15- AshleyM: Sleepless emotions

 As screens take our daily lives , they also take our resting nights. The daily scroll through social media and endless tiktoks that make us stay up past 1. All take up the resting we need.

When waking up for school in the morning it’s hard. Puffy eyes , messy hair and the comfort of our beds. It all contribute to us still wanting to stay in that exact same spot , but we all have to be by school in the early morning to get our daily education.

This immediately ruins anyones mood the thought of going to school early with little to no rest. We start with negative thoughts and whines of all the work we are going to receive. One may think it’s just the thought of school and time spent that ruins our mood , but in reality it’s the time we take away at night.

When being restless all of our energy is gone for the next day. As it keeps us from thinking clearly , having stronger emotions and at times little to no patience.

I’ve definitely felt those symptoms at many times , as I stay up with the blue screen of my phone. It’s understandable as to why I wake up with no energy , but it’s time to put importance of the resting nights to not lash out at others.

15 - Mariza Avalos: A Terrifying Experience

On my sixth birthday, my mom and stepdad decided that it would be a good idea to take me on a vacation trip to Disneyland. It was my very first trip to Disneyland and most of the experience was very fun and memorable except for one unfortunate downside. I barely reached the 40” mark which meant that most of those exciting and fun roller coasters I wasn’t allowed to go on. In fsct, I wasn’t even allowed to ride on Goofy’s Sky School. Instead it would be stuff like the teacups, dumbo, and it’s a small world. Truly, I don’t think there is a ride at disneyland that I despise, but most of those for me were just too boring. 

Everything else was great including the food, other attractions, characters… It was just the rides that made the experience a bit bitter. On our third and final day, I was a bit disappointed about my situation with the rides. We were walking around California Adventure when my mom found that I was able to go on one of the seemingly exciting rides. A ride that was placed kind of in the corner of California Adventures and was in a tall narrow building. It didn’t have a visible name that you could see at ground level, but instead had big letters that were placed at the top which read “Hollywood Tower Hotel.”  

As a matter of child ignorance, I didn’t know what to expect of this ride nor did I read into any of the context clues. I just figured that I would follow my mom and engage in her excitement about the fact that I was finally able to ride something fun… It was a very big mistake because as soon as we stepped into the first elevator, which gave an introduction to the ride, my heart sank. My mom tried to convince me that this ride would be worth waiting in a 30 minute line for, but nothing about this so called Hollywood Tower Hotel gave the idea “fun” to me. 

The atmosphere was made for the ride itself, but as a kindergartener I wasn’t able to comprehend that all of the props and acting were there for the appearance.  There were cobwebs everywhere in the lobby, and the line for the ride was in a dark maintenance area. The screams of the current rides could be heard all throughout the enclosed area in order to ellevate the anticipation. Everything that led up to ride just made my stomach churn more. But of course, it wasn’t until I went on the ride itself that I finally declared this the worst experience of all time. 

15-PrestonK: meet at ARC

 Week15

Track at ARC

This spring break I got the opportunity to go run at the meet of champions at ARC. I got to for the first time in years really see the Track and field world. I got to see new meet records broken by 11th graders and crazy fast times set in the 100 like a 10.78 which is stupid fast. What makes this meet isn't just what I got to see but what I felt. Going and running and being among some of the best in our area really made me understand and realize the track and field life is for me. The competitiveness and joy I get from running is one thing but getting to be around others that have the same passion and drive as me is great. 

I got to see more hurdlers than ever before. Every event was full of a lot of fast runners all fighting for a top spot and that glory of the fastest time. You could overhear people bonding purely of the fact that they run the same event and they are both nervous.

Before my race in the 300 Hurdles I got to see and hear conversation playout in front of me. Going in the race I had the slowest time with a 44.6 and nobody knew. Everyone else was running 43 to 42 seconds so I knew I had to step my game up. While trying to focus I got to hear the two fastest in the 300 hurdles talking. After hearing them talk and say “ i don't know if i even want to continue this' ' it made me ask myself do i really want to be here and run ever? Well I got my answer the moment the gun went off. Even Though i had the slowest time in my heat by a large margin I ran with the fastest of my heat coming in at 3rd and a new pr of 42.85. In doing so I became the fastest hurdler in my league and showed a lot of things I can improve upon for my senior year so a college could want me. Track is the sport I know I love and will continue to do. Even though I dread going to practice and knowing i'm about to get worked hard i still love the sport. 

