Pain

In some way or another, we’ve all been in pain, whether it be physical or emotional, pain is pain. Yet for some reason, people still debate over which is worse. I agree that there is a difference between physical and emotional pain. But that doesn’t at all mean that one is more severe than the other. Honestly it just depends on the circumstance and the circumstance can vary greatly.

 Physical pain is easier to see and there for, easier to understand. For example if someone broke their leg, you would have sympathy for them because you’ve probably broken a bone before, and even if you haven’t, you can still comprehend the amount of pain they must be in. over time this pain goes away, sometimes it takes a while but it does go away and you go back to feeling like brand new. You can go right back to your sport or job with little to no hesitation at all, and that’s good! Everything goes back to the way it was, and you get to go right back to what you love to do. It’s simple.

 Emotional pain is very different from physical pain, a heart break is nothing compared to a broken bone, but sometimes that heart break can last longer than a cast on your arm or leg; sometimes that heart break turns into depression. But that topic is for a later date. Emotional pain is always in the same places, your heart, and for some people it doesn’t take a lot to make their heart break. Not everyone can understand the emotional pain you’re in because everybody can handle different amounts of pain, to you it may look like a little scratch but to them it could be a broken bone you know? You just can’t tell how much it actually hurts that person, and even if you could tell what would you say to them? It’s so hard to fell sympathetic towards people who are feeling this emotional pain inside because you can’t see it.

 I feel there are some similarities between the two though. Like you can still go to school and work with physical and emotional pain, it might be difficult but it can be done. Another similarity is death, although it’s unlikely for you to die from emotional pain, you can end up dying. I know that’s a scary thought, but it’s the unfortunate truth. Believe what you will about physical and emotional pain and believe what you will about death.

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Self-Esteem

As a teenage girl, I’m pretty self-conscious about my appearance, especially when I’m around other teenage girls who I feel, look better than I do. I know I’m not the only girl in America who feels this way either.  According to Oprah.com, 76.2% of teen-agers are self-conscious or dissatisfied with their appearance. Over 70% of 15 to 17 year old girls avoid going to school or other public places when they are worried about their looks. And according to dosomething.org an astounding 75% of these girls have engaged in negative activities such as self-harm, bullying, disordered eating, or abuse alcohol and drugs.

 Young women feel they have to be perfect because that’s what society says; you have to wear a certain brand of clothing and wear your hair and make-up a certain way and you have to be so tall and you have to have the right amount of skin showing off and you have to have a certain facial structure, the list is never ending. Some girls believe that they have to be what society tells them to be.

 Through all of this crap society tells us to be we get lost in what we should be and not in what we want to be; we lose our own self-worth and aren’t even catering to our own needs anymore, society has made us mind-less, soul-less clones. We forget that we are part of society and that we do in fact have a voice. We get so lost in society’s standard of beauty that we forget who we are, you’ve forgotten who you are. That’s a really scary thought, to know that you have no idea who you even are anymore.

 It’s so sad that we don’t even realize what we’re doing to ourselves, or what we’re doing to our families, or our society. By obeying the standards of beauty society has set for us we’re just feeding the fire. It’s even sadder to think that we’re afraid to be who we are, but in all honesty we are afraid, I’m afraid.

 Self-confidence isn’t about going with the flow, it’s about stepping out and being your own person, even if you’re scared. It’s about loving who you are, not what society wants you to be. Yeah, it’s hard, you don’t want to be judged and ridiculed, but isn’t it worth it if you know who you are? If you’re just going with the flow and not catering your own personal needs you’re just judging and ridiculing yourself. Now think, really think, who are you? Be who you want to be and not who you’re told to be.

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Getting Pumped

Pump up. This happens in many different forms. Listening to music before the big game in the locker room. On the field in front of your whole team. It can happen alone or with everyone. Everyone has their own way of pumping themselves up. Me for example I love music. I listen to so much music before my game. Every second I am thinking of what could happen. I get that feeling inside my stomach. If you are an athlete you will understand what I am talking about. That “Natural High.” It is a feeling like none other. This is a mix of emotions. From fear to excitement, nervousness to confidence, anger to happiness, these are the emotions you fell all at one time. At times these emotions can be overwhelming. It is important not to let these things take advantage of you and have effect on your performance. The best players are the ones who learn how to control these emotions. They understand how to keep them hidden even on the first play of the game. Revealing these emotions to early can lead to disaster, and revealing them to late could lead to a helpless loss. The greatest players know exactly the right time to call upon these emotions. Not too early and not too late. Sometimes the pump up does not happen before the game or competition but rather in the middle, when it is needed most. Sure it helps to be pumped before the game, but great things can happen to a team that comes out of the locker room at half time pumped up and ready to go compared to a team with no motivation to do any worse or any better than they already have for the first half. It is upon this that great teams separate themselves from the weak ones. Showing a sign of togetherness rather than a sign of separation and distraction. There is an unlimited amount of ways to get pumped up. Everyone has their own way. No one can decide yours for you, but rather you have to go searching for it and find it. It could be something very obvious that you enjoy, or it could be something you never expected. That is all the fun in getting pumped up. You have to find your way. You cannot let someone tell you how to get pumped. The decision is yours for the taking.

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success

The Challenge is something we Americans are faced with every day. Everyone faces it multiple times a day, from the minute we get up, till the minute we lay back down to go to sleep at night. This challenge though cannot be defined by one definition. Everyone’s definition of this challenge is different. This is due to the fact everyone faces a different challenge. The specific challenge could be as simple as getting out of bed in the morning, which to some people if almost physically impossible, to climbing to the top of Mt. Everest. They vary in their size and difficulty, even though someone’s challenge may seem easier to others. We cannot base it off of how we feel, because we do not feel what that person does. Believe it or not there will NEVER be a challenge we can’t complete. It is not whether we win or lose our challenge that matters, its weather or not we finished. A wise man once said it is not about how you start, it is about how you finish. God gives his toughest battles to his toughest competitors. Every morning that we wake up we like to try and delay the challenges of the day. But in retrospect there is no way to hold them back. We would be better off by listing them off in our heads and then embracing them one by one. No one should ever dodge them. There is a time that we need to step up to the plate and battle for ourselves. I think of it as a road that comes to a two way stop. You can take the way of most people. Lying and avoiding the challenges. This getting almost everybody almost nowhere in life but behind a stove with a spatula for the rest of your life. Then there is the road less traveled that everyone seems to hide from. The road where you look your fears and your challenges straight in the eyes and tear them down one by one. You climb your way all the way to the top because in the end, with hard work comes reward. The only way to become successful is to travel to your deepest darkest fears and rip them apart. You have to visit the lowest point in your life and understand what it feels like to be there, in order to be successful at the top.

