we don’t have it anymore and now the school’s pizza kind of sucks.

Favorite Teachers

Since I get to write about whatever I want in this blog, I am going to write about some of my favorite teachers in the school. I’m going to make a list of three teachers in this school that I enjoy having as a teacher the most, starting out with number three. Number three would have to be Mr. Foss. Mr. Foss is one of the most appreciative teachers in this school because of all of the hard work he puts out to make sure his students gets good grades so he can make this school look like a better place. His stories are very fascinating and he has so many of them that you can’t even keep count. He has his own way of teaching and it has been successful for many students, including myself. Another teacher that deserves a little love is Mr. Paul Casillo. He’s a well-rounded guy that treats everybody with respect. He’s a pretty nice guy and he can always carry on a conversation. He teaches his lessons well enough for the students to understand and remember. He’s easy going with his students and is anything but strict. If you have only had him as a teacher for health, you have to take FYE so you can have him as a teacher for another class. The third and final teacher that I respect and enjoy the most in this school is the one and only, Mr. Rob Currin (from Angola). Everybody loves him as a guy and a teacher because he is the funniest teacher in the school and always has a smile on his face. He can be serious when he wants to be, but most of the time he is easy going. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely take classes if any of these teachers teach them, because you will have a good time.

Greatest Moment of my Life

Out of all of the great moments that I have experienced in my life, it’s going to be a tough task alone to choose just one. Even though I didn’t do much to accomplish this one, I think the greatest moment of my life was moving out to Alden. If I didn’t move out here, God knows that I would be up to right now. The place that I used to live is kind of run down nowadays, and that’s not the kind of place that I would want to live in. I like living out in the country-ish area, not having to worry about robberies or shooting or anything like that, it’s nice and peaceful out here. Also, the people are much better people than they were out in the place that I used to live in. The first day I moved here, I went across the street to my soon to be best friend’s house, Gavin Laben. I felt welcomed by his family, and when school rolled around he introduced to me to several other kids that turned out to be some of my best friends. If it weren’t for my friends, I don’t even know what kind of person I would be right now. I am the kind of person that I want to be and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I feel very welcomed and liked in my school, which is very important because you don’t want to wake up every morning knowing you’re not going to be noticed or acknowledged in school. The friends that I have created relationships with is something that I definitely do not regret doing, because it has made me the person that I am today. I am perfectly content with my life, and that’s how it should be.

Favorite Season

Out of all four seasons, I would have to say the one that comes out on top is summer. Even though that is a little cliché, there are specific reasons for that. First and most importantly, summer break. Everybody loves the fact that they don’t have to go to school for another three months. Sleeping in is probably the best thing about summer because waking up at 6:30 in the morning is not something your average teenager enjoys doing. Every kid dreads getting up from their comfortable bed to have to go shower and get ready for school. Once the beginning of June rolls around, that’s all kids are looking forward to. But this year, I don’t really have much to look forward to throughout the summer. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when the end of summer rolls around, since I am not going to be returning to high school. Well, I hope not. Another reason why summer is so awesome is all of the parties and the freedom that you have compared to being in the school year. There is much more time for friends and family throughout the summer, unlike just having the weekends to spend your time not worrying about your schoolwork. I’d have to say Fall is definitely in the running with being one of my favorite seasons, for several reasons a well. Fall is the perfect weather… not too warm, not too cold. Also, that is the time that MLB Playoffs are being played. I’m a big fan of the New York Yankees, and following them is one of my favorite things to do because a lot of my other friends follow different teams and it’s interesting to see who gets knocked out and who wins it all. It’s fun to talk trash to the friends that teams get knocked out because then you can brag about your team winning.