15-Nigel R: The Importance of PE

    PE is a subject that a lot of people like, however, there’s also a lot of people that don’t like it. I understand both points of view however, I feel like PE is an important class. 

PE should be required because it teaches kids how to keep themselves in shape if they want and it helps them get stronger and be healthier. PE also encourages kids to have healthy habits outside of school.  It’s also been proven to help prevent chronic conditions, contribute to healthy sleep patterns, and boost your immune system.

For PE to be most effective, I feel like it should have at least a day a week where the kids get to choose what activities they want to do, as long as they are participating in something. This can show the kids that exercising can be fun  and it is not always going to be hard. This will also encourage the kids to participate because they will know that not all exercise is draining, especially when they get to choose what they want to do. 

Another way for it to be effective is it should be graded on effort because not everyone is the same. Some people are more athletic than others and they shouldn’t be penalized for not being as athletic. As long as someone is giving their best effort, they should get a good grade in the class. 

PE is a class that should be required, but it shouldn’t be too strict to where people don’t want to participate. It should be fun so it can encourage kids to exercise and benefit them.

Word Count: 268

15 - Diego B: The Life of Legacies

Our lives mean a great deal to us as well as those around us. However, life can often seem fleeting and easily lost. Sometimes it is so short that we forget to realize the missed opportunities which we create in our lives and can only reflect on how one’s life could be different if they chose a certain course of action. These opportunities may have not only affected our welfare, but the welfare of others as well. These opportunities build toward an eventual legacy, a legacy realized when our actions and effects on those around us become fixed in society. There are two kinds of deaths: one where one dies and cannot play with the world anymore, and another where our name and our influence is last noticed by those after us. It is the second which we should strive to preserve. Legacies vary in terms of quality; one may find enjoyment in abusing their powers, or they may attempt to cherish the minds of others, one may find a new way to shape the world and our relation with it. The legacies which we strive for, the enduring life which you may wish to pursue, can only be shaped by the actions and opportunities which arise in our lives and the decisions which we make with them. Our legacies can only be realized due to the opportunities which we may have missed, as well as the opportunities ahead of us. The challenge of life, however, is that it only provides us with so much time to affect those opportunities. Pursue your legacy even if life will not give you forever to realize it, because in the long run, one will never really die until their legacy is forgotten.

15- Katrina Smith: The controversy against America's favorite airplane

I’m a lover of movies of all genres, but documentaries always captivate my attention the most. I'm also a lover of airplanes. Since I was young, I’ve always been fascinated by airplanes and how they worked and at some point I even wanted to be a pilot, (but changed that out for a career in film). Combining these two, the Netflix documentary “Downfall: The Case against Boeing” was a perfect match for my viewing pleasure. 

When you think of aircraft manufacturers, you will probably imagine the Boeing 737. This airplane is the most common commercial airplane you'll encounter. Beginning in the 1950s, Boeing was rising to the top in popularity for commercial aircrafts. The Boeing 7X7 series has overtaken airports by storm since arrival. However, in recent years Boeing has been hit with controversy of some of their airplanes crashing themselves. 

The documentary begins by giving background on the manufacturing in Boeing's headquarters in Seattle. Since their beginning, the company has prioritized safety and innovation, always having multiple safety inspectors and engineers overseeing construction of commercial airplanes. This is why they got so popular. Boeing was safe and reliable, until it wasn't. 

In the 1980s, Boeing's main competitor was Airbus, a European company. With new management, Boeing began to prioritize passing this company in revenue. Their main goal was to be better than Airbus within profit margin. With this, safety and reliability were down on the list of priorities and Boeing’s plane manufacturing began to decline behind the scenes. Planes were being made with cheaper materials, safety inspectors were lessened to one per team. One inspector cannot catch everything, so tools were being left on the planes, and other hazardous materials that impact the dependability of the planes. This trend kept going till 2017, when the Boeing 737 Max was released. This aircraft was supposed to be a new updated and better version than it's successor, the 737, but became something much worse. 