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Olympics Comparsion

The Olympics, an event now famous for extravagance, feats of athletic prowess, and glory for one's nation, has not always been so. 2,800 years in the past the Olympics differed immensely in the political, economic, and social aspects of the games.

 The start of the games is partly due to the formation of city states. Because these city states were often locked in combat with each other, times of peace were rare. Therefore during the games no fighting shall occur so that Greek citizens may attend the games without fearing death or injury at the hands of rival cities. This rule was broken by Sparta, the warmongering city state who led siege to a fort during the games. Which led to Sparta being banned from the games. A modern comparison to this would be the first and second world wars. Where the central and axis powers were not invited to join the summer games.

 

The Olympics have come a long way from its start in 776 B.C. ancient Greece, to being hosted in modern day cities and has changed with the times. Where ordinary citizens, not professionals mind you, competed in various events for honor and glory. Originally hosted at mount Olympus, a site once used to worship the god Zeus. The famous lighting of the torch to symbolize the start of the game has changed immensely since its conception. In the early years a sacrifice of a hundred oxen were burned in order to keep flies away from the meat offerings. While now the lighting of the torch is to show a cooperation of nations. It is first lit in Greece, where the Olympics originated and several rituals are performed. Then the torch is sent to the host nation where an athletic celebrity from that country will carry it to its final destination, a giant pit that will burn during the length of the games.  The costs of modern day Olympic Games continues to rise because of nations trying to outdo the previous games and break new records. Bigger and bigger stadiums are being erected to show power and wealth. The problem is that those facilities will more than likely to become abandoned after the games because they have little to no use for anything but the Olympic Games. However the money invested in the infrastructure doesn’t return a profit, usually only half of the original investment is earned during the games which makes hosting the game a case of hot potato. Because previous hosts know the negative aspects all too well, is why only two nations volunteered to hold the games in 2024.

 The Olympics now boasts over three hundred events, stemming from twenty-six to twenty-eight sports (not including the winter games). In the first thirteen years of the Olympics there was only one event, the 196m dash. Which was known as the stadium race (because it was the length of the stadium). The next two events were just modified versions of that. After the next few decades boxing, wrestling, the pentathlon, a race while wearing armor, an 'all-power' race (where one could with by any means necessary, even attacking), and the always famous chariot race which was shown to the modern world via Ben Hur.

 In modern days the games last sixteen days. Two of the first days are ceremonies where doves are released, the president gives a speech, and an athlete from each country swears an oath to uphold the sanctity of the Games. Each event has its own medal ceremony. So with three-hundred events, there will be nine-hundred medals being received. These medals are the source of national pride and rivalry. Nations with the most medals receive pride for home and country, also bragging rights over rival nations who didn’t do as well.

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Pets

There are many pets out there that people can get. There are dogs. There are cats. There are fish. There are turtles. There are reptiles. There are many types of reptiles. Some reptiles are lizards. Another reptile is a snake. Snakes can be very big or very small. Many pets belong in a cage. Those are mainly small pets. Some of those pets are hamsters. Another example is a gerbil. Reptiles are also like that. Such as turtles. And snakes. And lizards. Fish especially need to be in a cage of some sort. They need to be in a cage with glass walls, like a bowl. It then needs to be filled with water. The pets need to be fed. Do not forget to feed fish. They will die if you forget to feed them. Another thing that will die if you forget to feed it is your motivation. If you do not feed your motivation it will start to die. Such as my motivation to write this blog. I am going to now fill in a lot of random words and sentences more or less. However, this is still entertainment because you are still reading this, and therefore, on some level, probably an unconscious level, this is entertaining to you. So you are welcome kind stranger. Or kind friend. Or kind person. That is, if I know you. Also, if I know you, then hello. How are you doing? I am currently not doing the best, but I have been worse so I can not complain. Wow. Only one hundred or so words to go. Yay.

Back to pets. Dogs are the best pets. At least they are in my opinion. That is because dogs are obviously better than cats. Cats just sit around and are like feed me. I see you are home. I am going to sit on your laptop and disturb you. I am going to sit on your face as you sleep. See? Really annoying buggers. That’s cats for you. Now dogs are so much better. That is because they are like woof woof woof which means hi you’re home now I missed you I love you I am so excited to see you. Thus, entertain yourself with pets.

 

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Netflix

This past year, and as of the last few years, Netflix has really gained some popularity. It has been becoming very famous and popular, if you will, especially with the phrase that has lately been used very much of ”Netflix and chill”. That has been used a lot as of late, which has helped Netflix gain in popularity. Almost anybody you would ask would know what Netflix is, practically everybody knows of Netflix, practically everybody. There are other streaming site other than Netflix, however, that are out there. One example of one such site is Hulu and Hulu Plus. Both Hulu or Hulu Plus to be exact I think as well as Netflix stream things live to watch. By live I mean you just need wifi, and you can watch something. By something I mean tv shows or movies and such. Netflix and Hulu are both known for that. But which is better? Hulu arguably has better television shows. Hulu’s selection of television shows is greater than Netflix’s, and it has those television shows available as soon as they premiere on the actual television I believe. Netflix however does not and Netflix only has a limited selection of television shows. However, whatever you watch on Netflix has no ads what so ever. No ads to interrupt your viewing of television or film or whatever you are watching. None. No ads. Which is very nice. It is very nice being able to sit down and watch something with nothing to interrupt it. However, Hulu has ads. Hulu has a lot more ads than Netflix because Netflix has no ads while Hulu does have ads. But Hulu has more selection for tv shows and more recent additions than that of Netflix, arguably. However, Netflix does have a few good selections. Some good selections from Netflix are Family Guy, Friends, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Flash, Futurama, That 70s Show, House, Half Baked, Once Upon a Time, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, The League,  Grandma’s Boy, Silver Linings Playbook, 30 Rock, Pulp Fiction, Malcom in the Middle, Silence of the Lambs, Good Will Hunting, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Zoolander, Gladiator, White Chicks, Christmas with the Kranks, Rain Man, and a lot, lot, lot more. Those are just some of the more popular and well known titles that Netflix has to offer. A few of those films mentioned actually won best picture Oscar, so those are some pretty good movies. Hulu also has a pretty nice selection, but Hulu specialized in television shows more so than in movies. Both Hulu and Netflix are great ways to stream tv shows and movies as well as to chill.