Facebook

Along with most, I am a member of the Facebook society. The reasoning behind this one is because everybody else uses it and it’s a great way to interact with your family and friends, no matter where you are. It is extremely convenient because you can get a hold of whichever friend want, whenever you want. You can get it off your laptop, computer, cell phone… pretty much anything. It is also a great way to meet new people and share your thoughts and likings to the public. It is a good way to get people to know what kind of person you are, and gives you a chance to make relationships with people that you want to meet. Some positives to Facebook are that it gives you a chance to talk to people that you have always wanted to talk to, but don’t necessarily have the chance to. It is a good way to spread news about anything that could possibly pertain to you, and keep you updated on what’s going on in the world. Along with all of these positives, there are plenty of negatives to go along with them. First off, the most annoying thing about Facebook is the immature little girls complaining about guys. Another thing that people are starting to hate a lot more is how much Facebook changes around their home page, and it is starting to confuse people because of all of the changes. People are going to start quitting Facebook and switch to other socializing websites, such as Google+ and MySpace. I think people will stick with Facebook though for the most part, because people are lazy these days and they are probably not going to take the effort to create a whole new profile on a whole new website. I will be sticking with Facebook until the very end.

Senior School Year

This school year, I hope to accomplish several things. Obviously, I hope to pass the school year without getting below merit roll, because I don’t want to make myself look bad. I have a lot less classes to focus on this year so I don’t think it will be a difficult task to accomplish. Another thing that I plan to accomplish throughout this year is not regretting anything. Even though you shouldn’t do some things in school, sometimes you’ve got to make memories. You will be punished for a little bit, but it will seem like nothing when you’re growing up. I want to maintain my friends throughout the year, because by now I have the friends that I want and I don’t necessarily need to make any more in school. Another main thing that I hope to accomplish this school year is to get a job and get my own car. I definitely need a job because I need money for when I go out with my friends and I won’t have to mooch off of my parents. I will also need a car for pretty much the same reason; I won’t have to be asking my friends or parents for rides for every little place that I want to go. Also, I won’t need to pay my friend’s for gas money because it seems like everybody asks for it these days. I know if I were to get a car, I would go out of my way to help my friends, and not beg them for five dollars for gas. Gas is expensive, but not that expensive. One final thing that I would like to accomplish this year is get back in the weight room and improve my numbers. I like being viewed as one of the stronger kids in our grade, so keeping that self image is something that I definitely want to maintain throughout the school year.

Summer 2011

This past summer I went to Las Vegas. I went in early July because my sister was moving there with her fiancé. She went down there to get a job because she wanted better pay than what she was getting at Lindt Chocolate. Also, she didn't want to deal with the Canadians coming into her store because she worked towards Niagara Falls where the Canadian count is high. While I was there I went on the rides on top of the Stratosphere and that was an experience. There is a ride called the Big Shot. It's a 200 foot tower that has seats on the side of it, and it shoots you up to the top. You are already on top of the Stratosphere, which is 1000 feet tall, so the ride is shooting you up to 1200 feet in the air. I saw the water show at the Bellagio, which is the hotel that was used for the movie "21". It was a pretty cool experience. The drive there was definitely full of memories. We drove there and it took a total of 36 hours, and was about 2200 miles in length. We drove through the Rocky Mountains and through Utah, which was full of deserts and mountains which are always cool to look at. The heat is a whole other story. Right when we entered Nevada, the thermometer in the car said it was 115 degrees out. The heat in the west is a lot more bearable because there is basically no humidity, so it's like sitting in an oven. It's still uncomfortable, though. The first night of driving we had to stop to sleep in a motel, but it was very sketchy. It was in the middle of nowhere, so right off the bat you're getting the wrong idea about the place. The minute I walked in, it looked like a nice place... but looks can be deceiving. My sister is a big germophobic so when we entered our room she was looking for anything to downgrade the place so she could convince my Dad to leave the place. She moved a pillow and on the sheets was a spot of blood, and she freaked out. It was only a little bit, but that is definitely not something you ignore. She went to the main desk and ordered a new pair a sheets and the night went on. We left as early as possible so we could just get out of the place. All in all, it was quite the drive, but it definitely lasted a little too long. 36 hours in a car is something nobody wants to do. Although, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time.