Lion air flight 610 was an Indonesian flight scheduled to travel domestically in 2018. It was supposed to be a regular flight but crashed into the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia on October 29th, just 13 minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 passengers and crew. The airplane used in this flight was a boeing 737 Max. At first no one suspected that the crash could be the fault of the actual airplane. Many speculated that it was the pilots fault and that both pilots had made errors. When the blackbox of the plane was found, the cockpit voice recording and the flight data recorder. The cockpit voice recorder records the interactions between pilots and traffic control, and the flight data recorder shows the altitude, airspeed, and direction, and the throttles status as the plane flies. What this data showed investigators was extremely odd. The air traffic controllers warned the pilots they were too close to approaching terrain and that the plane was too low, however this was completely false from the pilots point of view. From his perspective, the flight was going smoothly. In simple terms, the planes sensors were wrong and were reading data falsely. Most planes now have automatic functions so this wrong data caused the plane to move upwards due to the mechanics. This was completely unnecessary and the pilot tried to fight this automatic function and it caused the plane to go down, and crash into the sea. This was not the only instance of this technical error. The documentary oves another example of an Ethiopian flight that encountered the same exact issue. This was an error in the plane's mechanics, not the pilot's fault. 

The documentary goes far more in depth on the actual technicalities and also the aftermath of the tragedy and it's effects on families involved. Boeing took no responsibility for this faulty manufacturing issue that happened two times and families were left to fight for their lost loved ones. I really enjoyed this documentary and it shows how going the short way for money and status can sacrifice so much. 

Words: 637

15 - Janessa H: My Legacy

 My Legacy

A person's legacy by definition means the impact someone has on both their own life and the lives of others, along with accomplishments and unforgettable memories. As a society we often place this attribute on famous people or the rich. These big stars often represent the word legacy when in reality you don't have to have been on TV or own a big college campus to have built a legacy.

Everyday people just like you and me build legacies everyday whether huge or tiny we can change lives and accomplish things throughout our lives so hopefully by the end of it we as people will have those unforgettable memories that we will be remembered by, and core memories others will hold onto that helped shape people's lives. I hope my own actions can shed some light on others in my life and teach not only lessons but certain examples to persevere even when it feels impossible. 

I'm building my legacy as we speak. I put myself into spots I’m needed and put on a smile even when I don't want to, to make someone's day better. I want to be remembered after my time so I will keep being my loud, outspoken self and I hope people can see what I did and accomplished, I don't want to leave the world behind knowing everything I did was for nothing and everything I did was pointless, I hope my legacy truly means something and inspires the ones around me however my legacy is far from over, it has just begun.

15-Jenna K: My Decade Long Grudge Against a Disney Employee

Being the youngest in my family, I always felt left out when I was growing up and one of my parents took my brother on a ride while the other one waited outside with me because I wasn’t tall enough. Although not technically a rollercoaster, the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland was one of the first fast paced, thrill type rides that I ever went on. I loved the ride from the very first time I experienced it, but getting to that point was a long and frustrating process. Many people can probably relate to the feeling of being little and trying to make themselves seem taller so they can make it past the height requirement of the ride they are trying to get on. The Kellis family always used the old fashioned strategy of going to the nearest bathroom and stuffing mine and my brother’s shoes with toilet paper and napkins to give us the few extra inches we needed to meet the requirement. Time and time again, this method of cheating the system worked like a charm, until I tried to get on to the Indiana Jones ride. We started out the mission just like we had countless times before, we thought we were experts at defying the Disney cast members by this point. My mom took me into the bathroom and we stuffed as much napkins and toilet paper as we possibly could into my little Skechers, and then my dad carried me all the way to the ride so I wouldn’t flatten them on the way there. When we finally arrived to the lady standing next to the height requirement, my dad gently set me down and I confidently walked the last remaining feet to her and stood under the bar with my head held high (literally). My head just barely touched the top of the bar, but it was enough. I had the biggest grin on my face and my family was so excited that I was finally tall enough (even if my success was built on a toilet paper pile of lies). We enjoyed a few seconds of happiness until the evil Disney cast member put her hand on the top of my head and gently pressed down. It wasn’t much force, but it was enough to make me sink down, completely crushing the strategically placed napkins and toilet paper in my shoes. “She’s not tall enough,” the lady said to my parents. For the first time ever, someone saw through our lies. My heart was even more crushed than the napkins in my shoes. I sat with my mom and cried while my dad and brother went on the ride, just like I was used to doing many times in the past. Luckily, we went back using the same method later that day and a different Cast Member checked my height and I made it through to the ride. Indiana Jones has since become one of my favorite rides at Disneyland, but every time I go on it I remember this story. It’s been over 10 years, but I will never forgive that lady. word count: 521