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Being Sick

Lately I have been sick quite often. Not being healthy. Being sick. Feeling like crap. Feeling horrible. There are many ways to describe it, and those are just a few. This time of the year is the time that colds seem to be getting common, along with viruses. You do not want to get sick. It sucks. Getting sick could mean that you can’t do anything. That means that you cannot go to school, which some people like that idea of not going to school and not having to go to school. However, you would also not be able to go to work, which is not good because then if you miss too much you could get fired, and you will not get as much money then, and things start becoming one big giant mess. You will not be able to continue any sport while you are sick. If you were planning on competing at state and then you get sick, you might not be able to compete at state anymore. Also, if you get sick you will feel like crap. Absolute crud. It is horrible. It is awful. You do not want to feel that way because it just plane out sucks. It sucks big time. So do not get sick.

 There are ways you can go to try and prevent yourself from getting sick. One way is to stay clean. Clean yourself daily, either a shower or a bath. Also wash your hands. Wash your hands a lot. A lot a lot. It helps. Get a lot of sleep. Do not try to survive your life with only about four or five hours of sleep a night. It will just run you down and you will keep getting sick and it sucks and it is no fun. So get plenty of sleep. At least eight hours of sleep a night. Yes that is a good idea. Eight hours of sleep a night. So if you have to wake up at five in the morning get to bed by nine at night, and if you have to wake up at seven in the morning you could, in theory, then, stay up until eleven at night each night, but that would not be recommended. In all cases, get a good nights sleep. That will help you a lot. Just try to not get sick, because being sick sucks, and you will absolutely hate it and feel like crap and it is no fun it sucks so take care of yourself!

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Summer Jobs

A lot of people work. A lot of people. There are so many jobs out there that people can have, but today I am only going to write about the types of jobs that high schoolers generally have, instead of those that are people’s careers, or an adult job that someone can live off of doing that job. High schoolers will almost always work part time, never full time, with a few exceptions every now and then. There are many different high schoolers, and each high schooler is different, so there are a multitude of jobs out there to accompany most high schoolers. With the summer starting to appear as though it is approaching, it is time for some high schoolers to start looking for a job. Here are a few of the more popular and more talked about jobs that high schoolers will usually have.

Some high schoolers are lifeguards. Most lifeguards will have only a seasonal job for during the summer when school is not in session, but some lifeguards will work year round at an indoor pool. A lot of swimmers will end up lifeguarding during high school, and a lot of lifeguards tend to be swimmers, but not all of them. There are still a lot of lifeguards who do not swim, as well as a lot of swimmers that do not lifeguard. But, as a stereotype, lifeguarding is a popular job among swimmers. One of the very popular traits of the job for people is that it is a seasonal job, only during the summer, when school is not in session. This makes working a lot easier, as there is not really much else going on at that time, increasing people’s availability as well as the amount of money they will make.

 Another popular job among high schoolers is to work at a nearby, small business. In Cedar Rapids, an example of this is Parlor City. Parlor City is an ice cream stand that is located very close to Kennedy High School, and a lot of Kennedy High Schoolers will end up working there because of the convenience, as well as it being a good job.

 Another popular job among high schoolers is working at either a grocery store, like Hy-Vee, or a general or convenience store, such as Walmart or Target. These jobs provide good work experience, especially with working with some people that may not be the most pleasant to deal with, resulting in better people skills. Also, the job is fairly easy, with not much required for you to do. All in all, it provides a good job for high schoolers.

 There are a lot of good jobs available for high schoolers. There is the option of becoming a lifeguard, working at a nearby small business, working at a trampoline park, at a restaurant, or at a store. There are so many jobs out there for high schoolers to choose from!

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Mistakes

So life is full of mistakes and God knows I have made plenty, but I really hope that people actually learn from those mistakes. I am not saying I am perfect, because I have made mistakes many times in high school and for the most part I continue to so that is one mistake I guess I haven't learned from because I have gotten in trouble from my mom but it really doesn't seem to stop me. I guess to me I do not think of it as a mistake because I am not hurting anyone, to me a mistake is like lying to your friend about something that happened, because obviously your intent isn't to hurt your friend, it is just something you did without thinking.

The thing about mistakes is that people need to learn to forgive them. I feel when you are the one of the short end of this mistake, you seem to be very defiant and not want to forgive, but when the roles are reversed, you seem to want to be forgiven. It is not fair, but that is how we work as people. I know for me it is very easy for me to forgive others, especially when they are good friends of mine because I know that I have made them and I know that I will make them again. A true friend will always forgive you, and if they don't they were not really your friend to begin with.

All of my true friends I know I would forgive because I know that whatever they did that was so wrong, it isn't them and there is always a reason as to why they did it. Some people who see that as an excuse I guess, but not in my eyes. I do not want to pressure people into thinking the way I do but I honestly believe that is the right way to do things. Forgiving is easy, so why not do it? If you are a perfect person and never make mistakes then you can no forgive people, but someday you will want someone to forgive you, but do not expect them to if you didn't forgive them.

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"Netflix and Chill"

    Nowadays all you see in referring to Netflix on social media is 'Netflix and chill', but really what is Netflix and chill?  Most people would define this phrase as a invitation to 'get some' but really can't we literally just Netflix and Chill. When the more derogatory meaning of the word is used, the kooky kids think it's an excuse to 'watch movies' and have the lights off, when in reality my friends and I, boys and girls take a more literal use of the phrase and watch Netflix while in fact chilling. I think me personally there isn't anything wrong with either version, but it has come to a point in which you cant even use the phrase in the literal sense because of how big the derogatory version has gotten via social media.
       Let's talk about what each of these meanings entail. 'Netflix and chill' the sexual invitation, involves two people going to 'watch' Netflix and 'hang out', but I think the only thing that will being watched or hanging out are...well, I leave your mind to figure out the rest. But in no way does it actually involve either of the associated parties watching Netflix and chilling, at all.
       On the other hand, the very literal sense of Netflix and chill are quite enjoyable as well. Netflix can be streaming and doing its thing while you can sit back and relax with friends or whomever and chill. This take on the phrase is less stress, and allows you to watch, even binge on some series or movies you've been dying to see, but sadly haven't had the time. Doesn't that sound nice?
       Now that you are fully informed and up to date on the latest social media catch phrases, don't you wish you could 'Netflix and chill', either literally or figuratively? I think although this phrase has gotten slightly out of hand with videos and snap chats no one ever wanted to see, it is amusing and still literally entertaining to a majority of the population. As much as I love to put in action this phrase, whichever version you choose is very time consuming. Quite frankly I would rather sleep, or nap, which is basically the same thing but like really I just don't like people, and have no time for their bullshit. So if you were presented the opportunity to 'Netflix and Chill', would you take it, or not?