15-Khaleah A: Sprinklers

 

As June and July come around where the weather gets hotter and the days get longer. The early days of my adolescence. Where my cousins and I would spend most of our summer at our granny’s house. God made us cousins because he knew our mothers couldn't handle us as siblings.

 The long days were filled with hide n seek, otter pop ice pops, and tag. Hours would go by filled with laughs, bonding, and fighting. The days when our granny would turn on her front yard sprinklers and let us run amok until we got tired enough not to be running in and out of her house, letting all her cool air out. With the cooling relief, the sprinklers brought from the 90-degree heat and the rebel of no sunscreen. 

We cherish the moments of our team’s water fights and being able to spend time together. As we were older we reminisced on all of the fun memories my granny provided for us and the appreciation of watching us while our parents were at work. We reminisce on all the lectures about how the family is everything, and how we must always stick up for each other. It caught us that throughout life we will always have this family to rely on in a time of need. 

Her house is a resemblance to our family, with the same sprinklers we would play in our parent's played in. A common tradition of pure happiness. The number of sacrifices and struggles my great-grandmother put into our family to make it a whole. She was the glue for our family and made the best of any situation.

15- Ethan R - Training your legacy

 For the most part of my high school career, I have dedicated most of my life to the school with ASB leadership. Hundreds of extra hours are dedicated after school or before school every quarter. I have shown examples to my younger leaders and exceeded all the other leaders in my class being president for the past 4 years and I'm going to be ASB president next year. 

That means i will co-teach the kids next year with Mr. ropelato and all the pressure will be on our shoulders, and honestly, I'm terrified but next year will be my year to leave my legacy. I will be the one with the students answering and working with them firsthand. I have seen amazing ASB presidents who do everything and show the kids they care, and I've seen some who just pass by and leave rope with the burden of the class, and with that much stress that cannot be placed on one person alone or else rope will get broken down and the whole class will suffer. So i must take that mantle as his right-hand man but it's just so much responsibility i feel i'm not ready for.

But I know i can teach these kids the right way and that the legacy i want to leave on my leaders, to teach and mentor them and be a father figure to them. Im class mom, the youngest, and first boy mom, and I've watched and cared for them this year and i'm just afraid i'll fail them when i take too much pressure. I'll work with my leaders and train them to be phenomenal leaders hopeful when they talk to their peers when im gone i can still be a role model for them to see and remember.

15- Yara A: Sleep Deprivation

 Blog #15- Sleep Deprivation

Ideally, most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Although, some people may only need as few as 6 hours or as many as 10. There are many factors that play into how much sleep you receive every night ranging from stress, school, or simply poor sleeping habits. It is important to establish a healthy sleeping cycle so that you feel energized and not drowsy throughout the day. Some of the positives of sleeping include getting sick less often, remaining at a healthy weight, less stress, an improvement in your mood and it lowers the risk of acquiring serious health problems. A negative outcome of not sleeping enough is it affects your mental abilities and emotional state; this means you are more likely to be impatient or prone to mood swings. 

In the Ted Talk, How Sleep Affects Your Emotions Matt Walker a sleep scientist, professor, and author explains what lack of sleep does to our emotions as well as explaining how acquiring those 8 hours of sleep everyday can only benefit us, not hurt us. Matt Walker explains that when a healthy human being does not receive enough sleep it makes us more emotionally irrational as well as hyperactive. From personal experience I can vouch that this is true (at least for me). When I don’t feel as if my body received the full amount of sleep (8 hours) I tend to notice I go through mood swings. Whether that is being really energized one moment to sad then next or significantly feeling drowsy without the means to do anything. Comparing it to when I do sleep for the full 8 hours I tend to feel better and more prepared to take on the challenges the day will bring. 