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What happened to Disney Channel?

Growing up is a part of life that is applicable to most everything you come into contact with, whether it be a person getting older, a building deteriorating, or in this case, Disney Channel's new and evolving shows. When I was a kid, I came home from school and watched what I like to think of as Disney classics such as Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire, That's So Raven, Wizards of Waverly Place, and many more. I believe these shows ran for as long as they did because they had good plot lines partnered with great actors, which in turn made these shows as popular as they were, with long running times. Three out of the four shows (Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire, Wizards of Waverly Place) listed even came out with movies that I still at sixteen watch today. These shows were relatable to my generation, for the most part, because they were based around kids and their friends, family, and school related activities, unlike the new shows where they are based on talking dogs, and secret agent spy kids.
       One reason why my childhood Disney Channel is better and should be playing reruns still is because they are more relatable to a kids life, which is who the channel is targeting as their audience. For example, if you compared Lizzie McGuire, to a newer Disney Channel show such as Dog With a Blog, you can tell just from the title which one is going to be slightly more realistic than the other. Lizzie McGuire is the person the show is about, you follow her through her life, although she is accompanied by her thoughts, or the animated version of her, you see her life in school and at home. On the other hand, Dog With a Blog, is about a dog and his owners, and after the adventure he types a blog on a computer, very realistic. Did I mention the dog talks?
       Overall I think that the Disney Channel has gone to crap. Without the classic shows, and an actual plot line, why would you watch these shows?

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Sleep

For the people who have sleeping disorders or have trouble sleeping at all, I have so much compassion for you and I pray to God that it goes away, because sleep is the ultimate healing power for everything.

Whenever I am having a bad day, sleep seriously fixes it because just for a little bit, I am able to forget about what was upsetting me that day and I wake up not even thinking about it! One of the best feelings I ever have is waking up feeling refreshed, which during the school year doesn't really happen that often, but on the occasional "I am sick" line that I feed my mom, I am able to catch up and just feel awesome the entire day.

Why I decided to write about sleep is a really good question, but I do think I have a simple answer for it; everyone does it, I love it, so why not write about it? I get it seems a little random and maybe even a little scatter brained but still, it is one of God's greatest gifts. I am really thankful to not be a vampire.

I am one of those people who is really grouchy when I do not get all my sleep, but  I never have trouble sleeping, it is just the length I am aloud to sleep is what kills me. I am pretty sure my body needs like 13 hours of sleep each night for me to feel really refreshed and not bitchy in the morning, but even when I don't, I sleep like a baby. It is sad to me that some people have a lot of trouble sleeping because I do not think I would be able to function, but it is even worse for the people who once they wake up, can't go back to sleep! I know there are many actual diseases people have for sleeping but if I were them, I would take a bottle of Melatonin every single night just so I could get my sleep.

So sleep to me is not a very broad topic to talk about, but I would just like to reiterate on the fact that people need their sleep, and if you are one of those people who at a sleepover is talking and screwing around when others are trying to sleep, well you should probably end that now before you run into me at an overnight thing. I will throw a bitch fit and you will no longer want to sleep because you will be to scared. so my point to all this is, enjoy your sleep and if you can't, well, I am truly sorry for that.

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Can't live without friends

There is much controversy on the topic of friends. Some may argue that it’s not about how many friends you have but that it’s better to have fewer, better friends.

I would say that you should have a lot of friends, but also have some closer friends. The more friends you have, the more people you have the chance to get to know and hang out with. It’s good to make friends with a lot of people because it will really improve your social skills and teach you about all the different personalities that people have. High school is the prime time to make new friends. You’ve been in middle school the last three years with the same people and there are a ton more people you will meet going into and though out your high school career. All you have to do is be willing to meet new people.

Some people are okay with only having one or two super good friends, but for me, I’d rather have a lot of friends. Personally, I believe that you can have more than one “best friend”, I have many “best friends”. Everyone has a best friend for certain activities, one for every class, one on your sports team, etc… We all have more than one friend! All you have to do is be willing to open up to someone and talk to them, you might have more in common with them than you think. It might be awkward at first if you’re the one who says “hi” first or introduces them self-first, but after that you could become best friends. You can’t judge a book by its cover!

 You and your group of friends are probably al very similar because you probably all like the same things and most likely all have the same attitudes towards things as well. A new friend could introduce you to new things and change your perspective on certain things. It’s good for you to be around new people every once in a while, change is good.

 Your friends will last you a life time, they are the ones who will always be there for you. You could get in a fight with your best friend for months and then talk one day and everything just goes back to normal. I know, because that exact thing happened to me not too long ago. Don’t shut out your friends, even if you are mad at them at the moment. I promise you will get over it and you will realize that you need that friend sooner or later!

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Raise your hand first

You are in high school now, you are almost legally an adult, you have a couple of years left living at home, and you still have to ask to use the restroom.

Schools make everything so structured and you have to do this and you have to do that, it feels like there is little freedom.

All we have been taught throughout high school is to obey. Whether it is the teachers who tells you what to study, how to do math problems or how to behave, to your peers who ultimately decide what decisions you make socially. When are we supposed to learn how to think for ourselves? Our parents are doing their job when they tell us what to do, but sometimes when we attempt to make a decisions and they are the wrong ones, we face the consequences, but this is how we learn. We get shunned at school for doing something everyone else does not approve of. We get yelled at for speaking our mind in class by the teacher. Rather than being open-minded and optimistic, we become robots controlled by those who surround us, giving them the authority to determine our decisions. Whenever we make a choice of our own, we cower and just wait for it to explode and we wait to get in trouble for doing so. However, out of all of this, we are supposed to become free thinkers of our own? You think you are going to decide what college you want to go to? Think again. Oh wait, we cannot do that by ourselves yet, let me raise my hand first.

 It doesn't make sense that we are supposed to figure out what we want to do with our lives but yet we are rarely allowed to speak our minds inside the class room. We are taught all of these things we will most likely never use in our lives again, but yet we are forced to do all of this homework and take multiple tests, giving us a GPA of basically how well we listen or can cram study, but what is this teaches us? How is this valuable to our futures? This isn’t going to teach us how to prepare for college, throughout high school you just remember things long enough to take the test, there’s nothing long term about it.

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Eating Healthy

To be a great athlete you have to come with eating well and knowing what foods are good for your body when performing a sport. If you put the right foods in your body, then you are more likely to perform better. If you think about it what kind of kids perform harder and better? Is it the kids that eat a lot of junk food or the kids that eat healthy and energy foods? I would go with the healthier kids, but there are always exceptions with this.  I know many athletes that do not eat healthy and still succeed and perform really well. 

Some good foods to eat are, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, power milk, protein bars, pretty much anything that will provide you energy to finish out the day.

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Bullying

Unfortunately, bullying is sort of a common thing, where for some it happens every day. The passing of a KHS freshmen, has brought more awareness to our school. Sadly, it took the suicide of a young girl for us to come together and talk about bullying and preventing suicide.

If you look around at all of the kids at Kennedy, and other schools, you probably wouldn’t be able to pick out the kids that are or have been bullied. Most of these victims just try and keep a smile on their face and try and act like everything is okay. When these kids are at home or anytime they are alone, I’m sure that they are depressed and may not even see the point of living on because they feel so unwanted. It’s very sad that people can hate on someone so much that they feel like they can’t live on. I don’t understand how you could do that to someone.

I believe that most of the bullying probably takes place on social media or online is some way, more so than in person. It’s much easier to mean behind the screen than when you’re standing in front of someone. Online you don’t get to see their reactions so it’s easier to keep saying things because no one is there to stop you. It is very easy for these bullies to “attack” their victims online in private, rather than in person when someone could see it and step in and make them stop. Online, the victim feels helpless and doesn’t know what to do.

I believe that there are a few ways that we can prevent bullying. I believe that if we all had the confidence to stand up for ourselves we could fight back and tell the bully to stop. If you don’t let the bully get you down, they will go away, they will go onto their next victim and leave you alone. Bullies get their power from bringing people down, so if you don’t let them bring you down, or don’t let them see you down, they will most likely go away. I know that it’s easier said than done to have self-confidence, but I know there are ways where we can work on this together. Coming together will create an army against bullies and we will be able to stop them because no one will feel victim because they don’t feel alone anymore.

Another way we could prevent bullying/suicide is to ensure that our student feel comfortable talking to someone. I know victims don’t like to talk about it, but if they don’t, their thoughts will wander and that’s when people start to feel like they are unwanted. If the students don’t feel comfortable with talking to their counselors, we need to find someone that they do feel comfortable talking to. If we could try and solve this problem, maybe we could have prevented things from happening.

It’s hard to see suicide coming. In some, you never see it coming, but in others you might be able to see them going downhill. AS a whole, I think we need to talk about ways we can help these people, because personally I don’t know what I would say to someone to get them to know that they are wanted and that they shouldn’t go through with suicide.

         
Most people don’t know how to deal with these types of things, so I think that is very important that we come together and try and figure some things out and come up with ideas on how to prevent these tragic things from happening.

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JFK Assassination

As most of you know, our school was named after president JFK. Therefore I think that it is important to know what happened to him.

The Warren Commission was established to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy which took place on November 22, 1963 in Dealey Plaza, Texas. However there are a few things in the Warren Commission that don’t exactly match up. Also, there are certain events that took place that are sort of “sketchy”. The President was riding the presidential limousine with his wife, Jackie Kennedy, Texas Governor, John Connally, and wife Nellie. The first “sketchy” thing was that they were told to take the convertible limo instead of the limo with the top. Also, as they were leaving the airport, the secret service was told to ride in a limo behind the president’s instead of walk next to the presidential limo. Before the president had arrived in Dealey Plaza, the route his limo was going to take, was told to the public (this no longer happens). Since his route was told to the public, anyone could have planned an assassination. They would have been able to plan everything out ahead of time and work out details so their identities wouldn’t be discovered, or they could have had time to frame someone else.

 Lee Harvey Oswald was the man arrested for the assignation of JFK. He was an EX US marine and there are pictures of him and the rifle found at the scene before 11/22. However Oswald told the press that he didn’t do it and that he was framed. Oswald’s gun was an Italian Mannlicher-Carcono. This was not a very reliable gun, in fact in a reenactment of the assassination, the gun misfired 5 out of 21 times. The gun was also a bolt action gun which meant he had to of cycled twice in order to fire 3 shots in 6-9 seconds, like the warren Commission stated. Oswald was no sharpshooter but he was a Marine. Also, in those short seconds you have to consider the kickback, muzzle rise, and having to reacquire his target. I don’t believe that Oswald could have done this alone, in fact, I’m not even sure it was Oswald who did it. Yes, Oswald’s finger prints were on the gun found at the scene, the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, and he has pictures with the same gun, but I think the gun could have been taken from him ahead of time, so his finger prints were already on the gun and it was stashed at the scene of the crime.

 These are only a few of the many many facts about the JFK assassination and there are so many conspiracy theories about what happened. This was just a brief explanation of what happened and some of my thoughts, so I’ll leave the rest up to and let you decide what really happened.

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Favorites

While some teams don't get along very well, others can get along maybe a little too well. There are many reasons coaches create a cell phone policy during tournaments and it might be because he or she wants you to interact more with your teammates, or because he wants you to focus on the tournament. Some coaches might use both reasons for instituting a cell phone policy. In the past I have not really ever had a cell phone policy before playing club, but now it plays a big role in my behavior at tournaments.

Making sure you and your teammates stay off your phone can become difficult if someone is attached to their phone. It is important to build chemistry among you and our teammates and in order to do this you must actually interact. Cell phones get in the way of simple discussion and emotions of others. Through texts you can't truly understand how someone is feeling or see the smile on their face. There is something so much better in having a conversation face to face with someone rather than texting them. 

One reason I think having a cell phone policy is a great idea is because it allows for athletes to focus primarily on their games. There aren't any distractions outside of the arena and your mindset is on the game. Even if you talk to your parents it will probably be about how you are playing and they will not mention school or homework.

Another reason I think having a cell phone policy is a good idea is because it forces athletes to interact with their teammates and spend time with them. Yes, you may get tired of each other, but if you are scouting a team together you can discuss how to beat them, if you scout by yourself you might miss things or not have the perspectives of others. Discussing your game plan before warming up can immensely help a team.

 While you might be one of those people who likes to sit in the corner with your face in your phone, you should force yourself to get off it. There are so many things you can be missing out on if your face is stuffed into your phone. The real world exists outside of that tiny little screen and athletes need to realize that phones truly aren't that important. The people around you are.

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ACT

Most athletes that want to play sports in college seem to always focus on their skill level and if they are good enough to make a team. They worry about the facilities, coaches, teammates, ranking, and their playing time. Athletes seem to be blind to the fact, sometimes, that their grades actually matter too. In order to get into college there are some requirements you must meet, no matter how good you are at sports. One of the things that might be necessary is a high ACT score. 