While my personal experience is not enough Matt Walker provides evidence and goes on to say that it all has to do with two of the biggest regions that control our emotions one is the amygdala and the other is the prefrontal cortex. He explains that the prefrontal cortex is what controls the amygdala and when our bodies don’t get enough sleep, the connection between the two becomes essentially severed and responds far more reactively due to the lack of sleep. The Ted Talk was very intriguing to watch as it enlightened me as to what goes on in my head when I don’t receive enough sleep. It was a good reminder to establish good sleeping habits to avoid mood swings. 

Word Count: 414

15-Raymond L- Medusa

I have always loved roller coasters ever since I rode my very first big roller coaster which was Medusa at six flags. My parents told me to just try it out since I had never been on a big roller coaster. Beforehand roller coasters scared me, I would always wonder what would happen if I got stuck at the top or in one of the upside down loops. My parents would never bring me to six flags with them as much because there was no point since I would never go on any of the rides anyways. So the one day that I went with them they told me that I had to try Medusa. I went on the ride and on the way up I was looking around and kept telling myself not to look down but I did anyway. A huge drop was right in front of me and I had no idea what I got myself into. 

We got off the ride and I was crying because of all the wind pushing into my eyes making them water. I told my parents I hated the ride but in reality I actually loved it. I wanted to stay away from it for the rest of the day and they thought I didn’t like it until the next time we went, I asked to go on Medusa multiple times and it was one of the only rides I rode at six flags until I rode Kong, Superman, etc. When Superman came out I was a little hesitant to ride on it because I saw on the news that when it first opened people got stuck at the top for a few hours and didn’t get let down for a long time and I didn’t want that happening to me. 

I went on Superman and overcame all my fears of rides malfunctioning and stopping and as of today I ride almost every roller coaster that an amusement park has.

Word Count: 329

15- Samantha A: True Meaning of the Word "Legacy"

To me the word “Legacy” isn’t something but someone. Of course Legacy just means to leave behind something great. Most of the time you leave behind a great legacy/fortune of money to your family, or you have a legacy of being honored and having a high status. When I think of the word Legacy a little more I think of all the amazing things that a person can accomplish to have such a legacy. Maybe you’re an incredible singer/artist, or a talented basketball player. When you take time to craft your skill and passion, it can easily turn into a legacy known and appreciated by many. For me I don’t use the word “legacy” often, unless I’m referring to someone famous who’s passed, or still living. People like Freddie Mercury or Kobe Bryant are people who have made such an impact on their passion that they have created a legacy for themselves. Freddie Mercury for instance had such a cool voice, and unique appearance that many people tried to change. People didn’t like the way his teeth were, but he said it made him sing so great. Because of that he was able to accomplish so much and do so much that by the time he died he passed away with a true legacy, being that he and his band “Queen” are one of the most influential rock bands of our time.

And then we have athletes like Kobe Bryant who have also paved the way for many aspiring athletes leaving behind a legacy. Kobe’s Legacy is that he was able to inspire so many people through his sport and work ethic, winning five championships, four all star MVP game awards, and many more. It is through these small examples that we are reminded of the word “Legacy” and its true meaning behind the literary meaning of “leaving behind something (such as money or estate) behind.” 

Word count: 318 

14 - Diego B: The Cause of Success

Success is often taken for granted in our modern society and not studied enough to truly understand how some of us can succeed. When examining the most successful individuals in history, those who innovated society either technologically, socially, or politically, one can discover a distinct pattern in their history which has led directly to their success, and it is a rule that all of us should use to find our use in society. The key to this success lies in decisions, because the decisions we make directly influence what we do in life and how we act in situations. Success lies in those who are courageous enough to defy a system unchanged throughout their life and establish new precedents. We constantly consider the effects and importance of the revolutions and inventions that define our modern world, but rarely do we consider the will of those who let it be. In America, our entire lives can be attributed to the decisions that our people have made. Our decisions made us declare independence to establish unprecedented political liberties, liberties which every corner of the world has adopted since. Our decisions made us move towards a more equal and just society, where people would not be discriminated by sex or the color their skin. Our decisions made us move towards a more expanded American society, where people set out with the hope of new opportunities and fortune in the West where millions live today. If you want to experience success within your life, remember the effects that it will have you on you and society as much as how the most successful people in the world got there. Success, in the long run, is not given, it is earned. It is earn

ed through our determination, courage, and will. (295 words)