There are many opportunities students have to take the ACT throughout junior and senior year. There is a test date almost every month, or every other month. A student can take the ACT up to as many times as they want, but of course it is going to cost you a lot of money. This is why it is better to just do well on your first or second time taking it.

As it is important to do well on this test, because it will ultimately affect the college you choose, there are many ways you can prepare yourself. The people in charge of the ACT provide students with the option to order a book, or take online practice tests. This will help students see what they need help on and give them an idea of what the test will be like.

Preparing for the ACT can be extremely stressful, and athletes might not always have the time to prepare. This is why many students, like myself, study lightly for the first test to see what they need to work on. If my scores for the math section are low, while the science scores are high, I then know that I need to work on math a lot more than science. This will take some stress of you for the first time, but later on you will really need to dig in if you don't do well the first time. 

 Always remember that it is not always about if you are physically fit for the sports team at your college, but your grades need to be in tact as well. Some people even have to commit to other places simply because their grades weren't good enough for the college's criteria. School is very important and most athletes in college aren’t going to become professionals. You are going to college to get an education and it just so happens you get to play the sport you love as well. Unless you are seriously focused on going pro, focus on the academics.

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Obsessions

Everybody has an obsession, or multiple things that they are obsessed with. You may not think you are obsessed with something because the word “obsessed” seems to be over exaggerated. It’s as simple as something that you do or use all of the time or something you can’t live without. Your obsession can be something you result to whenever you have down time or something you eat every single day or something you do every day. As you are reading this, you are probably trying to think of the things you are obsessed with, for me, it is my cell phone.

A lot of people, especially teenagers, result to their phone whenever they’re bored or whenever they have down time. I know that every time I don’t have something I need to be doing, I pull out my phone. Phones are a great source of entertainment. There are millions, even probably a billion apps on the iTunes App store or the Google Play store. There are apps where you can post things and communicate with other people such as; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr. All of those apps allow you to post “statuses” or pictures and people can “like” or “favorite” them, they can also leave comments too. There are also game apps. Right now the most popular games on the App Store are; Minecraft, Geometry Dash, Heads Up!, and NBA 2K16. There also many apps that fall into various categories.

I’m obsessed with my phone because I spend probably way too much time on it in one day. My battery is always very low when I get home or I even have to charger it while I’m at school. It is very easy to just pull your phone out of your pocket and click on an app and check your social media or play a game quick. I check my social media apps from left to right, starting with Instagram, then Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook, then I check my Email last. I refresh the app and go through the new things and then when I get to stuff I’ve already seen, I move on to the next app. Once I get through all of my apps, if I have time I go back and refresh them in the same order.

I’m sure many teenagers do the same thing and most are probably obsessed with their phones too. You always hear adults complaining that their kids are always on their phones and never have conversations with them because they are too preoccupied. When we’re on our phones though, we are conversing with our friends through our apps!

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The Nerves of a Dancer

There is a feeling of tingly fingers, heavy shoulders and tenseness running through a dancer from the moment they pull up to the performance hall until their name is called to take the stage. It’s a mixed rush of emotions, stress and nerves. A thousand things racing through their mind like counts, time, lunch, floor, hair, judges, all bringing up the nerves of taking the stage. It is a part of involvement with any sport, and it’s natural to be nervous for everyone to watch, judge and support you, but it is when you have begun that it all starts to come together.

Although a dancer may be nervous to dance for family, friends, judges and the unknown, being on stage can give them a sort of comfort, knowing that is where they feel confident. Nerves seem to fade away for that short two to three minutes and all is good and comfortable. Although present the nerves learn to vanish and not take over the spotlight of the stage.

It is hard to overcome nervousness and is a very natural thing for the body to do, especially in a stressed worrisome state. A dancer may be worried about the floor being too sticky or slippery, their stomachs too empty or full, their timing too fast or slow, or their costumes being too tight or too lose. There is so much a dancer is thinking through before taking the stage for a performance and ultimately their nerves will either get to them or they will push back and show confidence in their dancing.

It is vital for a dancer to give themselves time away from over rehearsing, over thinking and over exaggerating and just take some deep breaths to calm down the nerves, stress and worry. If a dancer does not walk onto the stage cool, calm, and confident, the judges will see that and score you accordingly. The best thing you can do as a dancer is to not let the nerves break through and instead focus on the dance at hand.

As a parting piece of advice it is important to know that nerves are a natural feeling after you have been preparing so much time and effort to perfect a dance, however you should not let those nerves over take your dancing and affect you in a negative way. Being nervous should not limit you from doing what you love, stay calm and be confident in yourself and success will surely come.

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Healthy Dieting

An extremely important factor when it comes to being an athlete is maintaining a healthy diet. There are many healthy choices when deciding what you are going to consume for the day. This may include any type of fruit, vegetable, meat, and wheat/grain. Although not everyone likes to follow the rules of the food pyramid, there are many ways to make healthy and delicious choices.

One of my favorite things to make is a smoothie. You can never go wrong with smoothies. There are so many flavors and choices of fruit to choose from. No matter your taste in fruit, there is something for you. Smoothies have the option of blending fruit or vegetables. You can even blend a little of both and the results are delicious! Another thing to add to smoothies is yogurt, juice, or milk. Yogurt is extremely good for your body and can create a more creamy taste. The choice between juice and milk is dependent on your preference. All of these ingredients are healthy and can benefit your body. Another ingredient many athletes choose to add is protein powder. Protein powder is just another way to get your source of protein in for the day, and makes breakfast a lot easier.

Protein powder is something I see handfuls of athletes use. It can be used in smoothies, as I stated, or you can create your own protein shake. I have seen plenty of people with blender bottles at school who simply blend their protein with water and drink it for breakfast. I'm not quite sure about the healthy aspect of the powder, but it is definitely a trend at the moment. This might just be the way you get your protein for the morning. I have heard many things about the benefits of protein powder before working out.

Choosing your meals for the day can become extremely difficult when you are faced with other tempting options. There are many tasty options out there, but some of them are extremely unhealthy and will not benefit your body in any way other than moderation. Sometimes it’s very hard to choose the healthier foods and for some people this is not hard at all. We know no one is going to steer clear of every single unhealthy food, but if you are wanting to make improvements in the gym you must be willing to give up constantly snacking on some of your favorite foods. Being healthier is a very mental things, you have to think about what you want your outcome to be and over power the cravings of all the unhealthy foods.

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Treating Injuries Correctly

Treating injuries are extremely important in succeeding in a sport. If you never treat an injury, you aren't ever going to get better. The injury is just going to be worse the longer you play with it, instead of treating it so it could be stronger. You see tons of NFL and NBA players not treating their injuries properly, due to them wanting to play and not sitting out. This is because they earn their living by playing this sport, so if they sit out due to an injury it could keep them from ever coming back and playing. There are reams of athletes that do this. They should not be doing this, and they should have to pay a cost for doing this.

Now the National Football Association has cracked down on the concussion injury. A collection of players have suffered from this injury and it has become an enormous problem. There are myths saying, "ex NFL players are messed up in the head." This is said, because of the amount of concussions there were. Players never treated these, or told their coaches they had one, because they didn't want to sit out and risk never playing again. They did this, again, to not sit out from the sport they love. A concussion can last as long as two weeks to two months. It all depends on how bad the injury is. Especially this injury is scary and not okay to not treat it. Now the NFL has strict rules on this injury, because of the history with it and how bad it has effected people.

Sprain ankles are very common and they are another huge injury that isn't treated how it should be. In a lot of cases, sprained ankles are worse than broken ankles. Broken ankles are treated with being placed in a boot or cast and are immobilized by not doing any activity on it for a certain amount of weeks. Sprain ankles turn blue and purple and have therapy done to it right away. It is hard for it to heal, because you can't really tell when you are ready to come back. Usually they say you are ready when it doesn't hurt to run on it. The swelling could take months to go down. Most of the times the swelling never goes away. It will always be a little big even after two years after you sprained it.

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Teammates

Every team has teammates they absolutely love or they have no interest in being around them. It is hard having teammates that don't get along. That is something you never want when you are searching for a team to play with. You want to make sure that the girls are people you see yourself hanging with and being friends with forever. When I think of a good teammate, I think of someone that will help me get better, or someone that is going to be in my life and friends with for as long as I live.

Teammates are not just people you say you play a sport with. They should be known as one of your best friends. A good teammate doesn't cheat their way out of things. For example, if you are lifting with another teammate you don't want to skip any lifts or reps. It is kind of like not cheating in school. That doesn't help you or your partner. There are a lot of aspects in being a good teammate. Giving positive and not negative feedback is good. Sometimes the other player likes when another teammate says something like, "hey you should get up faster on that block" or "you almost had it, just more step and you could have gotten it up." A lot of times players like hearing something from another teammate instead of getting yelled at by their coach. Little things like that could help your teammate go a long way. Doing something so little as giving tips doesn't just help them, but puts you in a great spot called a leader. Colleges look for this and want this on their team. That also leads back to my recent blog about getting recruited.

No matter what your job is on the court or field, you have a huge aspect to the team. If you are a bench player that is just as big of a role as the quarter back or point guard or the libero in volleyball. Cheering on the bench could be the determination of what will be the outcome of the game. Maybe the team isn't playing very good and needed a boost, but the bench wasn't cheering loud enough then they lose. Now what if the bench was loud and did everything they could to get the team fired up? Most likely the outcome would have been different. A good teammate cheers on the team no matter what position they are in. They should want the best for all of their team (family).

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National Signing Day at KHS

February 3^rd is national signing day for colligate letter of intents amongst high school students. Here at Kennedy High School we had all the athletes who verbally committed to their colleges during the fall, sign their letters of intent. There was 10 athletes signing to a variety of colleges for different sports. Anna Frerichs and Carly Langhurst signed to Iowa State University for soccer. Linden Runels signed to Carnegie Mellon for soccer and Sydney Hayden signed for soccer as well, to the University of Northern Iowa. All of these girls have played together or against each other’s since they were little girls. Logen Rodriguez signed to the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse for wrestling. This year Logen received his 100^th career win and the year isn’t over yet!

Shaun Beyer had an incredible senior football season this past fall. He is ranked in the top five for tight ends across the nation. He was verbally committed to North Dakota State University early in the season and late November he received an offer for the Iowa Hawkeyes he couldn’t pass up! Along with Beyer, best friend Dalles Jacobus received a preferred Walk-on to the University of Iowa. Jacobus also had a scholarship offer from Iowa for track and field, along with several other schools, but early this week he accepted the Walk-on to Iowa. Beyer and Jacobus will get to play together for another 4 years and also room together in Iowa City!

Another star from the Cougars joining their teammates at the colligate level is Tyler Dralle. He will be attending Coe College for football AND baseball!

Lastly, Cameron Stump signed his letter of intent to Simpson College for golf yesterday, along with Paige Timmerman signing to Luther College for softball.

The class of 2016 is a very talented class. 10 athletes signing from the fall and there will be more signing at the end of the year. This class will make a difference at the collegiate level. These guys are all great athletes and great leaders. Setting by example verbally and by their actions is what they do best.

I can’t wait to watch all of these amazing athletes as they continue their careers and take it to the next level. I know they will all do great things and I can’t wait to see where this new experience takes them. Not very many athletes get the chance to do what they love in college so they are very lucky and I know will only continue to get better.

Good Luck to all!

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Physical Therapy

All athletes should participate in therapy. Therapy strengthens the muscles in a way that can't be done by lifting. Lifting gets muscles big and strong to look bigger. Therapy helps train your muscles and ligaments to land correctly, to cut correctly, run correctly etc. Therapy can help prevent injuries. How a large injury happens is from smaller injuries before the big one happens. A sprained ankle can lead to a broken ankle. Hip pain can lead to back injuries or knee injuries. By going to therapy these large injuries can be prevented.

Therapy is also highly recommended after an injury has occurred. If there is no therapy after an injury than that muscle or ligament will not get stronger. It will stay weak and will not be ready to play a sport again. Therapy is the opposite of a chiropractor. Chiropractors crack the area on the body to adjust it. This works sometimes but by massaging and strengthening will overall be the better route. You want to have your muscles learn the right way to move. This will help your body as you get older too. Your ligaments won't be worn out when you are at an age where it is hard to walk or get up from the couch.

Therapy can be very expensive though, especially if you don’t have great insurance on things like that. If you cannot afford physical therapy, you doctor can give you a list of the same sort of exercises that the therapist will give you, except you will have to do them on your own. This is very hard for some people because they will need to be reminded to do their exercises otherwise they will forget and they won’t get stronger or heal correctly.

Have you ever heard the saying, "A habit will come to you when the repetition is repeated for two weeks"? Now in therapy that saying is adjusted. By repeating an exercise like one legged squats it will take longer than two weeks for your body to naturally bend that way. In therapy, the athlete is training themselves a new way to do things. In knee bending, you have to make sure your knee is trained to bend straight. You don't want your knee going towards the inside. If anything you would rather have the knee bend towards outside of the body. If the knee is constantly bending towards the inside it will more likely end up in a torn ACL or another torn ligament.