14- Katrina S: A room full of 8 year olds, galaxy print dress, and a pile of sockmonkeys

In my elementary school friendgroup, I was known for my epic birthday parties. They always had a theme, with corresponding games, food ,and decorations. I had a cat theme, fruit theme, black and white theme, and a science theme. I would hand draw and create invitations that matched the theme to mail to my friends. I would wear a matching outfit as well, for the science party I would wear a lab uniform, black and white party I wore a b&w dress, and the list goes on. My party guest list would consist of close family and my five friends. Looking back, the years blur together and it's hard to remember which party was which, but by far the most memorable was my 9th birthday. 

My 9th birthday is my favorite merely because I have so much video footage from that day. Though I forget the events and inside jokes we had when we were 8 and 9 years old, I remember the feeling the day gave me. I was happy, and all of us were laughing. I recently recovered some SD cards from my old samsung tablet and I found all the videos from that day. I stayed up till almost midnight watching them and laughing with all of the people in this time capsule. 

I walked around on my birthday recording everyone. Two of my friends had fake microphones and pretended to be news anchors questioning the other guests about their air hockey tournament, and I was the camera man. When it was my turn to play air hockey, one of my friends pretended to be a sports commentator and commented on my swipes at the puck. “Katrina’s going sharp!” He screamed while drenched in sweat. “Interference! Interference! We have to start all over” He would say after a younger guest would paw at the hockey table. 

me in a galaxy print cat dress playing air hockey with "sports commentators"

    When we were all too tired to keep playing air hockey we transitioned to making a “horror movie” instead. I was once again the camera man, grabbing the orange tablet into my grimey little hands and hitting record. There are many memorable lines from the skit we performed. One friend took my plastic katana sword and began hitting toy sock monkeys with it, “The sock monkeys might invade us! Might as well chop their heads off,” He yelled. When looking back at this footage, I didn't realize my friends recorded some parts I wasn't even aware of. They recorded a sleeping bag ad for a ‘commercial break’ during our ‘Tv show’ and I didn't find out till seven years later. “Call 1800-sleeping-bag for a bag to sleep in for only $12.99! Don't wait, act now!” It’s crazy how much commercial culture was already ingrained into our 9 year old brains. 

Defeating the evil sock monkeys with a sword 

    Everything seemed so simple. We would get excited just being with each other at my house, no matter what the theme was. We would make silly jokes that made no sense to anyone else except us, and that's the essence of being an 8 year old. When watching the videos, I got a little sad, because things aren't how they used to be. But then I realized, I'm still taking videos, and I’m still laughing with my friends at things that don't make sense. The only thing that's changed is I'm not 9 years old anymore. When I look back ten years on the future on the videos I have now, I'll probably think the same thing. That's just how nostalgia works. 

Words: 583

14-Nigel R: The Importance of Family

     

        Family is one of the most important things in life. They are your support system and they are always there for you. No matter how mad you may make each other, you still love each other.  

When you are  born, you don’t choose who’s in your family, however they stick with you for a lifetime. As your life goes on you begin to realize that family is not always blood. Friends you meet along the way become members of your family. 

One of my favorite things about family is that you can always go to them about anything. When it seems like no one is on your side, you always have family. They will give you the best advice they can and they want the best for you. Another one of my favorite things is that wherever your family is, is your home. Your family is where you feel safe and supported.

Your family is also honest with you even when the truth hurts. They can give you constructive criticism which can help you improve on things that you otherwise would not. They know you better than anyone so your family would be best to give this constructive criticism. 

Family also is full of mentors. Your family teaches you to walk and talk. They also teach you how to tie your shoes and other important things in life. All of these things you learn from your family shape you to be the person you are today. 

Word Count: 246

14-Preston K: what a concussion is nlike

  What a concussion is like

When I was younger, I used to love going out and riding bikes, scooters, and messing around with friends all the time. When going out and messing around with friends we would get the bright ideas such as who can jump the highest or who can clear a fat gap in the creek. Well, if there was anything i leaned from dumb ideas, it would be what experiencing a concussion is like.  

We were all racing down cemetery hill on our bikes with our eyes closed. Yea, Yea not a smart idea who cares right back to the story. I don't know if I was in the lead or not because my eyes were closed. I felt my front tire get unstable, so I opened my eyes super-fast to fix myself, but it was too late. My front wheel turned and flipped me over the bars making me rag doll into the straight hitting my head multiple times. Later to find out after I got home and told my mom I got inspected and it turns out closing your eyes going down a hill on your bike equals a concussion.

Having a concussion light makes you very irritated. Not like a pain but it's aggravating unlike usual. Along with light being aggravating you feel sleepy and dumb. Normal functions like doing homework or even playing video games become slower in a sense. It's like you are constantly fatigued but not sleepy. The worst part is sleep I would like to believe though. You fall asleep but wake up sweating a lot like you have just run a marathon. 

Unfortunately, I closed my eyes on a hill the last time I had gotten a concussion. The second time I was playing football and got Rocked from the side. When I returned home the symptoms were worse than the first one. I was constantly hungry and oddly sleepy unlike the first one. Due to me feeling sleepy my mom said I couldn't go to sleep in case it was something bad. So, I had to take a week off and wear glasses when it was sunny out so my head wouldn't be killing me. 

Words 363

14-Khaleah A: Who Inspires me...

 

I am inspired by Ketanji Brown Jackson. Ketanji is an attorney and jurist who served as a United States Circuit Judge, She was a former Vice-Chair on the United States Sentencing Commission. 

She's an inspiration to me because she's become the first Black woman on the US Supreme Court. She also is a contribution to the 4.7% of black lawyers.  African Americans come from such a rough history and background with a lot of odds against them.

 An African American representative on the Supreme Court is a representation of how far as a community we have come. During her Senate confirmation hearing. While questioning she was asked snide questions that weren't relevant to her position, in an attempt of getting a negative reaction out of her. However, through the criticism and frustration, she didn’t show her anger and handled it like a professional.

 As a young girl that plans on being a professional, I know I'm going to have occasions where I'm going to have disagreements and challenges when it comes to working with other people. She has taught me that taking the high road and being able to control your emotions in a professional manner will have a successful effect.  

During Ketaji’s High School years, she was often put down by her school counselors saying that attending Harvard was unrealistic for her. She decided to use these words as encouragement and motivation. With a successful outcome. A lesson I got from her hearing is that you will not be judged based on your potential but on your accomplishments. You must always put in full effort and that nothing is ever given but is earned.

14-ethan r-whos your family

 Family comes in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. You are given one at birth and that is your given family, or you can make your own. Developing bonds and ties with others can create such a bond and they become your chosen family. 

Your chosen family is unique to who you are at that specific time. It changes as we change, when you develop new passions. When I was big in sports I had a friend group I relied on and did everything with. But then as time ran its course I turned to leadership as a passion and my family changed. There was no falling out or fight but it just ended and we have to be prepared for that to happen.

Life changes rapidly and so do the people who fly through your life. There just becomes disconnects and separation breaks people apart, but your given family you can't get rid of. You have your siblings and parents who you have developed your core memories with, gone on vacations with and had experience togethers. And you may have fights and you may disconnect completely but they'll always be tied to you. You'll always have a brother or sister and eventually you may come back together. 

Life is full of experiences and you'll alway choose the people you can call your family whether you choose them or life chose them for you. You'll always be surrounded by the people that will benefit you and push you to greatness. And with those people you call family you may find a special person in that and start your own family and create one that you can raise your own.

Word count 281

14- Yara A: Class Size Matters

 Blog #14- Class Size Matters. 

At the beginning of the year as a highschool student you are put into 6 classes that you typically have the option of deciding upon. In the first couple of weeks after my junior year started we were given the option to decide if we wanted to be moved into a smaller AP Lang class as there were too many students in the original class. I didn't have much of a choice as my schedule couldn’t be moved around due to the fact I was taking other AP classes. If I could've, I would've.

     From my own personal experience, although I do love my class and the people who are in it, being in a smaller class is more beneficial for the student as it provides that one on one opportunity with the teacher more frequently and enhances the learning of the student as there isn't as many distractions as there would be in a bigger class. 