Professional athletes and college athletes are participating in therapy, three times a week if not every day. It is strengthening your own body parts in a way that will make you more successful and better at a sport. I would recommend in therapy on your knees, due to more knee injuries occurring recently.

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Anyone can play sports

I believe anyone should have the chance to play sports. No matter what your talent is, there should never be a restriction on playing a sport. Sports are activities that bring different kinds of people together to start friendships. It’s not all about the talents you have or the winning of the games, it’s about getting people involved in something that is good for the body and social life. Yes, there are times and a level where it’s competitive and where it’s not all about friendship, but that is not always true.

In high school there is a level that is called Varsity. The Varsity level is for the athletes that are advanced in their skills are competitive at the sport they play. These girls are more likely to have been playing the sport since they were little. These girls don't have to be taught how to play, they already know how to, it’s just coaching them to become better players at that particular sport. To play at this level you have to know what you are doing, and you can't be out for the sport for fun or to hangout and meet new friends.

Any other level at a high school, people can play and go out for the sport. Doesn't matter what your talents are or the reasoning why you are going out, you just can be going out to meet people. I believe that sports should start to encourage kids with special needs to go out for certain sports and be involved with kids that they see throughout the school day. This could make them feel more appreciated and feel like they are a part of something like every other regular kid. I think this would extremely cool and would have a huge impact on the high school overall. It would show that we are more than just a winning or athletic school, but that we are a part of something bigger than that.

Sports are fun whether you are good at them or not. I think practices are even more fun if you aren’t super serious about the game because you aren’t the best or haven’t been playing since you were five, because you get to hang out with people you probably don’t normally hangout with. After a long day of school, practice can actually just be a kind of stress reliever and a good way to burn off some energy!

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Pep Assemblies

Pep assemblies at Kennedy High School are not like pep assemblies at different schools. We have the whole school screaming and yelling and participating, but for what? A point in the spirit stick competition! Three times a year we have pep assemblies, fall, winter, and spring. Each assembly essentially recognizes the precious season’s sports and their accomplishments.

Each class has their designated section of the gym that they sit in for every assembly. The freshman and sophomores sit on one side and the juniors and seniors on the other side. Your whole class sits in their section and participates to try and win a point for your grade. There are many ways to win points. There are the usual competitions like the class with the most spirit or school colors and the class that does their assigned cheer the loudest. These competitions start off the spirit stick competition. Next there are different ways you can win points, the administration chooses different competition that we have no idea of until Mr. Stecker announces it at the time of that competition. We have no control or preparation time for these. They could be anything from Tallest/Shortest person from each class or someone with the highest score on Candy crush. As soon as Mr. Stecker says the category, each class chooses one person to represent their grade in the middle of the gym. There is a panel of judges (3 teachers) who will chose the winner and award that grade a point! Usually there are 6 or 7 competitions where each class tries to win and there are a few relays in which each class chooses 4 representatives they think will win the competition, keep in mind they don’t know what they are going to be doing until they are standing in the middle of the gym in front of the whole school.

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Stress of athletics

There are many stresses and things that could go wrong being an athlete.

The biggest thing for me is the time management. I have practices most of the days of the week along with the homework and family priorities on top of that. I often find myself very busy with little free time to relax or do activities. All of this “go, go, go” gets very tiring and soft of annoying because you feel like you don’t ever have time to relax.

Another stressful thing about playing a sport is when you get frustrated and you feel like nothing is going right. Sometimes, when you are working at things and trying to get better, you feel like you're getting worse instead of you get better. There are a lot of failures before success, but eventually you get it. Also, people get frustrated when they are not doing so well in practice or in a game. In track this is easy to do, and because so much of the game is mental, one mistake could affect your running and it makes you mad because you know you could have done better. We just have to remember that it is okay to make mistakes and that you learn from them. 

Another problem with some athletes is getting tired of your sport. If someone is constantly practicing and playing with no breaks, they might get burnt out and not enjoy playing or not want to play anymore. This is probably more likely to happen if the practices seem repetitive, like they're doing the same things all the time in practice. Some people will get burnt out, but some who really enjoy the game won't. It just depends on the person. Some ways to prevent this from happening is to take a break from it, or in your free time do things non sports related, so you're not always thinking about it and you're not always with the same people all the time. Sometimes it's not always the sport you get tired of, but the people. 

In sports, it's important to have good team chemistry. It is important for the team to get along so they can play well together, and when they don't it can be frustrating. That is another tough thing about playing sports; getting along with your teammates and how to deal with it if you don't. When people don't get along or if players have bad attitudes it can affect the whole team, even if it is just a couple people from the team because it can make the game not fun to play. 

All these things are very hard to deal with, but as athletes we have to push through it because that is what happens in sports, and if you love the sport enough it won't matter what you have to deal with to play it.

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Class Registration

It’s that time of year where you starting signing up for the classes you want to next in the upcoming year. Keep in mind that it is January and we’re only half way done with the year. I don’t know what classes I don’t know what classes I want to take, I’m not even done with my classes for the current year! But I understand that assigning kids to different classes and teachers is a very long process so they want us to register very early.

There are certain requirements you have to meet in order to graduate at the end of your senior year. You need to complete the following:

·         4 years of language arts

·         3 years of math

·         3 years of science

·         3 years of social studies (including government and economics)

·         2 years of a foreign language

You also have to take a certain amount of “elective” classes to get the need number of credits to graduate. Electives include: foreign language, business classes, other core subject classes, etc..

Most people take all 4 core classes for all four years of high school, but others do not. For example, I want to pursue business in college, so I am not taking a science class my senior year. I don’t need another science class because my major doesn’t require it and because I have already completed the 3 years of science that I need to graduate.

Your junior and senior year, you have the option of doing Kirkwood classes. There are different courses that are available to high school students to take during the school day, at Kirkwood, the can earn you a specific number of college credits. This is a great opportunity for everyone and I would really consider taking one of these classes because it can get required classes out of the way for you in college and it’s FREE!!! Taking Kirkwood classes doesn’t mean that you have to attend Kirkwood after high school, most of the credits for these classes will transfer over to whatever college you decide to go to.

If Kirkwood doesn’t sound interesting to you because you are unsure of what you want to do in college or they don’t offer any classes that you think you may need, I would strongly encourage you to look into the AP classes that we offer right here at Kennedy. They are college level classes and can also earn you college credit if you chose to take the AP test at the end of the year.

These are both great opportunities for high school students and we should take advantage of these while we can.

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