When you are in a smaller class students tend to be more recognized and not get left behind. The teacher is able to focus more on what each student needs individually. While teachers should be able to do this in a normal size classroom, it can become overly difficult to provide each student with the same amount of attention that would be given to students in a smaller class.

     Having an excessively big class only leads to frustration from both the student and the teacher, a disruptive environment and less active student involvement. Therefore I believe that class size does matter. It can ultimately determine the learning path a student is set on. Being in a bigger class leads to students not feeling like they can express their concerns, feeling ignored and much more. While in a smaller classroom the teacher is able to focus more on what each student needs individually with them being able to freely express anything they don’t understand. 

Word Count: 319

14-Raymond L: Inspiration

 Alex Smith, a quarterback that was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and was soon sent to the

Kansas City chiefs, and all the way to Washington. Alex Smith played 16 seasons in the NFL, and in

November of the 2018 season he suffered a compound fracture to his right tibia and fibula. Smith had

to go through 17 surgeries and he had to sit out his whole 2019 season. The fracture wasn't even the

worst part about the injury to Smith.

During the healing process a life-threatening flesh-eating bacteria that potentially could've eaten

through his leg and he would never return to the NFL. After his 17 surgeries and almost 2 years of total

rehab, Alex Smith returned to the NFL for the 2020 season and was named Comeback player of the

Year. Alex Smith retired in 2021, he inspired many people around the world, one of them being me.

Smith is a big influence and inspiration on me to become a better player and made me realize that

anything is possible no matter how hard you try you can overcome any difficulty that comes your way.

I had gone through 3 broken ankles during my younger years of playing fortball and every time one of

them happened I just thought about quitting football which I did for about 2 years. I soon realized that

my life wasn't the same without football. My freshman year of high school I decided to play football

again and I didn't break anything, I got better, Sophomore year I didn't break anything just knee pains,

Junior year I finally did it and made All League for Offensive Tackle but I'm not finished yet and will

continue to my senior year and make All League again to become better at what I do.

Word count:299

14: Jenna K- Kayla and I Almost Died Yesterday

Recently, I reconnected with my childhood best friend, Kayla, after I wrote one of my blogs about my last trip to Disneyland with her. Once she read it, we decided to meet up for lunch to catch up on the three years of each other’s lives we missed. We quickly became best friends again and we even have a trip to Disneyland planned for next month. Well all of that almost changed in an instant when we both almost died yesterday. Kayla and I decided to go to downtown Davis yesterday because we were tired of hanging out around Vacaville. She drove, and I happily sat in the passenger seat because I’m scared of driving on the freeway. We were having a great time, and after stopping in Dixon to get Dutch Bros, we continued our drive to Davis. All was going well until someone in the lane next to us decided she wanted to merge into our lane. She was looking behind her to see if any cars were coming, but she failed to see that we were right next to her. She proceeded to drift into our lane and come inches away from hitting us, so Kayla, obviously not wanting to get hit, swerved out of the way. Since she turned so abruptly at such high speeds, the car lost control and we started swerving back and forth in between lanes, and we even ended up driving on the shoulder a few times. The tires were screeching, I was yelling Kayla’s name repeatedly (like that was going to solve our problem), and she was bringing out her inner Vin Diesel trying to get control of her car while yelling “OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY JENNA.” Luckily, she managed to regain control before we ended up upside down in a ditch (she was swerving so sharply that we thought the car would flip) or crashing into someone else. I told her to take a random exit and pull over somewhere so we could calm down. And after a few minutes we were laughing extremely hard at the experience we went through. It was the most terrifying moment i’ve ever experienced, but within five minutes we were sitting in the middle of nowhere laughing to the point of tears. That’s always been a constant in our friendship over the years. In the hardest or scariest moments, Kayla and I have never failed to make each other feel better (and laugh at the most inappropriate moments, such as our near death experience). The one thing I remember her saying during our fit of laughter was, “WE JUST GOT EACH OTHER BACK AS BEST FRIENDS AND WE ALMOST JUST DIED TOGETHER!” When we were sitting at the dead end in the middle of nowhere, we vowed never to tell anyone this story, but then we decided to write this week’s blog about it. I have more memories with Kayla than I have with anyone else, and this will definitely be a core memory to add to the list.